Stay ahead of the curve and find out exactly what everyone on BookTok and social media will be talking about this autumn. As a Trendsetter, you crave the buzziest, most viral and most talked-about books of the season.
Discover the hottest trending new release books that are taking the literary world by storm this fall. Featuring headline-grabbing releases from blockbuster authors like Colleen Hoover, Sarah J. Maas, Olivie Blake and R.F. Kuang, these are the most read and most talked about titles destined for every bestseller list and book club.
Bestselling Books & Celebrity Memoirs October 2026
A Court of Splintered Harmony: The Valkyrie Cycle, Movement I
by Sarah J. Maas
Romance, danger, and intrigue await you in the breathtaking sixth book in the #1 bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series.
What was broken will be remade.
Deep in the heart of the continent, Koschei the Deathless is stirring. Though he's been bound to a mountain lake for millennia, the insidious threat of his return now spreads across the Fae territories, attracting powerful allies hell-bent on reclaiming what was once theirs: the human lands.
The Night Court will not stand idly by while innocents are attacked. But with Prythian still piecing itself together in the wake of the devastating Hybern War, the task of uniting is proving more difficult by the day.
To make matters worse, those who rule and protect the Night Court are reeling from recent betrayals and revealed truths. The rifts dividing them seem insurmountable.
But to defeat Koschei's creeping shadow, they must find a way back to each other and resurrect their former alliances. To survive, they must find a way to repair the splintered harmony all around them.
The Court of Thorns and Roses series includes:
- A Court of Thorns and Roses
- A Court of Mist and Fury
- A Court of Wings and Ruin
- A Court of Frost and Starlight
- A Court of Silver Flames
- A Court of Splintered Harmony
- A Court of Forgotten Melody
Charlie's Boy: A Memoir
by D. L. Hughley
The long-awaited memoir by the comedy legend and author of multiple New York Times bestsellers, a beautiful and mesmerizing book that reveals as never before his childhood in South Central Los Angeles, his time in the infamous Bloods gang, and how humor became his salvation.
I learned a joke could be more than humor. It was body armor. Could be a spell. Could be a sword and a shield, all in one breath.
He was always Charlie's Boy--even before he found his name, his voice, his fame.
In this raw, cinematic, and deeply personal memoir, acclaimed comedian and cultural critic D.L. Hughley documents his rise from the streets of South Central Los Angeles to the national spotlight--and the man who quietly stood behind him through it all.
While his mother's wrath shaped his early years with fear and rejection, it was Charlie Hughley--a soft-spoken bag handler at the Los Angeles Airport--who raised D.L. and taught him how to survive through tough love and sacrifice. Though he was not D.L.'s biological father--a fact only revealed when D.L. was ten--Charlie gave his boy the only thing he truly needed: a sense of being seen.
It was a time when gangs ruled the streets of South Central, and D.L. rose through the ranks of the Bloods. But when his mother's car was shot up and dead roses were left on his doorstep--signaling he was marked for death--D.L.'s mother knew that he couldn't stay in Los Angeles. So, D.L. boarded a bus to Ohio and left behind everything he understood. It was exile. But it proved to be a fresh start.
This is not just a coming-of-age story. It's the story of how one man found his voice by being raised in silence--and how he learned to get on stage and turn pain into punch lines. Through storytelling that's both unsparing and funny, Charlie's Boy is a tribute to the man who never asked for one, and a reckoning for the boy who had to wrestle for love, identity, and truth.
Citizen Kim: The Woman Who Created the Future
by Jonathan Van Meter
"Citizen Kim is the kind of intelligent and incisive book that comes along when a great journalist finds his perfect subject. Irresistible." --Anna Wintour
An unprecedented and intimate account of one of the most business-savvy, influential, and defining icons of our time
Kim Kardashian is a self-made mogul, social media genius, fashion icon, and unlikely advocate for criminal justice reform. But she is also dismissed as a figure of scandal, spectacle, and reality television. The truth is more complicated--and revealing.
Stylish, incisive, and deeply reported, Citizen Kim is a portrait of a woman we think we know. Born into an Armenian American family in Beverly Hills and marked early by proximity to tragedy and notoriety, Kim's sense of ambition was evident from the start. She rose from Paris Hilton's sidekick to tabloid fixation, reality-television star, and ultimately, the luminary of a new celebrity economy--an ascent that reveals how precisely she understood the culture she would come to create in her image.
Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews with Kim and dozens of her closest friends, family members, and associates, the book is a symphonic portrait of a woman who comes sharply into focus as the major cultural currents of the past four decades--fame, technology, beauty, capital, family--take shape around her. Cutting through years of self-narration and relentless scrutiny, Jonathan Van Meter reveals a fascinating figure who has repeatedly transformed pressure and trauma into momentum. Equal parts cultural history, high-fashion chronicle, and intimate family study, Citizen Kim is a dazzling, whip-smart exploration of one of the most influential--and misunderstood--celebrities of our time, and the world that made her superstardom possible.
Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David
by Blake J. Harris
The first authorized biography of legendary comedian Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld and star and creator of Curb Your Enthusiasm, featuring exclusive interviews with Larry himself as well as his family, friends, and colleagues
From Seinfeld to Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David has built a comedy empire on candid observations, endless self-deprecation, and an endearing brand of selfishness--now immortalized into a fictionalized on-screen alter-ego. But who's the actual man lurking behind this legendary television persona? And how has he managed to remain a walking, talking enigma for so long?
In Emperor of Nothing, author Blake J. Harris moves past the persona to paint an honest, detailed portrait of the real Larry David. Based on more than five years of meticulous research and exclusive interviews with Larry, his family, and his closest collaborators, this book offers never-before-told stories, never-before-published stand-up bits, and unprecedented access to an otherwise elusive figure, exploring all the nuance behind the neurosis. From his quirky Brooklyn upbringing and temperamental stand-up career to his creative partnership with Jerry Seinfeld and starring in his own show, Emperor of Nothing ultimately reveals where one Larry starts and the other stops, untangling the myriad reasons that Larry became the brutally honest--if accidental--voice of a generation in the process.
Whether you're an overthinker yourself or just want to marvel at Larry David's colossal cultural footprint, this definitive biography gives you a front-row seat to the man behind the myth, tracking his rise from punchline to “prett-ay, prett-ay, prett-ayyy good.”
In My Own Time: A Memoir
by Christopher Lloyd
Emmy Award-winning actor Christopher Lloyd--one of the most iconic performers of his generation--shares an intimate portrait drawn from the defining moments of his life, from his early years in theater to his time on the sets of iconic television and film, his struggles with addiction, and an isolated childhood of privilege.
Whether appearing as a disembodied head in Wednesday or taking on the title role in a stage production of King Lear, Christopher Lloyd has become known for portraying larger-than-life characters with a singular intensity and imagination. Now, for the first time, Christopher shares stories from his life that he has rarely spoken about before.
In My Own Time begins with Christopher's childhood at Waveny, the sprawling Connecticut estate. Raised primarily by governesses and wandering the grounds, he became a quiet observer of the people and relationships around him, including the complicated dynamic between his creative mother and his stern father.
With New York already a familiar part of his world, Christopher immersed himself in the demanding life of the theater. On stage he developed the intensity, imagination, and fearlessness that would come to define his work. From there, Christopher's career expanded across television and film, where audiences came to know him as the intense and unpredictable Taber in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the eccentric and beloved Reverend Jim Ignatowski on Taxi, and the wild-eyed genius Doc Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy--performances that helped define some of the most enduring films and television of their time.
Christopher Lloyd offers a rare and deeply personal reflection on a life spent both onstage and on screen, told with charm, dry wit, and honesty. In sharing the stories behind his work, his struggles, and the people and places that shaped him, In My Own Time reveals the thoughtful and deeply observant man behind the iconic characters.
One Helluva Ride
by Michael Douglas
A boy lost in the shadow of his father's legacy.
A gifted artist dismissed as just a "TV actor."
A first-time film producer who stunned the world by winning an Oscar at 31.
A maverick who changed Hollywood and became a global movie star.
Hollywood icon Michael Douglas tells the unfiltered story of his life for the first time.
"I spent a significant portion of my career playing some version of the modern, flawed, American male. You'll see from these pages that it wasn't exactly a stretch for me."
Beginning with his fractured childhood and a complex relationship with his superstar father, Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas finally gives the full and uncensored account of a remarkable life. One Helluva Ride reveals incredible behind-the-scenes stories featuring a Who's Who of Hollywood, many of them never revealed before and some outrageously funny, with an unflinching honesty about his sometimes bad-boy life.
Initially dismissed as just the handsome son of a legendary movie star, at age thirty-one he shook up Hollywood when he won his first Oscar for producing the five-time Academy Award-winning classic film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Told he would never be more than a "TV actor," he quit the hit series The Streets of San Francisco to become an international movie star, with a list of classic films that have grossed billions of dollars, winning a second Oscar for his riveting performance as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street.
"I can't think about my life without thinking of my movies," Douglas says, and he recounts his career through twelve of his most iconic films, including One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The China Syndrome, Romancing the Stone, Jewel of the Nile, Fatal Attraction, Wall Street, War of the Roses, Basic Instinct, Falling Down, The American President, Traffic and Behind the Candelabra. These movies not only captured the cultural zeitgeist but often defined it.
Yet as Douglas's fame grew, so did his personal struggles. He recounts the full, unfiltered story of his turbulent first mar-riage; infidelity and affairs with some of the most beautiful actresses in Hollywood; his own serious struggle with alcohol, drugs and rehab; the heartbreaking fight to save his son from an addiction that sent him to prison; and his against-all-odds battle with stage IV cancer.
He saw Catherine Zeta Jones on a movie screen and instantly fell for her. Their incredible love story transformed his life and proved all the tabloids wrong, enduring after twenty-five years of marriage.
Father, son, husband, actor, producer, brother and friend. This is the real, raw, deeply honest and vulnerable Michael Douglas you didn't know--until now.
Partita
by Barbara Kingsolver
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Demon Copperhead, a story of a brief, passionate, life-changing love affair, wrapped up in what might be the greatest romance of all: our eternal human longing for art and beauty.
Livia Cable has made her peace with her marriage and modest livelihood in the farm country where she grew up, until a shocking phone call from an old lover shakes her to the core. Decades earlier, this man knew her as Livia Bohusz, a music conservatory student estranged from her home and family, uncertain of anything except her passion for music and promise as an extraordinary pianist. His request, now, to see her again stirs up ghosts she's kept at bay for a lifetime.
Shifting between past and present, Livia's decision to meet or reject the reunion means confronting step by step, in memories framed as musical dances, the experiences of childhood loss, abandonment, self-immolating passion, and perilous attachment to a man who broke her belief in love and ruptured the course of her life.
With razor-sharp acuity and deep affection, Pulitzer Prize winner Barbara Kingsolver's unforgettable new novel reflects on class barriers, the risks of ambition, and the timeless, life-changing power of art.
Peck & Peck
by Bonnie Garmus
A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE, COUNTRY LIVING, AND BOOKPAGE
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of global sensation Lessons in Chemistry returns with an irresistible, delightful, and tender literary novel set in the publishing world of 1980s New York City about a young man whose life turns upside down when he is hired by the most prestigious, secretive, and dysfunctional poetry journal in the world: the renowned Peck & Peck.
Find originality. Reward creativity. Burn the rest.
It's 1982, New York City. Crime is on the rise, muggings are in the streets, and Batter Gray, recent college graduate with a skill that no one wants--an "ear" for poetry--is worried about his future. While all of his friends have real jobs, he's folding T-shirts at the Gap. As for love? No. Not unless you count Sallie Mae, the student loan tyrant. He hears from Sallie all the time.
But when Batter gets a dream job at Peck & Peck, the most prestigious poetry quarterly in the world, his life moves into the literary fast lane. Soon Batter is knee-deep in the secret war between the two Editors in Chief, the famous Peck brothers--twins and enemies--as well as being privy to the private affairs of their thirty-nine editors, whose professed mission is the same: Find originality. Reward creativity. Burn the rest.
And by burn, they mean incinerate. Because at Peck & Peck, "good" isn't good enough, "interesting" doesn't cut it, plagiarists aren't tolerated, and parolees run the mailroom. Still want to submit your poem? Go with God.
Welcome to another dazzling and unforgettable novel from Bonnie Garmus. If you loved Lessons in Chemistry, you will love Peck & Peck.
Sitcom: A Memoir
by Chuck Lorre
A memoir from Chuck Lorre--one of the most prolific television writers and showrunners in TV history (The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Mom, The Kominsky Method, Young Sheldon), on his life, career, and the deal with all those vanity cards.
Ever wonder what it's like to spend decades making millions of strangers laugh -- while trying not to lose your mind in the process?
As the creator of The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Young Sheldon, Bookie, Dharma & Greg, Mom, and more, Lorre has racked up almost two thousand half-hours of comedy. But his own story is just as outrageous, awkward, and surprisingly touching as the shows he built.
In this memoir on his life and career in comedy, Lorre trades punchlines for real talk: the messy, very human truth behind Hollywood's glossy façade, addiction, his own and that of his famous colleagues, his failed marriages, disastrous life choices, and chronic illness--all of which somehow became the ingredients for comedy. One chapter may leave you doubled over, the next might sneak in a lump in your throat -- but that's Chuck. That's sitcoms. That's also real life.
If you've ever binged The Big Bang Theory, argued over your favorite Two and a Half Men character, or wondered how TV comedy gets made, this is your all-access pass. Spoiler: it involves failure, low-self-esteem, and an unshakable love for laughter.
We Thought They'd Never Leave: Musings on Food and Family
by Tony Shalhoub - Josie Adams
From Emmy, Tony, and Golden Globe winner Tony Shalhoub comes a delightful, heartfelt memoir about food, family, recipes, and the stories we pass down around the table.
Every summer for over five decades, more than fifty members of the Shalhoub family have gathered in Door County, Wisconsin, for a week of home-cooked meals, fiercely competitive card games, old stories, new memories, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting.
Written with his daughter Josie Adams, We Thought They'd Never Leave is Tony Shalhoub's warm and deeply personal reflection on the people who shaped him. Through stories spanning four generations--from an orphaned Lebanese boy who survived wartime hunger to the sprawling family he would one day help create--Tony traces the Lebanese American family traditions, meals, and rituals that continue to bring the Shalhoubs back together year after year.
Along the way, the beloved actor known for Monk and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel reflects on growing up as one of ten children in a lively Lebanese American household in Green Bay, Wisconsin; navigating family life, work, and parenthood; and helping preserve a reunion that has become a beloved family institution. Also included are twenty treasured family recipes, ranging from stuffed grape leaves and tabbouleh to Midwestern chili and cherry pie.
Filled with unforgettable characters, deeply moving stories, and Tony's signature humor, We Thought They'd Never Leave is an invitation to join the Shalhoub table, where everyone has an opinion, everyone is expected to pitch in, and there's always room for one more.
Bestselling New Books for September 2026
Birth of a Culture
by Grandmaster Flash - Robert Scoop Jackson
Step into the vibrant streets of the 1970s Bronx and witness the exact moment a global movement began. Birth of a Culture gives you a front-row seat to the origins of hip-hop, told through the firsthand experiences of Grandmaster Flash--one of the founding pioneers who helped build the culture from the ground up.
When you read this book, you feel the pulse of the neighborhood parks, hear the scratch of the vinyl, and experience the raw energy of a community turning its daily struggles into a revolutionary art form. This is not just a collection of dates and facts. It is a deeply personal narrative written by Grandmaster Flash and coauthor Robert "Scoop" Jackson that brings you into the rooms and onto the streets where music changed forever.
What you will discover inside:
- An Authentic Pioneer Perspective: Read a personal narrative from the mind of Grandmaster Flash, complete with untold stories of the earliest park jams and legendary club nights.
- The Blueprint of a Movement: Understand exactly how DJing, MCing, break dancers, and graffiti artists merged to form the core pillars of a massive cultural shift.
- Untold History Revealed: Uncover the real stories behind the evolution of hip-hop and culture.
- Timeless Cultural Relevance: Explore how the innovation born in the Bronx directly influences the music, art, and social movements you interact with every day.
This book cuts through the myths to deliver an authentic, chronological history--bringing you alongside Grandmaster Flash as he invents the groundbreaking Quik Mix Theory and helps transform a landscape of social unrest into a global movement. With turntables and microphones, the young innovator sparked a cultural explosion that quickly swept the world.
More than a timeline of musical milestones, this Birth of a Culture explores the profound power of community, resilience, and unapologetic creativity. The challenges and triumphs detailed within these pages mirror the social issues we still face, proving that music remains our most vital tool for connection and change.
Whether you are a lifelong hip-hop fan, a dedicated music historian, or simply someone who loves powerful stories of cultural triumph, this book belongs on your shelf. Once you've read Birth of a Culture, you can say you know the undeniable heartbeat of hip-hop's true origins.
Er: The Oral History
by Lynette Rice
ER: The Oral History is a deep dive into the show that began the modern medical drama phenomenon, and it contains new interviews with over 60 people, including John Wells and Noah Wyle (showrunner and star of the original ER, respectively, and executive producers of HBO's The Pitt), Eriq LaSalle, Laura Innes, Ming-Na Wen, Paul McCrane, Rick Rossovich, and Goran Visnjic.
Long before Jurassic Park was the embryo of an idea in Michael Crichton's mind, there was ER. A medical student who dreamt of a career in Hollywood, Crichton did what any aspiring writer would: he created a script based on time working in a high-octane hospital emergency department.
Of course, nobody wanted it. It wasn't until Crichton turned his attention to dinosaurs and his 1990 novel Jurassic Park became a megahit - and a mega-movie franchise - that Steven Spielberg's camp asked the former doctor what other ideas he was kicking around. Producers weren't interested in Crichton's dream to make a hospital film. But, they were looking for new television series programming and thought there might be something even bigger in the concept than a movie. And, thus, ER was born.
Despite some resistance from NBC's top brass, the Warner Bros. Television drama became an overnight hit with its high-adrenaline storylines, realistic dialogue, and bona fide (not to mention hot) stars in the making in the cast, including Julianna Margulies, Noah Wyle, Anthony Edwards, and an actor who didn't end up amounting to much named George Clooney.
ER premiered opposite the popular CBS drama Chicago Hope and quickly cannibalized its competition. It would, in its heyday, average 35 million viewers per season (in an era before streaming and DVRs), and was either the number one or number two most watched show on television for six years.
Over the course of its 15 years on air, ER would feature weddings, births, break-ups, death, and medical conundrums in just about every form you could imagine. Although stars like Clooney and Margulies would come and go, ER introduced (or, in some cases, re-introduced) the world to actors like Maura Tierney, Mekhi Phifer, Linda Cardellini, Ming-Na Wen, and Scott Grimes. It won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series and was nominated a staggering 124 times. As popular as Grey's Anatomy is now, there would be no Grey Sloan Memorial without County General.
F*ck Failure
by Benny Blanco
From Grammy Award-winning producer, artist, actor, and New York Times bestselling author Benny Blanco comes a book that teaches you how to achieve your wildest dreams by seizing the most powerful opportunity you'll ever be handed: failure.
You want success? You gotta fail better. I fail constantly--small everyday failures and massive failures that last for years. I've learned a few tricks along the way, and all of them have to do with turning f*cking up into an artform. My superpower as a producer is helping people tap into the success that's already inside of them.
F*ck Failure gives you the non-shortcut shortcuts to success. If you let it this book can change your life. Soon enough, failure will start to feel good. And once you realize that failure is freedom, you'll never look back.
Galinda (Deluxe Limited Edition): A Charmed Childhood
by Gregory Maguire
In this sister volume to Elphie, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wicked Gregory Maguire shares the eagerly awaited origin story of Galinda, the pink-clad, effervescent, and popular favorite character.
A deluxe limited edition hardcover featuring stenciled edges, designed endpapers, and more--is available for a limited time while supplies last!
Who was Glinda the Good Witch before she floated down in her bubble to greet Dorothy? Who was Glinda before she became Elphaba Thropp's magnetic and popular roommate at Shiz University?
Well, before then, she was Galinda. With a "ga."
The youngest of four children in a high-born family down on their luck, Galinda is both pampered and ignored. Her natural grace promises to elevate her in the district dance competitions--but these efforts distract her from seeing the growing resentments of local merchants who disapprove of her family's business strategies.
Enmired in the self-satisfactions and unnamed timidities of childhood, Galinda finds in herself neither canniness nor the need to cultivate it. However, as her father deftly pivots around the snares and nets laid for him by his competitors, Galinda begins to dance toward a life that might lift her above her proud, if hardscrabble, childhood.
Galinda reveals the girl behind the bubbly, shallow cliché--offering fans of Wicked their first richer glimpse into the life of a beloved and iconic character.
Holding Lightning: The Life, Loves, and Art of Whitney Houston
by Emily Lordi
"A top-notch biography of a generational talent." - Kirkus Reviews (starred)
A showstopping portrait of Whitney Houston as we've never seen her before--a woman in her full power, a musician who knew the impact of her gift, and a fulcrum of Black celebrity--in this first major biography of the artist who became an icon.
We remember Whitney Houston for her soaring voice on songs that defined a generation and kicked open the door to Black women in pop music. Her trademark stance was a picture of elegance and power: head thrown back, arms flung straight out. Then there was her sound. One producer recalled Whitney's otherworldly ability to hold notes, comparing it to "holding lightning in your hand, holding lightning in your throat." She tried to hold the lightning as she bathed us all in the glow.
But since her death in 2012, the woman known as "The Voice" has been reduced to just that. Whitney's critics have slotted her memory into a tired genre of famous doomed women whose success owed more to their labels and their producers than to any agency of their own. Yet a closer look reveals a serious artist and woman of conviction striving to be who she was. She said it best: "There would be no 'Whitney Houston' without Whitney Houston."
In Holding Lightning, leading cultural critic and professor Emily Lordi has gained unique access to Houston's innermost circle to show us the Whitney we've been unwilling to see--her fluid sexuality, her unapologetic love of her own talent, her insistence that she be the architect of her own career. And, crucially, Lordi positions Houston's pivotal life in the long history of Black celebrity. Before "rooting for everybody Black" became the norm, Whitney worked as a relentless advocate for Black female talent across the entertainment industry.
Now, finally, in Holding Lightning, we have the essential, up-close portrait of the icon we thought we knew.
I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie: A Memoir
by Jaclyn Smith
From Charlie's Angels star, miniseries queen, and businesswoman Jaclyn Smith comes a heartfelt memoir chronicling the making of a global phenomenon and her story beyond the screen.
When the pilot aired to instant success in 1976, Charlie's Angels ushered in a TV revolution--for the first time, a network show featured three single female detectives whose stories revolved around fighting crime, not around supporting men. Jaclyn Smith, as Kelly Garrett (the only Angel to lead all five seasons of the show), was propelled into international fame and became an icon to girls and women everywhere.
Now, for the first time, she shares the behind-the-scenes story of the origin and making of the iconic show, along with her longtime friendships with her co-stars including Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Cheryl Ladd.
But, as Smith writes, she wasn't born the first day she put on Kelly Garrett's tiny white bikini. Before Charlie's, she was a dancer on Broadway from Texas and a prolific commercial actress. After Charlie's, she channeled her childhood love of design when she pioneered the concept of celebrity-branded clothing lines with a mega-successful K-Mart partnership. She now sells her clothing lines as a commercial branding partner on HSN. While balancing acting and entrepreneurship, and bravely facing breast cancer, she also found love and raised two beloved children.
Intimate, honest, and down-to-earth, I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie tells the life story of an accomplished woman who has inspired generations of Angels who have come after her.
Never Say Die: A Memoir
by Ke Huy Quan
In this stunning and compulsively readable memoir, the Oscar-winning star of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Goonies, and Everything Everywhere All at Once, Ke Huy Quan, tells the story of his journey from Vietnamese refugee to '80s child star to the most inspiring comeback in Hollywood history.
"A monumental work of self-discovery and the power and grace of communal survival. Quan's voice is crystalline and luminous, and his Odyssean journey to the screen is, in itself, a triumph of storytelling." -Ocean Vuong
Ke Huy Quan's Hollywood adventure began when he was twelve years old, a mere five years after his family escaped Communist Northern Vietnam and settled down to a relatively peaceful life in L.A.'s Chinatown. After attending an open call audition on a whim, he was unexpectedly swept up in the wild world of filmmaking: learning to swim from Harrison Ford on the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, receiving trucks full of toys from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas for his birthday, meeting Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, and making lifelong friends on the set of The Goonies.
A star of two of the most beloved movies of the '80s, there appeared to be no limit to Ke's rise. But just a few years later, the roles had dried up and it seemed like Hollywood no longer had a place for him. He eventually left acting to work odd jobs behind the scenes for directors like Wong Kar Wai. His confidence was badly shaken, but his love of performing never abated. It wasn't until decades later, when he was 49 years old, that he stepped back in front of the camera to star in a strange little indie film called Everything Everywhere All at Once, which surprised everyone with its incredible box-office and awards season success. To call Ke's Oscar-winning performance a triumphant return would be an understatement.
In this moving, inspirational memoir, Ke paints a vivid self-portrait, telling both heart-wrenching and funny stories of his early rise, slow fall from the spotlight, the resilience that kept him going through his darkest times, and his eventual resurrection on one of the biggest stages in Hollywood. Never Say Die is the story of Ke's extraordinary life, a love letter to the movies and people that shaped him, and a powerful testament to never giving up on your dreams.
Ruthless
by Danielle Steel
A journalist and the powerful man she is assigned to profile find themselves on a collision course in this powerful novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel.
Shipping magnate John Randall Williams is feared by his competitors, loathed by his only daughter, Gabby, and at sea after the recent death of his devoted wife. About to face his first Christmas alone, John meets a young woman named Lillith at a dinner party and is immediately drawn to her beauty. He invites her to share the holiday with him on his 350-foot sailboat in Saint Barts, and Lillith allows herself to be swept away.
Charlotte Ramsay, a senior editor at Vanity Fair, is on assignment in Saint Barts during the holidays. Known for her integrity as a journalist, she has come to the island to interview another powerful man: the elusive high-tech billionaire Ben Sharpe, whose luxury yacht is also anchored in the harbor. Though the first interview goes badly, she eventually agrees to have dinner with him and becomes intrigued by the real man behind the facade.
A chance encounter between the two couples sets the stage for a face-off between the Charlotte and John. He might have a well-earned reputation for ruthlessness, but when she is in pursuit of her story, she never backs down.
From the power corridors of Manhattan to the sunsets in Saint Barts, Danielle Steel masterfully pulls back the curtain on the private lives of the wealthy elite, where all is not always what it seems.
Trendsetters like you may also enjoy our latest book recommendations for Beach Readers, featuring contemporary fiction averaging 400 pages or less. If you prefer literary fiction and more substantial reads, check out our top picks for Bookworms. You might also want to check out our top Trendsetter books from Summer 2026.