Yes, Simon Cowell's book, I don't mean to be rude, but... has been out for quite some time now. I know that. It's been sitting on my bookshelf since March, collecting a significant amount of dust while waiting for the spine to be tickled, much less cracked. My grandkids got it for me as a present, the little sweethearts.
They are the reason I started watching American Idol in the first place. They would come over and spend oodles of time sitting in a serious discussion of the talents of Ruben over Clay or Kelly over Justin. I couldn't figure out who this Justin guy was that my granddaughter was totally ga-ga over, until they explained this show. Then they started singing songs from my youth that were new discoveries for them. That's when I just had to watch this show. If a television show, even one on FOX, could give a 40 (something)-year-old and a 9-year-old fodder for a great discussion, why not? And I think I've become more of a fan now than they are. But we still have great debates. (I was the George fan; the granddaughter drooled over Jon Peter -- ack!)
But, I digress. It's a slow news summer on the Idol scene, which makes keeping this blog current a bit challenging. So I decided to peel the Simon book off of the shelf, dust it off, and give it a read. I'm not a book reviewer, but I'll do my best.
If you enjoyed the first two seasons of American Idol, and you like Simon, you'll like this book. I was able to finish the book, cover to cover, in a matter of an afternoon. It's a simple, sometimes funny, always egotistical in a Simon sort of way, retrospective of the genesis of the show through its second year. Of course, to get there you will learn all about how Simon became the music industry legend-in-his-own-mind that he has become. (And, in a odd way, there are lessons to be learned about tenacity and self-belief along the way.)
It is easy to read, which makes it a quick one, perfect for an afternoon by the pool or a rainy day activity. (It was raining here. Again.)
Simon gives his impressions of the contestants from the first two seasons. (Remember, this book was released before we'd ever heard of Fantasia or John Stevens!) If you're a Clay Aiken fan, you'll like most of what he has to say. If you're a Kelly Clarkson fan, you will too. Plus he lets us in on some of the "house" rumors of relationships and in-fighting. Dirt, I tell you, there's dirt!
Throughout the book, he rates his "best of" and "worst of" moments that are worth the price alone. But, in all honesty, I skipped the final chapter on "how to become an American Idol." Even if I wanted to, I'm well past the age limit. But a 20 year old with a great voice might find useful advice there.
Before I recommend a book I always ask myself if I would buy it again. (In this case, though, the question is "would I buy it.") I would. I don't know that it will go in my library, but it was a fun way to entertain myself through a rainy afternoon. It is a bit pricey in the hardcover edition, but I'm a hardcover bigot, I admit that. Therefore, my best suggestion -- wait for the paperback or go to the library. There's nothing so earth-shattering in the book that you need it today. And, unless he comes out with an edited edition detailing all of the dish from season three, there's no need to shut down amazon or barnesandnoble.com or to overwhelm Wal*Mart at this point in time.
But, remember...if you buy it and hate it, it's not my fault. If you buy it and love it, you're welcome!
Please, please feel free to leave your own reviews in the comments. I love getting comments!
Just fillin' the time until the next season of Idol...
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