Today we look at all the best Reese Witherspoon book recommendations.
Reese Witherspoon is an actress and a producer most notably known for her work on Walk the Line, which won her an Academy Award in 2006. She was also nominated for an Academy Award for her role in the movie, Wild.
Reese Witherspoon is an avid reader. She has her very own book club and recommends books on Instagram constantly. She has been keeping up with the book club, Reese’s Book Club, for several years now.
She believes reading is the reason for her success as an actress and a producer. She says that reading helps open her mind, explore new doors, and create more interesting scripts than ever.
It is claimed that Reese Witherspoon reads one book every 2 days. If this is true that means that she reads about 180 books per year! And here I am, happy if I can get to 20.
Reese Witherspoon Book Recommendation List
Since Reese Witherspoon reads so much and has her own book club it’s safe to say that her recommendations will be very interesting reads. Here is the list of the best Reese Witherspoon book recommendations:
- Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
- The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
- Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
- The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
- We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Firekeeper’s Daughter was written by Angeline Boulley, is 496 pages long, and was published in March of 2021. The book made it to the New York Times best seller list, and Time magazine named it one of “100 Best YA Books of All Time”.
Firekeeper’s Daughter was recommended by Reese Witherspoon for her book club’s March 2021 pick for young adults. On her Instagram she wrote, “A beautifully told story that includes young love, high stakes mystery and the rituals of Native American culture. I could not put it down!”
The book’s main character is 18 year old Daunis Fontaine, a half-native, half-white young girl, who doesn’t fit in with her hometown or on her reservation of the Ojibwe tribe.
She believes that life will be much different when she finally gets to go to college but unfortunately her mother becomes weak forcing Daunis to look after her mother instead.
But not all is bad; she ends up meeting a new friend from her brother’s hockey team named Jamie. Despite her suspicions that Jamie is hiding something she ends up falling for him.
Life changes drastically for Daunis when she witnesses her friend’s murder and becomes involved by going undercover in an FBI investigation of a new drug. Turns out the FBI investigation is a little bit more complicated than she thought.
How far will Daunis go for her community? Will the strength of an Ojibwe woman help her overcome all of her obstacles?
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
The Paper Palace was written by Miranda Cowley Heller, published in 2021, and is 400 pages long. This book was a New York Times best seller.
This was Reese’s Book Club’s book during July 2021. When Reese Witherspoon recommended the book to her book club she said, “I was totally immersed in the fast-paced narrative that seamlessly wove together past and present. And all the beautiful details in this book are enough to pull at your heartstrings…every sentence is so vivid and luxurious you feel like you’re transported to a lakeside retreat in Cape Cod with a family you have known forever. I think you will love this one!”
The book takes place at 50-year-old, happily married, mother of three, Elle’s family’s summer home in Cape Cod, called The Paper Palace. Elle has gone to The Paper Palace every summer since she was a child.
In the beginning of the story Ellie wakes up and thinks to the night before wear her and her friend Jonas sneak out back to have sex with each other while their spouses weren’t that far away. With both of them being married, she has to decide whether she wants to stay with the husband that she loves very much, or take a new path with her childhood love, Jonas.
Sex with her childhood friend wasn’t just an impulsive move. This had been building up for years and years and many complex decisions led to this moment.
Discover tensions, desire, dignity, abuse, crimes, and misdemeanors of the families in The Paper Palace.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Little Fires Everywhere was written by Celeste Ng (pronounced “-ing”), and published in 2017. The book is 368 pages long. It has been the subject of many positive reviews, and was number 1 on The New York Times fiction bestseller list.
Reese Witherspoon really loves the book Little Fires Everywhere. She said, “To say I love this book is an understatement. It’s a deep psychological mystery about the power of motherhood, the intensity of teenage love, and the danger of perfection. It moved me to tears.” when recommending the book on her Instagram.
Little Fires Everywhere was eventually adapted into a Hulu TV series. Reese Witherson was the producer!
This book takes place in 1990s Shaker Heights, Ohio, the author’s hometown, a progressive suburb outside of Cleveland. The premise of Little Fires Everywhere is that the two main families in the book are brought together through their children.
Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl rent a house from Elena Richardson and her son Moody. Eventually Moody and Pearl become friends with each other and Pearl meets the rest of Moody’s siblings.
Insanity strikes the town when a friend of the Richardson’s wants to adopt a Chinese-American baby. The town is divided and new best friends Mia and Elena find themselves on opposite sides.
Elena becomes obsessed with trying to unearth the secrets of Mia’s past. However, it ends up becoming devastating for her and those around her.
There is a lot of drama in this small quiet suburb of Shaker Heights.
Fun Fact: She must love the author because Reese Witherspoon has recommended another book by Celeste Ng called Our Missing Hearts.
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
The Henna Artist was written by Alka Joshi. The book was published in early 2020 and is 400 pages long.
For May of 2020, Reese Witherspoon recommended the book, The Henna Artist, to her book club. About the book she said, “This vivid story is so rich and complex.” The author is so proud to have been included in Reese Witherspoon’s book club that they even have a sticker on the front cover!
Reese Witherspoon was also quoted as saying the book, “Captivated me from the first chapter to the final page.”
The Henna Artist follows Lakshmi, a 17 year old girl who just escaped an abusive marriage. She heads towards the vibrant, pink city Jaipur. In the city her life changes.
She becomes an amazingly talented henna artist who is requested by the upper-class wealthy women. During her sessions, these women spill the secrets of their wealthy friends, and Lakshmi gives great advice further helping her reputation.
One day her husband tracks her down and shows up on her doorstep with a young girl. This young girl is a sister that Lakshmi didn’t know she had.
Despite her struggles, Lakshmi remains positive with her talents and lifts the spirits of those around her.
We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz
We Were Never Here was written by Andrea Bartz, published in August of 2021, and has 352 pages. The novel made the New York Times best selling list for mystery and thriller.
Reese Witherspoon recommended the book We Were Never Here for her book club in the same month it was released, August 2021. When she recommended the book, she said, “As a rule of thumb, cover ups are good for the beach, but horrible if we’re talking about a dead backpacker on your hotel room floor. As you might have guessed, our latest pick is less floral sarong, and more girl friendship gone terribly wrong.”
She also said, “This book is every suspense lover’s dream, and it kept me up way too late turning pages. A novel with crazy twists and turns that will have you ditching your Friday night plans for more chapters.”
The book follows two best friends, Emily from Wisconsin and Kristen from Australia, on their annual backpacking trip in Chile. Tragedy strikes and interrupts them from having the time of their life.
When Emily returns to the hotel on the final night of their trip she discovers something horrifying! There is broken glass and blood all over the floor.
When she finally finds Kristen she asks what happened. Kristen said she brought a hot backpacker back to the hotel and he attacked her, so she had no other choice than to kill him in self defense. That’s not even the weirdest thing. This situation is very similar to a situation they were in during last year’s backpacking trip, where another backpacker was mysteriously killed.
Emily starts to question how close she should be to Kristen.
The killing definitely had an effect on Emily. When she gets home to Wisconsin she jumps right into a new relationship and throws herself at her work to help pass the time during her trauma.
Eventually, Kristen shows up on Emily’s doorstep for an unannounced visit. Emily questions Kristen’s motives as Kristen keeps trying to get closer with Emily.
Does their relationship make it through the deep, dark secrets?
Books by Reese Witherspoon
Not only is Reese Witherspoon an avid reader, she has also written a few books herself. Let’s take a look at some of the books by Reese Witherspoon.
Whiskey in a Teacup
Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits is Reese Witherspoon’s first book, and was published in 2018. The book is around 304 pages long.
The title Whiskey in a Teacup comes from when Reese’s grandmother told her that women are fiery and strong on the inside and delicate on the outside just like whiskey in a teacup.
This book is very much about how the style of the South has influenced Reese Witherspoon’s life. You’ll see how the South has had an effect on simple things like how she does her hair, how she talks, or dances; how she entertains guests, and decorates her home.
You really get to take a slice of Reese’s southern life with you in this book.
Busy Betty
Busy Betty is the most recent book that Reese Witherspoon has written. It was published in 2022. This is actually a children’s book! It was illustrated by Xindi Yan.
Busy Betty is about a young girl who’s best friend is coming to visit, but her dog is very stinky! She doesn’t want her friend to smell the dog, but giving her dog a bath proves to be almost impossible. Turns out her friend is right there to help her, and Betty learns that she can accomplish anything with teamwork!
If you’re a Reese Witherspoon fan and have very young children then this is the perfect book for you.