Let’s face it, celebrities are some of the worlds biggest influencers. From everything from fashion to skin care and makeup and every trend in between, everyone wants to try whatever a celebrity recommends. One thing that flies under the radar for Hollywood elite is how they can influence what’s on your bookshelf. Sure, you can read the New York Times and browse Bookstagram for what’s popular, but your curiosity might peak even more when you browse books that Reese Witherspoon or Gwyneth Paltrow have on their shelves. Here’s what some of your favorite celebs read recently!
Sarah Michelle Gellar / Broken People by Sam Lansky and Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner
Actress and major bookworm, Sarah Michelle Gellar is always sharing in her stories the books she’s enjoying and her summer reading list is starting off with a bang featuring Broken People by Sam Lansky and Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner. Broken People tells the story of a young man who signs up for a weekend with a popular shaman who deals with emotionally damaged people. Greenwich Park is a thriller about a woman who forms an unlikely friendship with a younger woman that is hiding a dark past.
Reese Witherspoon / Reese’s Book Club – Mean Baby by Selma Blair
Reese Witherspoon shared Hello Sunshine’s May 2022 Book Club pick: a selfie with a copy of Mean Baby by Cruel Intentions co-star Selma Blair. The memoir by Blair is an emotional and funny about Blair’s childhood, her battle with alcohol addiction, and her multiple sclerosis diagnosis.
Natalie Portman / Vladimir by Julia May Jonas
Actress Natalie Portman is definitely a bookworm and one of her May 2022 Instagram posts showed a clever selfie with Vladimir by Julia May Jonas. The literary fiction novel is about an English professor dealing with her husband being under investigation for inappropriate relationships with former students at a small liberal arts college. Our narrator also becomes infatuated with a young novelist named Vladimir.
image credit @adriannacosta
Adrianna Costa / Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding
International TV personality Adrianna Costa may be known for being an entertainment reporter and reality show host, but in May 2022 she posted a story on Instagram of the thriller Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding that she was enjoying in the sun. The novel by Harding is about two women who form an unlikely friendship while one of them is hiding a deadly and murderous past.
Gwyneth Paltrow / Goop – Other People’s Clothes by Calla Henkel
The Goop bookclub pick for March is Other People’s Clothes by Calla Henkel and Goop will be having a live discussion with Henkel regarding the thriller. This story is about a young woman named Zoe who decides to study abroad after the murder of her best friend and finds herself in Berlin with a fellow exchange student named Hailey. Soon, the two find themselves subletting an apartment owned by a mysterious author and Zoe begins to wonder if they are being watched.
Image Credit: @sarahjessicaparker
Sarah Jessica Parker – Desperate: An Epic Battle for Clean Water and Justice in Appalachia by Kris Maher
SJP is a bonafide bookworm and is frequently posting about books on her Instagram or just being photographed with books by the paparazzi. On a recent Instagram post, she congratulated Kris Maher on this book and said it reads like a thriller. Desperate is about an Environmental lawyer who believes the tap water in Mingo County could be causing health problems in the community for two decades.
Natalie Portman – The Dry Heart by Natalia Ginzburg
On a recent Instagram post, Portman posted her March bookclub pick of Dry Heart by Natalia Ginzburg, which was originally published in Italy in 1947 and recently republished. The story explores what drives the narrator to kill her husband.
Emma Roberts – Orwell’s Roses by Rebecca Solnit
Roberts is definitely a celebrity who has a ton of interest in books and reading. Recently, she brought along Orwell’s Roses by Rebecca Solnit as her vacation read. This nonfiction book is described as a reflection on George Orwell’s passion for gardening and how that affected his commitment as a writer, inspired by Solnit’s unexpected encounter with the roses Orwell planed in 1936.
Reese Witherspoon / Reese’s Book Club – The Club by Ellery Lloyd
Reese just has a knack for picking books, so I’m always curious to see what she picks for her book club choices, especially for thrillers. I mean, this the woman who gave us Gone Girl and Big Little Lies! Following her photo, Witherspoon described The Club as a beautifully written, densely plotted thrillers taking place at a private club off the coast of England.
Sarah Michelle Gellar – Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Ellie Cosimano
If you follow Sarah Michelle Gellar on Instagram, she’s a huge reader, especially of thrillers and often shares her recent reads in her stories. In a recent paparazzi shot, Gellar was running errands with the ever-popular Finlay Donovan Is Killing It clutched tightly to her chest. Not only am I a huge SMG fan, but I also can’t leave the house without a book close by because you never know when you’ll need it and Finlay Donovan is a perfect choice if you have some time to kill while you wait in between errands.
Image credit: @curtisleejamie
Jamie Lee Curtis – The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
While filming the upcoming Halloween Ends, Jamie Lee Curtis (the ultimate final girl) shared a picture of the Grady Hendrix novel The Final Girl Support Group – a novel about a support group for women who have survived massacres based on our favorite horror movies. Posing along with co-stars Andi Matichak and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards in marching t-shirts, Curtis proclaimed “We must have all read this book because at this moment…we are all still HERE and FINAL but come OCTOBER all bets are OFF!” After playing Halloween character Laurie Strode for over 40 years in the series, this is the perfect novel for Jamie Lee to have on her TBR!
Halle Berry – The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again by Catherine Price
“We’ve had 2 long years of being shut in and feeling collectively depressed and we fear there is no end in sight. If you wanna have some FUN and you want a FUN read, written by a FUNNY woman and you need something to stop your brain from cracking off + want easy, joyful ways to create more FUN….you might wanna get started with “The Power of FUN: How to Feel Alive Again” by Catherine Price right now!”
Katie Holmes – The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Katie recently shared on insta that she’s reading the modern classic The Alchemist. In the novel, a young shepherd embarks on a journey from Spain to the pyramids of Egypt after dreaming that he’ll find a treasure there. The story is allegorical and teaches readers to listen to their hearts and follow their dreams.
Image credit: @sarahjessicaparker
Sarah Jessica Parker – Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe
SJP’s first read of the new year is none other than Anderson Cooper’s celebrated memoir and family history. “A gem. A wildly surprising and detailed history of the Vanderbilt family and NYC. As a NY’er, completely absorbing but for everyone. No matter where this finds you.”
Image credit: @sarahjessicaparker
Sarah Jessica Parker – Very Cold People by Sarah Manguso
“I was so happy to read about the reception of this magnificent book which I carted around on a recent set. I hope all my fellow reader friends can find their way to this title either through their local library or independent bookseller. It is indeed special.”
Tinx – Going There by Katie Couric
Tinx started a bookclub this year where she aims to read memoirs and biographies of inspirational women. In Going There, Katie Couric shares what inspired her to become a journalist and the trials and obstacles she encountered on her journey to fame. The memoir reveals Couric’s experiences of sexism and insecurity in a male-dominated industry. She also shares the personal setbacks and traumas that affected her later in life. Offering advice, hope, and lessons to readers, Couric’s story is about finding success, hope, love, and happiness in a complicated world.
Natalia Portman – Sontag: Her Life and Work by Benjamin Moser
“I can’t wait to dive into @benjaminfmoser’s Sontag: Her Life and Work — which captures the complexities of Susan Sontag and the cultural legacy she left behind.”
Image credit: @betweentwobooks
Florence Welch – Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
Lead singer of the band Florence + the Machine, Florence Welch is less well known for the book club she started when a fan suggested she start one in 2012. Florence’s first winter book club pick of the new year is Her Body & Other Parties, a collection of short stories that puts women’s lived realities front and center. The stories in this collection deal with the embodied experience of women and the violence that is often enacted upon them.
Nicole Laeno – One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
“This is the book that got me hooked into reading and it holds a very special place in my heart.”
Lady Gaga – Long Division by Kiese Laymon
“@kieselaymon is one of my favorite authors on the planet. Thank you for these profound words in your novel “Long Division.” I wish everyone could read your heart, I feel blessed. I feel grateful for the opportunity to witness, to unlearn, and to try to change the way I live my life. Forever and ever.”
Goop – To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara
Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand, also has a bookclub! Gwyneth’s latest choice, To Paradise, fostered rave reviews from her followers. “I feel like I was smart enough to catch 50 percent of the connections in To Paradise. And I was 100 percent obsessed. An absolute masterpiece by one of the most special writers to ever do it. To everyone who read A Little Life and is wondering: You only need a couple tissues for this.” —goop’s vp of content
Leave A Comment