This book explores the life of actress Mary Astor with a focus on the courtroom scandal that rocked Hollywood in 1936. Includes illustrations from renowned artist Edward Sorel (whom I got to meet!) This book was a fascinating read. Beautifully produced. Definitely a collector's item.

Read this before I watched the new doc I Am Not Your Negro and am so glad I did. This is my first Baldwin but definitely won't be my last. As someone who loves to read about film this was 👌🏽.

A look at Martin Luther King Jr.'s final days when he was falling out of favor with the public and his movement. I heard Tavis Smiley speak about this book at BEA a few years ago. Glad to have finally picked it up.

For the classic movie fan and newcomers alike. Menus including a cocktail and one or two food recipes plus entertaining tips are built around a single movie. Clever idea for a book. I made the Casablanca dinner and French 75 cocktail to go with the movie. It was a hit!

Our new book haul. The top 8 books are mine. 😬 The Harvard Bookstore warehouse sale is dangerous!

Hung out with the amazing author Meg Medina today at Book Riot Live. If you haven't read her latest book Burn Baby Burn you should! #brlive

#FunFridayPhoto #Noirvember The creator of Phillip Marlowe gets the expert treatment by biographer Tom Williams. Chandler wasn't as interesting as his creation but it was still interesting to read about his career in the book industry and in Hollywood.

I have a review and giveaway opportunity for this title available to any Litsians who are also bloggers. If you're interested please contact me at Raquel.Stecher@candlewick.com Please feel free to tag anyone you think might be interested.

My first Chandler and it did NOT disappoint. Phillip Marlowe is such a bad ass. Great story, found myself lingering over the last few pages because I didn't want it to end. Fun fact: while I was reading this, the title appeared in two Jeopardy clues.

Collection of writings from James Dean's contemporaries. More approachable than a full length bio. Enjoyed this one!

When a former child actor (Darryl Hickman, right) tells you to read his book you do! Not a memoir but has some personal stories. An acting guide with Hickman's methodology based off years of study and experience. A must for budding actors.

Transport yourself back to 1950s France and experience culture shock through a movie star's eyes. Fantastic little book. Charming.

Film school in a book. This was so good and I learned a lot. It's already coloring how I watch movies.

All the pages are tinted with red and green to represent two strip technicolor.

Pictorial history of film noir with archival documents for context. You need to know what you're getting into with this book to appreciate it! This is my second entry for my summer reading challenge. Review here: http://www.outofthepastblog.com/2016/07/into-dark-by-mark-vieira25.html?m=1

Tried not to buy this book. Bought it anyway. Tried to put it aside. Picked it up and haven't been able to put it down. Some books are powerful that way.

The definitive biography. Very detailed but author could be judgmental at times. More on my blog www.outofthepastblog.com This is my first entry for my summer reading challenge.

Bought a copy of The House of the Seven Gables at the House of the Seven Gables.

Reading June in June and on the beach.

My classic film summer reading stack. This is what I'll be reading for the challenge I'm hosting on my blog www.outofthepastblog.com Every year I encourage movie buffs to read 6 film books from their TBR list.

Between a Pick and So-So. The storytelling style didn't fit the subject matter. Too much jumping around when with true crime most of us want a linear narrative. It was still a great book. Fascinating subject. Lots of cultural references. Great listen on audio.

"For the first time in as long as he could remember, a finger of light, like the first ray of dawn, shone into the dark cavern of his soul." Happy pub day to The Whale: A Love Story by Mark Beauregard!

Trying to read more fiction. Any book that makes me laugh gets an A+. Is it weird that I know an Ignatius IRL?

Fun Friday photo challenge hosted by @Liberty . Book with my favorite ending has to be Far From the Madding Crowd. With Hardy it's rare to have an ending that doesn't wreck you. This one was a nice surprise.

Nail-biting thriller. Too bad it's all true. I wanted to like this book more. The surprises inside are for those not in the know. I knew too much. Otherwise it's a fascinating book about junk food and food industry shenanigans.

Only 5 days until my good friend Mark Beauregard's book The Whale: A Love Story goes on sale. And he's coming to Massachusetts on his book tour. Woohoo! http://thewhalealovestory.tumblr.com

Worth the price of admission alone for the Frank Buckles story. I love old people so this book about a historian seeking out the last surviving WWI veterans was perfect for me. You get perspectives from the vets, the author as well as documents (sheet music, memoirs) from the past. Great read!

The prize pack for my summer reading includes Conversations with Classic Film Stars, a bio on Helen Twelvetrees and a Warner Archive DVD. More details on my blog outofthepastblog.com

Reading about WWI on Memorial Day. This is my husband hogging my book. Give it back!

I'm hosting a summer reading challenge for film lovers on my blog. Read 6 film books this summer, 2 books a month and review online. There are prizes too! www.outofthepastblog.com

My friend Mark's new novel comes out June from Viking. I just got a copy of the ARC!