Parisian Phoenix Publishing

Books Featuring Writers

• Book Lovers, Emily Henry. This has been my favorite Emily Henry book that I’ve read, much better than People You Meet on Vacation. The characters are more complex and the plot has more meat than I’ve come to expect from an Emily Henry book. Nora plans a vacation with her sister to visit the small town setting of their favorite book, expecting it to revitalize their lives, only to discover the town’s a dud. Fiction is, after all, fiction. While in town, Nora, a successful literary agent, keeps running into Charlie, a moody book editor also from the New York Publishing scene.
• The Messy Lives of Book People, Phaedra Patrick. This might be my favorite read of the year so far. Daughter of an English professor and house cleaner Liv Green works for bestselling author Essie Starling, who dies unexpectedly after surgery. Essie’s last decree is for Liv to finish the author’s 20th manuscript. Liv feels writing the proper send off for Essie’s main character, Georgia Rory, means finding out who would have been the love of Essie’s life— and the answer shocks poor Liv to her core. The book examines the creative world, personal identity, and marital relationships.

• Waiting for Tom Hanks, Kerry Winfrey. I loved the male characters in this one, but in my Goodreads review I called the female protagonist “a drip.” I still gave the book a three-star rating, so it could be considered a quick and fairly painless read. This book launches the Waiting for Tom Hanks book series. Main character Annie is a screenwriter who lands a job working as the director’s assistant on a movie set. She’s convinced her own rom-com will end with her meeting her own Tom Hanks-style character, but instead she ends up with a cocky movie star.
• What if You & Me, Roni Lauren. The main female character is a horror author and the main male character is an amputee. The book was a decently written, mindless read. Lots of sex, as one would expect in a humorous contemporary romance. Both main characters have these moments where I hated them. And at some points, I felt the premise of the novel went too far. I think the depiction of the writer’s mind is fantastic, but the idea that a woman in her early 20s could be a successful mid-list author who doesn’t need to have a job on the side is pure fantasy. But what gets me— she hardly ever writes in the story.

Movies about Writing

• Glass Castle (2017), with Woody Harrelson. Based on journalist Jeanette Wells’ 2005 memoir about her unorthodox childhood and how writing became her “way out.” My review: Four stars. Harrelson does an amazing job, as do all the actors.
• Help, The (2011), historical fiction based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett. With this all-star cast, an aspiring author (writing cleaning columns for her local daily) works with local African-American cleaning woman (at the height of the American Civil Rights movement) to write a bestseller chronicling what it is like to work for White people in Jackson, Mississippi. My review: Five stars. The actors portraying both the help and their employers do a fantastic job portraying the attitudes of the era.
• Stranger than Fiction (2006), Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Queen Latifah. IRS auditor Harold Crick realizes he’s a character in Karen Eiffel’s latest novel when he hears her narrating his life in his head. He enlists the help of a literature professor to figure out his story before the author kills him. My review: Four stars. Harold Crick is an adorable character, and I enjoyed the cinematography. The way the plot covers the anguish of writing and the construction of literature while making a statement on how people live their mundane lives kept me engaged and thinking.

Television Shows Featuring Writers

• Rooster (2026), Steve Carrell. A bestselling author agrees to become the writer-in-residence at a New England liberal arts college to save his daughter’s job. My review: Five stars. I have only seen the two episodes that are out, but the humor appeals to multiple demographics and generations as everyone in my house was laughing.
• Shelved (2023), this Canadian workplace comedy follows librarians at a small branch of the Toronto Public Library. Okay, so this one isn’t about writers, but it’s about books and librarians. My review: Three stars. It’s in the same genre as shows like The Office, where sets are minimal and real/realistic, and the humor is dry. It’s very well done, and I would even call it adorable. If you’re looking for amusement, it’s perfect.
• Hacks (2021 to present), a young writer gets canceled thanks to a bad tweet and ends up working for a successful yet aging comedian. My review: Four stars. I’m now four seasons in, and I like the characters. The pacing isn’t as quick as I’d like, but it’s holding my attention and making me wonder where this partnership goes.