Deep Thoughts from a Hollywood Blonde

By: Jennie Garth, Emily Heckman

Narrated by: Jennie Garth

For the first time ever, Jennie Garth is putting it all out there, sharing her joys and her sorrows, her successes and her failures, with candor and a surprising, even bawdy, sense of humor.

From her sudden rise to fame as a golden-haired teen beauty, to recently redefining herself as a single working mother to three growing girls, Jennie Garth has defied the odds and thrived in a town that can be more than a little tough on its blondes.

Since Jennie landed in Hollywood at just 16, she has built an enduring career as a television and film actress, producer, and director, beginning with her iconic turn as Kelly Taylor on Aaron Spelling’s smash hit Beverly Hills 90210, a show that ran for a decade and which cemented Jennie’s place in American pop culture.

Recently, Jennie found herself facing her 40s from a place she never expected to be in: newly single, in demand again as an actress after years spent focusing on her family, and all over the tabloids. So she decided to do what surprised many - including herself: She decided to write about it, to tell her own story, in her own words.

And now, in this intimate memoir, she explores the highs and lows of her life, both in front of the camera and behind closed doors, revealing the real Jennie Garth - smart, funny, and stronger than she ever realized.

This is one unforgettable, utterly loveable Hollywood Blonde, and these are her deep thoughts.

©2014 Jennie Garth and Emily Heckman (P)2014 Penguin Audio

Realistic, Sincere, and Heartwarming Growth

Would you consider the audio edition of Deep Thoughts from a Hollywood Blonde to be better than the print version?

YES! It's read by Jennie Garth which makes it much more real and you get a chance to hear her inflection and passion. She is a great narrator actually and I'd love to hear her read more.

What does Jennie Garth bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The honesty. When she talks about her dad, her kids, her cast mates, you hear her pride, genuine respect and love that she feels for each person.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wish - But - it was two sittings and less than 24 hours.

Any additional comments?

There was a little repetition which was a little annoying for me but I enjoyed the overall book immensely. It was a journey!

Enjoyed the first half...

But the rest was, for me in a time in life that is almost unbearably difficult, not enjoyable. More importantly, not helpful. Jennie is a beautiful reader, she started out so well, really telling the story. Very engaging. But she either got tired, or was also emotionally overwhelmed, and the reading became less colorful, more grey (I feel in colors, if you don't understand, that's ok)
I think she did a great job about writing about herself. Not dragging her children into a book they might not feel comfortable in, and while I was confused about when some things happened (divorce, death), and in what order- which I find super frustrating - she did handle those things with dignity and grace. But there was just a vague sadness that was hard for me to stay with. I did listen to the whole book though, if you were wondering.
If you want "dirt"? As previously stated, the one thing I learned about Jennie is that she does have dignity & grace. No "dirt", which in my book is a wise thing. I can't believe I'm going to write this, but I had more fun (and was more often annoyed. Go figure) by Tori Spelling's crazy share-everything let -the- chips -fall -where -they -may book. (I've only listened to one) But at the end of the day? I'd rather be friends with Jennie than Tori. The premise of "Blondeness" also didn't make a lot of sense, but I guess that was needed for bookends and a title?

Nice person, no dirt

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Yes. It's a pleasant memoir to listen to, but she clearly didn't want to step on anyones toes. She didn't say much bad about ANYONE. There is no dirt in this book, no uncovered info about Hollywood, really, hardly "little known" info about Jennie herself.

If you’ve listened to books by Jennie Garth and Emily Heckman before, how does this one compare?

NA

What about Jennie Garth’s performance did you like?

I always like listening to the actual author perform the reading. Her voice was pleasant.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No, sorry, it would be a movie consisting of her being nice to everyone and details being left out of stories.

Any additional comments?

She seems like a very nice person who was very aware that her children may want to read the book at some point, or that her former or current colleagues may read it. She clearly did not want to step on one single toe. So, unfortunately, it wasn't very spicy or energetic.

Loved it!

Great job Jennie! You are amazing and love all of your work!! Thank you for sharing your story!

Honest and humbling

Loved it, we can all relate as females especially if your teenage ears were spent in the 90's, most of us all have a princess complex and are still struggling to adjust with all the new age and independent thinking that's common in the present, the hardest thing to do is to start over again.

Set aside time, you will not want to put this down until it is finished!

Jennie Garth delivers and engaging, truthful, candid memoir in this book. The book is a very easy read, and keeps listeners captivated throughout. After you have read it, even if you want to have it on in the background, her voice is so soothing and beautiful that it is a nice book to relax and fall asleep too, once you have really read it through of course. The content of this book definitely does not make one sleepy or disinterested. She does her very best to bring readers along on her journey, from her upbringings in Illinois to her quick success in Los Angeles during the Beverly Hills 90210 days. She also discusses a lot about her personal life, her three children are her pride and joy. I would highly recommend this book! You will not be disappointed! It feels like a friend just sitting with you and telling you stories about their life.

Not very deep, not very interesting

I must admit that I am a Jennie Garth fan and grew up watching her on Beverly Hills, 90210, so it pains me to say that I didn't really enjoy her book. She seems very sweet and like a genuinely nice person, which is perhaps why she didn't share anything remotely gossipy or juicy from her TV days. The stories of on-set drama from 90210 are well known, and her choice to gloss over most of it was disappointing. Perhaps more disappointing were the inaccuracies..she seemed to have forgotten many of the details of that show and her character, referring to Beverly Hills High (it was West Beverly) and playing a high school student while pregnant (that was much later in the show after they were out of high school). The bits about her love life were more interesting. All in all, I still like Jennie but wouldn't recommend the book.

WE HAVE A LOT IN COMMON!

... including being from the Midwest; dads with heart disease who died too young (I burst into tears and said, "oh, baby girl..." when you missed him by twelve minutes); Greenway High School, and (I'm pretty sure) that pretend rural Glendale area known as Sunburst Farms.

It's just so boring

idk she's just one of those people that u want to say OMG SPIT IT OUT ALREADY

How I Became a Fan of Jennie Garth

Being a few years older than the cast, I was never a fan of 90210, which appealed to a younger sect. Nor do I consider myself a fan of Jennie Garth, having never followed her career. I am however, a voracious reader (listener) of autobiographies and found myself without something to listen to when this book popped into my 'we thought you'd like’ list. Really? Aren’t I out of her demographic? Even the title of the book made me wince a little. I grappled with myself, considering the purchase and listened to the free preview provided. She sounded really interesting and she did have a story to tell… desperation for material won and with a guilty conscious I clicked ‘purchase’.

Guess what? I AM a fan of Jennie Garth; the person. This book is great and skillfully read by the author. She is candid, funny, a great story teller (or received excellent advice/assistance on how to tell her story) and extremely likable.

This book tells of Jennie’s life, from start to present: her idyllic childhood as the youngest member of an alternate version of the Brady Bunch, her painful adolescent years, her accidental career path, her relationships and how she dealt with all that she encountered, with grace and humility. What is revealed is a fiercely-loyal, hard-working, genuine, real person. I’m here to tell you not to consider this book a guilty pleasure, it is worth every penny.