THE WAY WE LIVED THEN: RECOLLECTIONS OF A WELL-KNOWN NAME DROPPER

Most people's scrapbooks invite a yawning ''isn't that interesting'' from others. But then, most people haven't lived the life of novelist Dunne, who has included photographs, telegrams, and party invitations in this gossipy, casually written memoir chronicling his days in Hollywood during the '50s and '60s. Detailing everything from Frank Sinatra's infamous temper to his own descent into depression, Dunne mixes the serious and the surreal, and ultimately neither he nor his hard-boozing friends come off as particularly likable. But their tempestuous ways and Dunne's self-deprecation make them, and this slim volume, riveting nonetheless. B+ -- Rebecca Ascher-Walsh