6 Celebrity Book Recommendations To Beat Digital Fatigue With
Thought daughters, unite: these are the novels recommended by Laufey, Dua Lipa and more.
By Nicole Ng - published
Digital fatigue—mental exhaustion from the excessive use of digital devices—has been an ongoing phenomenon among those of us who are chronically online, and it seems like celebrities are feeling it too. Cue celebrity-led book clubs: singer Laufey’s Laufey Book Club, Emma Robert’s Belletrist, Dua Lipa’s Service95 Book Club, model Kaia Gerber’s Library Science and more.
On their lists? A slew of buzzy reads such as Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo and Patti Smith’s Just Kids, along with other underrated contemporary novels such as Severance and Piglet. And for the thought daughters: Recitatif and Still Born, which discuss topics such as race and motherhood.
Below, a list of novels spanning classic, romance and dystopian genres to indulge in while your screens are turned off.
Related article: Catching Up With Jemimah Wei, Singaporean Author Of ‘The Original Daughter’
1. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, recommended by Laufey Book Club
Fans of Grammy-winning singer Laufey, this one is for you. Listed as one of the books that has shaped her, Rebecca is a Gothic novel that sees the relationship of an unnamed naive young woman and wealthy Englishman Maxim de Winter being haunted by the memory of de Winter’s late wife. Filled with unexpected plot twists, this well-loved classic by Daphne du Maurier is for those on the hunt for a riveting, emotionally complex read.
Rebecca, $19, Amazon
2. Recitatif by Toni Morrison, recommended by Laufey Book Club
Short on time? Recitatif by Toni Morrison, author of Beloved, is a bite-sized read spotted in a recommendation list from the Laufey Book Club. The story follows the lives of two inseparable girls who part ways after being raised in a shelter together, and through time jumps, readers see them unintentionally meet at different points in their lives. Both find themselves on opposing ends of issues surrounding race and class that are further intensified by racial tensions in 1960s America, yet inextricably bound by their common past.
Recitatif, $20, Amazon
Related article: How To Nail Laufey And Junia’s Style, From Their Coquette-Core Red-Carpet Looks To Daily Basics
3. Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel, recommended by Service95
ICYMI, Dua Lipa has a book club. A pick of hers to start on next: Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel. Still Born tells the stories of Alina and Laura, who are by every measure quintessential career-driven modern women who put the prospect of being a mother on the backburner. But as time goes on, both women find themselves drawn to motherhood and are faced with complex emotions when complications arrive—Alina’s trouble with her pregnancy and Laura’s relationship with her friend’s son. Translated from Spanish, the novel is based on Nettel’s observations in her real life and reveals the changing perspectives on motherhood, a topic pertinent amongst the youth today.
Still Born, $31, Amazon
4. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry, recommended by Reese’s Book Club
In the mood for love? Add Reese Witherspoon’s book club pick for May 2025, Great Big Beautiful Life, to your to-read list. In this novel, expect a triple threat of popular romance tropes—grumpy meets sunshine, enemies to lovers and forced proximity—combined with the mystery genre. Two journalists, eternal optimist Alice Scott and stony, award-winning Hayden Anderson, compete for a chance at writing the biography of enigmatic socialite Margaret Ives. Both characters navigate conflicting feelings arising from love and personal ambition as they set out to uncover missing pieces in Ives’ mysterious, scandal-filled past.
Great Big Beautiful Life, $40, Amazon
Related article: 9 Best Vinyl Bars And Cafes In Singapore
5. Piglet by Lottie Hazell , recommended by Belletrist
Recommended by actress Emma Roberts and producer Karah Preiss for their book club Belletrist, Piglet is a contemporary novel about the protagonist’s struggle with control over herself and her relationship with food in order to keep up a perfect image in front of her family. When Piglet’s fiancé reveals an undisclosed betrayal to her one night, the rising cookbook editor’s carefully curated life shatters. The novel follows Piglet as she decides which is more important to her: ambition, her relationships or herself.
Piglet, $35, Amazon
6. Severance by Ling Ma, recommended by Library Science
Not to be confused with the hit TV series featuring Adam Scott, Ma’s Severance challenges our dedication to maintaining normalcy amidst chaos. The novel follows first-generation immigrant Candance Chen, who is content with her unfulfilling routine of editing a teen-targeted Bible and watching movies with her partner in her spare time, as she navigates her new life when New York is swept by a plague. Severance is a pick from Kaia Gerber’s book club Library Science, which also features other viral reads such as Gabriel Smith’s Brat.
Severance, $29, Amazon
