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Larry H

April 17 2020

Byron Lane's debut novel, A Star is Bored , is a funny and poignant look into the life of a celebrity’s personal assistant. Charlie hates his life. He hates his job as a news writer working the graveyard shift, he hates his father, he even hates the men he’s been having unsafe sex with. He’s entertained suicide but he lacks concrete plans and follow-through. But his life changes with the zaniest job interview of his life, to be the personal assistant to Kathi Kannon, iconic star of a classic sci-fi movie, best-selling author, and member of Hollywood royalty—her mother, famed actress Gracie Gold, lives on her estate. Kathi is also a (sometimes recovering) drug addict who has manic episodes. The job becomes all-consuming for Charlie, a stressful yet immensely satisfying adventure once he gets the hang of it. Kathi is needy and demanding and erratic and is, at times, a danger to herself and her reputation, but she truly cares about Charlie and helps him find his self-esteem. Between spontaneous trips to go see the aurora borealis and rescuing her from embarrassing faux pas with other celebs, Charlie gets immersed in the world of the celebrity assistant, learning the summits and pitfalls that his compatriots have experienced. When you spend your whole life propping someone up and being at their beck and call, when do you live? Are your needs ever front and center? Charlie has to decide what path he should take in order to find real satisfaction. This is a zany, wild, heartfelt book. Byron Lane was Carrie Fisher’s assistant so you know he knows of what he writes—and you can’t help but wonder just how much of Kathi’s behavior was inspired by true events. (I adored Carrie Fisher so I was hooked.) After a while, Kathi’s manic nature gets a little hard to take, but that’s when the heart of the book kicked in. This was a fun read if you’re a fan of the crazy lives of celebrities. NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company provided an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available! The book publishes July 28. Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at <a href="https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html</a>. Check out my list of the best books of the decade at <a href="https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html" target="”_blank”" rel="nofollow noopener">https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html</a>. See all of my reviews at <a href="http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com</a>. Follow me on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/" target="”_blank”" rel="nofollow noopener"> https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.</a>

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Taylor Reid

July 10 2020

Byron Lane was once Carrie Fisher’s personal assistant and he has now written a fictionalized story about the complicated relationship between a personal assistant and a movie star. It is a remarkable debut and it also does something I thought impossible: it captures both the joy and the edge of Carrie Fisher.

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Barbara

August 30 2020

3.5 stars <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750013i/30034045.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> Byron Lane Byron Lane is an author, playwright, screenwriter, actor and former personal assistant to Carrie Fisher. <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750013i/30034035.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> Carrie Fisher This novel, about a news writer who gets a job as a personal assistant to actress Kathi Kannon, was clearly inspired by Lane's time with Fisher, though he takes pains to point out that the book is fictional. In fact, the beginning of the book has this additional demurrer: "But seriously, I repeat: This is a work of fiction. That you might speculate as to the identity of certain key characters dos not alter the fact that all of the characters in the book, including incidental ones, their names, the dialogue, the locales, and all the events recounted, are fictional products of the author's imagination.".....etc. - My publisher's attorney I'll add an addendum of my own: Photos I include of Carrie Fisher are not meant to imply she's Kathi Kannon. ***** Twenty-nine year old Charlie is deeply in debt, has a tiny drab apartment, hates his job writing for a small Los Angeles news station, and is acutely depressed and mildly suicidal. Thus, when Charlie gets a tip that Kathi Kannon - Hollywood star and best selling author - is looking for a personal assistant, he quickly applies for the position. Charlie has loved Kathi since childhood, when he saw her play Priestess Talara in the film Nova Quest, for which he collected the action figures. It would be a dream come true if Charlie could work for his idol. <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750013i/30034033.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in Star Wars <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750013i/30034030.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> Princess Leia action figure Charlie goes to Kathi's eclectic - and rather zany - house, where he has a nerve-wracking interview with the potty-mouthed actress, who likes to tease, joke, and poke fun. <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750013i/30034038.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750013i/30034036.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750013i/30034046.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750013i/30034040.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750013i/30034042.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> Some rooms in Carrie Fisher's eclectic house Charlie then has to wait for two harrowing weeks, with his phone glued to his hand, before he hears that he has the job. The position is far from a piece of cake, however. Kathi's former assistant neglected to leave an 'assistant's bible' detailing Kathi's schedule, habits, likes, dislikes, preferences, peculiarities, etc. and Charlie - who Kathi affectionately dubs 'Cockring' (ugh!!) - has to start from scratch. <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750013i/30034043.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> Byron Lane and Carrie Fisher After being schooled to wake Kathi up every day with Coke Zero over ice and her meds, Charlie learns to monitor every place Kathi goes for forgotten phones, sunglasses, earrings, bracelets, scarves, etc.; to clean her home of candy wrappers, soda cans, half-eaten brownies, 7-Eleven receipts, dirty silverware, and other detritus; to put away the books, jewelry, makeup, nail polish, and clothes Kathi scatters all over the place; to be ready at a moment's notice - day or night - to run to the store for something Kathi wants; to keep Kathi's apparel and papers organized; to sync Kathi's phone contacts with his, so he can keep track of her meetings and appointments; and so on. Most important of all, Charlie has a mission to keep Kathi - who suffers from bipolar disorder, alcoholism, and drug addiction - on the straight and narrow. <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750013i/30034031.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> Carrie Fisher likes to have her things around her Kathi's mother, a mega-famous actress everyone calls Miss Gracie, lives in a house next to Kathi's with her long-time personal assistant Roger. <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750013i/30034041.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds In addition, an octogenarian maid and an elderly gardener - both of whom barely even pretend to work - also live on the estate. Miss Gracie regularly gives Charlie thousands of dollars of 'vegetable money' - which he keeps in a purple backpack - so he can (try to) regulate Kathi's carefree spending. <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750013i/30034039.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> However, Kathi often just grabs the money and sashays out to a place she calls Vegas. Kathi returns from her outings with shopping bags full of merchandise, including gifts for Charlie, the maid, and the gardener. Kathi is very loose with her credit cards as well, and on one occasion buys a pricey fur coat and immediately cuts it up to make a (useless) jacket for her dog. <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750013i/30034034._SX540_.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> Carrie Fisher and her dog There are strong suggestions that Miss Gracie had to dramatically downsize to support Kathi's flamboyant lifestyle, since both mother and daughter are no longer making films. On the upside, Kathi is smart, good-natured, clever and fun - and Charlie gets to accompany her on jaunts around Los Angeles as well as trips across the U.S. and to other countries. Charlie describes a stay in a luxury hotel in New York, a trip to Australia and Japan, a gay cruise (where Kathi is the entertainment), and a quickie hop to Yellowknife, Canada, where he and Kathi ride on a dogsled and see the Northern Lights. <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750013i/30034044.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> Byron Lane and Carrie Fisher on a dogsled Charlie stores up amusing anecdotes about his adventures with Kathi, and uses them as social capital when he meets a man he'd like to date, in person or on OkCupid. Charlie has little time for boyfriends though, and does most of his socializing with other personal assistants. The assistants meet for the occasional drink, and have an email network for sharing information. Charlie can ask for advice about shopping; doctors; food - whatever Kathi needs. This comes in handy when Kathi (inevitably) falls off the wagon and needs help. The book is advertised as laugh out loud funny, and I did get a few chuckles. For example, at the upscale Hoshinoya restaurant in Japan Kathi and Charlie are served a special dinner that's a "royal and gruesome affair." Charlie describes the dishes as follows: lobsters "that are still alive, their guts exposed, waving their antennae, begging for mercy"; drunk live baby shrimp bathed in alcohol; live octopi "flipping us off with each of their tentacles"; and "the most exquisite delicacies in all of Japan, raw squirming critters and beasts and something tarantula-like." Kathi and Charlie's efforts to hide the food in Kathi's purse are hilarious! And what happens when the waitress asks what they did with the shells? <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750933i/30034080.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> Live lobster <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750933i/30034081.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> Live shrimp <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750933i/30034082.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> Live octopus There are other amusing anecdotes in the story as well, but the book is largely a realistic peek at the lives of the (troubled) rich and famous. Charlie also has problems of his own. He grew up in rural Louisiana, saw his mother die when he was 12, and endured a bullying father who hated his 'effeminate traits.' Being with Kathi is healing for Charlie, and he notes that he felt only submission in his childhood, and only depression in his twenties, but now has "a reference for how it feels to be alive, to feel like I have a life worth living." By the time Charlie leaves Kathi, to have a full life of his own, Charlie and Kathi have fallen into a kind of platonic love, both of them treasuring the time they had together, and being better people for it. <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750013i/30034032.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> Carrie Fisher and Byron Lane I like the book and admire Miss Gracie, who adores her difficult daughter and would literally do anything for her. My feelings about Kathi are more problematical. Kathi is a talented actress and writer, and a kind person, but she's also entitled and self-centered. Kathi opens pungent nail polish remover in the first class cabin of a commercial airplane; smears nail polish all over a cruise ship pillow; purposely spills melted ice on the floor of a limousine; is uppity with a saleswoman; dumps the contents of her purse out everywhere; and generally ignores the inconvenience she causes everyone around her. As for Charlie, he's a nice fellow and (if he was a real person) I'd wish him happiness and love with his boyfriend 'Reid.' <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1598750013i/30034037.png" alt="" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> Byron Lane and his boyfriend Steven Rowley Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Byron Lane) and the publisher (Henry Holt & Co.) for a copy of the book. You can follow my reviews at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/">https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....</a>

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Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell

May 01 2021

<a href="https://readasaurus.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1459070464i/18565492.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/alwaysbeebooked/" rel="nofollow noopener">Instagram</a> || <a href="https://twitter.com/NeniaCampbell" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> || <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aficionenias/" rel="nofollow noopener">Facebook</a> || <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nenia-Campbell/e/B00AWVRKMS" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> || <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/mightbeamisprin/" rel="nofollow noopener">Pinterest</a> It's kind of sad that this book is called A STAR IS BORED because a Nenia was bored while reading this book. It was me. I'm the Nenia. I wanted to like this book because I kept seeing it all over Instagram and it looked like so much fun (although weirdly, even though everyone was posting PICTURES of it, I wasn't seeing all that many reviews). I guess Byron Lane was the PA to Carrie Fisher before she died so this is his fictionalized account of that with a dude nammed Charlie Besson becoming PA to an actress named Kathi Kannon who is eccentric and a little crazy who is famous for-- you guessed it-- staring as a priestess in a science-fiction movie ages ago and is now basically a has-been. But, you know, it's not Carrie Fisher. *wink* The tongue-in-cheek IT'S NOT CARRIE FISHER YOU GUYS STAHP shtick got pretty old after a while, to the point where I wasn't sure why the author didn't just do a tell-all memoir and call it a day. Maybe because he'd signed an NDA and this fictionalized account offers some plausible deniability about what and how many details were blurred/changed? IDK. I also wish I hadn't known that this was kind of a parody (homage?) of Carrie Fisher because this just felt like such a caricature of her. I've read several of her memoirs and they were SO FUNNY and clever and witty. She just had a really unique, quirky view of the world, and she was so open about her struggles with addiction and bipolar, so seeing her reduced to this, like, stereotype was a little sad. I'm sure the author got to know her really well as a person but that just wasn't coming through in this book-- both the narrator, Charlie, and Kathi, came across as feeling flat and 2D. I'm sorry to say that this is a miss for me but my friends seemed to like it so maybe you will, too. 1 star

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Tucker (TuckerTheReader)

July 02 2020

<img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1594664662i/29808847._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free audio copy in exchange for an honest review <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9seDM8WUFo8&feature=youtu.be" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1595871476i/29865589._SX540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a> I read this book in my most recent booktube video which you can click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9seDM8WUFo8&feature=youtu.be" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a> to watch or skip to <a href="https://youtu.be/9seDM8WUFo8?t=54" rel="nofollow noopener">0:54</a> to here my thoughts on this specific book. | <a href="https://Goodreads.com/tuckeralmengor" rel="noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://tuckerthereader.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener">Blog</a> | <a href="https://Pinterest.com/tuckeralmengor" rel="nofollow noopener">Pinterest</a> | <a href="https://linkedin.com/in/tuckeralmengor" rel="nofollow noopener">LinkedIn</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1JLAbHwaeQ5YwayF3UhjWw" rel="nofollow noopener">YouTube</a> | <a href="https://instagram.com/tuckeralmengor" rel="nofollow noopener">Instagram</a>

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Maine Colonial

July 26 2020

I received a free digital publisher's review copy, via Netgalley. If you are a fan of the late Carrie Fisher, I recommend you not read this book. Lane calls this book fiction, but in his interviews he makes it clear that incidents are pretty much just variations on reality, and the book includes details that are known about Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds. The picture Lane paints of “Kathie Kannon” is of a tremendously talented woman who wastes her talent and privilege with drugs. Worse yet, she is incredibly inconsiderate of others and downright destructive of everything in her path. Even if you’re not a Carrie Fisher fan, it’s repulsive to read lengthy descriptions of someone who is such a mess and who makes life difficult for others just because she can, given her fame. Someone who brazenly defies public rules just because she can get away with it, who turns every hotel room into a wreck in minutes, who mindlessly goes on shopping sprees and then wastes everyone’s time by returning everything the next day, and who regularly abuses drugs. Especially right now, when so many people don’t know how they will feed and house their families, it’s off-putting, at the least, to read about this kind of person. Sure, Lane tries to turn it all around in the final quarter by showing how Kathie Kannon taught him about love and acceptance and is a beautiful soul inside, but it’s too little too late. This book comes across as mainly a tell-all from another hanger-on abusing his access to benefit himself—and doing it after the subject is dead and can’t defend herself. I thought this was going to be a funny, with an admixture of self-mockery, like Carrie Fisher’s own books, but I was mistaken.

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Alfredo

July 30 2020

4,5 Alerta de gatilho: Pensamentos suicidas, abuso de drogas. “A star is bored” é um livro de Byron Lane sobre um jovem gay e um tanto depressivo que se candidata para uma vaga de assistente pessoal de uma estrela de Hollywood e logo vê sua vida mudar completamente. O autor, ex-assistente de Carrie Fisher, escreveu a obra inspirado na sua relação com a atriz. O livro é indicado por Taylor Jenkins Reid (“Os sete maridos de Evelyn Hugo”) e Jonathan Van Ness (host de “Queer eye”). Uma leitura perfeita para quem curtiu Cadê você, Bernadette? Pontos fortes Essa é uma história de amizade entre uma estrela de Hollywood e um jovem que não sabe bem o que fazer da vida. O livro começa muito bem, quando somos apresentados à enorme casa de Kathi Kannon e à própria atriz. Ela é improvável, engraçada e irreverente. Ele é tímido, atrapalhado e inseguro. Nesse início, vemos o que pode ser o início de uma nova vida para o protagonista. O autor garante boas risadas com tiradas bem pensadas. O protagonista, Charlie Besson, é gay! Eu amo personagens que são LGBTQ+ sem precisarem ser, sem que a história foque em sua sexualidade. Esse fato, claro, tem consequências, como sua relação com o pai, que não é das melhores e mais acolhedoras. O autor, que também é queer (e pediu o namorado em casamento nos agradecimentos finais!!!!!!), fez um bom trabalho aqui. Essa parte familiar também é interessante. No terceiro capítulo, eu acho, o autor trabalha o passado do protagonista, mostrando sua relação com seu pai e sua falecida mãe. É aí que ele conta um pouco do porquê Charlie mora longe da família, de como a vida do seu pai está estagnada e das razões pelas quais Charlie sente que ainda precisa provar algo. A escrita do livro é leve. E, em tempos de quarentena, isso é tudo o que eu preciso. Gosto de passar de um livro pesado para um mais suave, e essa foi uma boa escolha. Terminei recentemente The Vanishing Half (incrível, 5 estrelas), então peguei A Burning (muito bom, mas também complexo) e esse. Decidi focar nessa história. O livro flui muito bem, é divertido de ler mesmo quando não há nenhum grande conflito. A maturidade dos personagens também me chamou a atenção. Algumas situações, que em YAs (que leio muito) gerariam páginas e páginas de drama, foram resolvidas com “ok, vida que segue”. Eu AMEI isso! *e outros pontos que não posso citar porque são spoilers. A evolução dos personagens e de suas relações me deixaram bem feliz. Gostei de ver como cada um cresceu e como a dinâmica entre Charlie e Kathi foi se construindo ao longo dos anos. Essa vai ser uma dupla da qual vou sentir muita falta. O audiobook merece destaque: é narrado por ninguém menos que Noah Galvin, que já participou de Dear Evan Hansen, The Real O’Neals e Booksmart. Sua narração é divertida e no ponto. Em alguns momentos, senti diferenças no áudio, como se ele tivesse regravado frases ou palavras específicas, mas isso de forma alguma atrapalhou a experiência. Pontos fracos Comecei o livro pensando: vai ser o melhor do ano se continuar assim. Acontece que as surpresas vão acabando e a narrativa se torna um tanto linear. A história continua divertida e interessante, mas faltaram alguns detalhes para chegar no ponto. Mais conflitos, mais cenas imprevisíveis da Kathi, mais desafios e aprendizados para Charlie, mais mudanças na vida dele. Demora até que que essas mudanças cheguem, e eu pensei que não iam chegar nunca. Mas o livro melhora! A vida amorosa de Charlie também não é muito animadora em boa parte do livro. Ele conhece um cara, eles começam a sair e tal… mas não senti a química. Aparentemente, foi algo significativo. Um sentia a falta do outro quando estavam longe. Mas tudo isso é mais dito do que mostrado, não foi um casal que torci para que desse certo. Não acho que foi a intenção do autor. *mas também há coisas que eu curti! Não posso falar aqui porque seria spoiler. Eu queria ter conhecido mais da Kathi, queria que ela fosse mais aberta. O livro faz um bom trabalho em apresentá-la no “agora”, mas o passado fica um tanto obscuro. Acho que algumas cenas teriam um impacto maior se o autor tivesse nos apresentado mais a personagem. Por fim… Essa foi uma leitura muito agradável, divertida e leve. Não era exatamente o que eu estava procurando, mas consegui aproveitar bastante. Pensei muito em que nota dar, estava entre um 3 e um 4 por volta dos 50%. Enquanto lia hoje, no entanto, senti muita falta dos personagens e foi muito bom estar com eles novamente. A dinâmica é muito interessante e o final foi impactante para mim. Por ter conquistado meu coração, mesmo com suas falhas, decidi avaliar em 4,5.

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Lisa Leone-campbell

July 25 2020

The author of A Star is Bored, Byron Lane was Carrie Fisher's personal assistant for three years. He continually has stated that this book is a work of fiction...but I truly hope that he did take some liberties from his time with Ms. Fisher! This is the funniest, laugh out loud book I have read in a very long time! The banter between the characters is incredible and witty and even though I am not suppose to I can't help but hear Fisher's voice in my head as I read the story, which made it even more comical. Charlie works as an overnight writer for a boring publication. He want to leave and dreams of having a more exciting job. Well, be careful what you wish for! On a tip, he applies for the job as the personal assistant to ultra celebrity Kathi Kannon. Kannon, who just happens to be a very famous princess from a sci-fi movie lives on a property she shares with her very famous eccentric mother. During the job interview (audition?) Charlie is extremely confused as to what Ms. Kannon is looking for in an assistant and leaves unsure of whether he even got the job. The phone rings and Charlie gets his first inking that he got the job but still unsure of what the job entails. As he soon finds out being Kannon's personal assistant is a trip, both literally and figuratively. Between doling out her pills in the morning (see bottom draw in bedroom), to taking her on hilarious vacations (see Japan), to being not only her caretaker but her protector, Charlie finds the chaos disturbingly exciting. And the perks are not so bad either. As Charlie tries to put Kannon's life in some sort of order, she on the other hand fights to have the continued mayhem. There is a housekeeper who has a brain tumor who seems to do nothing but sleep at the kitchen table on a daily basis and a gardener who seems to hold hedge clippers in his hand daily, but never seems to clip anything. Added to the disorganization is Kannon's mother who is constantly handing Charlie bags of money to make sure her daughter eats her "vegetables". There are almost daily trips to what Kannon calls "Vegas" which Charlie assumes are shopping jaunts. They are not. There is one extremely comical episode in which Kannon runs naked (with a bed sheet) into traffic outside her house and Charlie literally tries to reel her in. Then cleans up the public relations mess. Entwined in the story is Charlie's own personal dysfunctional history with a mother who died very young and an overbearing father with anger issues who screams a lot, so much so Charlie can't get his voice out of his head. He also highlights the difficulty of trying to have any kind of personal relationship when you are on call 24/7 at the whim of a superstar. His own dating chronicles are just as funny as his personal assistant shenanigans. But through all the craziness, Charlie and Kathi develop a relationship which cannot really be defined. Part respect, part sibling, part parent/child but most of all devotion to each other and a mutual love. I want to say I truly hope some of this is based in truth because in my head I want to believe Kathi Kannon and Carrie Fisher really did have these absolutely incredible you could not make this stuff up adventures. So relax, sit back and go along for the most enjoyable ride! This would surely be a great beach read. Thank you #NetGalley #HenryHoltandCo #ByronLane #AStarIsBored for the advanced copy. The book will be published on July 28.

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Amelie

December 05 2020

“I’m just a kid from Louisiana, sitting in my first celebrity mansion, surrounded by more wealth than I’ve ever known, more pills than I’ve ever seen, more uncertainty than I’ve ever felt.” A Star is Bored is a humorous and insightful story about Charlie, a depressed gay man who gains a life-changing new job as the personal assistant to celebrity Kathi Kannon, his childhood idol. He is swept into a world of celebrities and fame, where he organises Kathi’s schedules, goes on various trips and shopping sprees, helps Kathi manage her substance addiction and manic episodes, and gradually bonds with her. I enjoyed reading about Charlie and Kathi’s growing relationship and interactions throughout the book, and the lasting impact Kathi left on Charlie in helping him gain the confidence to move forward with his life. The witty banter between them also added a nice touch to the story. “Life only exists in your mind. Everything you see, everything you hear, all of it, it goes through your eyes and ears and is processed by your mind, and the mind can lie, can be sick, can get it wrong.” Although there were aspects of this book that were enjoyable, I did find this book hard to get into at times, and I felt like the story just dragged on and was incredibly slow paced with lengthy passages. I wasn’t fully invested into the story, and struggled to find motivation to continue through at times. The vulgar language used throughout the book also made me uncomfortable at times, and I felt like it wasn’t that necessary to include that much profanity and heavy sexual content. I still thought the whole idea of the book was good, and I liked the way things were wrapped up in the end, but I personally believe it could have been better paced and written. The themes addressed in this book such as those revolving around mental illnesses were handled well, and I could really sympathise with Charlie’s depression, and Kathi’s addiction, and how they worked to overcome their problems and become better people. “Therapista says a wonderful, healthy life doesn’t include a requirement to be constantly entertained. She says what we really want is peace of mind, peace in being. Maybe another word for boredom is peace.” The struggles and challenges each of the characters faced really touched on a deeper level, and reading about Charlie’s low self-esteem and depression was in some ways relatable, as we all have moments where we are unsure of ourselves in our lives. I liked how he really came to question what he truly wanted in his life, and if being on standby for Kathi leaving little time for personal relationships and a social life was going to work out for him at all. On top of that, he had his own personal family dramas with his strained relationship with his father, and his dating disasters to deal with. I was glad that he decided what was best for himself, and how he came to appreciate Kathi’s influence in his life, and how he eventually found the right guy for himself as well. Kathi’s character also held meaning to me, and I enjoyed reading about her witty, sarcastic personality, and her personal struggles to overcome her addiction. Charlie and Kathi’s friendship was incredibly heartwarming to read about, and I’m glad that they did eventually find their own roads to happiness. Overall, although this book wasn’t for me and there were several things that didn’t sit well with me, there were still parts I enjoyed and it had a creative and unique concept. I really liked how this book had a prominent message which focused on Charlie seeking his purpose and passion in life, and how it showed that it is never too late to change your mind as the future is not set in stone, and how you should decide what’s best for yourself in your life. The book itself was inspiring and uplifting at times, and I am glad that I read it. I would like to thank NetGallery for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 3/5 stars

D

Dennis

July 22 2020

A Star is Bored is an unexpected treat in the craziness that is 2020. Byron Lane's hilariously sarcastic novel is a tale of two different people and their unlikely bond that is formed from a working relationship. Main character, Charlie Besson starts off interviewing for a personal assistant position for film icon Kathi Kannon. Kathi's not only a famous actress, but she has also become a subject of tabloid fodder due to her unpredictable behavior. After Charlie's hired for the position, the two forge a strange, codependent, yet meaningful and strong dynamic. Without telling you much of the story, Byron Lane's own experience working for the late Carrie Fisher is used as a basis for the story. So let your imagination go wild on how utterly over the top that could have possibly been. I laughed out loud several times, while also deeply connecting to the stress of mental health topics that were conveyed. A Star is Bored is getting a lot of accolades right now and deservingly so. I can't wait to see what's next for Byron Lane.

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