Want to find your next read but aren't sure where to start? Here is a list of recommendations from my most read genres! You can find me on Storygraph or Goodreads @zoegarden for more recs! This list contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commis...
Sections
8
Fave Reads of 2026
Classics
Movies & TV
Music
Pop Culture
Memoir
Fave Reads of 2026
i have a goal to read 100 books this year & these are my favorite first reads so far!
inhaled the whole thing in one sitting
Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon
i watched the before trilogy for the 1st time this year so i had to read the screenplays!
Before Sunrise & Before Sunset: Two Screenplays
so unbelievably cute
The Road to Tender Hearts: A Novel
inhaled this in one day
My Dark Vanessa: Psychological Novel on Power
must read if you are interested in learning about u.s. history
All the President's Men
Classics
Classics for a reason!
it's alive!!!!! iconic birth of the horror genre
Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus
my favorite book of all time! i'm a jo march btw
Little Women
absolute must read about black american history
The Souls of Black Folk
you come to me on the day my daughter is to be married?
The Godfather: 50th Anniversary Edition
my favorite from required reading in high school!
To Kill a Mockingbird
my favorite required reading from middle school!
The Hobbit
i mean it's jane austen so of course
Sense and Sensibility
world's first simp
The Phantom of the Opera: 1910 Gothic Classic
my favorite jane austen!
Emma
one of my childhood favorites
Anne of Green Gables
Movies & TV
Books about the making of, based on or analysis of movies & TV through a cultural and critical lens
a fan takes you through the history and cultural impact of Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Into Every Generation a Slayer Is Born
probably my favorite documentary from undergrad so i had to read the book as well!
The Celluloid Closet: Homosexuality in the Movies
because women ok the end
When Women Invented Television
a great oral history of the west wing
What's Next: Backstage Pass to The West Wing
who doesn't love teen tv
Freaks, Gleeks & Dawson's Creek: 7 Teen Shows
fascinating story .. oh hi mark
The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room
ok i know it's corny but middle school me was obsessed and yeah i've read it every summer since
The Summer I Turned Pretty
my fave movie so of course i ate this up
We'll Always Have Casablanca: Hollywood's Beloved Film
gotta plug @thiswashollywood's book!
This Was Hollywood: Forgotten Stars and Stories
rip mtm!
Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted: The Mary Tyler Moore Show
required reading from my undergrad capstone class but still enjoyable!
Make Room for TV: Television & Family Ideal
i mean who doesn't love carol burnett
In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Fun
i mean invented 2013 tumblr
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
r.i.p jimmy burrows
Directed by James Burrows: Five Decades of Stories
from my undergrad capstone
Videoland: Movie Culture at American Video Store
generational talent
Bossypants
great oral history of snl
Live From New York: Complete History of SNL
necessary to watch the movie
Girl, Interrupted: A Memoir
Music
giiirl turn your records on tell me your favorite song
lowkey streaming culture is depressing
Mood Machine: Rise of Spotify & Playlist Costs
fun fact i had a fall out boy tumblr blog in middle/high school
Where Are Your Boys Tonight? Emo History 1999-2008
although i'm not bts army, such a fascinating look at the rise of a group from nothing into super stardom!
Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS
mother!
Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics
crazy how wham being together was so short but their impact still stands
Wham!, George Michael and Me: A Memoir
i mean this is a duh
The Woman in Me
Pop Culture
books i didn't think made sense for the movies & tv or music category!
howard hughes was always up to somethin
Seduction: Sex, Lies & Stardom in Hughes's Hollywood
reminder that misogyny is everywhere
Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned Women
i mean iconic for a reason
Bogie & Bacall: Hollywood’s Greatest Love
Memoir
i love memoirs, it's my guilty pleasure
insider look into this era of disney and child stardom
Forever Young: A Memoir
one of my faves from 2026!
Famesick: A Memoir
who doesn't love julie andrews?
Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years
how's your head?
Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of Mistress
r.i.p leslie jordan!
How Y'all Doing?: Misadventures & Mischief
kohls icon in my eyes
Open Book
the fact this is PART ONE of a memoir is so iconic
Cher: Part One: The Memoir
done so beautifully
From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir
i like all of MJF's books but this is my fave of his
No Time Like the Future
don't even want to describe it just read it
Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show
so cute
The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family
such an amazing storied career
The Third Gilmore Girl: A Memoir
so impactful - must read
I'm Glad My Mom Died
great look into child stardom who aren't on a miley/selena/demi level but recognizable
Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Everything: Memoir
dvd the icon
My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business
funniest man alive
I Must Say: My Life As a Humble Comedy Legend
both of carol's books are delightful!
This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection
the audiobook is on another level
Leslie F*cking Jones
love her
This Will Only Hurt a Little - Memoir
so quintessentially henry
Being Henry: The Fonz . . . and Beyond
such a great story of adversity and never giving up for your dream
Finding Me: Memoir of Overcoming & Self-Love
History / Politics
learning should continue to happen outside the classroom
must read if you want to learn more about watergate
All the President's Men
one of my required readings for my political science minor in undergrad
The Price of the Ticket: Obama & Black Politics
very comprehensive
The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles & CIA
i'm obsessed w/ watergate lol
Watergate: A New History
interesting look at someone who grew up believing the lost cause and learns the truth when they are older
Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner's Reckoning
just in time for america 250!
1776 - David McCullough
just another reminder that the right sucks
Dark Money: Hidden History of Billionaires
must read
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
watergate 3rd mention
King Richard: Nixon and Watergate
ugh
The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government ...
must read if you want to learn about evangelicalism
Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted Faith
will we have another president like FDR? prob not!
Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life
required reading from undergrad
Happy Days and Wonder Years
required reading from undergrad
Defending the American Presidency: Clinton & Lewinsky
completely riveting
The Lincoln Conspiracy: Secret Plot to Kill
troops are waiting in the field for you…
Alexander Hamilton
Non-Fiction
interesting topics that are captivating to read about!
i know what your thinking.. hot dogs? but trust me on this one
