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Best & worst celeb autobiographies

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Worst:
Lynn Spears & Britney Spears: Britney Heart to Heart
This is a perfect example of why you should not write an autobiography at age 19. Published in 2000 the book purports to tackle questions including, “How do you encourage your child? How do you talk to your mom? How do you overcome obstacles? How do you put together your own "dream team" that will always be there for you? How do you deal with success--and failure? How do you talk about dating and relationships, dress codes, self-esteem, and body image?”

Perhaps they should update it with answers to questions like, “How to avoid being photographed sans underwear?” “What to do when your daughter begins to unravel in front of the entire world?” and “How to file a restraining order against your paparazzi ex-boyfriend?”

Interested in buying a copy anyway? Click here.

Katie Price aka Jordan: Being Jordan, Jordan: A Whole New World, Jordan: Pushed to the Limit
Yes, you read that right, Jordan has released no less than three autobiographies at the ripe old age of 32. This seems slightly excessive for someone primarily famous for being a Page 3 model and reality star.

Besides, we can't imagine that someone's life would be so interesting that it would be worth more than one autobiography... except maybe if you're Nelson Mandela, Oprah or maybe even Bill Gates.

Interested in buying a copy anyway? Click here.

Peter Andre: All About Us: My Story
First of all the title makes no sense; it’s all about “Us” and yet it is “My Story”. I’m going to assume that the “Us” refers to his now-ex Jordan, but still. Now, on to the actual content of the book—I present this excerpt from the first chapter: “Chris and Debbie each had their own room.

Michael, Danny and I had to sleep in one room and sometimes we shared it with Andrew too...Every dinner time we would all sit together at the dining room table. No one would ever sit in the lounge and watch TV.” Fascinating stuff, isn’t it?

Interested in buying a copy anyway? Click here.

Carrie Prejean: Still Standing: The Untold Story of My Fight Against Gossip, Hate, and Political Attacks
Is there anything more clichéd and pointless than using “the untold story” in the title of your autobiography? If the story wasn’t untold what would be the point of writing it anyway? 

This beauty queen and former Miss California was catapulted into the spotlight after she told pageant judge Perez Hilton she was opposed to same-sex marriage.

According to Prejean’s version of events, as told in the book, what followed was a relentless attack on her conservative values by the “liberal media.” It’s a bit hard to believe her side of the story considering the way she seemed to be eating up the attention and the fact that her “conservative values” include posing nude, recording a sex tape, and getting the Miss California pageant to pay for her breast implants.

Click here to buy a copy.

Best
Steve Martin: Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life
Martin, an adept writer who has two novellas and numerous essays for the New Yorker under his belt, details his rise to fame in this well written, entertaining, and very readable memoir.

He artfully weaves together personal anecdotes with observations on the world at large, with mentions of everything from U.S. President Kennedy’s assassination to the Iraq war. Time magazine named it as one of the top 10 non-fiction books of 2007.

Buy your copy here.

Michael J. Fox: Lucky Man: A Memoir ­
A refreshingly honest and down-to earth memoir, Fox takes us through his childhood in Canada, his career as a movie star, and his current battle against Parkinson’s disease. Fox is one celeb that actually has both a story to tell and the writing chops to be able to tell it compellingly.

Buy your copy here.

Chelsea Handler: My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night StandsAre You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, Chelsea Chelsea, Bang Bang
With her razor-sharp wit, perpetual political incorrectness, and self-depreciating humour, Handler has turned out three bestsellers that are actually worth reading.  Handler shares everything from her first experience masturbating, to walking in on her parents having sex, to being arrested for drunk driving.

Is it great literature? No. Is it hilarious? Absolutely.

Buy your copy here.

Angelina Jolie: Notes from My Travels
More a travel journal than a traditional memoir Jolie details her experiences traveling to Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Pakistan, Cambodia, and Ecuador as a UN Goodwill Ambassador.

You won’t get any salacious details on Brad Pitt (she wrote this before they became a couple) but Jolie is obviously bright and her observations and reactions to what she sees during her travels are honest and thoughtful.

The book is less about her, though, and more about the refugees she meets during her trip – a nice change of pace from the often self-obsessed literary products of Hollywood.

Buy your copy here.

Which celeb's autobiography did you really enjoy reading? And what was it about their book that you loved? Share your recommendations in the comment box below.



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