'Utterly Brilliant' by Timmy Mallett

For people of a certain age, Timmy Mallett on the telly was a fixture of childhood.  During the 1980s and early '90s, he hosted the Wide Awake Club on Saturday mornings and Wacaday during school holidays, bouncing around the studio in his fluorescent-coloured clothes and wacky spectacles, cheerfully striking everyone from pop princess Kylie to prime minister Margaret Thatcher over the head with Mallett's (foam) Mallet and delivering unashamedly dodgy puns and funny sketches.  Seeing his name on the book 'Utterly Brilliant: My Life's Journey' conjured up all sorts of memories, and I was intrigued enough to want to know what he'd been up to since last brightening our screens.

'Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes' by Rob Wilkins

I've only read one Terry Pratchett novel - 'Good Omens', his collaboration with Neil Gaiman - so it might seem strange that I was so excited about his official biography, 'A Life with Footnotes' by Rob Wilkins.  After all, there are plenty of other authors I've not read, so what was it about Terry Pratchett that made him stand out?

'Playing Under the Piano' by Hugh Bonneville

It's that time of year again, the Season of Celebrity Biography!  Last year saw a bit of a glut after the Covid-19 lockdowns kept many performers unemployed and indoors, leaving readers with a myriad of stocking-filling titles to choose from.  This year, things appear to be back to normal, and my pick of the 2022 crop was 'Playing Under the Piano: From Downton to Darkest Peru' by Downton Abbey and Paddington actor Hugh Bonneville.

Don't Ignore Him

'Just Ignore Him' by Alan Davies 

When celebrity biographies get released, it's usually to great fanfares and fireworks as each flashy hardback vies for our attention in the pre-Christmas glut.  My latest read - 'Just Ignore Him' by Alan Davies - got my attention because it seemed to do the opposite of that.  Just look at the cover; a simple image of a young Davies in white t-shirt looking straight into the camera.  Somehow cautiously bold, it's a long way from the usual stage-managed images we've come to expect on such books.  The only flash of colour is the red of his football shorts, leaving the book dominated by a brown-black that sits in stark contrast to the bright yellows, blues and whites of other biographies that I've read.  So what's going on?

Miss, Educated

'Educated' by Tara Westover (Penguin Random House, 2018)

With schools still closed or partially closed due to Covid-19, education is back in the headlines.  At first, it seemed like a dream scenario for many students, but the novelty soon wore off, and many are now realising the long term damage of a disrupted education.  Someone who knows more than most about the challenges of catching up on missed classroom time is Tara Westover, author of memoir 'Educated'.

Tara Westover grew up in rural Idaho, USA, the youngest of seven children in a family dominated by her father.  His twin obsessions were becoming as self-sufficient as possible in preparation for the end of the world, and avoiding contact with the authorities.  As such, while the children didn't go to school or see doctors, they learned to preserve food, use firearms and hide resources such as fuel around the family homestead.  They worked as his crew in their scrap yard, often risking life and limb in an environment where health and safety amounted to decaying steel toe-capped boots and not much else.  When accidents occur, the children are treated by their herbalist mother.  As she grows up, Tara's relationship with her siblings changes as they each begin living lives of their own.  While Tyler shows her there may be hope beyond the farmstead, the mercurial Shawn leaves her broken and doubting her own mind.  When Tara herself finally decides to pursue formal education, she manages to overcome her father's opposition, but, when challenged by life in an alien outside world, will she flee and return to the familiarity of home?

Sex, Guys and Audiotape

'Diary of a Drag Queen' by Crystal Rasmussen (Ebury Press, 2019)

Picture the scene.  It's a beautiful sunny day in spring 2020.  Outside, the birds are singing a delicate morning chorus while the flourishing plant life sways and nods languidly in the gentle breeze.  Inside, a nearly-but-not-quite middle-aged woman sits quietly, embroidering a picture of a cute puppy dog using the softest of threads.  It's a complex pattern requiring infinite patience.  All is relaxed and calm and excessively gentile.  So, what do you suppose the embroiderer might be listening to?  Surely nothing so filthy, fun and raucous as 'Diary of a Drag Queen' by Crystal Rasmussen!

Caught in the Cultural Crossfire

'Kill the Black One First' AKA 'A Search for Belonging' by Michael Fuller (535, 2019)

I've discovered the library's audiobook app.  Talk about a kid in a sweet shop!  There's so much to choose from, but I stopped short when I saw 'Kill the Black One First' by Michael Fuller listed.  With a shocking title like that, I had to take a closer look.

A Man for All Reasons

'Reasons to Stay Alive' by Matt Haig (Canongate, 2016)

I first heard of Matt Haig as an author, then kept hearing praise for his mental health memoir 'Reasons to Stay Alive' online, before seeing the book listed on a Reading Well campaign leaflet that I picked up at the library. With so many passionate voices praising this book, I decided it was time to take a closer look.

Part memoir and part self-help, 'Reasons to Stay Alive' is the story of Matt Haig's life with depression and anxiety.  He describes his illness from a personal perspective, starting with a crippling breakdown he had in his mid-twenties, his ongoing recovery and what helps him keep his mind healthy in everyday life.  Above all, he aims to encourage people to understand mental health in the same way as physical health, and to reinforce that there are many, many reasons to stay alive.

Movie Magic Michael

'Who is Michael Ovitz?' by... erm... Michael Ovitz

Who doesn't love a good Hollywood movie?  If you've ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes to make the magic happen, then 'Who is Michael Ovitz?' might be just the book for you.

Super-agent Michael Ovitz was once one of the biggest Hollywood names you hadn't heard of.  As joint owner of innovative creative agency CAA, he worked 24/7 to recruit and package perfect combinations of talented writers, directors and actors to work on films and TV shows in the '70s, '80s and '90s.  Thanks to his eye for great talent and an alchemist-like instinct for mixing the right creative ingredients, Ovitz was often at the birth of box office gold.  His deals led to hits like 'Rain Man', 'Ghostbusters', 'Jurassic Park', 'Tootsie', 'Schindler's List' and the epic TV mini-series 'Shogun'.  Not bad for a kid from the San Fernando Valley whose career began as a Universal Studios tour guide before he talked his way into a post in the William Morris Agency mailroom.  But though this story takes place in the City of Angels, Ovitz was no saint, and his hard-nosed work ethic, drive and often blinkered focus on making the deal made friends into enemies and enemies into friends.  By the end, his reputation had taken some hard knocks and gossip was rife.  In this book, he aims to set out his side of the story.

Mr Bright Side

'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography' by Eric Idle (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2018)

After the intensity of 'The Five', I needed something more frivolous and optimistic.  As it turns out, you can't really get more optimistic than Monty Python's Eric Idle.

'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life' is a scamper through the highs and lows (but mostly the highs) of the life of Eric Idle. After a childhood marred by the early loss of his father and an unpleasant spell at boarding school, Idle gained a place at Cambridge University in the 1960s, that now-legendary cradle of intellectuals and alternative comedy.  In this Big Bang of confidence and creative energy, many significant cultural figures mixed, with groups forming, splitting and reforming, until the infamous Pythons gravitated together and stuck.  Over the next 50 years, due to hard work and a positive attitude, Idle's career as a performer and writer thrived.  As well as professional success in film, theatre and television, he became friends with many like-minded people (who also happen to be celebrities), including George Harrison and Robin Williams.  'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life' is a life story and a love story, about friendship as well as fame, humanity as well as humour.  There is laughter, there are tears, but, somehow, there is always a bright side.

Could you Make it Up?

'Truths, Half Truths & Little White Lies: A Memoir' by Nick Frost (Hodder & Stoughton, 2015)

Hello everyone!  As you may have noticed, I'm a bit of a sucker for a celebrity biography.  My most recent read is 'Truths, Half Truths and Little White Lies: A Memoir' by film and TV actor Nick Frost.

(You know, the chap in the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy.  And 'Spaced'.  And 'Cuban Fury'.  Simon Pegg's mate.  Oh, for goodness sake, if you're not sure, Google him!  Know who I mean now?  Good, let's proceed...)

A Heart in the Darkness

‘Girl in the Dark’ by Anna Lyndsey (Bloomsbury, 2016)

As every reader knows, there are some books that stay with you.  This can be for a variety of reasons.  A hero may become your ideal man, a horror story may make you shy away from innocuous places, an adventure may make you want to see more of the world.  I think ‘Girl in the Dark’ by Anna Lyndsey may be such a book for me.

Anna Lyndsey was living a relatively normal life when things began to change.  Working at an office computer, she found that her face began to burn.  At first, she endured it, using fans to cool her skin.  But attending a meeting one day, she found that the subterranean room’s ceiling lights were also causing a reaction and she realised with horror that the problem was getting worse.  She sought medical help and went on sick leave, not knowing that she would never return to office work again.  Diagnosed with photosensitive seborrhoeic dermatitis, what began as an irritation became a debilitating, chronic condition that led to an isolated life in a blacked out room.  With limited options and no hope for a cure, how can a vibrant young woman, brimming with ambition, survive?

Living Legends

'The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London' by Christopher Skaife

I've been in a bit of a flap over the past few months.  Three books that I, really, really, REALLY wanted to read were all due to come out in the same week in October and I was finding it hard to sit still until I got my hands on them.  Fortunately, October arrived and I've purchased and read the first of the tempting trio, 'The Ravenmaster' by Christopher Skaife.

'The Ravenmaster' by
Christopher Skaife
(4th Estate, 2018)

In 'The Ravenmaster', Yeoman Warder Christopher Skaife lifts the trapdoor on life with the Tower of London's most famous residents: the ravens.  Legend has it that if the birds leave, then the kingdom and the Tower will fall.  It's the job of Skaife and his team to make sure that the current cohort of seven birds are so happy and healthy that they never do.  Unfortunately, at times the ravens themselves can have other ideas...  'The Ravenmaster' shines a spotlight on these extraordinary birds, interweaving details of their characters, habits and relationships with broader tales of their cultural significance, the history of their home and the practicalities of life with Britain's most famous birds.

The Princess's Direst

I bet you thought it was safe here.  I bet you thought that it would be easy to hide on a little book blog like this.  Well, I'm sorry folks.  You thought that only the cinema was dominated by Star Wars incarnations, but, like the many-tentacled Sarlacc, I'm afraid the popular space adventure's long, elasticated reach has made it into this little corner of the internet too.  I have finished reading 'The Princess Diarist' by the late Carrie Fisher.

'The Princess Diarist' is sub-titled 'A sort of memoir...' and that's a fairly accurate description.  Unlike her other autobiographical work, it's dedicated to her relationship with the character of Princess Leia, Fisher's on-set affair with Harrison Ford and the unexpected impact of the worldwide phenomenon that Star Wars became and continues to be.  The book's name comes from it's inspiration; a collection of journals that the 19-year-old Fisher wrote while filming the original Star Wars film in 1976.  'The Princess Diarist' is Fisher's reflection on her most famous role, how actor and character became almost indistinguishable in the popular imagination and the highs and lows that come with having such a huge hit so early in your career.

Something to Believe in?

It's taken me six weeks to read 'Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death and Jazz Chickens' by Eddie Izzard.  That's a long time, even for me.  Just as well that I'm as stubborn as it's author!

In 'Believe Me', Eddie Izzard talks about his life and career and the events and personal philosophies that have made him one of the big names in stand up comedy.  He describes the shock of his mother's death when he was was six years old, his time at boarding school and how his determination drove him to develop his skills in street performing and sketch comedy, until he found his feet in film and television acting as well as the surreal stand up that he's best known for.  From football to marathons, coming out as transgender to learning to fly, 'Believe Me' weaves a story of ambition, self-realisation and determination to do something different.

Mild, Mild West

At this time of year, and especially with the rotten weather we've been having, it's very easy to suffer a bit of the winter blues.  In the hope of a pick me up, I started reading 'Once Upon a Time in the West... Country' by fridge-towing funny man Tony Hawks.

'Once Upon a Time in the
West... Country'
by Tony Hawks
(Hodder & Stoughton, 2015)

In his early 50s and on holiday with the love of his life Fran, Tony has an epiphany: He doesn't have to live in London any more!  As a writer, radio show panelist and frivolous bet accepter, he can live anywhere, not just the Big Smoke.  In search of something more than the anonymity of the city, Tony and Fran make the move to Devon to start a new life.  But how will Tony cope with the sudden friendliness, expansive scenery and unexpected demands of country living?

Smoke and Mirrors, Darling

The first book I finished in 2018 was 'The Panther in My Kitchen' by Brian Blessed, which is basically 'Absolute Pandemonium' with just animals, so you don't really need a post about that.  The next was 'Do You Mind if I Smoke?' by Fenella Fielding and Simon McKay, which somehow followed on perfectly thanks to its intimate, conversational feel.

'Do You Mind if I Smoke'
by Fenella FIelding and Simon McKay
(Peter Owen Publishers, 2017)

'Do You Mind if I Smoke?' is the memoir of 90-year-old actress Fenella Fielding, best known for her velvety voice and comic roles on stage, radio and screen (if you know her from nothing else, you'll know her from 'Carry On Screaming').  In this book, she tells tales from her childhood and career, painting a picture of life as a performer in the 1960s and tempting us with tidbits from behind the scenes of various productions.  Through her many stories, the reader is given a glimpse of the hard work and tough decision-making that has to happen before the curtain goes up and the cameras start to roll, as well as the thrill of success and a job well done.

Funny Boy

Ladies and gentlemen, I am proof that PR works.  Every year I decide not to read any celebrity biographies, and every year I accidentally catch an interview on the radio or TV and end up reading the interviewee's book!  Just in time for Christmas, folks!

This year, I've been distracted by 'Little Me: My Life from A-Z' by Matt Lucas.  Normally I'd have given anything to do with 'Little Britain' a wide berth (it's just not really my sort of humour), but he came across so differently in the interview, I was intrigued.

In 'Little Me: My Life from A-Z', comedian and actor Matt Lucas tells his story so far.  Starting with his first notable role - 'Accrington Stanley' - and ending with 'Zzzzzzzz', the book's chapters include 'Baldy!', 'Chumley' (his first popular comedy character), 'Eating' (perhaps his greatest weakness), 'Jewish', 'Nearest and Dearest', 'Really, really Big Britain', 'The TARDIS' and 'What are the Scores, George Dawes?'.  Lucas reflects on the great highs and lows of his life, including being discovered by his comedy hero Bob Mortimer and performing 'Little Britain' sketches to sell out stadium audiences, as well as the difficulties caused by his childhood hair loss and grief following the death of his ex-husband.

I've got to be honest and say that, despite my hopes, I half expected to be unable to read much of this book.  As I mentioned, I found 'Little Britain' wasn't to my taste and expected Lucas to be more like his more ostentatious collaborator David Walliams (let's face it, while he's undeniably talented, he's not everyone's cup of tea).  As it turned out, I was charmed.  Lucas comes across as thoughtful, cheeky and hopeful, despite the obvious pain he's in.

It did cross my mind, however, that 'Little Me' could be open to interpretation.  I think if you come to the book having decided that Lucas is trying to manipulate his image and gain sympathy, I think that's exactly what you'll see.   Sometimes, you just can't win.  As a reader who was more or less a blank sheet when I started the book, however, I was struck by the writer's cautious attempt at honesty without self-pity or over-sharing.

The A-Z structure of this book makes it great to dip into, but also makes it a lighter read.  Perhaps many years in the future Lucas will be ready to write something more intense, but, for the time being, people looking for an in-depth behind-the-scenes exposé of 'Little Britain' or a considered analysis of British humour would be better off looking elsewhere.

Overall, if you have a liking for Lucas, are curious about what makes comedians tick, or are just interested in other human beings, I think you will find 'Little Me' enjoyable.  It's not the most Earth-shattering read, but it's sweet and enables you to see a normal-ish person beyond the tabloid silliness.

Now, what next...

'Little Me: My Life from A-Z' by Matt Lucas is published by Canongate Books Ltd (2017).

Real to Reel

Disclaimer: Today is very, very hot.  As a result, this post might be complete gibberish.  If so, I apologise.  If not, I clearly have more stamina than I realise.  But the only way you're going to find out is by reading on!

'It's Only a Movie'
by Mark Kermode
(Random House, 2010)

While recovering from a bout of flu earlier this month, I staggered to the bookshelf and, with much effort, coughing and spluttering, managed to pick up 'It's Only a Movie: Reel Life Adventures of a Film Obsessive' by established critic Mark Kermode.  Fortunately, it was a good choice.

'It's Only a Movie' is a charming, whistlestop tour through Kermode's life and career as a film journalist in print and on radio.  An entertaining collection of loosely linked anecdotes, it hop, skips and jumps through tales of how his childhood obsession developed into an unlikely career with the energy of a comic book fan on their way to yet another superhero movie.  From inspirational schoolboy cinema visits, to teenage pretension and adult near incompetence at university and in his early jobs, this is the story of a man who nearly ruins Time Out, gets shot at in LA, champions horror movies, enters a long term, on air relationship, is broken by Russia, gets kicked out of Cannes Film Festival and, of course, watches an awful lot of movies.  When there's love, peril and (hopefully) a happy ending, it's bound to be a hit.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It's silly, but it's fun.  The author freely admits that he may not be quite telling the truth, but that's fine.  He clearly knows that the stories he's telling are just a bit nuts, perhaps only believing them himself because he was there.

One thing that did please me was that name dropping was kept to a minimum.  It would've been so easy to wheel out a load of gossip about the big industry names just to attract a wider audience, but fortunately Kermode hasn't stooped to this and it's a much better book for it.  You get the impression that, with a few specific exceptions, it's the movies that matter and he finds the whole celebrity circus a bit gross.  This means that it's the art form that he loves that stays centre stage.

As a result, this is a great book for movie buffs, a bit of a change from all those expensive, in depth 'making of' books and long nights spent arguing over the top 50 1980s South Korean horror movies.  Come out of the cinema and read this in the sunshine, people.  Although maybe not on a day like this...

Now, what next...

Do Not Adjust Your Specs

I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but how cool a job have the graphic designers done on Sue Perkins' memoir 'Spectacles'?  I mean, just look at this cover.

'Spectacles: A Memoir'
by Sue Perkins
(Penguin/Michael Joseph, 2015

 There aren't many people who can be recognised through just a few brushstrokes.  Alfred Hitchcock and Adolf Hitler are about the only ones I can think of, but the less said about that the better.

Anyway, then you get to look inside the book and... wham!  More specs than you can shake an optometrist at!  Shame they didn't make this into wallpaper or fabric or something, I have a friend who would've loved it.

And just as you think it can't get any better, you arrive at the book itself!

In 'Spectacles', Ms Perkins takes us on an entertaining, whistle-stop journey through her life (or at least a version of her life - as the disclaimer says "Most of this book is true.").  We get to know her potty but lovely family, the friends that inspired her and her partner-in-prime time Mel Giedroyc.  (Wouldn't be surprised if the latter is brewing her own memoir in retaliation...)  There are demanding dogs, car-related calamities and an unexpected encounter with Esther Rantzen, as well as behind-the-scenes looks at 'Maestro', 'World's Most Dangerous Roads' and, of course, 'The Great British Bake Off'.

This is a charming book, full of energy and humour, much like you hope the author herself to be.  'Spectacles' is heartwarming, heartfelt and at times heartbreaking, as the anecdotes make you laugh at life's absurdities and shed tears for its cruelties.

This book may be filed under non-fiction, but like all autobiographies it's a version of the truth told to us as a kind of collaborative lie.  But unlike many celebrity memoirs, at least this one is self-aware and more about entertaining the reader than making the author look perfect.

'Spectacles' begins with Ms Perkins describing her wish to be a writer.  I think her understanding of her audience shows that she is.  I hope this is not her last book.