Break out your bookmarks! Drew Barrymore, who recently opened up about her relationship with her mother after being emancipated at age 14, just released her new memoir, Wildflower. In honor of the book of personal essays, out now, the “Blended” actress is plucking the best books off her shelf for Us Weekly.
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
The actress-producer says she devoured the family saga, set in a turbulent Latin America during the 20th century: “I read it on a train from L.A. to Seattle. I just bought a ticket and grabbed the book.”
Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
Every Christmas, Barrymore, 40, cracks open the humorous essay collection. “Sometimes I need David Sedaris’ funny voice!”
Bossypants by Tina Fey
The Miss You Already star raves “no book is better” than the comedian’s memoir. “I cried. I laughed. I mourned the end of it! I felt like I lost a best friend.”
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
She reveals that the drama about a love affair set during World War I left her in tears. “It’s the most beautiful slaying of the heart.”
Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman
“This is about a woman who moves to France and is intimidated by the confidence of French mothers,” explains the mom of two girls (with husband Will Kopelman). “It has a unique point of view.”
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
“Oh, my God!” Barrymore gushes of the autobiography by her favorite writer, which details Didion’s life after her husband’s death. “I’ve read all of her books!”
She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb
A fan of the classics, Barrymore rarely reads modern novels — but the 1996 Oprah’s Book Club selection caught her eye. “Someone said, ‘This should be made into a movie.’ So I picked it up and couldn’t put it down. I chased the film rights!”