Chelsea Handler - My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands

I chanced upon Chelsea Handler's new book (something about vodka) on the Amazon bestseller list and thought I would borrow her first book from the library since most reviewers had raved about it. This was a really quick read and I breezed through it in a couple of hours. I am alternately amused and horrified after reading this biographical account of her sexual conquests -- when they did happen, that is. The opening chapter had me chuckling away when she caught her parents doing the deed (in the most interesting way) after a bribe from her sister; I thought that was hilarious and I was really fond of this gutsy five-year-old. There were other moments that I thought were brilliant; like when Chelsea pretended to be her own imaginary twin sister in order to avoid one of her not so one-night stands; or the time she discovered that the doctor that everyone had a crush on was gay in the most eye-popping manner.

However, there were other things that truly grated on me to fully embrace Chelsea, endear her to me and just laugh with her through all of this. As a fifteen-year-old, she decided to ring the police to tell them that her father had molested her just so that she could get him out of the house for a party -- that to me was appalling. Yeah, she may have been a dumb teenager then, but still?! How shallow and selfish is this girl?! It's not like she shows any improvement with maturity. The excessive drinking, the compulsive lying, they all just get a bit much for me to really care and feel for Chelsea in the end. While all of this may now be in the past (she has obviously done well for herself with two successful publications on top of a TV career) but I think this is my limit for Chelsea Handler. I know I won't be seeking out her other book!