Official Book Club SelectionA Memoir

No one's safe, not even Griffin herself, in this catty, chatty memoir of a D-lister
"This book is equal parts shit-talking about myself and others," says Kathy Griffin at the beginning of her memoir, Official Book Club Selection— and she lives up to that promise. No one's safe in this funny, revealing and sometimes shocking look at Kathy's rise to fame, from aspiring Midwestern actress to sitcom sidekick ("Suddenly Susan") to star of her own reality television universe, "My Life on the D-List." Octomom isn't safe, nor are Kathy's grandparents, Catholics and certainly not any of the myriad celebrities Griffin has met over the last 20 years in the entertainment industry.

Don't look for too many one-liners in this briskly paced book: Griffin built her stand-up career on her meandering storytelling technique, as part of a wave of "alternative" comedians, including Janeane Garofalo and Andy Dick. Griffin spins tales about her promiscuous past ("My type was pretty much any guy who said hi to me"), as well as her interactions with the likes of Jack Black (big shocker — he liked to smoke pot and play video games all day), Brooke Shields (with whom she occasionally battled on "Suddenly Susan"), Steve Martin ("a douchebag"), and George Clooney, who appears to be the most charming man alive. (As if we needed confirmation on that.)

There's also some intense revelations about her now-deceased brother's abusive past, and a horrifying look at Griffin's ventures into plastic surgery. No matter the topic, Griffin's extremely conversational voice is compelling and clear. As a bonus, Griffin's occasionally diverges from the original print version of the book with hilarious asides — she can't help herself, she's got some good stories.