Curled Up With a Good Book and a Cup of Tea

Leah Remini is known for being outspoken.  The actress, talk show host, and reality television star has always said what was on her mind and has never held back.  And she is no different in her book as she shares the story of her life and gives a behind the headlines look at her very public split with the Church of Scientology. Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology , by Leah Remini, is a raw, honest, and eye-opening memoir of what life is like within Scientology. I have always been a fan of Remini’s.  I remember her as Charlie Briscoe first on Who’s the Boss and then Living Dolls as well as Stacy Kerosi on Saved by the Bell and even as a kid I remember being in awe of her.  I absolutely love her on King of Queens and tuned into The Talk to watch her.  But I never paid much attention to her personal life and Scientology is something that I’ve never really cared to hear about.  But when Leah left the church, I started to pay attention t...

As creator of The Mindy Project and author of the New York Times bestseller Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? , Mindy Kaling has quickly become everyone’s celebrity best friend.  Her humour and easy-going nature has everyone wanting to have her in their lives.    In her new book Why Not Me? Mindy once again proves why we all want her in our girl squad.  She opens up about her life with an attitude of “we should all be able to laugh at ourselves.”  She writes about university life, falling in love, moving to Hollywood, starting new friendships, and celebrity style.  But most importantly, she shows women that no matter who they are or where they are, they should take on life asking the question “why not me?” I’m a Mindy fan-girl.  I never watched The Office so my first introduction to her was in The Mindy Project and I fell in love with her.  I’ve never really been one to consider a celebrity a “role model” but you can’t help but admir...

This book will be released on August 25, 2015. It is available for pre-order now. With her face on over five hundred magazine covers, Beverly Johnson is one of the worlds most successful supermodels ever.  But it is one cover that helped her make her mark in the industry and the history books.  In 1974, Beverly became the first Black model to be on the cover of American Vogue.  That cover opened the doors for many more young black women to enter the modelling profession. In The Face That Changed It All , Beverly Johnson shares the story of her childhood, her rise to supermodel status, and the troubles behind the glamour.  Johnson is brutally honest in this memoir, sharing her heartaches and redemption while also sharing juicy tidbits from backstage. I really enjoy reading autobiographies, though lately I’ve found I haven’t been reading much of them.  Which is why I grabbed this book, even though I didn’t know very much about Beverly Johnson be...

Who Should Read This:   Fans of the Real Housewives and other Bravo shows. As Executive Producer of the Real Housewives franchises and host of the successful television show Watch What Happens Live , Andy Cohen has the front row seat and backstage pass to all things pop culture.  And now he’s bringing everyone along for the ride. In The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Life , Andy shares the detailed diary he kept of one year in his life, inspired by The Warhol Diaries .  Readers follow along as he parties, flirts, and dates his way through life.  He shares behind the scenes drama, trying out Tinder, and finding true love in his dog Wacha.  Readers get to know his family and dear friends, his doorman, and the city of New York.  And if you’re into celebrity gossip, he has a ton for you. This book can definitely be described as a who’s who of pop culture in 2014.  Lady Gaga, the Housewives, Jimmy Fallon, Kardashians, Anderson Coop...

Famed child actor, star of two hit television shows, Tony winner, popular award show host, husband, father…Neil Patrick Harris has lived a full life and now you can live that life too.  When NPH writes his autobiography, he doesn’t do it in the regular way.  Instead he writes, Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography . It’s pretty safe to say that most fans of Harris’ already know much of his story.  Born and raised in New Mexico, he came into our homes as the boy-genius doctor on television’s Doogie Howser, M.D .  But when the show finished, he was unable to escape the Doogie image.  It wasn’t until he appeared in the 2004 film, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle that he was able to shed that image and get on the path to becoming the NPH we all know today.  Read this book and see if you will follow the same path he did. When I first heard about this book I pretty much thought the same thing everyone else did - “a Choose Your Own Au...

If you were a teenager in the 90’s, you probably caught an episode of Beverly Hils 90210 (or all ten seasons.)  And you probably recognize one of the show’s famous blondes, Jennie Garth.  From the moment Kelly Taylor came on the screen, Jennie was thrust into the spotlight and with the rest of the cast became an instant celebrity.   Since then she has had a career in Hollywood that has spanned over two decades which she is sharing about in her new memoir Deep Thoughts From A Hollywood Blonde .  Why did she decide to write a book now?  Jennie found herself at a new point in her life.  At the age of 40 she was newly divorced and raising her three daughters as a single mother.  After years of focusing on her family rather than her acting career, she found herself, and her life, in all of the tabloids.  So she decided to tell the story herself, juicy bits and all. I picked this book up because I was such a big fan of 90210 growing up. ...

When I was in university (all those years ago) I discovered what would become one of my all-time favourite television shows.  It had everything I looked for in a show - wild characters, tons of laughs, and British accents.  That show was Absolutely Fabulous .  This led me to discover the fabulous French and Saunders and from there my love of British comedy television just exploded.   A few years ago I read Dawn French’s autobiography Dear Fatty so I was thrilled when I heard that Jennifer Saunders would be publishing her own as well.  These are two of the funniest women I have ever seen on television so I knew that their books would be as well. Bonkers: My Life in Laughs is the story of Jennifer’s life.  From her childhood on Royal Air Force bases to worldwide fame as an incredible comedienne she covers it all.  From her early school days when she met Dawn French, through her time with the Comic Strip and on to television and film success...

Jay Onrait doesn’t know it, but he holds a special place in my heart.  It was February 2010 and the Olympics were taking place in Vancouver.  On the other side of the country, my 6 month old son had decided that 5 am was an appropriate time to wake up and I, being the night owl that I am, wasn’t too happy about it.  So after getting him settled, I would make coffee and find my spot on the couch, blurry eyed and not impressed. But at 5 am, the only thing on television for people who don’t have cable was Olympic coverage from a city where it was hours earlier.  So basically it was a bunch of highlights of stuff I had already watched and some second-rate newscaster trying to fill the time.  And that second-rate newscaster was Jay Onrait.  For two weeks, he kept me entertained and had me laughing and took my mind off the fact that the sun wasn’t going to rise for another few hours.   In other words, he kept me sane. I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure if ...

Canadian comic Gerry Dee is having quite the year.  His stand-up specials are huge hits (my husband I saw Life After Teaching live and the man had us in tears through the whole thing), his television show, Mr. D , is a funny success and he travels the country interviewing athletes as Gerry Dee, Sports Reporter for sports station The Score.  But before his comedy success he spent ten years as a teacher in Toronto and, as he argues, not always a good one.  Those ten years are the subject of his new book Teaching: It's Harder Than It Looks , a hilarious collection of anecdotes about teaching, students and parents. As the child of teachers I occasionally heard some of the "inside stories" from the staff room growing up.  And as the wife of a teacher, I hear them all the time.  You wouldn't think it, but schools are comedy gold, especially when you have teachers like Gerry Dee.  He started out as someone who fell into teaching (after failing to get into ...

Canadian politics may not get as much attention as American politics but we sure have our fair share of drama.  In fact in the last eight years, we had four federal elections, something that is supposed to occur every four years.  You can imagine that things haven't exactly been business as usual when it comes to our government.  And the citizens haven't exactly been thrilled with this either. If you want to find out exactly what's going on in Canadian politics and how everyone feels about it, you have to look no further than Rick Mercer.  The easiest way to explain his television show, The Rick Mercer Report , is to say he's Canada's Jon Stewart.  A fine comparison, but Rick's show isn't just about the humorous side of politics, it's about discovering what is great about Canada and showcasing our best and brightest…while taking a glimpse at the humorous side of politics. And a unique part of the show is Mercer's rant - a short, on the mo...

Jennifer Hudson has achieved a lot in her life - appearing on American Idol , winning an Academy Award, releasing her own albums, marrying and having a child. But these days what she is well known for is losing over eighty pounds on the Weight Watchers diet plan. And now she is sharing this journey in a new book called I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down. While at first glance you would think this book is a memoir it's actually more of an inspirational book. The first half of the book chronicles her life from her childhood to getting started in the entertainment industry and on to starting her family. However, it does seem to skip through this part of her life and she really only talks about these experiences from the perspective of her weight issues. The second half of the book is about her experience with Weight Watchers. She goes in-depth with the program, how it works, and how to do your best on the program. She shares the stories of som...

I can't say enough good things about Jann Arden. Besides being a superstar Canadian singer, eight time Juno winner (think Canadian Grammy's), author and radio host, she is one incredibly cool and hilarious woman. So of course I had to pick up her memoir, Falling Backwards , as soon as I saw it. In the book, Jann shares her pre-celebrity life with stories from her childhood, tales of teenage ups and downs, and the road to making it in the entertainment industry. The book is full of warmth, brilliant insight and moments that will make you laugh until it hurts. What is evident from the first to the last page is who Jann is as a person. She leaps right off the page at you and makes you feel as though you're sitting in a coffee shop chatting with a friend. She will have you falling down laughing as she talks about her childhood exploits including her penchant for lighting matches, getting her head stuck in the milk chute and having her mother de-worm her using sc...

You most likely know Mindy Kaling from The Office , where she stars as Kelly Kapoor and writes several of the show's episodes. Even if you're not a fan of the show, you probably still recognize her from her film roles. If you don't know who she is, you must go find out. A good place to start? Her new book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) . In essays, Kaling documents her life as the chubby child of immigrant professionals growing up in America, a university comedy actress portraying Ben Affleck in an Off-Broadway play and finally, having achieved her dream of becoming a comedy writer and actress. A quick read of this book will show you why she is so deserving of all the success she has had. In the book she takes on topics such as karaoke etiquette, the rights and responsibilities of a best friend, romantic comedies, Irish exits, chest hair and comedy roasts among many, many other hilarious topics. I could totally relate to her reveng...

It's been pretty hard to miss Ellen DeGeneres these past few years. Whether it's dancing on her hit television show, judging on American Idol, or striking a pose in a Cover Girl commercial, Ellen is everywhere. And now she's back on bookshelves. In Seriously….I'm Kidding , Ellen takes on everything from the best way to fall asleep to the difficulty of being royalty with her trademark humour. The book is comprised of short essays filled with witty observations on celebrity culture and life in general. It seems that Ellen can find the lighter side of almost anything as well as the absurdity of almost anything. Some of the essays give the reader some great and important thoughts on life (for example her chapter about courtesy) and some of them are meant for nothing but laughs. I must say though, for as funny as Ellen is on her talk show it didn't completely translate on to the page for me. Some of the essays had me laughing out loud, but for the most pa...

Chelsea Handler is hilarious. I say that as someone who has just recently discovered her. I had heard of her television show but I don't have cable so I had never seen it. I had seen her books all over the place but never picked one up since I didn't know anything about her. But on a whim I thought they might be good summer reading so I picked up two of them - Are you There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea and C helsea Chelsea Bang Bang . I am so glad I picked up the books. They are fast paced reads as I couldn't put either of them down, except for when I was laughing so hard, which was often. Each book is a collection of essays about Chelsea's life that are so funny, you'll find yourself thinking they can't possibly true because no one's life can be that crazy. In Are You There Vodka, It's Me Chelsea? she takes on such topics as going to prison, dating a red-head, dining in the dark, re-gifting, vacationing with her father and getting atta...

We've all been there. You're at a movie theatre and someone talking loudly on their cell phone is ruining the movie. You've just been cut off in traffic by someone who didn't say thank you because they were too busy texting. You're at your child's soccer game and a parent is bullying their child, the coach and the ref. And you find yourself wondering "whatever happened to manners?" Whoopi Goldberg is right there with you. In Is It Just Me?: Or Is It Nuts Out There? Whoopi calls out all those people who are ruining our days. She takes on drunk drivers, texting drivers, bad parents, bullies and many others and lets them know exactly what she thinks of them. If you've ever wondered what happened to a little bit of courtesy, you'll find yourself agreeing with Whoopi at every turn of the page. If you are a fan of Whoopi's from The View , then you will really enjoy this book. In fact, you'll have heard a lot of this before,...

Howie Mandel is one of the most recognizable names in entertainment - you many know him from his stand-up, St. Elsewhere, Bobby's World, the Jay Leno show, but most likely you know him from his gig hosting Deal or No Deal. If you have seen the game show you also know about Mandel's insistence on greeting people with a fist-bump rather than a handshake. This is because he struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and has an extreme case of "germophobia." In Here's The Deal, Don't Touch Me Howie Mandel recounts his life - his childhood in Toronto, his entry into the stand-up world and the fame that followed. But most importantly he opens up about his struggle with OCD, as well as adult ADHD and a serious heart problem, and how they shaped both his personal life and his career. The book is honestly written and refreshing. He is serious about the nature of his illnesses but also able to look at them with humour. Others who struggle wit...

As The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 's Most Senior Correspondent, Samantha Bee is known for being quirky, adorable and vicious. In her book I know i am but what are you? , Bee brings this same nature to paper, detailing the most memorable moments of her life which have helped to shape her into the woman she is today. As she opens up about her "checkered Canadian past" she recounts her teenage crime spree as one half of a car-thieving couple, the fact that strangers seem compelled to show her their genitals, being mistaken for her mom's lesbian lover and her stint as a Japanese anime character in a touring children's show, among many other hilarious stories. Bee is not afraid to tackle any subject and she does so in an honest and hilarious way. There were many laugh out loud moments and one in particular that had me in tears from laughing so hard. The book isn't a straight through biography, rather it's a collection of essays on different mome...

Life on the D-List is anything but boring. In Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin the comedian holds nothing back and gives readers an intimate look at life in Hollywood from the perspective of a D-lister. I must admit, I was a little worried going into the book that I would be offended by the content or language. And of course, her language does get a little colourful at times. But using her trademark wit, Kathy gives readers a hilarious look at her childhood, her attempt to break into the comedy circuit, her plastic surgeries and what happened when fame finally came. No one is spared from Kathy, and some juicy Hollywood gossip is spilled (even if some of it is speculation.) Reading this book will give you an understanding of who and what has shaped Kathy and her brand of comedy. Think of this book as your guilty pleasure reading. You'll laugh, you'll shake your head, and you may even be offended at times, but you will also find Kat...

On her second day as co-host of The View Sherri Shepherd gave the answer she will forever be remembered for (thanks mostly in part to YouTube.) When asked if she thought the world was round or flat she responded "Is the world flat? I never thought about it." Of course she knows the world is round, and if you watch the video you see a woman who was nervous, excited and unsure of what was going on around her in that moment. Most people would have just got up and left the stage. But Sherri continues to come back to that table everyday. Why? Because she wrote herself a permission slip to say the dumbest thing in the world, then move on. Permission Slips is a funny look at Sherri's life, the mistakes she has made and the lessons she has learned. She takes on her childhood as a Jehovah's Witness, her time spent in jail for unpaid parking tickets, her jump into stand-up comedy, diabetes and her time now as a mother and comedy star. She shows women that rather...