Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between)

by Lauren Graham

Hardcover, 2016

Status

Available

Publication

Ballantine Books (2016), 224 pages

Description

Biography & Autobiography. Performing Arts. Nonfiction. Humor (Nonfiction.) HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this collection of personal essays, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood reveals stories about life, love, and working as a woman in Hollywood—along with behind-the-scenes dispatches from the set of the new Gilmore Girls, where she plays the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore once again. With a new bonus chapter In Talking as Fast as I Can, Lauren Graham hits pause for a moment and looks back on her life, sharing laugh-out-loud stories about growing up, starting out as an actress, and, years later, sitting in her trailer on the Parenthood set and asking herself, “Did you, um, make it?” She opens up about the challenges of being single in Hollywood (“Strangers were worried about me; that’s how long I was single!”), the time she was asked to audition her butt for a role, and her experience being a judge on Project Runway (“It’s like I had a fashion-induced blackout”). In “What It Was Like, Part One,” Graham sits down for an epic Gilmore Girls marathon and reflects on being cast as the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore. The essay “What It Was Like, Part Two” reveals how it felt to pick up the role again nine years later, and what doing so has meant to her. Some more things you will learn about Lauren: She once tried to go vegan just to bond with Ellen DeGeneres, she’s aware that meeting guys at awards shows has its pitfalls (“If you’re meeting someone for the first time after three hours of hair, makeup, and styling, you’ve already set the bar too high”), and she’s a card-carrying REI shopper (“My bungee cords now earn points!”). Including photos and excerpts from the diary Graham kept during the filming of the recent Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, this book is like a cozy night in, catching up with your best friend, laughing and swapping stories, and—of course—talking as fast as you can.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member MickyFine
Lauren Graham's memoir is an utter delight from start to finish. Written exactly as you'd expect from this charming and quirky actress, the book is a quick and funny read. While there is some content on Graham's formative years, most of the book focuses on her years as an actress with an
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understandably substantial chunk dedicated to her years on Gilmore Girls, both the initial run and the recent new episodes. A fun and charming read that I recommend to any Lauren Graham fan.
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LibraryThing member emilyesears
I received the paperback edition of this book with a new bonus chapter from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program.

I read this book in a combination of audio and physical book. I recommend this because Lauren herself narrates the book and she is great at emphasizing the funny parts so that you
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laugh out loud. However, the book also contains pictures, so when she says “See Picture 1,” it’s nice to be able to go to the physical book and look at the picture.

The book is a fairly standard celebrity memoir--there’s biographical information, gossip about her shows Parenthood and Gilmore Girls, and then random chapters about dating, dieting, and other lifestyle topics. Gilmore Girls is obviously the main focus of the book with details about the show initially being picked up, a behind-the-scenes diary of the revival, and then a section where Lauren rewatched the entire show and commented on various things in each season.

The book, as I mentioned, is laugh-out-loud funny, but Lauren also discusses things like why she’s uncomfortable with public nudity and her fear that technology is negatively impacting our ability to have personal relationships. There’s a nice balance between silly and serious.

The bonus chapter is detailing Lauren’s experience doing press for the book and I didn’t find it particularly added anything to the book. However, it was interesting to hear that she was really sick while appearing on the Late Show as I didn’t notice a thing when I watched her interview.

On the whole, I feel that this book will be rather dated in a few years’ time, but while it’s relevant, it’s a fun read that’ll keep you entertained the whole way through.
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LibraryThing member KatKealy
This is a MUST read for anyone who likes Lauren Graham and/or Gilmore Girls (though I don't see how you could like one without liking the other). The book is very well written and she comes across as just talking to you about her shows & earlier career and life.
LibraryThing member detailmuse
This very short memoir of Graham’s acting career was a disappointment -- hardly any content, let alone depth or insight. haha: but true to the title and Graham’s role on Gilmore Girls, I did have to dial down the speed of this audiobook from my usual 1.25x to 1.0!
LibraryThing member bookworm12
If you love Gilmore Girls and Parenthood this one is a must. At times her humor feels forced, but the anecdotes about her roles on both shows are so much fun. The audio is fantastic!
LibraryThing member kaylaraeintheway
I want Lauren Graham to be my best friend. She is funny and charming, but also really sincere in a way that not a lot of actors (or "regular" folks) are. While she talks a lot about her early days as an actress trying to make it in New York and her life before and after the initial run of Gilmore
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Girls, it is the sections devoted to the original and reboot series that I enjoyed the most (and I enjoyed pretty much this whole memoir). I laughed, I cried, I gained a whole new appreciation for the show and its place in popular culture.
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LibraryThing member danaenicole
Well, I'm finally getting around to reviewing this. I bought it for a friend for Christmas and decided to go ahead and read it before I gave it to her. XD

Generally, I'm not much interested in celebrities' biographies, but while I'm not looking to own a copy of "Talking as Fast as I Can", I'm glad I
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read it. I might even read it again someday. Lauren Graham seems like a very genuine person, though I did wonder at times if she's really that much like Lorelai or if she was writing as Lorelai, in a way. Regardless, I enjoyed her little jokes and her commentary. (Side note: Do Lauren Graham and Lorelai Gilmore share initials on purpose or is that coincidence?)

It was interesting to learn more about what goes in to making a TV show in general and specifically, the behind-the-scenes info about "Gilmore Girls". It helped explain a bit why the revival was so chaotic, I think. Most of the time, Graham was good about clarifying which character an actor played when she mentioned them, though there were a few times she didn't and, as I don't know the names of every single GG actor, I had to take a second to Google the name to know whom she was talking about.

I will add that I think the subtitle is misleading. It sounds like a memoir that covers from the start of "Gilmore Girls" through the revival, but she talks a lot about her childhood and her start in show business as well. It doesn't affect my rating, but it smells like clickbait, which is a bit frustrating.

However, all-in-all, it was a good read. :)
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LibraryThing member MinDea
I just recently watched Gilmore Girls, by a suggestion many of my girlfriends gave me. The show was OK. However, I did really enjoy the reboot. Seeing everyone (almost everyone) back at Stars Hollow was pretty neat. This book mostly discusses Gilmore Girls. I don't know if it's because I just
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finished Gilmore Girls, but I read the book as Lorelie :)
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LibraryThing member courtneygiraldo
Written as a memoir with heavy emphasis on her time spent working on the original Gilmore Girls show as well as the reboot, Lauren Graham regales us with her tales. Everything from houseboat living, kindergarten skipping, and butt auditioning to her major film successes both on the small and big
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screen. Oh, and thanks for filling us in on the top secret Hollywood diet secrets, you've saved me oodles on diet books, much obliged! This book is light and fun, witty and downright hilarious. I'm not even going to try and lie and say I didn't tear up as she described her time back on set for the Gilmore Girls revival. (Ok.... confession..... it was a downright ugly cry...there I said it.) Thank you Lauren for opening yourself up and giving us a glimpse into the life of the women behind the infamous Lorelai Gilmore!
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LibraryThing member Narshkite
Clearly written to a very young audience (which seems weird since GG fans would be adults now I think.) It is sweet, peppy, slightly maternal in tone. Interesting side note, she falls all over herself communicating her love for all of her costars on GG and Parenthood, even people who were guests
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for a few episodes. Everyone besides John Corbett. He must have been a real jerk.
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LibraryThing member KeriLynneD
Lauren Graham is one of my favorites actresses so I was super excited when this book became available at my library! I really enjoyed her first book but I think I like this more. She breaks down the seasons of Gilmore Girls and you can really tell how much the show and character means to her. She
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also goes over Parenthood and how she got to be the actress she is today. She is working on a tv adaptation of The Royal We which I do wish she would have told more about that. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Gilmore Girls!
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LibraryThing member ecataldi
A cute little memoir narrated by Lorelei Gilmore herself. In this relatively short (it may have seemed shorter than it was since she is such a fast talker!) memoir Lauren Graham talks about growing up, getting started in acting, her breakthrough role in Gilmore Girls, some good times on the set of
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Parenthood, writing her first novel and finally her return to Gilmore Girls. It's a fun beachy read and I definitely recommend listening to the audiobook version because her narration of it, helps make it seem more real and personal. Plus she's got a great voice and she's not afraid of breaking out into song. Her little insides to Gilmore Girls helps make me appreciate the show that much more. Slightly above other celebrity memoirs, but not by much.
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LibraryThing member Robert.Zimmermann
I’m one of the biggest Gilmore Girls fans out there. In a big way, this is because of Lauren Graham’s character, Lorelai Gilmore. And because of this, I picked up Graham’s novel Someday, Someday, Maybe when it came out. I enjoyed it. Graham isn’t just a talented actor, she’s a great
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writer. When I heard about Talking as Fast as I Can, I got even more excited than I did for Graham’s novel. Turns out, my excitement was warranted. Graham’s fiction is great, but her non-fiction is even better.

One of my favorite parts of this book was where Graham reacts to each of the Gilmore Girls seasons. It was great to get the actor’s own thoughts on what I’ve watched dozens of times over the last fifteen or so years. And the section where Graham discusses all that was involved in making Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life happen, I gained a better appreciation for just what went into its creation.

But the Gilmore Girls and Parenthood parts of this book weren’t all that made it what it is. Getting to hear about how Someday, Someday, Maybe came to be makes me want to read it again. And hearing about Graham’s early life was also a reason I wanted to read this book in the first place. Being part memoir, part essays on various projects and key issues, this collection is a great read on many levels.

I only wish it were longer. I want more from Graham. But I’m happy to wait for another novel or a similar non-fiction book. I’d read anything that comes out. It’s not just my inner fan-girl talking. Graham backs it up with her her writing.
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LibraryThing member Gingermama
Some interesting moments, but would've been so much better if she'd given a bit (or preferably a lot) more attention to the original seven seasons of "Gilmore Girls". Overall, disappointing.
LibraryThing member SESchend
Excellent book for a long flight! It meets my gold standard of memoirs in that I can hear the person's voice on the page. Very engaging & fun read if you like Lauren Graham. Has me interested now in checking out her novel.
LibraryThing member PhilipJHunt
I admit to be a fan of Gilmore Girls. Such great writing and such solid acting, particularly by Lauren Graham as Lorelai. This memoir is a delightful complement. Part autobiography, part behind-the-scenes of the reboot, part contemplation on the acting life and Graham's ultra-sensible and
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self-deprecating responses to its challenges. It is funny and sweet, and never flippant. Also, there is a chapter on how to approach the writing task with wisdom from one of the television industry's great screenwriters (it involves a kitchen timer).
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LibraryThing member RochelleJones
I just love Lauren Graham. Her wit and point of view on things are fun to read. I really enjoyed this book for it's fun, honest, and carefree account of her career thus far. I found myself smiling, and even laughing, as I read her words. If you enjoy her in her acting roles then you will not be
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disappointed with this book.
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LibraryThing member chrisac
" Talking as Fast as I Can" is an autobiography and memoir by actress Lauren Graham, best known for her TV acting on the very popular shows "The Gilmore Girls" and "Parenthood".

This book was a breezy, delightful read, and I finished it thinking Lauren Graham would be a wonderful woman to have as a
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friend. The overall tone of the book was lighthearted and funny, yet it dealt honestly with her early years before her huge success on TV. My impression of her is that she's adown to earth person with a good sense of humor.

I've never seen "The Gilmore Girls", but after reading this, I think I have to get Netflix and check it out. Spoiler alert: the title comes from the statement by a critic that said the actors on the show spoke very fast !

I recommend this book for all of Ms. Graham's fans, who will delight in the details.
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LibraryThing member Dawn1361
As a "Gilmore Girls" and "Parenthood" fan, I enjoyed peeking into Lauren Graham's background and antidotes of GG. The fast talking, subject hopping, and side comments that make Graham's Lorelei endearing, was the same Graham that takes the reader for 227 page spin. And as in binge watching the
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series, you become settled into the pace, likewise it takes a while to settle into her prose. Was I reading a book written by Lorelei or Lauren? Having watched the Netflix update of the "Girls," the book has made me want to revisit Stars Hollow for all the nuances that probably flew past me. Her references to the "last four words" of the Netflix update reinforce what many viewers are thinking... there has to be more installments of life in Stars Hollow to come. Cliffhanger indeed, and Graham as well as the viewers, need some resolution! Anyone who has spent hours in Stars Hollow will appreciate "Talking as Fast as I can" but for the uninitiated, you cannot fully appreciate this book without journeying with the Gilmores first. I received my copy of this book through the Early Reviewers program.
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LibraryThing member dianne47
Entertaining memoir from the actress who starred in the TV show Gilmore Girls and its Netflix sequel. Includes other biographical details as well. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't actually more about the Gilmore Girls, but her essays and comments were very funny so it was an enjoyable
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read. I received a free copy through the Early Reviewers program.
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LibraryThing member Bookaddict45
Lauren Graham is a down to earth person. She's very relatable and has a great sense of humor. Although I know of the actress but haven't actually seen any of her work including the show that made her career, Gilmore Girls, I still nonetheless enjoyed reading the book. It's a quick and light-hearted
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book. However, there's no depth to it. You just get a glimpse of the author's childhood, early career and big break. That is my main criticism and why I didn't give a higher rating. I received my copy of this book through the Early Reviewers program.
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LibraryThing member MsNick
Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between) by Lauren Graham was a bit disappointing to me in that I felt so much of the writing was stilted. Lauren, your fans love you - you needn't try so hard to be funny and cute. When I pick up a memoir, I am
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looking for more substance and less fluff. The book did make for a light, quick read, however. I don't know that I'd have enjoyed it as much as I did had I not been a fan of Gilmore Girls. 3 stars
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LibraryThing member upinthestacks
I really enjoyed reading about Lauren Grahams career! She writes as if she is talking to you, and it's really fun. She has a lot of interesting anecdotes about her childhood, the start of her acting career, to when she finally realized she "made it." Anyone who loves Gilmore Girls would enjoy this
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book. I also think someone who likes reading books about acting/Hollywood might enjoy this book but it has a lot of sections about Gilmore Girls. Very enjoyable!
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LibraryThing member BrittanyLyn
I love non-fiction written by humorous ladies. Lauren Graham's Talking as Fast as I Can, did not disappoint. A quick amusing read, that was perfect for some fun on the beach. I love Gilmore Girls, and to read this was an interesting inside look.
LibraryThing member amerynth
I received a free copy of Lauren Graham's "Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and everything in between) through LT's Early Reviewers program. It's a book that I probably wouldn't have picked up myself, but I was happy to read. It was was a fairly amusing and quick read.
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If you're looking for a gossipy-Hollywood tell-all, this book isn't it. Graham mostly gives an overview of her career and how the Gilmore Girls reunion came to be. She gives a mention to the co-stars and people she likes and mostly ignores the people she didn't seem to care for all that much. She is a good storyteller and many of her stories are amusing.

Although I didn't find the book to be terribly insightful, I did like it. Graham seems like the kind of girl with whom it would be fun to hang around. This book did make me interested in reading her fiction -- she definitely has writing talent.
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Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2016-11-29

Physical description

224 p.; 5.11 inches

ISBN

0425285170 / 9780425285176

Local notes

autobiography
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