Josh Brolin, an Oscar-nominated actor, said he has been writing for years and has filled nearly 90 journals with stories, plays and poems that fill three trash cans at his home. However, his new memoir was only the first book he attempted to publish.

On Thursday, residents and fans gathered at Chaucer’s Books on State Street in Santa Barbara to hear him read excerpts from the memoir “From Under the Truck.”

Brolin said his new book is not the traditional memoir in which he details his life from film to film or marriage to marriage. He chose to show the messy side of life and show that people can come out the other side.

“It is not intended to be a sacrificial book at all. People perceive my life as one particular thing, which is usually really inaccurate,” he said.

The book covers his time growing up in Montecito, his relationship with his mother, and his participation in various groups during what he described as a “destructive time.”

Brolin said his motivation for organizing the meeting at Chaucer’s came from his history with the store and its owners.

His connection to Chaucer’s books dates back to the 1980s, when he lived in the Santa Barbara and Montecito area. The gig was Brolin’s idea and something he wanted to do himself as a long-time fan of the store.

Brolin grew up hiding his love of bookstores from his friends. As a kid growing up in the punk rock scene, he kept things like his love of reading and the band Journey to himself.

“My solace was reading, and I would hide in bookstores and do my thing,” Brolin said. “I was here from 1979 to 1984, and then when we moved back we immediately came to Chaucer’s.”

A group of more than 40 people filled the bookstore entrance waiting for Brolin’s appearance. During the event, he read from his book, answered questions and concluded the evening by signing copies for the audience.

During the performance, Brolin read excerpts from his life. The reports also included the story of his mother hanging around gas stations in her denim jacket and jokingly harassing truckers twice her size.

Other stories described how he taught his daughter to swim or how he and his friends first took drugs as teenagers.

Brolin said writing the book and telling its stories is part of a phase in his life where he wants to try new things and experiment. His goal for the future is to write more, direct, and take on more dangerous acting roles.

“I know there was a mentality shift in what I wanted to put out and I want it to be memorable for me,” Brolin said.

Jen Lemberger, co-owner of Chaucer’s Books, said the store tried not to go overboard when it announced Brolin’s appearance. Instead, the bookstore presented the event as a meeting with a local writer.

“This happens to be a local author and actor, so he’s really focused on his memoir and his book page, as opposed to his acting, which is clearly part of his memoir,” Lemberger said.

Chris Shrake, who attended the event with a friend, said he found out about the gig through Instagram.

“I think Josh’s local connection and the time he spends in Montecito kind of brings it home,” he said.