Non-Fiction Pick: Shooting Stars: My Unexpected Life Photographing Hollywood's Most Famous

Shooting Stars: My Unexpected Life Photographing Hollywood's Most Famous
by Jennifer Buhl
Sourcebooks
2014
352 pages
ISBN: 9781402237007

Visit the author's website and learn more about her adventures in Hollywood

Jennifer Buhl, like so many starry-eyed dreamers,  moved to Hollywood to find fame and fortune on the silver screen. Just like the thousands of others, she finds herself waiting tables and counting her pennies not her job offers. A chance encounter with a mob of photogs convince her that she's in the wrong business. Instead of waiting on customers and picking up tips, she could be following celebrities and picking up "tips" about their whereabouts.

She convinces Richard, a nice looking paparazzi, to allow her to ride along with him on his next adventure. They follow Britney Spears up a steep canyon road to her house. They're not alone--about 25 other photogs are in the convoy of tinted windowed SUVs. They leave empty handed but Buhl is fascinated. She finds a news agency online and talks her way into a job--a sort of job. At first using borrowed camera equipment, Buhl learns the ins and outs of celebrity "shooting."

Shooting Stars reads like a gossip-y reality show or an episode of E News. There's plenty of name dropping and some name calling--take that, Seal! Readers learn that Seal does not have very nice behavior toward a female photographer, Nicole Richie secretly likes the paps, Paris Hilton will always pose and she drives slowly so the paps can get their best shots. Some celebs are not so nice--Seal, for one according to Buhl and Keith Urban and wife  Nicole Kidman are private people who don't take kindly to a photog sneaking pictures of them.

The inside scoop on the paparazzi is detailed throughout the book. Most of the paps live and work in L.A. which has the highest numbers of stars. Most of the seasoned paps are British--they started their careers as news photographers. Now, many of the paps are from Mexico or South America. Most are male; very few are female. Buhl learns to pay for tips and has a grocery clerk tip her off when a celebrity is sighted in his store.

There are some cardinal sins to shooting photos: don't take pictures of celebrities' children or at their school, don't ever take a photo of a celebrity inside her home or in the back yard, ask if you may take the photo, make eye contact, if you can make a celebrities  laugh, they will always allow you to take a photo.  Also, ugly pictures don't sell. The public wants to see pretty pictures of celebrities doing normal things: walking the dog, shopping for groceries, or driving a car. They don't want to see their favorite celebrity in a compromising shot. No one ever "outs" a celebrity until the celebrity comes out of the closet on his/her own.

Buhl clears up the misconceived notion that celebrities hate the paparazzi; most celebrities realize the paps help keep them current and in the news. If their pictures aren't out there, the public soon forgets them and they are no longer relevant. In fact, it's a well known fact that many stars call the paparazzi to let them know they are going to an event: a Christmas tree lot or a pumpkin patch or even shopping. The paps get their photos, the photos are paid for, and surprisingly, the paps sometimes even give a percentage back to the star.


The relationship between the paparazzi and celebrities can get heated but for the most part it is symbiotic--each needs the other in order to make money and have a career. Buhl gives readers what they want: a chatty book about a young woman trying to make it work in Hollywood and chasing the dream of working in entertainment. With the onset of Twitter, the paps now know exactly where celebrities are located. If a celebrity posts that she's getting her hair done, the paps knows exactly where she is. Instagram makes it easy for celebrities to post their own images and control what pictures of them are out in the public eye.

Recommended grade 9-up. Language, mature situations.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the arc from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Hilarious Pick: Gorgeous

Gorgeous
by Paul Rudnick
Scholastic Press
2013
320 pages


Scathingly satirical, causticly comic, wickedly witty, in-your-face pun-y, and filled with more laughs per second than any comedy show, Gorgeous slapped me in the face and made me laugh until I cried. From the very first irreverent paragraph,  I was hooked and better yet, pleasantly shocked! Rudnick has that rare, ethereal gift of winsome wit that many fiction writers would kill for. David Sedaris (the funniest writer I've ever read) says, "Paul Rudnick is a champion of truth and love and great wicked humor, whom we ignore at our peril."

Becky Randle grew up in a trailer in East Trawley, Missouri, the daughter of a morbidly obese mother who dreams of Hollywood, glamour, movies and the good life. Just before her mother dies, she makes Becky promise that if something magical shows up, Becky should play along. She swears there will be magic and that Becky should use it. When getting some of her mother's old clothes ready for charity, Becky happens upon a phone number with an area code in New York. Becky calls the number and a woman sends her a plane ticket and some cash to come to New York. Becky is confused; why would someone, a complete stranger, send her money and a ticket to New York?  She enlists the help of best friend Rocher--whose mother named her after the box of fancy chocolates, famous for their gold wrappers. Rocher convinces Becky to take the ticket already  and get on that plane. If this isn't magic, what is?

Becky is whisked away by chauffeur to meet mysterious Tom Kelly, a designer so revered that he has become a recluse even from the world of high fashion. He tells Becky he will make her three dresses: one red, one black and one white. The dresses will magically make her the World's Most Beautiful Woman. The magic only lasts one year. Within that year, Becky must meet and marry Mr. Right or the magic wears off.

Wearing Tom's couture designs, Becky is immediately transformed to Rebecca Randle.  Her legs morph into supermodel legs, her skin becomes flawless, she is drop dead gorgeous.The kind of gorgeous that is simply other-worldly.  Everyone clamors to meet the new "It" girl. Soon, she's on the cover of Vogue and tapped to film a movie with hot Hollywood teen hunk Jate Mallow. The press is soon calling them Jatecca and papparazzi snap their every move.

Rebecca revels in the attention but finds it a bit vapid...that is, until she meets Prince Gregory, heir to the British throne. Suddenly, Becky knows what she must do. She must marry the prince and use her beauty and his power to help change the world!

What happens when a normal girl from nowhere rubs elbows with the A-list and British royalty? A hilarious romp that will have readers laughing out loud and quite possibly rolling around on the floor, gasping for breathe.

Libba Bray, no slouch to fierce and sardonic wit herself, wrote," Rudnick's considerable talents as a satirist as he uproariously eviscerates our celebrity-mad, class-concious, appearance-obsessed, reality-TV-vapid culture with puckish delight." (New York Times Book Review).

Highly, highly recommended grade 9-up. Profanity runs amok but it's so funny!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Chick Pick: Decked With Holly

Decked With Holly
by Marni Bates
Kensington Publishing
2012
244 pages


Funny, snarky, quaint and heartfelt, Decked With Holly is a great Christmas surprise! The cover--with its seasonal red and green title, the mistletoe, the girl in the Santa hat and the Christmas tree--will welcome readers to pick it up. Julie Kagawa says, “Fans of Meg Cabot will find Marni’s voice equally charming and endearing.” I loved the seasonal cover but I think the girl on the cover looks much older than a teenager.

After Holly embarrasses herself in front of an entire mall full of festive shoppers and their children by slapping a perverted, drunk Santa and then falling over the Christmas tree and wrecking the decorations, she embarks on a cruise with her entire family: her beloved grandpa, her mean-spirited, bullying aunt and two model thin girl cousins from hell.

Holly is seasick and puke-y and finds herself roomless kicked out of her stateroom by her evil cousins. She grabs a blanket and heads for the deck thinking that she’ll spend the night in a deck chair. A wave of nausea overcomes her and she ducks into the nearest open door, finding the bathroom and vomiting. Next thing she knows, she’s leaving the bathroom and someone yells and mistakes her for a zombie and sprays pepper spray in her face.

Nick is 1/3 of a rock band called ReadySet; they are the “next big thing” and have hordes of screaming teen females stalking them and paparazzi vying for their pictures. Nick takes a break from the crazed fan-hoopla and books a cruise. He doesn’t know that a deathly sick girl is puking her guts up in his bathroom. He sees someone leaving his bathroom and freaks out, spraying that someone with pepper spray.

When they are both caught by the "paps" and photographed, Nick has to spin the story the right way for the band’s sake. Holly agrees to be Nick’s fake girlfriend for the duration of the cruise. Nick and Holly display wonderful back and forth banter that runs the gamut from sarcasm to ugly insults. Holly makes fun of Nick’s celebrity status, and Nick calls her “The Mess.”

When the fauxmance is over, what is left? Readers will love Holly—a believable character who’s not the typical romance novel drop dead gorgeous—she’s a “normal” girl. They will love Nick, too; he’s a rock star who’s a real guy. Girls will be smitten by this frolicking read.

Highly, highly recommended grade 8-up. No sex, but the mention of sex and virginity does come up. Some kissing and holding hands. No language except “slutty” and Holly gives a wave with her middle finger extended.


FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for myself because I need a "light" girl-y read after so many dark dystopias. I will add it to the library shelves for more mature readers. It is pretty tame even by television standards. "Gossip Girl" is way more scandalous.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Book Giveaway: 52 Reasons to Hate My Father

52 Reasons to Hate My Father

See the book trailer here

I have 5 copies of this great new ya read. It's a funny one! I laughed out loud. See my full review here


You're going to love living in Lexinton Larrabee's life! Don't miss your chance to get a copy. Post a comment to the blog and include your first name, city, state, and email address.

Deadline for posts is September 13, 2012 at noon MST. Winners will be chosed randomly by Randomizer. Winners will be notified by email and have 24 hours to respond to my email with their mailing addresses. Sorry, only U.S. mailing addresses.

Books will ship from New York courtesy of Macmillan.

Good luck and start posting! Pamela
This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set for in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Reluctant Reader: Guys Pick: 12 Things To Do Before You Crash and Burn

12 Things To Do Before You Crash and Burn
by James Proimos
Roaring Brook Press
2011
121 pages

Available November 8, 2011

Snarky, funny, quirky, and punny (funny, too), 12 Things To Do Before You Crash and Burn is a short but hilarious read that will attract reluctant boy readers--and maybe some girls, too. Laugh-out-loud antics and "boy" humor, bathroom jokes, and "bad" language make this suitable for high school readers.

Hercules Martino has just buried his father--oh, don't be sad, you see, Herc couldn't stand his father and calls him a number of expletives throughout the book. They have a dysfunctional relationship. Herc's father is a beloved, almost-Godlike, t.v. self-help coach and best-selling author who helps other families with their problems, but at home, he bullies and belittles his only son. Herc's mother is mortified when Herc gives a less than politically correct eulogy, so she ships him off to visit his Uncle Anthony, his father's brother.

Herc doesn't see what the big deal is--he was only telling the truth about his father. He decides two weeks with Uncle Anthony won't be so bad--even though his uncle lives in the most boring town in all of America. On the train there, Herc sees a gorgeous "older" woman--at least college age--and tries to flirt with her. He accidentally falls asleep and when he wakes, she's gone BUT she left her book on the train. Herc decides to find her somehow and return her lost book.

Uncle Anthony and Herc have a funny relationship--they get along famously, more like frat brothers than uncle and nephew. Anthony decides to give Herc a list of things to do so he won't get bored while Anthony is at work every day.

Day One is easy: choose a mission. Herc has already decided he must find the beautiful but unattainable girl from the train. Day two happens by accident: find the best pizza place in town. The tasks begin to get harder; when it comes to day seven, Herc has to go on seven job interviews. He decides to have some fun with this one. When interviewing with Starbucks, he fills in the application as name: "Juan Valdez" and states he wants compensated with, "only the finest hand-picked Colombian coffee beans." When he fills in the application at Super Tan, he writes "Mel Anoma" as his name and his favorite hobby is "baking." This is punny stuff!

On Day Eight, Herc is supposed to think Great Thoughts and write them down. One of Herc's entries is: "Baseball games are too long. Outlawing spitting and scratching one's crotch would cut off a few minutes from each game." Not exactly rocket science.

Herc is a believable, almost tragic, hero. His quest to find the girl becomes of monumental importance. When all his dreams finally come true, he finds himself walking on air. Sometimes things aren't as sweet as they seem and the higher the high just means you have farther to fall.

Reluctant readers with a sense of humor will love Herc and feel empathy when Herc is stood up. With only 121 pages, this is a quick read and the cover art will appeal to teens.

Recommended grades 9-up. Language, sex, mature content.
FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Chick Pick: Epic Fail

Epic Fail
by Claire LaZebnik
Harper Teen
2011
304 pages

This delightful romp will remind teen readers of "90210" and "Gossip Girl" with maybe a little "Clueless" thrown in for good measure.

Sisters Elise and Juliana Benton move to Los Angeles with their old-fashioned, conservative parents (no cell phones or text messages in their rooms, no t.v. until homework is done) and two younger sisters. When they enroll in Coral Tree Prep they find themselves in the midst of beautiful celebutantes and uber-rich kids.

Derek Edwards is the son of Hollywood mega-movie stars--think the Jolie-Pitt kids--and you'll have how famous and rich his parents are. Gorgeous, rich and pampared, yet Derek has trust issues. He knows tons of people want to be his friends, just to rub elbows with the Hollywood elite. Oh, poor Derek! Elise thinks he's stuck up or just plain mean and doesn't give him the time of day. She prefers weird, but funny, Webster Grant. Derek has real anger management problems around Webster but he doesn't want to tell Elise about their past.

Girls who revel in gossip and celebrity teen magazines will love this read. Elise finds that appearances can be deceiving and sometimes your first instincts are terribly wrong. Maybe the boy with trust issues has a right to be stand-offish. And maybe the charming boy has a bad-boy mentality.

Recommended grades 9 and up. Some underage drinking; some language, some inappropriate topless pictures leaked to the Internet.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

High School Pick: Famous

Famous
by Todd Strasser
Simon & Schuster
2011
259 pages

Timely, poignant, brutally honest and rife with in-your-face social commentary about America's need for celebrity gossip, Famous will resonate with teen readers.

Jamie Gordon always wanted to take pictures; she is really good with her camera and her boyfriend Nasim thinks she is truly talented. In a chance encounter, Jamie just happens to be at the right place at the right time with her camera ready. She gets candid shots of a famous super-model slapping her son in a coffee shop and sells them to a tabloid for more money than most teens will ever see--"just for taking some pictures."

When the chance of a lifetime occurs, Jamie finds herself in L.A. shadowing America's hottest Hollywood sweetheart Willow Twine--who has been in a bit of trouble lately. Willow is dating a rock star of questionable background and morals, she's been in trouble with the law, and now movie studios are seeing her as more of a financial risk than box office gold (sound familiar?) When Jamie discovers some shots in her camera that she didn't take--photos that will ruin Willow's career but make Jamie famous--she is torn. Does she ruin a teen dream or take the money and run?

Avy is Jamie's friend in New York. He has dreams of becoming a super-hot mega star model/actor in Hollywood. He sells everything he owns and gets a cheap apartment in L.A. Avy soon finds out that shedding a few pounds is not the answer to fame in a town known for devouring thousands of young hopefuls each year. Avy makes crucial mistakes and falls in with the wrong crowd scene. Readers will like Avy--his naivete, his vulnerability, and his ulitmate defeat will have readers' empathy.

Strasser has captured the illusory celebrity lifestyle and pampered existence of young Hollywood. The novel's ominous tone is apparent from the opening pages and savvy readers will guess what will happen to Jamie, Willow, and Avy, but they may just be surprised!

Highly, highly recommended grades 9-up. Typical Hollywood behavior that you might read about in tabloids: drug use, partying, underage drinking, sex.

FTC Required disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Funny Fashionista Pick: Spoiled

Spoiled
by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
Poppy (Hachette Book Group)
2011
360 pages
ISBN: 978-0-316-09825-0

Funny, cocky, cock-sure (one author's last name is Cocks, for goodness sake), quirky, mean-spirited, and fashion-forward, Spoiled is a laugh-out-loud, in-your-face commentary of what it's like to grow up rich, spoiled and bitchy in Beverly Hills. Part "90210," part "Mean Girls," part "Pretty Little Liars" this novel will appeal to savvy readers with a passion for fashion and a penchant for naughty, haughty runway model ideals and diva behavior.

Brooke Berlin is the sixteen year old daughter of macho, masculine, and beautiful man-hunk Hollywood action movie star Brick Berlin. Brick has never met a camera, or a woman, he didn't like. His hazel eys, his brooding good looks, and his stone cold abs leave women fainting in his wake. Brooke hopes to use her father's celebrity to open her own doors. When she's out power shopping on Rodeo Drive--her favorite past-time--she manages to catch the eyes of the papparazzi, stealing the thunder from "one of the lesser Kardashians." (funny, right?)

Her life is sweet--being the pampered princess in a huge Hollywood mansion--the mansion so huge that their house "embarrassed mansions" nearby--armed with an assistant named after a creamy French cheese--Brie, and a best friend named after a peppery, fancy lettuce--Arugula, and able to spend unlimited amounts of cash and credit on fashion finds should make a girl happy, but Brooke longs for her father's undivided attention--she needs some serious "face time" with Poppa. Just once, she would love five minutes alone with her famous father--without interruptions from his agent, his publicist, his assistant, his assistant's assistant, his astrologist, his trainer, or any of the other minions who flock to his famous feet. Poor, spoiled Brooke remains a Paris Hilton wanna-be with serious daddy issues. Her mother escaped Hollywood years earlier without looking back and has no relationship at al with her only daughter.

Enter Molly. Molly arrives out of nowhere from Cairo Park, Indiana. Her mother Lauren has just died after battling cancer, and on her death bed, announces that Molly is the secret daughter of Brick Berlin, famous Hollywood movie star. They met when Lauren was a costume designer on one of Brick's films. His films are quirkily titled like "Tequila Mockingbird" where his character "rescued his fiancee from South American sex slavery." Molly has no other living relatives, and she is shipped off to Hollywood to meet her famous new father and her half-sister.

There is no way Brooke is going to share the spotlight with some hayseed from Indiana and no way she's going to share a precious moment with their father--HER father. Brooke begins a campaign to let Molly know just how unwanted her presence is.

Enter Shelby, spoiled daughter of the entertainment industry's seedy tabloid magazine Hey! She makes it her job to befriend Molly, ruin Brooke, and gather notoriety for her own celebrity reporting. Shelby's an evil schemer who craves drama and spreads gossip. She invents half-lies and rumors and has the two celebrity siblings soon fighting.

The Hollywood glamour set always has had their bizarre behavior--from throwing parties for their pets to naming their kids. Spaulding, for example, is the the daughter of a professional tennis player who sold the naming rights to his kid (Spaulding tennis balls). Molly--the "normal" mid-west girl says, "Good thing he wasn't in NASCAR...she would have been named Valvoline!"

This novel has it all--sister in-fighting, abandonment issues by a parent, absent mother figures, clique-ish high school behavior, severe cattiness, and finally a happy ending.

Spoiled was a gift to read--impossible to put down and tickled my funny bone. Girls will love the unforgettable characters of Brooke and Molly and laugh at the fashion and celebrity jokes, like Brooke's nerves "were as frayed as a pair of tights on Taylor Momsen." (I know, funny, right?)

Recommended grades 7-12. Younger girls may not "get" the puns and fashion jokes or the snarky comments about the Hollywood in-crowd.

No sex. One f-bomb but it is well-deserved. The authors write the fashion blog Go Fug Yourself--check it out--clever and catty.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not received monetary compensation for this review.