March 12, 2019

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Favorite Books About Larger-Than-Life Women

The author of ‘Daisy Jones & The Six’ has five books to add to your shelf ASAP.

Story By: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Favorite Books About Larger-Than-Life Women

The author of ‘Daisy Jones & The Six’ has five books to add to your shelf ASAP. Story By: Taylor Jenkins Reid

I’m always drawn to stories of women who dare to step into the limelight. Whether it’s a queen, a goddess, a First Lady, an artist, or, as in my latest book, a rock star, I love watching a woman dazzle a crowd and command respect and attention. Here are some of my very favorite stories about larger-than-life women.

Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff

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This biography of Cleopatra paints a complex and nuanced portrait of a woman history has reduced to a cliché. Her love stories with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony have proved legendary, but it is the building and subsequent loss of her empire that is the most fascinating.

Circe by Madeline Miller

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What I love most about this novel about the goddess Circe’s life is how audaciously Madeline Miller takes back the narrative. No longer is Circe treated like an episode in Odysseus’s long voyage home. Instead, she is fully brought to life over a thousand years, rendering Odysseus a side character in Circe’s long and varied journey.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

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I’m hard-pressed to think of someone more preeminent and revered than former First Lady Michelle Obama. And yet, somehow, despite just how high of a position she has held in our society, her memoir pulls you right into her inner circle. It is candid, intimate, and riveting—the story of a brilliant woman succeeding with spectacular grace.

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

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This is the story of a fictional First Lady named Alice Lindgren who is not not based on Laura Bush. As she somewhat reluctantly lives her life in the public eye on account of her husband’s political career, she wrestles with her own politics and humanity. A long-held favorite of mine.

The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer

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This novel is based on the true story of then-model Lee Miller’s romantic relationship with Surrealist photographer Man Ray. As Lee rejects the idea of being a model and steps behind the camera, it causes tension between her and Man. Lee Miller would go on to become a well-known photographer and war correspondent and she’s rendered fully dimensional here: messy, talented, and determined. My favorite combination.

Savoring every chapter and sip ✨ Tell us, what’s the perfect book to finish in one weekend? 

📷: @shelfworthywords
“A novel that pulses with love — for community, for family, for the spaces that make us — and sings with every stanza. UNDER THE NEON LIGHTS is a stunning ode to community that I already know I’ll be returning to again and again.” — @byleahjohnson, bestselling author of Stonewall Honor book, You Should See Me in a Crown.

Pre-order a copy now from our incredible LitUp author, @arriwrites at the link in bio.
"I’ve read (and watched) Pride and Prejudice more times than I could count, so I went into this with high expectations. Fans of the original will delight in this one which essentially takes the story and updates it with celebrities, influencers, Hollywood and a tiny town in Australia." ✨

📷+💬: @picturebookplaydate
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📷+💬: @books_onmymind
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📷+💬: @whatalexreadss
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