Under quarantine many of us rekindled old hobbies, maybe found new ones. I for one, picked up book after book after book and read them as if my isolated life depended on it. Not the worst way to spend time, I suppose. Remember the days in elementary school, maybe middle school where you would read books like “Percy Jackson” in but a few days? That was me. Though now I may have moved from contemporary fiction to books like “Marxism & Feminism”, there were some new favorites I read during the initial months of quarantine (you know, the time where you thought this would all be over in a month). Most notably, I read “Daisy Jones & The Six” and “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid and let me tell you: this author is a must-read. 

Before I go into the amazing wonders of Reid as a writer, let me first give you a quick synopsis of the two books I read and recommend. “Daisy Jones & The Six” follows a woman in the 60s who joins a band called “The Six.” The book follows the band’s life, and of course all the drama-I’m talking Fleetwood Mac level drama folks. “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” follows the journey of Hollywood actor Evelyn Hugo who was a (fictional) famous celebrity in the 50s. You follow her path to stardom, along with all the details of Hollywood behind the scenes that we all both want and don’t want to know about. Both are quick reads!

Now onto the show: Taylor Jenkins Reid. This writer has an amazing handle on character development. Not only did I find myself caring deeply about the characters, but I was also able to distinguish each individual character within the pieces, which is a feat considering we have more than seven people in “Daisy Jones & The Six” alone, and more than eight in “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.” Each character was so distinct and had such well developed arcs that I couldn’t help but genuinely care about them and their successes. Feminism is also very prevalent throughout her books, and numerous facets of it are represented. We see how women are expected to act in both the time periods they inhabit, and the culture they live in whether that be film or the music industry. I do not wish to give too much away, but just know that it’s simple chef’s kiss. 

The way Reid writes is immensely engaging too, which also helps in our connection with the characters. Both books are written like a long interview, where the content is mostly constant dialogue between the characters. This allows us to capture the character’s voice, and makes the books easy to fly through (no, really…300 pages feels like nothing) and enjoyable. I haven’t encountered a book written like this in a very long time, and it is extremely refreshing to read. The only complaint I have are that the endings are very predictable, but I cannot wail about it too hard, as they are still satisfying. I am most definitely a fan of Reid and am looking forward to reading her other works and future works. 

If you love fun and entertaining reads about pop culture, or strong women, or honestly just a quick and fulfilling read- I STRONGLY recommend Taylor Jenkin Reid’s books. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll shout. You’ll fall in love with Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo.