What books does Quentin Tarantino recommend?
A filmmaker with an encyclopedic memory for cinema, Quentin Tarantino brings the same obsessive appetite to the page, and his book recommendations reveal the crime novels and film histories behind his work. The Oscar-winning director and author of Cinema Speculation has flagged 21 titles here, sourced from his conversations on 3 Books with Neil Pasricha, his own nonfiction, The Joe Rogan Experience, and press interviews. Society and politics, fiction, psychology, and history recur, with a heavy tilt toward hard-boiled crime. Mark Harris's Pictures at a Revolution is a top pick; Tarantino calls it "probably one of the best books I've ever read in my life." He is devoted to Edward Bunker, praising Little Boy Blue as "the best first-person crime novel I've ever read," and credits critic Pauline Kael with shaping his aesthetic. Having authored 13 books, he recommends as a working writer.
Last updated February 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
Pictures at a Revolution
Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood
byMark Harris
2008490 Pages“Probably one of the best books I've ever read in my life.”
— Quentin Tarantino
Source: 3 Books with Neil Pasricha
byEdward Bunker
1981324 Pages“The best first-person crime novel I've ever read.”
— Quentin Tarantino
Source: 3 Books with Neil Pasricha
byEdward Bunker
1973320 Pages“The best crime novel I have ever read.”
— Quentin Tarantino
Source: Introduction to the book
Read by Peter Thiel, Quentin Tarantino, Joe Rogan and 2 others
Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties
Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties
byTom O'Neill, Dan Piepenbring
2019528 Pages“Fantastic.”
— Quentin Tarantino
Source: The Joe Rogan Experience #1675
byLarry McMurtry
1972288 Pages“One of my favorite books of all time.”
— Quentin Tarantino
Source: Entertainment Weekly Interview
The Employment of Negro Troops
United States Army in World War II: Special Studies
byUlysses Lee
1966740 Pages“The most profound thing I've ever read on both the war and racist America of the 1940s.”
— Quentin Tarantino
Source: Radical Reads / Inglourious Basterds Press
I Lost It at the Movies
Film Writings, 1954–1965
byPauline Kael
1965365 Pages“I never really recovered... She was as influential as any director was in helping me develop my aesthetic.”
— Quentin Tarantino
Source: Cinema Speculation
byElmore Leonard
1992344 Pages“Leonard opened my eyes to the dramatic possibilities of everyday speech.”
— Quentin Tarantino
Source: The Guardian Interview
byElmore Leonard
2014304 Pages“I had always wanted to do an Elmore Leonard novel... I read it and I saw the movie.”
— Quentin Tarantino
Source: The Guardian Interview
byDavid Seltzer
1976272 Pages“It's really good.”
— Quentin Tarantino
Source: Cinema Speculation
byJim Thompson
2014224 Pages“I prefer the vicious tone of Thompson's book.”
— Quentin Tarantino
Source: Cinema Speculation
byJames Dickey
1970278 Pages“The novel is more expansive... the latter half of the novel hones in on the characters' stories, which I prefer.”
— Quentin Tarantino
Source: Cinema Speculation
The Hunter
A Parker Novel
byRichard Stark
2008208 Pages“Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction pulsate with the meanness of Stark.”
— Quentin Tarantino
Source: Cinema Speculation
byPeter O'Donnell
1965224 Pages“I've always been a huge Modesty Blaise fan.”
— Quentin Tarantino
Source: Pulp Fiction / Various Interviews
byColin Higgins
2015144 Pages“I didn't see Harold and Maude until about seven years ago, but I read [this book] in the 70's.”
— Quentin Tarantino
Source: 3 Books with Neil Pasricha
byLeni Riefenstahl
1993669 Pages“Her descriptions of normal friendly conversations with Hitler are amazing and ring of truth.”
— Quentin Tarantino
Source: Radical Reads
The Movie Brats
How the Film Generation Took Over Hollywood
byMichael Pye, Lynda Myles
1979273 PagesSource: Cinema Speculation
byDavid Morrell
2017336 PagesSource: 3 Books with Neil Pasricha
byRomain Gary
1970279 PagesSource: 3 Books with Neil Pasricha
byIan Ousby
1999384 PagesSource: Village Voice / Radical Reads
The Ministry of Illusion
Nazi Cinema and Its Afterlife
byEric Rentschler
1996480 PagesSource: Village Voice / Radical Reads
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Frequently asked questions
What books does Quentin Tarantino recommend?
His 21 recommendations include Pictures at a Revolution, Little Boy Blue, No Beast So Fierce, Chaos, and Rum Punch, weighted toward crime fiction and film history, with authors like Edward Bunker and Elmore Leonard recurring.
What is Quentin Tarantino's favourite book?
Mark Harris's Pictures at a Revolution is a top pick; Tarantino calls it "probably one of the best books I've ever read in my life." He also rates Edward Bunker's crime novels among the best he has read.
Where do Quentin Tarantino's book recommendations come from?
They come from his appearances on the podcast 3 Books with Neil Pasricha and The Joe Rogan Experience, his own book Cinema Speculation, and interviews with outlets like The Guardian and Entertainment Weekly.
Has Quentin Tarantino written any books?
Yes. The collection lists 13, including his film-criticism book Cinema Speculation, the novel Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and published screenplays such as Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and Django Unchained.
Which crime writers does Quentin Tarantino recommend most?
Edward Bunker and Elmore Leonard. He calls Bunker's No Beast So Fierce "the best crime novel I have ever read," and credits Leonard's Rum Punch with opening his eyes to "the dramatic possibilities of everyday speech."
All 21 Books Quentin Tarantino Has Recommended
- Pictures at a Revolution · Mark Harris
- Little Boy Blue · Edward Bunker
- No Beast So Fierce · Edward Bunker
- Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties · Tom O'Neill
- All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers · Larry McMurtry
- The Employment of Negro Troops · Ulysses Lee
- I Lost It at the Movies · Pauline Kael
- Rum Punch · Elmore Leonard
- The Switch · Elmore Leonard
- The Omen · David Seltzer
- The Getaway · Jim Thompson
- Deliverance · James Dickey
- The Hunter · Richard Stark
- Modesty Blaise · Peter O'Donnell
- Harold and Maude · Colin Higgins
- Leni Riefenstahl: A Memoir · Leni Riefenstahl
- The Movie Brats · Michael Pye
- First Blood · David Morrell
- White Dog · Romain Gary
- Occupation: The Ordeal of France 1940–1944 · Ian Ousby
- The Ministry of Illusion · Eric Rentschler