Celebrity Authors
Alabama. Angels Among Us. Harlequin, 1998. The impetus for this book was the song, "Angels Among Us" by Don Goodman and Becky Hobbs, and begins with personal anecdotes from all of the band members in Alabama and the song’s authors. The book is a collection of "feel-good" true stories about people who have made a positive difference in someone’s life. This is a short book, and includes a CD of the song. I like it because the stories are short, each one or two pages, and they are comforting.
Cher. The First Time. Simon & Schuster, 1998. This is an interesting look at an amazing woman. Cher tells the story of her life in a series of short reminisces about the first time Cher did things. This book tells about her first meeting with Sonny, the first recording session, the first hit single, her first child, her first hit TV series, her first divorce, meeting, marriage and divorce to Gregg Allman, her first movie, her Oscar win. These are expected stories, but Cher fills in the gaps with other firsts: the first time she got lost; her first bra, etc. She talks about everything in this book. It is funny, entertaining, and informative. A must read for Cher fans, but others would enjoy this book, too!
Flagg, Fannie. Standing in the Rainbow. Random House, 2002. Welcome to Elmwood Springs, Missouri, "the most middle town in America." Meet Neighbor Dorothy (Smith) who broadcasts live from her living room every morning with her mother-in-law on the piano and her blind neighbor singing. When not broadcasting, Mrs. Smith is mother to Anna Lee and Bobby and friend to many of the people in her town. At a pharmaceutical convention, the Smiths meet the Oatman family, a Southern gospel group. Neighbor Dorothy invites the group to sing on her radio program and their lives become intertwined with the others in her circle. When Betty Raye Oatman comes to live with the Smiths and eventually marries a tractor salesman named Hamm Sparks, the story takes quite a political twist. There are many interesting characters in Flagg's novel, which spans from the 1940s to the 1990s. An entertaining read.
Flagg, Fannie. Fannie Flagg's Original Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook. Random House, 1988. This cookbook is a spin-off from Fannie Flagg's novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, and it is a treat from cover to cover. You will not find recipes for health food or nouvelle cuisine in these pages; Flagg serves up recipes for good old-fashioned Deep South cooking, based on dishes served at the Irondale Cafe, the inspiration for the Whistle Stop Cafe in her novel. The recipes themselves are enough to make most readers start licking their lips, but the cookbook is also filled with intriguing Depression-era photo-graphs and humorous commentary on Southern culture. "All Southerners love poultry--chicken, turkey, quail. It is said we will eat anything with wings on it. Once, when I was a child, I heard of a family that actually tried to eat the feather duster!" For someone who is "fed up" with the endless array of heart-healthy no-fat no-salt cookbooks, a plate of Chicken and Dumplings followed by Black Bottom Pie may not be just what the doctor ordered, but reading the recipes for them along with Flagg's commentary is thoroughly entertaining.
Grammer, Kelsey. So Far. Dutton, 1995. Grammer tells the story of his life, a life filled with tragedy, heartbreak and triumph: the murder of his father and sister, addiction to drugs and alcohol and his Emmy Award-winning sitcom. The book is laced with behind-the-scenes tidbits from his hit shows. In the audio version, Grammer reads his story with his characteristic precise pronunciation and careful diction. His pacing is good as his voice skillfully conveys the emotion of each episode. Grammer's rehab story seems to get short shrift. An interesting book nonetheless!
Kennedy, Caroline. The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis: Selected and Introduced by Caroline Kennedy. Hyperion, 2001. These are the poems that Jackie Kennedy loved enough to share with her children, and include both well-known authors and poems and some fairly obscure ones. Anyone with an interest in the Kennedys or a love of poetry should enjoy this book. The poems are introduced by Caroline Kennedy, who includes background interesting background information to complement the poetry.
Lynn, Loretta. Still Woman Enough. Hyperion, 2002. When asked to write her first memoir, Lynn was in her early 30s: "I hadn't never done nothing with my life except sing and have babies, and I didn't think I had a life to talk about." But Coal Miner's Daughter, the story of the dirt-poor Kentucky girl who married at 14, had four of her six children before she was 21 and went on to become one of country music's most successful recording artists, captured the American imagination. In this follow-up, Lynn mostly focuses on her marriage and the trials and pleasures of Nashville stardom, including fond recollections of friends like Conway Twitty and Tammy Wynnette. Lynn admits that the passing of her husband, Doo, drunk, abusive, womanizing and yet her most loyal, trusted companion in 1996, freed her to write more openly. There are no stunning revelations here, rather a series of small, genuine ones about family and career. Though her grammar may make purists flinch ("I thought me and Doo was no longer husband and wife just because he throwed me out"), Lynn's literary voice is as natural and endearing as her songs. Many tales have a conspiratorial tone, and Lynn is quite willing to incriminate herself ("I ain't proud of that story or this next one, but this one has such a good ending I got to tell it anyway"). Honest and always entertaining, Lynn's memoir should delight country music fans and perhaps win her some new ones.
O’Donnell, Rosie. Find Me. Warner Books, 2002. One day, TV talk show host Rosie O'Donnell impulsively left a phone message for a pregnant, 14-year-old girl, whose tragic story of rape she had learned about at the New Jersey adoption agency she funds. Within days, the girl, Stacie, called back. Rosie introduced herself and offered to help the girl in any way she could. "And as I said those words, it was like a shell breaking open or a bird coming out," writes O'Donnell. "I said hello and a crack came, and we all fell in, straight into looking-glass land." What follows is an enormously powerful story about the mystery of identity, about how forces strong enough to shatter one person can make another shine like a diamond. Rosie chronicles her increasingly obsessive phone and e-mail relationship with a poor, broken kid who comes to show her that beneath her gifts of humor, fame, money and even love, she is still the child who lost her mother and is calling out to her. But what makes this brief book extraordinary by any standard is that it captures the way a core self, a true I, can appear in the midst of the most broken life. In the kind of lean, clean, witty prose that comes only with complete honesty, Rosie imparts some unexpected truths. Readers will come away persuaded that the road of obsessiveness can sometimes lead to the palace of wisdom, that faith and grace are real. Those who declare this merely a sexual "coming-out" story (there are passing references to dating a woman and to Rosie's partner, Kelli) need a heart and brain transplant. Here, Rosie offers us an unsentimental and utterly real tale about the power of love. She writes with heart, raw truth that bleeds, self-deprecating humor, and a wonderful ability with prose. Highly recommended!
O’Rourke, P.J. Holidays in Hell. Morgan Entrekin, 1988. Holidays in Hell was written in 1988 on the premise that anyone could write a travel guide for nice places, but very few care to go to places of strife and disaster and discuss issues of interest to tourists. All of this is told with the dry O’Rourke wit--and for people who enjoy that, it is hilarious. Of course, he is really writing about what life is like in areas most people won’t care to visit and it almost qualifies as a socio-logical study--but very tongue in cheek. From his chapter on "A Ramble Through Lebanon": Bassboat." "Bizport." "Passboot." "Pisspot." It’s the one English word every Lebanese understands and no Lebanese can say. The first, deepest, and most enduring impression from a visit to Lebanon is an endless series of faces, with gun barrels, poking through the car window and mispronouncing your travel documents." Admittedly, the information is dated, but still of interest and funny. Mr. O’Rourke’s outlook has changed and matured as he has grown older. If you like this type of humor, Holidays in Hell, Eat the Rich and Give War a Chance are not to be missed.
Powell, Colin L. with Joseph E. Persico. My American Journey. Random House Audio, 1995. Read by Colin Powell. (also available in hardcover - Random House, Inc., 1995). The story of Powell's rise from humble beginnings in Harlem to the corridors of power in Washington is one worth hearing. This abridgment touches Powell's high points: an average school career, the ROTC program that inspired him to military life, service in a divided Germany, and painful lessons learned in Vietnam. Powell's swift rise through the Pentagon bureaucracy made him a key figure in Desert Storm, the invasion of Panama, the Iran-contra affair, the breakup of the Soviet Union, and the debate over gays in the military. He closes with indefinite comments about a future role in politics, positioning himself as a "fiscal conservative with a social conscience." Colin Powell moving easily between the Army and high positions in both Republican and Democratic administrations, has a unique perspective. As an active soldier, he has experienced the sharp end of political decisions in Washington. As an advisor to three Presidents, he has seen how policy is shaped and he has shaped it himself. Powell gives us behind-the-scenes portraits of Presidents Reagan, Bush, and Clinton, of Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopf, and many others. This is a book of political excitement and disclosure, but it is much more. It is a life well lived and well told.
Robertson, Pat. Bring It On: Tough Questions. Candid Answers. W Publishing Group, 2003. Founder and chairman of The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. and host of the 700 Club, Pat Robertson candidly answers tough questions about life, morality and the Scriptures. From questions dealing with finances to marriage to end-time events, Robertson is excellent at giving Christian based answers based on scripture from the Holy Bible. Some of life’s most posing and thought-provoking questions are covered in this book. Easy to read and understand, this book is a must read.
Rooney, Andrew A. Common Nonsense. Perseus Books Group, 2002. The complete cover of this book states the title as Common nonsense addressed to the reading public on the following interesting subjects: food, drink, money, sports, politics, religion, education, the arts, home life, work life, health, doctors, people, travel, progress, Andy Rooney. In fact, the book contains 154 essays on various common subjects given a particular spin based on Rooney's opinion. Here is an excerpt from Part 1: Daily Life in America, "Further proof of the fact that hope springs eternal is everyone's anticipation that the mail will bring something wonderful even though it almost never does." I have always been entertained by his opinions on the TV show 60 Minutes and in written publications, both books and newspapers, and this book is no exception. If you like Andy Rooney in general you will like this collection of essays, and if you don't know, this collection would be a good way to find out.
Children’s Books by Celebrity Authors
Almost all of us are naturally attracted to the famous. Celebrity authors know this as they bring this added value to what they publish, whether their motivation is to supplement their income, inform, delight or all of the above. Children seem to have an even greater fascination with "stars" than adults. A celebrity author of children’s books may be the very key to motivating the potential reader to pick up the book in the first place. Adults can enjoy these materials as well, even if the intended audience is younger persons. The following represents a handful of titles available in the Youth Department of the Central location of the Birmingham Public Library. Most of these tiles are available at other libraries within the Jefferson County Library Cooperative as well.
Cornwell, Patricia. Life’s Little Fable. Putnam’s, 1999. In the land of pond there is no gravity and Jarrod, who has never fallen or felt heavy or learned to swim, wants to go into the pond, not knowing the grave danger that lurks there. Illustrated by Barbara Leonard Gibson.
Curtis, Jamie Lee. Where Do Balloons Go? An Uplifting Mystery. HarperCollins, 2000. A child wonders about what happens to a balloon that is let go, as a parent would wonder about what might happen to a child once he leaves home. Illustrated by Laura Cornell.
L. L. Cool J. And the Winner Is… Scholastic Inc., 2002. A young basketball player learns the importance of both winning and losing gracefully. By exploring themes of good sportsmanship, humility, and belief in oneself, L. L. Cool J’s story reveals the invaluable lessons that apply on and off the court. Illustrated by JibJab Media. Includes read and rap along audio performed by L. L. Cool J.
Lithgow, John. Micawber. Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 2002. Micawber, a squirrel fascinated by art, leaves a museum with an art student and secretly uses her supplies to make his own paintings. Illustrated by C. F. Payne. Includes audio read by the author.
Seinfeld, Jerry. Halloween. Little, Brown, 2002. This picture book features a humorous tale about Halloween experiences as remembered by the author himself, from bad trick-or-treat candy to pajama-like costumes. Illustrated by James Bennett.
Smith, Will. Just the Two of Us. Scholastic, 2001. This picture book celebrates the dignity, integrity, and honor of being a father. The song, "Just the Two of Us," made famous by Bill Withers is included in the text. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson.
April 9, 2003
