Read Women discussion

If you're interested in exploring Taylor Jenkins Reid's novels this summer, you're in the right place.

In reverse order of publication, her novels are:

Atmosphere (2025)
Carrie Soto Is Back (2022)
Malibu Rising (2021)
Daisy Jones & The Six (2019)
Evidence of the Affair (2018)
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
(2017)
One True Loves (2016)
Maybe in Another Life (2015)
After I Do (2014)
Forever, Interrupted (2013)

Who's planning to participate? What have you read and enjoyed? What are you thinking about exploring this summer?

I just purchased the audio of Evidence of the Affair - it was only $1.39 and 1 1/2 hours. Figured that might be a good intro, as I haven't read of any hers. And now I know why - they are all billed as romance and I have an aversion to those, I'm afraid.

BUT, having said that - I'm in. I was digging into what some of my pickier friends on here have read, and I found 6 of them who are much tougher at rating books than I am. 4 of them gave The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 5 stars, the other two gave it a 4. That's where I'm leaning right now. Although Carrie Soto is Back looks intriguing.

GailW wrote: "I just purchased the audio of Evidence of the Affair - it was only $1.39 and 1 1/2 hours. Figured that might be a good intro, as I haven't read of any hers. And now I know why - th..."

We're on the same page. I listened to EotA a few years ago as an easy intro to her. It worked great as audio and was totally entertaining for an errand requiring a long drive. Also- though it's about relationships, I wouldn't call this one a romance.

And those are the two novels that have appealed to me most as well. I scored a used paperback of 7 Husbands recently so will likely start with that when I find the time.

You know what's funny? At her website, Reid does not include Evidence of the Affair in her list of books. There's got to be a publisher beef or some such story behind its omission and I am here for it.

You've sold me on starting with Carrie Soto or Evelyn Hugo, whichever copy first becomes available.

Carol wrote: "You know what's funny? At her website, Reid does not include Evidence of the Affair in her list of books. There's got to be a publisher beef or some such story behind its omission and I am here for..."

Cool! Since it's LGBTQ+ History Month for the US in October, I was thinking of reading then as 7 Husbands seems like sorta historical fiction of Hollywood :)

I don't remember why but I had the impression EotA was made for audio. I wonder if that has to do with the omission *shrug*

BTW just read the Time magazine article you had mentioned in another thread. I love her attitude on the high vs low brow art critique.

At first I thought EotA was only made for audio. I couldn't find it for sale anywhere except amazon for kindle. I swear when I looked at it earlier today it read $8.99 and I wasn't paying that much for an 88 page book. Now it says $.99! (Wish they'd move that section of the website to the left hand side.... ;>)

I also picked up Carrie Soto today because it was only $2.99 but I can get Evelyn Hugo at the library although all forms of them are unavailable at the moment.

I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo last year I think. I really enjoyed it. It's the only one of hers that I have read though. I have heard really good things about Daisy Jones & The Six from many people, so that will likely be the next one of hers I read.

I haven't read any of her books but definitely plan to this summer!

GailW wrote: "At first I thought EotA was only made for audio. I couldn't find it for sale anywhere except amazon for kindle. I swear when I looked at it earlier today it read $8.99 and I wasn't paying that much..."

The audio is $1.39 and I caved just to get moving and stop .. thinking about making a decision. But this is either algorithmic pricing or there is a Gail Price. No doubt, the publisher has become aware of this thread and is responding. hahahahaha

btw, what's with the chin and neck emphasis in the cover art for Atmosphere and Carrie Soto? (As a woman of a certain age, my best shot comes from a camera at a downward angle positioned at least 2 feet above my face.) Is the subliminal messaging, "chin up" or "UV rays are good for you" or ... what? Neither of these two recent covers follow any of the current book art trends. The Atmosphere art appeals to me more than the Carrie Soto art, but that's neither here nor there. What do you all think?

Oh you are right about the pattern in cover art! They’re also both in open air, facing an intense sun, protected by sunglasses or closed eyes. It brings to mind a point in the Time article about her writing about women in male-dominated arenas. They both give me a defiant and triumphant vibe. I find them very sensuous too.

If not triumphant, aspirational. And solitary.

Jen wrote: "Oh you are right about the pattern in cover art! They’re also both in open air, facing an intense sun, protected by sunglasses or closed eyes. It brings to mind a point in the Time article about he..."

I like this interpretation. They're really effective now that you explain it. Your second message, as well.

Carol wrote: "The audio is $1.39 and I caved just to get moving and stop .. thinking about making a decision. But this is either algorithmic pricing or there is a Gail Price. No doubt, the publisher has become aware of this thread and is responding. hahahahaha"

I just downloaded it. I have to finish the book I am listening to now then I will read it. Or I might just give up on this book. I'm listening to Bellefleur by Joyce Carol Oates and the narrator is AWFUL! TJR's story will count for our novella prompt on the second bingo card! :)

Misty wrote: "Carol wrote: "The audio is $1.39 and I caved just to get moving and stop .. thinking about making a decision. But this is either algorithmic pricing or there is a Gail Price. No doubt, the publishe..."

I hadn't thought of that - yeah!!

Daisy Jones is absolutely fantastic on audio. Highly, highly recommend you experience it in that format. I loved that one as well as Seven Husbands. As much as I loved those two, Malibu Rising was definitely not for me.

Melissa wrote: "Daisy Jones is absolutely fantastic on audio. Highly, highly recommend you experience it in that format. I loved that one as well as Seven Husbands. As much as I loved those two, Malibu Rising was ..."

Funny for there to be that big a difference in fit - but awesome to know.

I just finished Evidence of the Affair. If her other books are as good as this one, I'll be happy. Loved the ending! (although I do have one comment/question that I'll save until you have read it.)

I’ll listen to this tomorrow on my drive home. I’m very much looking forward to it.

I'm actually still listening to Bellefleur (and still considering DNF), but I took a break yesterday and listened to Evidence of the Affair. I really liked it.

I listened to Evidence of the Affair. It was well worth the limited time-investment and I loved the several possible interpretations of the title of the story as well as the events described in the ending. I had a bit of a challenge with the female MC's passivity and had it not been an epistolary novel or if I'd had to spend 200 pages with her, I think my response would have downgraded. Ken's letters were difficult to absorb because they were so damned canned. 1970s fertility advice in all of its glory. One thing I never could figure out is (view spoiler)[how the teacher husband can meet female MC for lunch during so many workdays during April and May, assuming a traditional American school calendar (which I think was pretty much universal in the US in 1971), and how Ken doesn't ever notice that his wife is out of town for 7+ hours (3 hr drive each way plus lunch). (hide spoiler)] I ultimately accepted it; it's not easy, practically speaking, to meet in-person with someone who lives 3 hours a way - except in novels.

The short version, this was an easy introduction to Reid's style.

I agree with you on the "time off" piece but also (view spoiler)[ How did she get through a divorce being pregnant and Ken not wanting to know if it was his?? (hide spoiler)]

GailW wrote: "I agree with you on the "time off" piece but also [spoilers removed]"

YES!! I was watching the timing, since we get dates throughout and wondering the same thing. Also, (view spoiler)[why would Ken want to stay married to her? They don't have kids. He's bored silly. He can apparently love-bomb new targets without difficulty. Even before no-fault divorce, he could have paid her off and started over without the irritation of coming home to someone you've lost interest in. They're only in their low 30s. It's not like it's a big lift for a professional man in 1971 to start over, sans kids or religious beliefs opposing divorce. (hide spoiler)]

I have to say I am a huge fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid. I loved the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and The Six that they made into a TV series. I didn’t love Malibu Rising as much as the other books I had read but you have inspired me to maybe read more as part of this year’s reading challenge.

I woke up to a copy of Atmosphere on my work desk this morning. Feeling really loved and excited to jump in!

Anita wrote: "I woke up to a copy of Atmosphere on my work desk this morning. Feeling really loved and excited to jump in!"

Oh, man. That’s lovely, Anita. I’m deep, deep in my library’s wait list, but I’m hopeful it’ll move at pace.

Ok, you're all making me reconsider trying to read TJR again.
I started 7 Husbands and did not like it at all. To be fair, I only gave it a chapter or two, but it was enough for me at the time.

I've had Evidence of the Affair on my Kindle for quite a while, so this prompted me to get to it. It wasn't bad and I liked the way it ended. (view spoiler)[Like you Carol, I was puzzled how a teacher who also coaches and pinches pennies could just take off in the middle of the day for a secret meetup. (hide spoiler)]
Evelyn Hugo was ok for me. I wasn't thrilled with Malibu Rising. Daisy Jones was my favorite.

I'm still planning to read Seven Husbands in October if anyone wants to join around the same time :)

My number finally came up for Atmosphere and I listened to 45 minutes of it on Audible. I've decided that, as with you, Lindsey, and 7 Husbands, sometimes it's enough to determine that you and an author aren't sympatico.

I had an interesting conversation with my daughter this weekend. She's 24. I am not. She reads different genres than I do, in a way that results in, between the two of us, coverage of the various conversations around books, lit, authors, etc. We were talking about TJR and how omnipresent big she is right now. I see her dominance as akin to the dominance of Jodi Picoult and Liane Moriarty in prior decades, not that either author is about to head to the glue factory. She said that no one her age reads/talks about Jodi Picoult or Liane Moriarty - they are deemed, authors of books their moms read. Personally, I think Moriarty is a much better writer than TJR, and I appreciate that she doesn't write romances, per se, but there's a similar chick-lit vibe in terms of appeal. And all of their characters are roughly the same age, so it isn't that readers won't read about characters who are older or have made different life choices. My theory is that, if you are in your 20s when an author explodes like TJR, you claim them as yours. for life. Authors that you find in your 20s but have been around for a minute don't hit the same way. They aren't yours. OTOH, I am always paying attention to who's new and keeping the "old" just the same. But I can imagine feeling the same way about actors who hit it big right around when you start adulting. They are yours. Something to think about.

I just finished Atmosphere and really liked it! I always giggle when we have polar views on books, Carol! This one took me so long to read, but that’s on me, not the book. I really enjoyed it and had no idea there was a queer romance blooming in the 80’s here. To add to our MC’s character as a woman trying to get into space with NASA. I loved the characters in this book. Even if some of them felt super awkward to me (like her sister Barbara 100 percent I would not be able to manage in my life), I guess they could be real people and I find that interesting.