Colin Jost

Yes, you've watched him on Saturday nights. Colin Jost is the head writer for Saturday Night Live and coanchor for SNL's Weekend Update. You can also occasionally catch him on tour as a stand-up comic.
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What is Colin Jost reading?


I asked Colin just that on Twitter and he replied, "hi! Currently reading Amy Poehler's new book Just finished the new Murakami which I loved. Also "Lunches with Orson" -- great."
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Thanks, Colin! Find out more about Colin at www.colinjost.com and follow him on Twitter.
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If this comedy bit doesn't make you laugh, then you jost don't have a sense of humor.

One Direction

Photo courtesy of Columbia

Yes, One Direction. Of course you know One Direction as Harry, Liam, Louis, Niall, and Zayn. Their hit songs include "Best Song Ever," "What Makes You Beautiful," and "Story of My Life."

But more importantly,

What are One Direction's favorite books?

Scholastic asked the band that question for their Read Every Day campaign. Some of their answers include The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them, Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach, and David Beckham's Soccer Skills by David Beckham himself.

You can check out what other books they chose at sugarscape.com .

Here's one of their tunes. Girls. Stop the screaming!

James Franco

Selfie-lover James Franco is charming and talented. He first gained popularity in TV's General Hospital and  Freaks and Geeks. He acquired many nominations and awards for his amazing performances in TNT's James Dean and the movie 127 Hours. Other Franco movies include Spider-man, City by the Sea, Oz the Great and Powerful, and the hilarious This Is The End. James received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last year, and he will be presenting his latest film, The Sound and the Fury, at the Venice Film Festival.

What is James Franco's new favorite book?

Yesterday he tweeted and posted on Instagram, "My new Favorite book: The Long Home by William Gay. Check out the piece on VICE: http://www.vice.com/read/i-love-william-gays-the-long-home-851."

From Amazon.com blurb: Set in rural Tennessee in the 1940s, 'The Long Home' will bring to mind once again the greatest Southern novelists and will haunt the reader with its sense of solitude , longing, and the deliverance that is always just out of reach.

You can like James on Facebook and follow him on Twitter and Instagram.  You also may want to check out his ice bucket challenge video!

Chris Bauer

Photo from @realchrisbauer

 

HBO's True Blood is one of my all time favorite series, and Chris Bauer is a huge reason. Bauer plays Sheriff Andy Bellefleur on True Blood, and he just cracks me up. You also may have seen Chris in television shows such as Unforgettable, The Wire, and Third Watch. Also catch him on WE TV's The Divide. Bauer's movies include 8MM, The Devil's Advocate, and Snow White: A Tale of Terror.


What is Chris Bauer reading?

I asked Chris what his favorite and current reads were. Chris answered on Twitter, "current read 'war of art' by steven pressfield @SPressfield  favorite book: 'crime and punishment' #readmoreeveryday."

Thank you, Chris, for promoting literacy with me!

You can follow Chris on Twitter and like his Facebook fan page!

Rob Thomas

Photo from @thisisrobthomas

 

Rob Thomas is a solo artist and the lead singer and songwriter of Matchbox Twenty. Thomas also earned three Grammy awards for his song with Carlos Santana, "Smooth." Matchbox Twenty has many hits including "Push," "3 AM" and "How Far We've Come." Thomas's solo hits include "Lonely No More" and "Someday." The Matchbox Twenty Collection was recently released on ITunes.

Rob and his wife, Marisol, created the Sidewalk Angels Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps needy people in and around big cities of America.

What is Rob Thomas reading?

Rob recently tweeted, "This is what I'm reading now for those asking. "

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE by Neil Gaiman. Who doesn't love Gaiman? Thanks for sharing, Rob!

You can find more about Rob at www.robthomasmusic.com and follow him on Twitter.

Here's a classic hit from Matchbox Twenty.

Matthew McConaughey

 

Alright, alright, alright! Yep, got McConaughey on here finally. Matthew McConaughey is one of my all time favorite actors that started the moment I saw him as Jake Brigance in A Time to Kill. Since then he has made so many great movies. I was so happy to see him win an Academy Award for Dallas Buyer's Club. Excellent acting and important movie. Other faves you need to watch him in are the classic Dazed and Confused, dramatic Amistad, fun Magic Mike, and even his small part in The Wolf of Wall Street was amazing. The HBO series, True Detective, just came out on DVD and that series had me hooked start to finish. Check it out!

What has Matthew McConaughey been reading?

Two weeks ago Matthew posted this on his WhoSay account.

"Just read WHITE MAN'S PROBLEMS by Kevin Morris. Great read. Go get it."

 

From amazon.com:

In nine dazzling stories bouncing between nouveau riche Los Angeles and the working-class East Coast, Kevin Morris explores the vicissitudes of modern life.

 

You can like Matthew on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

Here's a snippet of an early Matthew for your enjoyment.

And top MMc performances according to mojo.com (from 2010 so newer performances not on here!)

 

 

Josh Todd

Photo from @jtbuckcherry

 

Josh Todd is the amazing frontman of rock band, Buckcherry. Buckcherry is known for their hit songs "Lit Up," "Crazy Bi@#$," "Sorry," and from their last album, "Gluttony."

Josh has appeared in movies such as "The Banger Sisters," "The Salton Sea" and "The New Guy." His TV guest appearances include The Shield and Bones. Buckcherry is currently touring Europe. Check here for tour dates. I've seen them eight times live; you need to check them out!

 Josh is also an avid reader.

What is Josh Todd reading?

Yesterday he tweeted, "Just finished "the good nurse" true story of Charles Cullen serial killer nurse, detectives are like rock stars to me, fascinating work."

You can follow Josh on Twitter and visit his website, www.joshtodd.fm.

Here's me and Buckcherry earlier this year.

I love this song and video, "Dreaming of You." Great summer song! Take a listen.

Bella Thorne

Photo from @bellathorne

Bella Thorne is one of the stars of Disney Channel's popular Shake It Up. You can see Bella in theaters now with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore in Blended. I recently read that she is set to costar in the movie adaptation of The Duff by Kody Keplinger!

Bella also penned a YA novel called Autumn Falls, and it comes out in November.

What is Bella Thorne reading?

According to the June 2, 2014 issue of Us Weekly, Bella is in the middle of the novel Fallen. She states, "I only do hardcover books."

Fallen is the YA fantasy novel by Lauren Kate.

You can follow Bella on Twitter and Like her on Facebook.

Here is her newest single, "Call It Whatever."

Mark Tremonti

Photo by me

Mark Tremonti is an amazing lead guitarist and singer. Mark is lead guitar in two popular rock bands - Creed and Alter Bridge. He is also lead vocals and guitar in his solo band, Tremonti. Mark Tremonti has won a Grammy with his band, Creed, for "With Arms Wide Open." Total Guitar magazine named Mark as the fourth greatest heavy metal guitarist of all time in 2011. Mark and his brother formed a website and record and production company called FRET 12 in 2008. I've seen all three of his bands live, and I love to watch him shred! Mark is currently on tour with Alter Bridge. Check out tour dates here.

Tremonti is an avid reader so I recently asked him on Twitter what his current read was.

What is Mark Tremonti reading?

Mark answered, "I'm in the middle of Wise Man's Fear at the moment."

Full title: The Wise Man's Fear: The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day Two by Patrick Rothfuss          


You can find out more about Mark at www.marktremonti.com, and follow him on Twitter.

I got to meet Mark before a Tremonti show!




Check out "Addicted to Pain" by Alter Bridge.

Oliver Hudson

Photo from @theoliverhudson

 

The handsome Oliver Hudson plays two completely different characters on Rules of Engagement and currently on Nashville. (Yes, he's the brother of Kate, son of Goldie. And he holds his own on both shows.) He played goofy Adam on Rules of Engagement from 2007-2013 and currently plays the guy you love to hate, Jeff, on Nashville. You can see him on the big screen on the recently released Walk of Shame.


What is Oliver Hudson's favorite book?

I asked him that last night on Twitter. His answer, "@kellypolark old man and the sea."

Good Hemingway pick, Oliver.

You can follow Oliver on Twitter where he recently tweeted his bare backside and fun pics from the set of Nashville.

Duff McKagan

Photo from @duffmckagan

Duff McKagan rocks. Duff was bassist in the original Guns N' Roses lineup with such huge hits as "Sweet Child O' Mine," "November Rain," and "Welcome to the Jungle." Guns N' Roses was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Duff recently reunited with Guns N' Roses last night at the Revolver Golden God Awards.

McKagan's band Velvet Revolver has released two hard rock albums and won a Grammy. Duff is rhythm guitarist and singer of another rock band, Loaded. I've seen Duff play live with both GnR and Velvet Revolver, and he's an amazing musician. Duff will be touring Europe this summer with his newest band, Walking Papers. Their debut album released in August of last year.

McKagan is also a writer. From 2008 - 2013, he wrote a regular column for SeattleWeekly.com.  He also occasionally wrote for espn.com. Duff released an autobiography in 2011 titled It's So Easy: And Other Lies.

What is Duff McKagan reading?

He tweeted this week, "My newest read. I've been waiting 20 years for this!" with this photo:

 

The Jet is the story of kickboxer Benny "The Jet" Urquidez.

                 

You can follow Duff on Twitter and like him on Facebook.

Nathan Fillion

Photo from @nathanfillion

 

Nathan Fillion is Richard Castle. I also love when he stops by The Soup on E!  Nathan starred as Captain Malcolm Rivers in cult hits Firefly and Serenity. You can catch Fillion on Castle on Mondays on ABC and in syndication on TNT.

Nathan cofounded Kids Need to Read to "improve the lives of disadvantaged children by providing inspiring book collections and engaging literacy programs to underfunded schools, libraries, and organizations across the United States." You can donate to Kids Need to Read here.

What was Nathan Fillion reading?

Yesterday Nathan answered just that and tweeted, "What is the last book you read?” Re-read Ex-Patriots. Sequel to Ex-Heroes. Zombies. Super heroes."

Cool pick. You can watch Nathan on Castle on Mondays on ABC and in syndication on TNT.

I love his commitment to reading! You can follow Fillion on Twitter.

Carrie Preston

Photo from @carriepreston

 

Yes, you've seen Carrie Preston. She portrays the spunky Arlene Fowler on one of my favorite shows, True Blood on HBO. She won an Emmy for “Guest Actress In A Drama” in 2013 for her recurring role as Elsbeth on The Good Wife. Carrie also plays Grace on Person of Interest playing the girlfriend of her real life husband, Michael Emerson.

What is Carrie Preston reading?

I asked Carrie just that on Twitter recently. She answered, "@kellypolark: What's your fav book/current read?”I'm reading #BeyondBlack by @Hilary_Mantel & loving it &loved the Goldfinch by #DonnaTartt."

Thanks so much, Carrie!

You can find out more about Carrie at www.carriepreston.com and follow her on Twitter.

Here's a little fun from True Blood.

Gerard Way

Photo from @gerardway

 

Gerard Way is one creative individual. Gerard was the lead singer of rock group My Chemical Romance for 12 years until they disbanded last year.  My Chemical Romance has produced many hit songs from four studio albums including "I'm Not Okay," "The Ghost of You," "Welcome to the Black Parade," "Famous Last Words"(my favorite), and "Sing." My Chemical Romance's Greatest Hits album will be released in a few weeks. Check out the Greatest Hits trailer featuring the song "Fake Your Death" here.

Gerard Way is also an author. He has written a comic novel series titled The Umbrella Academy. He is featured with Joss Whedon in MySpace Dark Horse Presents collections. Way also co-wrote a comic book miniseries, The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, that was released last year.

What is Gerard Way reading?

On Sunday he tweeted, "Finished Dune.So now I'm either going to read the rest of the series right away or hit some other sci fi classics first."

Yesterday Way tweeted, "More than halfway through Dune Messiah, Muad'Dib has mad haters."
And then, "To anyone reading Dune,I hope you are enjoying it as much as I did.After Messiah I may check out a different Sci Fi classic before 'Children."

Just this afternoon, Gerard tweeted, "So I just finished Dune Messiah. Great ending, off to 'Children."
And check out this photo he posted of his sci-fi books on Instagram!


Pretty cool picks, G.

You can follow Gerard on Twitter where he frequently shares his musings and art.

Now blast this to the back row.
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Jennifer Morrison

Jennifer Morrison is on your TV. The beautiful actress from Illinois currently portrays Emma on ABC's Once Upon a Time. Before that, she played Ted's love interest and rival in How I Met Your Mother and as Allison on House. Jennifer also played Winona Kirk in Star Trek in 2009. New episodes of Once Upon a Time start again on Sunday March 9.

What is Jennifer Morrison's favorite book?

According to the December 12, 2011 issue of Us Weekly, Jennifer's favorite book is a tie between THE GREAT GATSBY and EAST OF EDEN.  Also according to Us Weekly, Jennifer's costar Ginnifer Goodwin gifted Jennifer the complete works of Grimm's Fairy Tales five years before they starred together in Once Upon a Time!

Jennifer's "Book of the Week" on her Facebook page in mid-February was SUSAN SONTAG: THE COMPLETE ROLLING STONE INTERVIEW written by Jonathan Cott.

You can follow Jennifer on Twitter  and like her on Facebook.

Scott Ian

Photo from @scott_ian

Scott Ian is most commonly known as guitarist for metal band Anthrax. Ian has also shredded in The Damned Things, Stormtroopers of Death, and Pearl (with his wife, Pearl Aday). Scott was the host of the Rock Show on VH1 and in various VH1 specials. Ian is currently on a "Speaking Words" tour where he tells entertaining stories of his rock life. Check tour dates here.


Yesterday Scott kindly participated in a Reddit AMA for his "Speaking Words" tour of America. I asked him what his favorite book or current read was.

What is Scott Ian reading?

Scott answered, "Currently reading Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. Hard to pick a favorite all time book."

Thank you, Scott!! You rock! Read the rest of the Reddit here.

Check out Scott's website, and follow Scott on Twitter.

Here's a classic Anthrax song!

Al Yankovic

Photo from @alyankovic

 

Weird Al has entertained us for over thirty years with his clever parodies and books. Some favorites include "Eat It," "Smells Like Nirvana," and "Perform This Way." Yankovic also pens original material on his many albums. He is an author of two children's books: When I Grow Up and My New Teacher and Me. Yes, I've seen him in concert, and yes, I even own one of  his books!

What is Al Yankovic reading?

Al tweeted this week, "Really enjoying @bjnovak’s book “One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories.” The stories are just okay, but the OTHER stories are amazing!"


You can check out Al's website, and follow him on Twitter.

Enjoy one of my faves.

Flea

Flea is the bassist and cofounder of the popular rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers. The Chili Peppers' popularity has spanned thirty years, and they have won six Grammy awards. Their many hits include "Give It Away," "Scar Tissue," and "Snow (Hey, Oh.)" RHCP recently played an amazing set with Bruno Mars at the Super Bowl which led to a controversy about their guitars being unplugged during the performance. Read Flea's very eloquently written message about that here.

What is Flea reading?

A few days ago Flea tweeted, "finished 'eleven rings' by @PhilJackson11 and it got me inspired and full hope!"

Blurb from amazon.com:
Eleven times, Jackson led his teams to the ultimate goal: the NBA championship—six times with the Chicago Bulls and five times with the Los Angeles Lakers. We all know the legendary stars on those teams, or think we do. What Eleven Rings shows us, however, is that when it comes to the most important lessons, we don’t know very much at all. This book is full of revelations: about fascinating personalities and their drive to win; about the wellsprings of motivation and competition at the highest levels; and about what it takes to bring out the best in ourselves and others.

Excellent recommendation -sounds like an inspiring read!

You can follow Flea on Twitter and like him on Facebook.

Enjoy a rockin' song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers!

Peter Mayhew

Photo from @thewookieeroars

Welcome Star Wars fans! Everybody's favorite Wookiee is featured today at BOOK RECS OF THE ROCK AND FAMOUS! Yes, Peter Mayhew, who portrays Chewbacca in four of the Star Wars films, shared his book picks with us.

I asked Mayhew on Twitter what his favorite books were.

His answer, ".@kellypolark Well, I'm rather fond of the two children's books I authored... http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/peter-mayhew?dref=1546&keyword=peter+mayhew …"

Peter Mayhew is the author of Growing Up Giant and My Favorite Giant.

Congrats on your books with Bluewater Productions , Peter!

You can follow Peter on Twitter and visit his website!

Here's the Wookie who wrote the bookies!

Trista Sutter

Did you see Trista Sutter, the original bachelorette, on the cover of People magazine this week with her beautiful family? We met her as a contestant on the very first Bachelor, and she then became the very first Bachelorette on the popular ABC series. She met her husband of ten years, Ryan Sutter, on the show, and they now live in Colorado with their two children. Trista has also appeared on Dancing with the Stars and Fear Factor. Her new book, Happily Ever After: The Life-Changing Power of a Grateful Heart, was released in November.

What does Trista Sutter read to her kids?

I asked just that to Trista on Twitter and congratulated her on her new book. She answered, "thank you! Hoping it fills the world with more gratitude! Hard?! Mark Ludy books, classic dr Seuss, Llama Llama, dream big pig."

Great picks for little ones!! Thank you, Trista!

You can find out more about Trista at her website, and follow her on Twitter.

Gene Simmons

Photo from @genesimmons

Gene Simmons is the cofounder, singer, and bass guitarist for the iconic rock band, Kiss. He was the only child of a German Nazi concentration camp survivor and came to America at age 8.  Gene, his wife, and two children starred in the A&E television series, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, for nine seasons. And of course you know Kiss for their rock music with hit songs like "Rock and Roll All Nite," "Shout It Out Loud," "Forever," and "Psycho Circus." They are also known for their mega-marketing. Kiss merchandise is everywhere! Did you see the new Hello Kitty Kiss items? Gene also recently opened a new restaurant franchise called Rock & Brews and is part owner of the new arena football team aptly named LA Kiss! And finally Kiss is being inducted in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame this year!

What is the best book according to Gene Simmons?

I asked him just that last week and he tweeted back, "THE BIBLE. BEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN...@kellypolark: @genesimmons Hi Gene! What is your favorite book or current read? Thanks!"

This tweet was retweeted about 200+ times and led to some discussion with Gene about the bible.

"NO. BUT THE BIBLE ROCKS, ANYWAY...JerryYWFN: @genesimmons @kellypolark So you're a religious guy?"

And then "PERHAPS..MOSTLY THOUGH, IT HAS SOME GOOD IDEAS, LIKE DON'T MURDER..@MissPriss1950: @genesimmons @kellypolark AMEN , THE BIBLE IS GOD'S WORD.

Thanks for answering your fans, Gene! You rock!
Check out Gene's new website, and you can follow him on Twitter.

Here's a Kiss video for your viewing pleasure.