Published: March 07, 2008
Words: 86,558 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781452300054

Short description

Actress Gina Martin lands a role on a top daytime television soap opera, and days later her predecessor is found dead in the Hollywood hills. Will Gina be next? Boob Tube offers readers a fast-paced read filled with intrigue and humor, and a surprise ending that will leave you breathless. Co-written by Lesleyann Coker, a former reporter for Soap Opera Weekly Magazine.

Extended description

Welcome to Boob Tube, a novel that takes readers behind the scenes of the wild and wacky world of daytime television soap operas.

When Actress Gina Martin lands a role on a top daytime soap, she soon discovers herself immersed in a strange but exciting world filled with mystery, intrigue and danger. Days after she joins the cast, her predecessor is found dead in the Hollywood hills. Will Gina be next?

Boob introduces a cast of characters inspired by real soap opera industry insiders.

As research for the novel, Lesleyann Coker (a former reporter for Soap Opera Weekly Magazine) and her husband Mark performed in-depth interviews with dozens of soap opera industry insiders who dished stories stranger than fiction. The authors wove their stories into Boob Tube. Enjoy!

Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages. For more information, see the Support FAQ.

Tags

soap operas, soap opera, commercial womens fiction, celebrity, roman a clef, hollywood, drugs, gossip, eating disorders, television

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Reviews

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Review by: William Wayne Dicksion on April 26, 2012 :
Boob Tube is cleverly written, it is interesting and entertaining. It reveals the ruthless behavior, emotions, and actions that takes place behind the scene in theatrical productions. The authors make the characters so real that it is difficult for the reader to not take sides in their arguments. A thoroughly enjoyable read. I like the surprise ending.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Florian Rochat on Feb. 18, 2012 :
I read "Boob Tube" after I got connected to Mark Coker through an interview he granted me. Out of curiosity, sort of.It was not until I had read about 30% of the story that I got hooked. The characters may seem caricatural, but how could it be otherwise with a story rooted in the soap opera world ? And this world is certainly rightly and accurately described here. We can sense through many details that Mark and Lesleyann did a serious research there.The funny thing is it's because the authors could not find a print publisher for their work that Mark decided to create Smashword. Looking backward (and forward !) this failure turns into a blessing. But considering the size of soap operas audiences, I can't understand how "old style" publishers could decide the book was not marketable.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Diane Adams on Sep. 28, 2011 :
I don't watch soaps, but that didn't keep me from enjoying Boob Tube. At first, I was amused by the ridiculous obsessions of the soap stars, but it is probably too close to the truth to be laughable. All the same, the author made it entertaining and added an element of suspense that kept me reading when I should've been doing other things. Well written, great plot, spectacular ending! I would buy another novel by this author.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: Georgi Abbott on June 02, 2011 : (no rating)
Books like this aren't usually my cup of tea but i found myself really enjoying it. I don't watch soap operas yet i found it fascinating to read about what goes on behind the scenes. As i understand, Lesleyanne was a soap opera reporter so she would certainly know. Very enjoyable read.
(review of free book)

Review by: Kendra Blewitt on May 13, 2011 :
I kept turning the pages out of interest. The drama was good. The sex was at first a bummer but I got used to it. My primary impression, which I think the authors intended, was of extreme cultural decadence. People with gigantic egos that closed off all pathways to their souls. Apparently that is the reality of the Hollywood soap scene, if not of Hollywood generally. I found myself thanking God that I was a failure. Some of the characters depicted, “celebrity” types and their various agents, will surely be reincarnated as rats or vampire bats. I get the feeling that what is depicted is truth and reality in Hollywood. Thank heavens I live at a great distance from Hollywood. I stopped watching television years ago. Boy, am I glad I did that! The book is definitely worth reading.
(review of free book)

Review by: Lisa Vandiver on May 01, 2011 :
The Boob Tube was a funny, entertaining, and very enjoyable read. It was quiet interesting to see how the 'stars' of the soap show were in reality just like common people in their real lives.They dealt with real emotions such as fear of being unloved or becoming unpopular with their fans, which in reality is sad. The authors did an excellent job in their presentation of perhaps real situations that go on behind the cameras.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: donnah barragan on April 20, 2011 : (no rating)
OMG OMG I had such a good read with this!!! you are right up there with Jackie Collins= BRAVO BRAVO
(review of free book)

Review by: winter rules on March 20, 2011 :
Thoroughly enjoyable book. Great perspective. Awesome characters..
(review of free book)

Review by: Crystalynne Rickert on Feb. 24, 2011 :
This one is a real page turner! I stayed up much later than I should have for several nights to finish it. The prologue grabs your attention immediately and holds it until the very end when the story comes full circle and all is revealed. Well done!
(review of free book)

Review by: B Washburn on Feb. 18, 2011 :
I enjoyed the storyline and the characters were very vividly developed. The ending took me by surprise. I was a little overwhelmed by the level of obscenity in the book.
(review of free book)

Review by: Sea Island Press on Feb. 17, 2011 :
A carefully crafted introduction captured my interest within the first minute of reading.

A very believable look at the lives of everyday people in the spotlight of daytime television. Exposing the characteristics and personalities of television stars reminds us that they are just like everyday people, facing the same challenges as the rest of us. This allowed me as a reader to relate to several of the characters.

Well written, engaging, and a great read!
(review of free book)

Review by: Matthew W. Grant on Jan. 03, 2011 :
Boob Tube is an enjoyable romp through the world of daytime dramas, focusing mainly on all the behind-the-scenes shenanigans that take place among the cast of the ironically named fictional soap TRANQUILITY BAY.

I enjoyed the contrasts among the three different personalities that the characters display. (No, I don't mean soap opera split personalities in which a character puts on a wig and starts speaking with a different accent!) I'm talking about how the characters act when they are on screen, when they appear in public, and then in private when they interact with their fellow cast members.

The fact that one of the authors was a reporter for Soap Opera Weekly really adds another dimension to the reading. We know it's fiction, but we also know that as an insider, the author was privy to all the real-life juicy secrets. Soap fans will be guessing throughout the novel at which real life daytime stars' antics are being hidden in plain sight.
(review of free book)

Review by: Amber Dawn on Dec. 17, 2010 :
I absolutly love this story, although it is fiction taken from fact I can believe every word of it. It shows that the life of soap actors are as they are screen, screwed up. Even though I could figure most things out I was still surprised at the ended, which rarly happens to me. Life as a celebrity is not all the glitz and glam that fans see...Great read guys.
(review of free book)

Review by: Anna Murray on March 10, 2012 :
Boob Tube exposes the gritty sleaze of the soap subculture. An insider view of the desperation of underdog actors and actresses as they claw their way up the ladder, hostages to opportunistic producers and agents and their own near-sighted ambition -- it portrays a unique slice of the Hollywood bubble.
(reviewed long after purchase)

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