A Nobody in a Somebody World: My Hollywood Life in Beverly Hills

by Lorraine Holnback Brodek

Have you ever wondered what it's like for a nobody in a somebody world?

"How can you not read a book with a chapter titled 'Porno and Public TV?' Lorraine Brodek is a wife, mom, entrepreneur, and no surprise to those who know her, a very funny writer. She was also a good friend to my mom, Erma Bombeck. Her stories about growing up in Beverly Hills, encounters with celebs and a near-death experience in the Grand Canyon with our family are priceless!"
-Matt Bombeck, screenwriter, producer; and Erma Bombeck's family

With wit, charm, and a healthy dose of self-deprecation, Lorraine takes us on a wild ride through her life as an anonymous observer in Hollywood's glitzy, glamorous world.

From her disastrous experience in the film industry to when she was featured in the Ladies Home Journal magazine (and it didn't go quite as planned), Lorraine has had her fair share of ups and downs. But her ability to find humor in even the darkest moments makes this book such a delight to read.

And, let's not forget about that time she appeared on a #1 game show, and her reputation was left in shambles. But as Lorraine reminds us, truth is way funnier than fiction. And she certainly has no shortage of hilarious, sometimes bawdy, stories to tell.

So whether you're a somebody or a nobody, "A Nobody in a Somebody World" is the perfect escape from the real world. Get ready to laugh, cringe, and maybe even shed a tear (but only from laughing too hard). Lorraine may be a nobody, but she's a comedic genius in our eyes.

Join the ranks of readers who can't stop laughing out loud. Trust us, you won't want to put this book down!

Get your copy of "A Nobody in a Somebody World" today.

170 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 29, 2013

About the author

Lorraine Holnback Brodek is a former needlecraft designer (with her own company, Fingerworks, Inc.), a film studio executive (Warner Bros.; Time-Warner), landscaping professional, author, humorist, blogger and artist. She has published two books: "The Tale of Peeky Peeper" (a cute children's rhyming holiday book, which she wrote and illustrated, followed by her humorous memoir, "A Nobody in a Somebody World: My Hollywood Life in Beverly Hills." Playfulness is the theme in whatever she does, as you'll see in her coloring books.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, easy to read. One chapter didn't interest me much, but the rest was interesting. Names are dropped, but nothing too juicy is shared, which is fine.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dirty little secret of travel writing is that when trying to make people smile something bad has to happen in the story. Lorraine, must know this because bad things happen in all of her stories in this eclectic collection of memoirs in her Somebody World. From the first account about a rescue by a surly mule-driver from heat exhaustion in the Grand Canyon, to riots in front of her home in Beverly Hills, to being in the path of a flash flood in Arizona she maintains her sense of humor and dignity through it all. Being a Hawaii aficionado, my personal favorite is her amusing rendering of life in Hana, one of the last enclaves of old Hawai’i, where the threat of wild pigs calls for a luau. Crisp writing filled with amusing back-handed quips and tons of insider juice on Hollywood celebs make this a fun read anytime you need a break from our all too serious world.
Lost Angel Walkabout: One Traveler's Tales

[Whistler's Mom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A must-read for lovers of "Cult Classic" (meaning "REALLY bad") B-movies.

I bought this book because it was free and starts with a funny story about Erma Bombeck. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it's good reading, even if you've never heard of "The Savage Bees" or "Transylvania 6-5000."

Before there were Nepo-babies, there were just plain babies (also kids) of film and TV celebs. After all, it was the Baby Boom and even Big Stars like Lucille Ball and Debbie Reynolds had to crank them out just like the average housewife. The only difference was that the Big Stars had servants to raise their brats.

This author grew up in Beverly Hills, even though her father wasn't in show business and the family wasn't oil-rich. Those were the two categories of wealth in Beverly Hills, but a prosperous maker of industrial spring coils and his crazy socialite wife weren't banned from living there with their two daughters.

I should warn you that this author is old enough to have been married for 60 years. So unless you're pretty old yourself you may not recognize some of the celebrity names. Just hang in and enjoy the stories.

Of course, we all know about Beverly Hills from movies and TV shows. It's where the rich and famous live. But who knew that there are tiers of wealth even there, from the landed estates at the top to the smaller (but still jaw-droppingly expensive) houses at the bottom.

Although not a show-biz Nepo-baby herself, this author was interested enough in the entertainment industry to major in communications at USC. Then (typical of the first wave of Baby Boomer females) no one would hire a woman. So she married a fellow graduate and latched onto HIS career. As in, "If we want this guy, we have to find a job for his wife." It was a foot in the door, even if some of the doors were very strange doors indeed.

Then her husband took a job in Arizona, running a PBS station and she met the Bombecks and other refugees from cold winters. Eventually, they retired to an isolated spot in Hawaii, then it was back to Beverly Hills. And disaster follows wherever she goes.

In Beverly Hills, rioting Iranian students almost burned down her house trying to get to an Iranian Princess who lived nearby. For Iranians, politics is a contact sport. In Arizona, more then three drops of rain (the annual norm) fell and the charming dry gulch in front of her house bacame a raging river that threatened to take her house (and maybe her family) along with it. In Hawaii, there were hurricanes and tsunamis and winding mountain roads that made getting medical care (or even groceries) an adventure.

She has lots of stories and she tells them well. What more do you want? If you crave celebs, you'll get them, but the other nobodies are just as interesting and sometimes more so. Relax and enjoy. The Iranian students aren't burning down YOUR house and you don't have to worry about desert floods. Disasters and humiliations are much more fun to read about than to experience. That's why I like books.

[Eric Zerbe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brodek was a longtime friend of humorist Erma Bombeck, and it shows in her writing. In other words, it comes off as humor I could see my mom laughing at in Bombeck’s heyday, maybe even now, but it just felt a bit corny for my tastes. I also expected more name-dropping of celebrities and celebrity encounters based on the title’s premise, but it’s a somewhat disjointed patchwork of growing up with kids of celebs, alleged wackiness during vacations or moving, and a truly distressing tale of workplace harassment during her stint as a Warner Bros exec. Brodek seems to have lead a genuinely colorful life, but this collection of stories left me feeling underwhelmed.

[melanie vernon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

Very funny and moves along at a good pace! She’s had quite the life ! Lots of name dropping, but not in an irritating way.

[Tonya Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

No or in Hollywood

The title of this book caught my eye. It was an interesting read. I would have to read more about her friendship with Arms Bombeck.

[JoNan Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book

Entertaining prose, intimate and revealing. Loved the sections on Arizona and Hawaii both. I will be reading her other books.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just ok. I liked parts of it but ended up finishing it only because I was more than half way through. I enjoyed the beginning chapters the most.

[the_real_ dubble_trubble · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually don't write negative comments or leave one-star reviews but this book was awful.

[Patti Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is witty and amazingly honest! The author does a great job at letting you into her life, her family and her work.
Love the pictures!!