The Reading List: July ’13

Lillian and Dash
(Other Press, paperback, $16)
By Sam Toperoff
In this novel, Toperoff reimagines the roller coaster relationship between noir master Dashiell Hammet and the dogmatic playwright Lillian Hellman—two L.A. authors also known for hitting the bottle.
Out: July 16

Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations
(Simon & Schuster, hardcover, $26)
By Peter Evans and Eva Rogers
Dive into the starlet’s legendary life in this dishy as-told-to memoir about her dramatic experiences – onscreen and off – in Hollywood during the industry’s golden age.
Out: July 2

Turn Up the Radio!: The Music of Los Angeles 1956-1972
(Santa Monica Press, hardcover, $45)
By Harvey Kubernik
Featuring photographs, oral histories, and illustrations, this compilation captures the spirit of L.A.’s music scene between 1956 and 1972.
Out: July 15

Hollywood: Then and Now
(Pavilion, hardcover, $18)
By Rosemary Lord
Get a glimpse of old and new Hollywood in a book that features early images of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and other iconic locales alongside modern photographs of the same places. What’s changed and what remains the same after 100 years?
Out: July 1

Shelley Unbound: Uncovering Frankenstein’s True Creator
(Feral House, paperback, $17)
By Scott D. de Hart
The Oxford educated researcher and scholar (who was born and raised in Southern California) examines Percy Shelley’s scientific and religious leanings in an effort to discover the true author of Frankenstein.
Out: July 16

 Freud’s Mistress
(Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam, hardcover, $26)
By Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman
These L.A.-based authors give a fictional account of Sigmund Freud’s very real love affair with Minna Bernays, the famed psychoanalyst’s sister-in-law.
Out: July 9

VIP: The Mad World Of Virgil Partch
(Fantagraphics, hardcover, $40)
By Lian Dolan       
The quirky coffee table book compiles comics, letters, and more from cartoonist Virgil Partch, who spearheaded the gag cartoon revival.
Out: July 20