Tag: vintage

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Marilyn Monroe: 12 Books to Enter the Myth, the Mystery, and the Media Machine

a photo of a Collection of Marilyn Monroe books


1. Marilyn Monroe: Her Life in Pictures by James Spada & George Zeno
Main focus: A visual biography showing Monroe’s evolution through rare and iconic photography.
Why it stands out: Less words, more impact. It’s a time capsule of a woman constantly becoming.
Note: Great gift or starter book… glam and ghost in equal measure.
Link to my Listing on Abe Books
Amazon Affiliate Link
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2. Marilyn: A Never-Ending Dream by James Spada & George Zeno
Main focus: A lush companion to the above, with deeper context and dreamlike presentation.
Why it’s interesting: Leans into the mythology — as if the dream might still be dreaming us.
Link to my Listing on Abe Books
Amazon Affiliate Link
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3. Marilyn Monroe (The Screen Greats) by Tom Hutchinson
Main focus: Career overview with vintage magazine appeal.
Why it’s worth a look: Compact but surprisingly insightful… a great crash course in the filmography.
Note: One for the collectors of old-school film books.
Link to my Listing on Abe Books
Amazon Affiliate Link
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4. Marilyn: The Ultimate Look at the Legend by James Haspiel
Main focus: Intimate fan-favourite stories from someone who followed her life obsessively.
Why it stands out: Written with devotion and detail , it feels like a scrapbook from the inside.
Link to my Listing on Abe Books
Amazon Affiliate Link
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5. Marilyn at Twentieth Century Fox by Lawrence Crown
Main focus: Studio stills and behind-the-scenes candids from her time under contract.
Why it’s fascinating: Peeks behind the Hollywood curtain at a woman owned by the machine, yet owning every shot.
Link to my Listing on Abe Books
Amazon Affiliate Link
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6. Marilyn Monroe by Roger Baker
Main theory: Argues that Marilyn was shaped… and shattered, by the roles she played on and off screen.
Why it’s deeper than it looks: A surprisingly feminist critique in a tidy package.
Link to my Listing on Abe Books
Amazon Affiliate Link
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7. Marilyn Among Friends by Sam Shaw & Norman Rosten
Main focus: Photos and words from two close friends — one a poet, the other a photographer.
Why it matters: Feels like the real her, unfiltered and funny. A love letter, not an exposé.
Link to my Listing on Abe Books
Amazon Affiliate Link
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8. Marilyn Monroe: The Biography by Donald Spoto
Main theory: Definitive and sympathetic, it attempts to separate fact from fiction.
Why it stands out: Written with care, backed by research. For anyone wanting the full arc.
Link to my listing on Abe Books
Amazon Affiliate Link
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9. The Marilyn Scandal by Sandra Shevey
Main theory: The real story told by those who knew her — and the Hollywood machine that used her.
Why it’s juicy: Firsthand gossip with a bite, just shy of scandalous.
Link to my Listing on Abe Books
Amazon Affiliate Link
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10. Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe by Anthony Summers
Main theory: Explores Monroe’s links to the Kennedys, the FBI, and power games beyond Hollywood.
Why it’s compelling: Widely debated; part biography, part conspiracy.
Note: If you like “what really happened?” books, start here.
Link to my Listing on Abe Books
Amazon Affiliate Link
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11. Marilyn on Marilyn edited by Roger G. Taylor
Main focus: Monroe in her own words — interviews, letters, fragments of self-reflection.
Why it’s powerful: A woman edited and rewritten by others, finally speaking for herself.
Link to my Listing on Abe Books
Amazon Affiliate Link
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12. Bonus: Your Own Reflection
Main theory: Marilyn was a mirror, and we’re still projecting onto her.
Why it matters: Read a few of these books and ask: do you see her… or something else entirely?
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Surrendering to the End: J.G. Ballard and the Beautiful Disaster of Eco-Fiction and Cli-Fi

J.G. Ballard's The Crystal World
The Crystal World by J.G. Ballard

Before the climate crisis was headline news, J.G. Ballard was already writing the Earth’s slow descent into alien landscapes. His novels don’t offer action heroes or tech-fixes — they present acceptance, transformation, and often psychological unravelling in the face of planetary change.
Here are three key Ballard novels that sit perfectly in today’s eco-dystopian wave:
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The Drowned World (1962)

Set in a future where global warming has melted the polar ice caps, London is submerged and teeming with tropical flora and fauna. The novel isn’t about survival – it’s about evolution. Ballard’s characters feel drawn to the heat and strangeness, pulled backward through time, toward the primordial.
“Soon it would be too hot. Looking out from the stairwell, Kerans watched the huge sun sink below the horizon…”
It’s hypnotic, slow, and eerie – a classic of eco-lit before we had the term.
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The Drought (aka The Burning World, 1965)

Rain no longer falls. Rivers are dry. Civilisation cracks open under the pressure of thirst. But again ~ this isn’t Mad Max. Ballard explores how internal landscapes collapse alongside the outer ones. It’s haunting, sun-scorched, and bleak in the most compelling way.
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The Crystal World (1966)

Possibly his most dreamlike eco-disaster. A strange crystalline disease spreads through the jungle, turning everything… trees, birds, time itself, into glittering stillness. It’s beautiful. It’s terrifying. And Ballard’s protagonist doesn’t try to stop it – he walks toward it.
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Why Ballard Now?

Because we’re arguably already living in that surreal slow-motion collapse: the heat, the flood, the drought. Ballard’s novels feel less like predictions and more like mood-boards for the now.
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If you want to explore the roots of climate fiction, or just fancy a read that’ll make you question your grip on reality – I’ve linked the best editions below via affiliate. Every click supports my struggling bookshop and your local climate doom dealer (me).

Buy The Drowned World on Amazon
Get The Crystal World here (i do have this but haven’t added it to the database yet!)
Check out The Drought / The Burning World
All other J.G. Ballard books

Please check out my other recommendations such as mushroomy books and George Orwell books…

Plus if you want anything on Amazon if you click through this link it might well earn me some commission at no extra cost to you which might save my little shop from complete closure…

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Progress, Challenges, and New Beginnings

The journey of Border Bookshop continues to be one of adaptation, persistence, and hope. As mentioned in our last post, transitioning our vast collection of books, comics, and magazines online has been an enormous undertaking. Despite years of effort, we’re still not halfway through cataloguing our inventory. With thousands of single-issue comics and vintage magazines waiting to be discovered, much of our stock remains accessible only through direct inquiries.

As if this ongoing challenge wasn’t enough, a curveball from the council has left us in limbo regarding the future of our current premises. While we won’t go into specifics, navigating these uncertainties has been another layer of complexity in an already demanding situation.

That said, there’s been a bright spot in 2025 so far. We’re thrilled to share that we’ve raised £58.10 for our fledgling charity, aimed at supporting neurodivergent individuals. Half of our profits from every book sale for the next few months are being donated toward this cause. It’s a modest start, but it represents something much bigger: hope for a brighter future and the potential to create meaningful change.

To everyone who has purchased a book or supported us in any way, thank you. Your kindness helps keep Border Books alive and allows us to contribute to a cause close to our hearts.

Here’s to continued progress and positivity, even in the face of challenges!