Michelle's Musings: Hollywood book

Showing posts with label Hollywood book. Show all posts

27 December 2020

Review: Greenlights

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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15 December 2020

Review: Beverly Hills Country Club

Beverly Hills Country Club by Earl W. Clark
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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23 September 2020

Classic Hollywood reading guide---15 books that will make you love old timey Hollywood

One of my favorite subjects to read about is old Hollywood. I am talking anytime from the start of the talkies to maybe the mid to late '40s. Hollywood could be vile and deceitful and the studios would cover all of that up in an effort to appear it's stars were perfect, just like a movie plot! To me, the stars are classic, poised, graceful, but also conniving, and backstabbing (there lies the thrilling element for me). I will pick up any book, fiction or nonfiction, about classic Hollywood, and below are some of my favorites, and I admit I had so much trouble trying to limit it to this number.

1. This is more of an author and not a singular book, his name is Martin Turnbull and he seems to only write classic Hollywood and that is fine with me because he does it so well. He has a series of books called The Garden of Allah that are must-reads if you like this genre. There are nine of them and I will list them for you, but only show you the cover of one, the first one, The Garden on Sunset. Between these covers, we meet three young folks each trying to make it big in this new world called "Hollywood." They are each traveling on their own career path, but those paths cross and they form friendships that will take us through the entire journey of nine books. This series has been optioned for movie/tv rights, we will see what happens there, I personally think a series would be fabulous.

Book 2--The Trouble with Scarlett

Book 3- Citizen Hollywood

Book 4- Searchlight and Shadows

Book 5-Reds in the Beds

Book 6-Twisted Boulevard

Book 7- Tinseltown Confidential

Book 8- City of Myths

Book 9-Closing Credits

2. All the Stars in the Heavens by Adriana Trigiani

Oh, this one is fascinating! Remember when you heard that Clark Gable and Loretta Young had a romance and that love produced a child? This one features that event as the subplot. You see the romance, the pregnancy, and the aftermath where she adopts the child and never tells Clark about her. The main plot of the book features Loretta's personal assistant, Alda, and her romance with another on set member too. I liked these two plots because they paralleled the stars' affair and the supporting player's romance.

3. Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood by William J Mann.

This book is a nonfiction, jaw-dropping plot (, almost unbelievable unsolved murder in early Hollywood. William Desmond Taylor is murdered and everyone seems to be a suspect. I have my theory of who did it, and I would be excited to see what you think too.

4. The Purple Diaries...there are two of these you need to try. The Purple Diaries: Mary Astor and the Most Sensational Hollywood Scandal of the 1930s by Joseph Egan and Mary Astor's Purple Diary by Edward Sorel. I am not going to spoil this for you, but be prepared to be SHOCKED!!! When I first read this I mainly knew Mary from the movie Meet Meet in St. Louis so I was in no way prepared for the real-life Mary.

5. West of Sunset by Stewart O'Nan

This book is all about the last few years of the Great F Scott Fitzgerald's short life. I think you might enjoy this even if you don't care for Scott because he is entertaining.

6. Fireball-Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3 by Robert Matzen

This is a wonderful read. Carole was at the height of her game, she had a wonderful, very attractive, famous husband (The King, Clark Gable) and she was selling war bonds because America had just entered WWII. She made a decision to fly back home to Pa (her name for Gable) instead of taking a train because she missed him so. We all know she died in a fiery plane crash, this book gives you the account before the crash, the possible cause, and poor Clark in his grief.

7. Heart of the Lion by Martin Turnbull

I have to come back to Martin because I love this book. Irving Thalburg was the Golden Boy of MGM. You may not have heard of him, but if you are a classic film fan, he brought you a lot of movies and stars you know and love. He was married to one of the biggest stars on the screen (and my favorite actress), Norma Shearer, but he had lots of health issues. This book is one of the only ones I have seen on Thalburg's life, a man whose career is very much worth remembering.

8. The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict

Are you holding your phone right now? If you are you need to say a "thank you" to the woman featured in this book. Heddy Lamarr was a brilliant film actress, but she also had a brilliant mind. She experienced a horrible marriage, having been married to a member of the Nazi party. She was close to being "exterminated" but escapes. Then she becomes a household name as one of the most beautiful people on the silver screen. What's her connection to your phone? She also was an inventor who helped create that wireless technology that we all so adore.

9. Stars on Sunset Blvd by Susan Meissner

For the Gone with the Wind fan, as this one takes place on the GWTW set. Susan is a brilliant writer who doesn't disappoint. Audrey and Violet are the stars of the show, even though they aren't the stars of the film.

10. Marlene by CW Gortner

CW has a few wonderful books, but this one is probably my favorite of his. Maybe it is the subject, he paints Marlene in a light I never knew shone on her. I thought it was just a spotlight, but she has some interesting backstories too.

11. Goddess-The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by Anthony Summers

One of the first Hollywood books I ever read (the first is coming up). This one is written like a giant investigative report. It tries to determine whether Marilyn died by suicide or murder and if she was murdered, who did it? There are photos features, some with FBI censoring, and some autopsy photos (not for the faint at heart). I have read this so many times just trying to determine how she died myself.

12. Mommie Dearest by Christina Crawford

Every Hollywood list needs to feature this one even if you think it is more of a fiction read than nonfiction (I go back and forth). This has more details than the film as it features all the children Joan adopted and all the backstories. #nowirehangers

13. Million Dollar Mermaid by Esther Williams

You will read this one and know all about the MGM Studio school of making you into a star. Esther may have had talent before she joined MGM, but they finessed it and turned her into a bonafide movie star with star billing. The only thing bigger than Esther's star was the pools MGM built for her, and only her! Esther will leave nothing to your imagination, and I do mean nothing. If you are curious about the star treatment school, or her lovers then you will love this book.

14. Hollywood Babylon by Kenneth Angers

The first Hollywood book I ever owned or read, and it is a no holds barred book. The photographs can get quite graphic so no squeamish should pick up this one. This book is written in pretty much straight tabloid type of text, but it will give you some of the backstories, from here you can go research the stars you are interested in and learn the real truth.

15. The Forgotten Flapper by Laini Giles

I found this one solely by accident, and I was thrilled to have discovered it. This author writes books based on forgotten movie stars and they are all wonderful. I had to choose the first one as my favorite because I have always been interested in Olive Thomas (even have a cat named for her). Olive was a beautiful silent film star who was married to Mary Pickford's brother, Jack. They had a wild relationship and even wilder times. Olive would die very early in her life, a shocking death that plays out near the end of this book in vivid detail of what the last bit of her earthly time might have looked like.

15. The MGM Story: History of Fifty Roaring Years by John Douglas Eames

A must for any MGM fan, this book leaves nothing out. It is a perfect book for a classic film fan. I bought mine years ago and used it for more of a checklist when I desired to see all the MGM classic films. While this one is more of a research book it will entertain you because you get the movie title and a fabulous description.

10 September 2020

Review: Open Book

Open Book by Jessica Simpson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I like we a celebrity is gut-wrenching honest in their book. I love when they don't portray themselves as this "perfect being and everyone around them causes the issues in their life". If you are looking for that type of book, move on to another celeb memoir and not this one but this one can get ugly honest, and raw. Kudos to you Jessica for striving to be a role model for girls to be comfortable in their own skin and confident in their faith.

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15 August 2020

Review: Your Second Act: Inspiring Stories of Reinvention

Your Second Act: Inspiring Stories of Reinvention by Patricia Heaton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am a big fan of Patricia and I have never once seen Everybody loves Raymond. I love the Frankie Heck Patricia :) Well that is why I read this book.

This book is all about how to live that second part of your life, not necessarily a mid-life crisis, but a re-invention. The stories within this cover are uplifting, inspiring, and inspirational.

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09 June 2020

Review: The Brave

The Brave by Nicholas Evans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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04 May 2020

Review: Subway People

Subway People by Martin Turnbull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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26 December 2019

Review: Full Circle: From Hollywood to Real Life and Back

Full Circle: From Hollywood to Real Life and Back by Andrea Barber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is kind of funny that I like Kimmy Gibbler so much because just the other day someone said, "You remind me of Kimmy Gibbler". I loved it when she said that because she was sooooo awesome. This book was fun, not going to break any records with her writing, but it is honest and true and I like that. Andrea is very open about much of her life and doesn't sugar coat it (I hate when celebrities write books to make it seems like everyone screws up but them).

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01 December 2019

Review: The Crown: The Official Companion, Volume 1: Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and the Making of a Young Queen

The Crown: The Official Companion, Volume 1: Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and the Making of a Young Queen by Robert Lacey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this so much more than I did the companion book to Victoria. This one helped the reader/watcher sort out the true to life to the fiction that the show portrayed, as well as mini-biographies of all the "characters". I don't believe you should read this unless you have watched Season 1 of The Crown.

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27 September 2019

Review: Chasing Salomé: A Novel of 1920s Hollywood

Chasing Salomé: A Novel of 1920s Hollywood by Martin Turnbull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Everyone that likes Old Hollywood should read all of Martin's books. I love them! They all are liking stepping back in time. This one takes you further back to the woman who gave us the Garden of Alla. I didn't know much about Madame until I read this book, but I like it. Seeing her interact with the early film (pre-code) stars was so much fun. Seeing her give up so much to make her dream role (Salome) was a fun journey. I am not sure I would have the guts to do all that she did. What did she do? READ THE BOOK, you won't be sorry.

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06 August 2019

Review: Meet Me in Monaco

Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First of all, while reading this book I felt a tad transported back in time. From the descriptions of the clothing and the locations (especially the flower fields), I felt like I was right there in the middle of it all. I only wish the book had smell technology so I could have smelled the lavender.

I loved the subject matter. I am fascinated with classic movie stars and their lives. I have always had an interest in Princess Grace because she was one of the first celebrity deaths that I was aware of (I was 10 when she died). I liked how Grace weaved in and out of the story that Sophie was "writing". Sophie was a great character with a very interesting story. I hate how people spoil things in books so I will just tell you that her story involves a perfume business, friendship, and a little romance.

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26 May 2019

Review: Of All the Gin Joints: A Cocktail Drinker's Guide to Hollywood Hijinks and Mayhem

Of All the Gin Joints: A Cocktail Drinker's Guide to Hollywood Hijinks and Mayhem by Mark Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was full of cocktail recipes and Hollywood drama, exactly what I need on a Saturday night. Some of the stories I had heard before because the folks were super famous, but there were some folks that I had barely heard of that had stories that could ONLY happen in Hollywood.

I was looking for a book that would leave me entertained and not requiring any thinking on my part, this did fit that bill, but also left me intrigued. I found myself looking things up with reading. Very glad to have found this one.

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Review: Park Avenue Summer

Park Avenue Summer by Renee Rosen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My only regret is that this journey to NYC was over so quickly. I was loving being in the office with Helen Gurley Brown and seeing how Cosmo became the Cosmo that I know. HGB isn't the main character, but she is a very big fixture of the book. The main character is Ali (Alice) who moved to NYC to fulfill both her dream and the dream of her mom. We see Ali experience love, betrayal, and learn how a small town girl can survive in the big city. There was also a twist to Ali's story that I did NOT see coming, but I thought it was fabulous.

I adored the setting, the characters, and the fashion...my only regret is that I could not transport myself into the book to experience it firsthand.

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08 May 2019

Review: Fosse

Fosse by Sam Wasson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wanted to re-read this book because I am completely digging the series on FX. I have always adored Fosse. I didn't quite know much about Gwen except what I had read here and that she was Lola. On t he second reading of this book I decided to do the audio and I simply adored the narrator's voice. I still stand by the fact that any Fosse fan should read this. He may have been a genius in his work, but he was a man full of flaws, faults and seriously troubled. I do like how the series mimics the chapter titles counting down the years until his death. When I first read this book I thought that was fabulous. I don't think I have ever seen that done before.

old review:

Fosse and all that Jazz! I loved this book! It was the Fosse I knew, the Fosse I love.

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