Carrie Fisher (1956–2016)

Carrie Fisher's memoir turns her one woman show into book format and as an audiobook was an utter delight. Whether she's recounting the entangled love lives of her daughter's and her daughter's boyfriend's grandparents to determine whether they're related, sharing tales from her struggles with substance abuse and bipolar disorder, or talking about how George Lucas owns her likeness, there's plenty to laugh about. A lovely way to spend a few hours with a brilliant personality we lost too soon.

In The Princess Diarist, Carrie Fisher looks back on the legacy of her most famous role shortly after reprising Princess Leia in The Force Awakens. Both funny and thoughtful, Fisher's writing continues to entertain and demonstrate why the woman behind the character remains significant. Fisher's largest revelation focuses on her affair with Harrison Ford, which she frames against being young in Hollywood. The middle of her book, and the largest section, reprints excerpts from the diary she show more kept while working on Star Wars. Fisher's passing shortly after the release of this book makes many of the passages all the more poignant. When she examines her legacy or how she thinks she'll be remembered, it's hard not to feel a tug at one's heartstrings. As her final written work, The Princess Diarist offers enjoyable proof that Fisher's legacy is secure. show less

Fisher's sass is in full effect as she describes her time auditioning for and filming the first Star Wars movie. From a brief affair with Harrison Ford to attending comic cons to make money later in life, she is sincere and sarcastic in equal measures. I enjoyed it, but it also felt forgettable.

“If you look at the person someone chooses to have a relationship with, you’ll see what they think of themselves.”

“I’m a hick,” I recall saying to him. “No,” Harrison answered. “You show more think you’re less than you are. You’re a smart hick.” And then, “You have the eyes of a doe and the balls of a samurai.” show less

Carrie Fisher, you may know her as Princess Leia from Star Wars, dispenses small scenes from her life with wit, sarcasm and openness. Born to famous parents and suffering from bipolar disorder, Carrie sought solace in drugs and alcohol while pursuing her own career in show business. The absence of her father, the tabloid rumors surrounding the death of a close friend, even the fleeting joy of marriage - nothing is off limits. Everything is fodder for Carrie's delightful sense of humor.

I read show more this book in a matter of hours. I simply could not put it down. Laughing out loud, often to the point of tears, I repeatedly found myself reading portions aloud to my sister just to share the laughter. Read this book. It could very well be the funniest thing you read all summer. show less