Books about TV, Theater & Movies by various authors

c.2025, various publishers $22.95 – $32.95 various page counts

The summer stretches before you, and there’s so much you want to do.

There’s that TV series to binge-watch, and it’s practically meant for a rainy staycation. You plan to catch a theater-in-the-round or an outdoor performance. And then there’s that blockbuster movie you’ve just been dying to see. But before you get to all that, grab these books about TV, theater, and movies…

So here’s what a too-hot-to-go-outside weekend at home looks like: a pizza, “The Rambo Report” by Nat Segaloff (Citadel, $29), three tubs of popcorn, and several hours of Stallone. You’ll want that last part, after you read about the book that started it all and the five movies that are a huge part of Americana. Surely, this book is for Rambo fans, but every kind of movie fan will enjoy it, too.

Is your favorite star famous for what they say, as much as what they do? Then you need “I Can’t Believe They Said That!” edited by Boze Hadleigh (Lyons Press, $22.95), a collection of quotes, quips, gripes, and truths from stage, screen, books, politics, and sports. Check out Estelle Getty’s advice on marriage. Find out how W. C. Fields started each day, and what Gina Lollobrigida thought about Rock Hudson. Oooh, la la!

Fans of the small stage will need a big book this summer, and “Theater Kid: A Broadway Memoir” by Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller (Simon & Schuster, $29.99) is it. Growing up in Detroit, Seller had his hands full with questions about his chaotic adoptive family, his adolescence, and his sexuality. Detroit was home, but it wasn’t where he needed to be to make it big in Broadway, so he moved to The Big Apple – right in the middle of the AIDS crisis. This is a book about the theater and it’s for fans, but it’s also perfect for memoir-lovers and readers who like working-your-way-up tales and coming-of-age stories.

So you wanna be famous? Eh, you might think twice after reading “Warhol’s Muses” by Laurence Leamer (Putnam, $32). It’s the story of artist Andy Warhol and his ten “Superstars,” women who became part of the great artist’s “Factory” by allowing him to rename them, manipulate them, and use them for his social standing and his whims. Readers of 1960s history will love this book, as will anyone who enjoys a bit of squirmy true crime.

And finally, if you’re a movie buff, you absolutely must own “First Women of Hollywood” by Mary Mallory (Lyons Press, $32.95). This book takes you back a century or more, to the origins of Hollywood and groundbreaking women who started Tinsel Town’s twinkle. Bonus: it’s not just about stars; writers, filmmakers, and others are included here, too.

If these books aren’t enough, then be sure to ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for help. They’ll know what can make your TV binge-watching better, what will fit the (Play)bill, where the best celebrity gossip can be found, and who your favorite movie stars really are. So find these books, because your summer entertainment beckons…