Wednesday, April 9, 2025

The best books about the fabulous—and painful—parts of fame

Pamela Spradlin Mahajan is the author of Skye, Revised, a women’s fiction novel with a delicious dash of magical realism and romance. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and creative writing from Missouri State University and a Masters from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Her recent short stories have appeared in the online literary journal "They Call Us" and she has been honored in the WOW! Women on Writing Flash Fiction Contest.

At Shepherd Spradlin Mahajan tagged five of "the best books about the fabulous—and painful—parts of fame." One title on the list:
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

My favorite thing about this book is its realness and authenticity. I have been a fan of Curtis Sittenfeld’s work since reading Prep, her first book. This particular story follows the romance between a comedy writer, Sally, who doesn’t consider herself conventionally attractive, and a famous male singer, Noah. Sittenfeld based the show where Sally works on Saturday Night Live, which was an interesting touch.

This doesn’t feel like a fantasy or as if it could never happen, thanks to Sittenfeld’s relatable characters and situations. Instead, it uncovers the fun, sexy parts of dating a famous celebrity as well as the less-than fun-parts—such as when photos of the couple are shared in the media and Sally’s appearance is dissected by the public. Overall, this was a playful, quick read!
Read about the other entries on the list.

Romantic Comedy is among Catriona Silvey's top six romances about creatives in love.

--Marshal Zeringue