Curious what books the stars are curling up with — whether it’s an enduring classic or the current bestseller they can’t put down? Welcome to Page-Turners, where celebrities share the titles that keep them captivated, inspired, and reading well into the night. Fair warning: your to-be-read list is about to grow.
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Bethany Joy Lenz can lose herself in a book almost anywhere, though she prefers being comfortable at home with her dogs and a good story.
Lenz — whose new novel The Betrayal of Cora Wexford is out now — told Page Six that people who are neurodivergent often have a knack for reading in busy environments because they can tune out noise and hyperfocus. Still, her favorite place to read is on the couch.
She added that the ideal reading setting for her is by a warm fire while rain patters outside and one of her Great Pyrenees cuddles up beside her.
“I love that books take me anywhere I want to go, and often to places I didn’t realize I needed,” she said, explaining that she reads broadly across genres — from fiction and murder mysteries to theology, memoirs, and cookbooks.
Picking just six favorites was no easy feat, Lenz admitted, so she noted which selections contain online spoilers with an asterisk. “Happy reading (or adventuring),” she added.
Below are the books Bethany Joy Lenz recommends.
“A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles
“I first saw the TV adaptation and felt so drawn to its world and characters that I wanted more time there — the novel delivered that. The story covers many years of Russian history, beginning around the turn of the 20th century, and follows a man sentenced to spend the rest of his life confined to a grand hotel. As guests come and go, the narrative threads in romance, innovation, the upheaval of communism, and the hope for something new. Towles’s prose is beautifully crafted and the rich details swept me away.”
“The Little Book” by Selden Edwards
“I’m a sucker for time-travel stories and hope to write one myself someday. This debut is inventive and elegant: a middle-aged man in 1988 awakens in Vienna 91 years earlier. While he searches for why he’s been displaced and whether he can return home, his misadventures unfold. It’s a perfect read for autumn and winter evenings.”
“The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides**
“Another impressive first novel — a lesson in building suspense and narrative craft. I listened to the audiobook during the COVID lockdown and often found myself frozen in place, staring into space, literally holding my breath. The writing is meticulous and controlled. This one felt especially powerful to me.”
“Three Weeks with My Brother” by Nicholas Sparks
“Nick is a friend, and when I visited him once and asked which of his books I should read (I’d only read The Notebook at that point), he handed me this one — his sole nonfiction work. The book follows a three-week journey he takes with his brother Micah to a series of bucket-list destinations, interwoven with flashbacks that are tender, funny, painful, and full of heart.
“I already knew he was a gifted storyteller, but seeing him apply that skill to his own life made a lasting impression. I absolutely love this book; it made me want to fully savor every moment in my own life.”
“We Are All the Same in the Dark” by Julia Heaberlin**
“At first glance it looks like the familiar premise of a cop searching for a missing girl, but Heaberlin’s novel is in a different league. I picked it up expecting a quick mystery and closed it thinking about life’s larger questions, desperate to reach into the pages and grab the characters — to speak to them, comfort them, warn them. It’s far more than a standard suspense novel; it probes our judgments, the ideas we cling to, and the things we all try to get away with.”
“Quantum Physics and Theology: An Unexpected Kinship” by John Polkinghorne
“My fascination with time travel has led me to dabble in quantum physics the past few years. I’m often watching StarTalk, and whenever I find an accessible book on the subject I’m eager to read it.
“The more I learn from a variety of educational sources and perspectives, the more convinced I become that quantum discoveries hint at how we’re interconnected — both with one another and possibly with a universal designer. I’m still reading Polkinghorne’s book, but so far it’s a thoughtful introduction to how that entanglement might be understood and what answers it could offer.”
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Ellis McDowell is a trend analyst with a sharp eye for spotting the next big thing in entertainment. With years of experience in digital media and trend forecasting, Nora tracks the movements of influencers, viral content, and entertainment trends. Her insights help shape the stories that captivate our audience.
