Book Number 23 - The Lucy Family Alphabet, Judith Lucy

Absolutely hilarious! Who else can put the words cunnilingus and grandma in the same sentence! An insight into the growing pains of comedian Judith Lucy, focused mainly on growing up with her parents, surviving her parents and finding out she was adopted. From going to footy games at 12 days old (she was only adopted at 10 days old), to her first sexual encounter to finding her biological mum. This is a book where I laughed on each page until about 'T' when she talked about her parents death a little more.



9/10

Book Number 24 - Stories I Only Tell My Friends, Rob Lowe

Rob Lowe is presenting us with a book that gives insight into his childhood, his climb to fame and his family and friends along the way. Very interesting reading, I would read until my eyes gave in.

Stories of growing up near the Sheens, hanging around with Tom Cruise, Janet Jackson, Princes Stephanie, Sting, Pavarotti, Sarah Jessica-Parker and a very telling story about his 9/11 miss with death.

A guy who got all the woman out of his system at a younger age than most and married his sweetheart, whom he has been married to for over 20 years now. A guy who got through his alcohol addiction and a guy with some really funny and very interesting stories.

Its almost like a gossip book but you know its actually true when reading the stories, and I find myself forgetting just how much the hollywood industry is like a swamp.

9/10

Book Number 25 - 50 Great Ghost Stories, Edited John Canning

Fifty stories from the 1700's and 1800's and more. Filled with stories about lost souls due to torture or un-forbidden love or lost drunkards. Most were a great read, and it was interesting to read about the history of places such as England and NYC.
Royalty, poverty, lovers as well as children are not left out. Headless ghosts, child ghost, lost ghost and ghosts wanting revenge. This book isn't scary, its more history related following and editing stories that have existed for years and years to which John Canning has done marvellous research and put them all together in one easy to read book.

7/10

Book Number 26 - Burton on Burton, Tim Burton

Gold -  that sums up this book. At first it was a slow read and then crept up on me and before I knew it I was reading about all his movies up until Alice In Wonderland. Its mainly about the in's and out's of the movie world and how he moved through the bullshit and found a living that suited his way of thinking and life. This isn't a book laced with gossip and love affairs, its one for the true fans (me, me, me).

As a huge fan of Burton, I am surprised it took me this long to read a book that has been sitting on my shelf for a few years, signed by Burton himself when I met him at before his exhibition (ahh, that was pure bliss). I digress now ......

Its intersting reading about Burton growing up in Burbank, California and how he started out at Disney, his relationship (or lack of) with his parents and how he took ten years to complete one of his biggest hits 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'.

The book has a foreward by Johnny Depp describing his appeal with everything Burton and with pictures that are displayed all through the book (which I LOVE), just like the Peter Jackson one I read earlier on (another favourite), I look forward to the next book talking about the movies since Alice.

8.5/10

Book Number 27 - The Time of My Life, Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi

Patrick Swazye...I used to have posters on my walls of him and I even made a ceramic head of Patrick in art class in high school. I'll be the first to admit, it look nothing like him but it still sits in a pot plant on the balcony and I think of him each time I see it.

If you have never seen Dirty Dancing then you would be living in a cave, its iconic with the music, the lines and the drama. I digress now as this is about the book.

No doubt this was written after Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and he says he vowed to fight it which he did for over a year but it took his life in 2009. This book is their life up until they found out the news about cancer. Swayze met Niemi when she was 15 years old and he knew he wanted to be with her, she was different to other girls he'd met and she didn't think much of him at first, and it was another 3-4 years before things happened to unite their union and this union lasted over thirty years - and who says Hollywood can't have liaisons that last! I guess their's was one of a slim few.

Swayze grew up with a family who owned a dance studio so dance was in his blood. Suffering a knee injury in high school playing gridiron, he had to say goodbye to a life of dance years later due to the pain that followed  but it opened up a world with acting and into many adventures he went. Swayze played Danny Zuko in the hit Broadway spectacular Grease but it was North and South television series that got his name pumping and the girls interested. When he read the script for Dirty Dancing he knew it had to be his, he managed to persuade the director that he was the one (over Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp and more) and he brought a passion yet confident feel into the roll of 'Johnny' and it also made us aware of his singing abilities i.e 'She's Like The Wind' (written about Lisa). After a few misses in the film industry he then took on Ghost and Point Break, both of which are blockbusters.

Swayze suffered knee injuries throughout his life, he was constantly getting his knee drained and was in pain a lot. He grimaced through many movies and proved his knee wasn't going to deter his future.

Although he and Niemi had later issues in life, mostly due to his bottle addiction, they came out on the other side and will remain one of Hollywood's greatest, yet not written about enough, love stories.

I was surprised to hear he was a chain smoker, one with a dance and sport past, but I guess we all have our outlets.

9/10

Book Number 28 - 1st To Die, James Patterson

This will be my last James Patterson for a while and I've gone backward in the book order. That's okay though. This book is the first in the Woman's Murder Club series and it's one of the best ones.

The book tells you how the Club met, the near death experience for one of the girls who finds love finally only to loose him but the book takes on the deaths of brides and grooms on their wedding day. With multipls twists and turns, I guessed the killer but only to find out I was partially wrong.

I find I read these books whilst cooking dinner, at the traffic lights and before going to bed, I can read many chapters and move through the book with speed.

Me likey.....!

8/10

Book Number 29 - 2nd Chance, James Patterson

Another James Patterson book down, one after this to go (and in the wrong order, good one). Why you ask? I got given many but not in order! Like I keep saying, they are easy to read. If you took out all the spare pages it would cut a quarter off the book!

This one is another Woman's Murder Club series, this time they get together with San Francisco's only woman homicide detective, Lindsay Boxer and with girlfriends like hers, beware those who kill. This chapter is based on a serial killer who kills only black Americans, and for once I guessed who it was earlier in the
book.
Never believe you have a killer as sometimes you may be wrong....

6/10