The best books about the fabulous—and painful—parts of fame

My favorite thing about this book is its realness and authenticity. I have been a fan of Curtis Sittenfeld’s work since reading Prep, her first book. This particular story follows the romance between a comedy writer, Sally, who doesn’t consider herself conventionally attractive, and a famous male singer, Noah. Sittenfeld based the show where Sally works on Saturday Night Live, which was an interesting touch.

This doesn’t feel like a fantasy or as if it could never happen, thanks to Sittenfeld’s relatable characters and situations. Instead, it uncovers the fun, sexy parts of dating a famous celebrity as well as the less-than fun-parts—such as when photos of the couple are shared in the media and Sally’s appearance is dissected by the public. Overall, this was a playful, quick read!

I always love it when a celebrity doesn’t hold back in their autobiography—and I feel Jessica Simpson delivered on this. Readers get the juicy stories behind her romances with famous men such as John Mayer and Tony Romo, along with her struggles with the media’s unrealistic beauty standards. 

As someone who has followed Jessica Simpson over the years, I enjoyed hearing about her childhood path to fame, her failed audition for The Mickey Mouse Club, and the actual reality behind her reality television show Newlyweds. I listened to this as an audiobook read by Jessica herself, which is always a fun touch with an autobiography. If you’re looking for a light-hearted escape with plenty of behind-the-scenes dirt, this is your bet.

This was an enjoyable read, first and foremost, because of Meg Cabot’s witty writing style—she always makes me chuckle. I also loved this young adult novel because the main character gets to temporarily experience a vastly different life. 

From Never Been Kissed, where Drew Barrymore’s twenty-something character goes undercover as a teenager, to Freaky Friday, where a mother and daughter trade places, I adore seeing characters live life in someone else’s shoes. That was a big part of why I wrote my book where Skye gets to trade in one life for another—even if it isn’t exactly by choice. 

In this book, the main character, Em, gets a true peek into the life of a celebrity, and she realizes all she really wants is to be herself. This is book one in a three-part series. I haven’t read the others yet, but they look just as fun. 

This was a compelling, fascinating read. Davis shares the story of her life, from her experiences with childhood poverty, abuse, and racism to her path into acting. 

I loved following along the steps she took to emerge from a challenging childhood to winning an Academy Award. It was also amazing to listen to the audiobook and hear Davis tell the story in her own voice. It is easy to see why this book was awarded a Grammy. It was one of my favorite books of the year. 

This unique book is a faux journalistic piece that was a fun read. It was interesting to imagine the drama that might go on behind the scenes of an iconic rock band, as Taylor Jenkins Reid does. The author used Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham as the inspiration for her novel, which has since been turned into a series on Amazon Prime. 

It was intriguing to watch how the bandmates found fame and how it changed their relationships and lives. This book was written from the perspective of a journalist instead of from one of the band members, which was an interesting touch.