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

Surprise

Honestly, I have not been a huge KG fan in the past, but I really enjoyed this book and I loved her reading it herself. It did not disappoint. Kathy just gained a new fan. I know she will be so very pleased. 😂

Kathy never dissappoints!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Great book very light hearted and funny you can always depend on Kathy Griffin to bring a laugh

What was one of the most memorable moments of Official Book Club Selection?

I loved hearing how she became the gossip thast she is by relaying her parents business to the neighbors and the neighbors business to her family.

Which character – as performed by Kathy Griffin – was your favorite?

As always Kathy herself

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

Laugh, of course

Any additional comments?

love it! very easy read

I Love Kathy!!

What did you love best about Official Book Club Selection?

I loved that Kathy read the book herself. It actually filled in a lot of questions about Kathy for me! LOVED IT!!

Shameless woman! I love you!

What did you like best about this story?

I just love Kathy Griffin. She's very fearless, and one of the funniest people EVER. Obviously any time she talks about her Mother and quotes her, I cannot stop laughing. I also thought the Dakota Fanning story was hilarious!

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

I was SO sad to hear the details of her marriage falling apart. I felt like a friend of hers and I was saying out loud, "Oh honey" or "You have got to be kidding me." That's the power of her storytelling. She speaks as if you were there with her. Like we were at a Starbucks or something. Just great.

Any additional comments?

The only problem I have is her decision to share her story about her Brother. That put me in a dark place. I appreciate her raw honesty and fearlessness, but I just didn't want to hear it.

Hilarious and a bit scandalous

Would you consider the audio edition of Official Book Club Selection to be better than the print version?

I can't imagine reading a book like this, you simply must hear it straight from the source.

Any additional comments?

I love Kathy Griffin! This book gets into some serious material, so it's not all laughs and giggles. But her life story is pretty interesting and I must say I am impressed with her work ethic.There are some pretty hilarious stories in here, especially her account of an Andy Dick performance at a college, I nearly fell over with laughter.

Extras

I love that she goes off book into her own tangents sometimes! Such a good listen

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.

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.

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.