Uptown Girl

Uptown Girl, A Memoir by Christie Brinkley with Sarah Toland (2025) 401 pages

Christie Brinkley's life story, from the rough start she had with an abusive father, to her move to Paris after high school and her eventual modeling career, marriages, and children, is compelling. The amount of traveling she does for work—as well as for recreation—is extraordinary. I did not expect to like learning about the modeling industry, but I did enjoy it from her insider's point of view.

Regarding her romantic life, I would say that she made better choices when she was younger (Jean-Francois Allaux and Billy Joel) than she did later (Richard Taubman and Peter Cook), but I'd also say that trauma leads one to make choices that one might not otherwise consider. As a Billy Joel fan, I was especially interested in how they met and in getting her view on their relationship. (When things were good, they were very good.) In spite of their marriage eventually ending, they are still good friends.

The memoir's 16-page glossy section is filled with her drawings and iconic photos.

Pageboy

Pageboy by Elliot Page, 271 pages

In this candid memoir, Page explores his family, his career, his mental health journey, and his long, difficult relationship with his gender. As a trans celebrity who became famous playing the pregnant titular character in Juno, his transition and his life in general have been subject to media scrutiny and social media hatred. While this book certainly discusses that element of his life, the overriding theme of this memoir seems to be about him finding his authentic voice in his personal and professional relationships. It weaves seamlessly between his experiences as a kid and teen growing up in Nova Scotia, and his life as an adult, making the book anything but linear and giving it a more literary quality. I loved this book, and I'd love to read another memoir by him later on in his life — I'm sure he'll have some well-written stories to tell.

The Actor's Life

The Actor's Life: A Survival Guide by Jenna Fischer, 255 pages

It seems that celebrity memoirs are a dime a dozen (though that doesn't seem to stop me from gobbling them up). This book, however, is part memoir, yes, but mostly it's a guide to the acting business. Best known for her role as Pam on The Office, Fischer discusses tips for building a resume, getting the right head shots, finding an agent and/or manager, and properly detecting scams. Scattered throughout all of these tips are anecdotes from Fischer's acting life, illustrating her points and giving readers fun insights into the native St. Louisan's experiences. It's fun, it's fresh, and it's informative. Even though I have no intention of leaving librarianship to become an actor, I very much enjoyed this book.