There are so many photos of Marilyn reading, you could fill a book with them. So it’s not surprising this classic 1951 photo of Marilyn reading at home was selected to grace the cover of the newly-published The Hollywood Book Club: Reading With the Stars. This lovely hardback, measuring a compact 21 cm squared and with text by Steven Rea, also features black-and-white images of some of Marilyn’s friends and co-stars reading (including Sammy Davis Jr, Lauren Bacall, Jack Benny, Marlon Brando, Bette Davis, Dorothy Dandridge, Ginger Rogers, Claudette Colbert and many more.)
Shirley MacLaine is also pictured reading in What a Way to Go! (1964), a film originally planned for Marilyn. A selection of photos from the book was posted in the Evening Standard this week. It would make a great stocking filler for the cinephile/bibliophile in your life – or if you can’t wait, just treat yourself!