Have you ever had one of those days when you just couldn't? You try and try, but there's nothing left? Welcome to my Wednesday! There was way too much drama at work, so what do I do? Grab my phone and dive into the book I started reading earlier this week. It's full of drama too, but a whole different kind of drama.
I've been reading The Andy Cohen Diaries. Modeled after one the diary of one of his heroes, Andy Warhol, Cohen does some name-dropping and star gazing, but he also spends some on deeper issues, like wondering how long you can leave a dead bug in the bathroom for the housekeeper to take care of.
Cohen is the host of Bravo's Watch What Happens Live and, at the beginning of the book, head of development at the network as well. He was the originator and still the executive producer of the entire Real Housewives franchise, and he hosts all their reunion shows (this summer he's also started hosting Love Connection). He lives in New York, and he owns the city. A backseat driver, dog owner, pop culture aficionado, drinker, flirt, and smart businessman, Cohen takes us into his private life and personal thoughts. He doesn't gossip about his Housewives, but he does talk honestly and openly about his relationships with them and the challenges of producing the shows.
The memoir is not particularly deep (the subtitle is "A Deep Look at a Shallow Year"), and it doesn't tell the story of how he got where he is (for that, check out his first book, Most Talkative), but it does give you a good idea of who he is and what his life is like on a daily basis. From turning Lady Gaga's pee into perfume (he calls it "peefume") to taking his parents to the U.S. Open and making awkward conversation with Martha Stewart about how she could date his dad if he were single, Cohen's diaries have it all and then some.
While I still have lots left to read in the book, right now the rest of my life is really just me biding my time until I can grab a few more AC moments. It's ideal summer reading, and I am loving it just as much as I loved Most Talkative. For some fun ad engaging reading about life in New York, working on a nightly talk show, or just being a fabulous gay man with a dog, then you will love The Andy Cohen Diaries. It's perfect for those days when you just can't anymore, or don't want to, or (best yet) don't have to.