From Publishers Weekly

The Go-Go's lead singer who went on to a solo career recounts a remarkable early Cinderella story that morphs into a frank, though at times self-indulgent, story of drug abuse and failure. Hailing from a working-class section of Los Angeles, the eldest daughter of divorced parents, Carlisle struggled early on with shame over her mother's depression and her step-father's drinking problem; teased for her chubbiness, she sought escape from a difficult home and found it in the mid-'70s' burgeoning L.A. punk scene. Steeped in the brash music of Iggy Pop and Queen, crazy about the iconoclastic new look, she and her friends haunted Hollywood clubs while she worked as a hairdresser and secretary. In 1978 she, Jane Wiedlin, and Margot Olaverra came up with the idea of starting their own band, eventually adding Charlotte Caffey and Gina Shock, and within a short time the all-girl Go-Go's had moved from being a novelty to a super-cool pop band with their dance hit, We Got the Beat. Alongside dizzying stardom came the requisite drug-and-alcohol frenzy, and much of this memoir is a chronicle of one party after another and a list of celebrity who's who. Carlisle writes candidly, and her chronic fear of being exposed as a fake is heartfelt and winning. (June)
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From

Erstwhile Go-Go and distaff rock-music icon Carlisle delivers the goods on her battles with substance abuse and life on the road in the band that was a somewhat more organic version of the Runaways. The Go-Go's were the first all-female band to attain a number-one sales ranking with an album of original material played by the band. Although Carlisle's subsequent solo career has now overshadowed her Go-Go's days, at least artistically if not in the public consciousness, much of the fun here is centered on the wild and crazy partying on the road during the Go-Go's commercial ascendance. Social interactions and psychic adventuring with bands such as the Police provide the behind-the-scenes fodder that rock fans love in their stars' memoirs, and the fact that Carlisle also interacted professionally with the likes of Don Henley of the Eagles adds to her recollections. Carlisle continues to make music but has widened her focus, appearing on a BBC cooking show. This warm, well-written bio brings her fan base up to date. --Mike Tribby