Reese Witherspoon Reveals 4 Authors She Loves, Including One She Says Had a ‘Profound Impact’ on Her Life
From a beloved teacher to longtime favorite Ann Patchett, these authors have Reese’s seal of approval
Key Takeaways
- Reese calls her former high school English teacher a major influence on her life and career.
- Celeste Ng, Curtis Sittenfeld and Ann Patchett have all been Reese’s Book Club picks.
- Reese’s recommendations span literary fiction, nonfiction, romance and family-centered stories.
Over the years actress, director, writer and Reese’s Book Club founder Reese Witherspoon has not only shared a variety of book recommendations, but she’s shared some of her favorite authors as well. From Ann Patchett to the writer she says “had a profound impact on my life and career,” this list has something for all types of readers. To learn more about the authors Reese loves, keep scrolling!
Margaret Renkl
“Margaret was my high school English teacher,” Reese said in 2024. “Her guidance shaped my passion for literature and had a profound impact on my life and career.” In 2023, Margaret Renkl published The Comfort of Crows, which was chosen as a Reese’s Book Club Pick in 2024. The nonfiction work contains 52 essays that detail a year in Renkl’s Nashville backyard. Through vivid observations of birds, plants and shifting seasons, she combines themes together of family, loss and resilience. The book features artwork from Margaret’s brother, Billy Renkl.
What Reese says: “The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl is a beautiful love letter to nature and the world around us. Divided into fifty-two chapters, it follows the creatures and plants in Margaret’s backyard over the course of a year, capturing both the joy of nature’s ongoing pleasures and the grief of fleeting moments.”
What other readers are saying: “I had the pleasure of hearing Ann Patchett this fall and she highly recommended this book during her talk. I ordered it immediately but I’m just getting around to reading it. The essays are heartfelt and true and while they can stand alone, Renkl weaves them together well. Ironically, I was reading this book alongside Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior. That is a good companion fiction piece to Renkl’s nonfiction.”
Celeste Ng
In 2017, Celeste Ng published Little Fires Everywhere, which was then turned into a TV show in 2020 starring none other than Reese herself. The plot follows Type A realtor and mother Elena Richardson, whose world is turned upside down when single mother Mia Warren, an artist, rents one of her properties. As their lives intertwine, Elena is forced to wonder if her orderly, controlled life is actually as perfect as she thinks it is.
What Reese says: “To say I love this book is an understatement. This deep psychological mystery about two families in Ohio moved me to tears. Celeste Ng writes with stunning accuracy about the power of motherhood, the intensity of teenage love and the danger of perfection.”
What other readers are saying: “Little Fires Everywhere is a novel that far surpasses any other that I have ever read. I don’t know how Celeste Ng did it. It is a brilliantly written novel with intricate, rich and wholly vivid characters whose lives are so fully intertwined you can’t help but read in bewildered awe of how Celeste created these characters. My nerve endings were fully engaged on high alert from the first sentence.”
Curtis Sittenfeld
Romantic Comedy, April 2023 Reese’s Book Club pick, follows Sally Milz, a sketch writer for late-night comedy show The Night Owls. After swearing off love, she meets pop star Noah Brewster when he hosts for a week. Despite their instant connection, Sally reminds herself this isn’t a rom-com—it’s real life. As sparks fly and live TV pressure builds, Sally must decide if she’s going to protect her heart or risk it all.
What Reese says: “Our April 2023 Reese’s Book Club Pick is Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld and it is such a hilarious, sweet, smart read that I think you’re going to love!”
What other readers are saying: “Curtis Sittenfeld ‘s writing style is both wry and tenderhearted. She manages to create a main character who is clever and sarcastic but also insightful about life and all the ways the human experience unfolds. I couldn’t help but have Tina Fey’s voice in my head as I read this book!”
Ann Patchett
Over the years, Reese hasn’t been shy about sharing her love for Ann Patchett. She’s such a fan that she chose Tom Lake as a Reese’s Book Club pick in August 2023. But when it comes to the book Reese said made Ann feel like a friend, that would be This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage, a 2017 Reese’s Book Club pick. In it, Ann opens up about her childhood, her marriage and why writing is so important to her. It’s honest, real and a must-read memoir for Ann fans.
What Reese says: “I find Ann Patchett’s This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage endlessly inspiring. When I read it, I feel like she’s my smart, brilliant friend, and we’re just having a conversation about life, marriage, divorce—all the big topics.”
What other readers are saying: “I feel tremendously fortunate to have gotten so much insight into Ann Patchett’s life, her mind and her heart, and I think this will help enhance my enjoyment of her future work even more. If you like her writing, definitely pick this up. It’s tremendously captivating, even if you choose to read it a little at a time rather than all at once.”
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