Tag: I Read It So You Don't Have To! (1-10 of 12)

Feb 5 2013 04:58 PM ET

Sachi Parker on being Shirley MacLaine's daughter in 'Lucky Me'. UPDATE: Shirley MacLaine responds

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Debra Winger had a famously tumultuous experience playing Shirley MacLaine’s daughter in Terms of Endearment (MacLaine didn’t enjoy the experience either), but imagine growing up with the Hollywood icon in real life. Sachi Parker, daughter of MacLaine and producer Steve Parker, writes about her atypical upbringing and the celebrated and idiosyncratic woman at the center of it in her new memoir Lucky Me: My Life with — and Without — My Mom, Shirley MacLaine (out Thursday). Here are some of the weirdest moments from the book. UPDATE: EW has received a statement from MacLaine in response to allegations from the memoir: “It’s a painful moment for me as a mother and as someone who values the truth. I’m shocked and heartbroken that my daughter would make statements about me that are virtually all fiction. I’ve praised her lovingly and truthfully in my own autobiographies. I’m sorry to see such a dishonest, opportunistic effort from my daughter for whom I’ve only ever wanted the best.” READ FULL STORY »

May 15 2012 11:00 AM ET

Snooki's new novel 'Gorilla Beach': I read it so you don't have to!

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Mommy-to-be and Jersey Shore starlet Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is at it again. Today her third(!) book, Gorilla Beach, hits shelves. Simultaneously, a part of me died because this is her third book. Beach is a follow-up to her first novel A Shore Thing, written with the help of ghostwriter Valerie Frankel. Confessions of a non-guidette: I didn’t read A Shore Thing, but the EW review pretty much covered the basics. Gia and her cousin Bella take Seaside Heights by storm, consume large amounts of alcohol, and shenanigans ensue.

In Gorilla Beach, the girls return to Seaside Heights only to run into some bad luck. So what do they do? Flee to Atlantic City, of course! Joining Gia and Bella on their AC adventure is a new character, Fredo. Together, they manage to win $60,000 at the roulette table. Meanwhile, Gia meets Arthur Ponzirelli, a.k.a. Ponzi. And guess what? He’s a professional con man who scams Gia and her friends out of their prize money. (I seriously couldn’t make this stuff up.)

READ FULL STORY »

May 1 2012 11:00 AM ET

Simon Cowell's biography -- I read it so you don't have to!

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Simon Cowell is the latest celebrity to get the biography treatment. Tom Bower’s Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell is on shelves now, and I’ve decided to spare you with the latest edition of “I Read It So You Don’t Have To.” Starting with Cowell’s upbringing in England and continuing through his rocky launch of the The X Factor in the United States, Bower paints a pretty detailed picture of how Simon Cowell became the (very rich) man he is today. Cowell started out working in the mailroom of a music company, and—like him or not—he’s one of the great media moguls of our day.

But Cowell is not an easy man to please, and it’s evident that he doesn’t want to see any of his competitors (he’s looking at you, Simon Fuller) succeed. ”I despise it when somebody who isn’t working with me is successful on their own—it really upsets me. And I wish for their demise.” Way harsh, Tai!

Unless you count yourself a huge Simon Cowell fan, you can probably skip the book. Instead, read on for the highlights of Sweet Revenge, which include some ’90s pop gems and the admission that Simon uses black toilet paper!

READ FULL STORY »

Mar 29 2012 01:15 PM ET

‘The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook’: Stews, soups and a whole lot of direwolf meat

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Let me address what you’re thinking: Yes, there is a recipe called “Khaleesi’s Heart,” and yes, it’s disgusting. But that’s probably what you’d expect from The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook, which features over 150 (!) recipes inspired by the George R. R. Martin book series and the hit HBO drama.

If your ideal dining experience involves Renaissance Fair fare and your ultimate date night finds you and your partner gorging on chicken legs at Medieval Times, then you’ll probably find Alan Kistler’s tome of recipes to be a heaven-sent culinary miracle. But if you’re accustomed to more civilized cuisine, then lucky you: In the vein of “I read it so you don’t have to,” I planted myself in front of the cookbook and sifted through the vibrant gastronomical offerings of Westeros and beyond. (And maybe now I can finally open my own literature-themed medieval food truck, Game of Scones.)

Check out some of the titles and then head over to Amazon to grab your copy (unless you plan to wait for the official cookbook due out in May): READ FULL STORY »

Mar 27 2012 10:01 AM ET

'The Drunk Diet': Lady Gaga's ex writes a memoir, and I read it so you don't have to!

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For the latest installment of “I read it so you don’t have to,” I took on Lüc Carl’s memoir, The Drunk Diet. The book, which hit shelves earlier this month, is being billed as ”one part fitness guide, one part New York memoir, and one part sheer badass-ery” and further proof that pretty much anyone can nab a book deal. Speaking of, who on earth is Lüc Carl? A quick Google search tells you that Carl is best-known for dating Lady Gaga. And, he’s more than likely the “cool Nebraska guy” who inspired her to write “You and I.” Outside of his high-profile relationship, Carl is a bar manager, party promoter, long-distance runner, musician, and you guessed it, a big consumer of alcohol.

READ FULL STORY »

Nov 15 2011 07:00 AM ET

Kardashians' novel 'Dollhouse': I read it so you don't have to!

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The Kardashians are already a staple on E! Network. But they’ve chosen the month of November to assert their dominance on the book world. Earlier this month, “momager” Kris Jenner’s released her memoir. Kourtney, Kim, and Khloé’s first novel, Dollhouse, hits shelves today. And next week fans will be treated to the re-release of Kardashian Konfidential.

Dollhouse, the first fiction endeavor from the Kardashians, follows sisters Kamille, Kassidy, and Kyle Romero. And like all the other Kardashian books, I read it so you don’t have to! Here’s a short plot summary. Warning: spoilers ahead! READ FULL STORY »

Nov 4 2011 07:00 AM ET

'Kardashian Konfidential' re-release: Maybe they shouldn't have added that chapter on Kim and Kris' wedding

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Is it too late to recall the Kardashian Konfidential update? Since I have a final version in my hands, I’m assuming the answer is a resounding “yes.” But who on earth would have predicted that Kim Kardashian’s marriage to Kris Humphries would last only 72 days?! (Ed. note: Everyone.) Is nothing in this world sacred?

In September, EW exclusively revealed that Kardashian Konfidential would get a re-release (out Nov. 22) with a new chapter about their business success, along with never-before-seen photos of the now-infamous Kim/Kris nuptials. But now, Kim’s happily never after photo album is sadly out-of-place in lieu of her divorce news. Ooops!

I read through the 17 new pages of material to see if anything stood out as deliciously ironic. If you happened to watch E!’s wedding special, then there’s really nothing that new about fairy-tale event. But, as expected, there were a few gems. Here are the highlights: READ FULL STORY »

Nov 1 2011 07:00 AM ET

Kris Jenner shares details on her relationship with Nicole Brown Simpson in new memoir

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Kris Jenner can now add author to her resume. The famous “momager” releases her memoir, Kris Jenner…and all things Kardashian, today. It’s no secret that the Kardashian family and their respective empire holds the No. 1 place on my personal guilty pleasures list. I’ve read the books, watched the weddings, and even followed on Twitter. So I gladly headed up the task of reading Kris’ memoir so you don’t have to.

Even as a fan, I was pleasantly surprised with how entertaining the book was. And I attribute that mostly to Kris’ take on the “Trial of the Century.” If you’re at all familiar with the Kardashian past, you know that their family was very close to both Nicole Brown Simpson and O.J. Simpson. So after Nicole was murdered, Kris’ family was split down the middle. Kris was (and is) convinced of O.J.’s guilt, and her ex-husband, Robert Kardashian, took part in the “dream team” of lawyers that defended O.J. during his murder trial. I’ve since decided, Kris’ book should have been titled, Kris Jenner…and all things Kardashian: The Nicole Brown Simpson Story. Chapters 3 through 10 focus a lot on her relationships with the Simpsons, the murder, and the subsequent trial. And Kardashian fan or not, anyone interested in that case would find the memoir interesting. The last few chapters pretty much summed up what I already learned from E! Network’s True Hollywood Story on the family, but the beginning of Kris’ life compounded with the many personal details of Nicole Brown Simpson kept me hooked. I read it so you don’t have to, but maybe, just maybe, you might want to.

So without further ado, here are the highlights from Kris Jenner, beginning with the juicy details surrounding her relationship with Nicole Brown Simpson and O.J. Simpson: READ FULL STORY »

Oct 28 2011 01:03 PM ET

Snooki's new book: I read it so you don't have to!

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Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi took advantage of her Jersey Shore fame by publishing a novel earlier this year. Now, she’s back on the book shelves again with her follow-up, Confessions of a Guidette. It’s part memoir/part guide on, you know, how to be your very own guidette. For example: Your hair should make you six inches taller…. (How do you think I get on roller coasters? That, and wedges.)” And my personal favorite, a guidette must own hoop earrings. “And they have to be big enough to fit a Red Bull through.” The more you know, people. I read Confessions of a Guidette so you don’t have to, and here are the friggin highlights: READ FULL STORY »

Oct 11 2011 09:44 AM ET

'Trust Me, I'm Dr. Ozzy': I read it so you don't have to!

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We live in a world where Ozzy Osbourne, the “Prince of Darkness” himself, is now the author of not one but two books. His first book, the memoir I Am Ozzy, landed on the New York Times‘ best-seller list last year. And today his second work, Trust Me, I’m Dr. Ozzy: Advice from Rock’s Ultimate Survivor, hits shelves. And who knows? Maybe Dr. Ozzy will similarly find its way onto the best-seller list.

The idea for Dr. Ozzy stemmed from his gig as an advice columnist for The Sunday Times (a column also seen in select issues of Rolling Stone). The book, infused with his own personal stories, is mostly set up in a Q&A format where he answers a wide range of questions varying from sex to mental illness. And while he gives some surprisingly good advice at certain points, he acknowledges that he’s no expert: “I mean, unless the advice is how to end up dead or in jail, I’m not exactly qualified. I’m Ozzy Osbourne, not Oprah f—ing Winfrey.”

So I trudged through the 12-chapter book (so you don’t have to!) to pull out some of the more interesting points. And you can trust me on that. I’m NOT a doctor. Just like Ozzy Osbourne. READ FULL STORY »

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