Babylon Confidential: A Memoir of Love, Sex, and Addiction - True Story of Relationships & Recovery | Perfect for Book Clubs & Self-Help Readers

When I first heard that Claudia Christian was going to write a memoir, I was very excited to get a chance to read it. My wife and I had been big fans of Babylon 5 and met Claudia at a convention in Houston in the early 2000's. I wasn't sure what to expect, but if it gave me an insight into her life I would read it. I did some acting until I was about 18 and always loved theater. I never aspired to be a professional actor and I had never read a memoir of an actor and I was anxious to learn more about how she came to portray the character that we so liked.I suppose that we all have struggles in our lives, and I can freely admit that after reading her biography, Claudia has had some terrible struggles. Some I can identify with, and others I cannot. I can say that I was moved to tears on more than one occasion while reading of the events that shaped her life. I can certainly now better understand the allure of the Hollywood lifestyle...and how it so easily can destroy a person. Artists are tortured souls under any circumstances, for it is often the tortured nature of their psyche that allows them to create art in the first place. Those very same demons can so easily lead to addiction of so many types. It is a wonder that we don't lose so many more artists too young.Perhaps the best part about this book is that it is told in an easy conversational style. I felt that we were sitting in my living room and Claudia was simply telling me her story about life, loves, her dog, anecdotes about being in the biz...and it was blunt, honest and open the way that a real friend would tell you of their problems in life. I can say, with all honesty, that the book was difficult to read in places because I came to see Claudia as a friend and I wanted her to be happy...and the pathway that leads one into addiction is not a happy path. Still, the story was told honestly and in such a way that I knew the ending was going to be OK. Not perfect...because life isn't...but OK.If you want to read a story about what life in Hollywood is like for a teenager...its in there. If you want to read about what life is like for a movie/tv star that travels the world to exotic locales and meets famous people...its in there. If you want to read about how that very lifestyle can tear you apart and undermine everything about yourself...its in there. And most importantly, if you want to read about what it takes to turn that around...its in there. This is a hopeful book that lets us know that our experiences define us, but they don't have to control us.