There’s a specific kind of energy that shows up at 2am — self-possessed, a little unhinged, completely uninterested in being reasonable. These four books have that same electricity: women who are messy, ambitious, chaotic, and impossible to look away from.
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Daisy Jones & The Six
One of my all-time favorite books, and in my opinion, TJR’s best work. She captures the LA music scene with so much texture and specificity it feels like you’re actually there, watching the band fall apart in real time.
Rufi Thorpe
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
I went in only knowing it was supposed to be funny, and that ended up being the perfect way to read it. The humor reminded me of Where’d You Go, Bernadette, but underneath the comedy it’s really about family, and I knew exactly who to root for and why. Now getting an Apple TV adaptation with Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Nicole Kidman.
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Atmosphere
One of my favorite TJR books, right up there with Daisy Jones. It centers the space program without leaning on sci-fi tropes, showing the real grueling work and risk involved, and the romance at the center of it is the strongest chemistry I’ve seen from her. The ending had me audibly gasping before the tears started.
Marisa Kashino
Best Offer Wins
A satirical thriller about a woman trying to buy a house, which sounds absurd until you’re two days in and can’t stop. There’s no one to root for here — the main character spirals and becomes so unlikable so fast that watching her unravel is exactly what keeps you turning pages.
Marin Robinson 