Old Hollywood reads

 

I love history...my high school self would be shocked.  Perhaps because there is so much outside of the HS curriculum and so many different stories to tell.

I also love old movies.  Night clubs and big theatrical numbers.  Black and white (or color, I'm flexible).  Musicals, love them...especially if they throw in some tap dancing (now my elementary school summer self is shocked).  

Combining these, I found some fun stories regarding Old Hollywood.  One is fiction, one non-fiction...something for everyone (everyone looking for books on a very particular subject).
Life at the Marmont and The Garden on Sunset.

 Life at the Marmont is a behind the scenes look at where many Hollywood stars stayed in the early days.  A little glamour, gossip and name dropping...like a 1920s tabloid, easy summer reading and a fun look at the past.

Which leads me to The Garden on Sunset (part 1 of a series).  It's a fictional account of three people aspiring to make it in Hollywood amid celebrities and studio big shots.  Not the most well written book, but it was free on my Kindle.  Hops around a bit and ends rather abruptly (so you can go on to the next book).  Just OK, but I couldn't beat the price!

Down the Rabbit Hole with Holly...a book review

  

 

I watched Girls Next Door, I purchased two of the Playboys featuring them and I now have read Holly Madison's book...I felt I should get that out of they way.  I liked the "Girls" they always seemed like they were having a blast.  Holly was more reserved and now having read her book  I like her more (although Bridget remains my favorite).  I don't fault anyone their life choices, we all walk our own path.  

This was a super fast read and gave some insight into what it was like to be Hef's main girlfriend (not that I ever thought it would be that glamorous).  She maybe could've go on a little more here and there, but I figure it's her story --she can tell us what she wants.  Crazy to think that Holly and I are so close in age...and how very different our lives are. For whatever reason though, I'm glad I picked this up, she was at a point in her life where she knew she needed a change.  While I feel that away (a lot of the time) its a positive thing when you reading about someone who actually made the change for the better.  I guess in a weird way, her book was kind of ~dare I say it?~ uplifting.

My only complaint might be the price...at $15 it's a bit much to pay for a kindle book.  However, had I waited (and not bought it on the day it came out) it may have come down in price. 


Bridget is still my favorite (seen with her dog Wednesday) and I'm so glad that Holly still lists her as a best friend.

pretty booked up (my book pile)

Someone suggested that I start reading the Game of Thrones series, and offered to let me borrow their set...then I looked around and realized that my current TBR (to be read) pile is growing at an alarming rate...

Right now I'm reading:

"On Hitler's Mountain", by Irmgard A. Hunt.

A little German girl growing up during World War II.  As a small child she really only knows about war and nazis from what she hears from the adults around her.  It' an interesting perspective.

"The Skinny", by Melissa Clark and Robin Aronson

Basically, a diet book that talks about how to eat instead of what.  Rather than telling you how much kale and tofu to eat, it talks about eating what you want (in moderation of course).

 "How to Master the Art of Selling", by Tom Hopkins

I understand that selling and retail will most likely be a large part of my       occupation (once I find a job again).  So in an effort to be a better salesperson, I picked this up.

It's pretty much just what it says. I'm still not quite sure what I think about it.

"Hope in a Jar, The Making of America's Beauty Culture" by Kathy Peiss

Another beauty history book, this has a focus on products and how makeup went from being forbidden (only daring women and prostitutes dared to wear in public) to being something we can use everyday.

Have you read anything interesting lately? What's next on your list?

pretty and historical too!

I love a good history book, nerdy but true. Put beauty and history together and I'm definitely up to reading it...which brings me to "Inventing Beauty" by Teresa Riordan.  It's got lots of info on how things came to be, plus plenty of old advertisements and images that had been submitted to the patent office.

Can I just say how relieved I am that I live in a age of sports bras and other underthings designed for comfort?  I can't imagine how it would've ever been a good idea to craft a bra out of sheet metal, cardboard, or rubber! And although I'm not much of a lipstick wearer myself, it's crazy the original contraptions that were created to house a simple lipstick. This book is full of all kinds of insights and anecdotes to really show us how far we've come beauty wise...but I'm so curious to see what happens when they can update this in a few years to show us how crazy we are now.

a little from the book

a little from the past

and a little from the now

pretty and "wrinkle free forever"

I just started a book by Howard Murad, M.D. called "Wrinkle-Free Forever, the 5 minute 5 week Dermatologist's Program" (I'm taking a short break from the Fifty Shades of Grey series).  I'm really enjoying the book.

It deals a lot with staying wrinkle free by starting from the inside...with the idea that a healthy body will lead to healthy skin.  Of course he talks about eating right, but he also delves into using supplements.  I'm only on chapter six, but I feel like everything being said makes a certain amount of sense. I even remembered to take my multivitamin this morning.

He goes into detail about what to look for in your products, and while he does bring attention to the Murad line, it's not just one big advertisement (which I appreciate). I've become weary of when the author also has their own product line, it seems like they often just end up promoting themselves and then slack on the information.

I picked up my copy from the library, but I'm sure it would be easy to get from a bookstore or online.

Have you read anything interesting lately?