The idea of summer reading lists was obviously put together with vacation in mind.
This was great and all when I was still in school and had months of spare time to do whatever the heck I want, but any working woman (or man) in L.A. knows there’s really no such thing as downtime. Even on vacation, we’re always still kind of working, always obsessing over what everyone is doing on social media, trying to fit in a workout—basically, anything to prevent us from focusing on one thing.
So, that said, if I’m going to get any reading done this summer, the selections must be ones I can plow through effortlessly, that don’t take a lot of deep thinking and that I can find relatable.
I have found all of the above in my summer reading picks of 2017, which I just can’t put down. Check ’em out below!
1. According to a Source – Abby Stern
This book hits close to home. As a former celebrity gossip reporter (during a peak time when social media was limited and the hunt for real A-listers [think TomKat, Brangelina, Robsten] was never ending), I remember trying to sneakily stalk people and uncover hidden Hollywood truths. According to a Source follows the life of undercover reporter Ella Warren, who plows through Tinseltown’s hottest haunts and brushes elbows with the rich and famous, all for the sake of a story. Thanks to technology, those golden days don’t exist the way they used to, and given that they were the most exciting times of my life, it’s refreshing to relive them vicariously through Ella. As a real-life freelance red carpet reporter, author Abby Stern knows a thing or two about the business.
2. How to Murder Your Life: a Memoir – Cat Marnell
I ordered this incredible memoir at the beginning of the year, so technically it didn’t come out near summertime, but my gosh, if there’s one book you can breeze through in the next two months, it’s this one. Literally from start to finish, you will zip through fucked up family tales, drug-addled relationships and the daily trials and tribulations of self-proclaimed pill-popper and former top-tier Conde Nast beauty editor Cat Marnell. The NYC-based writer holds nothing back when it comes to her nightly underage club hobbing, days-long drug binges, eating disorders and horrible choices in men. The craziest part is this has all continued throughout her entire life. The balance between addiction and glamorous career is all laid out in this 374-page read. Although the very style-savvy Cat is self-admittedly crazy, you’ll find her drive to strive in her field of choice commending, despite her very poor judgment in almost every other sense. Let’s just say, if you’ve ever partied hard on a school (work) night, you won’t feel so bad after giving this a go.
3. Romancing the Throne – Nadine Jolie Courtney
Beauty expert Nadine Jolie Courtney takes a stab at some lighthearted fictional fun with Romancing the Throne, a scandalous tale of two sisters fighting over–gasp—a prince! Taking place at fictional prestigious Sussex Park high school in London, be prepared to go on a roller coaster of suspense as Charlotte Weston fiercely regrets encouraging her acclimating sister Libby to get to know her beau after the two hit it off swimmingly. Whether you’re into royals or not, this is your traditional tale of catty girl drama and devastating deceit—and you’ll be swiftly turning the pages until you get to the end result!
