Celebrity fiction occupies a similar place in my heart to sports fiction and royalty fiction. It’s just fun to read about people living much more exciting and glamorous lives that us normal people. These reads are a perfect way to escape on a cold winter afternoon!
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
One of my all-time favorites by the (un)official queen of celebrity fiction, Taylor Jenkins Reid. We’ve included a few of her other books later on the list, but this one is my favorite! Daisy Jones & The Six is a band with a lot of similarities to Fleetwood Mac. The book is written in an oral history format (which may not be for everyone) and covers the formation and dissolution of the band. I’ve also heard that the audiobook is amazing. Read this one for the the TV series comes out on Hulu (filming now!).
The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton
Another oral history, The Final Revival of Opal and Nev is much more political than Daisy Jones & The Six, but draws a lot of comparisons. Nev is a solo act from England while Opal is a Black singer from Detroit looking to make it big. They end up teaming up in New York City where one of their shows becomes more well known for the violent racial event that occurs on stage.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Another Taylor Jenkins Reid, and one of the most beloved BookTok books of all time (view our recs for underrated BookTok books). This one is about Evelyn Hugo, a former starlet looking to catalogue her life and marriages with a young reporter. There is a lot of fun and glamour and angst, with a big twist you may or may not see coming. Also check out Malibu Rising, TJR’s latest book about four siblings with a famous, but absent, father who throw the party of the year every summer.
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
Spoiler Alert is about a woman who writes fanfiction for a Game of Thrones-esque fantasy show. She gets an opportunity to go on a date with one of the main actors (think Jaime Lannister), not knowing that he also writes fanfiction and is her online best friend. Super cute and fluffy. Fun if you ever read or wrote fanfiction as an angsty teen.
One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
Are reality TV stars really celebrities? Perhaps not, but they are for the purpose of this list! One to Watch is The Bachelorette, but they’ve finally cast a plus size woman! For better or worse, we have been faithful Batchelor franchise watchers for many years. Until they show body diversity on the show in reality, read One to Watch. A must read if you love reality TV.
The Idea of You by Robinne Lee
Honestly one of the most underrated books on this list. The Idea of You is kind of One Direction fanfiction that asks the central question, what if Harry Styles fell in love with a hot divorcee mom of one of his fans? Yes there is a major age gap and the premise sounds kind of sketchy, but trust us when we say you won’t regret picking this one up!
If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich
This just came out in December 2021, and it’s another One Direction fanfiction-adjacent novel—this time for the YA set. It’s about the relationship between two members of a boy band set on their European tour. This is a great coming of age story about figuring out and owning who you are.
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
One more TJR. Her last few books have all been within this niche genre, and she does it so well. Malibu Rising is her latest, and while I didn’t love it quite as much as some of her other books, it definitely scratches the itch. It’s set in a single day as four children of a famous actor plan their annual summer party at their glamorous Malibu beach house.
You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria
A fun romance about two telenovela stars looking for their big break. The drama even offscreen rivals everything that’s happening onscreen, and the two leads have great chemistry. A fun read set in New York City too!
Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle
This was actually made into a tv show that bizarrely stars Bella Thorne. Essentially it’s about a normal girl that gets cast in the movie adaptation of an extremely popular YA book series (think Harry Potter or The Hunger Games). There is a classic love triangle, and a normal girl adapting to fame, two tropes we love. Definitely give the book a shot.
The Unravelling of Cassidy Holmes by Elissa R. Sloan
This book follows the members of a popular early 2000s girl group (a la The Spice Girls, Destiny’s Child) twenty years later as they all seek to understand the suicide of one of their members, Cassidy. The book switches between the past, when the group first got together, and present day, where they are all processing Cassidy’s death and preparing for her funeral.
