Palitroque

Open up Gail Crowther's new bestseller Marilyn and Her Books (now available in the U.S.) and the first thing you'll see are some of the editions Marilyn owned. I was thrilled to see she had a penchant for my beloved Modern Library books, which I'm used to thinking of as "vintage," but they were contemporary for her. And I actually own most of the editions she had.

I've been reading the book (I'm about a third of the way through), and it's beautifully written and absolutely fascinating. This is a perfect read for ALL book lovers, not just those who appreciate Marilyn Monroe. It speaks to us as readers, delving into things like: what the books we own and read say about us (as well as the books we don't read); shelf-snooping--something we're all guilty of; books we read vs. books we skim; books we bought versus books we received as gifts; and so much more.

I'd say it's the best book about books/reading since Maureen Corrigan's So We Read On (about The Great Gatsby), but Crowther's book is better.

Tina Modotti, January 30, 1924