Customer Reviews

I, California

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

...loved Stacey's book. I've been recommending it to every female I know who I think is cool enough. We seriously need more books by women that don't feature laughs that depend on crazy mixups, frenemies, unavailable men, binge eating and binge shopping. It occasionally made me feel bad in a good way, and often feel good in a very good way. If you suffer from both brains and an unabashed love for pop culture, Stacey's book will make you feel like you've got a smart-alecky friend out there.

I read the book. Its funny, insightful,reminiscent, unique and unusually well written-its like Ms. Woods Esquire columns-better than most memoirs of that type that I've read.I decided to buy more for gifts and saw the P. Weekly Review (who I usually rely upon in making most purchases)and want to ask them who the heck did they have read the book? Your facts are wrong - I double checked-and there's no "slogging through" it! Really, you should review it again. You're doing everyone a disservice and have made me suspect of your credibility. The "Deng" chapter is the best. Also, I agree with the customer who said that we don't need more "dirt" on celebrities.Everybody's got dirt on everyone they know-celeb or not. I'm tired of people using that to sell something or make themselves seem important and I don't want to pay for it. Its a cheap tactic. Bravo, Stacey Grenrock Woods for not succumbing to it. I'd rather read substance than sh-t.I, California

To the reviewer who was disappointed about the lack of Hollywood dirt, haven't you ever waited in line at the grocery store? That sort of garbage is plentiful, where this book is a gourmet feast. Full of self-deprecating humor, clever, honest -- I loved it.

I've had a bit of a crush on the author with her adorable little birthmark under her eye since I first saw her on The Daily Show back in the day, and I was sadly taken aback when the "Woods" got added to her "Grenrock" surname. Her Esquire sex columns have done nothing to quell said crush, and this here book has inflamed the oily rags of which my heart consists in all new ways. So what if she somewhat blew me off at the book signing at Skylight so that she could talk to her friend Neil Pollack who was standing beside me. No matter. Anyway, read her silly little heartfelt sardonic book (make sure you read the Deng part out loud). And make sure you substitute the word "Pram" with "Toi".

I read the book at first because I loved Stacey on The Daily Show...
and I think that she is SUPER SMART SUPER SEXY and SUPER hilarious in her observations of her life growing up in California....
the cover of the book sort of gives you the vibe of the whole thing
I ate the book up--and I never eat anything because I live in Southern California....
I have one last chapter to read tonight before i go to bed----
and i am so looking forward to it
and to re-reading the playboy chapter again

Lots of kids want to be performers. Hollywood looks like exactly what they want to do. This is not a salacious Hollywood I-Party-With-Everyone. It is a portrayal of a kid who prepared herself for a Hollywood career by working hard (thighs no wider around than calves) most evenings of her childhood at a dance-and-acting school that could get her anywhere only by the wildest fluke. Hollywood version of the worthless magna-cum-laude college degree. Geez Parents, be a little bit discerning about a return on your kids' investments. She didn't make it as big as she wanted to, such is the fate of most Hollywood aspirants, but she did manage to wrangle herself minor glory now and then, before the downward spiral. Realistic insider view from a kid who had just as much going for her, and probably worked harder, than the handful of kids who do make it.

And no, it isn't my usual reading. Grabbed it at the library resale shop for airplane reading on a trip to LA, but it wasn't worthless.

Deserving of ongoing mention and recommendation is I, CALIFORNIA: THE OCCASIONAL HISTORY OF A CHILD ACTRESS/TAP DANCER/RECORD STORE CLERK/THAI WAITRESS/ NIGHTCLUB BOOKER/DAILY SHOW CORRESPONDENT/SEX COLUMNIST/RECURRING CHARACTER AND WHATEVER ELSE. It's a hilarious memoir and biography of an 'almost famous' girl who has experienced much of California's counter-culture worlds. A fun and lively memoir all California collections should have.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Recommended to me by a friend who grew up in L.A. -- absolutely loved it. Certainly, not the usual Hollywood/L.A. bulls#*@ recollections of decadence, fame, or self-promotion. It's actually quite self-deprecating -- pokes more fun at her shallow ambitions then anything or anyone. Don't know what the previous reviewer is on about -- seem like some bad blood... Wished they'd mentioned which part was about him/her. Now I want to read it again. Thanks Huck, whoever you are.

Anyway, it's cleverly woven together, unpredictable, and totally hilarious. Kudos to Ms. Woods for having the guts to make her personal short-comings and insecurities into massively amusing material, -- nuff said.

Huzzah!

While my copy must have been missing an entire chapter on Key Lime (im sure that was a printing issue), her book is possibly one of the smartest, funniest walk down her twisted past-path. I found myself laughing aloud, with that "i'm probably the only one who gets this" except I'm not. It's one of those books that you almost want to hoard because you need to be sure others are worthy of reading it. There should be a test. Yes, that's it...I will invent an "Are you smart and cool enough to read Ms. Grenrock-Woods' book" test.

Buy this book and never look back. You're just a dummy if you don't.

Unique writing style, unique life,
interesting perspective, full of laughs,
happy ending (in spite of herself)