Inside Out
Written by Demi Moore
Demi Moore was one of the most famous actresses of my adolescence. Her looks set a standard for beauty. Her roles aimed to challenge convention and what it means to be a woman, in effect influencing the (pop) culture in which my own ideas and perceptions about life were forming. This book gives interesting insight into what it looked like on the other side, of a life of struggle and heartbreak with those closest to her (including her mother and second husband) breaking her trust and confidence. I also found it interesting as autobiographies with a story like this—of rising to the top without connections, power or wealth—may be a thing of the past in increasingly nepotistic Hollywood.
Favourite line: “My story is mine alone; I’m the only one who was there for all of it, and I decided to claim the power to tell it on my own terms.”
Face It
Written by Debbie Harry
I always felt cool by-proxy that Deborah (Debbie) Harry and I shared a first name. After all, the lead singer of punk band Blondie is one of THE coolest people of all time. Her voice, her image, are iconic and gave me many memories of my own in life as her music provided soundtrack to it. This beautifully designed autobiography tells her story in a relatable, conversational (but sometimes detached) tone that includes both the darkness and light of achieving success in the music industry. One disillusionment I was left with though surrounded the passages dealing with sexual assault and objectification (when, during a meeting, a record exec just stares at her breasts, Debbie relates that it is because she is too powerful to look in the eye rather than calling out the behaviour for what it was). It is especially odd relating these experiences but then, near the end of the book, stating that she never felt she had hardship just because she was a woman. Deborah also uses her book as a gallery to display numerous pieces of fan art she’s collected over the decades.
Favourite line: “Like most girls of my generation, I’d been programmed since childhood to look for a strong man to carry me off and look after me. I bought into those fantasies as a kid at least to some degree, but by the time I was in my mid twenties I was done with that. I was wanting to have control, and as Dad always said, I was too damn independent for my own good. I looked for adventure and new experiences instead of settling down.”
Catch and Kill
Written by Ronan Farrow
Ronan Farrow was one of the pivotal journalists who broke the #MeToo story in 2017. This book documents the first rumblings that a well-known Hollywood producer had a long history of sexually assaulting his clientele (and even built his business and staff to act as accomplices) and then veers into the scary world of private surveillance and the lengths the rich and powerful will go to in order to maintain a social structure that most benefits them. If you ever question why women don’t come forward, this book will tell you all you need to know.
Favourite line: “I remembered us, as we positioned these pewter kings and dragons, and a grown-up voice sounded, calling her away.”
Brave
Written by Rose McGowan
After reading ‘Catch and Kill’, I picked up Rose McGowan’s autobiography for another angle of the story. Rose was one of the instigators of the #MeToo movement, bravely sharing her story of being raped by studio head Harvey Weinstein and in the aftermath becoming a feminist icon. This book is an intense, angry read and she holds nothing back when sharing stories of everyone from Marilyn Manson to Adam Sandler. This book is so lined with fury, actually, that I can’t see Rose working in the industry ever again. Which ultimately may be what she wants. I agree with a lot of the points she makes and feel her voice is best served with her own thoughts and words rather than a script.
Favourite line: “The adults I met were dedicated in their pursuit of beige, not all, but most.”
Into Thin Air
Written by Jon Krakauer
Every so often I come across a book that so captivates my imagination I become completely consumed, seeking to learn and experience everything I can about the subject matter in all forms. The compelling ‘Into Thin Air’ has drawn me further into the world of high altitude mountaineering, sharing the gripping, ultimately tragic, story of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster in which eleven people lost their lives. As this past climbing season ended with eleven more deaths, it seems that nothing was learned and the mountain is still open for commodification. I cannot praise ‘Into Thin Air’ enough; it is one of the greatest books I’ve ever read in my life.
Favourite line: “Above 8,000 metres is not a place where people can afford morality.”