Part two of three of my biography and memoir reads from 2020! I have to say, the ones included in this post weren’t exactly favourites of mine but were definitely full of juicy scoop!
No Lifeguard on Duty – Janice Dickinson (5/5 Stars)
I’ve obviously known Janice as an over-the-top judge on America’s Next Top Model, and of course knew she was a supermodel but i truly had no idea just how famous and successful she was in her prime (and even still today), or what she had to endure to get there.
This memoir has it all – sex, drugs, and rock & roll! Janice talks about her glory days in modelling to her downward spiral into a drug and alcohol habit. She tells all and holds nothing back.
Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love – Jonathan Van Ness (3/5 Stars)
Oh man, I LOVE Queer Eye and JVN but this memoir was not it for me! I felt like everything JVN touched on was just the surface and it actually felt like a lot of the hardships and struggles that were endured were downplayed a lot of his hardships and struggles when they seemed like they would be incredibly pivotal moments. I enjoyed the coverage of all parts of his life but wished he would have dug a little deeper in the stories of his past.
In this memoir, Jonathan Van Ness shows us that he hasn’t always radiated the positivity that can be seen in him today. Raised in a small Midwestern town, he endured judgment and ridicule from people who just didn’t understand him. In recollecting his life, he shows the struggles that he took on to become the self-loving and accepting person he is today.
Do You Mind if I Cancel? (Things That Still Annoy Me) – Gary Janetti (4/5 Stars)
This was a super quick and enjoyable read. Gary makes me laugh every day on Instagram and this book was like a culmination of all his funniest moments. I really enjoyed how he was able to find the humorous side of his struggles and loved the stories of how he came to be the person he is today.
This book chronicles Gary’s childhood through his young adulthood and his twenties in New York where he dreams of starring on soap operas. In reality, he is working at a hotel, a job he mostly hates. Through his essays, he tells the story of the difficult times before the internet when you had to talk on the phone and his fantasies of winning an Oscar.
The First Time: Finding Myself and Looking for Love on Reality TV – Colton Underwood (3/5 Stars)
I read this book post-Colton & Cassie breakup and after reading stories about stalking and other bad behaviour on his part, I went into this with a terrible impression of Colton. I did feel bad for him reading about his big career dreams that obviously didn’t pan out and about how he and his virginity were exploited by The Bachelor franchise. Although I didn’t really enjoy this book as a whole, it was interesting to read about the ins and outs of the show!
In his book, Colton chronicles his early life as an awkward adolescent who grew into his success on the football field. Colton talks about his life as an anomaly – a pro-athlete virgin and his search for “The One”, which landed him first as a contestant on The Bachelorette and then as the lead on The Bachelor.
One Click: Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon is a good read