As the quintessential cool girl runs down her apartment stairs, she shoves a paperback book into her tote bag. Cool girls read. Whether she’s sliding out her bookmark on the subway or finishing a chapter in the park, she always has bookstore recommendations. Who better to get TBR recs from than the “it” girls of our generation? From NYFW girls to Hollywood starlets, here are the books that grace the shelves of 21st-century cool girls.
Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation, a Bella Hadid favorite, has a dark storyline adorned with croquette bows. A modern sleeping beauty, Moshfegh’s unknown protagonist attempts to sleep for a year in hopes she’ll awaken a new person. A character study of privilege and depression, the book feels like being trapped in a pink haze. If you like Ottessa Moshfegh’s Mitski-esque writing style, perhaps pick up Death in Her Hands, one of my favorites.
Just Kids by Patti Smith is a favorite of Zoey Kravitz, Sabrina Carpenter, and Dua Lipa. The book is a memoir of Smith’s summer of love. The chapters weave through the streets of New York in 1969, between riot signs and blossoming artists. Linked by their passion to create, Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe’s story is a vibrant portrayal of young love. It’s no wonder Just Kids is celebrated by the artists of our generation.
Perhaps you’ve stumbled upon Sally Rooney as her books line bestseller lists. Her debut novel, Normal People, with its gut-wrenching storyline, feels as if it could be alluded to in a Taylor Swift song. Taylor’s pick documents the loneliness of your 20s and the agonizing feeling of getting lost in translation. Rooney tells the story of Marianne and Connell’s fraying invisible string as they navigate college in Ireland. If you feel as if you want another book after Normal People, Rooney’s Conversations With Friends is another award-winning pick.
Emma Cline’s debut novel, The Girls, sits on Florence Pugh and Emma Mackey’s bookshelves. The Girls takes place in 1960s California, as 14-year-old Evie finds herself lured into the flowery Russell cult. Inspired by the inner workings of the Manson murders, The Girls is full of gritty twists. The book is a detailed look into the aimless naivety of cult followers, tucked into a 1960s time capsule.
Olivia Rodrigo’s pick is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. This quick read is a witty depiction of 15-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone’s attempt to uncover the mystery behind the death of his neighbor’s poodle. The book is a character study into the autism spectrum as you peek into Boone’s highly analytical mind. The characters are each marvelously written, and by the end, you feel as if you have a new friend in Boone.
Eve Babitz’s books are faded photographs of Los Angeles in the 1970s. Babitz’s semi-memoirs document her party girl past in Beverly Hills with socialites and movie stars. A favorite author of Kendall Jenner and Diana Silvers, Babitz’s books such as Slow Days Fast Company and Black Swans are TBR musts. If you want to step into the past, Slow Days Fast Company is a must-read collection of moments in the heart of Hollywood’s 1970s scene.
Hopefully these cool girl book recs give you some inspiration next time you find yourself wandering around Barnes and Noble!