Taylor Jenkins Reid |Author Spotlight
Starting a new series where I share some of my favorite authors and a list of books I’ve read from them as well as book I want to read from them. This weeks author is Taylor Jenkins Reid. She is one of my top authors because every time I read something from her I learn more about myself as well as the world and it really makes me think and explore ideas and concepts about my life as well as other and I think that’s my favorite part about reading is not only being entertained but also learning new things.
One True Loves
Fiction
Redefining soulmates
Evolution of Love
Navigating loss and grief
Emma and her high school sweetheart Jesse marry and on their one year wedding anniversary he goes missing over the Pacific Ocean and is considered dead. After years she moves back home heals and decides to start dating someone who used to work for her parents book shop. On the night of her engagement to Sam she receives a call that her husband is found alive. Now engaged and finding out her husband is alive she is forced to decide who she wants to be with.
When I first picked this book up I was mainly trying to find something that was different than what I read before. I knew she was a popular author because at this time Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was already everywhere, but I didn’t want to read that one so I chose this one. I immediately was hooked and really did make me think about so many aspects of my own life differently. With the major theme being grief and how that changes you and also how love can change after grief as well. Emma’s main struggle is with her choice she doesn’t want to regret a decision because he life has changed after the “loss” of Jesse. Ultimately she has to evaluate who she is now and who Jesse remembers her as and those are two very different people. She’s not the same after his disappearance. The entire book I couldn’t even decide who I as a reader was rooting for her with. I felt like it was hard for me which showed how quickly I got into the story and really dived in. This book has been adapted to film with Philippa Soo playing Emma and Simu Lu playing Sam her fiancee.
Daisy Jones and the Six
Historical Fiction
Addiction
Complex relationships and love
Female empowerment in male dominated industry
1970’s music scene
Following a Fictional band from the 70’s written in an interview style. Going from the childhood of band members all the way up to their abrupt end to their world tour. With interviews from the brand and people close to the brand the reader uncovers what really went on with the band that created such great music with themes of addiction, fame and complicated relationships.
This book I picked up because it was being turned into a limited series for Amazon. This was very popular already and I was really glad when I did. The characters are complex and the drama hooks you in from the beginning. The writing style of this helps to get a voice for each character quickly. Because this is set in the 70’s this group is similar to Fleetwood Mac. The way the women in this novel are portrayed as strong complex and ultimately the heart of the whole book which is what I connected to the most. The comedic relief comes from some of the other band members but the heart and soul of the book.
Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Historical Fiction
Self Acceptance
Ambition
Beauty and power
Cost of Fame
Is a historical fiction novels that follows fictional Hollywood Icon Evelyn Hugo who hires unknown reporter Monique to write her biography. Evelyn shares her rise to fame, her seven marriages and revealing more about herself than anyone knows.
At this point in my journey I had already read the other two and decided to pick this one up and wasn’t disappointed. This one had more popularity than the others as someone who has a fascination with 1950s Hollywood this was was perfect. Set in old Hollywood with memory recalls from the the most famous actress at that time. The book being told in parts by each husband really helps the reader dive into each part of our main characters life. As a Reader when Evelyn choose Monique to be the journalist that takes and tells her story that drew me in but what kept me was the way with each husband is signifies different parts of Evelyns life but also her own growth and change at moments but then the cost of fame and how she uses her beauty as a form of power as well.
Carrie Soto is Back
Historical Fiction
Sports (Tennis)
Intense Ambition
Success and Legacy
Resilience and Redemption
Following retired tennis player Carrie Soto who decides to return to the sport and reclaim her grand slam title. With her father as coach Carrie is forces to confront her age, legacy and finding herself beyond the sport and her achievements.
Carrie is a strong character and seen differently because of how she holds herself. Carrie being known as the strong tennis player that is always seen as the mean horrible one when in reality she’s just human. Since Carrie decides to come back to the game to solidify her legacy this book really tackles how that can look different and how different women get portrayed when they are ambitious and how even though women can be ruthless in their ambition they aren’t unfeeling and that is what gives depth to Carrie as a character and really connects her to others.
Malibu Rising
Historical Ficiton
Family Dynamics and Sibling Bonds
Burden of Legacy
Self Discovery
Secrets and Deception
24 hour story set in 1980s following four famous siblings hosting there annual end of the summer party. This story weaves in the story of their parents June and Mick Rivas relationship and how they came to be on this night. With themes of family drama, addiction and parallels of the children’s lives to their parents.
When I picked up this book I did it with intentions of just reading through TJR’s universe. Since Carrie Soto, Seven husbands and Daisy Jones are all connected by at least one character I wanted to see how this book was interconnected. Set in a 24 hour set seeing each hour breakdown with the back story of the Riva family captured me as a reader quick. Of all the books this is the one I truly understand and love so much. There is something in each of the Riva children that I connected to but I enjoyed Nina and her Mother June’s story lines. With each hour for the first 12 hours the reader gets flashbacks to the life of the Riva children and their relationship with each other as well as with their parent Mick and June. Once we hit the half way point it’s all bout the unraveling as the party starts and what leads to the fire in Malibu that the book opens up with.
Diving into other books in her backlist I haven’t gotten around to reading. These are the books that I physically own and want to get into from Reid that I haven’t gotten around to yet.
Historical Fiction
Resillence
Ambition
Identity and Love
Meaning of Home
Set in 1980’s following Joan who’s is a professor and joins the NASA space shuttle program. Following her jouney of training in Houston, complex relationships and pressure of being a women in STEM. Opening the book with a glimpse of present time and then jumping back to the beginning to hook readers in.
Fiction
Fate v. Free Will
Love and Friendship
Choice
This is told in dual timeline one where our main character Hannah decides to go home with a high school friend after a night out and the other timeline where she goes home with a friend. Following both radically different timelines the reader gets to see her story layout with alternating chapters. With themes of choice and questions of fate, soulmates, and paths not taken.
Fiction
Rediscovering Love
Personal Identity in relationships
Evolution of love and marriage
Following a a couple Lauren and Ryan who’s marriage is falling apart and they decide to take a year long no contact to decide if they want to stay together. Following Lauren as she figures out her life with out Ryan and decide what she truly values. With themes of family and self discovery.