Official Book Club Selection

A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin

By: Kathy Griffin

Narrated by: Kathy Griffin

Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins

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

Grrrrrreat!

Loved it! Loved the honesty ! Glad she narrated it! Made so much better! Can't wait to listen to her other books !

New superfan

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

Fun, entertaining & witty

What did you like best about this story?

Kathy tells a great story. I was a fan before, but now I feel like I'm a superfan. I really hope she writes more!

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

YES! I listened while in my car to and from work, I sometimes wished I had farther to drive.

loved it

Kathy is brilliant. She is like listening to your Bff on an overnight party date.

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would

I feared this book would just be a silly retelling of celebrity gossip - but sometimes a lighthearted audiobook is what I'm looking for, so I got it anyway.

The very personal stories from her actual life blew me away. Was not expecting that.

I liked Kathy Griffin before. I think I might actually love her now!

p.s. andy dick story ....f-ing PERFECT.

p.p.s. not giving it 5 stars because (((and i know this is tiresome to hear)) Tina Fey's similar book was just so much better. But, Tina's book is better than EVERY book in its category, so i realize this is an unfair comparison :)

Better than any of the other book club selections!

Kathy does a brilliant job at narrating her own book. It feels like we're just talking. Even though I kinda knew the stories from interviews and from her stand up specials and all, there was something about her tone (as always) which kept me hooked. Totally worth a listen, and I will probably give it a second listen when I'm feeling a bit down and looking for a normal person's take on life.

Love!

Such a great book and story! She has a compelling life that she earned by hard work and dedication. Definitely recommend!

excellent

I'm not a big Kathy Griffin fan but this is a fun and interesting book.

Kathy Griffin, you're my Hero with a capital H.

I admire your authenticity.

I admire your skill, your perseverance, and your intelligence.

Rock it. Long live KG!!!!!

amazing!!

love it! omg it's the best!! I'm late to the party but worth it!

Didn't want it to end!

love the book, kathy always puts me in a good mood and I did not want it to end!