Gifford has led an eventful life, one previously chronicled in the 1992 memoir I Can’t Believe I Said That!
In her sixth book, the talk-show host (15 years on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee
; a year and counting on The Today Show
) and singer shares more stories, observations and corny jokes in pursuit of providing food for thought, amusement or inspiration. In her introduction, she writes, “I find the humor in tragedy and the underlying sadness in laughter. And in all of it I find hope. I hope you will, too.” Then it’s off to the races: she claims to have invented Spanx, describes her “gnarly” feet (and foot-lift at age 54), proclaims her happiness at her lack of technology savvy and describes an awkward visit to the gynecologist. Among the wacky stories and “odd-servations,” there is serious fare; for example, she touches upon her famous husband’s infidelity, the sweatshop scandal that plagued her in the 1990s and her father’s death. She also writes about her children, religion and various creative pursuits. That’s where the title comes in: while Gifford notes she is no longer fertile in terms of reproduction, she is “Fertile Myrtle” in terms of her creativity and productivity. Fans will be delighted—and detractors will be irritated—by the book’s mix of earnest life lessons and self-conscious kookiness. (Apr.)
