14 Celeb-Loved Books to Read During Quarantine

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The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

More Than Enough by Elaine Welteroth

The Unexpected Spy by Tracy Walder

This is the true story of sorority girl Tracy Walder graduating from college and joining the CIA (and then later the FBI). Ellen Pompeo is a fan—so much so that she’s developing the book into a series for ABC. “Tracy Walder has a unique combination of immense courage along with compassion and humanity…This book will be an inspiration to anyone who picks it up,” Pompeo said.

Jay-Z Made In America by Michael Eric Dyson

Celebs including Queen Latifah, Tyler Perry, Common, Spike Lee, Al Sharpton and Tamron Hall love this book about Jay-Z‘s career written by sociology professor Michael Eric Dyson. “Jay-Z is one of the most remarkable figures of our time,” Perry shared. “I identify with him as a person who started poor but who rose high to conquer our realms on our own terms. This brilliant work probes every dimension of this iconic American original.” 

The Upside of Being Down by Jen Gotch

Ban.do founder and chief creative officer Jen Gotch shares how struggling with mental health issues has not stopped her from becoming a boss business woman in The Upside of Being Down. “[Gotch] shares her wisdom and unique perspective on life and offers advice she has learned through founding the joyful and optimistic lifestyle brand, Ban.do, and being a BOSS (who cries at work), but ALSO through her own struggles with mental illness, personal setbacks, and managing to come out on the other side with optimism firmly intact,” fan Busy Phillips said on Instagram. “She wrote a memoir disguised as a self-help book—or maybe she wrote a self-help book disguised as a memoir? Either way, as far as I’m concerned it’s required reading for 2020.”

That Was Awkward by Emily Flake

Looking for a laugh? Pick up That Was Awkward, a book of illustrations, observations, and advice by New Yorker cartoonist Emily Flake. Flake chronicles the hilarious awkwardness of two humans trying to connect, and Molly Ringwald can’t get enough. “It isn’t hard to recognize yourself—and everyone you know—in these hilarious portraits of awkward huggers,” Ringwald said. “Sincerely funny, sly and subversive, Emily Flake perfectly captures the plight of our perpetually embarrassing rituals of connection.”

Laugh Lines by Alan Zweibel

You’re going to have to practice some patience with this one: Laugh Lines doesn’t come out until April 14, 2020, but if its celeb endorsements from Larry David, Sarah Silverman, Judd Apatow, Steve Martin and more are any indication, you’re going to want to pre-order it ASAP. This memoir is about Alan Zweibel’s comedy career, from writing for Saturday Night Live to working on Curb Your Enthusiasm and more. He also interviews some of his famous friends in the book, like Sarah Silverman to Judd Apatow. “Alan Zweibel is the original man behind the man!” Silverman said. “I don’t have enough fingers to count how many people would not be where they are without Alan Zweibel. (I only have four fingers, but still…)”

The Terminal List by Jack Carr

Mercy House by Alena Dillon

Amy Schumer loves this novel about a group of nuns wanting to protect the safe haven they’ve built for the abused and abandoned, even though many of their methods are forbidden by the Catholic Church. She describes the book as “a life-altering debut featuring fierce, funny, and irreverent women who battle the most powerful institution in the world.” “This is the book we’ve all been waiting for,” she endorsed.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Seth Meyers is a huge fan of this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about World War II. It follows two children as they try to survive the devastation of the war. “If you’ve never read this book now is a great time not just because it’s wonderful but because there are a lot of short chapters so if you’re a parent thinking, ‘how the hell am I supposed to read a book with everything else going on,’ just know if you can find ten minutes you’re banging out a chapter maybe two, depending on how fast a reader you are,” Meyers said on Instagram.

Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson

My Dark Vanessa: A Novel by Kate Elizabeth Russell

Hex: A Novel by Rebecca Dinerstein Knight

If you’re looking for a new tome to sink into, Jenny Slate has an enthusiastic suggestion in this novel by author Rebecca Dinerstein Knight. “Peeking out to recommend that you spend time with this wonderful book by my friend @rebeccadinerstein,” she shared on Instagram. “I have my hardcover here and I can’t wait for you to have it too! It’s smart and very fun and a wonderful thing to read while you are at home and want to fill your mind with beautiful and perfect language, written by a brilliant sweetheart!” A powerful exploration of desire, ambition, and a tangled web of relationships that leads to a domino effect of affairs and heartbreak, Knight’s book was also a Vulture, LitHub, and PureWow Most Anticipated Book of 2020.

What Would Fashion Look Like If It Included All of Us? Illustrated by Alison Hawkins

What if a book could change the way we look at the world, and help those in need at the same time? That’s the goal with inclusive fashion retailer Universal Standard’s ‘What Would Fashion Look Like if it Included All of Us?’, which aims to dismantle stereotypes of beauty and let future generations redefine how they see the world. Not only does it share a great message, but 100% of the proceeds of the book will be donated to No Kid Hungry. Zac Posen shouted the book out on his Instagram, saying, “I have always been an advocate for diversity and inclusivity so it is my pleasure to share with you @universalstandard book ‘What Would Fashion Look Like If It Included All Of Us?’ 100% of profits donated to #SAVEWITHSTORIES in partnership with @savethechildren and @nokidhungry.” You can pre-order it now, or download a digital copy.