The Reading List: April ’11

Hard Luck: The Triumph and Tragedy of “Irish” Jerry Quarry
(Lyons Press, hardcover, $25)
By Steve Springer and Blake Chavez
Quarry grew up as a child of an abusive father in California migrant camps and became a boxing great before dying with a brain ravaged from the effects of his sport at age 53. His story is told here by the former L.A. Times sportswriter (Springer).
Out: Apr. 1

The Hot Mom’s Handbook: Laugh and Feel Great from Playdate to Date Night
(William Morrow, paperback, $17)
By Jessica Denay
The founder of the Hot Mom’s Club gives gives tips for staying hip.
Out: Apr. 1

I’m Walking as Straight as I Can: Transcending Disability in Hollywood and Beyond
(Ecw Press, paperback, $20)
By Geri Jewell
The Santa Monica-based actress was born with cerebral palsy and has played recurring roles on The Facts of Life and Deadwood. This memoir tells the story of her behind-the-scenes ups and downs.
Out: Apr. 1

Paper Dollhouse
(Skirt!/Globe Pequot, hardcover, $25)
By Lisa Masterson
A practicing OB/GYN and the co-host of the television show, The Doctors, delivers a memoir about her childhood with a single mother.
Out: Apr. 1

Toward You
(Tin House, paperback, $15)
By Jim Krusoe
The third installment of the Santa Monica College professor’s trilogy (including Erased and Girl Factory) is a surreal meditation on the afterlife.
Out: Apr. 1

Devil Wind: A Sammy Greene Thriller 
(Oceanview Publishing, hardcover, $26)
By Deborah Shlian and Linda Reid
The Santa Ana winds have everyone on edge, and radio news reporter Sammy Greene is stirring things up again in this follow-up to Dead Air (2007).
Out: Apr. 4

All That is Bitter and Sweet
(Ballantine Books, hardcover, $26)
By Ashley Judd and Maryann Vollers
This memoir chronicles the actress’s personal tragedies as well as her decision to become a global humanitarian.
Out: Apr. 5

Eva’s Kitchen: Cooking with Love for Family and Friends
(Clarkson Potter, hardcover, $30)
By Eva Longoria Parker
The Desperate Housewives star offers family recipes and a sprinkling of personal anecdotes to go along with them.
Out: Apr. 5

The Fifth Witness
(Little, Brown & Co., hardcover, $28)
By Michael Connelly
Can’t get enough of Mickey Haller? Matthew McConaughey’s turn in the adaptation of the first novel in the series, The Lincoln Lawyer, recently introduced film audiences to the L.A. attourney who works out of his Lincoln Town Car. The author’s newest release features Haller working a foreclosure case that turns to murder.
Out: Apr. 5

Got Milf? The Modern Mom’s Guide to Feeling Fabulous, Looking Great, and Rocking a Minivan 
(Berkeley, paperback, $14)
By Sarah Maizes
A comedian and the founder of the parenting humor blog mommyliteonline.com tells you how to embrace your inner, funnier babe. Maizes wrote an essay about her daughter who has Asperger’s syndrome for the September 2010 issue of Los Angeles magazine.
Out: Apr. 5

The Heart of Deception
(Harper Paperbacks, paperback, $14)
By M.L. Malcolm
Spy Leo Hoffman searches for his daughter Maddy in this sequel to last year’s Heart of Lies.
Out: Apr. 5

The Heart of the Revolution: The Buddha’s Radical Teachings on Forgiveness, Compassion, and Kindness
(HarperOne, paperback, $16)
By Noah Levine
The author of Dharma Punx (2004) and Against the Stream (2007) continues to describe his melding of Buddhism and punk after escaping his angry, drug-filled youth.
Out: Apr. 5

I’m Over All That: And Other Confessions
(Atria, hardcover, $22)
By Shirley MacLaine
In her first collection of essays about her life, the actress describes things she’s over (boring people, celebrity, getting older) and the things she’ll never get over (brave people, gorgeous costars, performing live).
Out: Apr. 5

Jeannie Out of the Bottle
(Crown Archetype, hardcover, $25)
By Barbara Eden with Wendy Leigh
Television’s classic genie recalls her five decades in Hollywood as well as her personal tragedies – a drug addicted and abusive husband, a stillborn child, and a son who died of a heroine overdose as an adult.
Out: Apr. 5

Juice!
(Dalkey Archive Press, paperback, $15)
By Ishmael Reed
The acclaimed African American writer takes the O.J. Simpson events as a starting point for meditating on “post-race” America.
Out: Apr. 5

Julius Shulman: Los Angeles: The Birth of a Modern Metroplis
(Rizzoli, hardcover, $60)
By Sam Lubell and Douglass Woods; photography by Julius Shulman
Images of Century City, Wilshire Boulevard, Echo Park, the Watts Towers and Grauman’s Chinese Theatre are included in this monograph that presents many never-before-seen images by the renowned architectural photographer.
Out: Apr. 5

Lari Pittman
(Skira Rizzoli, hardcover, $75)
By Robert Storr, Wayne Koestenbaum, Helen Molesworth, and Lisa Phillips
This lush new volume showcases the 30-year career of the acclaimed local artist.
Out: Apr. 5

Los Angeles in the 1930s: The WPA Guide to the City of Angels
(University of California Press, paperback, $25)
Edited by David Kipen
The Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration provided jobs to Depression-era writers and also produced a series of unique city guides. This volume returns L.A.’s handbook to print.
Out: Apr. 5

Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life
(Crown Archetype, hardcover, $26)
By Jillian Michaels
The personal trainer and coach on The Biggest Loser helps you tackle your personal obstacles.
Out: Apr. 5

How to Get Out of Your Own Way
(Grand Central, hardcover, $25)
By Tyrese Gibson
The Grammy nominated singer-songwriter who grew up in Watts organizes his memoir around a series of questions about self-awareness.
Out: Apr. 7

The Everygirl’s Guide to Life
(It Books, paperback, $20)
By Maria Menounos
The Access Hollywood, Today Show, and Nightly News reporter reveals her secrets – from organizing a closet and losing weight to getting red-carpet ready.
Out: Apr. 12

The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus: A Novel about Marriage, Motherhood, and Mayhem
(Harper Paperbacks, paperback, $14)
By Sonya Sones
This debut adult novel from a successful author in the young adult genre is written entirely in free verse and centers on a female writer’s mid-life dilemmas.
Out: Apr. 12

This is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography, and Life Through the Distorted Lens of Nikki Sixx
(William Morrow, hardcover, $30)
By Nikki Sixx
These photographs and personal stories from the former Motley Crue bassist and author of The Heroin Diaries (2007) provides a haunting view into the artist’s life.
Out: Apr. 12

Unsinkable: A Young Woman’s Courageous Battle on the High Seas
(Thomas Nelson, hardcover, $23)
By Abby Sunderland
Last year, the then 16-year-old sailor attempted to become the youngest circumnavigator — she started in Marina del Rey and was rescued in the Indian Ocean after her mast broke; here, she records memories of her journey.
Out: Apr. 12

Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love
(Grand Central Publishing, hardcover, $25)
By Matthew Logelin
His wife died just after giving birth to their daughter, and the author wrote of his first year as a single dad. See our excerpt in the April issue of Los Angeles magazine.
Out: Apr. 14

Minding Movies: Observations on the Art, Craft, and Business of Filmmaking
(University of Chicago Press, paperback, $23)
By David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson
The film scholars and authors of Film Art have compiled over three hundred of their essays for this latest volume.
Out: Apr. 15

When Movies Mattered: Reviews from a Transformative Decade
(University of Chicago Press, paperback, $23)
By Dave Kehr
This volume collects the work of the New York Times and former Chicago Tribune critic. 
Out: Apr. 15

Ice: A Memoir of Gangster Life and Redemption — from South Central to Hollywood
(One World, hardcover, $25)
By Ice-T and Douglas Century
The rapper and actor recalls his adolescence in gangs and ruminates about the entertainment industry.
Out: Apr. 19

Nice Girls Just Don’t Get It: 99 Ways to Win the Respect You Deserve, the Success You’ve Earned, and the Life You Want
(Crown Archetype, hardcover, $23)
By Lois P. Frankel and Carol Frohlinger
The Pasadena-based Frankel, who wrote Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office (2004), has collaborated on this sequel, which offers a few extra tips for women who want more.
Out: Apr. 19

Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World!
(Grand Central Publishing, hardcover, $28)
By Andrew Breitbart
His network of conservative websites take the “liberal media” to task, and here the L.A.-based webmaster explains his allegiance with the Tea Party and details the early years of his career.
Out: Apr. 15

This is a Book
(Grand Central Publishing, hardcover, $25)
By Demetri Martin
This collection of essays and drawings reveals more of the L.A.-based Comedy Central host’s off-beat humor.
Out: Apr. 25

Bel-Air Dead
(Putnam, hardcover, $26)
By Stuart Woods
In the 20th installment of the Stone Barrington series, the lawyer hero heads to L.A. to represent his former girlfriend (and mother of his son). 
Out: Apr. 26

Guilt by Association
(Mulholland Books, hardcover, $26)
By Marcia Clark
The lead prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson trial delivers a smart debut novel featuring a female D.A. that reminds us a lot of the author. See our review in the April issue of Los Angeles magazine.
Out: Apr. 26

Making It: Radical Home-Ec for a Post-Consumer World
(Rodale, paperback, $20)
By Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen
A couple of L.A. urban homesteaders provide a guide to projects you can do around the house to get a little more off the grid.
Out: Apr. 26

A Helluva High Note: Surviving Life, Love, and American Idol
(It Books, hardcover, $25)
By Kara DioGuardi
The songwriter, entertainment executive, and American Idol judge (seasons eight and nine) takes you through the highs and lows of her life – from stage fright and an eating disorder to recording with superstars.
Out: Apr. 26

The Medusa Amulet
(Bantam, hardcover, $26)
By Robert Masello
The Santa Monica-based journalist, TV writer, and author of Blood and Ice (2009) has produced a new thriller featuring an ancient conspiracy.
Out: Apr. 26

One Nation Under Sex: How the Private Lives of Presidents, First Ladies, and Their Lovers Changed the Course of American History
(Palgrave Macmillan, hardcover, $25)
By Larry Flynt and David Eisenbach
The Hustler publisher has teamed with a Columbia University professor to explore America’s most titillating political sex scandals (true and false) — Ben Franklin’s seduction of French women, James Buchanan and Senator William King’s homosexual affair, Woodrow Wilson’s girlfriend, and many more.
Out: Apr. 26

Troublemaker: A Memoir From the Front Lines of the Sixties
(Doubleday, hardcover, $27)
By Bill Zimmerman
The Topanga Canyon political consultant remembers the heyday of his radicalism – smuggling penicillin to the North Vietnamese, air-dropping food to American Indian Movement insurrectionists at the 1973 siege of Wounded Knee, and generally living in the epicenter of the counterculture.
Out: Apr. 26

A Man from Another Land: How Finding My Roots Changed My Life
(Center Street, hardcover, $25)
By Isaiah Washington
After discovering via DNA testing that he is a descendent of the Mende people of Sierra Leone, the Gray’s Anatomy actor forged a relationship with the nation and its people and established The Gondobay Manga Foundation to aid the country’s infrastructure.
Out: Apr. 27

The Camelot Conspiracy: A Novel of the Kennedys, Castro, and the CIA
(Overlook Press, hardcover, $25)
By Duke Vincent
This fourth novel from the Emmy Award-winning TV writer and producer (and partner of Aaron Spelling) centers on a rakish 1960s Hollywood mobster, Cuba, and Bobby Kennedy.
Out: Apr. 28