• The Hub

    News, Notes, Talk

    A book for every Barbie in Barbie.

    Emily Temple
    By 
    August 2, 2023, 12:49pm

    Hi Barbie! Are you looking for a good book to read? Maybe to take to the Beach? And/or to bring with you when you go to the movies this weekend? I promise, it’s going to be right up your alley. And also pink, for outfit coordination purposes, of course. You’re welcome. Bye Barbie!

    Stereotypical Barbie: Emily Henry, Happy Place

    Barbie is everything. And she can stave off thoughts of death with Henry’s latest feel-good rom com. For a while, anyway!

    President Barbie: Casey McQuiston, Red, White, & Royal Blue

    This Barbie is President. And she totally thinks love can save the world. Or at least her evening in.

    Weird Barbie: Jen Beagin, Vacuum in the Dark

    This Barbie is always in the splits. And it’s left her with a satisfyingly insane sense of humor.

    Writer Barbie: Elif Batuman, The Idiot 

    This Barbie is a celebrated author. But she was once a mere overthinker obsessed with semiotics, just like you.

    Dr. Barbie: Ling Ma, Severance

    This Barbie is a doctor. And she knows you can’t die from nostalgia. But she gets it.

    Journalist Barbie: Chloé Cooper Jones, Easy Beauty: A Memoir

    This Barbie has a Pulitzer. And she knows good nonfiction when she reads it.

    Diplomat Barbie: Toni Morrison, The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations

    This Barbie is a diplomat. And she is always looking to the greats to figure out how to live in the world (particularly with other people).

    Judge Barbie: The New York Public Library, ed., The Stonewall Reader

    This Barbie is a Supreme Court Justice. And she’s good at it.

    Physicist Barbie: Tom Perrotta, The Leftovers

    This Barbie has a Nobel Prize in Physics. And she has some theories.

     

    Lawyer Barbie: Alissa Nutting, Tampa

    This Barbie is a lawyer. And she understands the ramifications but can’t help getting sucked in anyway.

    Mermaid Barbie: Julia Langbein, American Mermaid

    This Barbie is a mermaid. And everyone knows that mermaids love mermaids.

    BONUS: Ken: Jacqueline Susann, Valley of the Dolls

    He’s just Ken. And boy, does he love Barbie.

    Barbie Emily has fun at work pink reading lists

    • Become a Lit Hub Supporting Member: Because Books Matter

    For the past decade, Literary Hub has brought you the best of the book world for free—no paywall. But our future relies on you. In return for a donation, you’ll get an ad-free reading experience, exclusive editors’ picks, book giveaways, and our coveted Joan Didion Lit Hub tote bag. Most importantly, you’ll keep independent book coverage alive and thriving on the internet.

    Become a member for as low as $5/month

    Dismiss without supporting Lit Hub
    x