When pop stars read serious books: what book clubs mean now

Once upon a time, the book club was a quiet affair. A circle of friends, a bottle of wine, and a novel discussed with enthusiasm or polite disagreement. Then came Oprah, and everything changed. Her televised picks turned literary taste into a shared national ritual, making authors overnight sensations and cementing the idea that reading could be collective, not solitary. 

But today’s book club looks very different. When Dua Lipa recommends This House of Grief to her 90 million followers, or Florence Welch posts her annotated copy of The Bell Jar, something deeper is at play. Reading has become performance, identity, and, unexpectedly, power.

What writers can learn from pop stars

It might sound a little unexpected to set Dua Lipa and Helen Garner on the same page, yet both demonstrate something fundamental: how to build a voice. 

Garner paints scenes with sharp observational detail, sunlight catching on chipped teacups, the quiet despair in a suburban living room. Lipa delivers lyric hooks that lodge themselves in your bloodstream. They're instant and irresistible. Both are storytellers.

Dua Lipa and Helen Garner: When pop culture meets literary depth

Dua Lipa’s book club selection of This House of Grief brought Helen Garner’s work into the mainstream spotlight and sparked an unexpected literary ripple. 

Garner’s forensic exploration of a real-life Australian murder case is anything but tabloid. Instead, she writes with quiet precision and moral seriousness.

Bookworm summer: Reading as stylish rebellion

Move over, Brat Summer. The era of ironic chaos and glam messiness is giving way for something quieter, more cerebral, and, dare we say it, more enchanting. Welcome to Bookworm Summer, where reading isn’t just cool again; it’s the season’s most coveted accessory.

From Dior’s limited-edition Dracula book tote to Dua Lipa’s Instagram book club and Kaia Gerber’s annotated paperbacks, literary flair is everywhere. Celebrities aren’t just posting reading lists for show; these curated collections have become a way to express identity, mood, and even political consciousness.