to think that peraps "BEing Jordan" isnt the best book to have in a school library?¬

[DanDruff]

or am I jsut too feminist nad need to lighten up a bit

DanDruff - absolutely true. I know an agent who says that for every sleb book she accepts, she turns down ten. People over-estimate their own importance and misjudge their sell-by date.

Books being bought now are going to be on the shelves in late 2010 or, more likely, early 2011. So this Christmas's books were deals done in or around June 2008. (Can you remember who won Big Brother/I'm A Sleb/ Stricklee in 2008? Let alone who came second? Or care about them enough to read a book about them?)

Too many publishers lost money by shelling out six-figure sums for minor soap stars and footballers during the boom - they are not being so silly now.

So if I employ a great agent to market me (as I do) I should be described as "a businessman".

uh--uhh.
nul points.

there is the school of htought now in schools that whatever the kids read ( to a point) is ok

Think I may have taken it out (under a pseudonym obv) then 'lost' it on the way home.

what oyu mean NOT as "Gibbon"
really?

DItters

opinion on book in library?

Someone who is good at selling themselves, or lets others do so, is not automatically a business-person though. It's a very misleading term. Unless one is prepared to include all the heroin-addled "businesswomen" in short leather mini-skirts who huddle in the shadows in the dodgy parts of town touting for... business.

My friend told me her book was "wonderful" and lent me it years ago. Dear God I wanted to poke my own eyes out.

She also gave me Graham Nortons autobio. I think she hates me.

No siree bob, would disguise myself too. I have always wanted to wear one of those glasses/nose/tash combos.

What a sad state of affairs that is

(re Dittany's last post)

I doubt that woman has written anything except her autograph.

She was asked something about one of her books on G Nortons show. She shrugged and said "I dunno I've not read it"

Hmm. I have a lot of sympathy with the 'if they're reading a book and liking it' point of view - they can decide whether it's interesting, whether they like the book, whether she's someone they're interested in or not.

I'd leave it there. But I quite hate school library censorship.

she doesn't write them, though. i read an interesting interview with her ghost writer, man, i'd love that job.

I just think that if you're 13 and not interested in reading - you might then think it'd be okay to read that book from the library. And why not.

Who are we to frown and disprove of the content and lack of authorship. It's not impossible she might then think, well that was alright, I might try another book now.

And it doesn't matter if that next one is a mills&boon or Martin Amis - reading should be enjoyable. So find what you enjoy.

I don't like snobbery around reading.

Other than my having a default snobby attitude that reading is a very good thing - but it doesn't really matter whether it's Tolstoy or Jordan. I know which one I prefer, but it doesn't follow that everyone else should prefer that one too.

Can you tell that I was told I wasn't allowed to read certain books in my school library until I was in the sixth form?

OMG. I'm still annoyed about it

I really enjoyed Rupert Everett's biog (even though it was technically shit) but avoid them like the plague as a rule. I think Joradn next to Ann Frank is somehow a very sad state of affairs in a library...

She doesn't write her own books. She doesn't even read them. So I doubt she does her own "business" promotion either. I don't buy this idea of her as someone who has emancipated herself from being bought and sold by men. She may think that's what she has done, but she is just as much of a tool as every other woman famous for having unfeasibly large breasts.

I agree her ghostwriter would be a very interesting person to interview. It's quite an art.

Surely this will be a situation where they asked the kids to recommend books for the library and this is what someone recommended.... thus placing the librarians in a position where they either have to buy the damn book or look like they are ignoring the wishes of the students.
If it had actual porn in they would have grounds for refusing, but if not then you can see them feeling they hadn't got a get-out and just ordering it through gritted teeth.