Our Editors Have Preferred These 7 Books to TV This Month

The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins

Self-help books are back. This is probably the book you’ve been seeing everywhere lately, and for good reason. Robbins covers how to apply her cult-status “Let Them Theory” (i.e., letting people do what they’re going to do and letting it go) to every single facet of your life. I was given the Kindle edition for my birthday recently, but the audiobook is narrated by Robbins herself and made for an entertaining listen on my afternoon walks. I was nodding along in agreement throughout the entire book. —Margo Ghertner

Didion and Babitz by Lili Anolik

Shortly after the writer Eve Babitz died in 2021, veteran journalist Lili Anolik — who struck up a friendship with her in her final years — was surprised to discover an unsent letter to Joan Didion dating from 1972 in Babitz’s archives. This led Anolik to investigate the fraught relationship between the two women, whom Anolik describes as “two halves of American womanhood”: Didion, the calm, cool, and collected cipher; and Babitz, the unabashed hedonist. Admittedly, I found this book to be more of an obsessive ode to Babitz’s genius than a fair interpretation of their rivalry, but I absolutely adored the deep dive into the LA cultural scene in the ‘60s and ‘70s. I’d recommend listening to this on audiobook, as Anolik narrates and Emma Roberts reads Babitz’s letters. —Caroline Goldstein

The Rules of Fortune by Danielle Prescod

I’ve been a longtime follower of Danielle Prescod, and I thoroughly enjoyed her memoir, Token Black Girl. Her first work of fiction is a Succession-esque novel that I read in one sitting. When the patriarch of one of America’s wealthiest families dies hours before his seventieth birthday party, his daughter grasps at an opportunity to unearth long-buried family secrets and dysfunctional dynamics. If you’re looking for a bingeable read that’ll have you both laughing and well-informed, pick this one up. Not to mention, it’s Mindy Kaling-approved. —Margo Ghertner

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

As a Curtis Sittenfeld superfan, I’m committed to reading her entire oeuvre. Somehow, I’d never gotten around to American Wife, her 2008 release and arguably her most ambitious project to date. The subject, Alice Lindgren, is modeled after former First Lady Laura Bush, and Sittenfeld pulls some significant details from Bush’s life (including her involvement in a tragic car accident that resulted in the death of her schoolmate — and her childhood Democratic views). Sittenfeld approaches her subject with respect and sympathy, and I adored her with all my heart, political views notwithstanding. —Caroline Goldstein 

Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Americanah fans, rejoice. Dream Count is Adichie’s first novel since the blockbuster came out over 10 years ago. The book is split into five parts, with each chapter covering the lives of a different woman: Chiamaka is a Nigerian travel writer living in D.C. Zikora, her best friend, is a lawyer looking for love. Omelegor is Chiamaka’s spritely cousin with a successful financial career in Nigeria. Kadiatou, Chiamaka’s housekeeper, is raising her daughter in America and navigating hardship. As always, Adichie’s prose is thoughtful, moving, and will have you savoring every page. I’m reading it now, and it’s one of those books you dread finishing as you’re reading it. —Margo Ghertner

Old Flame by Molly Prentiss

Here’s another previous release from another of my all-time favorite writers that I hadn’t gotten around to reading until now. 2023’s Old Flame follows Emily, a 20-something fashion copywriter-slash-aspiring novelist living in Brooklyn. It’s a familiar premise, but Prentiss’ style — an intoxicating combination of poetry, wit, and exacting insight — makes it feel fresh. I especially admire her appropriately complex portrait of pregnancy, motherhood, and female friendship. —Caroline Goldstein

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

I’m late to the party, but after trying to work through a reading slump, I turned to Abby Jimenez’s second trilogy to get me through. I’m absolutely hooked now. Jimenez writes romances with such depth, entertaining drama, and moving character development. This one is the first of her interconnected standalone series and it follows the daughter of a medical dynasty in Minnesota finding love after a tumultuous divorce. If you’re stuck on what to read right now, definitely give this mini series a try. Jimenez’s writing requires no thought to read, in the best way possible. —Margo Ghertner