But enough about me

From eighties geek to rock 'n' roll chic - adventures in Celebsville.
By Jancee Dunn. Headline, 2006. (Non-fiction)
Cover photograph: Jupiterimages/Blend Images.

I started reading this for bit of fun - light reading. It was definitely that, but also became really involving and touching as I read more about Jancee's life. Jancee was a reporter for Rolling Stone and it was intriguing to hear her stories of not-so-normal office life.

'They were the hippest people my suburban eyes had ever beheld. Most of the males cultivated a slightly grubby look. One stubbly guy in a Clash t-shirt and army pants slumped by with a cup of coffee, trailing the odor of stale cigarette smoke, probably from some show he had been to the night before.'

Jancee tells of her most memorable interviews, and gives inside tips on the best way to deal with celebrities. Such as: 'It can be done: manipulating your way into the kitchen cabinet'; 'Dirt gathering: short-cuts to finding the least loyal person in an entourage' and 'The difficult question: when to bring up the Church of Scientology.' I was laughing out loud a lot of the time while reading this book, and I definitely recommend it. It's not a 'we-love-celebrities-and-want-to-know-everything-about-them' type of book, it's more about Jancee's life, and you don't have to be a celebrity to have an interesting life!

- Anne