Shelf Aware: My Personal Deep Dive into My Favorite Influencers' Book Recommendations
At the intersection of “avid reader,” “pop culture enthusiast,” and “Instagram-savvy” sits not “bookstagram” accounts (no offense to the one I’ve been running since 2015), but the books celebrities and public figures post on their stories. When we’re lucky, they’ll save them to highlights or share a stack in-feed, and for years I’ve been building up a mental TBR pile featuring recommendations from the women on the platform I admire the most. So, I figured, I’d create a series in which I deep-dive into the Book Highlights of some of my faves, read everything, and follow up with my thoughts.
Our first subject: Nell Diamond. Diamond is the founder of Hill House Home, purveyor of the Nap Dress that has become ubiquitous in the past year. I started following her on Instagram around two years ago, after my sister-in-law, who’s been a fan forever, gifted me an eye mask from the brand. Diamond is exactly the kind of “influencer” I want to follow; she runs a business, dresses for herself and not for the algorithm, is smart and witty, and clearly doesn’t take herself or her social media presence too seriously. So, when I realized she had a lengthy story highlight featuring her favorite books, I knew I needed to dive in immediately. Turns out, I’ve read many of these before (feeling #flattered that a national tastemaker and I have similar taste), so I’ve listed all of those out, with her thoughts against mine, then discussed a few of the books I’ve read because of her, and, finally, a list of books I still need to read based on her recs.
Books Nell & I have both already read
Luster, Raven Leilani
Nell says: “still not over this book – had to go back and re-read a few parts. Unreal writing.”
I say: AGREE. I read this book over the summer when it came out to insane amounts of hype and was skeptical as to whether it could possibly live up. Luster follows a 23-year-old named Edie, freshly fired from her publishing job and enmeshed in an affair with an older man. I can’t say more without spoiling but this book was EXCELLENT. 1 for 1!
Queenie
Nell says: “love loved it”
I say: SAME. I literally gasped on last week when I saw that Queenie’s author, Candice Carty-Williams, is developing a show. I’ve written about my love for Queenie before, so I won’t re-summarize here, but trust me when I say: read this. This is one of my all-time faves, a truly important book with a healthy mix of heartbreak and humor.
The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennett
Nell says: “just finished. SO GOOD! I loved it.”
I say: Loved it too. It’s about two twins who grow up in the segregated South, who ultimately end up leading entirely different lives, with one of the sisters passing as white without her husband’s knowledge. It explores racial, sexual, and gender identity deftly. BUT, I liked Bennet’s first book, The Mothers, more.
Marilou is Everywhere, Sarah Smith
Nell says: “Loved!!! Found via Belletrist.”
I say: I, too, found this book via Belletrist. I loved the cover! But the book did not do it for me – it was weird (and I like weird books, but only when the weirdness makes sense, and here it felt gratuitous), and the plot felt convoluted. Personally, would not recommend, but Nell loved it, so you might, too!
Three Women, Lisa Taddeo
Nell says: “Cried so much. Her writing is beautiful.”
I say: Likely preaching to the choir, but, yes, Nell is correct, Three Women is EXCELLENT. It’s a non-fiction book that follows, ahem, three women in America, all in different romantic situations. Fascinating, exposing, and very raw. SO good.
Becoming, Michelle Obama
Nell says: “I listened to Becoming in April and lovvvvved it. If you haven’t read it yet…stop telling yourself you’re gonna get to it and just do it. She is SUPER vulnerable and raw and has some amazing stories in there”
I say: I mean, of course I loved this too. Michelle is AMAZING. But we knew that already. If you haven’t read it, as Nell says, JUST DO IT.
The New Me, Halle Butler
Nell says: “I loved this, read if you liked “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” and/or “My Year of Rest and Relaxation”
I say: I beg to differ on this one! I loved Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and My Year of Rest & Relaxation, but this one felt contrived and overly bleak to me.
Conversations with Friends, Sally Rooney
Nell says: “Read if you liked “Franny and Zooey” by JD Salinger”
I say: I liked it, but Normal People was better. Still haven’t seen the show, but have heard it is very true to the book.
My Sister the Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaite
Nell says: “Loved it! Set in Nigeria, it’s about a nurse who has to cover up for her sister’s murders”
I say: Loved it, read it in a day. So smart and sharp. I’ve read three contemporary Nigerian fiction books in the last year or two and have loved them all.
Marlena, Julie Buntin
Nell says: “This is about two girls with an incredible bond in an opioid-ravaged town in Michigan. One makes it out, and grapples with the mark her friend left on her.”
I say: I read this in 2017, so my memory on it isn’t the sharpest, but I remember liking it. It’s sad, though. If you’re one of those people who expects an uplifting ending, stay away.
Fates and Furies, Lauren Groff
Nell says: “This is what got me hooked on Lauren Groff…incredible novel that tells the story of a marriage from two different sides”
I say: Nell said it best! I read this book in 2015 when Obama listed it as one of his favorite books of the year, and it is up there as one of my favorite books of all time. Just beautiful.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Ottessa Moshfegh
Nell says: “If you like weird books, you will lay down and die for this. It is the weirdest. I loved it.”
I say: I like weird books, and, as Nell says, I lay down and die for this one. My friends and I still talk about the titular character’s Whoopi Goldberg obsession. I actually think reading this inspired us to watch Sister Act. I am dying to read Death in Her Hands.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Gail Honeyman
Nell says: “This guy made me laugh a lot…and Reese Witherspoon is turning it into a movie! If you wanna be one of those people who watches a movie then says “I prefer the book,” now is your chance. A fab beach read.”
I say: I hated this book when I started it, and I was traveling with a family friend who had read it. “Give it a little more time,” she promised. Once I got 60-ish pages in, I could not put it down. Heartwarming. Like Nell says, perfect for the beach.
Stay With Me, Ayobami Adebayo
Nell says: “I loved this novel about a Nigerian woman and her struggles with motherhood (I can’t say more without spoiler alerts)”
I say: The ending of this book had me GASPING and the writing was unbelievable. I would recommend this to literally anyone. It’s fantastic.
Educated
Nell says: “I just finished this and oh boy, what a read. This is a memoir by a woman whose parents were Mormon survivalists – they completely isolated Tara and her seven siblings from society and didn’t even allow them medical attention. The first time she set foot in a classroom she was 17, and she asked her teacher what the Holocaust was – she had never heard of it. Tara now has degrees from BYU, Harvard, and Cambridge after educating herself!”
I say: As with Becoming, it’s highly likely most of us have read this at this point. But if you haven’t, you must. It’s a vitally important read for any American.
Swing Time
Nell says: “Zadie Smith is probably my favorite author of all time. This book centers on a girl & her friend from dance class who grew up in North London estates. The narrator goes on to be the assistant to a world famous pop star (Madonna vibes) who takes lots of trips to Africa for an ill-fated charity. Drama ensues!!”
I say: Nell and I seem to have divergent tastes on Zadie Smith (more on that later), but we both agree that this book was fantastic and fun. Zadie prose is razor-sharp and she’s best-in-class when it comes to character development.
White Teeth
Nell says: “White Teeth is my favorite Zadie book. Zadie writes so beautifully about race, class, religion, and what happens when all of these things clash. I just tried to summarize the plot and then remembered how many characters there are so just trust me…read this guy!!!”
I say: Ugh, I feel blasphemous saying this, but I really didn’t like White Teeth. At first, when I was reading it, I was like, sure, yes, I agree, Zadie is THE best (I loved both Swing Time and Intimations) and I love this book, but as it progressed, I was less and less sure. I finished it, and then let my opinions about it ruminate for a bit and concluded that, honestly, I didn’t like it (despite telling people I did because I felt like you “had” to like all of Zadie Smith’s books if you were a “reader”). Guess what? You can like whatever books you want! I thought it was boring and poorly edited (could’ve been at least 100 pages shorter).
Ordinary People, Diana Evans
Nell says: Nothing specific, but it was in a story of a stack of books with the caption “books I’ve read and loved recently.”
I say: This is one of the few cases where Nell and I diverge. I did not like this book (as noted in the review I did of it a few years ago). It made me sad in a very existential way. The writing was stunning, though.
Exciting Times, Naoise Dolan
Nell says: As with Ordinary People, nothing specific, but it was in a story of a stack of books with the caption “books I’ve read and loved recently.”
I say: I loved it too, even though she used the word “praxis” literally every other page and I still have no fucking clue what it means. HOWEVER, this read like a chicer version of Sally Rooney (they were in Hong Kong, Ava, recently arrived from Ireland to teach English, is caught in a love triangle between a chic, rich Chinese lawyer named Edith—loved her—and a cold and stereotypically British banker named Julian). Honestly, I would reread this, and I don’t say that often. Seal of approval!
Uncanny Valley, Anna Weiner
Nell says: This is the final book from the “books [Nell has] read & loved” stack I’ve mentioned in the two blurbs above.
I say: Sure. It took me a while to get into this firsthand account of a girl who goes from working in publishing in New York, to a publishing startup in New York, to San Francisco, where I think (?) she ultimately works at GitHub (not named in the book) and befriends the founder of Stripe. It’s good, engaging enough, not groundbreaking even though I feel like people billed it as such.
The Farm, Joanne Ramos
Nell says: “My fave read of the summer so far, commercial surrogacy farm run by a chic but maybe evil genius.”
I say: My sister-in-law (hi Stef!) who introduced me to Nell also introduced me to this book (and My Sister the Serial Killer). I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. The writing can feel a little stilted at times, but the plot is so pacey. Another perfect beach read.
The Book of Essie, Meghan MacLean Weir
Nell says: “LOVVVED this. the protagonist is a 17 year old girl who has been on a reality TV show about her pastor dad her whole life (Duggar family vibes) she gets pregnant and lots of crazy secrets come out.”
I say: Another one lent to me by Stef (Stef, I still have the copy you lent me in September 2019, I promise I’ll return it soon!). Very similar to The Farm in the sense that it felt a little bit stilted, prose-wise (kind of like this sentence, LOL) at times, but was a serious page-turner. Perfect for a weekend afternoon.
Books I read after seeing them on Nell’s highlights:
The Paper Wasp, Lauren Acampora
Nell says: “Did you ever see Ingrid Goes West? Very similar vibes here. Abby is obsessed with her childhood best friend Elise, who is now a famous movie star. Abby literally scrapbooks pictures of Elise. The two reconnect at a reunion and Abby follows Elise to Hollywood and **craziness ensues**”
I say: Ingrid Goes West was very good, but literally made me so uncomfortable to the point that I had to finish it with my eyes closed (side note: there is a podcast called Table Manners with Jessie Ware, which Elizabeth Olsen was a guest on, and she was SO charming. Would recommend) – which is why a book “version” felt much more palatable. Nell said it best – the above is exactly what happens! Don’t be deterred by how weird the narrator is at the beginning, it starts to make more sense as the book progresses. I blew through this over the course of a few work-week evenings.
The Runaways
Nell says: “Can’t recommend this book enough. It’s a fictional novel about three young people who run away from home to join ISIS. It’s an insane, amaing read, obviously based on real events. I loved it!”
I say: At this point, Nell and I are on mutual book 24. I trust the girl! And you know who else I trust? Pandora Sykes, who will absolutely be featured on this series soon, and who, along with Dolly Alderton (who wrote Everything I Know About Love, another both Nell and I both loved that I forgot to blurb), interviewed Bhutto a few years back for an author special of their now-defunct podcast The High Low. I had wanted to read it since then, but it’s very hard to find in bookstores, so it fell to the bottom of my list until I hatched the idea for this project. And here we are! I read this a few months back and absolutely adored it. It’s VERY intense, but it helped me think in a different way about how and why teens are radicalized.
Neon in Daylight, Hermione Hoby
Nell Says: “J’obsessed”
I say: J’wasn’t obsessed, per se, but I did like it. It’s about a girl who comes to NYC from London to cat-sit for a family friend, and the tension she feels between pursuing a friendship with a beautiful, spirited girl she meets on one of her first days in the city and, uh…sleeping with the girl’s dad. It’s fun! But not mind-blowing.
The Verdict: Of the 25 books I’ve read from Nell’s list, we agree pretty much wholeheartedly on 20. The 5 books she loved and I didn’t weren’t books that I hated, they just weren’t books I would enthusiastically recommend to a friend. So, I’m feeling pretty confident about following this post up with a part 2, featuring the below books she’s mentioned in-feed and on her highlights in the past couple of years:
1. There, There, Tommy Orange
2. The Rules Do Not Apply, Ariel Levy
3. Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain
4. This is Going to Hurt, Adam Kay
5. Florida, Lauren Groff
6. Shoe Dog, Phil Knight
7. Grit, Angela Duckworth
8. The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing and Scandalous Fall of Enron, Bethany Maclean and Peter Elkind
9. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
10. Heavy, Kiese Laymon
11. Vinegar Girl, Anne Tyler
12. Houw Could She, Lauren Mechling,
13. Let My People Go Surfing, Yvon Chouinard
14. Nothing To See Here, Kevin Wilson
15. Over the Top, Jonathan Van Ness
16. Rabbit, Patricia Williams,
17. Unicorn: The Memoir of a Muslim Drag Queen Amrou Al-Kadhi
18. Rules for Visiting, Jessica Francis Kane
19. Real Life, Brandon Taylor
20. Jessica Simpson, Open Book
21. Delicious Foods, James Hannah
22. Patsy, Nicole Dennis Benn