9 Books about TV You Need to Read

As a TV fanatic, I have always loved learning as much about the medium as I could. I love to read nonfiction, especially behind-the-scenes books about show business.
With the holidays approaching, I wanted to share 9 of my favorite books about TV with all of you! They make fantastic gifts! I've included show-specific books as well as books that cover entire genres or just look at how TV as a whole has shaped and reflected our culture.
If you have any books about TV you love, please share them with me! I still have a lot of books about TV on my "To Read" list, and I'd love to add more to it.
1. TV (The Book) by Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz

For almost every show, the duo writes an essay explaining why it deserves to be on the list, but they recognize that even their absolute favorites (The Simpsons and The Sopranos) have flaws. It's a great reference list for TV fans who want to watch as many classics as they possibly can.
2. Sitcom by Saul Austerlitz

Saul Austerlitz's Sitcom examines the history of the comforting sitcom by looking at 24 individual episodes of sitcoms, including I Love Lucy, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, M*A*S*H, Cheers, Seinfeld, Friends, and Community. The book can be a bit dense at times, but Austerlitz outlines how both the genre and the medium have grown over the years.
3. The War for Late Night by Bill Carter

4. Top of the Rock by Warren Littlefield and T.R. Pearson

Littlefield is critical of his successors at the network, which turned NBC into the lowest-rated network on television. He's not afraid to hold back in his critiques, making it a juicy read.
5. Difficult Men by Brett Martin

Martin uses his journalism background to discuss the difficulties of making these series in the cultural and historical context of the times. He also includes some tales that will probably make you wonder why anyone would want to work with some of these showrunners. Warning: there are significant plot spoilers throughout the book for all shows featured. However, if you are a fan of any of the shows listed above, it is a riveting peek at what many have declared as the newest Golden Age of Television.
6. Live from New York by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales

Live from New York is an oral history book with the biggest stars and creatives in the show's history. It was originally published in 2002, but it was updated in 2015 to include the show's historic 40th season. It's also a look at modern American history, taking readers through multiple presidents and major events like 9/11 through the lens of a comedic variety show.