Chore Whore: Adventures of a Celebrity Personal Assistant

by Heather H. Howard

Book Overview

I have been used, abused, lied to, and cheated on, blamed, shamed, screamed at, and ridiculed. I've been scammed and damned, had my ass kissed, my reputation dissed, and my face spat on. All in the name of working as a celebrity personal assistant . . . a CHORE WHORE After twenty years of working thanklessly for a dozen high-powered Hollywood hotshots, Corki Brown has had enough. She's sick to death of handling elaborate extortion deals, washing groupies'...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060723920
• ISBN13: 9780060723927
• Release Date: February 2006
• Publisher: It Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.6" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Interesting

It was amazing to realize that people really do do this for a living! You have got to be somewhat crazy, but yet the writer is a funny, intelligent and very sane woman. It is quite an interesting read to learn about just what some of "hollywood" requires these people to do! Holy mackeral.

pleasantly surprised...

If you like books like The Nannie Diaries, First Assistant, Second Assistant and Citizen Girl then you will love this quilty pleasure. This story reads more like an autobiography which makes sense since it is supposedly 98% true. The thing that sets this book apart from the numerous others is that it is from the perspective of a seasoned veteran who had survived in her trade for over 20 years... It is not just those starting out that get treated so badly by the exorbinately weathly and famous... although the difference is that Corki's celebrities seem to actually need her, and want her help. They just have no clue how to act. Chore Whore also has some great moments between mother and son. If you are also looking for a book that explores this mother/son relationship I recommend The Time Keeper by Kevin E. Cropp. Although certainly not as lighthearted, it has a get meaning.

Chore Whore Delivers

This was a fun read! I was at a book signing given by the author where she said that the book was 98% true and only the names were changed to protect the guilty. Knowing that this book wasn't just a purely fictionalized account of life as a celebrity personal assistant, I was up till 2 a.m. on a work night reading it! I couldn't stop laughing and sighing for poor Corki. Corki Brown's (aka Howard's) wild experiences working for Hollywood's elite and her comic delivery of the goods were as refreshing as a southern California ocean breeze. I particularly loved the description of the wedding Corki Brown had to arrange in Greece. I felt like I was there. I'm hoping they will make a movie of this book. The wedding scene in Greece where all Hell breaks loose would be brilliant on screen. I'd also love to see another book about how Heather got into the personal assitant business to begin with. I enjoyed Chore Whore much more than the Nanny Diaries.

Hilarious - Loved Guessing Who The Stars Were

This book is so funny! The main character, Corky, had to keep so many hilarious egos in check while handling some of the nastiest and/or most offensive chores ever (and then using those same hands to cook meals for the celebrities). I really got a sense of the less glamorous side of working with these celeb's. The writer has a great perspective and a good outlook. I enjoyed trying to figure who the real stars were. The book was well written and a lot of fun!!

A fun and frenetically paced debut novel

Heather H. Howard's debut novel CHORE WHORE is a fun and frenetically paced new entry into the world of Chick Lit books. It's a humorous "former assistant tell-all book" --- think THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and THE NANNY DIARIES. Problem is, I'm not a chick. So what drew this guy to this gal book? As they used to say in Hollywood --- it's all about a good story. Howard's story is Corki Brown's story, and vice versa. Corki is the heroine of CHORE WHORE. She's a 40-year-old woman with a 10-year-old son working as a personal assistant to Tinseltown's top stars. Howard, the author, worked for everyone from Tom Cruise to Jennifer Aniston and also has a 10-year-old son. Like most of America, celebrities fascinate me. I cannot get enough of them. I read way too many magazines, watch way too much E!, and like being near the stars. Sort of. I live in West Hollywood, California, where much of CHORE WHORE takes place, and I've spotted Matthew Perry at the movies, Adam Sandler parallel parking, and Denzel Washington eating breakfast. When we mere mortals see these glamour gods in everyday situations, we like to think that they're just like us. But they're not. Theirs is a world of gated mansions, Hermes backpacks, and iPod party favors. In CHORE WHORE, Howard pulls back the curtain of celebrity with a wink and a nod and lets us peek at the quirky lives of the stars. She lets us in on the not-so-secret secret that the stars are more messed up than we are. Like many Chick Lit books, Corki is searching for something in her life. The twist is that she's actually looking for her life. As a personal assistant, Corki must cater to every crazy whim of her demanding clients. Her days are spent scouring Los Angeles for ridiculous items --- from extra large condoms to vintage toilet seats. But she's so busy mothering these spoiled stars that she has no time for herself and her son Blaise, who is acting out at school to get her attention. Howard really nails the tiny details of La-La Land and the harried life of a personal assistant. The first 50 pages are a hectic blur of chores on top of chores. You feel like you're riding in the passenger seat of Corki's trusty eight-year-old SUV named Betty as she battles the maddening local traffic to complete her inane and mundane tasks. Imagine spending every day of your life running errands. Howard has more than imagined it --- thanks to her two decades of experience, you sense that some of the chores Corki must perform aren't too far from the truth. For example, she opens the book with, "Today is December 18, Steven Spielberg's birthday. Although not formally declared a national holiday, in Hollywood, California, and its environs, it is celebrated as one." Everyone has to get Spielberg that special gift and one-up their rivals. Do the stars buy their own gifts? No. Their low-paid assistants must come up with a unique idea to wow the acclaimed director. Corki is known for her creative gift problem-solving skills and she come