The Reading List: May ’13

Dr. George: My Life in Weather
(University of New Mexico Press, hardcover, $25)
By George Fischbeck with Randy Roach       
The beloved longtime KABC-TV weatherman talks about his days as a journalist and meteorologist and reveals personal details for the first time.
Out: May 1

The Man Who Seduced Hollywood: The Life and Loves of Greg Bautzer, Tinseltown’s Most Powerful Lawyer
(Chicago Review Press, hardcover, $28)     
By B. James Gladstone   
Man about town, lawyer to the stars, confidant of Howard Hughes, and love interest of leading ladies such as Joan Crawford, Ginger Rogers, and Rita Hayworth were all roles attorney Greg Bautzer assumed in Hollywood from the 1930s through the 1950s.
Out: May 1

Sex, Drugs, Ratt& Roll: My Life in Rock
(Gallery Books, hardcover, $26)
By Stephen Pearcy with Sam Benjamin       
Lead singer of hair metal band Ratt, Pearcy pens his own rock ‘n’roll tell-all of the band formed in L.A. in the early 1980s.
Out: May 7

Gawky: Tales of an Extra Long Awkward Phase
(Seal Press, paperback, $16)    
By Margot Leitman         
Comedian Leitman, who reached five foot six by the fourth grade, relates her experiences of growing up a gangly giant and using her humor and height to stand out from the crowd.
Out: May 7

The Last Pilgrimage: My Mother’s Life and Our Journey to Saying Goodbye
(Counterpoint, hardcover, $26)
By Linda Daly       
Linda, the adopted daughter of power couple Nancy and former Warner Bros. head Bob Daly, tells the story of her prominent parents, her famous stepfather, former L.A. mayor Dick Riordan, and stepmother, songwriter Carole Bayer Sager. Defining the book is her mother’s diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
Out: May 14

Star Wars Storyboards: The Prequel Trilogy
(Abrams, hardcover, $40)       
Edited by J. W. Rinzler   
Lucasfilms Ltd. opens its archives to share a collection of early conceptual story boards from the Episodes I, II, and III films—a treat for any Star Wars fan.
Out: May 14

 Hans Richter: Encounters
(Prestel, hardcover, $60)         
By Timothy O. Benson   
Benson, curator of the Robert Gore Rifkind Center of German Expressionist Studies at LACMA, delves into Richter’s more than 50-year career as an avant-garde filmmaker, writer, and artist.
Out: May 25

James Turrell: Seeing Yourself See: A Retrospective
(Prestel, hardcover, $75)         
By Michael Govan and Christine Y. Kim      
This volume brings together myriad works from the pivotal artist of the 1960s emerging L.A. art scene to coincide with a solo exhibition at LACMA.
Out: May 31

Elizabeth the First Wife
(Prospect Park Books, paperback, $16)         
By Lian Dolan       
When Pasadena City College English professor Elizabeth Lancaster’s normal and orderly life is thrown into flux, she encounters people from her past, romantic intrigue,and a Shakespeare festival.
Out: May 14

Deadly Times: The 1910 Bombing of the Los Angeles Times and America’s Forgotten Decade of Terror
(Globe Pequot, hardcover, $25)          
By Lew Irwin         
On October 1, 1910, the Los Angeles Times building was bombed during one of 200 acts of anarchist violence that were carried out from 1907 to 1911. Journalist Irwin lays out the incredible story of the bombing, the search for the bombers, and the trials that followed.
Out: May 7