Carley Fortune shares her favorite books. Jenna Marie Wakani; Amazon Ever wonder what your favorite celebrities are reading — whether it’s a timeless classic or the buzzy bestseller they can’t put down? Welcome to Page-Turners, where stars reveal the books that keep them hooked, inspired and up all night. Warning: your TBR pile is about to get a lot longer.
For romance author Carley Fortune, a good book is determined by its characters.
“I love all sorts of novels,” the author, whose new book “Our Perfect Storm” is out now, told Page Six.
“But there are two things the books I love most tend to have in common: a deep sense of place and empathy for all the characters, even the villains,” she explained.
AMAZON $30.00 $21.00 BOOKSHOP.ORG $30.00 $27.96 Fortune’s new book “Our Perfect Storm” follows lifelong best friends Frankie and George who end up on Frankie’s honeymoon together after her fiancé dumps her. The vacation forces them to confront their long-buried feelings.
See below for Fortune’s must-read book recommendations.
“To write lifelong best friends Frankie and George in ‘Our Perfect Storm,’ I drew inspiration from Jo and Laurie in ‘Little Women,’ who are stubborn, spirited and hot-headed. ‘Little Women’ references run throughout my novel. It’s not a retelling, but it certainly pays tribute to the Louisa May Alcott classic.”
“I love recommending this book. It’s one of the greatest literary classics of all time, but I come across so many devoted American readers who haven’t picked it up. There is perhaps no greater influence on my own work than Lucy Maud Montgomery’s story of Anne Shirley’s life on Prince Edward Island after she’s adopted by siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. My third novel, ‘This Summer Will Be Different’ — which is becoming a series on Netflix — is full of Anne Easter eggs.”
“It’s hard for me to pick my favorite Margaret Atwood novel — ‘The Blind Assassin,’ ‘The Robber Bride,’ and ‘Oryx and Crake’ rank very high — but ‘Cat’s Eye’ might top them all. If you’re drawn to novels about complicated friendships between girls and women, this is a must-read.”
“Tia Williams is one of my auto-buy authors. Her next one is out June 15, and it has everything I’ve come to expect and cherish in Tia’s books: complicated, beautifully drawn characters, big emotions, and hot sex. The perfect book to take on vacation this summer.”
“This debut romance by Rioghnach Robinson (out Oct. 6) is one of the most exciting novels I’ve read this year. It’s the smartest, freshest take on an enemies-to-lovers tale, about a literary critic and the author whose books she despises.”
“Charlotte McConaghy’s climate thriller was my absolute favorite book of 2025 (I listened to the audio; it’s sublime). I’m a sucker for vivid settings and the way Charlotte captures Shearwater, a remote island near Antarctica, and its marine life is stunning. It’s part family drama, part mystery, and completely absorbing.”
