• Official Book Club Selection

  • A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin
  • By: Kathy Griffin
  • Narrated by: Kathy Griffin
  • Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,415 ratings)

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Official Book Club Selection  By  cover art

Official Book Club Selection

By: Kathy Griffin
Narrated by: Kathy Griffin
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Publisher's summary

Official Book Club Selection is Kathy Griffin unplugged, uncensored, and unafraid to dish about what really happens on the road, away from the cameras, and at the star party after the show. (It’s also her big chance to score that coveted book club endorsement she’s always wanted. Are you there, Oprah? It’s me, Kathy.)

Kathy Griffin has won Emmys for her reality show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, been nominated for a Grammy, worked and walked every red carpet known to man, and rung in the New Year with Anderson Cooper. But the legions of fans who pack Kathy’s sold-out comedy shows have heard only part of her remarkable story. Writing with her trademark wit, the feisty comic settles a few old scores, celebrates the friends and mentors who helped her claw her way to the top, and shares insider gossip about celebrity behavior—the good, the bad, and the very ugly. She recounts the crazy ups and downs of her own career and introduces us to some of the supertalented people she encountered before they got famous (or, in some cases, after fame went to their heads). Word to the wise: If you’ve ever crossed Kathy Griffin at some point in your life, check the index for your name.Along the way, Kathy reveals intimate details about her life before and after she made the big time. She opens up about everything from growing up with a dysfunctional family in suburban Illinois to bombing as a young comedian in L.A., from her well-publicized plastic surgery disasters to her highly publicized divorce, and more.

Only in this book will you learn how the dinner table is the best training ground for a career in stand-up, how speaking your mind can bite you on the ass and buy you a house, and which people in Kathy’s life have taught her the most valuable lessons—both inside and outside the entertainment industry. And as if all that wasn’t enough, there are also dozens of exclusive and somewhat embarrassing photos from Kathy’s own collection—featuring the diva of the D List herself, with her old nose as well as her new one, plus celebrity friends, foes, frenemies, and hangers-on for you to gawk at.

Refreshingly candid, unflinchingly honest, and full of hilarious “Did she really say that?” moments, Official Book Club Selection will make you laugh until you cry, or just puke up a little bit.

©2009 Kathy Griffin (P)2009 Random House

Critic reviews

“With a foreword begging Oprah to be on her show and a chapter called ‘Brooke Shields, Don't Read This,’ Kathy Griffin's autobiography, Official Book Club Selection, is everything you’d expect. What makes it a terrific read, though, is all the stuff you wouldn't expect: binge eating (her own, not Paula Abdul’s); her conviction that her late brother was a child molester; and her unflinching accounts of her plastic surgery and her divorce. Whether or not you’re a fan, you'll respect her tenacity, work ethic, and loyalty to her parents. And if you are a fan of Griffin’s celeb-tastic stand-up, skip to chapter 8, which should be called ‘Helen Hunt, Thomas Haden Church, and Ellen DeGeneres, Don't Read This.’ Everyone else, dive in. A–”—Entertainment Weekly

“Funny, honest, and refreshingly unsentimental. Griffin embraces Michael Corleone's mantra with a vengeance: All business is personal.”—New York Post

“You feel as if Griffin is in the room with you, excitedly gesturing as she recounts a story [and] that's the beauty of Official Book Club Selection—Griffin has been made a fool countless times in her career and her willingness to share those lumps, which, face it, you’ll never read in some Oscar-winning A-lister's autobiography, endears her tremendously.”—Richmond Times Dispatch

What listeners say about Official Book Club Selection

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

HONESTY Is WHAT MAKES KATHY SO 'HUGE'!

Love the honesty, and no holding back on anything authenticity of Kathy Griffin!. . . The good, the bad, and the ugly. . .

So impressed with how hard she works, and the appreciation she always extends to her fans.

Hope she's around for a LONG time! :)

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Feels like Kathy is talking, not reading, to you

Would you listen to Official Book Club Selection again? Why?

Absolutely. Kathy tells a lot of stories within her story and its impossible to catch all of the details on the first pass. I listened to a few chapters more than once on my first pass through the book, and laughed harder each time. I also teared up, too, but most of Kathy's stories aren't too heavy.

What other book might you compare Official Book Club Selection to and why?

Happy Accidents: A Memoir (by Jane Lynch) is what I am listening to now and is definitely a book you could compare to "Official Book Club Selection" basically becuase they are both memoir's of comedic women in Hollywood. However, unlike Kathy, Jane is reading her book to you; Kathy is having a conversation with you except she can't you talking back. LOL!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It was definitely a book I would have listened to all at once if I ever had that kind of time. You cannot get bored by Kathy's stories and because its conversational, you never tire of her voice since its constantly changing while she tells her story and full of emotion.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Kathy Griffin

WOW !!! Was that ever fun. Someone else wrote in their review that it was like having a casual conversation with her, and that's exactly right. Funny of course, but also touching, and, you realize she IS the hardest working woman in show business. Loved every minute of it.
Write another one Kathy !!!!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Can't Beat a Story Told From the Horse's Mouth

What did you love best about Official Book Club Selection?

Kathy Griffin has such a fun sense of humor! It felt like she was just talking to a bunch of her friends, rather than listening to a memoir.

If you’ve listened to books by Kathy Griffin before, how does this one compare?

This is the first one.

Which scene was your favorite?

Without giving anything away, she goes to speak at a school, and lots of inappropriateness ensues.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Again. Without giving anything away, she talks about her first marriage.

Any additional comments?

Be advised that this is the ABRIDGED version.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Like having lunch with Kathy

This is a fun listen. Kathy's conversational "reading" style makes it feel like she's just hanging out with you chatting about her life. For Kathy Griffin fans, this is must. For those not as familiar with her, give it a listen. She'll make you realize that being a successful comedian takes hard work (you don't just show up to the microphone and start cashing paychecks), plus she gives some behind-the-scenes scoop on her experiences in Hollywood.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved all of it.

I loved this audiobook, I think I enjoyed it way more than I would have a written book considering it was read by Kathy herself. She put so much expression into her reading it really felt like one of her stand up CDs, even in the saddest moments of her life.

I was so interested the entire time, I was sad to see the book end so quickly (I listened to four hours in my first sitting, and finished it in my second) because I was so interested in hearing about her life. Yes, a decent portion of the book was already revealed in interviews/stand up specials, but she had much more time to work with and didn't spare any details.

Must have for any Kathy fan. I'd even suggest it if you've already read her printed book.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great listen

A great story about how Kathy who wasn't handed anything in life fought her way to get what she wanted. She doesn't shy away from sensitive topics.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Funny and honest.

If you could sum up Official Book Club Selection in three words, what would they be?

Funny, honest, crazy.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It's an autobiography, so you have to go with Kathy on this one. ;)

Have you listened to any of Kathy Griffin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is pretty similar to her stand up, but she definitely is honest about her life. Some items are clearly bits. It's the honest moments when she really isn't trying to be funny that are the most interesting.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The results of amphetamines during pregnancy. Donut fryers of the world rejoice! (makes sense once you read the book)

Any additional comments?

This is an interesting book. If you like her stand up you will definitley likethis book as you get some insight into why she is the way she is.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

One of My Favorites!

There are alot of authors out there who should farm out the reading of their books. This is NOT one of them. I don't even watch Kathy's show nor have I seen any of her stand up but I absolutely love this book. I have listened to it over and over again. It's not a straight comedy routine. This book is about growing up, struggling to make it and some scary plastic surgery story. The reading is entertaining and engaging and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys memoirs and humor!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Funny and endearing

Kathy Griffin's hilarious accounts caused me to erupt into laughter inappropriately at work on way too many accounts. More than just side-splittingly inappropriate, Kathy's brave openness about her often-uphill climb to the top consumed me with her endearing stories. I've seen Griffin's talk show, stand up comedy in person and on television, and "My Life on the D-List," and this book was by far my favorite. Often misunderstood and completely relatable, Kathy remains one of my top-five people I'd love to have dinner with. If you enjoyed Jenny Lawson's "Let's Pretend This Never Happened," you must listen to this book.

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