Life of a Showgirl Reads

Sarah and I, as the unofficial Swifties of the OverDrive Digital Content Librarian team, are here to make sure that your patrons have some great books to read when they stop listening to Life of a Showgirl on repeat (I’m on listen number… I don’t know… 13?). We’re vibing with the happy, fun, sometimes silly, sometimes spicy themes that this album is giving us, and we know that the books that give that same feeling are some of our favorites, especially at those times when you just need something joyful.

What we have chosen is a bunch of books that should give your patrons exactly what they want if they’re feeling like being in their showgirl era. Light, breezy, but still infused with great meaning. Let your patrons know that they, “should’ve read these anyway,” and that missing these would be a fate (not quite) worse than Ophelia’s. From a couple of eldest daughters, we hope this list of books takes your patrons to new heights and enjoy!

Books you should know about

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

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From the publisher: In 1940, nineteen-year-old Vivian Morris has just been kicked out of Vassar College, owing to her lackluster freshman-year performance. Her affluent parents send her to Manhattan to live with her Aunt Peg, who owns a flamboyant, crumbling midtown theater called the Lily Playhouse. There Vivian is introduced to an entire cosmos of unconventional and charismatic characters, from the fun-chasing showgirls to a sexy male actor, a grand-dame actress, a lady-killer writer, and no-nonsense stage manager. But when Vivian makes a personal mistake that results in professional scandal, it turns her new world upside down in ways that will take her years to fully understand. Ultimately, though, it leads her to a new understanding of the kind of life she craves – and the kind of freedom it takes to pursue it. It will also lead to the love of her life, a love that stands out from all the rest.

 

The Weiner Across the Way by Amy Award

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From the publisher:

What happens when the sunshiny pop princess and the grumpy football player discover there’s more to this fake romance than inspiration for a new love song?

Kelsey Best is America’s pop sweetheart, and anyone who says they don’t like her music is a liar and needs to be punched in the nads. And I’ll do it, too, because I’m the guy the NFL dubbed the meanest player in the league. It’s great for my career on the field, but not so much for my reputation off it. So I’m shocked as hell when Kelsey’s team sends my agent a wild idea—they want a showmance between us. She’s looking to dodge the media frenzy after her breakup with Hollywood’s latest heartthrob, and I apparently fit the bill as her perfect distraction. My agent is convinced this fake dating stunt is the key to fixing my image. But what happens when I fall for her? The whole world is going to hate me when we fake break up. But she’s going to create a blank space in my heart, and I don’t think I’m going to be able to shake it off. This plus-size curvy-girl romance features a burnt-cinnamon-roll hero with a mean protective streak and a baddie plus-size pop star on the verge of burn out. But a Bridgertons-meets-American-Football family you’ll wish you were a part of will make sure they get their happy ever after.

The Breakup Tour by Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegemund-Broka

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From the publisher:

A rising-star musician has a second chance at love with an old flame she remembers all too well in this swoony romance from the acclaimed authors of The Roughest Draft.
Riley Wynn went from a promising singer-songwriter to a superstar overnight, thanks to her breakup song concept album and its unforgettable lead single. When Riley’s ex-husband claims the hit song is about him, she does something she hasn’t in ten years and calls Max Harcourt, her college boyfriend and the real inspiration for the song of the summer.
Max hasn’t spoken to Riley since their relationship ended. He’s content with managing the retirement home his family owns, but it’s not the life filled with music he dreamed of. When Riley asks him to go public as her songwriting muse, he agrees on one condition: he’ll join her band on tour.
As they perform across the country, Max and Riley start to realize that while they hit some wrong notes in the past, their future could hold incredible things. And their rekindled relationship will either last forever or go down in flames.

The View from Lake Como by Adiana Trigiani

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From the publisher:

Jess Capodimonte Baratta is not living the life of her dreams. Not even close.
In blue-collar Lake Como, New Jersey, family comes first. Recently divorced from Bobby Bilancia, “the perfect husband,” Jess moves into her parents’ basement to hide and heal. Jess is the overlooked daughter, who dutifully takes care of her parents, cooks Sunday dinner, and puts herself last. Despite her role as the family handmaiden, Jess is also a talented draftswoman in the marble business run by her dapper uncle Louie, who believes she can do anything (once she invests in a better wardrobe).
When the Capodimonte and Baratta families endure an unexpected loss, the shock unearths long-buried secrets that will force Jess to question her loyalty to those she trusted. Fueled by her lost dreams, Jess takes fate into her own hands and escapes to her ancestral home, Carrara, Italy.
From the shadows of the majestic marble-capped mountains of Tuscany, to the glittering streets of Milan, and on the shores of enchanting Lake Como (the other one), Jess begins to carve a place in this new/old world. When she meets Angelo Strazza, a passionate artist who works in gold, she discovers her own skills are priceless. But as Jess uncovers the truth about her family history, it will change the course of her life and those she loves the most forever. In love and work, in art and soul, Jess will need every tool she has mastered to reinvent her life.
Fed by the author’s cherished Italian roots comes a bighearted, hilarious novel of the moment: the story of one woman’s determination to live a creative life that matters, with enough room left over for love. With a one-way ticket to Italy, Jess is determined to write a new story on her own terms—this time, in stone.

If Not for My Baby by Kate Golden

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From the publisher:

It’s the duet of a lifetime when a rock star and his backup singer find a new kind of harmony off stage in this sensational contemporary romance.
Clementine Clark isn’t looking for love. Growing up with a single mom who weeps over a new guy each week tends to have that effect on a girl. But Clementine doesn’t mind being the rational one—she’s even buried her musical dreams so deeply within herself that she hardly notices the hole it’s left in her life.

That is until her best friend calls her with a life-changing opportunity: to join Irish megastar Halloran on his first US tour as a backing vocalist. Clementine wants to reject the offer, but the pay is enough to change her and her mom’s life. Overnight, Clementine goes from serving enchiladas at the Happy Tortilla to belting high notes before a cheering crowd.
But the whiplash of trading small-town Texas for sold-out stadiums is nothing compared to the rush of performing with the enigmatic Thomas Patrick Halloran. Poet, introvert, and lyrical genius, Halloran quickly gets under Clementine’s skin. The two couldn’t see the world more differently. And yet, over the course of the next eight weeks on tour, the romantic rockstar might just strike an unforgettable chord in Clementine. But will it be enough for an encore?

Dream On, Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake

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From the publisher: Once upon a time, Ramona Riley was a student at a prestigious art school, with dreams of landing in Hollywood as a costume designer to the stars. But after her father’s car accident, she had to quit and return to her small New Hampshire town, Clover Lake, to help take care of her younger sister. Twelve years later, Ramona is still working at the town’s café, all but given up on her dream. But when a big-budget romantic comedy comes to Clover Lake to film, she wonders if this could be her chance. There’s only one problem—Dylan Monroe, her first kiss and Hollywood’s favorite wild child—is the star.
Dylan Monroe has always lived an unconventional life, having famous rock icons for parents. But she wants to prove that she’s not some chaotic, talentless nepo baby, that she has actual skills, that she’s just a normal person. To do that, Dylan takes on a project at a charming lake town—she even works at the town’s café (very quaint), shadowing a local waitress there (very cute), and asks her to take Dylan around to do Normal People Things.
But Dylan soon realizes it’s not just some small-town waitress she’s getting to know—Ramona Riley is someone she’s met before, someone who remembers her even more vividly. Before long, however, reality hits them, and both women must decide if the spark between them can fan the flames of their individual dreams, or if it will extinguish their light.

 

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

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From the publisher: Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim—but pretends that she can.
Plus, Cole and Hutch are brothers. And they don’t get along. Next stop: paradise! But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good-looking man she has ever seen . . . but maybe a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two. Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue—along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.

 

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey

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From the publisher: When professional hockey player Sig Gauthier’s car breaks down and his phone dies, he treks into a posh private country club to call a tow truck, where he encounters the alluring Chloe Clifford, the manic pixie dream girl who captivates him immediately with her sense of adventure and penchant for stealing champagne.

Sparks fly during a moonlight kiss and the enamored pair can’t wait to see each other again, but when Sig finally arrives to meet his dad’s new girlfriend over dinner, Chloe is confusingly also there. Turns out the girlfriend is Chloe’s mother. Oh, and they’re engaged.

Sig’s dream girl is his future stepsister.

 

Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston

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From the publisher: Joni Lark has a secret. She’s one of the most coveted songwriters in LA, and yet she can’t write. There’s an emptiness inside her, and nothing seems to fill it.
When she returns to her hometown of Vienna Shores, North Carolina, she hopes that the sand, the surf, and the concerts at The Revelry, her family’s music venue, will spark inspiration. But when Joni gets there, nothing is how she left it. Her best friend is hiding something, her mother’s memories are fading fast, and The Revelry is closing.
How can Joni write when her world is leaving her behind?
Until she hears it. A melody in her head, lyric-less and half-formed, and an alluring and addictive voice to go with it—belonging, apparently, to a wry musician with an emptiness of his own.

Surely, he’s a figment of Joni’s overworked imagination.

Then a very real man shows up in Vienna Shores. He’s arrogant and guarded—nothing like the sweet, funny voice in Joni’s head—and he has a plan for breaking their inconvenient telepathic connection: finish the song haunting them both and hope they don’t risk their hearts—or their secrets—in the process.
Because that melody, the one drawing them together . . . what if it’s there for a reason?

 

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

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From the publisher: New York City, 1956: Nineteen-year-old Marion Brooks knows she should be happy. Her high school sweetheart is about to propose and sweep her off to the life everyone has always expected they’d have together: a quiet house in the suburbs, Marion staying home to raise their future children. But instead, Marion finds herself feeling trapped. So, when she comes across an opportunity to audition for the famous Radio City Rockettes—the glamorous precision-dancing troupe—she jumps at the chance to exchange her predictable future for the dazzling life of a performer.

 

For more Swiftie-reads, check out these great lists!

In My Libby Era: Books for Swifties

The Tortured Swiftie’s TBR List

Ruin the Friendship: Friends to Lovers Romance

Must Watch Films

Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes, 2024

Watch Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes on Kanopy here

From the studio: Directed by Nanette Burstein, this intimate and revealing documentary offers an unprecedented exploration into the life of Hollywood’s quintessential star, Elizabeth Taylor, through her own words. With extraordinary access to Taylor’s personal archives, including hours of newly unearthed audio interviews and clips from her iconic roles, the film challenges audiences to reconsider the legacy of a complex woman who navigated lifelong fame and public scrutiny on a global stage. Following the life of a megastar who defied an era’s expectations by portraying strong-willed women onscreen, Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes offers a nuanced portrait of vulnerability and strength of one of cinema’s most enduring icons.

 

The Real Taylor Swift: Wild Dreams, 2021

Watch The Real Taylor Swift: Wild Dreams on Kanopy here

From the Studio: The amazingly talented Taylor Swift is more than her catchy pop, country, and rock songs. A life story filled with love and loss, all Taylor-made. Music was her mission fulfilling her wildest dreams.

 

My Week with Marilyn, 2011

Watch My Week with Marilyn on Kanopy here

From the studio: An assistant on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl documents the week he spent befriending Marilyn Monroe (Williams) and helping her escape the pressures of fame and Hollywood.

 

A little Extra something

Support your community by diversifying your Libby offerings with Libby Extras. Today we’re highlighting Qello Concerts.

From the Extra: Stream the world’s largest collection of on-demand full-length music performances, concert films, and music documentaries. Qello Concerts transforms your connected devices into the ultimate live music concert film experience. Give your favorite headliners a standing ovation from the best seat in the house anywhere, anytime!

• 1000s of concert films and documentaries
• New concerts added every week
• Streamed live concerts with major partners
• Available on all your streaming devices

Test run Libby Extras to see how each service can entertain and educate your patrons.

 

We know that these books and movies will fit the vibes your patrons are feeling after a full weekend of dancing to the newest hits from Taylor.  Reach out to your Digital Content Librarian or Account Manager for more information on providing the best content for your community. You won’t even have to ruin the friendship or add anything to your wish list.

 

About the author: Meghan is an OverDrive Collection Development Librarian and former academic librarian. Her English degree set her up perfectly for grad school, where she received her MLIS and has been immersed in the world of books ever since. You can find her reading with her cat, traveling with her friends and family, or having dance parties with her daughter. HEAs are life.

 

 

About the author: Sarah spent 10 years in public libraries answering reference questions, providing community outreach to seniors, and even helping run Nerf nights for teens. At OverDrive, she spends most of her time helping public libraries utilize their digital collections and making some of the fun lists you see on Libby! In her spare time she loves to read, cross stitch, and crochet. She can also be found spoiling her 4 year old lab mix, Buddy, and his brother, a 4 year old cat, Franklin.