I found Andy Cohen's Most Talkative CD on the bargain shelf of Half Price Books. Otherwise, I never would have thought to give it a try. And let me just say, shame on me. Because this is a fantastic book.
Andy Cohen is best known now for his work on Bravo. He ran their development department at the start of the Real Housewives shows. He helped put them together and get them going, and he appears on the reunion shows to ask both the easy and the hard questions at the end of each season. He currently hosts Watch What Happens, a nightly talk show with lots of fun and seriously impressive guests. He's come a long way since his first celebrity interview (soap opera royalty Susan Lucci), and he tells the whole story in this memoir.
In Most Talkative, Andy Cohen is open and honest about it all--his family's obsession with soap operas, his homosexuality, the years he spent at CBS producing morning shows, and his time at Trio and then Bravo. He dishes a little about the housewives, but this book is more about his lifelong love affair with pop culture. And I have to admit, his enthusiasm is infectious. Before listening to this, I had never seen a Real Housewives episode. I can no longer say that. I'm slowing making my way through Atlanta now. I don't know how many other cities may be in my tour, but I have a feeling I'll be stopping by D.C. next. These stories are addictive, and Hulu can keep me supplied for awhile.
Cohen has written two books since, which I have not yet read, but I want to. Or maybe I'll listen to them, because he reads them himself, and he is a fantastic narrator.
Looking for a fun read, or even better, listen for the holidays? Check out Andy Cohen and his crazy adventures in television. It's a fun ride and a lot of laughs!