PRINTCelebrity biographies
Kick back with the rich and famous
July 19, 2012 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Despite seeing them in the tabloids regularly, most of us know next to nothing about celebrities. Perhaps that explains America’s fascination with celebrity biographies. Revamp your nightstand with hot new reads that offer glimpses into the lives of Marilyn Monroe, Elton John or Caitlin Moran, the “British Tina Fey.” This week’s releases might just bring out your introspective side.
The Final Years of Marilyn Monroe
Author: Keith Badman
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
List price: $25.99 (hardcover)
Just before the 50th anniversary of the death a Hollywood sex icon, The Final Years of Marilyn Monroe will give fans a chance to indulge in long-lost details of the troubled starlet’s life. Keith Badman takes an intimate yet one-sided view of Monroe’s not-so-glamorous history. He suggests Monroe’s last days were not as rumored. His meticulous research challenges popular belief on several controversial matters, including her affair with President Kennedy, her institutionalization and her mysterious death.
Love Is the Cure: On Life, Loss, and the End of AIDS
Author: Elton John
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
List price: $27.99 (hardcover)
The driving force behind Elton John’s dedication to the fight against HIV is brought to light in this personal account. Love Is the Cure is a conversation heavy with conviction. The singer-songwriter reflects on his friendships with celebrities such as Freddie Mercury and fans such as Ryan White, a boy diagnosed with HIV at 13. The writer demands action from his readers by posing the question: “Why are we not doing more?” Proceeds from the book sales will benefit the Elton Johns AIDS Foundation.
How to Be a Woman
Author: Caitlin Moran
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
List price: $15.99
Caitlin Moran, an award-winning writer and TV critic, interweaves self-deprecating humor with scintillating wisdom for the modern feminist in this autobiography. The witty Brit addresses serious and comedic issues of today’s woman with feverish brilliance. Readers can get a preview of her plight via a promotional video on Barnesandnoble.com. In her diatribe on high heels, she says: “I will know when feminism has won the war when a woman goes up and collects an Oscar for best actress in a pair of flip-flops that are comfortable — and also covered in diamonds.”
