ET's picks for the best books to read (or listen to) right now.
So if you're looking for more books to read or fall in love with, scroll down to shop ET's picks below.
CELEBRITY MEMOIRS AND BIOGRAPHIES
Things I Should Have Said by Jamie Lynn Spears
Out Jan. 18, 2022. Britney Spears' younger sister, Jamie Lynn, tells all in her upcoming memoir about her life in front of and out of the spotlight. The impending release of the book has spawned debate over what may or may not be included regarding the elder Spears. "'THINGS I SHOULD HAVE SAID' has been in the works for quite a longggg time now. Back In 2017, after Maddie’s life changing accident, I felt a strong conviction to share my story," Jamie Lynn wrote in October during her book cover reveal on Instagram, referring to the near-fatal ATV accident her then-8-year-old daughter experienced. "But there was a lot of personal work and healing that had to happen before I could share my truth the proper way. I've spent my whole life believing that I had to pretend to be perfect, even when I wasn’t, so for the first time I am opening up about my own mental health." Jamie Lynn said that writing the book "challenged me to have to be painfully honest with myself, and face a lot of hard things, that I normally would have just glossed right over, like I was taught to."
Rebel Homemaker: Food, Family, Life by Drew Barrymore
Out Nov. 2. Barrymore goes inside the kitchen in her latest book, which includes 36 recipes -- from soft-scrambled yuzu kosho eggs to brie and apple grilled cheese to harissa spaghetti dishes -- which the talk show host developed alongside chef Pilar Valdes. It'll also feature photos taken by Barrymore, as well as personal essays and stories about how the actress found her way in the kitchen, learned to cook, planted a garden and raised chickens.
Unprotected: A Memoir by Billy Porter
The Emmy, GRAMMY and Tony-winning actor goes deep on race, sexuality, art and healing in his intimate memoir, Unprotected.
This Must Be the Place: Dispatches and Food From the Home Front by Rachael Ray
Out Nov. 9. Written from her kitchen at her home in Upstate New York during quarantine, Ray reflects on 2020 through a series of 16 personal essays about what she has been through, life, loss and lessons learned, along with over 120 recipes for memorable home-cooked meals that will satisfy any appetite.
Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand
Royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand detail the lives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, their decision to step down as working members of the royal family and their journey to build a life out on their own. The international bestseller includes photos spanning from early in their relationship to moments with Archie.
Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci
The memoir from the actor and foodie serves as an intimate and charming look at life in and out of the kitchen. In the latest book, Tucci recalls growing up in Westchester, New York; filming Big Night and Julie & Julia; and falling in love with his wife.
Unfinished by Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Chopra Jonas gets candid in her debut memoir, Unfinished, where she opens up about her childhood in India; overcoming racism, bullying and sexism; needing corrective surgery for a botched nose job; and her marriage to Nick Jonas. She even dives into how her late father would've felt about her relationship. The 38-year-old actress admitted to ET she was "terrified" with the idea of opening up about her life in a book: "I did not expect to be scratching beneath the surface as much as I did."
The Beauty of Living Twice by Sharon Stone
The 63-year-old actress doesn't hold back in her latest memoir, The Beauty of Living Twice, where she openly addresses the physical abuse she says she endured as a child, her debilitating stroke in 2001, unknowingly undergoing breast implant surgery, temporarily losing custody of her eldest son and claims she was misled about the infamous Basic Instinct scene. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Stone admits she lost her "radiance" after suffering her stroke. "It's a radiance and a magnetism and I think that it comes from confidence too. When you're in this kind of business that we're in, they start telling you that you don't have it anymore, and you start believing it."
Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile
The six-time GRAMMY winner chronicles her life in Broken Horses, from her start at a local singing competition to the experiences as an openly gay teenager that shaped her. The memoir also details her rise to success, including her first break as an opening act for Dave Matthews Band to the present day, all while raising two children with her wife, Catherine Shepherd.
Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life by Julianna Margulies
The ER and Good Wife alum reflects on her life and career in Sunshine Girl, from her unconventional upbringing as a daughter of divorced parents, complicated relationships and Hollywood rejections.
Yearbook by Seth Rogen
Rogen's Yearbook is a collection of personal essays where the Pineapple Express and Superbad writer discusses his grandparents, doing stand-up comedy as a teenager, bar mitzvahs, Jewish summer camp, doing drugs and his adventures in Los Angeles.
Brat: An '80s Story by Andrew McCarthy
The '80s Brat Pack star focuses his memoir, Brat: An '80s Story, on his most formative years as a young Hollywood actor orbiting the same world as then-rising stars Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez and Demi Moore. McCarthy writes about his time living in New York City in the '80s, from scoring loose joints in Washington Square Park to skipping school in favor of the movie arthouses of the Village where he fell in love with films that would change his life.
The Wreckage of My Presence by Casey Wilson
A collection of essays, the Happy Endings and Black Monday star writes about modern-day womanhood and motherhood, reflects on the not-so-typical family that made her who she is and why lowbrow pop culture is the best lens through which to examine human nature.
Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption and Hollywood by Danny Trejo
Trejo reveals how he managed the horrors of prison, rebuilt himself after finding sobriety and spirituality in solitary confinement, and drew inspiration from the adrenaline-fueled robbing heists of his past for the film roles that made him a household name.
You Got Anything Stronger? by Gabrielle Union
A follow-up to her 2017 memoir, We're Going to Need More Wine, Union writes about her life since then -- becoming a mother, raising two daughters, husband Dwyane Wade's NBA retirement and her expanding career. In the upcoming book, she also details her surrogacy journey and the birth of daughter Kaavia, as well as opens up about racial inequities experienced in the entertainment industry.
FROM PAGE TO SCREEN
Life Is Better With Friends by Micol Ostow
Out Nov. 2. The 40-page picture book is perfect for the big Friends fan in your friend group or family. Revisit the best memories with adorably drawn Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Ross and Joey in iconic settings like Central Perk, Rachel and Monica's apartment and even key characters like Marcel the Monkey.
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
The first in a series of popular YA mystery novels, One of Us Is Lying premiered on Peacock with a TV adaptation overseen by Elite's Dario Madrona. The series tells the story of what happens when five high schoolers walk into detention and only four make it out alive. Everyone is a suspect and everyone has something to hide. Jennifer Morrison directed the first episode.
Dune by Frank Herbert
Denis Villeneuve's reimagining of the sci-fi classic hit theaters and HBO Max on Oct. 22. Whether you've seen the movie or not, why not dive into the expansive world created by Herbert? The story follows Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet in the movie), heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness -- and worth killing for.
The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
With Bridgerton renewed through season 4 at Netflix, there's no excuse not to catch up on bestselling author Julia Quinin's popular romance novels and get a leg up on what's next for our favorite Regency-era family. Book 2 focuses on the romantic life of the eldest Bridgerton sibling, Anthony, as he embarks on a journey to find a wife. But unbeknownst to him, his life is about to be turned upside down when he crosses paths with the firecracker that is Kate Sheffield. While the Bridgerton series has updated the Sheffields to the Sharma family, there's no doubt in our minds the new Kate will give Anthony a run for his money.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Normal People's Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as Kya in the anticipated movie adaptation of Owens' bestselling debut novel, which will be executive produced by Reese Witherspoon. Kya raises herself in the marshes after she is abandoned by her family. After her ex-boyfriend is found dead, she becomes the prime suspect in his murder.
The House of Gucci by Sara Gay Forden
Adam Driver stars as Maurizio Gucci, while Lady Gaga plays his ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani in the upcoming biographical crime movie adaptation of Forden's 2001 nonfiction book, The House of Gucci. The film and novel follow the true story of the downfall of the Gucci family and the assassination of Maurizio, the former head of Gucci fashion, that was arranged by Reggiani. The movie is slated for a Nov. 24 release.
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
Amy Adams plays Dr. Anna Fox, an agoraphobic psychologist who befriends a neighbor across the street from her New York City brownstone, only to see her own life turned upside down when the woman disappears and she suspects foul play. Read the book before the long-awaited psychological thriller, directed by Joe Wright, drops May 14 on Netflix.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
If there was ever a book more appropriate for a quarantine read, it's Haig's magical Sliding Doors novel, Midnight Library, which was optioned in September for a potential film adaptation. It follows Nora Seed, a 30-something woman who finds herself at a major crossroads. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist, she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life -- and what makes it worth living in the first place.
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell star in the upcoming film adapted from Thorne's bestselling enemies-to-lovers romance novel, which follows nemeses Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company. Up for the same promotion, the pair embarks on a ruthless game of one-upmanship, a rivalry that is complicated by their growing mutual attraction. (Enjoy The Hating Game? Thorne's just released novel, Second First Impressions, is also worth a read.)
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer
Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones will star in an upcoming limited series adaptation for FX on Hulu of Krakauer's best-selling nonfiction book, where he investigates the origins of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the brutal double murder committed in the name of God by two Mormon Fundamentalist brothers, Ron and Dan Lafferty.
Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice
Based on a short story Rice wrote around 1968, her debut novel -- published in 1976 -- centers on vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac, who tells the story of his life to a reporter. It was adapted for the big screen in 1994 with Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Kirsten Dunst, and will be turned into a television series for AMC in 2022.
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
Based on the best-seller by Big Little Lies author Moriarty, Nine Perfect Strangers takes place at a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation as nine stressed city dwellers try to get on a path to a better way of living. Watching over them during this 10-day retreat is the resort's director, Masha (Nicole Kidman), a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies. However, these nine “perfect” strangers have no idea what is about to hit them. Melissa McCarthy, Michael Shannon, Luke Evans, Bobby Cannavale, Regina Hall, Samara Weaving and Manny Jacinto also star in the eight-episode limited series.
Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney
Hulu adapts Conversations With Friends, the debut novel by Normal People author Rooney, for a 2022 premiere. The story follows Frances (Alison Oliver), a 21-year-old college student, as she navigates a series of relationships that force her to confront her own vulnerabilities for the first time. Sasha Lane, Joe Alwyn and Jemima Kirke co-star in the BBC Three co-production.
POOLSIDE READS
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse A. Sutanto
Sutanto makes her debut with Dial A for Aunties, a novel that is part murder mystery, romantic comedy and a celebration of mothers and daughters, as well as a dive into the Chinese-Indonesian culture.
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Reid, best-selling author of Daisy Jones and the Six (soon to be a Hulu series) and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, drops her latest anticipated novel about four famous siblings who throw an epic celebratory end-of-summer party in 1983. But over the course of 24 hours, their lives will change forever.
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
The third book in Hibbert's bestselling Brown Sisters series, Act Your Age, Eve Brown follows the "flightiest" Brown sister as she tries to grow up and prove herself to her family. Through an act of fate, Eve bumps into bed and breakfast owner Jacob Wayne -- or more like breaks her way into his world -- and she tries to repay him for breaking his arm following their accident by helping around his understaffed b&b. But as all romances go, their iciness begins to thaw and the heat between them becomes increasingly harder to ignore.
The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Solomon's debut romance novel, The Ex Talk, follows two Seattle public radio hosts, Shay Goldstein and Dominic Yun, whose new show -- two exes delivering relationship advice live on air -- is one last desperate attempt to save the struggling station. The only problem? They're not actually exes. While Shay and Dominic feel guilt over lying to their listeners, it's difficult to ignore their immediate rapport and chemistry on the mic. And as their show rises in popularity, so do Shay and Dominic's attraction for each other. Yup, it's about to get messy.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
The author behind one of 2020's best novels, Beach Read, is back with her follow-up romance, People We Meet on Vacation. In this book, Alex and Poppy are best friends who couldn't be more different, live apart most of the year but vacation together every summer. She's a child child, he's more likely to stay home with a book. But an ill-fated final vacation two years ago strains their friendship forever. To make up for lost time, Poppy convinces her BFF to take one more vacation together to make things right. What could go wrong?
Rich as F*ck: More Money Than You Know What to Do With by Amanda Frances
While not your traditional celeb, Amanda Frances' book demystifies financial concepts to help readers learn how to rack up mad cash so they can live like a celebrity. If the New Year's resolution to increase your savings has fallen by the wayside, let money advice from Frances help get you back on track.
The Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewives by Brian Moylan
Who doesn't want to peel back the curtain behind Bravo's most popular reality franchise, The Real Housewives? Written by Vulture reporter Moylan, the book charts the rise of the franchise, starting from 2006 with the debut of The Real Housewives of Orange County to the expanded universe with spinoffs in New York, Atlanta, New Jersey, Miami, Potomac and more.
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