It's the unofficial start of summer here in Canada (it's Victoria Day), and so today I thought I'd share my picks for this summer's Classic Film Book Challenge, which is hosted by the always delightful Raquel Stecher of Out of the Past. You can read her blog here, or sign up for the challenge yourself here!
Like last summer, I'm sticking with movie star biographies or memoirs. Only one of these I've read before (Ava Gardner's biography), and the rest are stars I've either always loved or have recently started to discover and want to learn more about.
Here are my picks:
1. All That Heaven Allows: A Biography of Rock Hudson by Mark Griffin
2. Ava Gardner: Love is Nothing by Lee Server
3. Ann-Margret: My Story by Ann-Margret
4. By Myself and Then Some by Lauren Bacall
5. Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood by Suzanne Finstad
6. Spencer Tracy by James Curtis
If you've spent any time on this blog, you'll know about my
deep love of Rock Hudson. This biography was on my summer reading list last year (not as part of the Challenge, just in general) but I never got a chance to read it, so now I'm making it mandatory.
Ava Gardner has always been fascinating to me. She's mysterious and alluring, and, in my opinion anyways, she's legendary but carries a different mystique around her. If anything, she always seemed above it all (though her life had its many, many dramas). I read this biography years ago, but after watching a few more of her films this past year, I'm excited to re-read it with more of her films under my belt.
Ann-Margret is a recent discovery for me. I love her vibrancy and energy (though the way she dances makes my body hurt, it's so energetic), and as an icon of the '60s, I'm excited to read her story.
Lauren Bacall's films are fun to watch, and this is a woman who lived, so I'm excited to read her story directly from her own words.
Natalie Wood has been one of my favourite discoveries over the past year. The tragedy of her death has always stuck with me, and although I have an earlier edition of Natasha (i.e., without the information surrounding the reopening of her drowning case and Robert Wagner being listed as a person of interest), I'm still excited to read. I may see if the library has a newer version so I can read those chapters.
And finally, Spencer Tracy is a stalwart of old Hollywood, and I feel like most of what I know about his is through the lens of his relationship with Katharine Hepburn. I've heard great things about James Curtis's writing, and I'm excited to learn more about Spencer Tracy on his own.
Of course, I've also got a few other books I'd like to read just 'cause (although I also had a 'just cause' list last year and didn't read any of them, so take this how you will):
1. Lana by Lana Turner
2. This n' That by Bette Davis with Michael Herskowitz
3. Ingrid Bergman: My Story by Ingrid Bergman with Alan Burgess
4. The Bridesmaids: Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, and Six Intimate Friends by Judith Balaban Quine
Lana's life is just...soap opera-worthy. Bette, unlike Joan, had a chance to respond to her daughter's controversial book (I've read this before but it's been a while). Ingrid's a fascinating person, and Grace is one of my favourites, so these will just be bonuses for me.
What's on your reading list? Let me know what books I should add to mine!
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My reviews from last year:
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