6 celebrity books that are actually worth reading
Some celebrity memoirs and autobiographies can be self-indulgent, poorly written and just downright bad – but not these.
From Michael J. Fox’s candid account of how he came to term with his Parkinson’s diagnosis to Carrie Fisher’s teenage diaries written on the set of Star Wars, these enthralling books will leave you wanting more.
1. Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox
When Michael J. Fox announced to the world that he had Parkinson's disease, a degenerative neurological condition, he had been secretly fighting it for almost ten years. By the time the public started grieving for him, he had stopped grieving for himself. Far from being bitter about being forced into retirement at the height of his career, he considers himself a lucky man.
With the same energy, passion and humour he invests in his performances, Fox recounts the incredible story of his life-changing experiences – and what Parkinson's has given him: the chance to appreciate a wonderful life and career, his family, and the opportunity to help find a cure.
2. Elvis and Me by Priscilla Presley
The New York Times bestseller that reveals the intimate story of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley, told by the woman who lived it.
Decades after his death, millions of fans continue to worship Elvis the legend. But very few knew him as Elvis the man. Here in her own words, Priscilla Presley tells the story of their love, revealing the details of their first meeting, their marriage, their affairs, their divorce, and the unbreakable bond that has remained long after his tragic death.
A tribute to both the man and the legend, Elvis and Me gives Elvis fans the world over an unprecedented look at the true life of the King of Rock N' Roll and the woman who loved him.
3. Cash by Johnny Cash
In his own words, Cash set the record straight – and dispelled a few myths – as he looked unsparingly at his remarkable life: from the joys of his boyhood in Dyess, Arkansas to superstardom in Nashville, Tennessee, the road of Cash's life has been anything but smooth. Cash writes of the thrill of playing with Elvis, the comfort of praying with Billy Graham; of his battles with addiction and of the devotion of his wife, June; of his gratitude for life, and of his thoughts on what the afterlife may bring. Here, too, are the friends of a lifetime, including Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, and Kris Kristofferson. As powerful and memorable as one of his classic songs, Cash is filled with the candour, wit, and wisdom of a man who truly "walked the line."
4. The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher
When Carrie Fisher discovered the journals she kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie, she was astonished to see what they had preserved – plaintive love poems, unbridled musings with youthful naiveté, and a vulnerability that she barely recognized. Now her fame as an author, actress, and pop-culture icon is indisputable, but in 1977, Carrie Fisher was just a teenager with an all-consuming crush on her co-star, Harrison Ford.
With these excerpts from her handwritten notebooks, The Princess Diarist is Fisher’s intimate and revealing recollection of what happened on one of the most famous film sets of all time – and what developed behind the scenes. Fisher also ponders the joys and insanity of celebrity, and the absurdity of a life spawned by Hollywood royalty, only to be surpassed by her own outer-space royalty. Laugh-out-loud hilarious and endlessly quotable, The Princess Diarist brims with the candour and introspection of a diary while offering shrewd insight into the type of stardom that few will ever experience.
5. My Lucky Life in and Out of Show Business by Dick Van Dyke
Dick Van Dyke, indisputably one of the greats of the golden age of television, is admired and beloved by audiences the world over for his beaming smile, his physical dexterity, his impeccable comic timing, his ridiculous stunts, and his unforgettable screen roles.
His trailblazing television programme, The Dick Van Dyke Show, was one of the most popular sitcoms of the 1960s and introduced another major television star, Mary Tyler Moore, it also won fifteen Primetime Emmy Awards. But Dick Van Dyke was also an enormously engaging movie star whose films, including Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, have been discovered by each new generation of fans and are as beloved today as when they first appeared. Who doesn't know the word 'supercalifragilisticexpialidocious'?
A colourful, loving, richly detailed look at the decades of a multi-layered life, My Lucky Life in and Out of Show Business will enthral every generation of reader, from baby-boomers who recall when Rob Petrie became a household name, to all those still enchanted by Bert's 'Chim Chim Cher-ee'. This is a lively, heart-warming memoir of a performer who still thinks of himself as a 'simple song-and dance man', but who is, in every sense of the words, a classic entertainer.
6. Just Kids by Patti Smith
A prelude to fame, Just Kids recounts the friendship of two young artists – Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe – whose passion fuelled their lifelong pursuit of art.
In 1967, a chance meeting between two young people led to a romance and a lifelong friendship that would carry each to international success never dreamed of. The backdrop is Brooklyn, Chelsea Hotel, Max's Kansas City, Scribner's Bookstore, Coney Island, Warhol's Factory and the whole city resplendent. It was a heightened time politically and culturally; the art and music worlds exploding and colliding. In the midst of all this two kids made a pact to always care for one another. Scrappy, romantic, committed to making art, they prodded and provided each other with faith and confidence during the hungry years – the days of couscous and lettuce soup. Just Kids begins as a love story and ends as an elegy. Beautifully written, this is a profound portrait of two young artists, often hungry, sated only by art and experience.