With the tv and film industry grinding to a halt and sports, concerts, and speaking events canceled, most celebs were cooped up during the pandemic just like us, and many are seeing a slow return to their respective industries just like we are. The only difference, of course, is that most of them have enough disposable income that this isn't really a problem, and they're not scrambling to find work and secure resources like more vulnerable populations have, so they have had quite a lot of time to devote to hobbies and personal development and interests.
For many, that includes reading. A ton. We have total book envy of any celebs who can buy as many books as they want in the bookstore and take them home to hole up for days with their new treasures. Sounds like heaven! Here's what some of our favorite celebs have been reading during quarantine.
10 Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow has taken it one step further during quarantine. She actually started a book club, using her company Goop as a platform for its launch. She raved about Fanny Singer’s Always Home, posting a picture to Instagram with the caption: “In heaven this lazy Sunday morning reading Always Home, a beautiful and unique memoir of sorts, with food as a central character."
9 John Mulaney
John Mulaney has been embroiled in so much drama recently, it's a wonder he's even had time to read. But he made time to recommend The Mirage Factory: Illusion, Imagination, and the Invention of Los Angeles by Gary Krist. The book chronicles the birth and development of Los Angeles, focusing heavily on the impact made on the city by water, cults, and and movies.
8 Michelle Obama
After writing her own book, Michelle Obama has spent a lot of quarantine going back to basics: children's books, that is. She began a weekly series called "Mondays With Michelle" where she reads children's books. The Becoming author's list has included Dr. Seuss's Oh! The Places You'll Go! and Julia Sarcone-Roach’s A Bear Ate Your Sandwich. We hope she gets back to recommending adult books soon!
7 Lupita Nyong’o
Actress Lupita Nyong'o made waves this week with her all denim outfit at the Met Gala. One book at the top of her list? Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The author is known for her beautiful writing and her ability to capture the experiences of contemporary African She's not the only one to recommend this book; Greta Gerwig and Gabrielle Union both praised the book as well.
6 Britney Spears
Britney Spears evidently has a tendency towards fiction, with novels like Ugly Shy Girl by Laura Dockrill and The One and Only by Emily Giffin topping her list this year. She also gushed about The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo, a self-help book about achieving the life you want. For the record we're rooting for Britney to have the life she wants too!
5 Megan Rapinoe
Megan Rapinoe is another celeb who used her quarantine wisely; she began a book club. In alignment with her adocacy and activist work in humanitarian issues, she reads books that help her understand others' experiences, particularly people of color and other marginalized communities. Among her recent recs are The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio and Hunger by Roxane Gay.
4 Reese Witherspoon
Whose recommendations can we trust if not someone who runs their own book club? When Reese Witherspoon isn't acting, she's always got her nose in a book, and one of her recent favorites was The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi. "This vivid story is so rich and complex," she said. "Reading about Lakshmi's journey from escaping an abusive marriage to becoming one of the most sought-after henna artists in Jaipur captivated me from the first chapter to the final page."
3 Chelsea Handler
Chelsea Handler got creative with her book recommendations, posing nude with only three books for coverage. The books? Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker,Tiny Gentle Asians by Melissa Kenny and Diplomacy by Henry Kissinger. "Do you like to read while you garden? I do. Combine your favorite indoor and outdoor activities, and explore your inner green thumb," she wrote in the caption.
2 Jonathan Van Ness
Jonathan Van Ness isn't just stylish and fun - he's an intellectual too! He's spent quarantine cooking up quite the reading list, and some of his favorites are Broken People by Sam Lansky and Do You Mind If I Cancel?: (Things That Still Annoy Me) by Gary Janetti.
1 Nicole Richie
Nicole Richie may have played the spoiled rich girl role well on The Simple Life, but that's definitely not all there is too her. Just a few days into the pandemic, she posted a spread of books next up on her list with the caption "These are my lockdown plans. "Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick by Zora Neale Hurston and The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. “These are my lockdown plans,” she noted via Instagram in March.