Everything You Need to Know About Taylor Jenkins Reid

New York Times

4 days ago

After writing five best-selling novels about women reaching astronomic heights of fame, it seems only natural that Taylor Jenkins Reid would turn to the stars — literally — for her next work. Her new novel, 'Atmosphere: A Love Story,' coming out on Tuesday, follows a female astronaut in the 1980s as she navigates her high-pressure career and a blossoming romance.
As a mainstay of best-seller lists and book clubs, with two screen adaptations of her work already out and several more underway (including 'Atmosphere'), Reid is among the most popular writers publishing now. She has sold over 21 million books across print, e-book and audiobook formats, according to one of her publicists, and Time reported this month that she recently signed a five-book deal for a total of $40 million.
If you're new to her work or need a refresher, here's where to start.
The Hallmarks of a Taylor Jenkins Reid Novel
Including 'Atmosphere,' Reid has published nine books over the last 12 years.
She began by writing about ordinary-seeming heterosexual couples, often living in Los Angeles, who face extraordinary obstacles: a woman widowed days into her marriage, an estranged couple on a romantic walkabout, a presumed widow who discovers her missing husband is alive. 'The emotions just jumped off the page,' said the author and former book editor Greer Hendricks, who acquired and worked on Reid's earliest work.
Reid's first four books — 'Forever, Interrupted,' 'After I Do,' 'Maybe In Another Life' and 'One True Loves' — found middling success among readers, and in retrospect form an unofficial quartet, in which romance is the focus and comparatively little attention is paid to other aspects of the characters' lives.
Her fifth novel, 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,' was a distinct departure in terms of theme, style and scope. The story of a Hollywood icon who offers her dishy life story to a young journalist, it established the framework for the novels that would vault Reid to fame. These later books zero in on women who are exceptional in their fields (acting, music, sports, science) but nonetheless grapple with all-too-mortal problems: heartbreak, addiction, infidelity, grief.
Reid has spoken of how her own drive helped shift her literary preoccupations. 'I wanted to be a bigger name, and I wanted to be aggressive about that,' she told The New York Times in 2021. Her focus became the 'type of woman who I want to talk about, a woman who has naked ambition.'
Her Writing Style
Reid's first four books are told in a relatively straightforward style, with occasional flashbacks to the early days of a character's romantic relationship. But there are commonalities with her later books, including an ear for snappy conversation. 'When you're not painting on as broad a canvas, dialogue is even more important,' said Sarah Cantin, who edited several of Reid's novels, including 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.'
Her later novels are elaborately constructed, often toggling between time periods and perspectives. The most dramatic example of her experimentation with form is 'Daisy Jones and the Six,' which is presented as an oral history.
'She is so gifted in how she portrays humanity,' said the Today show co-host and publisher Jenna Bush Hager, who selected 'Malibu Rising' for her book club. 'Her books are so easy to fall into,' she continued, 'they gave me the same feeling that Sweet Valley High or The Babysitters Club did when I was young and wanted to stay up all night under the covers reading them. Taylor is a 'flashlight under your covers' writer.'
Through her female characters in particular, Reid explores 'different ways of moving through the world and behaving in ways that aren't always likable,' said Cantin. 'There's something in their vulnerability and wild ambition and aspiration that people are drawn to.'
Reid, who recently announced she is bisexual, has garnered praise for her books' queer characters, whose rich lives aren't defined by their sexuality. But she has gotten pushback to her handling of nonwhite characters; the heroines of 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' and 'Carrie Soto Is Back' are Latina and their portrayals, including the way they use Spanish, rankled some readers as perniciously stereotypical.
A TL;DR Guide to Her Books
After a whirlwind romance and elopement, Elsie is sure she's found her soul mate. Nine days into married life, her husband is killed in a bike accident, forcing Elsie to grieve for the life she had just begun while locking horns with her mother-in-law, who didn't even know she existed.
After many happy years together, starting in college, Lauren and Ryan's marriage has stagnated and they are on the precipice of divorce. In an effort to save their relationship, they agree to a year of trial separation, with no communication allowed.
Nearing 30 and utterly adrift, Hannah returns to her hometown, Los Angeles, to plot her next move. In this 'Sliding Doors' story, told in alternating chapters, Hannah goes down two parallel tracks: one in which she reconnects with her high school boyfriend, and one where she blazes a new path on her own.
Emma and her husband, Jesse, built a thrilling life together. But after Jesse goes missing during an ill-fated helicopter trip, she cobbles together a world without him — including a new fiancé. When Jesse is found alive, Emma must choose between the men she loves. (A movie adaptation was released in 2023.)
A Hollywood icon nearing the end of her life contacts a young journalist and offers to share her life story. The novel, a BookTok favorite, is narrated partially by the star, Evelyn Hugo, as she reflects on her upbringing in Hell's Kitchen, relationships and career — and partially by the young journalist, who is connected to Evelyn in a manner she couldn't have expected.
Structured as an oral history, this novel tells the story of a wildly popular 1970s rock band (that feels a lot like Fleetwood Mac) as its members navigate sudden celebrity, family life, heartbreak and addiction. A popular TV adaptation stars Riley Keough as Daisy.
Over one night in 1983, four famous siblings — children of Mick Riva, a legendary singer — convene at the elder sister Nina's annual end-of-summer party. Each is wrestling demons that evening, and that's all before Nina's house goes up in flames.
A tennis champion comes out of retirement in her late 30s to face off against a younger challenger, and reflects on how her single-minded athletic focus came at the expense of personal fulfillment off the court. (The real-life tennis GOAT Serena Williams is producing a series adaptation.)
In 1980, Joan was selected as one of the first women to train as a NASA astronaut. We meet her four years later, as the steadying voice on the ground guiding her comrades through a flight gone terribly awry. Chapters leap between the edge-of-your-seat mission and Joan's past, showing how she grows into a top-flight astronaut, aunt and love interest.
The Easter Eggs
Reid's characters frequently make cameos in multiple books, and connecting her universes is often part of the fun for her fans.