Jenny Jin is the Beauty Director at PureWow whose love of books rivals her love of skincare. When she’s not writing and editing stories, she hosts a YouTube and Instagram Live series called “Outside In,” where she shares the backstories of beauty and wellness entrepreneurs.

As the host of the annual BookSparks Fall Reading Challenge, Jenny is sharing her Fall #ownvoices and must-read picks for her Fall book stack.


Intimations by Zadie Smith

In Intimations, Zadie Smith captures the uneasiness of our modern moment as she reflects on the COVID-19 pandemic and relates it to issues of privilege and inequity.


Emergency Contact by Mary HK Choi

When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch–via text–and soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to, you know, see each other.


When the Heart Waits by Sue Monk Kidd

In this inspiring autobiographical account of personal pain, spiritual awakening, and divine grace, the author blends her own experience with an intimate grasp of spirituality.


Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller

Part biography, part memoir, part scientific adventure, Why Fish Don’t Exist reads like a fable about how to persevere in a world where chaos will always prevail.


On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Poet Ocean Vuong’s debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, a first love and the redemptive power of storytelling.

See more of our picks for the most anticipated Fall #ownvoices books, an #amplifymelanatedvoices reading list and more inspiring book picks by women of color.