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7 Books About Hollywood to Read During Awards Season

by  | January 7

Awards season is in full swing with the 77th annual Golden Globes this past weekend and the 92nd Academy Awards set for February 9th. With the best of Hollywood receiving their accolades at the moment, it makes you wonder what the world of our favorite actors is really like. One of the best ways to get a feel for the true Hollywood? Check out these seven juicy books detailing what celebrity life is like behind closed doors.

Hollywood's Eve

Hollywood's Eve

by Lili Anolik

Do you feel nostalgic for the Hollywood of the 1960–70s and the It girls born from the era? In Lili Anolik’s Hollywood’s Eve, readers get a look at the secret history of Los Angeles and the woman, Eve Babitz, who became an icon turned literary star. Babitz’s story is one filled with fellow Hollywood royalty (her little black book included Jim Morrison, Ed Ruscha, and Harrison Ford, to name a few) and prose considered the American ideal, before turning to a life of recluse, which is where the author finds Babitz in 2012.

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This Will Only Hurt a Little

This Will Only Hurt a Little

by Busy Philipps

Busy Philipps is an awards-show staple, frequently accompanying her bestie and former Dawson’s Creek castmate Michelle Williams. She also frequently gives behind-the-scenes looks at what it’s like getting ready to walk the red carpet on her famous Instagram Stories, including talking about not-so-glamorous topics like boob sweat! Her memoir This Will Only Hurt a Little contains Busy’s trademark candor paired with insightful stories about what it’s like to be an actress in Hollywood.

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Scandals of Classic Hollywood

Scandals of Classic Hollywood

by Anne Helen Petersen

While many people still yearn for the Golden Age of Hollywood when TMZ wasn’t reporting every little piece of celebrity gossip, that doesn’t mean that Hollywood of yesteryear wasn’t riddled with its own drama. In Scandals of Classic Hollywood, Petersen shares a surprising look at the scandals rampant during the years of classic cinema, including Judy Garland’s studio-monitored diet and love life; a smear campaign against “It Girl” Clara Bow started by her best friend; Mae West’s arrest for “indecency charges”; and much more.

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Why Not Me?

Why Not Me?

by Mindy Kaling

Much like Busy Philipps, Mindy Kaling is known for being real and calling out the injustices of Hollywood, especially against women. In her second book Why Not Me?, Mindy shares her personal journey trying to excel at adulting, coupled with believing there’s a place for herself in Hollywood, despite the fact that no one looks like her. Her unique mixture of anxieties and glamour are sure to give you a good laugh and food for introspective thought.

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Postcards from the Edge

Postcards from the Edge

by Carrie Fisher

The end of December marked three years since Carrie Fisher’s passing. Looking back at her life in Hollywood, it was certainly one filled with drama (particularly her revelation that she had an affair with Harrison Ford on the set of Star Wars!). In her semi-autobiographical novel Postcards from the Edge, Carrie tells the entertaining, often droll story of a fictionalized version of herself going through drug rehabilitation with Beverly Hills as the backdrop.

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The Last Tycoon

The Last Tycoon

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Scott Fitzgerald knew a thing or two about glitz and glamour. In his unfinished novel The Last Tycoon, later edited by Fitzgerald scholar Matthew J. Bruccoli, Fitzgerald exposes what the Hollywood studio system was really like in the 1940s by telling the story of a young mogul name Monroe Stahr, who was modeled after the boy-genius producer Irving Thalberg. Once you finish this thrilling look at Hollywood of the past, make sure to check out the TV adaptation of the novel by the same name.

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So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y’all Don’t Even Know

So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y’all Don’t Even Know

by Retta

Retta was one of the standout cast members of Parks and Recreation, known for being completely fabulous and keeping it real. Like her character on the show, Retta’s humor and confidence make her someone you could totally imagine being your BFF. In her book of essays So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y’all Don’t Even Know, Retta shares her experience going from aspiring doctor as a pre-med student at Duke University to Hollywood stardom and her dream of one day having her own sitcom.

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Photo Credit // Ahmet Yalçınkaya on Unsplash

Categories // Bookish Fun

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Sarah Walsh is a Strategy Lead at Branch & Bramble by day and a book addict by night. Her favorite way to spend a weekend is a cup of tea paired with a new romance novel or personal development book. Find her on Twitter at @sarahmwalsh or Instagram at @sarahmichellewalsh to chat all things books.
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