Chapter 41 - Fangirl

I have very few authors whose entire catalog of work I have read, Daniel Silva and Fredrik Backman come to mind as two of them. I have become enamored, of late, of an author who, up until a year ago, I had never read before. To date I have read five of her seven currently published books even dipping into the backlisted ones she wrote before her last three big hits.

The author is Taylor Jenkins Reid. Reid's books have been chosen for a number of celebrity book clubs - Reese’s Book Club, Read with Jenna, Indie Next, Best of Amazon, and Book of the Month Club. I find her books interesting, the stories are believable, and her characters are rich and well thought out. I blaze through her books easily in a weekend and more often in a day, forsaking any other work I should be doing.

Here are her books, along with a brief description and some interesting facts, starting with the most recent.

Malibu Crossing (2021) - I mentioned this book in the summer when I first read it. The story is that of Nina Riva and her family and the party she gives at the end of August. Nina and her siblings are the children of Mick Riva, a well known singer and his first wife. Having abandoned his children and their mother years ago, Nina ends up being a driving force for their family. The story primarily takes place in the 1960's through 1980's. This is still on sale at https://bookshop.org/shop/bookendsusedbookstore

Daisy Jones and the Six (2020) - Written as a series of interviews, the book tells the story of Daisy Jones, a young singer who finds herself the front for the band, The Six. Everyone knows the band, so the story goes, but no one knows why they broke up. The time period of this novel is the 1970's, at the height of the great rock and roll bands. If this reminds you a little bit of Fleetwood Mac, well you are not the only one.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (2018) - Aging recluse Evelyn Hugo, international movie star of the 50's and 60's has decided she wants to tell all. For her story she picks a young unknown magazine reporter, Monique Grant, to write the memoir and all are amazed. None more so than Monique herself whose husband has left her and whose career is stagnant. As the story unfolds both women learn a lot from the other.

One True Loves (2016) - This novel is about a woman who finds she has to choose between her fiance' and a husband she thought died 2 1/2 years ago. The book entertains the concept of one true love, what you do when your dreams are shattered, and can you really go home again.

Maybe In Another Life (2015) - At 29 Hannah Martin still hasn't made her mark on the world. Working in menial jobs since she left college, Hannah decides to move back to her hometown of LA. Meeting her friend Gabby for a drink one evening, they run into Hannah's high school boyfriend, Ethan. Given a choice between leaving with Gabby or with Ethan, Hannah's imagination plays out what each of these scenarios might look like.

The two I haven't read yet are After I Do and Forever Interrupted. I will probably get to those later this year.

Some fun facts about her books:

Daisy Jones and the Six is being made into a 13 part series for an Amazon distribution.

An adaptation of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is also currently in development

Characters from Daisy Jones and the Six as well as Malibu Rising can be found as minor characters in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

Have you read any of these or Taylor Jenkins Reid's other books? What did you think?