the BEAT of the week: Henry Rollins at Book Soup.

Love him or hate him, Henry Rollins is a pretty enigmatic guy. From hosting a radio show on KCRW to doing his spoken word performances to music blogging for the LA Weekly, Rollins has become anything but predictable.

And so his next venture, turns out, is a book of photography. Occupants features photography from the man himself, taken all over the world, including far-off places like Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Northern Ireland, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. And as expected, the photos -- accompanied with writings by Rollins -- are stark and honest, providing a deeper commentary.

Hear Rollins tell the stories behind his photos when he appears for a signing at Book Soup this Thursday. Beyond being able to get a signed copy of the book, having the chance to listen to the man speak in person is definitely going to be entertaining and fascinating in and of itself.

Henry Rollins will be signing his new book, Occupants, on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7pm at Book Soup, located at 8818 Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Henry Rollins

Check It. Jonathan Safran Foer's "Tree of Codes."

I've always been a big fan of Jonathan Safran Foer's work, and also of the art direction of his books -- the free-form text style found on Everything Is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is, in my opinion, very fitting of Foer's own writing style. Now apparently, for his new book Tree of Codes, Foer's combined that art direction right into the book itself.

As explained by Foer in the video above, the book is actually comprised of manuscripts of a different book written by a different person: The Street of Crocodiles by Bruno Schulz. Foer used a system of die-cutting -- basically cutting out words or sentences here and there -- to create another story within Schulz's own words. And the cutting is literal within the pages of Tree of Codes.

It's an ambitious but definitely fascinating project, and the perfect gift for any Foer fan or fan of literature, really. Let's see an e-book do this!

Tree of Codes is currently only available to purchase online at Visual Editions (it's technically a little late now to get this ordered and sent for Christmas, but it'll surely be worth the wait!).

-- Chau Tu

Check It. 'Sterling's Gold.'

It's been about a month since Mad Men's shocking season finale, which means..you're probably going through Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce withdrawals right now. But not to fear -- as always, Roger Sterling has got your back.

As you might have recalled this season, Sterling had been in the process of writing his autobiography. It was an amusing mini-storyline for the simple fact that any such autobiography has to be amazing. And now -- strangely, wonderfully -- it's real.

Sterling's Gold isn't particularly an autobiography like it was in the show (no juicy Ms. Blankenship stories), but more a collection of Sterling's infamous advice and snarky comments. He says it himself in the introduction: "Here it is... a few things overheard, a few things to live by, and hell, a few things I've apparently said and had repeated to me the morning after a party when I called to make amends."

Definitely would make for a great gift for any Mad Men fan, or just to hold you over until next season.

And while you're at it, you can take this fun 'job interview' and see where you might fit in at SCDP.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Tim Gunn at Borders Century City.

Tim Gunn (of Project Runway and Tim Gunn's Guide to Style fame) will be at Century City's Borders on Thursday night discussing and signing his new advice book (peppered with fashion industry gossip), Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work.

In the spring of 2007, Gunn released the popular Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style.

September 16 at 7:00 p.m. Borders is located at 10250 Santa Monica Blvd. in Century City. Info: (310) 552-1411, borders.com.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: papermag.com

Check It. The Madonnas of Echo Park.

Books about L.A. are always interesting to read, because you know the landscape. In the case of The Madonnas of Echo Park, a time and a section of Los Angeles is being discussed that is a lot less familiar than the oft-documented Sunset Strip or Beverly Hills. As an Eastside resident for coming up on a year now, I picked up the novel to glimpse into a world I live very close to, but still don't know a whole lot about.

This is the life of illegal immigrants, people we rely on but overlook as actual members of the Los Angeles community. I've only just started the book, and from what I can tell it won't be as gritty and sad/depressing as El Norte, but powerful nonetheless. Set in the prime of Madonna's (yes, that Madonna) heyday, a group of young Latinas idolize her just as the rest of the young girls in the world did. MTV and pop culture is very important to the kids in this book, which creates a common ground for any reader who's been a schoolgirl or boy.

Author Brando Skyhorse will be signing the book at Vroman's in Pasadena on Tuesday June 15 at 7:00 p.m.

Vroman's Bookstore is located at 695 E. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: books.simonandschuster.com

Advance Notice. Imperial Bedrooms.

As this is a blog about all things L.A., you might imagine we're fans of Bret Easton Ellis' "Less Than Zero". His new book "Imperial Bedrooms", due for release on June 15, is a twenty-five years later look into the L.A. lives of Clay, Blair, and company.

In a great interview by Jesse Katz with Ellis in the June (Lunch Time!) issue of Los Angeles Magazine, Katz writes, "Text messages and internet videos have replaced pay phones and Betamaxes--Equinox instead of Nautilus, Koi in lieu of Chasen's, Reveal over the Roxy--but Clay is still navigating a terrifyingly soulless landscape of doctored flesh and leveraged couplings".

We can hardly wait. Based on Ellis' last book, "Lunar Park", I feel this could be one I won't be able to put down.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: maryliterary

Check It. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

The bestselling Stieg Larsson book is going to be a David Fincher (Zodiac, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) film, with names like Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, George Clooney, Kristen Stewart, Carey Mulligan, and Ellen Page being thrown around. Before that happens, you should check out the 2009 Swedish version, now playing at the ArcLight, the Landmark, and Beverly Hills' Laemmle's Music Hall 3, among other L.A.-area theaters.

It sounds like a really interesting crime-drama story (some journalism in there too!) with what's bound to be an awesome title character.

As far as the read the book or see the movie first question, for this one I'm thinking movie-book-movie. The Hollywood version of the film currently has '2012' as the predicted release year on IMDb.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.monniblog.com

Do It. David Sedaris at the Long Beach Convention Center.

David Sedaris is best known for writing hilariously witty and charming books like Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, but did you know that he's even better (dare we say funnier?) in person? With endless amounts of personal and fictional tales, pitch-perfect comedic timing and a signature voice, Sedaris is actually quite the riveting live performer.

Find out for yourself (and get ready for a night of eye-watering laughter) as Sedaris takes the stage at the Terrace Theater at the Long Beach Convention Center tomorrow. Tickets are still available (unlike for his UCLA date on Wednesday, so this is obviously a hot ticket!) for $25-$45, and Sedaris is sure not to disappoint. Plus, with a new book rumored to be released this October, this could be a chance to hear some of his new work before anyone else.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Patti Smith book talks/signings.

This week, Patti Smith is making her rounds to present and sign her new book, Just Kids, at Los Angeles' finest bookstores, Book Soup and Skylight Books. She'll be on the Sunset Strip at Book Soup tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m., and at Skylight Books on Vermont on Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

The book is about her youth in New York (hence the title "Just Kids") and relationship with the late, great photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Based on the excerpt I read in Rolling Stone, it's engrossing. It's inspiration for young people struggling to pursue creative endeavors.

I'm really excited to meet the "Godmother of Punk" and see what she's like in person. The Rock-and-Roll Hall of Famer is definitely one of those people who has stayed cool as she ages. As someone who knew Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Allen Ginsberg, Smith must have a ton of great memories, many of which are recorded in the book.

If you can't make it to the signings, order the book on Amazon!

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.rotatingcorpse.com

Check It. Spoon and Joshua Ferris.

Is it just me, or does being consistently great work against your favor sometimes? I feel that might be the case for Spoon. The Texan indie-rock band has been around for more than a decade now, always reliable for putting out another great record full of clever lyrics and frontman Britt Daniel's undeniable coolness. They're always critically-acclaimed and will make those best-of lists 10 years from now, but they still somehow feel underappreciated. So allow me to rev up this hype machine again, with the arrival of Transference today, and remind you that yes, Spoon warrants those repeated listens (they're growers, if anything), and don't you evah forget it.

Also out this week is the new novel The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris. Ferris made a name for himself about two years ago with his debut And Then We Came to an End, a low-key satire on office life. It was hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time, and one of those things that you just get if you've found yourself wasting away in a cubicle. This time, he takes on the home life, focusing on how a strange, unexplainable illness involving a man's insatiable need to walk nearly destroys him and his family. Yes, walking. You can read the first chapter now on Amazon.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. The Invention of Lying and Just Kids.

If you didn't catch this cute comedy in the theater, it's out on DVD today. Continuing with the Ricky Gervais theme, The Invention of Lying is a simple yet thought-provoking film (starring Gervais) about the man who invented the lie. The lovely Jennifer Garner co-stars, and Rob Lowe plays the very handsome guy who's his competition.

If you liked Ghost Town, you'll probably like The Invention of Lying. I did see it in the theater, but will probably rent it too. Louis C.K., Jonah Hill, and Tina Fey also make appearances--and of course, add more humor to the already cleverly funny film.

Also out today: Patti Smith's latest book, Just Kids. More to come on this later!

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.hollywoodoutbreak.com

Do It. Sexy book signings.

I just got back from Boston, land of au naturel beauties donning weather-appropriate, reasonable footwear. I watched them trudge through the ice and snow to their top-ranking universities where they crank out theses about Important Academic Topics. I listened to them talk in coffee shops about professors and studying in Italy and political issues in Latin America. I noticed how dorky their knit panda-bear hats and mismatching outfits really are*. It is certain that these young ladies will contribute great things to this country one day. I observed them, like the alien outsider I now am, and admired.

But what about that rare breed of woman who dares to follow--and successfully hikes--the fabeled, less traveled road? Well, they end up here, in Los Angeles. They bypass internships and take out loans for headshots. Their contributions to society are controversial, glossy, and visceral. But these women are also smart. They know how to market themselves, become great businesswomen. And then they write books, too. Ones that sell, suckas.

They're not rocket scientists. They're porn stars. God love them.

In the great literary tradition of Jenna Jameson (How To Make Love Like a Porn Star was the single best book I read my freshman year of college. Sorry, The Illiad), TWO of these lovely ladies have in-store appearances to promote their latest works at local book stores tonight.

Tera Patrick--who has a degree in Biology--just released her tell-all, Sinner Takes All: A Memoir of Love and Porn, on the 5th and will be hanging out for an intimate reading at Book Soup in West Hollywood.

Burlesque icon and fetish film star Dita Von Teese will be at Daily Planet on Franklin to discuss Dita: Stripteese, a trio of flip books documenting her famous acts--including the legendary Martini Glass Dance. A show-all, if you will.

Both start at 7pm, so choose wisely. My vote is for Patrick. Her title has the more clever pun.

*This is kind of cruel. But after 9 months here, the "collegiate cool" style was so glaringly ridiculous. Really? A beanie with ears? You're twenty.

-- Heather Robertson

Photo credit: booksoup.com

Check It. Two DVDs and a book.

The day we've all been waiting for is here, The Hangover is now out on DVD. Relive the crazy desert journey again and again this holiday season with Phil, Stu, Alan and Doug. Get your wolf pack together for some laughs. Jagermeister, anyone? I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord ...

Also out on DVD today, Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino and Pitt, need I say more? It made news Monday morning with ten nominations from the Broadcast Film Critics Assn. Although--scalping, killing, Nazis ... may not exactly sound like what you want to watch with the whole family on Christmas Eve. I say save it for 2010.

Vanity Fair special correspondent and best-selling author Dominick Dunne's last novel, Too Much Money (which USA Today calls "transparently autobiographical") is available today. Dunne died in August at 83, but left us one last great piece of work, and just in time for Christmas (it's on my list).

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: filmschoolrejects.com

Do It. Echo Park Shop Hop.

I love my block in Echo Park. On my walk home from the bus (so super convenient), I pass everything I need to survive. There are dollar-stores, markets, bacon-wrapped hot dogs, thrift stores, hipster-run small businesses, pizza (Chicago and New York style), live music venues, and, above all else, a few great book stores. Well, 826 LA's Echo Park Time Travel Mart (the local outpost of Dave Egger's nationwide literacy centers) isn't so much a book store as it is a completely-awesome-in-every-way store. But you get the idea.

Now, if you lived here, you'd already be home. But if you don't, you can experience it all at the 1st Annual Echo Park Shop Hop being held next Saturday, December 12th. After the Echo Park Parade at noon, local businesses are encouraging y'all to stick around and shop with the promise of discounts, caroling female doo wop groups, and what seems like super-fun holiday block-party chaos.

I'll remind you about it this week and even try to feature some of the holiday must-haves only available on my little corner of Sunset (like these wallets at 826LA). Yes!

Oh, and if you do live here? Make sure to add the Facebook page to support.

--Heather Robertson

Photo Credit: Flickr

Check It. Watch, Listen, Read.

DVD – A Christmas Tale (2008)

The Criterion Collection DVD release of last year’s A Christmas Tale. Catherine Deneuve stars as the matriarch of a troubled family, together at Christmastime. Criterion describes the French film as "an inventive, magical drama that's equal parts merriment and melancholy." The disc includes a new, restored high-definition digital transfer, two documentaries, and the original theatrical trailers. Also included: a booklet featuring an essay by critic Phillip Lopate.

CD – Alison Iraheta’s Just Like You

The youngest, and perhaps most talented “American Idol” Season 8 finalist releases her debut album today with Jive. Iraheta’s standout performances from the season included a beautiful duet of “Time After Time” with Cyndi Lauper and rocking out to “Slow Ride” with Adam Lambert.

BOOK – My Nepenthe: Bohemian Tales of Food, Family, and Big Sur by Romney Steele

A book about food (with recipes) and family by the granddaughter of the owners of the famous Big Sur restaurant Nepenthe.
Author event tonight, December 1, at Book Soup. 7:00 p.m.

Book Soup is located at 8818 Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins