Get past the cover - this book is great! - Rated 
Ignore the terrible design (who did they think they'd be appealing to? The ghosts of 1989?) - this is a little gem. It's hilarious and fascinating and honest and warm, all the things a quick, easy read should be.
Ms Dunn has a wonderful, lively, American-y* style, and is especially good for anyone who's ever been a big sister. As a once-tyrannical big sis myself, the room sales made me laugh out loud in embarrassed recognition...
The end does seem a bit rushed and the autobiographical thread can seem a bit uneven, but these are minor quibbles when you're having so much fun. Great stuff!
*I mean that as a high compliment - it reminds me of the very good US teen novels I used to hunt down at the library.
Adventures In Celebsville indeed - Rated
Jancee Dunn- entertainment reporter for such notables as The Rolling Stone, GQ, Vogue, O: The Oprah Magazine, and The New York Times, writes with an ease that's both admirable and infuriating. I mean, does it really come that naturally for her? Each chapter feeling like an intimate conversation... the witch! Yet try as I might to dislike her, I just couldn't do it.
From her humble `jersey girl' beginnings (you're from Jersey.. which exit?!?) to her string of aimless ne'er-do-well boyfriends, to her forays into the world of media & music legends, she's the unassuming girl-next-door who sat next to you in 3rd period chemistry class.
But Enough About Me. From Eighties Geek To Rock `n' Roll Chick - Adventures In Celebsville is actually two books in one. The compelling (and perhaps better) story of Jancee herself, and an insider's how-to guide to hip journalism. You'll laugh as she describes her first kiss:
- A group of my middle school friends and I were bunched in a circle on May Drive on a balmy summer night, playing Truth or Dare. This gangly gang included Spencer, the cutest guy in school, the one who resembled every dreamy guy in every early-eighties movie: sleepy blue eyes, shiny brown hair that's slightly shaggy, a deep tan, perfect fitting dark blue Levis corduroys. He was Matt Dillon in Little Darlings, Jake in Sixteen Candles. As a bonus, he was just a little bit obnoxious. When it was Spenser's turn to play, he was told by one of my well-meaning friends that he had a choice.
["You can either kiss her" -- she pointed to me -- "or you can go kiss that tree over there." He wrinkled is brow. Was he really having an internal debate? Then he looked over at the tree. Jesus Christ. Was he checking it out? I did a quick inventory as the seconds ticked by. My hair was feathered perfectly. Yes, I had braces, but I had carefully water-piked them before leaving the house. Calvin Klein jeans, my "good" plaid shirt (it had silver threads in it), and a generous spritzing of Love's Baby Soft. After what seemed like an hour and forty-five minutes, he grudgingly picked me. That was my first kiss. I can only be grateful he didn't think the tree was foxy. -
And you'll read along admiringly as she offers hilarious journalism pointers such as `How to Approach an R&B Artist When You're the Whitest Person in the Western World' and `None For Me, Thanks: Gracefully Refusing Your Host's Kind Offer of Heroin'. She also includes personal anecdotes from interviews with stars such as Brad Pitt, Barry White (particularly hilarious), Scott Weiland, Mel Gibson, Madonna, Kim Deal and many more.
My only criticism is that it feels like the last quarter of the book was a little rushed - almost as if it was an afterthought. Still, it doesn't do much to detract from the overall enjoyment. Good stuff.
Want a peek inside Madonna's bathroom cabinets?? - Rated
Jancee Dunn was never one of the 'cool kids' but when she lands a job with 'Rolling Stone' she is catapulted into the world of celebs. The first face to face interview was with Johnny Rotten (do you think they didn''t like her very much?!) but the book also includes snippets about a range of recognisable stars.
She sees Brad Pitt playing air guitar in his trailer, sneaks a peek at the toiletries in Madonna's bathroom cabinets and gets over a nasty break-up with help from Barry White. Every few chapters, there is a short piece giving you some tricks of the trade such as how to engage really difficult interviewees and how to politely refuse heroin!
The style of writing is nice and she has a great sense of humour. A good read.
Want a peek inside Madonna's bathroom cabinets?? - Rated
Jancee Dunn was never one of the 'cool kids' but when she lands a job with 'Rolling Stone' she is catapulted into the world of celebs. The first face to face interview was with Johnny Rotten (do you think they didn''t like her very much?!) but the book also includes snippets about a range of recognisable stars.
She sees Brad Pitt playing air guitar in his trailer, sneaks a peek at the toiletries in Madonna's bathroom cabinets and gets over a nasty break-up with help from Barry White. Every few chapters, there is a short piece giving you some tricks of the trade such as how to engage really difficult interviewees and how to politely refuse heroin!
The style of writing is nice and she has a great sense of humour. A good read.
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