Best Celebrity Books that are not Memoirs
Celebrities are often multi-talented individuals who like to dabble in various art forms. Part of it can be the financial gains they get from their popularity, but for most, it's just another way to reach their audience or display their many gifts. When it comes to the literary world, actors, sportspersons, and musicians typically go as far as writing their celebrity memoirs. Still, there are a few who have taken their love for the written word further by penning short stories, plays, articles, and fictional novels. Here are four of the best celebrity books that might not be memoirs, but deserve space in your TBR stack.
Bream Gives Me Hiccups: And Other Stories by Jesse Eisenberg
Bream Gives Me Hiccups works much better if you’re familiar with some of Jesse Eisenberg’s movies and tend to appreciate his eccentric and somewhat neurotic characters. The book is an assortment of short stories in which Eisenberg plays with a bunch of literary styles, trends, and ideas, some of which work while others not so much. The first part is about a boy who visits different food establishments with his single mother sharing honest thoughts about everything. It’s amusing at times and sad at others, but brutally honest in a way that only kids can be. That Eisenberg writes from the viewpoint of a 9-year-old, showing society a mirror, is sheer brilliance.
In the following stories, Eisenberg masterfully manages to get under the skin of vastly different personalities, each having their peculiarities. As a result, the reader gets the unique opportunity to enjoy a collection with a sense of familiarity with real-life, something one wouldn’t normally expect from books by celebrities.
Shopgirl by Steve Martin
Steve Martin’s novella Shopgirl is an eccentric piece of LA literature that tells the story of Mirabelle Buttersfield, a glove-selling shop girl who wants to break free from the mundane nature of her life but cannot. However, romance comes knocking at her door in the form of Jeremy, a local slacker, and Ray Porter, a rich wealthy millionaire with too much time on his hands.
The book’s appeal is in its realistic characters and a plot that features everyday people with relationship issues we all can relate with. Add to that Martin’s humorous prose, admittedly darker than what we’ve read in Pure Drivel, and Shopgirl becomes an enticing read and one of the best books by celebrities.
Ash Wednesday by Ethan Hawke
It’s awe-inspiring to see how Ethan Hawke tackles relationships and its complexities in such an effortless manner, making Ash Wednesday one of the best celebrity books you’ll ever read. The book is a road trip and coming of age story that travels with the trials of the on-off unmarried couple, Christy and Jimmy. Both at the cusp of relationship adulthood, it highlights the trivial nature of desire, longing, and passion. That Christy is pregnant with Jimmy’s child doesn’t make things easier for them. And as the two lovelorn couples head out to meet their families in Ohio and Texas, we discover that love can indeed be beautifully confusing.
Hawke’s novel is poignant and even witty at times. More importantly, it successfully preaches that it’s okay for connections to falter, as long as we keep at them, for eventually, love will triumph. A beautiful story that encapsulates myriad human emotions, Ash Wednesday will have you rooting for this oddball couple from the very start.
Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks
When seeking out the best celebrity books available, the most common genre one comes across is short stories. James Franco did that with Palo Alto, B J Novak with One More Thing, and Woody Allen has been at it for decades with Without Feathers and Side Effects.
The latest to join this literary short-story train is the most beloved celebrity in all of Hollywood, Tom Hanks. Featuring 17 stories, Hanks’ writing has a remarkable nostalgic charm, which surprisingly adds to the book’s appeal. The stories are varied, packed with interesting characters and plot lines full of romance, yearning, discovery, and introspection. As is the case with most collections, readers tend to relate to some stories, while finding others bland. And that’s to be expected, for be it Hanks or any other celebrity, writing isn’t their primary forte. However, in the case of Uncommon Type, a few of Hanks’ musings, in stories such as Alan Bean Plus Four and A Special Weekend, are reasons enough to pick up this book for a read.
