Henry Rollins reads …. intensely

  I think I can safely say that Henry Rollins is a pretty intense guy, so it doesn’t surprise me that he still looks kinda intimidating even when he’s sitting and reading.

As his Wikipedia entry says, Henry Rollins is “American performer, writer, journalist, publisher, actor, radio host,  activist and formerly a musician.”   I saw the Rollins Band once ….. it was intense.   In my opinion, he has always brought his intensity, and intelligence, to all of his other projects.   Our library has one of his books, Occupants: Photographs and Writing,  but we’re happy to interlibrary loan any of his other books, if you’re interested.

Rollins is not alone in being a performer who is also a writer.  For example, Jim Morrison, the lead singer of The Doors, was a poet (and yes, the library has his book of poetry, Wilderness).   Nick Cave (who Henry Rollins interviewed, as it turns out) has written a few works of fiction.   And let’s not forget Patti Smith, who has written a couple of books.

So, if you’re looking to Get Caught Reading some material written by musicians, let us send you home with a stack of books.  And maybe some CDs.

 

There’s nothing like sharing a scary book with your friends

As the cast of the 1931 movie, Dracula, shows us, sharing what you’re reading can enhance the experience.

This edition of Dracula looks like it’s big enough to have illustrations.    Interestingly, when the book was originally published in 1897, it wasn’t an immediate bestseller.  Stoker was not the James Patterson of his era, either — he didn’t make very much money from this book, and at the time of his death, was quite poor. While readers at that time enjoyed the book, it didn’t become a real classic until the 20th century, when the movie versions of the story were made.

 

This photo shows Bela Lugosi in the title role, along with some of the other cast members.  He’s probably best known for his portrayal of Dracula, although he went on to star in many other movies (although most of the time, playing dark, mysterious characters).

While the book has been made into many movie versions (some more successful than others), the appeal of its gothic horror remains consistent.    If you’re looking to read (or re-read) Dracula, our library has both the original, and the annotated editions.   We also have plenty of other books on hand if you’re looking for more gothic horror, or Dracula-inspired stories.

 

 

Reading while made-up for a show …..

You never know when you might have a spare moment to read a few pages.  

One of the nice things about comic books is that they’re portable, and they’re usually a pretty entertaining read.   Being part of a circus was hard work a lot of time, whether you were a star performer or someone who helped hoist up the tents.   If you’re curious about circus life, our library has a few books, although if you’re really curious about circus life, I’d recommend asking one of our Reference Desk to see what we can get through interlibrary loan.*   For example, Emmett Kelley (a famous clown) wrote an interesting autobiography of his life in the circus, which I thought was a good read.

If you’re not as much interested in the circus life, but instead are more of a comic book reader, come in and check out our graphic novel collections.  We have a graphic novel section in both our Youth Services and Adult Services departments, and a great selection of books.

* Interlibrary loan is this really nice system where we look to see which other libraries own something, and then ask them to send it to us.  We request things from all over the United States, so if you’re wanting something that we don’t have, just ask!

 

See more awesome people reading

Viggo reads

Viggo Mortensen ponders what looks to be pretty large book.    He’s a good example of how to look smart and stylish when reading.   Not only does he have a nice-looking jacket on, but he’s got what looks to be more reading material there at the ready.

If you’re already familiar with Viggo from his role as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings films, perhaps you’d like to try some Tolkien.   Our library has fiction by Tolkien, biographies about Tolkien …. plenty to fill an entire month of Tolkien-ness.

Or, if you want to go a completely different direction, after seeing Viggo in Eastern Promises, we have three volumes of books on Russian criminal tattoos (plus other books about Russia, the Soviet Union, etc etc etc). 

Considering the variety of roles this actor has played, we can most likely help you find a good book to accompany any of his movies.

 

Leslie Caron looks like she just Got Caught Reading

She definitely looks like she was in the middle of something here …..

This is Leslie Caron, who is well known for her roles in the movies Gigi, An American in Paris, and, more recently, Chocolat.   We have several of her movies here at the library, including the three I just mentioned, as well as some others.   We also have her autobiography, Thank Heaven: A memoir.

If you’re inspired further by the lovely Ms. Caron, we also have the book, Chocolat, by Joanne Harris.   Personally, I feel that it’s a wonderful combination to read her memoir (written in 2009), then watch Chocolate (preferably with a plate of warm brownies).   So, this would be a great opportunity to Get Caught Reading and take  it a step further!

William Shatner reads

William.  Shatner.  Reads.

The original Captain Kirk has had a varied career in not only television and movies, but has also written a few books *.   Our library has three of them: Star Trek, I’m Working on That, Up Till Now: the autobiography, and Shatner Rules: Your guide to understanding the Shatnerverse.   He even reads the audiobook version of that last one.

If you’re looking to get Caught Reading something Star Trek, maybe try one of Mr. Shatner’s books, along with one of our many Stat Trek books (both fiction and nonfiction).

* William Shatner also has several recordings that he’s done, including his first album, The Transformed Man, where he read from a variety of Shakespeare, interspersed with contemporary song lyrics, like Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.