Small 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.
Buy on Bookshop.org ↗If you liked this, try…
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.
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.