What I've Read (sorta): Official Book Club Selection

Last holiday season when driving back to Kentucky for all the family gatherings and such, one great way to pass the time was listening to books on tape. Hey, it was like reading and it made the 9-hour drive go by a helluva lot faster. And at least I was good about getting the unabridged versions!

For a recent trip the wife and I decided to venture into the audio book world once again to help pass the time. Our selection: Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin. As you can imagine, the decision was not mine at all. Actually, it did help that the book timed out perfectly for the drive, so there was no need to worry about having leftover book unheard.

The wife is most definitely a fervent Kathy Griffin fan. Not sure how much of a fan she was before the she started her show on Bravo! but nevertheless she has not missed an episode and follows her comedy like the Bronx follows the Yankees. I got her tickets for Griffin's show in June and luckily I didn't have to attend with her, as she took a friend of hers and everyone came out happy about the experience in the end. And I just got her tickets to Griffin's return to DC in January, and thankfully she has already secured a guest to go with her (thank you, Kristin!).

I must say, only catching glimpses of My Life on the D List while her eyes are glued to its every moment, I enjoy Griffin's humor though it's clearly not meant for me. I don't know (or care) about 85% of the celebrities she mocks, though when she gets in some digs I can at least remember hearing the person's name in passing. Her book is not rife with this celebrity humor, so you may be disappointed if that is what you are going in for.

In fact, what is amazing is how good the book is because it's an autobiography and Griffin has had one helluva interesting life thus far. Talking about her family (especially her brother), the life and times of coming up through the ranks of comedy, her time on Suddenly Susan when her coworker offed himself, her friendships with so many comedians I have known more about (like Janeane Garofalo, Phil Hartman and Andy Dick), the details of her failed marriage. There is a lot to digest in this book and not all of it is even remotely good stuff. But she tells it with her dry-wit humor and self-deprecating style, and you end up feeling happy for her in many ways by the time it ends. And if nothing else, you get a wonderful sense of how much comedy means to her and how great her parents have been at supporting her.

So whether you are up for reading (or listening) to the book, I recommend it and think it's worth spending the time with.