Book Review: Hollywood Hellraisers

We live in an age where celebrity dirt is a hot commodity. We want to know who has a drug problem, who's dating who, who's going broke. In Hollywood Hellraisers, Robert Sellers dishes the dirt on "old Hollywood" -- actors Marlon Brando, Dennis Hopper, Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson. And readers better get out their shovels -- there's a lot of dirt to dish out on these four.

The book, written before Hopper's recent death from prostate cancer, covers both the professional and personal lives of these iconic actors; there are numerous stories from the sets of such American classics as Easy Rider, The Godfather and Apocalypse Now.

But even before they became stars, Sellers digs into their early years and reveals all of these men had parent figures who were heavy drinkers; Hopper even believed his dad to be dead for years before finding out that he really had a job in top-secret intelligence work. For decades, Nicholson believed the woman who was actually his grandmother was his mother; in reality, his older sister was his birth mother. He didn't find out until a reporter uncovered this information when Nicholson was almost 40 and both women were dead. Brando had an abusive father and a mother who was such a drunk, he'd end up wandering the streets looking for her many nights.

Needless to say, their upbringings helped them become talented artists, but it also created many personal problems for them. Hopper became a major alcoholic and drug addict -- before getting sober later in life, he reportedly was consuming a half gallon of rum, 28 beers and three grams of cocaine daily. Brando fathered many children with different mothers, and later experience tragedy when one of his daughters committed suicide and a son was jailed for manslaughter. Beatty is known for being one of the biggest womanizers of all time; a new biography estimates he's slept with almost 13,000 women (although Beatty denies it). Nicholson was also a womanizer in his own right. The women between all four men sometimes overlapped; Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas had been Hopper's wife (very briefly) and a girlfriend of Nicholson and Beatty.

But underneath all the scandals, there are also interesting tidbits in here that really give you the picture of how these men felt about their fame and Hollywood careers. For example, Brando claimed to have never really enjoyed acting; when he got older, he had an assistant feed him his lines through a device in his ear.

Hollywood Hellraisers is a fun, scandalous and insightful read about four of Hollywood's all-time best actors.

Hollywood Hellraisers is available from Skyhorse Publishing.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary advanced review copy of this book from the publisher.

Book Review: The One-Week Job Project

It's probably safe to say that most every college graduate gets his or her diploma and then says, "Now what? What am I supposed to do with the rest of my life?"

This happened to Sean Aiken, who graduated from Capilano College in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with a business administration degree in 2005. After some post-graduation traveling, Aiken found himself facing the all-mighty question: "what next?"

His father gave him some valuable advice: find a job you're passionate about. The problem was, Aiken wasn't sure what he was passionate about. To find out, he decided he wanted to work a new job every week for an entire year. He started a Web site, www.oneweekjob.com, that let people offer him jobs across the globe (and eventually decided to share his tale via this book).

With no looking back, Aiken traveled all over Canada and America trying out 52 different jobs -- from a florist to a cattail picker, from a Hollywood producer to an NHL mascot, from a stock trader to an aquarium host. From week to week, he isn't always sure just where he'll be next, or what he'll be doing.

Aiken writes extensively about his 52 bosses... they all seem to love their jobs, and they all seem to give Aiken good advice about the working world, and finding a career you love.

Aiken openly embraced the challenges of all his jobs, including a not-so-great boss during his stint as film festival reporter, and having to deal with cow poop while working as a dairy farmer. "It's like walking in the rain," he wrote. Ew. He also experienced some major job perks, like attending a Sylvester Stallone movie premiere in Las Vegas, being featured on The Rachael Ray Show and rubbing elbows with Wyclef Jean (who told him one of his jobs should be at a strip club).

A great thing about The One-Week Project is that it's not just about the destination; it's the journey. Aiken doesn't just discuss the pros and cons of all the jobs he's tried out, but he describes the people and places he's seen, how he would get (on a very limited budget) from one place to another, whose couch or floor he was sleeping on.

While on the road, Aiken also falls in love, finds out his mother has breast cancer and learns how to deal with his rising fame as "The One-Week Job Guy"... all while learning a new career on a weekly basis.

The One-Week Job Project should be handed out to all college graduates when they get their diploma. Aiken's important message of finding passion in your job is something all people strive for, and his questions about "what he wants to be when he grows up" and how he wants to live his life will ring true with many twentysomethings -- and even those beyond that age.

The One Week-Job Project is available from Villard Books, Random House Publishing Group.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary advanced review copy of this book from the publisher.

Book Review: Insatiable

Meena Harper is pretty sick of hearing about America's obsession with vampires. Needless to say, this almost 30-year-old Manhattanite is peeved when she finds out the soap opera she writes for, called Insatiable, is taking on a vampire plotline. She's even more angry when she finds out her rival, the woman who has proposed the storyline, has gotten the new head writer position.

Besides dealing with a sucky (pun intended!) work environment, Meena has her unemployed brother living with her, and she's tired of her neighbor trying to set her up each time she gets on her elevator. Oh, yeah, and one more thing: she's extremely frustrated with her longtime gift of being able to see how people die.

But Meena's life starts to look up when a handsome stranger saves her from a bizarre bat attack late one night while she's walking her dog, Jack Bauer. Her rescuer, Lucien, sweeps her off her feet, and Meena's world starts to look brighter. He even happens to be a prince, and related to her nosy neighbor, Mary Lou.

Unfortunately, after a handsome man named Alaric Wulf storms into her apartment, she finds out some interesting information: her Prince Charming is actually the Prince of Darkness, prince of all the vampires, and Dracula's son. Ironic, no?

Meena's conflicted feelings about Lucien drive the second half of the novel, and gets her, her brother Jon, her friends and vampire hunter Alaric into some major trouble as they realize Lucien, a vamp who does not believe in killing humans, is in the middle of a vampire war with his dastardly bother Dimitri, who may be behind the recent murders of a bunch of NYC women.

Cabot obviously put out Insatiable at just the right time, when the country is in a vampire frenzy. Readers who are also Twihards will see some similarities between Cabot's novel and the Twilight series, especially the suggested love trial between Meena, Lucien and Alaric.

Maybe it's the spell of being with a vampire, but the fact that sensible, down-to-earth Meena pretty much starts planning her life with Lucien after one night with him (and before learning some valuable info about him) bothered me a little -- it seemed to go against her character. I could just see her doodling his name in a heart on a notebook, and that bothered me.

Then again, Meena herself more than makes up for it as a fun, witty character. Actually, all of the characters are pretty enjoyable, especially Meena's brother Jon and the gruff Alaric.

It's rare these days to finish a book surprised by the ending -- especially a chick lit novel. But I was very taken aback by Insatiable's ending. It seems Cabot set her audience up for a sequel about Meena and her pals.

This light, funny fare is a great beach read for vampire fans who are thirsty for more vamp lit. And here's to Cabot satiating her fans' desire for an Insatiable sequel!

Insatiable is available from HarperCollins Publishers.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary advanced review copy of this book from the publisher.

Book Review: Facebook Fairytales

In this technology-driven world we're living in, Facebook has become not just a phenomenon, but a way of life. It is home to over 350 million users, and 8 billion minutes are spent on it daily. If Facebook were a country, it would be the fourth largest in the world.

Facebook can be a time waster, a way to stay in touch with old friends or even a good business tool. But even more, the social networking juggernaut connects people in almost fascinating ways... it's not just a way for you to check out a friend of friend's wedding pictures (you creeper, you!). Many people practice goodwill on Facebook. Recently, my friend's fiance lost his wallet in a parking lot. He pretty much thought it was gone for good, when someone contacted him -- via Facebook! -- and said he had his wallet.

This story is a small-time example of the ones you'll find in Emily Liebert's Facebook Fairytales: Modern-Day Miracles to Inspire the Human Spirit. Liebert tells 25 different stories about people and Facebook, and some of them are just miraculous. Sisters reunite after 40 years
together; a couple finds a child to adopt; a sick mother finds a kidney donor; a family finds their cat after moving to a different city. There's even a story of an American girl saving a British boy from suicide after he sent her a random Facebook message. Another inspiring story is of a girl who dies of meningitis and how her parents use Facebook to prevent other children from dying of the disease.

There's also some names you'll recognize in this book. Comedian Johnny Dam talks about how Facebook help him land a TV show. Peter Shankman, founder of a handy tool I use all the time, the Web site Help a Reporter Out, describes how his brain child started on Facebook. Philadelphians may recognize the name of local journalist Brian Hickey. Hickey suffered major injuries after being involved in a hit-and-run accident. He's currently using Facebook to try to track down the person who hit him.

Oh, and there's another name I'm sure you'll recognize: Barack Obama. No, it's not about the President's personal Facebook use, but how Chris Hughes, who helped conceive Facebook with CEO Mark Zuckerberg, used Facebook to bring Obama's presidental campaign to new heights.

For all Facebook fans, this book is a fun and inspirational read, teaching us just how much Facebook can help bring people together and create miracles.

Facebook Fairytales is available from Skyhorse Publishing.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary advanced review copy of this book from the publisher.

Book Review: The Outside Boy

When I told some of my Irish friends I was reading a book about the Irish tinkers (or travellers or Pavees, as they preferred to be called), they all pretty much scoffed and complained about them. I had never heard of the nomadic group before reading The Outside Boy by Jeanine Cummins. But I didn't get any of the negative connotations of these individuals from the novel.

Cummins beautifully tells the story of Christy, an 11-year-old "tinker" who travels across Ireland with his dad, grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins. Christy's mother died 7 minutes after giving birth to him, and it's always been something that haunted him.

Within the first 50 pages, Christy's beloved Grandda also dies, and after Christy's cousin Martin sets fire to Grandda's wagon in an attempt to "free" their dead patriarch, Granny decides it's time to stay in one place for a little while so Christy and Martin can go to school and receive Communion; Granny is sure Martin has the devil in him.

After the two young boys are finally accepted into a school and the family temporarily leaves their wagons in one place for a while, Christy gets to live the life he's always wanted to. He's so excited to start school, where he starts crushing on a girl he calls Finnuala Whippet.

While also in town, Christy starts to have more and more questions about his mother, and why his dad never talks about her. After his grandfather's wagon burns, Christy finds a strange picture of his mother. He starts on a quest to find out more about this woman he's been grieving for all his life.

For someone who's never been an 11-year-old boy, Cummins voices Christy beautifully. He is a wonderful character; a good boy with a good heart who just wants to find out who he is and tackle these amazing issues no one his age should have to while also dealing with school bullies and his first kiss. Cummins tugs on the reader's heartstrings during Christy's search to find out more about his mother; I teared up more than once.

Whether reading inside or outside, you'll find yourself not being able to put down The Outside Boy.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary advanced review copy of this book from the publisher.

Book Review: The Jane Austen Book Club

The Jane Austen Book Club, written by Karen Joy Fowler, brings together 5 ladies -- and one guy -- who all get together to read and discuss Austen's six novels. The book is half an analysis of these novels, and half a character study of the book club members.

Jocelyn and Sylvia have been buddies since high school, and even dated the same guy, Daniel, who Sylvia ended up marrying. Now the women are in their fifties, and Sylvia and Daniel are divorcing. Sylvia's 30-year-old daughter Allegra is also in the book club; she went through a recent breakup with her girlfriend. Prudie, a 28-year-old French teacher, doesn't understand why her wonderful husband Dean loves her so much, and she has to come to grips with her relationship with her mother after she dies. Bernadette is in her sixties, has been married three times and is quite eccentric -- she's been known to go to the grocery store in slippers with her hair sticking up. And Grigg is a 40-something "mystery man" to the woman. All they know is that he's a science fiction geek who decides to join the club after meeting Jocelyn at a convention.

The book is broken up into months, and in each month, the club explores a different Austen novel. Along with that, each month gives an in-depth look at one of this book's characters. Sometimes what happens in the month parallels a theme or part of an Austen book. For example, when the club is studying Pride and Prejudice, there is a scene somewhat similar to the ball the Bennett sisters attend in P&P. I found this very clever on Fowler's part.

However, the characters seemed really two-dimensional to me. For example, I didn't see the point in Fowler letting us know that Jocelyn dated Daniel first; it never comes into play in the novel. Prudie's mother dying also doesn't seem to make much of a difference on her character developement. And even more bizarre is why Grigg suddenly starts to have a crush on the older, never married, dog-raising Jocelyn. There is no real chemistry between the two earlier in the book that leads you to believe they might pair up.

The Jane Austen Book Club (which was made into a movie in 2007 starring Emily Blunt) is a quick, easy read fun for any Austen fan. But I'm not sure what the great writer herself would think of this book.

Book Review: I Don't Care About Your Band

In the vein of Chelsea Handler, comedy writer and performer Julie Klausner's I Don't Care About Your Band is a hilarious guide to all the weirdos and losers Klausner has dated -- and what she's learned from it.

There was her obsession with an actor who played Sweeney Todd on Broadway. Her time in her teenage years spent calling a "special hotline." Noah, the younger guy whose bed had a surprise treat in store for Klausner -- bedbugs! And Rob, the guy who was a Star Wars fanatic and gave her herpes. All fun times.

Besides laughing at her past mistakes in the dating pool, Klausner riffs on how Kermit was so not into Miss Piggy (right on!) and how a meet-up with a male pen pal 20 years later was like a scene in Fargo (the one where Marge meets up with her high school friend at a Radisson hotel in Minnesota -- Klausner and her pen pal even met up at the same hotel). She also subtly gives dating advice and pretty much says it's OK to make dumb choices and go out with the wrong types of guys -- as long as you learn from your mistakes and figure out what's acceptable to you and what's not.

Book Review: Running with Scissors

Augusten Burroughs' memoir Running with Scissors can on one page make you laugh out loud, and on the next completely horrify you.

The book, originally published in 2002 (and later adapted into a movie), goes back to the time when Burroughs was a 12-year-old kid with a crazy mom and a withdrawn father. After his parents separate, Burroughs' mother decides to leave him with her eccentric psychiatrist, Dr. Finch, and his houseful of wacky relatives.

Dr. Finch is a character all by himself. He claims to has a "masturbatorium" in his office and, in one hilarious chapter, sees his poops as a sign from God (nope, I'm not making this up). Along with Dr. Finch is his long-suffering wife Agnes, 28-year-old live-in daughter Hope (who does a "Bible dip" to tell her fortune) and 13-year-old wild girl Natalie, a person Burroughs becomes very close to. Other children, both real and adopted, filter in and out of the house, along with other live-in patients. For years, Burroughs goes back and forth between living with the Finches and living with his mother and her girlfriend.

Some parts of Burroughs' book, such as the feces indecent and Burroughs and Natalie's attempt to create a skylight in the kitchen, are amusing. Others, like Hope trying to mercy kill her cat and Burroughs' mother letting a mental patient live with them, are a little crazy. And even beyond that, the stories of Burroughs being encouraged by his mother and Dr. Finch to "fake suicide" so he can spend some time in a psychiatric ward just so he doesn't have to go to school, and his sexual relationship with Dr. Finch's 33-year-old adopted son, are downright horrifying. It's clear that, no matter where he was living, Burroughs had virtually no adult supervision and was allowed to live however he wanted.

Growing up completely different than the vast majority of other teenagers, Burroughs has quite the gripping story to tell. Although he changed the names of those involved, he was later sued by the doctor's family, who claimed his story was exaggerated and embellished. Burroughs stands by what he wrote. His book is one that seems too crazy to have been fabricated -- how do you make stuff like this up?

Book Review: Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson

I, like many people, have had somewhat of a fascination with Michael Jackson, probably considered the greatest pop artist of all time. He was a person who was so talented yet so, well, eccentric (to put it lightly) and made many people wonder what was going through his head. And with his sudden and mysterious death in June 2009, the fascination continues to grow for many people--including me.

When I noticed this book, Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson, I was intrigued but also in a way put off. The book's author, investigative journalist and blogger Ian Halperin, recently released a book about Brangelina. He also wrote another book called Who Killed Kurt Cobain?, questioning if Cobain actually committed suicide. Other books include Celine Dion: Behind the Fairytale and Fire and Rain: The James Taylor Story (what dirt is there to dig up about that guy?). I was a little concerned I would be reading a 270-page issue of the National Enquirer.

But I found the book to be both balanced and well researched. Halperin spoke with close Jackson friends Macaulay Culkin and Liza Minnelli (although the later was while he was "undercover"). He even briefly spoke with Jackson, again undercover, and he believes Jackson was flirting with him during their conversation.

Halperin starts off his book saying when he decided to write it, he believed Jackson was a child molester and that he was guilty of all the accusations. However, when he did his research, he found many people, including top entertainment journalists, who agreed, but no one could present any concrete evidence to back up their claims.

Halperin's coverage of Jackson starts in 1993, when he was first accused of child molestation. Halperin gives great detail about the legal implications, the media coverage (including the harsh coverage of the TV show Hard Copy, that frequently paid its sources), etc. Halperin even mentions that the young accuser was under sodium amytal, a barbiturate that puts people into a hypnotic state, at the time of his confession. Halperin asserts it was given to his boy by his dentist father. Halperin also details how the prosecution had to examine and photograph Jackson's body to see if it matched up with how the boy described it; it turns out it mostly didn't. There's even a full transcript of the interview with the boy at the end of the book.

The book also covers his marriages to Lisa Marie Presley (who Halperin believes married Jackson to help convert him to Scientology and "cure" his alleged homosexuality) and Debbie Rowe. It also focuses on journalist Martin Bashir's documentary on the King of Pop, right before the 2005 accusations and trial. Halperin shares details of the trial that helped me see why the jury found him innocent; apparently the family of the boy in question had tried to get money from numerous celebrities and had been involved in previous lawsuits.

Additionally, Halperin describes Jackson's body image (questioning how many plastic surgeries he had and if he bleaches his skin white) and declining health. From the information Halperin got from his sources, he predicted on his blog in December 2008 that Jackson only had 6 months to live. There was a huge backlash, but it turned out, Halperin was right. Sources told him how frightened Jackson was of his 2009 concerts in London and how he told his daughter Paris not to be mad at him if he didn't make it to Father's Day. Halperin also asserted how people in Jackson's camp enabled the pop singer's drug habit by giving him what he wanted instead of stopping it.

I think Halperin did an excellent job of being unbiased throughout the book: he presents the facts, not leaning toward the picture of a completely innocent pop star or one of a monstrous child molester. He does believe, like I do, that Michael had a strange connection with children. Maybe the King of Pop was stuck in the childhood stage because he never got to have one; Jackson also told Bashir he was abused by his father.

We may never know the truth behind many Michael Jackson mysteries, but Halperin tries to help readers make up their minds about how they feel about him.

Book Review: How to Get Divorced by 30

When I first received this book, I thought, "Huh. What is this? Is this an advice book on how to get divorced?"

But once I started flipping through the pages, I realized How to Get Divorced By 30: My Misguided Attempt at a Starter Marriage, written by Sascha Rothchild, was a memoir.

The book starts with Rothchild approaching her 30th birthday and realizing she didn't want Jeff, her husband of 2 and a half years, at her party. Then Rothchild takes us back to her relationships before Jeff, what went wrong with those, when she met Jeff, how their relationship started out, when they decided to get married, and how Rothchild eventually decided to get divorced.

Rothchild, a TV producer and freelance writer for many newspapers and blogs, is so insightful about both her self and her significant others in all her relationships. Her unfortunately too late hindsight on her relationships may help the people reading her book. She walks the reader through her relationship and shows them the warning signs she missed. For example, she went to a lingerie party at the Playboy Mansion with another guy while she was dating Jeff, and he didn't seem to care. She also had to buy her own engagement ring, and could never get Jeff off of his La-Z-Boy recliner and away from his pot.

Rothchild's style of writing reminds me a lot of Chelsea Handler's, so if you like Handler's books, you'll love How to Get Divorced by 30. Besides rehashing her relationships, Rothchild lets us in on her wild child past (she started doing cocaine at age 13 and was dating a 19-year-old drug dealer at the time), and her kooky mother Susan (who doesn't allow her child to call her any form of "mom") who advised Rothchild, "Snort it if you must, but never inject heroin."

I'd be interested to see what a happily married twentysomething thinks of this book. As a single gal, I appreciated Rothchild's analysis of her relationships and marriage, and I think it showed me even more to be aware of the signs of a relationship that just won't work. I think it'd also be a helpful read of guys and girls who are thinking about taking the plunge.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary advanced review copy of this book from the publisher.

Book Review: Remember the Time

My mom always used to say she knew exactly where she was when she found out JFK died. I feel our generation already has two of those "moments": knowing where we were when we found out about 9/11 and where we were when we found out Michael Jackson died.

I had been driving home from work when I got text messages from two friends. I was really in disbelief and told them both that until I heard it from a reputable news source I wouldn't believe it. But when I got home and turned on the TV, there was the news on CNN, NBC, Fox News: Michael Jackson had died.

Most of my MJ memories consist of dancing to the Dangerous album with my little sister. My family had just gotten a CD player, and that was one of the only CDs my dad had. Emily and I would bop around to "Jam," "In the Closet" and "Who Is It" before dinner.

Others have many, many more memories of Michael, some of them personal. This includes Theresa J. Gonsalves, a writerwho shares her memories of Michael in her new book "Remember the Time."

Gonsalves is the muse for one of MJ's most well-known songs "Billie Jean," but she starts her story before the King of Pop penned that tune after her. Gonsalves was a schoolgirl in love with the Jackson 5, specifically Michael. She wrote hundreds of letters to the pop star, and made a decision she was going to fly out and see the singer perform with his brothers in Las Vegas for her 16th birthday.

It's amazing how easily the young Gonsalves got in contact with Michael. She called the hotel she knew they were staying at and asked to speak to the road manager, Randy Wiggins. She asked Wiggins if she could meet Michael when she flew out to Vegas, and Wiggins arranged for her to spend an entire week with the family.

Gonsalves and Michael bonded during her trip, and they started to talk on the phone -- all the while, Gonsalves continued to write Michael letters, something he really looked forward to receiving. They continued their friendship through Michael's solo success, with Gonsalves visiting him while he lived in New York with his sister La Toya to film The Wiz. During this time, Michael and Gonsalves started a more intimate relationship.

Gonsalves eventually moved out to California to be closer to Michael. Over the years, Gonsalves stopped writing as many letters, and just as Michael was slowly pulling away from his family, the same happened with his relationship with Gonsalves.

Through it all, Gonsalves told Michael she would always be there for him, and she kept running into him over the years, the final time being in 2003 in Las Vegas.

Through her recollections of her memories with the pop star and excerpts from her letters to them, Gonsalves sews together the special bond she shared with someone she saw as the man she loved, Michael, and not mega pop star Michael Jackson. Gonsalves showed she was more than just a groupie to the King of Pop; their relationship went much deeper than that.

Gonsalves also gives an interesting glimpse at the other Jackson family members, especially Katherine Jackson, who was kind to Gonsalves and showed her around California; a very bubbly and talkative Janet; and the religious La Toya. Gonsalves' one interaction with father Joe Jackson is memorable as well.

Included is a letter from La Toya to Gonsalves and a bunch of pictures of Gonsalves with Michael. Through reading "Remember the Time," people can get a feel for the Michael Gonsalves got to know: a kind man who loved his music and giving back to others.

Book Review: Moon River and Me

I can't say I knew much about entertainer Andy Williams before I started reading his memoir -- other than the fact that he was famous for singing the theme song from one of my favorite movies, Breakfast at Tiffany's.

After reading Moon River and Me, I now know a lot about this 82-year-old singer... and I'll say that the time I took learning about him was vastly enjoyable.

Williams' memoir starts back when he was a young boy in Iowa, singing at home with his family. His father soon recognized Andy and his brothers had talent and got them together to sing in a group -- the Williams Brothers. Jay Williams pushed his sons to practice, practice, practice, and then went from singing at a funeral parlor to singing on the radio. Then eventually had a successful traveling act with entertainer Kay Thompson.

Later on, Williams built a very successful solo career as a singer and even had a long-running The Andy Williams Show, known especially for its fabulous Christmas specials. Never slowing down, he currently sings at his Moon River Theater in Branson, Missouri.

Williams' honest account of his life as a celebrity is heartfelt and intriguing. Williams lets the reader into his life, including discussing his despair early on as a solo performer (he finally hit rock bottom when he realized he was eating dog food at dinner to save money) to his divorce from his first wife, the beautiful Claudine Longet.

Williams' book is filled with all the celebrities who touched his life, including the Osmonds (who got their first big break on The Andy Williams Show), Judy Garland (Williams saw her struggles with prescription drug addiction firsthand when she was a guest on his show) and Bobby Kennedy (a good friend; Williams was actually with him when Kennedy was shot).

Not afraid to touch upon scandal, Williams also touches on his "brush" with the mob (the Williams Brothers performed at a casino owned by the mob); his romantic relationship with Thompson, 20 years his senior; and the murder trial of his ex-wife.

In "Moon River," Williams sings: "Two drifters/Off to see the world/There's such a lot of world to see." Williams certainly saw a lot of the world from his career as a performer, and his memoir is a gift to readers -- a delightful and entertaining glimpse into that world.

From the Penguin Group, Moon River and Me is on sale on Oct. 13.

Book Review: Comfort Food

Gus Simpson is the queen of food TV. She has her own cooking show, cook books, appliance line. She has a beautiful home and tons of fame. But at 50, her life gets turned upside down when an up-and-coming host, former Spanish beauty queen Carmen Vega, becomes her cohost because of poor ratings. The two are at each other's throats from day one, both believing they deserve their own show.

Along with Carmen, Gus' new show includes her twentysomething daughters, practical Aimee and impulsive Sabrina; Sabrina's ex-boyfriend Troy; Gus' neighbor and hermit friend Hannah; and hunky new chef Oliver. During this milestone in her life and upheavel of her career, Gus learns how to not be such a "helicopter parent" and works with her daughters to form better relationships and work out bad feelings that have been lingering since the death of Gus' husband years ago.

Author Kate Jacobs does a great job of developing dynamic characters who grow throughout the novel, although at times it is difficult to keep up with all of them. She shows each person's faults and good qualities. The reader can sympathize with each character and understand where they are coming from -- even Carmen, who is set up to be the antagonist.

Comfort Food sends the message that there can be an immense amount of love between family and friends, no matter what the differences and obstacles are. The novel leaves the reader feeling satiated and with that warm feeling only good comfort food can provide!

Book Review: Something Drastic

In the hilarious and fast-paced Something Drastic, Colleen Curran introduces us to the lovely Lenore, whose boyfriend of 8 years leaves her unexpectedly on Boxing Day. Lenore has no clue why her Fergie has left her -- other than the fact that he is going to work in the tourist industry in Florida.

Over the next 12 months, Lenore tries to figure out why Fergie has left and if he's coming back. She tries to keep in contact with him through letters, even though he never writes back. As the weeks go on, Lenore learns things about her ex she had no idea were going on. She slowly embraces a new life, including making friends with her tenant Heidi, a professor, and getting an acting gig in a musical.

Readers can see how Lenore changes during her fun year-long journey of getting over Fergie. Many women can sympathize with the process Lenore goes through, but there are some zany situations she gets herself into that are pure Lenore. The quirky woman sends Fergie newspaper clippings with headlines such as, "Bear Tries to Eat Man's Head" and "Salmonella Kills Construction Worker at 5,000 Feet."

Book Review: Bittersweet

In his memoir Bittersweet: Confessions of a Twice Married Man, Canadian journalist Philip Lee chronicles how he fell in love with a coworker while married to his wife, how he decided to move into an old house with his also divorced brother, how he took care of his kids and started a new family.

Throughout the book, the reader can feel for Lee. He has spent a lot of time contemplating while his marriage failed and why he fell in love with someone else. He consults experts and historical literature to help him get through, and he constantly reminds the reader of his motto with his second wife Deb: love is a verb.

You can also tell Lee is a great father and that he deeply loves his children. Some of the most touching scenes include Lee sobbing after his children leave to go live with their mother.

My favorite part of the book is "Making for Home," where Lee describes his and Deb's journey to adopt a daughter from China named Lucy Xiao Ru. Lee expertly details the adoption process and his plight to become a father to a baby again after raising three teenagers.

Being a journalist, Lee is an ace at describing his surroundings. I don't think I've ever felt so much like I was right there with an author than I have while reading Bittersweet. Whether he is describing the squirrel infested old house he lived in with his brother near the Bay of Fund;, the sights and sounds of busy Nanchang, China; or a fun-filled wedding on a Grecian island, you feel like you're there where Lee is.

Book Review: Rock to the Top

Not many women can say they've been a top rock radio personality, created an e-commerce venture and started an online community to encourage girls to go into fields such as science and math. However, Dayna Steele can say she's done all these these things.

How did she do it? When she was one of the top female rock-and-roll air personalities in the country at KLOL in Houston, Steele got to hobnob with many major rock stars, including but not in any means limited to, Gene Simmons, Joan Jett and Bon Jovi. Through her experience with these rockers and her hard work at the radio station, Steele learned some key pointers on what it takes to be successful, whether you're a rock star or you're starting up your own company. She shares these insights in Rock to the Top: What I Learned About Success From the World's Greatest Rock Stars.

Steele teaches future rockers and business owners how to market themselves, stay organized, network, and most importantly, how to say thank you to those who have helped you along the way (Steele is known for her personalized, handwritten thank you notes).

Steele's advice is helpful and easy to comprehend, and her stories of her rock-and-roll life are fun and interesting. Some of my favorites include how she helped Steven Tyler stretch before a gig, a rude note she got from Shaun Cassidy, an eerie experience with Michael Jackson and his entourage, and her elevator ride with Carlos Santana.

An added bonus are a collection of photos in the back of the book with Steele and many of the rockers. Also, check out the foreword by the great Simmons himself.

For the novice entrepreneur or just the average rock and roll fanatic, Steele's book is a great read!

Book Review: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Working Less, Earning More

This newest edition to the Complete Idiot's Guide family is perfect for those who want to start their own business, people who work from home or anyone who wants to get the most out of their work. Filled with helpful tips, author Jeff Cohen lays out what you need to do to keep your life from being consumed by work.

Cohen's advice starts with creating a weekly to-do list including everything you do in a week, such as sleeping, working, going to the gym, etc., and recording how many hours you use to complete each task. Looking at what you do per week and how many hours it takes can help you realign and maximize your schedule.

Something helpful, especially from people who own their own bosses or work from home, is Cohen's section on self-motivation. He explains how certain distractions, such as the Internet and the phone, can interrupt your productivity. If you write out a daily to do list and allot a little bit of time for these things, and then completely shut down your Internet so it isn't a distraction, you'll get a lot more work done!

He also acknowledges why some people stay with their jobs even if they are unhappy in them. Cohen shows the reader how they can concur fears standing in the way, such as worrying about not being able to support your family and not making any more than their current salary.

Cohen covers everything, from how to become indispensable in your current work situation before looking for a new one to how to freelance and network. The book is filled with quizzes and exercises that help the readers see how they feel about their work-life balance. The links in the appendix are also especially helpful, especially to freelance writers! This book is paramount for anyone seeking happiness in their overall work life, and more time for their personal life.

Book Review: The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Wedding Etiquette

When I decided to start reviewing books, one of my coworkers (hi again, Tammy!) suggested I hit up the people at The Pocket Idiot's Guide to. The nice people there let me pick from an assortment of their newest books, and I settled on the Wedding Etiquette one.

Although I was never that girl who fantasized about her wedding, I have had a lot of questions lately about the "rules" of planning a wedding. Maybe it's all those wedding shows Gilmore, Ter and I watch, or maybe it's because I know I'll be going to a couple of my friends' weddings next year. I mean, I was already one of the best bridesmaids ever about two years ago (see pic). So I should know some stuff about weddings, right???

I did already know some of the things in the book, but a lot of my questions were answered. A chapter that was very informative (especially for any brides to be!) was the first one, which covered who traditionally pays for what... a tricky subject at times! For example, I didn't know the bride pays for the blood test for the marriage license (I didn't even know you had to get a blood test) and lodging for the bride's out-of-town attendants.

I learned a lot of random facts about the bridal party: for instance, it's appropriate for the father of the groom to be the best man, but not for the mother of the bride to be the matron of honor. Also, according to the book, bridesmaids and groomsmen should be asked to be in the wedding within the first few weeks after you get engaged. In the past, it was discouraged to have an uneven number of attendants, but now it is more accepted.

The book pretty much covers anything you've ever had questions about: food, place, flowers, pictures, music, dresses, invitations, presents, etc. There's also a chapter on pre-wedding events, such as the bridal shower and bachelor/bachelorette parties. Another helpful chapter talks about cultural differences at weddings, same-sex ceremonies and military weddings. Topics that I thought would be especially helpful for those planning a wedding include how to figure out a guest list and who to tip and how much they should get.

This book is helpful and a quick read for anyone planning or participating in a wedding. The information you want is easy to find, and the fun facts inside make it entertaining. For more information about the book, click here.

Book Review: Love Is a Mix Tape

I love music. Who doesn't, right? I like to think I'm openminded and have a vast array of musical tastes. What I like may not be "good" to some people (looking at you, music snobs!), but hey, I like what I like.

My favorite thing about music is how it can take you back to a time or place, a special memory. This happens to me all the time. For example, "I Need To Know" by Marc Anthony (I know, I am not displaying my good music tastes right off the bat with this pick) reminds me of 9th grade, inside jokes, my mom and football players (remember, Tanya?). Every time I hear "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" by Billy Joel (my all-time favorite performer), I remember being 5 and listening to it on a record player (!!) in the Gurleys' basement. Adam, Ryan and I would play with the speed on the record player to make Mr. William Joel sound like a chipmunk. Wham!'s "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" brings me right back to my 21st birthday, jamming out and dancing in Ter's car on the way to Applebee's. "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey (Steve Perry!!!) gives me a montage of bar memories.

The best way to bring back memories is a mix CD. Mix CDs chronicled pretty much every year of my life from freshman year of high school until today. I can pick up my "Spring 2006" mix CD and remember how I was feeling second semester of my junior year of college.

But long before the mix CD was the mix tape. Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield pays homage to the gloriousness of this invention in his book Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time.

Sheffield's book uses mix tape playlists to recreate time periods in his life, and mostly to tell the story of his time with his now deceased wife. Each chapter starts with the songs on the mix tape, which he references throughout the chapter. Filled with late '80s and early '90s pop culture references, this book is a pop culture lover's friend.

But even if you're not down with tunes from the times, you will like this book for Sheffield's writing alone. It's humorous and heartwrenching all at the same time. I laughed at the tales of his unconventional counsleors during his time at Catholic summer camp. My heart broke as he described the dismal days after his wife's passing. I was intrigued by his thoughts on Kurt Cobain's death and how it changed a culture, and entertained by his notion that he pictured himself and all girls he dated as part of a boy-girl synth-pop duo. But most of all, I loved how he describes his late wife Renee. He brings her fun, quirky spirit to life. He does such a good job describing her that I feel like I know her; she's someone who I'm sure everyone reading this book wishes they had a chance to know.

This is beautiful, well-written autobiography from a talented entertainment writer. I finished the book inspired and thinking about all the ways music has influenced me and has been interwoven into my life. I highly suggest picking this one up!

Love is a Mix Tape is a Crown Publishing book.

Book Review: My Husband's Sweethearts

In My Husband's Sweethearts by Bridget Asher, Lucy gets one blow after another: she finds out her husband has cheated on her with three different women during their 4-year marriage, and also Artie, 18 years Lucy's senior, is dying. One drunken night, Lucy decides all her husband's sweethearts should share her pain and come visit Artie before he dies. She takes his little black book and drunk dials some of his old flames... never expecting they may actually show up!

As the book goes on, Lucy learns more things about her husband that she never knew, and she forms almost a makeshift family with some of the sweethearts. A somewhat weird romantic twist happens, but I felt better about it later on in the book.

This was one of the best books I've read in a long time. Asher's characters are unique and lovable despite their flaws. My favorite might be Lucy's mom, who knows a thing or two about husbands (she's had a handful) and makes her dog wear a jock strap (no lie!).

Lucy says early on that her mother sews cliche phrases into pillows and how there are many less obvious lessons that should be displayed instead. Each chapter is named with phrases Lucy thinks should be emblazoned on a pillow, such as "Your Mother is a Woman You Don't Have to Become" and "Forgiveness Doesn't Wear a Rolex Knockoff." I thought this was cute and creative.

It's a quick read and I couldn't put this one down. It made me laugh and cry... and let's face it: I think that makes the perfect book.

For more about the book, check out this Web site.