Doris Day (2008)

Though the subtitle of David Kaufman's biography Doris Day promises ''The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door,'' much about the long-retired, press-shy star's life was spilled by Day herself in A.E. Hotchner's 1976 first-person bio. So this hefty, reverent tome is not entirely fresh in recounting her big-band years, meltdowns, mostly lousy films, and failed marriages (including with hubby No. 3, who mismanaged her career and finances). What is new are fitfully insightful interviews with assistants and collaborators who portray Day as an insecure powerhouse who always seemed refreshingly down-to-earth despite her fame. B