I’ll be honest, I usually choose to watch movies or TV instead of reading during my free time. I’ve always been a bookworm, but once I went to college and started to have so much reading assigned, it was kind of the last thing I wanted to do when I got a break. That bad habit has carried over into my grad school years, but this summer I have a list, and Raquel from Out of the Past is hosting a film-themed reading challenge for the summer to help me get through it. You can still sign up at her blog for the challenge until July 15th.
Here are the six books I hope to get through before September 15th:
1. The Genius of the System, Thomas Schatz- A history of Hollywood’s studio system, everyone says it’s a fantastic read.
2. Farewell, My Lovely, Raymond Chandler– I love reading noir whenever I get a chance, and this one was made into Murder, My Sweet, which was a big career change for one of my favorite actors, Dick Powell.
3. The Way Hollywood Tells It, David Bordwell– Another recommendation, looks at the style and storytelling of American film from the past to modern day.
4. Wide-Eyed in Babylon, Ray Milland- Mr. Milland is my newest obsession, so naturally I need to read his autobiography.
5. Center Door Fancy, Joan Blondell- One that’s been sitting on my shelf for a while, Blondell wrote this as a novel, but pretty much everyone says it’s a thinly veiled autobiography.
6. Hollywood Enigma, Carl Rollyson- One I’ve been wanting to read since I got it a few months ago. Dana Andrews finally got a biography!
I also have Debbie Reynolds’ new autobiography, Dashiell Hammett’s The Thin Man and many others on my shelf, but we’ll see if I get around to those 🙂
Lindsay's Movie Musings 
Great list! I had never heard of that Joan Blondell book. I am eager to read your thoughts on it. And I still need to buy that Dana Andrews book!!!
The Genius of the System is such a good book but a long haul. So worth it though for all the knowledge it imparts.
Thanks! And thanks so much for hosting, this is such a great idea! I’m also kind of using it for motivation to get ahead on some of the reading I should be doing for comp exams next year, hence the Bordwell and the Schatz book, but I hear both are great reads. The Blondell book was recommended to me by a fellow Dick Powell fan, I hadn’t heard of it before either. I may add Young Man With a Horn as well after seeing your list. I’m a trumpet player myself and love Bix, and the film 🙂 Looking forward to seeing the reviews of everyone’s books!
These look like terrific reads, not to mention educational too. You’ll be a real smarty pants when you’ve finished all these.
Thanks! I’ve started the Milland autobiography and really am enjoying it. He’s quite a good writer and the tales he tells are great.