A collection of books recommended by Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon is easily one of Hollywood’s most recognisable names, a star of some of the most popular movies and television shows of the past few decades. Rising to prominence in the 1990s, she could be seen in movies like Cruel Intentions and Election before securing further acclaim in movies like American Psycho, Legally Blonde and Walk the Line.
Witherspoon continued her winning streak with roles in movies such as Wild and Inherent Vice, as well as stunning audiences with her performances in Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere.
However, when she is not busy acting or producing, you can find Witherspoon reading. Her love of literature inspired her to found Reese’s Book Club, with the actor picking out a book for subscribers every month. Due to the success of the book club, many of these titles have subsequently been adapted for the big screen, such as Daisy Jones and The Six.
But what are Witherspoon’s favourite books that she has championed through her book club? For starters, she absolutely loves Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, which she described as being about “Romance, mystery, murder and it all takes place in the breathtaking backdrop of the South.”
The book was adapted into a movie – directed by Olivia Newman and produced by Witherspoon – although it was negatively received. Despite the book’s major success, partially due to its inclusion in Witherspoon’s book club, it has been criticised for its stereotypical depictions of black characters.
However, a book that Witherspoon loves that explores race with much more precision is Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid. Released in 2019, the book explores a black woman’s experience of being wrongly accused of kidnapping a white child. Witherspoon said, “This story is a beautiful conversation starter about race, privilege, and work dynamics. I loved following the journey of these characters right up until the last page.”
The actor also picked out Susan Orlean’s The Library Book, released in 2018. The writer, who was played by Meryl Streep in the film Adaptation, explored the suspected case of arson that took place at the Los Angeles Central Library in 1986. Witherspoon said, “This book is like a love letter to libraries, and made me nostalgic for the long hours I used to spend there when I was a kid,” calling it “captivating”.
It wouldn’t be fair to leave out the first pick from Witherspoon’s book club – Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Set in Glasgow, the novel sees the titular character become infatuated with a famous singer, taking her love for him to unprecedented levels. Witherspoon asserts that the book is “beautifully written and incredibly funny,” adding, “Eleanor Oliphant is about the importance of friendship and human connection.”
Discover Witherspoon’s recommendations below.
Books recommended by Reese Witherspoon:
- Where The Crawdads Sing – Delia Owen
- Such A Fun Age – Kiley Reid
- The Library Book – Susan Orlean
- Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine – Gail Honeyman
- Little Fires Everywhere – Celeste Ng
- Happiness – Matthieu Ricard
- The Secrets We Kept – Lara Prescott
- Daisy Jones and The Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Fair Play – Eve Rodsky
- Catch and Kill – Ronan Farrow
- The Night Tiger – Yangsze Choo
- The Cactus – Sarah Haywood
- The Jetsetters – Amanda Eyre Ward
- Whisper Network – Chandler Baker
- One Day in December – Josie Silver
- This is How It Always Is – Laurie Frankel
- The Proposal – Jasmine Guillory
- Something In The Water – Catherine Steadman
- From Scratch – Tembi Locke
- The Giver of Stars – Jojo Moyes
- If You Think It, I’ll Say It – Curtis Sittenfeld
- The Last House Guest – Megan Miranda
- The Scent Keeper – Erica Bauermeister
- Conviction – Denise Mina
- Braving The Wilderness – Brené Brown
- The Light We Lost – Jill Santopolo
- The Other Woman – Sandies Jones
- Next Year in Havana – Chanel Cleeton
- The Paper Palace – Miranda Heller
- The Rules of Magic – Alice Hoffman
- Still Lives – Maria Hummel
- This is The Story of a Happy Marriage – Ann Patchett
- The Last Mrs. Parish – Liv Constantine
