Hailed by the New York Times as “the undisputed boss of the beach read,” Jennifer Weiner has published 18 international bestsellers throughout her successful career.
Still, she’s wary of the labels “beach read” and “chick lit.” While she remains ambivalent to the terms themselves, she dislikes their use as pejorative terms for commercial women’s fiction, and the negligent use of these blanket terms often leads to books not being taken seriously by critics.
While most of Weiner’s books do constitute what most readers would classify as excellent beach reads, her narratives are filled with dynamic female characters and important themes such as identity, body image, and the role of women in society.
In this post, we’ve rounded up 10 of Weiner’s most beloved works, spanning nearly two decades of bestselling hits.
Best Jennifer Weiner Books
Here are Jennifer Weiner’s 10 best books based on average Goodreads ratings.
1. Good in Bed (2002)
At 28, Cannie Shapiro is pretty content with her life, even with her father long gone and her mother recently charging out of the closet. Cannie loves her friends, her rat terrier, and her job as a pop culture reporter for The Philadelphia Examiner.
She’s even finally made a tentative peace with her plus-size body—until one day, she opens up a national women’s magazine and sees an article titled “Loving a Larger Woman” with her ex-boyfriend’s byline.
This discovery initially plunges Cannie into misery, but also the most amazing year of her life—one that will take her from Philadelphia to Hollywood and back again as she charts a new course for herself, confronts her past, and figures out who she wants to become.
2. In Her Shoes (2002)
Rose Feller is a 30-year-old high-powered attorney with a secret passion for romance novels. She dreams that one day a man will slide off her glasses, gaze deep into her eyes, and tell her she’s beautiful. She also dreams of getting her semi-employed little sister to straighten up.
That little sister is Maggie, a gorgeous 28-year-old with dreams of big-screen stardom. Although her filmography is limited to her left hip’s appearance in a Will Smith video, she still dreams of fame and fortune—and getting her big sister on a solid skin-care routine.
These two women claim to have nothing in common except a childhood tragedy, DNA, and the same shoe size, but they’re about to discover they’re more alike than they ever imagined. This book was also adapted into a film starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette, and Shirley MacLaine.
3. Big Summer (2020)
Daphne Berg hasn’t spoken to her ex-best friend, Drue, since the fight that ended their friendship six years ago. So, you can imagine her surprise when Drue turns up out of the blue to ask Daphne to be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer.
Drue always had everything—except the ability to keep friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was in high school. She now has a life that she loves, with a growing career as a plus-size influencer.
Drue’s request comes with the promise of a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion, and lots of cute single guys. With all these temptations, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend, but she knows letting Drue back into her life is risky.
4. Little Earthquakes (2005)
Little Earthquakes tells the story of four very different women as they navigate the ups and downs of the tumultuous journey that is motherhood.
There’s Becky, a successful chef with a wonderful husband and baby girl, along with a mother-in-law from hell. Kelly is an event planner struggling to balance her career with motherhood, while dealing with an unemployed husband who seems content to channel-surf for eight hours a day.
Ayinde’s basketball star husband breaks her trust at her most vulnerable moment, placing their new family even more in the public eye.
Then there’s Lia, who’s left her Hollywood career behind, along with her husband and a tragic secret, to start her life all over again.
5. Mrs. Everything (2019)
Growing up in 1950s Detroit, Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise, but also one where their roles are clearly defined.
Tomboy Jo is the bookish rebel determined to make the world a more fair place. Bethie, on the other hand, is the beautiful good girl who dreams of a traditional life.
But the world turns out to be a different place than both girls imagined. As they survive traumas and tragedies, their lives unfold against the backdrop of free love, women’s lib, and Vietnam.
Bethie becomes a wild child of the counterculture movement, determined not to settle down. Jo becomes a young wife and mother in Connecticut. Neither lives in the world they dreamt of, nor feels they’re living an authentic life that brings them joy. Is it too late for them to pursue their happily ever afters?
6. Best Friends Forever (2010)
When Valerie Adler moves in across the street, Addie Downs believes the two nine-year-old girls will be best friends forever. But as teens, Valerie will be swept up in the popular crowd, while mousy Addie becomes her school’s scapegoat.
Fifteen years later, Val is the weather girl at the local TV station, while Addie lives alone in her parents’ house, taking care of her troubled brother and trying to find Prince Charming online.
Just as Addie returns from another bad date, she finds her long-gone best friend at her door, with a bloodied sleeve and a terrified look on her face as she tells Addie she’s the only one who can help.
7. Goodnight Nobody (2016)
For Kate Klein, suburban life turns out to be full of unpleasant surprises. Her once-loving husband is rarely home, the other moms on the playground regularly snub her, and her days are mostly filled with carpools and endless games of Candyland.
When a fellow mother is murdered, the mystery becomes one of the most exciting things to ever happen in Upchurch, Connecticut.
Despite the local police chief’s warning that residents should leave crime-solving to the professionals, Kate carries out an unofficial investigation every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:45 to 11:30 a.m., when her kids are in nursery school.
As she’s drawn deeper into the victim’s past, Kate uncovers the secrets and lies behind Upchurch’s picket-fence façade—and the choices and compromises all modern women face.
8. That Summer (2021)
Daisy Shoemaker has a successful cooking business, a full schedule of volunteer work, and a beautiful home in the Philadelphia suburbs. And even though her teen daughter can be a handful, her husband is often distant, and she has few real friends among her many acquaintances, Daisy knows she’s got it good. So why can’t she sleep at night?
At the same time Daisy tries to identify the source of her dissatisfaction, she also receives misdirected emails intended for a woman named Diana Starling, whose email address is just one punctuation mark away from her own.
While Daisy is driving carpools and making dinner, Diana is chairing meetings and reorganizing corporations. Diana’s sophisticated, single-woman lifestyle couldn’t be more different from Daisy’s simpler existence.
After the two women finally meet and become friends, it becomes clear hat their connection was not completely accidental. So what does the glamorous Diana want with Daisy?
9. Certain Girls (2009)
In this sequel to Good in Bed, Cannie Shapiro is back with a bestseller under her belt, a charming husband named Peter, a daughter named Joy, and a pseudonym she uses to write science fiction.
As preparations for Joy’s mitzvah begin, Joy discovers the novel Cannie wrote years ago—a fictionalized (and very sexualized) version of her life.
Through this novel, Joy thinks she’s found the truth about her own conception. When Peter Cannie by saying he wants to have a baby, the family is forced to reconsider its history, its future, and what it means to be truly happy.
10. Fly Away Home (2011)
Sylvie Woodruff made a lot of changes to become the perfect politician’s wife to her husband, Richard. Her once wild hair is now dyed and straightened, she’s 20 pounds thinner than she was in her twenties, and her hippie wardrobe has been replaced with knit suits.
Lizzie, the Woodruffs’ younger daughter, is 24 years old and a recovering addict whom trouble always seems to find. Her older sister, Diana, is an ER physician with everything Lizzie has failed to obtain—a husband, son, and perfect home. Yet, she finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage and tempted by a patient waiting in one of the ER’s exam rooms.
After Richard’s affair makes headlines, the family is drawn into the painful glare of the national spotlight, and each of the three women will have to reconsider the life they’re living, and who it is they want to be.
What Is Jennifer Weiner’s New Book About?
Released in May of 2022, Jennifer Weiner’s newest book, The Summer Place follows Sarah Danhauser and the family drama that ensues as her stepdaughter prepares to get married at the family home in Cape Cod.
As the bid day draws nearer, lovers will reveal their their true selves, misunderstandings will take on a life of their own, and old secrets come to light. Confrontations and revelations will touch each member of the extended family, ensuring that nothing will ever be the same.
Reading Books by Jennifer Weiner
Jennifer Weiner has won the hearts of millions of readers around the world with her relatable characters, entertaining narratives, and honest themes.
If you’re a fan of her work, you should also check out our lists of books with strong female leads and funny books for women.
Do you have a favorite Jennifer Weiner book? Tell us about it in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- 15 Chick Lit Books to Read on Your Next Vacation
- Women’s Fiction: Definition and Examples
- The 15 Best Beach Reads of 2021
- 12 Funny Books for Women: Riotously Relatable Fiction and Nonfiction
As a blog writer for TCK Publishing, Kaelyn loves crafting fun and helpful content for writers, readers, and creative minds alike. She has a degree in International Affairs with a minor in Italian Studies, but her true passion has always been writing. Working remotely allows her to do even more of the things she loves, like traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.
