23 of Your Favorite Authors’ Favorite Books to Read & Recommend
Love & Other Scams by Philip Ellis
Recommended by: R. Eric Thomas, author of Congratulations, the Best Is Over!
What’s a summer reading list without a fun, feel-good rom-com in the mix? That’s what you’ll get with 2023’s Love & Other Scams. Partners in crime set out to pull off a high-stakes job at a posh wedding in this romp. But with one character focused on the theft of an object and the other on stealing her heart, these con artists may find that when it comes to life and love, the sight lines can be blurry.
Why he loves it: “This is a rom-com caper set in and around the wedding world, so it rings all my fizziest, flirtiest, sauciest and swindling-est bells. I’d recommend it to any friend who loves fun or has gossiped with me at the back table of a wedding reception.”
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
Recommended by: Disha Bose, author of Dirty Laundry
A whodunit set on a remote island during a family member’s birthday party is the setup for Alice Feeney’s 2022 thriller Daisy Darker. At the stroke of midnight, when the guest of honor is found dead and successive deaths follow, the title character must find out the identity of the killer before the tide—and time—runs out.
Why she loves it: “It’s a dark, atmospheric thriller, set in an old mansion on an isolated island. A dysfunctional family has gathered for the reading of a will, which makes it reminiscent of a Christie novel. I’m still waiting for the twist, which I haven’t figured out yet, but I’m thoroughly enjoying the journey.”
Meet the Benedettos by Katie Cotugno
Recommended by: Elissa Sussman, author of Once More with Feeling
How about one more of our favorite authors’ favorite books? Elissa Sussman recommends Meet the Benedettos, a great beach read and contemporary family drama about a group of twentysomething sisters/reality show superstars whose new reality of post-celebrity life has them in a downward spiral. When a handsome star and his pal move into the neighborhood, the sisters suddenly have something—and someone—on which to focus their attention. Figuring out who winds up with whom makes for its own level of entertainment.
Why she loves it: “I love a Pride and Prejudice retelling, and I’d read Katie Cotugno’s grocery list, so it’s a perfect combination of my interests. Cotugno’s writing is fun and fresh, and her attentive, clever eye should make me mad with jealousy—instead, it just makes me happy that she’s written another wonderful book.”
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About the experts
Plus: We compiled recommendations from 15 more of readers’ favorite authors. See the full list below. |
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At Reader’s Digest, we’ve been sharing our favorite books for over 100 years. We’ve worked with bestselling authors including Susan Orlean, Janet Evanovich and Alex Haley, whose Pulitzer Prize–winning Roots grew out of a project funded by and originally published in the magazine. Through Fiction Favorites (formerly Select Editions and Condensed Books), Reader’s Digest has been publishing anthologies of abridged novels for decades. We’ve worked with some of the biggest names in fiction, including James Patterson, Ruth Ware, Kristin Hannah and more. The Reader’s Digest Book Club, helmed by Books Editor Tracey Neithercott, introduces readers to even more of today’s best fiction by upcoming, bestselling and award-winning authors. For this piece on authors’ favorite books, Pamela Brill tapped her experience as a longtime journalist who has covered the book industry for Publishers Weekly to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Emily Henry, bestselling author of rom-coms including Beach Read and Funny Story
- Rebecca Makkai, bestselling and award-winning author of The Great Believers and I Have Some Questions for You
- Ann Napolitano, bestselling author of Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful
- Kate White, bestselling author of thrillers such as The Secrets You Keep
- Emma Straub, bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow and co-owner of Books Are Magic bookstore
- Andrew McCarthy, actor and bestselling author of Brat: An ’80s Story
- Kristin Hannah, bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Women
- Sloan Crosley, bestselling author of I Was Told There’d Be Cake and Look Alive Out There
- Elizabeth McKenzie, critically acclaimed author of The Portable Veblen and MacGregor Tells the World
- Adele Myers, author of The Tobacco Wives
- Fiona Davis, bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue and The Spectacular
- David Baldacci, bestselling author of thrillers including the Amos Decker and Camel Club series
- Angie Cruz, critically acclaimed author of Dominicana and How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water
- Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle and Kitchen Yarns
- Luanne Rice, bestselling author of The Secret Language of Sisters
- Suzanne Park, comedian and author of Loathe at First Sight and So We Meet Again
- T.C. Boyle, author of The Tortilla Curtain
- James A. McLaughlin, Edgar Award–winning author of Bearskin
- Don Bentley, bestselling author and former Army Apache helicopter pilot who wrote the Matt Drake series
- Curtis Sittenfeld, bestselling of Eligible and Romantic Comedy
- R. Eric Thomas, playwright, humorist and author of Kings of B’more
- Disha Bose, author of Dirty Laundry
- Elissa Sussman, bestselling author of Funny You Should Ask and Once More with Feeling
