MADONNA CONFESSIONS by Guy Oseary (Powerhouse)

Not as mind-blowing as Sex but not as time-wasting as an Andrew Morton, this new addition to the Madonna library is a straightforward photo album from her recent Confessions mega-tour, as she heads out on her latest Sticky & Sweet jaunt. It’s her first official book since 1992’s legendary Sex in fact, as it’s 100% approved and was shot exclusively by her manager Guy Oseary.

These credentials, oh and he’s also the CEO of Maverick Records, gives Oseary unparalleled backstage access and opportunities for capturing intimate moments of life on the road with one of the world’s most famous artists. Does he use this wisely? He doesn’t really bother, as the bulk of this book’s 250 colour photos are of Madonna shot on stage, not off. So it’s very much a record of her costumes and image changes – which would range from glam equestrian (who’d have thought it) to Combat Rock to space-age disco revival – across the course of each nightly Confessional.

It all looks fabulous but only serves to remind that what’s really missing from the Madonna library is any in-depth - or even superficial - survey of her music. The songwriting and production, the stuff people actually get when they buy one of her CDs. As such she might forever only be covered in books like these – which celebrate the image rather than the art.