Book: Rags To Richie by Shane Richie

If you only read one autobiography in your life then read this one. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, the BEST biography I have ever read. A book written with genuine warmth, humour and honesty which keeps you gripped from start to finish. I tried hard not to rush through it but I could not put it down.

Shane had never registered on my radar before he joined 'Eastenders', where he played lovable Alfie the barman in the Vic. His pairing up with Jessie Wallace as his screen wife was a match made in heaven. They lit up the screen and pushed the ratings up.Shane became a household name overnight. Before that though he was just a comic and I for one took no notice of him. It was his success in 'Eastenders' that prompted the book and I am glad it did as Shane's story deserved to be told. He actually lived and grew up in the same place I did (Harlesden in London), so when he was writing about his early life I instantly went into nostalgia mode. I walked the same streets that he did, caught the same buses that he did, went to the same local places that he did but (thankfully) did not have to suffer the school that he went to. Shane is my age so who knows, our paths may have even crossed one day. Shane didn't hang around in Harlesden though and before he was the legal age he managed to get himself a job in Pontins as a rep. The tale of the runaway tractor and the welcoming of the Isle Of Wight ferry had me in stitches as did pretty much all his escapades at that time. Later on he managed to get himself into 'Grease' the musical stage show by, yet again, using his gift of the gab. How he got away with some of this stuff is beyond me. He worked himself up into the role of Danny before too long and once at the top he decided to try something else and that's when 'Boogie Nights' came about. 'Boogie Nights' is again my era, a stage show set around 70's disco music. Shane co wrote the musical and starred in it for several years until he decided to try other things. Along the way he met and married Colleen Nolan,but with all lovable characters there is a bad side, and with Shane it seems he was a bit of a womaniser. While writing of his affairs and the upset it caused Colleen and his children, he is honest and up front about it all. He and Colleen eventually divorced, but even though what he did was wrong and downright cruel, you still cannot help but like this guy. He doesn't try and justify what he did and there are no excuses, so it is no surprise that now both Colleen and Shane are in happy relationships with other partners, they still remain the best of friends. Once you've been 'shaned' I think you stay 'shaned' for life.

I cannot praise this book highly enough. Engaging, naturally funny, sweet, charming and totally absorbing, it is worth every penny you spend on it. Shane. Write some more. NOW!

Score Board 10/10 plus some more. Totally Brilliant.

Book: Madonna Like An Icon by Lucy O'Brien

It is no secret that I am a huge Madonna fan so when this book came out recently I was the first to grab a copy. There have been a fair few biographies written on her Madgesty over the years and none of them are really outstanding, but that's because the authors have to rely on a friend of a friend of a friend who once knew Madonna's hairdresser, or the billions of newsprint that's been used writing about her Megastardom lifestyle. These books have either been on the negative side or too far on the positive, but Lucy O'Brien seems to have hit the right balance, portraying Madonna as good, bad, beautiful and ugly. This is only fair, as let's face it, Madonna is a bit of a madam sometimes! The story starts off normal enough in downtown Michigan where the author begins the trail of Madonna. It goes through each stage of her life with lots of interviews from people who have worked with her (Niki Harris her back up singer and (now ex)friend, various producers and songwriters etc.) but there is no imput from anyone really close to Madonna. I don't think I have learnt anything new about her from this book, but I did feel myself cringing on occasion when the author highlighted some of Madonna's moments when she was rude, bad mannered and sourfaced. Madonna is a tough cookie when it comes to work and she does not suffer fools gladly so beware the person who gets on the wrong side of her. But, on the other hand she works hard, is professional and she is extremely intelligent. A few insights in the book from people that have worked or stayed with Madonna mentioned that she is a voracious reader and knows more then anyone gives her credit for. What the general public forget is that she not only sings the songs, but she writes or co writes them and in many cases co produces them as well. All her studio buddys say she takes on the full role in making a Madonna record, she is not writer and producer in name only. The author highlights Madonna's creativity and energy which she uses to the full in her amazing stage shows. Like me, Lucy O'Brien was at Wembley during the Confessions Tour, and like me she was knocked breathless by it. Overall this is a good book for a fan and an excellent book for a general reader with an interest in the lives of the rich and famous. There were a few niggles with some of the facts, but I enjoyed it. The author has done her homework and she has done Madonna proud with this book, but, in the end it is a biography only. Biographies have to rely on what is available and what is available is not always correct. I still do not know the real Madonna. The only person who can tell us about her is Madonna herself.
Score Board: 10/10. A good solid resume of Madonna's life. Recommended

DVD: SAW III (2006)

Saw III is gruesome. There is no other word to describe it, but in this world of rubbishy, blood soaked horror films, this particlar one has to be applauded. Its storyline and the wonderful twist at the end are far superior to any so called 'horror' film that hits the cinemas these days. Personally I have grown out of the scary film phase. I used to love them but now I would rather see something that has a genuinely spooky atmospheric story line. 'Saw III' doesn't really do the atmospheric bit but it is certainly edge of the seat stuff. Whoever wrote this must have one hell of a twisted mind. Right at the beginning when 'Saw I' hit the cinemas, I didn't fancy it, it looked like the usual gore splattered special effects nonsence that is so ruining the spooky films of today. You automatically think it is some crazed nutter going around sawing peoples bits off but it isn't. I ended up watching it after a recommendation and I have to say I was pretty open mouthed all the way through. There IS a murderer but he doesn't actually murder anyone by his own hands so he's not the nutcase with the saw that I envisaged. He's a clever nutcase who plays games with his 'guests'. Sounds simple, but you just have to see it to understand what it's all about. Usually the sequels to these sort of films are a waste of space but 'Saw II' lived up to expectations and more twists and turns were thrown in as well as some really awful 'games' that made you squirm in your seat (needle pit anyone?). 'Saw III' carries on the story and adds even more nasty playtimes and gives you some more squirming moments. I didn't see the twist at the end and when it came it does actually leave you with an open mouth. 'Saw III 'had more blood in it then the other two films but I wouldn't say it was unjustified in this case. It is overall a very clever trilogy of films. More in line with the classic 'Seven' (film starring Brad Pitt) then 'Nightmare On Elm Street', at least the characters are believable and the nutcase actually has a reason why he's playing with his victims. Not only that but if you manage to pass his tests then you can go free, and it has happened. He's not unreasonable you know.

As good as it is, I have to say, if you are a wimp then it's best not to watch it.

Score Board: Very good but don't eat your dinner beforehand, especially if it's pork. 9/10

Book: If I Was - Midge Ure (2004)

Who can forget the moody intro to the Ultravox hit ‘ Vienna ’? It sums up the early electronic 80’s like no other song at the time. I always remember the lead singer, Midge Ure, with his rather dapper raincoat and funny little moustache wandering through the grey rain soaked streets of Vienna singing his little heart out. I picked up the book (which was in a sale) because in my advancing years I have a yearning to find out what had happened to all those bands and singers I used to like way back in my youth. With Midge’s book I wasn’t disappointed as he referred to his contemporaries all the way through. I don’t think he was too impressed with Paul Weller as he referred to him as a misery, but I can’t say I’m too surprised about that because he is. Overall though he wasn’t in any way ‘bitchy’ and his book was a good solid account of his early life in Glasgow up until the present day. It pretty much follows the same format that most autobiographies do and the childhood, schooling, first loves, first jobs and first bands are detailed and well written. The band that finally got him recognition was of course the moody Ultravox. Midge was asked to join after John Foxx the lead singer departed to go solo. This was a blessing in disguise for the band as before Midge they hadn’t been exactly mainstream and success was bypassing them somewhat. Midge, to be fair, was a good front man as he had the voice and the look that fitted the moment. The success followed and inevitably he branched out into other projects to stretch his wings. One of these efforts was Visage. Visage was fronted by Steve Strange the very colourful individual with a lack of talent. Midge wrote their more memorable hits (‘Fade To Grey’ for example) for the band but when Mr. Strange got a bit too big for his pixie booties, Midge decided to leave them to it. Not long after that Visage came to an end. I think the one thing that still rankles with Midge is that despite being one half of the team who wrote the hugely successful Band Aid single, he is much overshadowed by Bob Geldof, the other half of the partnership. Bob has a big mouth and Midge hasn’t, that’s the only difference. After Band Aid, with Ultravox on the wane, Midge went solo. He never really regained his footing in the charts though and went through some hard times coping with it, surprisingly he admitted to being an alcoholic. To look at him you wouldn’t guess it but I admire his honesty. He is still battling with that problem even now, but his life seems to have mellowed and taken an easier route as he has got older and he is just writing and enjoying his music and playing to smaller audiences. I wish him well, he sounds like a nice guy.
Score Board: 8/10 a good, well written book that will take you back to the 80’s (bliss)

DVD: The Platinum Collection - Shania Twain

I am not what you call a Shania fan, but I will admit to liking some of her more ‘poppy’ efforts. This collection covers all her major promotional videos for her hits (and believe me she’s had a few) from her first album up to her mega selling ‘Come On Over’ release. The first videos show a pretty country gal with a lovely voice. Her music is pure country and western at this point and to be honest I am bored solid after the first four tracks. ‘Any Man Of Mine’ and some sloppy numbers by pass me in a haze and I hate the dreadful ‘You Win My Love’ which has Shania go karting around a track and waving a flag in a studio. ‘Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under’ is also pure C&W and the video is a tragic waste of 4 minutes. She just wonders around a greasy Joes café in a posh frock and sings to all the men. ‘If You’re Not In It For Love (I’m Outta Here)’ is a catchy tune but again it’s a bad video. Shania has obviously discovered stylists and her over glossed lips and shiny hair are well in evidence, as are a bunch of extras who are all singing along with her and fighting for the limelight. Yes. Very original I’m sure. The one C&W tune I do like is ‘No-one Needs To Know’. A simple little sing along without any gloss. The video is set in a tornado path for some reason but Shania’s hair doesn’t move an inch!
‘The Woman In Me (Needs The Man In You) Is a dull overlong ballad which was filmed in a sort of desert scene with sheiks and mysterious horseman running around everywhere. Shania meanwhile wanders about with a scarf. Some of the more recent hits such as ‘You’re Still The One’ is filmed at dusk in a moody setting, no story theme attached just a showcase for Shania’s face. Nice song though.
‘Love Gets Me Everytime’ seemed to have been filmed when she was having some photos taken and there are a few little gems where she is in her slippers without a hint of make up and a crummy old dressing gown. Other then that the video is just a lump of cheese.
The big ones are here ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’ and ‘Man! I Feel Like A Woman’. Both very professional and very different from the cute little country girl with the scrubbed face in her first videos. In ‘Impress’ she is dressed in a leopard print outfit while wandering through the desert turning down lifts with various men who don’t impress her much. She is SO overmade up you can barely recognise her.
In ‘Man!’ she spoofs the Robert Palmer video for ‘Addicted To Love’ with the girls on guitars replaced by men. Shania herself is in a sexy little short skirt, mans shirt type thing and pouts a lot at the camera as she disrobes the various layers. Don’t worry her modesty is protected, she only goes so far. After all this is Shania! This is probably the best video of the bunch for me.
‘Don’t Be Stupid’ is just plain weird. Riverdancers and fiddlers (with Shania) doing their stuff underneath a load of water sprinklers. This is the second video where she has got soaked in the name of her art. The other one was a ballad about some chaps heart not being at home anymore.
One of the most beautiful videos is ‘From This Moment On’ where she is all dressed up in an Indian sari. She looks stunning. It was filmed in a hotel corridor would you believe but the best bit is at the end when she tries a door to a locked room and pulls the handle off! I don’t think this was in the script but good on them for leaving it in.
During the glossy videos there are a couple of songs where she has been filmed live, ‘Come On Over’ and ‘Honey I’m Home’. The girl can sing that’s for sure. The final live piece was ‘We’re Gonna Rock This Country’ which she must have performed at some stadium before a baseball match or something. The crowd looked a bit bored.
In all this is a pretty wonderful collection for a fan. I was glad I had a chance to take a look but I don’t want to repeat the experience. It’s all a little too sweet and sickly for me.
Score Board: For fans only 7/10

Book: Fighting Back - Frank Bruno (2005)

Bruno was the archetypical British sporting hero, a lovable gentle giant who seemed totally harmless until you put him in a boxing ring. This book does not destroy this image of him, even with his unfortunate fall from grace a couple of years ago he is still a lovable character. The writing is simple and to the point. Franks happy childhood and home life are explained and his start in the boxing ring. Pretty much all his major fights are discussed in detail and his feelings when he lost or won them. Boxing was this guys life. He lived and breathed it and he was no doubt good at what he did, but it comes across to me that boxing just ends on a downer. You get hit just one time too many and that’s the end. Frank nearly didn’t make it into the sport at all because of a dodgy eye problem but he did get it sorted out for long enough to carve a successful career, in the end however, it caught up with him and he retired.
His dramatic fall from grace a few years ago is dealt with in the first chapter of the book. Frank writes it as only he can, in an honest, heart-on-his-sleeve kind of way. The problem stems from a bout of depression. Franks career was over, his days of glory were gone and he felt he had let his beloved British public down by losing his last title. It is no wonder that when his behaviour became erratic his wife Laura decided to take the kids and herself away for safetys sake. Frank, lovable as he may be, is a huge man with huge fists. The tabloids made a big thing of him swinging those fists towards his wife but I doubt that very much. They still see each other regularly and they seem to be getting on better as friends rather then partners. The whole sorry episode of his illness makes sad reading and you cannot help but feel for him. The British tabloids loved every second of his “Barmy Bruno” episode, but it obviously hurt Frank a great deal. He is still reeling from it. At the end of the book he is slowly picking himself up and getting on with life, but as he said, it looks like panto every year is about all that he can hope for. I mean, that’s quite heart breaking when you think about it. He was a great fighter, but so was Mike Tyson and you don’t see him playing the fairy godmother in Grimsby’s production of ‘Cinderella’ do you?
Score Board: Too short, too thin but worth a read 6/10

Book: Too Much Too Young - Kerry Katona (2006)

Kerry is the ultimate Celebrity CHAV. Gobby, loud, in your face and on every cover of every gossip magazine in the country. She comes across as a trashy madam who loves being the centre of attention but after reading the first chapter of her book I am surprised she is still standing.
Her childhood will shock you and as she recounts every bruise, every foster home, every fight her so called parents had and every suicide attempt by her mother, it makes you respect the fact that this girl is a true survivor. Yes she has problems, she suffers from depression, like her Mother did, but depression is an illness and Kerry has had an awful lot to be depressed about. OK so she had some great moments too when she was in Atomic Kitten but she left just before they really hit the big time. Even then she was the one that the record company wanted to get rid of out of the group. When she married Westlife member Bryan McFadden and had her children, she said she was the happiest she had ever been. Bryan soon destroyed her happiness however and she started to go off the rails. There is no doubt this woman has been through more forms of hell then most of us, she comes across as a loud mouth but underneath she has little confidence in herself or her abilities as a performer. She gets by on her personality alone and this is what won her the ‘I’m A Celebrity’ title of ‘Queen of The Jungle’.
There’s a lot to dislike about Kerry Katona, but there’s a lot to like as well. She finished the book on a high note when she was about to remarry, but several months down the line and it all seems to be going wrong for her again. She’s in and out of rehab and Bryan is threatening to take her kids away from her. It seems that the Kerry story is set to run and run.
Score Board: A true tale of survival 9/10

Book: My Take - Gary Barlow (2006)

I admit that I was never a Take That fan, but if I had to choose between them, Westlife and Boyzone, then there is no competition. It will be Take That every time. When they announced their big comeback I took no notice but when their new songs began to worm their way into my head, I had to admit I was a bit surprised. I had read a couple of Robbie Williams biographies and heard his side of things about the well documented break down of relations between him and his band mates, but I wanted the other side as well.
Gary’s book starts off with him just being told he has lost his record contract. You have to feel sorry for him (well I did). After this rather downbeat start he began his story. It’s the usual tale of a very talented youngster writing and playing his own music. He joins a band, he thinks he’s the king pin and alienates his band mates with his behaviour. As you read all this you start to dislike Gary Barlow, but as he writes and explains what happened after Take That had split up, at how hard he tried to make it as a solo star and how depressed he got when everything failed so miserably, you start to warm to him again. When the group got back together he admitted that he had been awful to work with. Once the air had been cleared with Mark, Jason and Howard, things started to look up. Now all the band take a part in writing the songs and making decisions, not just Gary. They are all enjoying their new found success and I believe their time in the wilderness has made them appreciate things more. Obviously too they are a lot older and wiser. Gary’s book is a good, honest read, and he hasn’t glossed over any negative bits and for that I salute him. Shame he and Robbie can’t bury the hatchet and make good music together. With Gary’s musical talent and Robbie’s stage persona, they would be perfect.
Score Board: Informative and Honest 9/10

Book: Broken Music - Sting (2004)

Sting, without a doubt, is a very educated man. It shows clearly throughout his autobiography that the man has indeed mastered the English language to its full potential. However, I don’t think I am completely stupid when it comes to English and when I read a book and come across a word that I don’t know, I will look it up in a dictionary. While reading Sting’s book I was forever looking up words. After a while this can get a bit annoying. Yes it’s great that you are intelligent (well he was a teacher), but your book isn’t the easiest read in the world.
It clearly states on the cover that this is not an autobiography in the normal sense as it covers just the author’s childhood up until the start of his huge success with his band The Police. It starts very strangely however, with Sting and his wife Trudie in the Brazilian jungle, being given some potent hallucinogenic juice that makes Sting ramble like a nutcase. I admit to getting a bit lost throughout all this insane rambling, but when he began on his actual childhood memories I got into his story. He writes in detail about his schooling, his first loves, jobs and family. The death of his parents is very moving as is the first meeting of his first wife Francis Tomelty. But I came away from the book feeling cheated as he seemed to rush the ending. His divorce, the appearance of Trudie Styler, and of course his fame, was all condensed into a short chapter, as if he had got bored with writing and just wanted it finished.
I know that there is a lot more to be written on Stings life. His fame, his solo work, his travels and his charity work have yet to be charted and I for one would like to read his thoughts on them. So come on Sting, time to sharpen those pencils and get writing.
Score Board: Good effort 7/10

Film: Miss Potter (2007)

Now this is a lovely film. Gentle, heart warming, charming, well acted and beautifully filmed. The Miss Potter of the film is, as you already know, Beatrix Potter, she of the rather gorgeous little children’s books featuring Tom Kitten, Jemima Puddle duck and my personal favourite Squirrel Nutkin. I’m in my 40’s and I am not ashamed to say I loved those little books. My Mum used to buy me a new story every Christmas and they were read over and over again. However, I knew nothing of Beatrix Potter herself. I always imagined her to be a little old spinster in a cottage on a hill somewhere, but this film takes you behind the scenes of the Potter Phenomenon. The title role was brilliantly played by Renee Zellweger, who is one American who CAN master a decent English accent. She brought Beatrix to life, and her ability to play a plain Victorian woman who suffered both happiness and great sadness in her life was very impressive. Without giving any secrets away this is a love story. In places it makes you smile, it makes you cry and overall it makes you go “aww that’s so sweet” a lot.
This film will be around for a long time, one of those that will be wheeled out at Christmas or on a Bank Holiday because it has what so many films these days lack, the feel good factor.
Beatrix, we love you (and Squirrel Nutkin). ‘Miss Potter’ is a thoroughly heart warming, heart wrenching, heartfelt film.
Score Board: Brilliant. Go and watch it immediately 10/10

Film: The Amityville Horror (2005)

Now just whose brilliant idea was it to remake a classic 70’s horror film? I can’t understand why this has to happen time and time again. It simply does not work, at least not for me.
The original Amityville was eerie, full of menace and with heaps of atmosphere. There were very few scenes of blood and gore, well just one in fact and even that was in a blink of an eye.
Unfortunately this remake has the non essential gore that seems to be a requisite of today’s modern horror film. Torture scenes, close ups of the original murders, axes in places you wouldn’t want them to be and a few other bits I won’t bother to go into. What it lacks more then anything is atmosphere. Yes it has its scary moments, the ghostly faces in the mirrors and the figures at the windows are quite good, but there are no cold draughts, no moments when the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. During the original film I was genuinely spooked, the music alone was enough to have you hiding behind the sofa, but this version omitted everything that was good about it. The character of the priest was central to the Amityville story, but not in this film, he had a couple of scenes and that was it. The same with George’s business partner, he (and his girlfriend) were omitted completely.
I can’t complain about the acting as the adults and the kids were very good, but I was frankly disappointed. I didn’t expect much and I didn’t get much. It is what it is, a mediocre special effects remake of a genuinely scary film.
Score Board: Not a patch on the original. Avoid 4/10

Book: Catch A Fire - Melanie B (2002)

The Spice Girls were good in their day. I was a bit beyond the girl power thing so I didn’t take an awful lot of notice of them, but you could not ignore their fame. They were everywhere. Unusually for a group where there is normally a front person who is more ‘famous’ then his or her band mates, the spice girls were all equally loved and adored by the fans. There was not one more famous then the other. I had read Geri Halliwell’s honest account of what went on behind the scenes so I was interested to read another band members view. The first book to come my way was Mel B’s. There is nothing much worth mentioning about her story to be honest as it starts with her happy enough home life and childhood and went on to her days of being a dancer in various shows at the end of Blackpool Pier (or similar). She auditioned for a new band and the rest as they say is history. However, Mel B comes across as a big mouth show off. Not really my sort of person at all. She really did live up to her Scary Spice image at every opportunity. I am sure that this girl, should I have been unlucky enough to be at school with her, would have been a bully as this is how she comes across. I think she tries too hard with this girl power thing and I cringed every time she mentioned the phrase (which was a lot believe me). I don’t think she treated people very well, and there is no doubt the break up with Geri was glossed over. Having read Geri’s very honest account of what happened I sort of know what the feelings were at the time amongst the girls and it was Mel B who was the nastiest to Geri. To be fair, Mel did say at one point in her book that she knew she was being a bit of a “cow” sometimes but I think she should have gone further and said that she’d been a bit of a cow pretty much for most of the time.
It is as if she writes her story being proud of her big mouth and nasty ways, maybe she really does want to stay as scary spice forever. Well, I’m sorry lady but you just don’t do it for me.
Score Board: A stressful read. You just wanted to keep giving her a kick up the bum. 4/10

Book: Being Jordan - Katie Price (2004)

I admit that in the past I have often wondered to myself, just what IS the point of Jordan? I suppose a lot of her male fans will immediately say that there is in fact two very good points to Jordan but I am not referring to her anatomy here! However, no matter what I may have thought of her trashy image, I still believed that she did have a life worth reading about and that it may be quite entertaining to read her book. When I had finished the first page I was hooked. She writes in such an engaging manner that you cannot fail to become engrossed in the story of her life. Whatever she writes you believe it because this girl wears her heart on her sleeve for everyone to see and abuse. She said she had a good childhood but from the early photos of her you could also see that with her looks and her rather outgoing nature, she was destined to be a model. Underneath all that make up and hair extensions, Jordan (or Katie Price as she should be called) is a very beautiful woman. She comes from a very good looking family and she has learnt to use her face to gain the fame she craved. Her story is pretty much run of the mill with pretty girl getting her lucky break in the modelling world, but the story is livened up by her rocky relationships. She picks the wrong fellas time after time and you almost hear yourself shouting at the book “No Katie! Don’t pick him as he will be no good for you!”. Inevitably she ends up in this awful relationship where it all goes wrong and she ends up depressed and unhappy. At one point she tried to commit suicide in order to keep her man but it didn’t work (thankfully). She can’t seem to help herself, and up until the time she met Peter Andre (now her Husband), she went through some rough times with men. One of which fathered her son Harvey. Now this is where my opinion of Jordan / Katie changed. Harvey is a severely disabled child. He needs a lot of care but Katie has become a first rate mother.
I ended up liking the woman and I never thought I would say that. She hasn’t really set the world alight with anything but she does have a charm all of her own. Her book was enjoyable, it is one of those you can’t help but keep turning over the page to find out ‘what Katie did next' (excuse the pun).
Score Board: Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. 10/10

Book: Justin: The Biography by Sean Smith (2004)

The trouble with these so called biographies is that the author relies on friends of friends, ex girlfriends and people who knew Justin at school or from a distance. There is no sit down with the subject and learn about him first hand. Justin and his family had nothing to do with this book so everything I read I read with a slight hint of cynicism. This author in particular seems to take most of his information from the media and the press which as we know are not the most reliable of sources. It is also irritating when the subject is written about like he or she is some kind of demi God. According to Mr. Smith Justin is the new ‘King Of Pop’. He is likened to a young Elvis and even to the Blues Legend BB King. Now I am sorry but there is no way Justin Timberlake is ever going to be in the same league as Elvis and BB. He can dream if he wants to but it just isn’t going to happen. Right now he is a popular pop pin up. That is what he will always be. No offence to the guy but if he was the new ‘King Of Pop’ then why have I totally forgotten everything he has ever done? I could only name you one song of his and that’s ‘Cry Me A River’ and I only remember that because of the notorious ‘Britney’ video’. Ask me to hum it and I would fail. I don’t dislike the guy, but I really cannot stand his type of music, but that aside I do wish that Sean Smith would balance his biographies a bit more. I also read his bios of Kylie and Robbie and they were so saccahrin sweet they made you want to vomit. Robbie, Kylie and yes even the “perfect” Justin have had bad moments. They have all made mistakes, had flops and looked ridiculous. If you write a book on a popular celebrity then write it with warts and all. I want to know about that person, I don’t want to have some glossy PR effort that only lists the best achievements of the artist in question. So, overall did I learn anything new about Mr Timberlake? No. Everything I read in this book has been written about a million times in the press. The writing is as shallow as a stream in a desert. Disappointing. It wasn’t even worth the 99p that was paid for the book.
Score Board: For hard core fans only. 2/10

Introduction

This is a blog that does exactly what it says on the tin. Every book I read, every film I see and every CD I listen to will get reviewed. My opinions will be shared on here.