Book Reviews

What I Can Tell You: I absolutely loved this book but then again I have loved Jenny since Singled Out on MTV. Jenny is brutally honest and candid in her account of her life. There were times (and I don't do it often) that I had to laugh out loud ("it was like uncooked spaghetti", "sex was like a pap smear"). If you are looking for honesty (well except for the Brad Pitt story, or maybe not) and a no holds barred approach to first love, non-sexy photoshoots, tween teddy love, lady bits, sex, cheating, sex with the lights on and more, this is the book for you.  

Hysterical! 5 out of 5 for a good laugh.



Pat Benatar - Between a Heart and a Rock Place: A Memoir


What I Can Tell You: I have been a Pat Benatar fan from 1979's In The Heat of The Night her very first album. As someone who always loved female vocalists, Dolly Parton, Steve Nicks, Dusty Springfield, Helen Reddy, Karen Carpenter when I heard Pat, she was so different from my favorite albums.  I thought that is Rock and Roll!

This book is great for the fan of this elusive singer. In the 70 and 80s celebrities weren't chased around by the paparazzi or interviewed like we have now. We heard them on the radio, saw them on a random TV show but we didn't know much about them. They were beautiful and we wanted to be like them but knew nothing about them. It was a much easier time to be a celebrity I'm sure but they weren't raking in the dough like even the non-celebrities of today (Snooki, Kim K, Paris).

We learn how she got her last name, it is not her husband of 30's (father of her daughters) Spyder. It is her high school sweethearts, first husband who returned from Vietnam with Post Traumatic Stress, the reason she didn't attend a Julliard audition, last name.

This isn't your typical rock star, band book. Pat has never been in rehab. Her marriage to her husband is still strong and she never posed nude to sell an album.

The story she tells is very unrock and roll and that is how she likes it. She was a slave to her record label, fought back against the sexism that was thrown at her. Was not allowed to talk about her children because that wasn't considered very rock n roll.

This is a love story. Pat has been in love with Spyder since she met him and it took them years to find their way to each other. She credits him with who she is and how far she has gotten.

Oddly enough, I had no idea this book was out until I saw it in the library on Thursday and have spent the past two weeks listening to Pat and referred to a teacher "you mean the one who looks like Pat Benatar" the other day. It is kismet that I found the book in the new release section of my library last week (it was released in June 2010).

4 out of 5.

Great reading weekend.