Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you randomly select a book from To Be Read list and show it off. It’s hosted by Lauren’s Page Turners. To participate, just pick a book, tell us about it, and don’t forget to link back to Lauren’s page so we can share our literary finds.

Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens
by Eddie Izzard
400 pages
published June 13, 2017

From Goodreads: Critically acclaimed, award-winning British comedian and actor Eddie Izzard details his childhood, his first performances on the streets of London, his ascent to worldwide success on stage and screen, and his comedy shows which have won over audiences around the world.

Over the course of a thirty-year career, Eddie Izzard has proven himself to be a creative chameleon, inhabiting the stage and film and television screen with an unbelievable fervor. Born in Yemen, and raised in Ireland, Wales and post-war England, he lost his mother at the age of six. In his teens, he dropped out of university and took to the streets of London as part of a two-man escape act; when his partner went on vacation, Izzard kept busy by inventing a one-man act, and thus a career was ignited. As a stand-up comedian, Izzard has captivated audiences with his surreal, stream-of-consciousness comedy–lines such as “Cake or Death?” “Death Star Canteen,” and “Do You Have a Flag?” have the status of great rock lyrics. As a self-proclaimed “Executive Transvestite,” Izzard broke the mold performing in full make-up and heels, and has become as famous for his advocacy for LGBT rights as he has for his art. In Believe Me, he recounts the dizzying rise he made from street busking to London’s West End, to Wembley Stadium and New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Still performing more than 100 shows a year–thus far in a record-breaking twenty-eight countries worldwide–Izzard is arguably one of today’s top Kings of Comedy. With his brand of keenly intelligent humor, that ranges from world history to pop culture, politics and philosophy, he has built an extraordinary fan base that transcends age, gender, and race. Writing with the same candor and razor-sharp insight evident in his comedy, he reflects on a childhood marked by unutterable loss, sexuality and coming out, as well as a life in show business, politics, and philanthropy. Honest and generous, Izzard’s Believe Me is an inspired account of a very singular life thus far.

I’ve loved Eddie Izzard’s brand of comedy for years now and can think of a quote for almost every occasion. When I’m having a lousy day, I’ll pop in one of my old DVDs from one of his tours (Dressed to Kill is my favorite), and the day is suddenly better. I was happy to see his memoir show up in bookstores, as he has led an extraordinary life with so many ups and downs it’s hard to keep track of them. I decided I’d try out the audiobook version, so I’m on the waiting list at my local library. I can’t wait to listen to it!