Our August Guest Editor Hannah Orenstein has always loved books – writing books, writing about books and reading them. The author of hits like Playing with Matches and Love At First Like, Hannah let us in on the books she loves. Find out what Hannah Orenstein reads.

Fear of Flying by Erica Jong

Fear of Flying captured the way an entire generation’s attitudes toward marriage and sex were changing. That always inspires me – and makes me wonder what the millennial version of her novel is or will be.

“A picaresque, funny, touching adventure of Isadora Wing… on the run from her psychoanalyst husband, in quest of joy and her own true self.” — New York Review of Books

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

I read The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan right before I started writing my first novel, and it was hugely motivational. That book helped me really grasp the idea that you can write about light, frothy topics in a way that’s smart and funny and exciting.

“In the grand tradition of Curtis Sittenfeld’s American Wife… A breezy, juicy novel that’s like The Princess Diaries with fewer made-up countries and more sex – the kind of book you can imagine Pippa sneaking into Kensington Palace.” ―Entertainment Weekly

The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir

More recently, I read The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir, and I really adored how thought-provoking, fresh and timely it felt. 

“Both timelessly beautiful and unbelievably timely.” — Chris Bohjalian, New York Times bestselling author of Midwives and The Flight Attendant  

*Disclosure: The links above are affiliate links. These picks are editorially selected, but if you purchase, She Reads may get something in return. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.