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

SUPER FUNNY

What made the experience of listening to Official Book Club Selection the most enjoyable?

Im glad she narrated her own book....She makes me laugh out loud. Some things made me blush but was still a good listen!!

Brilliant

Loved it. This book is not a must-read, it's a must-listen. It felt like Kathy was in my living room drinking coffee with me while telling stories about her life. She's candid, open and incredibly entertaining. I couldn't stop listening.

Surprising

Kathy's story and told by her is engaging and inspires as she recounts her struggles to become Kathy Griffin as we know today. The unfortunate events that lead to the breakdown of her marriage make the reader sympathize even more with her.

What a Memoir Should Be

Where does Official Book Club Selection rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is one of the best

Who was your favorite character and why?

N/A: no characters, although her impersonations of people are hilarious

What about Kathy Griffin’s performance did you like?

The way she made you feel like she was telling the stories to only you, like you were having a private conversation.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It had a lot of funny parts and some touching parts where she tackled hard subjects.

Any additional comments?

It had everything a celebrity memoir should have: a little background, some funny stories, dishing on what other famous people are -really- like, and personal confessions about serious subjects.

So Good!

This is one of the best audio books I have listened to in a long time. It doesn't even sound like I am being read to. The whole story is told so naturally, I literally am laughing out loud as if just having coffee with a friend. I listen to audio books while working out and thanks to not wanting to stop due to not wanting to miss out on this story, I am in great shape! lol.

Loved it!

Loved every minute! I've been a fan for a long time and Kathy never disappoints.

what a blast! and insightful to boot!

so enjoyable. no holds barred. I was sorry when it ended. I will listen again.

Everything I thought it would e

This book was so funny that it literally made me belly laugh at certain points. If you follow Kathy you pretty much know most of this stuff already, but it's great to hear it from her in story form.

PS - Suck it jesus!

Best Memoir Ever!

It wasn't trying to be serious. It was funny and just like Kathy's comedy it just flowed so easily like a conversation with my best gal pal. I laughed, cried, and died. This audio book killed👍👍

Funny gal with real depth of character.

I'm not one of her gays, but I love her as much. This book reveals her tenacity as she worked her way from small club comedian to a nationally recognized ---what's the word---D lister? Superstar? Emmy winner! Her behind the scenes look at Andy Dick is hysterical. Her stories about what was happening during the first few years of "Life on the D-List" will shock you (if you happen to be her EX husband reading this: Mister, you should be ashamed!) She never stops being funny and insightful even when she is handling difficult people and unfair situations. Credit worthy for sure! Standing Ovation!