Customer Reviews

Plus One: A Year in the Life of a Hollywood Nobody

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Claire Fordham is the sister of singer/songwriter/vocalgoddess Julia Fordham. Using her married name, Claire Cross, she was a journalist in England for 20-odd years. After the break-up of her marriage, and her kids growing up and moving onto lives of their own, Claire found herself at a loss for the next thing to do in her life, so on Julia's suggestion she moved in with her in California. This book details a year in their lives together. (Claire returned to her maiden name to publish this book, as there's already another Claire Cross out there.)

I have to admit that I initially bought this purely because I am a huge fan of Julia's music, and wanted to know the inside gossip on her life. Claire's book has MASSIVELY exceeeded my expectations. The book arrived by post yesterday morning and I started reading it at 7pm - and I read it in one sitting. Claire is a fabulous writer - touching, intriguing, interesting - and incredibly funny. There were sections in this book that had me laughing out loud - Julia's dog Muttley and his bloated stomach being a good example.

Julia's life was the thing I wanted to read about to start with - but after just a few pages of reading about Claire, Muttley, the rest of the family, the neighbours, not to mention Claire's desperation to meet and marry George Clooney (her obsession), I was hooked on EVERY single character's life in this book.

Claire writes throughout the book about feeling that she is in her sister's shadow, while Julia is the famous singer/songwriter that everyone wants to meet and greet. Claire, how wrong you are. You are equally shining stars. Different stars of different natures, but of equal brightness.

I will now be eagerly waiting to see when the next book is published. There WILL be another, Claire, won't there?????? Please, please, pretty-please-with-knobs-on?

Written from the heart with wit, insight and flair, Claire Fordham's PLUS ONE covering a transformational one year is full of deep love for family and friends, irreverance, acceptance, compassion, zest for life and EXTRAORDINARY HUMOR. This is a hiliarious page-turner with a concise, creative "call it like it is" expression of Life through Claire's decidedly British lens. I am purchasing 3 more books for friends and recommending it to many more.

What a joy, I loved every moment of this masterpiece. It was hightly amusing, brutally honest and very enlightening. I could hear the writer's voice lifting off the page. I do hope that Claire Fordham pens a sequel, I have to know what happens to Muttley and I have ordered a copy of 'The Sound of Music'.

I want to be Claire Fordham when I "grow up"! She is a woman after my own heart. She writes as if you are in the room with her and she is sharing her best secrets with you. I loved the inside look at her family and HOWLED at some of the situations. I can't wait for her to write another book. I'm so happy when I find an author that can make me laugh...it is a gift! I want this woman to be my friend! :)

I thought this book was pretty disappointing. I was hoping for a light humorous book with some insights into Hollywood and California culture, as seen by someone Not From Around Here, but it turned out to be mostly about the author's battles with a dog that pooped everywhere. There's hardly a page where the dog doesn't poop. And there's not much about the author actually doing anything or meeting anyone of importance. I don't know why it was written or published.

British Claire arrives in SoCal to take a mid-life gap year at the Santa Monica residence of her sister, acclaimed singer songwriter Julia Fordham, and finds to her delight that she has become Julia's "plus one" (for the uninitiated: invitations issued to singletons for publicity and other industry celebratory events almost always inscribe the name of the guest "plus one", indicating the guest can also bring a guest thereby avoiding the shame and humiliation of being alone).

She finds her sister has also invited an additional roommate, a lively canine rescued from a certain short street life in Fiji. These twin circumstances (pooch and parties) lead to a nonstop romp of silliness and zany adventures as Claire attends rounds of parties, acts as her sister's PA and guitar roadie on various gigs including a Philippines tour, and deals with Muttley: the dog who eats condoms, atlases, and deposits his foul turds on Claire's bed.

Will Claire ever meet her secret fantasy boyfriend George Clooney? Or her back up secret fantasy boyfriend David " do shag me" Duchovny? These amorous quests are punctuated by her flings with a tennis buddy and a writer, the visits of her grown-up son and daughter from Britain, and her assimilation into Californian culture ( and no, gentle reader, that is most certainly not an oxymoron).

From the moment I saw her interviewed on Craig Ferguson, I knew : I have to read everything this author writes. Do I identify with her? Well, let's see: we're both single (but not for long - congrats Claire!), stumbling through the lunacy of the Southern California glitterati/literati scene after leaving a sane and socially responsible lifestyle to write about poo-ing dogs, wanker men, and figuring out how to find Roberto Cavalli togs on a tight budget. Ah, that would be a "yes".

I loved, loved, loved this book. Reading it makes me feel like I just had an all night girlfriend pajama party with cappuccino and lemon cake. The writing style is familiar and easy. Claire's life experiences are spot-on-typical, yet described with such wit and style that even the calamitous is given perspective. I recommend it for a sunny Sunday at the beach or café when you feel you need a chirker-up. You'll be the happier for it.

Based on the reviews I read here, I anticipated a super-humorous book.
Based on the title of the book, I was expecting to read a LOT more about Claire's experiences in the Hollywood party scene (as Julia Fordham's "Plus One"). I felt like the book title was quite misleading.

However, I do agree that this is a down-to-earth, "Bridget Jones" type story. It is amusing, but not particularly exciting. I appreciated the 'translations' of British terms and expressions at the bottom of some pages! Claire is a very good writer. Again, I just think the book title was inappropriate.

Once I had opened this book to read I could not put it down, it's absolutely the funniest thing I have ever read. I had loads of curious looks on the bus as I was laughing out loud, something you can't help do when reading this book. Unfortunately I finished it far too quickly and can only hope there are more to come. An absolutley fantastic read.

I must say Claire Fordham is quite the clever girl with such a great sense of humor. I loved this book and I look forward to Claire's next one.

Claire Fordham you are wonderful! Thank-you for this great book, I could not put it down!

This is truly an awesome book, full of hillarious experiences in the life of sweet, beautiful, Julia Fordham, her sweet puppy Muttley, and wonderful sister Claire. Yes, I was a Julia fan, and probably would not have heard about this book if I wasn't on Julia's website so much. Now I can add her beautiful sister, Claire, to my list of Favorites.

This is truly a MUST read for any Julia fan, but it is also a MUST read if you love to laugh!

Claire is a great Mom, sister, and friend.

Thank-you Claire for sharing these wonderful family moments with all of us. Can't wait for the sequel, please, please, hurry!