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Ever wonder what your favorite celebrities are reading — whether it’s a timeless classic or the buzzy bestseller they can’t put down? Welcome to Page-Turners, where stars reveal the books that keep them hooked, inspired and up all night. Warning: your TBR pile is about to get a lot longer.
Bethany Joy Lenz has the ability to get lost in a book wherever she is, but prefers when she can cozy up with her dogs and a great read.
“Neurodivergents of the world may know this superpower of reading anywhere,” Lenz — whose new book “The Betrayal of Cora Wexford” is on sale now — told Page Six. “Many times it can feel easy to drown out any large noises and hyper focus on reading or writing, but my favorite spot to read is on the couch.”
The “One Tree Hill” alum added her ideal book-reading locale is by a fire, while it’s raining outside with one of her Great Pyrenees next to her.
“I love that books take me anywhere I want to go, and often places I didn’t know I needed to go,” she explained.
The “Dinner for Vampires” author loves a variety of genres, including fiction, specifically murder mysteries, theology, memoirs and cooking.
“Choosing a top six is an impossible task, but these come to mind first,” Lenz said, noting that she put asterisks beside the titles that have online spoilers. “Happy Reading (adventuring?).”
See below for Lenz’s must-read book recommendations.
“A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles
“I watched the TV series first and was so captivated by the world and characters that I wanted to live in it longer — I needed more. The story spans decades in Russia, beginning at the turn of the century, and centers on a man who is sentenced to live out his days as a prisoner in a luxury hotel while the guests who come and go usher in innovation, romance, the devastation of communism and the hope of a new world. The prose is exceptional and the details sweep me away.”
“The Little Book” by Selden Edwards
“I’m a sucker for time-travel novels and fully intend to write one someday. The story is so elegant and creative, and this is his debut novel, I believe. A middle-aged man in 1988 wakes up 91 years prior in Vienna. While he searches for the reason for his displacement (and how to get home), adventures ensue. This is a fabulous Autumn and Winter read.”
“The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides**
“Another debut novel and a masterclass in suspense and craft. I listened to the audiobook of this during COVID-19 and found myself just standing still in the middle of rooms around my house, staring off into the distance and holding my breath. It’s written with such care and precision. This is a really special book.”
“Three Weeks with My Brother” by Nicholas Sparks
“Nick is a friend and while visiting his home once I asked which of his books I should read (having only read ‘The Notebook’ at that point). He handed me this one — his only work of non-fiction. He takes a three-week trip with his brother, Micah, to various bucket-list spots around the world, and while he’s sharing that journey, he flashes back to all these deeply vulnerable, hilarious, heartbreaking and wonderful moments in his life.
“I knew he was a lovely writer, but I didn’t expect how applying his talent to his own personal story would carry such a long-lasting impact. I just adore this book and it made me want to soak up every moment in my own life.”
“We Are All the Same in the Dark” by Julia Heaberlin**
“Cop-goes-looking-for-a-missing-girl has been done a hundred times, but never like this. I went in looking for a time-filling, murder mystery, I closed the book thinking about big questions in life and desperately wanting to grab onto her characters and talk to them, hug them, warn them! This is so much more than a suspense novel. It’s an examination of our own judgements, ideas, and the things we all try to get away with.”
“Quantum Physics and Theology: An Unexpected Kinship” by John Polkinghorne
“Back to my obsession with time-travel, learning what I can about quantum physics has become something of a hobby for me in the last couple of years. Star-Talk is the default station on my TV and anytime I can find a book on it that isn’t too dry, I’ll snag it.
“The more I learn from educational sources of all beliefs, the more convinced I am that quantum discoveries are pointing toward our entanglement with each other and with a universal designer. I’m currently reading this and haven’t finished yet, but so far this book is a great starting point to understand what that entanglement might look like, and the answers that might provide.”