8 Fall Book Picks From A-List Bibliophiles

Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino

Portman is relatively new to the celebrity lit influencer scene. Her latest recommendation—an essay collection by New Yorker staff writer Jia Tolentino—wades into various contemporary quagmires like being real on Instagram, wedding culture and living in the age of the scam. 

Fleishman Is In Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

You probably know Brodesser-Akner from her peerless celebrity profiles (this Goop piece was a master class in the art of the subtle takedown). Her first novel—about a divorced man whose ex disappears just as he’s figuring out Tinder sex—is just as brilliant.

She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey

Kantor and Twohey are the two journalists who broke the Harvey Weinstein story for the New York Times. In their new book—which Kaling calls “important AND a page turner”—they tell the story behind the story that lead to the #metoo movement.  

Had It Coming by Robyn Doolittle

“Looking forward to reading Had It Coming by the indefatigable @robyndoolittle” is how the Queen of CanLit captioned this recent Instagram post. (“My new profile pic for life…” is how Doolittle responded in the comments) The book, an exploration of post #metoo culture, doesn’t shy away from the awkward conversations around accountability and redemption. 

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

The re-launch of Oprah’s celebrity book club is happening in partnership with the new Apple TV platform; for her first selection, Winfrey has tapped journalist and first time novelist Ta-Nehisi Coates (whose 2014 article on The Case for Reparations was a cultural game-changer). The genre-bending work (historical fiction meets sci-fi) took ten years to write—and a hot second to hit #1 on the NYT bestseller list. 

Beloved by Toni Morrison 

As part of her work with UN Women, Watson started Our Shared Shelf, a book club that explores important feminist writing from every era. This fall, her pick is a classic (and Oprah favourite) by the Nobel Prize-winning American author who died in August. Says Watson: "We feel the weight of a world without Toni Morrison in it. A brilliant novelist, editor, essayist and professor, we are fortunate that her prolific writings and interviews remain to console us, inspire us and set us straight."

The Dutch House by Anne Patchett

Few authors do intergenerational intrigue like the prize winning and prolific Patchett. (And few book lovers know inter-generational intrigue like Jenna Bush—granddaughter of George Bush Sr., daughter of W.)