Catch a Fire

In this extraordinary autobiography of "Scary" Spice, Melanie Brown, she covers it all—the council estate childhood, the formation of the Spice Girls, the early months being groomed for stardom, the subsequent global domination, Geri's departure, the marriage and divorce to Jimmy Gulzar, the birth of Phoenix Chi, the solo career, and the leap into TV presenting. Not bad for the rebellious, mixed-up girl from Leeds who is still only in her 20s. Born to a working-class mixed-race family from Leeds, Melanie B grew up feeling different from her schoolfriends. Her hyperactive energy was channelled into drama school, and in 1994 the Spice Girls were formed. The rest is history.