PRINTWomen in words: From Keaton to Kardashian
Five books reveal previously private lives of female celebrities
November 10, 2011 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Personal space and privacy seem harder to achieve these days with the efficiency of social media and gossip blogs, but some female celebrities have chosen to remain confidential. These four new releases are written by women known and loved by many fans, but who still manage to stay out of the spotlight when it comes to personal details.
Kris Jenner…And All Things Kardashian
By Kris Jenner
Release Date: Nov. 1
Price: $14.40
Publisher: Gallery Books and Karen Hunter Publishing
Although fans think they know everything about Kris Jenner and the infamous Kardashian clan from their hit TV show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, they should think again. Jenner writes about her upbringing, previous marriage, relationships and her outrageous offspring. She even offers insight on her late ex-husband, attorney Robert Kardashian, and his duties during the O.J. Simpson trial. However, if fans are looking for salacious gossip, they will have more luck looking through celebrity blogs and tabloids instead.
No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington
By Condoleezza Rice
Release Date: Nov. 1
Price: $20.78
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Blue Nights
By Joan Didion
Release Date: Nov. 1
Price: $13.75
Publisher: Knopf
The iconic author, who has numerous autobiographies under her belt, including The Year of Magical Thinking and Slouching Towards Bethlehem, has just released her latest treasure. Blue Nights starts on the day Didion’s late daughter Quintana Roo Dunne Michael would have celebrated her seventh wedding anniversary. She passed away in August 2005, one month after her wedding date. Didion commemorates her daughter through stories of Michael’s childhood in Florida, while also questioning the effectiveness of her parenting. This is one of her most touching books yet, and if her previous autobiographies are any indication of her emotion, readers will need a box of Kleenex.
Then Again
By Diane Keaton
Release Date: Nov. 15
Price: $14.30
Publisher: Random House
Instead of focusing solely on her own indulgences and stories, Diane Keaton shares the spotlight in her autobiography. She opens up about her mother, Dorothy Hall, and how she impacted Keaton’s personal and professional life. Anecdotes about Hall’s habits — such as attaching Post-Its around the house that read “THINK” — are woven throughout the book as well as the details on each of her mother’s 85 journals she wrote while she was alive. Hall wrote about her marriage, parents and her children, Randy, Robin, Dorrie and Diane. Readers will be left with details behind Keaton’s life as well as her mother’s intricacies and personal narratives.
An Autobiography
By Agatha Christie
Release Date: Nov. 22
Price: $15.94
Publisher: HarperCollins
The famous mystery novelist might not be releasing another “whodunit” story anytime soon, but fans can still find out more about the author’s life in this re-release. First published in 1977, An Autobiography took Christie 15 years to complete. It sheds light on her childhood in England, her community service during World War II and the inspiration behind some of her most famous characters, including Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple. The new edition includes an accompanying CD with Christie talking about her first published novel, travels and past marriages.
