Hot Girls Read: Books to Kickstart your Reading Arc

By: Brooke Erickson

Walking into Barnes and Noble, or any bookstore, can be intimidating. Where do you even start? With the vast conglomerate of recommendations from ‘booktok’, whose to say what’s really worth spending your money on. Now, reading is incredibly subjective; what sticks with you may not impact someone else in the same way, and that’s perfectly fine. But like all hobbies, reading can be expensive. And I don’t know about you, but unfortunately, I’ve been led astray time and time again with a new book on my shelf collecting dust and sans $20 in my bank account. While I’m sure those books will reach me when they are meant to, there is nothing like a book you simply cannot put down. Here’s a short list of my personal recommendations that I believe are truly worth the hype; Across varied genres, these are the stories that lingered, leaving me thinking about them for weeks after I turned the last page.

Daisy Jones and The Six

Starting strong, Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid has to be my all-time favorite book, hands down. Set in the 1970s Los Angeles Music scene, we follow the titular band on its rise to success and subsequent downfall, exploring themes of love, addiction, infidelity, and the pitfalls that come with artistry. Narrated through a documentary style format, this book is so immersive. You will absolutely want to read it in one sitting, taking breaks only to cry of course. If you’re a fan of Fleetwood Mac, Rock N’ Roll, and stories centering on womanhood, I cannot recommend this book enough. Sidenote: The tv show on Amazon Prime is one of the best adaptations I’ve ever seen. So once you’re done reading, you can treat yourself with the visuals (and a full soundtrack!)

Paris: The Memoir

I read this in one sitting, and you will too. Trust me, you do not have to be a Paris fanatic (or part of the ‘sliving-fam’) to get hooked into this story. Offering a candid look into 2000s icon Paris Hilton’s life, following her from birth until the present day, she reveals not only the harsh truths that come from living life in the spotlight as the OG ‘influencer’, but also her experience with the troubled teen industry. Switching between past and present perspectives, as well as interpolating her innermost thoughts and narration, this is a book that makes you forget you are reading. I cannot explain how intense and deeply personal her accounts of the TTI industry are; I found myself on the edge of my seat through multiple chapters. Challenging her persona vs personhood, Paris serves as a commentary on celebrity culture, privacy, and the early digital age, making it relevant for anyone who lived through or romanticizes that era. 

Everything I Know About Love

This is one of those books you sip slowly; Following Dolly Alderton from her adolescence to her early 30s, we explore themes of female friendship, love of course, and self-discovery, all coated in a tone of icy wit and humor. Effortlessly quotable and relatable, Dolly has the ability to make you cry and hold your hand through it. This is popular for a reason, with just the right amount of storytelling mixed with advice you can live by. This is a must-read for every girl in her 20s. The last 100 pages had me curled into myself so tight as if I could somehow hug my inner child. I’ve since lent this book to multiple friends, and we’ve all drawn the same consensus of adoration. This book is comforting from cover to cover.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

I’m really a sucker for the sub-genre of fictional memoirs. I’m sure you’ve heard of this book, even if you are not a regular in bookish circles. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo made its rounds in culture when it topped the NYT bestseller list, and I’ll say it truly lives up to the hype. Centering on a fictional 1950s Hollywood starlet, this is another stellar story by Taylor Jenkins Reid that follows its titular character from her rise of fame to her final days. This book broke my heart again and again, and many times over, considering I’ve given it 7 rereads. The pacing is fast but addictive as you uncover more and more of Evelyn’s most personal secrets and faults. Sprinkled with nuanced pieces of advice, shaped by Evelyn’s somewhat twisted perspective, you will walk away from this book with cracks in your heart and a new outlook on fame, PR, and true love.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Classics are undoubtedly the most intimidating of books to sink your teeth into. Especially if you are just beginning your reading journey, any books that articulate themselves in the way of old English can halt your reading journey before you even get started. The Picture of Dorian Gray, however, I found, is a great way to ease yourself into classics. Following a young man who exchanges his soul to remain eternally youthful, through his portrait, which ages to reflect his moral corruption, this book explores themes of hedonism, superficiality, and the relationship between art and life. I found this book lyrical but easy to understand, and further, fun to look through with a modern lens. 

Ghosts

Can you tell I love Dolly Alderton? This time around, she formulates a fictional coming-of-age story, or rather, coming of childbearing age in an era where ‘ghosting’ is quite common and relatively socially acceptable. Focusing on the modern dating scene, Dolly perfectly encapsulates the trials and tribulations that come with womanhood in your late 20s and 30s, particularly as the chronically single friend. Diving into themes of self-identity amidst societal pressure, family dynamics, and most of all romantic love, she autopsies the frustrations of feeling like you are running out of time but not wanting to settle. Hitting you right in the heart, I adore Dolly’s writing style, as she takes broad concepts and perfectly articulates them into the most relatable and heartwrenching prose.  

The Girls

This book is an acid trip, and I loved every second. Taking place in 1960s California, this coming-of-age story follows Evie Boyd as she reflects on her infatuation with a group of girls that entrapped her into a Manson-Like cult. Experiencing a dangerous mix of early 70s freedom, rebellion, and impending doom, the events and twists of this story are jaw-dropping to say the least and mesmerizing to put it lightly. With incredibly flowery and imagery-heavy writing, this book can feel contentious to some readers- I personally found it to be so incredibly cinematic and immersive. Evie’s inner monologue is just the right amount of descriptive while still maintaining a 14 year olds voice and perspective. You begin to truly understand what could make a young, neglected person turn to a dangerous crowd. If you’re looking for a hazy summer read with a viscous tone and biting characters, please give this one a try. You won’t regret it.

The Cruel Prince

OK, I fear this is the most divisive recommendation on this list- HEAR ME OUT. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black was one of the OG y/a fantasy books to circulate on BookTok; it truly was there at its inception. The overall consensus is you either love it or hate it; clearly, I belong to the former. Either way, this book sticks with you. Taking place in a Faerie world, this is a heavily political fantasy with romance elements. While romance is not at the forefront- I’ve read fantasy series after fantasy series, and nothing has given me the same buzzy feeling as Cardan and Jude- the inventors of enemies to lovers. The plot is intricate, the worldbuilding is beautiful, and the writing style is addictive. If you are looking to get into fantasy, I cannot recommend this book enough. (PS. Part 2 is when the action really starts, you won’t regret it!)

Final Thoughts

For more recommendations, sources such as Reese Witherspoon's book club and Library Science- a book club by Kaia Gerber and Alyssa Reeder- offer an abundance of great reads worth checking out. 

These particular books are perfect to remedy a book slump or kickstart your reading journey, however, I’ve always thought the act of collecting books to be akin to collecting wine- while there are many you can down without a moment to reflect, the majority are meant to be sipped slowly, and more importantly, they will find you when the time is right. The most peace can be found from slow indulgence and consistency. Happy reading!