Elin Hilderbrand and Jenna Bush Hager Share Their Favorite Books and Authors: ‘She’s One of the Greats’
From Ann Patchett to Donna Tartt, the literary powerhouses reveal which novels are on their nightstands
Key Takeaways
- Elin Hilderbrand and Jenna Bush Hager both named Ann Patchett's ‘Bel Canto 'a favorite.
- The pair also praised Donna Tartt's ‘The Secret History’ and Lily King's ‘Heart the Lover.'
- Jenna Bush Hager calls Barbara Kingsolver's new novel ‘Partita’ her favorite.
Bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand is opening up about her favorite books. In a recent interview on Jenna Bush Hager’s podcast Open Book With Jenna, the queen of Nantucket novels revealed which books she’s bringing to the beach—and spoiler alert, they aren’t what you would expect. To learn more, keep scrolling!
Elin Hilderbrand and Jenna Bush Hager open up about their love for Ann Patchett
Like so many of us, Hilderbrand, whose new book, The Thoroughbreds, releases September 15, 2026, and Bush Hager can’t get enough of author Ann Patchett.
“She’s so wonderful,” Hilderbrand told Hager and Jennifer Garner, who also appeared in the episode and stars in the recent Peacock adaptation of Hilderbrand’s bestselling novel, The Five-Star Weekend. “She’s so normal. She’s one of the greats.”
As for which Patchett book Hilderbrand loves most, she said Bel Canto is “One of my top 10 favorite [books].”
The 2001 novel follows opera star Roxanne Coss after she’s invited to perform at a wealthy businessman’s lavish birthday party. The elegant celebration takes a terrifying turn when terrorists storm in and take everyone hostage.
Hager also loves Bel Canto, and Patchett’s latest novel, Whistler, which she talked about after Garner asked Hager and Hilderbrand if they had read it. In that book, Daphne reconnects with her long-lost former stepfather Eddie after a tragedy tore them apart decades ago.
“I read it in like two days. I loved it,” Hager said. “ I thought it was so simple and profound. She’s one of my favorites.”
Elin Hilderbrand and Jenna Bush Hager reveal other books they love
Hilderbrand and Hager also raved about The Secret History by Donna Tartt. In that book, six students studying classical literature at Hampden College reflect on the events that led to the murder of their friend Edmund “Bunny” Corcoran.
“I know you loved that book,” Hilderbrand told Hager. “I loved it too.”
Another book they bonded over? Heart the Lover by Lily King, which Garner said she also read. In Heart the Lover, the narrator, given the nickname Jordan, befriends Sam and Yash in college and the three find themselves in a messy love triangle. Decades later, an unexpected visit forces Jordan to confront the choices that shaped her life.
“Lily was a Read with Jenna author,” Hager said. “So her first book, Writers and Lovers, was a Read with Jenna pick and this is the sort of sequel.”
But Hilderbrand called King’s 2014 book Euphoria “one of my top 10.”
“That’s on my five-star list. It’s set in Papua New Guinea. It’s basically a fictional Margaret Mead,” she continued. “It’s a love triangle between the husband and the lover. I mean, it is so good.”
Finally, in the conversation Hager shared that she thinks Barbara Kingsolver’s new book Partita, which comes out October 6, 2026, is “my favorite.”
“Read it and tell me if you agree,” she told Hilderbrand.
“Okay I will. I have it at home,” replied Hilderbrand.
Partita follows Livia Cable after a phone call from an old lover forces her to confront her past. It’s Kingsolver’s 11th novel.
To watch the whole Open Book With Jenna episode featuring Jennifer Garner and Elin Hilderbrand click here!
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