Relive The Glory Days With These Books About Classic Hollywood

Once upon a time, Hollywood was a place of mythical importance, with film stars as the aristocracy of the 20th century, the kings and queens of a new era. Hollywood seems so different these days, and it can be easy to see why someone would yearn back to the days of glitz, glamour, and glory. This list contains books that will transport you to those halcyon times.

Bette and Joan: The Divine Feud by Shaun Considine

Having been adapted into rollicking and wildly entertaining tv show from acclaimed creator Ryan Murphy, this books manages to capture the essence of two of Hollywood’s biggest, and boldest, divas. Joan Crawford was the elegant picture of studio perfecting, and Bette Davis the brash and uncompromising upstart talent. Their feud would become a seething tempest of hatred that not only consumed their lives but left a path of betrayal and ruin in its wake. Through painstaking research and interviews, this book is a comprehensive chronicle of two stars who would do anything to outshine each other.

Harlow in Hollywood by Darrell Rooney and Mark A. Vieira

At once both an astonishing and deeply moving profile of a young woman who went on to become not only Hollywood’s biggest star, but the template for many that would follow. Jean Harlow’s journey from small-town obscurity to stardom and then a sorrowful end, is in many ways the archetypal Hollywood tale. The book also encapsulates how myth and reality often became intertwined, and the almost Greek tragedy like narratives that would fuel the Hollywood machine, often at the cost of individual lives.

No matter what era, or style, of entertainment piques your interest, you’ll be sure to find what you’re looking for over at www.librange.com with their comprehensive selection of entertainment-related eBooks and audiobooks.

The Fire Goes out With Keith Flint

90s rave culture defied the odds by becoming a successor of sorts to the rock n’ roll era. The electronic music that helped spawn it, though technically demanding, was visually uninteresting. Live performances were devoid of of long-haired bands virtuosically playing their instruments on stage, replaced instead by a few people, or often just one person, standing stationary behind a turntable. Many performers tried to make up for the lack of interesting visuals with a light show. Take, for example, the Chemical Brothers. Enter: The Prodigy.

Producer and keyboardist Liam Howlett was a visionary, producing music that captured the imagination of a generation of ravers. Howlett, however, was not a frontman; he lacked the charisma to get the crowd going. It was customary for electronic music acts to bring dancers to a rave, and though they were typically women, Howlett chose three of his male rave companions when forming the Prodigy in 1990. It was in 1996 that dancer Keith Flint was unexpectedly promoted to frontman, that same year the band released their third album The Fat of the Land, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Keith Flint took his own life over the weekend, his body was found in his home North of London. He was 49. The band expressed their shock and sadness as they announced the news via social media early Monday morning.

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Great Reads to Suit Any Mood

No matter what the mood, the world of literature has something to offer for everyone. Here are three great reads perfectly suited to different moods.

In The Heart Of The Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick. "An extraordinary tale of epic survival against near-impossible odds" according to Philbrick himself. Adapted into a major motion picture of the same name in 2015, In The Heart Of The Sea tells the tale of the loss of the Whaleship Essex in the Pacific Ocean in 1820 after an unfortunate encounter with an enraged sperm whale. Left with nothing but 3 small whaleboats and limited supplies, the 21 surviving seamen brave the 2,000 mile journey to safety. For those looking for a compelling and dramatic read, this is the book for you!

The World Atlas of Coffee: From Beans to Brewing by James Hoffmann. Although Hoffmann’s book contains much valuable and insightful information on brewing, where it truly shines is in its comprehensive tour of the world’s greatest coffee growing regions. Hoffmann himself is a world champion barista and CEO of a British roasting company, making him a reliable resource for all things coffee. Perfect for those days where you’re looking to get informed but still want to keep things light.

I’m Dreaming of a Black Christmas by Lewis Black. A New York Times bestselling author and regular contributor to the Daily Show, Lewis Black tears apart the tradition of the holidays piece by piece and suggests his own substitutes. A must-read from this often angry and blatantly belligerent comic, but be warned, you’ll never look at the holidays the same way again. Perfect for anyone looking for a good laugh or who may still be recovering from their holiday hangover.

Looking for the latest and greatest entertainment? Visit our online library at www.librange.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime from your favorite devices and sure to entertain!