Over time I have really leaned into loving Nonfiction books. And one of the subject I tend to gravitate towards is the celebrity biography. It seems like I’ll hit a streak where I’m a fan for several of the stars with stories. This is one of those streaks. Check out some of my recent faves.

I kinda forget all the roles I’ve seen this man do. One of the first ones I can remember was as the concierge in Home Alone 2. And of course there was Frank N Furter in Rocky Horror - which I’m not the biggest fan of. But I forgot that he was Cardinal Richelieu in my favorite version of Three Musketeers. And he was the original King Arthur in Spamalot, which is one of my favorite musicals. This book is a great recap of a storied career that maybe you didn’t remember either. I don’t watch scary movies, so I was unaware that he was Pennywise the clown in It or that he was Darkness aka the devil in Legend (I think that was the title), but I did know that he could play a good villain. If you are any kind of Tim Curry fan, or you said, “Oh yeah,” when I mentioned one of these roles, this may be the book for you. If you get the audio version, Curry reads it to you himself. He also talks about the massive stroke he had in 2012 and how it changed his life. Overall, I found this one to be captivating. 

I’ve never not been a fan of Fleetwood Mac. My parents would always listen to them when I was growing up. They’d be on the radio that we always listened to while driving the 30 minutes to my grandma’s house. But I had no idea of all the behind the scenes drama. This was a good read. It gave the backstory of how Rumours fits into the Fleetwood cannon and then the author goes through and breaks down each song. Thankfully, we get the story behind the song, not a music theory lesson - which I appreciate. I learned a lot while reading this. I hadn’t realized that "Songbird" was actually used in Love, Actually. A couple of years ago, my favorite book of the year was Daisy Jones and the Six (we passed it around the library like it was going out of style), which is based on Fleetwood Mac. If you haven’t heard this great album, the library has it in CD or rock the vinyl. And check this book out to go with it. It will explain what all the buzz is about.

I grew up in the 80s and my mom was a huge Lionel Richie fan (yes, he’s Nicole’s dad). I don’t remember exactly when I found out that he was actually the lead singer of the Commodores first, but I think I was probably in college. I’ve never been the super biggest fan, but I know all the songs because my mom always listened to them. So when I saw this biography was coming out, I was curious. Before we get to deep into it, be warned. This is not a short a book. Lionel has lived a life and he shares it all here for us. Luckily, I was able to snag a copy in audio, so I could listen while I’m driving (back down to Main - whoohoo!). It’s not read by the author himself, but reader Blair Underwood does a great job. I learned so much more about Mr. Richie from this book, now I might be a fan in my own right. If he came to do a show in Nashville, I’d probably try to get tickets. This was a good read, even if you aren’t a fan.

I was lucky to see Hamilton in Chicago (it took 3 phones, two computers, and two different credit cards to finally score tickets) and I have been a fan of Miranda since. I knew a little bit about his story, but I had no idea what his creative process was. This book was fascinating and as a musician myself, it was inspiring and made me want to get busy on my own projects. The author takes us through Miranda’s life, starting when he was little, growing up in northern Manhattan. Then we get to read about In the Heights and how that came to be - he came up with that story as a high school sophomore. And of course, the juggernaut that was/is Hamilton. But I also enjoyed reading about all his other projects. If you are any kind of theater or music fan, you have to read this one. Maybe it will inspire you too.

I first read about Malala in her book, I am Malala. As a 15 year old student, the Taliban attempted to assassinate her as she rode the bus home from school in her native Pakistan. Having since become an activist for women’s rights and girl’s education around the world, including winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Malala returns with the continuing tale of her life. Now living in Birmingham, England, she shares what it was like to go to Oxford. And there is even some romance. As much as I like her first book, I think this one was better. If you check out the audio version, Malala will read it to you herself. Very excellent way to pass the time in traffic.

Ok friends, don’t stop here. Keep going in the You May Also Like Section. Some of these may have holds, but that just makes them worth the wait. I hope you get as inspired by these as I did.

Happy celebrity-ing…
:) Amanda