An Oscars-Inspired Reading List of Hollywood Stories
By Sherri Puzey
Did watching the Oscars last night leave you wanting more Hollywood content? We’ve got a wide range of classic and forthcoming stories set in Hollywood, from the 1930s through present day. Grab one of our picks and bask in the glitz and glamor of a Tinseltown story.
Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul
When Hollywood icon Kitty Karr Tate dies and leaves her estate to the three Black St. John Sisters, everyone starts talking. This dual-timeline, multigenerational saga explores family, inheritance, and race against the backdrop of Hollywood and the unique burden it places on women. Out May 2.
The Sunset Crowd by Karin Tanabe
What’s a story about Hollywood without outsized ambition and faking it until you make it? Three women fight to stay on top in 1970s Hollywood in this page-turning and glamorous tale. Out July 4.
American Mermaid Julia Langbein
A genre-bending satire about a writer who moves to Los Angeles to adapt her novel into a film. Strange things start happening, and Penelope wonders if her protagonist mermaid has come to life—or maybe she’s losing her mind? A funny debut that asks readers to contemplate ambition and the cost of selling out. Out March 21.
Breaking In by Tyler Schwanke
When she sees a preview for the next big film that’s eerily similar to the tribute she was making to her father, Millie gathers her crew and plots an extravagant plan to hold the film for ransom. A fun nod to Hollywood heist films and the power of a dream. Out May 9.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
If you’re loving the new series adaptation of Daisy Jones and the Six, might I suggest another backlist title of Taylor Jenkins Reid? Reclusive starlet Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell her story—the glamor, the drama, and the scandal of her life in Hollywood—to a young reporter who feels a unique connection with Evelyn.
A Star Is Bored by Byron Lane
A hilarious novel about the journey of the personal assistant to a member of Hollywood royalty, and the unexpected friendship that develops between the two of them. The book was inspired by the time the author spent as Carrie Fisher’s assistant.
Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra
A beautiful story of love and sacrifice. A young woman leaves Mussolini’s Italy and moves to Hollywood to reinvent herself on the brink of World War II.
The Work Wife by Alison B. Hart
Told from the perspectives of three women over the course of a single day as they prepare for what is to be the Hollywood event of the season, this book examines what contributes to the slow erosion of the women’s work, dreams, and identities as they navigate class, privilege, and male egos.
Sherri Puzey is a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of Virginia Tech with a BA in international relations. She is a contributing editor at Zibby Mag, a senior marketing manager at Zibby Books, and a buyer for Zibby’s Bookshop. She currently lives in Seattle with her husband and daughters. Find her book reviews and recommendations on Instagram @whatsherrireads