12 New Must-Read Books by Celebrities
A Hollywood "triple threat" used to be known for their singing, acting and dancing, but in recent years three talents isn't enough for stars. Trying to make a name for themselves, they've been bulking up their resumes as producers, entrepreneurs, models, directors and lately as authors. This fall a number of your favorite A-listers will not only have their names on movie posters and album covers, but also in the aisles of Barnes & Noble. From children's books and cookbooks to essay collections and memoirs, celebs are writing (and they're not half bad). Here are 12 of our favorite upcoming books by celebrities.
New must-read celebrity books
The Secret Society of Aunts & Uncles by Jake Gyllenhaal and Greta Caruso; illustrated by Dan Santat
Auntie Mame, Uncle Fester, Aunt Bea—there are plenty of memorable aunts and uncles in pop culture who make it look easy (or at least lots of fun). But in real life, we all have to figure out that relationship. That’s why childhood friends Jake Gyllenhaal, 42, and Greta Caruso, 39, set out to celebrate that unique link in a charming picture book about a 10-year-old kid, Leo, and his Uncle Mo, who gets a crash course in Uncle-ology.
Gyllenhaal, who is an uncle twice over (to Ramona and Gloria, the children of his sister, actress Maggie Gyllenhaal) and Caruso, who became an aunt and a mom recently, first planned to write about a perfect uncle. But over time, “we realized the much more interesting story was about someone who was an uncle but hadn't really learned how to do that. People aren't just magically great aunts and uncles; it's its own thing,” Caruso told Parade. “It requires its own craft, skills and technique.”
One of their inspirations? The Magic School Bus. “Greta and I loved that book when we were kids; it was about going into a world, going into your imagination. What was that, that sort of space in between?” That’s when the co-writers developed their own in-between—the “secret society of aunts and uncles.”
And they tapped into their own families for more inspiration. Uncle Jake (with his nieces’ permission) named Uncle Mo after Ramona, 16, and a character called Great-Aunt Gloria is named for Gloria, 11. And the book’s 10-year-old Leo? He’s named after Gyllenhaal’s dog. Even his godmother, Jamie Lee Curtis, who is also a book author (When I Was Little, Mother Nature), got in on the action. “She read a very early version of the book and noted it, and it was so, so helpful,” Gyllenhaal said. “I think primarily helpful, like any good artist, in saying, ‘Move towards what's most true.’ That's what she seems to do in her life.”
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Talking to My Angels by Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge will be baring her soul on Broadway in a new one-woman show starting in September. Of course, the Grammy- and Oscar-winning songwriter and rocker has been doing just that all her life. From her self-titled debut album in 1988 to coming out and then sharing her story in the 2003 memoir The Truth Is…: My Life In Love and Music, Etheridge, 62, is always honest and open. Twenty years on, Etheridge has more to say, including about career highs (like that Academy Award), personal lows (romantic breakups) and the tragedy of seeing her son Beckett succumb to opioid addiction. Her raspy, confessional voice embodied strength and in Talking To My Angels, Etheridge reveals how she finds hope even during the darkest times.
Alive and Well Enough by Jeff Daniels
Leave it to Jeff Daniels to create a new kind of memoir that mixes storytelling, original music and performance. After all, he’s a singer and songwriter, a playwright and an award-winning actor—and that’s the short list. In 12 episodes of his Alive and Well Enough memoir, which he produced with his musician son Ben, you can listen to Daniels’ distinctive voice tell tales of his star turns in movies ranging from Terms of Endearment to Dumb and Dumber and the Broadway smash To Kill a Mockingbird. He shares songs and plays written straight from his Midwestern soul. “Over the course of this episodic excursion,” he says in the intro, “I’m going to let you peek under my hood; frankly, I want to know what’s under there too.”
Don’t expect Alive and Well Enough to “read” like an audio book. "I structured the season like a set list. Kinda like a one-man musical with a beginning, middle and end,” Daniels, 68, told Parade. “Over the past 25 years, I've played almost 600 gigs around the country where I learned how to tell the stories that inspired the autobiographical songs I’ve been writing since the ‘70s.”
One of the joys of the audio format, Daniels discovered, was that he could tell stories in so many ways. “I recorded my reading of all the roles in selected scenes from some of the 21 plays I’d written,” he said. “For the first time in my life, I wrote essays exploring my approach to acting and songwriting.”
One of the short pieces he wrote specifically for this project is “Snack Time With Harry Dunne,” where Dumb and Dumber’s Harry Dunne interviews the actor (Daniels) who played him in the movie. That kind of silliness feels right at home next to heartfelt remembrances, insightful lessons learned and soulful songs. “I fell in love with the creative freedom [this format] provides. I jumped at the chance to showcase all the things I do, and I had a ball embracing the unpredictability of the narrative,” Daniels said. Listeners will have a ball too.
Just Because by Matthew McConaughey; illustrated by Renée Kurilla
The “all right, all right, all right” guy is surprisingly thoughtful. In his memoir, Greenlights, actor Matthew McConaughey shared stories of a painful childhood, a remarkable acting career (he won a Best Actor Oscar for The Dallas Buyers Club) and the life lessons he learned on the way. He wanted to encourage adults to catch the “greenlights”—and realize the red and yellow lights will eventually turn green too.
Now in his first picture book, McConaughey, 53, seems to be acting on something he told Parade he was focusing on in 2020: “What are the things I can hand down to my children that they can carry on after I’m gone?” Enter his children’s book, which encourages kids in the same way his adult book did (he has three of his own kids with wife Camila Alves: Levi 15, Vida, 13, and Livingston, 10). “Just Because is a folk-song ditty for kids that reminds us that the poetry of life is all about contradictions, our own, and others,” McConaughey told Parade. “After reading my book, I hope young people will understand that it’s OK to have duelling feelings, and that two things can be true at the same time. The sooner kids realize this, they become less afraid and confused when it happens, and instead, embrace, deal with, and understand it as part of the art of livin’ and their own identity.“
His gentle aphorisms support whatever a child is going through and however they feel; “Just because I’m shaking/Doesn’t mean that I’m not steady” and “Just because I’m sitting still/Doesn’t mean that I’m not busy” pair with illustrations by Renée Kurilla showing kids skateboarding, reading late at night under the covers, spinning in circles and other goofy, challenging activities.
Thicker Than Water: A Memoir by Kerry Washington
If you only know award-winning star Kerry Washington, 46, as Olivia Pope in Scandal or Broomhilda von Shaft in Django Unchained, this book will give you a more intimate view. The mother of three, daughter, wife, artist, advocate and trailblazer chronicles her life’s journey and reveals the challenges, childhood traumas and extraordinary mentors that helped her grow her career and discover her true self and a sense of belonging.
Making It So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart
British actors tend to be almost embarrassingly versatile. When they’re not acting on stage or TV or film, they’re probably doing marvelous work on radio, dashing off poetry, directing plays, designing gardens and singing in pubs during off hours. So perhaps it’s no surprise that Patrick Stewart, 83, of Star Trek fame delivers a memoir that even novelist Michael Chabon declares a gift.
From a rough childhood (that included domestic violence) to the haven of acting that became a storied career, Stewart shares it all. He’s won Olivier awards for his stage work, a Grammy award for his voice work and the appreciation of millions for his indelible performances as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek shows and movies, as well as Professor Xavier in the X-Men universe. In his one-man stage show, A Christmas Carol, Stewart brought to life an entire Dickensian world, delighting audiences year after year. Now he makes a gift of sharing his personal life with similar warmth and skill.
Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating and Dusting off Your Boots by Reba McEntire; foreward by Garth Brooks
Country, Broadway and TV star Reba McEntire made the song “Fancy” her signature tune. But she’s down-home in her personal life and insists that’s the way it’s gonna be from here on out. Everything she does will be for fun—and the best way to have fun is keep it simple. Not that fancy.
In this recipe-filled book, McEntire, 68, offers up photos ranging from her childhood to ones on her phone she took herself. She shares tips and words of wisdom, along with stories from her music and acting careers, such as pulling pranks with Brooks and Dunn and falling in love over tater tots. Reba promises that you too can be like an Oklahoma gal and learn to appreciate a sunset. (Having a whiskey and Sprite on hand doesn’t hurt.)
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
You can buy an official Britney Spears coloring book. You can buy a Britney Spears Oops!...I Did It Again guided journal. You can buy countless quickie bios usually written by people who never spoke to her. But this fall you can finally buy The Woman In Me and hear Britney Spears, 41, tell her own story in her own words. Finally. Billed as “a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith and hope,” the book is likely to explore Spears’ life as a teen superstar and reveal how’s she’s adjusting to life since her famous conservatorship ended.
Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton with Holly George-Warren; curated by Rebecca Seaver
Dolly Parton dug deep into her catalog of brilliant tunes with the 2020 book Songteller: My Life In Lyrics. She looked at 175 of the best songs from her storied career and shared how she wrote them, where they came from and what they say about her life and philosophy. Now Parton, 77, has dug into her closet! In Behind The Seams, she shares a look at some of her most iconic outfits and the love of fashion and glitz that became a signature style recognized the world over. From her personal wardrobe to concert flash and the costumes created for characters she played in hit films, Dolly proves that the expression may be that the clothes make the man…but it’s women who make the clothes and make a statement with them. It’s another lavish, coffee-table winner.
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Worthy by Jada Pinkett Smith
In what she calls an ode to self-love, Jada Pinkett Smith, 51, sets the record straight and finally tells her own story—not the tales you’ve read in the press. Her journey covers her rough childhood growing up in Baltimore and being raised by a teen mom, to marrying one of the most famous names in Hollywood, Will Smith, her relationship with Tupac, and all the rumors that come from living in the spotlight. “Worthy is the story of my life from my youngest memories up until today, and one that allows me to dispel untruths and finally tell the story of my life,” Pinkett says. “It’s a reminder to everyone that, while their stories may be different and imperfect, their story is their own and always worthy to share.”
Being Henry: The Fonz...and Beyond by Henry Winkler
You may already have a shelf full of books by Henry Winkler if you’ve got kids or grew up reading his stories about fourth-grader Hank Zipzer, who has undiagnosed dyslexia, just like Winkler did. He and his co-author Lin Oliver also have a series about Hank in second grade, the Alien Superstar books and a new series just about to launch with Detective Duck: The Case Of The Strange Splash.
On his own, Winkler, 77, told his personal story in 1976 just as Happy Days conquered the world. Then he celebrated his love of fly fishing and family in 2011. Now with Being Henry: The Fonz…And Beyond Winkler shares the turmoil and excitement of snagging the role of a lifetime, only to realize you’ve become so identified with one character you may never get a chance to do good work again. As much about kindness and finding happiness despite failure (or success!), Being Henry reveals that being comfortable in his own skin finally allowed Winkler to embody roles successfully, from Arrested Development to his Emmy-winning turn as acting teacher Gene Cousineau in HBO’s Barry.
My Name Is Barbra by Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand conquered Broadway. Then she conquered nightclubs. Then she conquered music and then TV and then the movies and then her own fear of live performances and finally romance, thanks to her 25-year marriage with James Brolin. Is there any doubt Streisand, 81, will conquer books as well with her hotly anticipated autobiography? No, there is not.
Her new memoir, which takes its title from her award-winning 1965 album and television special, is expected to set the record straight on her star-studded life, giving her the opportunity to share her own take on her Oscar-winning performance in Funny Girl, reveal the stories behind her Grammy-winning songs and recount the effort it took to make Yentl and The Prince of Tides.
