Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel's Tween Empire
Ashley Spencer
The behind-the-scenes story of Disney Channel's tween golden age, Hilary Duff through Zendaya, built on hundreds of new interviews. Pure nostalgia if you grew up on it.
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★ 5Small Game
Blair Braverman
I love reality TV, especially Survivor, so this debut about a survival reality show gone wrong was right up my alley. Tense and more thoughtful than I expected.
You Wanna Be on Top?: A Memoir of Makeovers, Manipulation, and Not Becoming America's Next Top Model
Sarah Hartshorne
A former contestant's behind-the-scenes memoir of America's Next Top Model and how the sausage really got made. Fun and a little damning.
The Compound
Aisling Rawle
A reality-show dystopia where contestants chase luxury and each other in a desert compound. Sharp on how quickly we'll perform for a prize.
The Favorites
Layne Fargo
A fiery ice-dancing duo, told partly like a documentary, with real Wuthering Heights energy. Melodramatic in exactly the way I wanted.
★ 5The Correspondent
Virginia Evans
The protagonist of this beautiful novel is a 73-year-old woman processing her life — and regrets — through letters. It’s poignant but not saccharine, specific but universally appealing. I dare you not to cry.