READING L.A.

Albert Litewka, film marketing executive:

“Easy Riders, Raging Bulls” by Peter Biskind (Simon and Schuster).

“Biskind has written an immensely entertaining book about a magic decade. Sparing no juicy details, he relates how Scorsese, Bogdanovich, Coppola, Spielberg, Lucas and others shaped the art and commerce of contemporary American cinema.”

****

James Cromwell, actor:

“Serpent in the Sky” by John Anthony West (Quest Books).

“West offers an analysis of the temples at Luxor and the pyramid of Giza and puts the lie to 200 years of misguided interpretation regarding the antiquity and significance of Egyptian metaphysics.”

****

Tamara Lange, attorney:

“Alone” by Richard E. Byrd (Adventure Library).

“The isolation and space of the Antarctic is a modern fantasy. Since I can’t go there, I hope to get some sense of that space by reading about Byrd’s experiences in the Antarctic. In many ways, this book is the predecessor to ‘Into Thin Air.” ’

****

Cece Milder, artist:

“Loteria and Other Stories” by Ruben Mendoza (Buzz Books / St. Martin’s).

“Mendoza’s stories offer a glimpse into a world that is strangely unknown to me but, at the same time, seems quite familiar. It’s a book that’s poetic, ethnic, universal, modern and timeless and makes me wonder what this young Angeleno will write next.”