Books Actors Recommend Most

Based on 2188 sourced recommendations from 127 actors. Updated October 30, 2026.

1. 1. The Bible

   

   By Unknown/Other

   Recommended by 10 of 127 actors

   • Russell Brand Source
   • Steve Harvey Source
   • Matthew McConaughey Source
   • Kathie Lee Gifford Source
   • Donald Trump Source
   • Oprah Winfrey Source
   • Mark Wahlberg Source
   • Mel Gibson Source
   • Dolly Parton Source
   • Denzel Washington Source

   The Book of Acts is what made me become a Christian. I love the book of Acts

   Source

2. 2. Sapiens

   

   By Yuval Noah Harari

   Recommended by 7 of 127 actors

   • Whitney Cummings Source
   • Penn Jillette Source
   • Joe Rogan Source
   • Chris Evans Source
   • Tom Hanks Source
   • Natalie Portman Source
   • Jason Silva Source

   Yuval Noah Harari's "Sapiens." That fellow connected an awful lot of dots in that work.

   Source

3. 3. The Four Agreements

   

   By Don Miguel Ruiz

   Recommended by 6 of 127 actors

   • Joe Rogan Source
   • Ellen DeGeneres Source
   • Big Sean Source
   • Meghan Markle Source
   • Reese Witherspoon Source
   • Oprah Winfrey Source

   This is a seriously powerful book. Especially potent for someone like me who talks for a living and often talks too much.

   Source

4. 4. Man's Search For Meaning

   

   By Viktor Frankl

   Recommended by 5 of 127 actors

   • Emma Watson Source
   • David Blaine Source
   • Chelsea Handler Source
   • Anderson Cooper Source
   • Jimmy Fallon Source

   She gave me Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, which is a pretty amazing book. It's got some pretty heavy subject matter but it's actually surprisingly readable... I loved it, really loved it. Some really good words of wisdom in there.

   Source

5. 5. Outliers

   

   By Malcolm Gladwell

   Recommended by 5 of 127 actors

   • Will Smith Source
   • Dwayne Johnson Source
   • Shah Rukh Khan Source
   • Joe Rogan Source
   • Oprah Winfrey Source

   Of course, the Outliers is very well written.

   Source

6. 6. The Alchemist

   

   By Paulo Coelho

   Recommended by 4 of 127 actors

   • Will Smith Source
   • Lisa Ling Source
   • Big Sean Source
   • Oprah Winfrey Source

   The book touched me so deeply that I ended up passing it on to everyone I know, and then everyone I know passed it along to everyone they know. It's the kind of book you want to share with the whole world.

   Source

7. 7. Siddhartha

   

   By Hermann Hesse

   Recommended by 4 of 127 actors

   • Emma Watson Source
   • David Blaine Source
   • Harry Styles Source
   • Denzel Washington Source

   I just read Siddhartha, which was recommended to me by a friend.

   Source

8. 8. The Catcher in the Rye

   

   By J. D. Salinger

   Recommended by 4 of 127 actors

   • Sarah Jessica Parker Source
   • Kathie Lee Gifford Source
   • Jennifer Lawrence Source
   • Emma Watson Source

   Listed among her favourite books on her official website, emmawatson.com (Favourite Links page, 2010).

   Source

9. 9. The Fountainhead

   

   By Ayn Rand

   Recommended by 4 of 127 actors

   • Vince Vaughn Source
   • Emma Watson Source
   • Shah Rukh Khan Source
   • Donald Trump Source

   I know, it's a cult. I'm not going to take it too far, but I did enjoy it.

   Source

10. 10. Meditations

    

    By Marcus Aurelius

    Recommended by 3 of 127 actors

    • Joe Rogan Source
    • Anna Kendrick Source
    • Arnold Schwarzenegger Source

    [...] to me extraordinary to think about 2,000 years later we're still talking about him [...] because he wrote it down and what he wrote down was very smart and the whole idea of giving credit to so many hundreds of people that he did in his writing is also brilliant and I have to say that I copied that idea from him

    Source

11. 11. Anna Karenina

    

    By Leo Tolstoy

    Recommended by 3 of 127 actors

    • Oprah Winfrey Source
    • Jennifer Lawrence Source
    • Chelsea Handler Source

12. 12. To Kill a Mockingbird

    

    By Harper Lee

    Recommended by 3 of 127 actors

    • Oprah Winfrey Source
    • Kathie Lee Gifford Source
    • Dolly Parton Source

    So I picked up To Kill A Mockingbird. I remember starting it and just devouring it, not being able to get enough of it, because I fell in love with Scout.

    Source

13. 13. East of Eden

    

    By John Steinbeck

    Recommended by 3 of 127 actors

    • Oprah Winfrey Source
    • Emma Watson Source
    • Florence Pugh Source

    East of Eden - John Steinbeck

    Source

14. 14. Wild

    

    By Cheryl Strayed

    Recommended by 3 of 127 actors

    • Oprah Winfrey Source
    • Emma Watson Source
    • Reese Witherspoon Source

    Its been less than 3 weeks and I have devoured Torch, Tiny Beautiful Things and Wild. Thank you @RWitherspoon @CherylStrayed x

    Source

15. 15. Save the Cat

    

    By Blake Snyder

    Recommended by 3 of 127 actors

    • Joseph Gordon-Levitt Source
    • Shah Rukh Khan Source
    • Bill Nye Source

    reading save the cat by blake snyder. how a movie hero can do wotever he wants but needs to stop and save the cat to be really liked by all.

    Source

16. 16. The Little Prince

    

    By Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

    Recommended by 3 of 127 actors

    • Meghan Markle Source
    • Emma Watson Source
    • Reese Witherspoon Source

    I have long been obsessed with this book, and specifically with The Little Fox.

    Source

17. 17. An American Marriage

    

    By Tayari Jones

    Recommended by 3 of 127 actors

    • Oprah Winfrey Source
    • Reese Witherspoon Source
    • Sarah Jessica Parker Source

    Newest pick: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. Perfect book to read along with a friend. So juicy, you're going to want to talk to someone about it!

    Source

18. 18. Little Women

    

    By Louisa May Alcott

    Recommended by 3 of 127 actors

    • Kathie Lee Gifford Source
    • Greta Gerwig Source
    • Florence Pugh Source

    I was, yeah. My gran would read lots of her favorite classics [to] me when I was younger and this is one of them, so I would go and stay around her house when I was tiny and she'd read chapters to me and make sure that I'd stay awake during all the best bits.

    Source

19. 19. The Fire Next Time

    

    By James Baldwin

    Recommended by 3 of 127 actors

    • Oprah Winfrey Source
    • Natalie Portman Source
    • Tom Hanks Source

    …everyone should read because: You can't understand the U.S. without it: The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin.

    Source

20. 20. The Underground Railroad

    

    By Colson Whitehead

    Recommended by 3 of 127 actors

    • Sarah Jessica Parker Source
    • Oprah Winfrey Source
    • John Legend Source

    If I am forced to pick a favourite... I guess I would say Underground Railroad because it’s wildly painful to read. Just absolutely, beautifully told and created characters that you’re desperate for... It’s a masterpiece of agony and a kind of unforgettable storytelling.

    Source

21. 21. Becoming

    

    By Michelle Obama

    Recommended by 3 of 127 actors

    • Tyler Oakley Source
    • Selena Gomez Source
    • Oprah Winfrey Source

    From the very first pages of “Becoming” I knew I wanted EVERYONE to read it. I’ve known Michelle for 14 years, but this book is so vulnerable, I felt like she was in my ear.

    Source

22. 22. The Seat of the Soul

    

    By Gary Zukav

    Recommended by 3 of 127 actors

    • Noah Centineo Source
    • Oprah Winfrey Source
    • Reese Witherspoon Source

    Read a lot of books. I literally read a lot of books... Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul was a big one for me: that you are uniquely you, you are the director of the movie of your life.

    Source

23. 23. Yes Please

    

    By Amy Poehler

    Recommended by 3 of 127 actors

    • Mindy Kaling Source
    • Meghan Markle Source
    • Reese Witherspoon Source

    And while there are hundreds of celebrity memoirs, Poehler's is one that you stands out in the cookie cutter crowd. [...] And darling, she really will blow you away.

    Source

24. 24. Men Explain Things to Me

    

    By Rebecca Solnit

    Recommended by 3 of 127 actors

    • Chelsea Handler Source
    • Emma Watson Source
    • Natalie Portman Source

    It was my own fear of creating tension that made me hesitant to recommend Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit, even though it is one of my favourite books.

    Source

25. 25. The 4-hour Workweek

    

    By Tim Ferriss

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Jason Silva Source
    • Joe Rogan Source

    I read 4-Hour Workweek years ago in Point Dume in Malibu and I remember reading it and feeling like you have hacked it, you have figured it out... that template stayed with me, dude. I remember I was very affected by your book. I was like this guy has it figured out.

    Source

26. 26. Atlas Shrugged

    

    By Ayn Rand

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Shah Rukh Khan Source
    • Joe De Sena Source

    bourne identity...atlas shrugged...douglas adams books...and artemis fowl

    Source

27. 27. The Better Angels of Our Nature

    

    By Steven Pinker

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Penn Jillette Source
    • Jason Silva Source

    You have Steven Pinker, who wrote "The Better Angels of Our Nature" and his TED talk, "The Myth of Violence," that says that, contrary to what you see on the news, the chances of a man dying at the hands of another man are the lowest than they've ever been in history.

    Source

28. 28. The Tipping Point

    

    By Malcolm Gladwell

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Joe Rogan Source
    • Oprah Winfrey Source

    I'm reading The Tipping Point from Malcolm Gladwell. And hearing him do the audio part is great... really fascinating things about the tipping point.

    Source

29. 29. Homo Deus

    

    By Yuval Noah Harari

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Penn Jillette Source
    • Joe Rogan Source

    the guy who wrote Sapiens ... Homo Deus is this book that I'm in the middle of now, and it's stunning

    Source

30. 30. Team of Rivals

    

    By Doris Kearns Goodwin

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Arnold Schwarzenegger Source
    • Donald Trump Source

    I think Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals” is incredibly important. Today’s politicians can learn so much from Lincoln.

    Source

31. 31. Atomic Habits

    

    By James Clear

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Meghan Markle Source
    • Arnold Schwarzenegger Source

    Oo, Atomic Habits.

    Source

32. 32. The Autobiography of Malcolm X

    

    By Malcolm X

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Jerrod Carmichael Source
    • Denzel Washington Source

    Absolutely, it's one of the greatest books I ever read is "The Autobiography of Malcolm X." I would suggest it to anyone. It is a great book.

    Source

33. 33. Between the World and Me

    

    By Ta-Nehisi Coates

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Oprah Winfrey Source
    • Emma Watson Source

    I hope you'll pick these up and read along with me

    Source

34. 34. David and Goliath

    

    By Malcolm Gladwell

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Shah Rukh Khan Source
    • Oprah Winfrey Source

    Reading David & Goliath. Effort over ability....challenge conventions...

    Source

35. 35. On Writing

    

    By Stephen King

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Edgar Wright Source
    • Joe Rogan Source

    His non-fiction book, On Writing, is one of my favorite books. ... I use it a lot for inspiration.

    Source

36. 36. The Color Purple

    

    By Alice Walker

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Emma Watson Source
    • Oprah Winfrey Source

    I've heard amazing things about this book from a person that I trust... I’m excited to read it and maybe do some watching too.

    Source

37. 37. Beloved

    

    By Toni Morrison

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Oprah Winfrey Source
    • Emma Watson Source

    We hope you are able to read along with us. This book is a true classic and an important one to deepen understanding and dialogue around race and the heavy legacy of slavery.

    Source

38. 38. Born Standing Up

    

    By Steve Martin

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Bill Nye Source
    • Adam Savage Source

    This is the story of my hero. The guy who inspired me to do what I do now.

    Source

39. 39. Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect

    

    By Will Guidara

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Oprah Winfrey Source
    • Meghan Markle Source

    What is the book that you think everybody should be reading? ... When I asked that question recently, the same book kept coming up. Your book, Will.

    Source

40. 40. Talking to Strangers

    

    By Malcolm Gladwell

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Joe Rogan Source
    • Oprah Winfrey Source

    what is this, Talking to Strangers? I'm in the second chapter right now

    Source

41. 41. Middlemarch

    

    By George Eliot

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Greta Gerwig Source
    • Sarah Jessica Parker Source

    I want to read the Fosse book too. Alas middlemarch stands in the way.

    Source

42. 42. The Remains of the Day

    

    By Kazuo Ishiguro

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Emma Watson Source
    • Sarah Jessica Parker Source

    I can’t pick a favourite, it’s really hard. The books are not in competition with one another... I’ve been moved by all of them in many different ways. They’ve all stayed with me. I’m going to list some books: ...The Remains of the Day...

    Source

43. 43. The Singularity Is Near

    

    By Ray Kurzweil

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Jason Silva Source
    • Joe Rogan Source

    A List of my favorite books!

    Source

44. 44. The Overstory

    

    By Richard Powers

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Hugh Jackman Source
    • Emilia Clarke Source

45. 45. The Splendid and the Vile

    

    By Erik Larson

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Arnold Schwarzenegger Source
    • Sarah Jessica Parker Source

    Book of the month: The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson

    Source

46. 46. Lean In

    

    By Sheryl Sandberg

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Mindy Kaling Source
    • Oprah Winfrey Source

    Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead is honest and brave, like Sheryl herself.

    Source

47. 47. The Bluest Eye

    

    By Toni Morrison

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Oprah Winfrey Source
    • Meghan Markle Source

    In college I took a class on the works of Toni Morrison. The first time I read The Bluest Eye, I thought, Wow! She creates this world for you that you get to feel a part of.

    Source

48. 48. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

    

    By Maya Angelou

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Jennifer Lopez Source
    • Oprah Winfrey Source

    Since the moment I opened I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, I've felt deeply connected to Maya Angelou.

    Source

49. 49. The Hate U Give

    

    By Angie Thomas

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Jennifer Lopez Source
    • Emma Watson Source

    This ground-breaking book transcends any age bracket and we think it should be required reading for, well, everyone.

    Source

50. 50. The Grapes of Wrath

    

    By John Steinbeck

    Recommended by 2 of 127 actors

    • Ryan Gosling Source
    • Dolly Parton Source

    I probably read this book three times in my life... I just love this book, and there's just so much wisdom and so much feeling, so much heart and soul in books like this.

    Source

Every Actor on Ultimate Book List

• Oprah Winfrey — 315 recommendations
• Joe Rogan — 261 recommendations
• Donald Trump — 223 recommendations
• Reese Witherspoon — 204 recommendations
• Dolly Parton — 202 recommendations
• Sarah Jessica Parker — 98 recommendations
• Emma Watson — 95 recommendations
• Natalie Portman — 94 recommendations
• Jason Silva — 80 recommendations
• Edgar Wright — 52 recommendations
• Jimmy Fallon — 49 recommendations
• Arnold Schwarzenegger — 48 recommendations
• Meghan Markle — 34 recommendations
• Bill Nye — 28 recommendations
• Shah Rukh Khan — 28 recommendations
• Tom Hanks — 25 recommendations
• Quentin Tarantino — 24 recommendations
• Harry Styles — 17 recommendations
• Mindy Kaling — 17 recommendations
• Greta Gerwig — 14 recommendations
• Anderson Cooper — 12 recommendations
• Adam Savage — 11 recommendations
• Mark Wahlberg — 10 recommendations
• Tavi Gevinson — 10 recommendations
• Chelsea Handler — 9 recommendations
• Mel Gibson — 9 recommendations
• Big Sean — 8 recommendations
• Florence Pugh — 8 recommendations
• Lisa Ling — 8 recommendations
• David Blaine — 7 recommendations
• Ellen DeGeneres — 7 recommendations
• Kathie Lee Gifford — 7 recommendations
• Lena Dunham — 7 recommendations
• Denzel Washington — 6 recommendations
• Jennifer Lawrence — 6 recommendations
• Russell Brand — 6 recommendations
• Whitney Cummings — 6 recommendations
• Alicia Keys — 5 recommendations
• Ashton Kutcher — 5 recommendations
• Hannah Hart — 5 recommendations
• Howard Stern — 5 recommendations
• Hugh Jackman — 5 recommendations
• Jerrod Carmichael — 5 recommendations
• John Legend — 5 recommendations
• Rainn Wilson — 5 recommendations
• Seth Rogen — 5 recommendations
• Anna Kendrick — 4 recommendations
• Jennifer Lopez — 4 recommendations
• Jon Stewart — 4 recommendations
• Penn Jillette — 4 recommendations
• Suzy Amis Cameron — 4 recommendations
• Donald Glover — 3 recommendations
• Dwayne Johnson — 3 recommendations
• Edward Norton — 3 recommendations
• Hoda Kotb — 3 recommendations
• Jeremy Clarkson — 3 recommendations
• Jon Favreau — 3 recommendations
• Laird Hamilton — 3 recommendations
• Lin-Manuel Miranda — 3 recommendations
• Selena Gomez — 3 recommendations
• Tyler Oakley — 3 recommendations
• Will Smith — 3 recommendations
• Brian Cox — 2 recommendations
• Chris Evans — 2 recommendations
• Dita Von Teese — 2 recommendations
• Don Cheadle — 2 recommendations
• Emilia Clarke — 2 recommendations
• Joe De Sena — 2 recommendations
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt — 2 recommendations
• Keanu Reeves — 2 recommendations
• Matthew McConaughey — 2 recommendations
• Mike Birbiglia — 2 recommendations
• Noah Centineo — 2 recommendations
• Steve Harvey — 2 recommendations
• Terry Crews — 2 recommendations
• Tom Hiddleston — 2 recommendations
• Vince Vaughn — 2 recommendations
• Alex Honnold — 1 recommendations
• Bear Grylls — 1 recommendations
• Bill Maher — 1 recommendations
• Charlize Theron — 1 recommendations
• Duncan Trussell — 1 recommendations
• Emily Ratajkowski — 1 recommendations
• Emma Stone — 1 recommendations
• Jamie Foxx — 1 recommendations
• Jennifer Aniston — 1 recommendations
• Jim Carrey — 1 recommendations
• Margaret Cho — 1 recommendations
• Michelle Pfeiffer — 1 recommendations
• Ryan Gosling — 1 recommendations
• Sophia Bush — 1 recommendations
• Taylor Sheridan — 1 recommendations
• Alec Baldwin — 0 recommendations
• Amy Poehler — 0 recommendations
• Andrew Robinson — 0 recommendations
• Anjelica Huston — 0 recommendations
• Ann-Marie MacDonald — 0 recommendations
• Bill Cosby — 0 recommendations
• Bruce Lee — 0 recommendations
• Bruce Thomas — 0 recommendations
• Chris Colfer — 0 recommendations
• Chris Matthews — 0 recommendations
• Colin Higgins — 0 recommendations
• David Carradine — 0 recommendations
• David Lynch — 0 recommendations
• Douglas Adams — 0 recommendations
• Edward Burns — 0 recommendations
• Frank Miller — 0 recommendations
• George Plimpton — 0 recommendations
• Graham Norton — 0 recommendations
• Gwyneth Paltrow — 0 recommendations
• Herman Koch — 0 recommendations
• Jerry Seinfeld — 0 recommendations
• Jerry Weintraub — 0 recommendations
• Kal Penn — 0 recommendations
• Lady Gaga — 0 recommendations
• Nick Frost — 0 recommendations
• Richard Ayoade — 0 recommendations
• Ricky Jay — 0 recommendations
• Scott Wapner — 0 recommendations
• Tembi Locke — 0 recommendations
• Tetsuko Kuroyanagi — 0 recommendations
• Tina Fey — 0 recommendations
• Ulysses Grant Lee — 0 recommendations
• William Shakespeare — 0 recommendations
• Yukio Mishima — 0 recommendations
• Zack O'Malley Greenburg — 0 recommendations

Frequently asked questions

What is the top book recommended by actors?

The Bible ranks first, recommended by 10 actors.

How is the ranking counted?

We count each person once per book, using only public people, books and approved recommendations. Books are ranked by recommenders in this group, then by total public recommenders. Source links are shown where available.

How many actors are included?

This group includes 127 public profiles, including profiles with no public recommendations. 24 have recommended at least 10 books.