Comedian Chelsea Handler is also a writer, actress and a talk show host. She is a household name and an avid reader when not working. Keep reading to find out Chelsea handler’s ten favorite books!
Handler got her first start in 2002 with all-female cast on a hidden camera reality show called Girls Behaving Badly. Since then, Handler has been a staple of television and hosted her own late-night show called The Chelsea Handler Show which lasted two seasons.
Besides her late-show gig, handler has gone on release a docu-series, has written six books that all made the New York Times bestseller list, and is an activist. Recently, she hosted The Daily Show for a week since Trevor Noah departed the show last December. You can see her favorite books below!
Chelsea Handler’s 10 Favorite Books
- Barrel Fever by David Sedaris
- Slavery by James Walvin
- Mawson’s Will by Lennard Bickel
- Moonwalking With Einstein by Joshua Foer
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
- The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
- Men Explain Things To Me by Rebecca Solnit
- The Essential Enneagram by David Daniels, M.D.
- On Booze by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Why Handler Chose These Books
This is a diverse list and you can tell that Handler is a fan of books. Luckily for us, she tells us why she chose some of these books.
Barrel Fever
“David Sedaris is fucking hilarious and there’s nothing I prefer to do more than laugh. If this book doesn’t make you laugh, I’ll refund you the money.”
Slavery
“This is a great, comprehensive introduction for the many people who don’t know the history of The Atlantic Slave Trade or the history of slavery. It walks you through who the architects of slavery were and more important, who the architects of the abolitionist movement were. It’s an integral part of our history that feels too ignored. It is painful, horrifying, but illustrative of the evil and the goodness that can live side by side.”
The House of Mirth
“Edith Wharton’s use of language alone isn’t easily paralleled. She takes you into this woman’s life and makes you feel for her while showcasing her shallowness, materialism, and lack of honor. It is a timeless story we have seen play out for hundreds of years — yet, it feels like it would only apply to modern day society in the form of a Kardashian. Her turn of phrase and sentence structure are beautiful.”
Conclusion
Reading what Handler had to say about the books makes us want to read them to see what our reaction would be. But our favorite review of a book would be for On Booze. On why Handler chose this book, she said “Just because…”
What did you think of Chelsea handler’s list? How many of these books have you read or plan to read? Let us know in the comments below!