Kerry Washington’s Favorite Books Reveal the Stories That Shaped Her Life and Career

Kerry Washington is known for many things. She is an award-winning actress, producer, activist, and one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. From Scandal to Django Unchained, Washington has built a career on powerful performances and emotional depth. But beyond the screen, she is also an avid reader who deeply connects with literature that explores identity, grief, resilience, creativity, and womanhood.

The books Kerry Washington loves are not random celebrity picks designed to sound intellectual. They are personal, emotional, and transformative works that clearly shaped how she sees herself and the world around her. Her recommendations reveal somebody who values stories about healing, community, imagination, and courage.

If you are looking for books that challenge, comfort, and inspire all at once, Kerry Washington’s favorite books list is an excellent place to start.

Kerry Washington’s Favorite Books

• Beloved by Toni Morrison
• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
• Kindred by Octavia Butler
• The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
• The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler

Beloved by Toni Morrison

One of the most meaningful books in Kerry Washington’s life is Beloved by Toni Morrison. Washington spoke about how the novel connected her to adulthood and to a wider literary community.

She explained:

“It’s actually one of the first books I remember my mom reading…so when I finally read it for myself, it was really such a joy to kind of step into adult readership and to step into being part of the community that could appreciate a book like that.”

That feeling is something many readers understand. There are certain books that make you feel like you crossed a threshold as a reader. Beloved is one of those novels.

Originally published in 1987, Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece tells the story of Sethe, a formerly enslaved woman haunted by both literal and emotional ghosts. It is a novel about trauma, memory, motherhood, survival, and the scars left behind by slavery.

Washington particularly connected with the themes of resilience and love.

“What I love about the book is that it is about trauma, but it’s also about resilience, and about the power of love to create community and heal – the power to find sisterhood belonging with people.”

That perfectly captures why Beloved continues to resonate decades after its release. Morrison never looked away from pain, but she also understood the importance of connection and healing. The novel is devastating at times, yet deeply human.

For many readers, Beloved is not just a classic. It is an experience.

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

Creativity is not always easy. Every artist eventually runs into fear, self-doubt, burnout, or insecurity. That is why The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron has become almost essential reading for creative people.

Kerry Washington credits the book with helping her embrace herself as an artist while she was auditioning and trying to build a career in New York.

“I was living in New York, and auditioning and dreaming of having a career as a working artist.”

The book became part of a recovery process she shared with close friends.

“It really allowed us to walk toward our dreams, with more courage and more of that sense of why not me.”

That phrase alone explains why The Artist’s Way remains so popular. The book is about removing the barriers people place between themselves and creativity. Cameron encourages readers to stop waiting for permission and instead start building a creative life.

Washington also noted that the book changed how she approached life itself.

“It encouraged me to think about my life as a creative playground, not just my career, but to be a creative person.”

That mindset is incredibly refreshing in a world that often treats creativity as something reserved only for professionals. Cameron’s philosophy argues the opposite. Creativity belongs everywhere; relationships, routines, problem-solving, and self-discovery.

Readers who pick up The Artist’s Way expecting a standard self-help book are often surprised by how personal and practical it feels. Its famous “Morning Pages” exercise alone has helped countless people reconnect with themselves creatively.

It is easy to see why the book left such a lasting impression on Washington.

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler’s Kindred is widely regarded as one of the greatest science fiction novels ever written, but Kerry Washington’s connection to the novel came from a surprising place.

Before reading it, she did not think of herself as somebody who loved fantasy or science fiction.

“Reading this book was so eye opening for me because I hadn’t really thought of myself as somebody who loved fantasy or sci fi.”

That changed completely after experiencing Butler’s work.

Kindred follows Dana, a Black woman in 1970s California who is suddenly and repeatedly transported back in time to a Maryland plantation before the Civil War. What unfolds is a gripping exploration of slavery, survival, ancestry, and identity.

Butler uses science fiction elements not as escapism, but as a way to confront history directly. That emotional realism is exactly what Washington responded to.

“When the humanity is there…you can fall in love with the characters in their world and suspend your imagination.”

That statement perfectly explains why Kindred appeals even to readers who normally avoid speculative fiction. The novel transcends genre labels because the emotional core feels real and urgent.

Butler’s influence on literature has only grown over time. Today, Kindred is considered essential reading not only in science fiction circles, but in American literature as a whole.

Washington’s appreciation for the book also reflects a larger truth about reading: sometimes the right book can completely redefine what genres you think you enjoy.

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Grief is one of the hardest things to write about honestly, yet Joan Didion accomplished exactly that in The Year of Magical Thinking.

The memoir documents Didion’s experience after the sudden death of her husband, writer John Gregory Dunne, while their daughter was critically ill. The result is a raw and deeply intimate meditation on loss.

Washington described the book as deeply comforting during difficult moments in her own life.

“It made me feel less alone in my grief and my loss.”

That is one of literature’s greatest gifts. Sometimes a book cannot fix pain, but it can remind readers that somebody else survived it.

Washington admired how grounded Didion’s writing felt.

“It doesn’t feel posh, or unattainable, unaccessible. It feels so human and grounded.”

That accessibility is part of why the memoir continues to connect with readers nearly twenty years later. Didion captures grief not as something neat and poetic, but as something confusing, irrational, repetitive, and deeply physical.

Washington also pointed out something many people overlook.

“It’s quite a revelation, isn’t it? When you realize what a breakup is. It’s loss, and it’s grief.”

That observation broadens the book’s emotional reach beyond death alone. Loss takes many forms, and Didion’s work helps readers understand that grief is not something to be embarrassed about.

Few memoirs have explored mourning with as much honesty and precision as The Year of Magical Thinking.

The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler

Some books entertain readers. Others change culture entirely.

The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler belongs firmly in the second category.

Originally based on interviews with women discussing their experiences with sexuality, relationships, violence, identity, and body image, the play became a global phenomenon after debuting in the 1990s.

Kerry Washington praised Ensler for challenging cultural discomfort and forcing conversations that many people once avoided entirely.

“She really transformed culture by forcing us to say a word that so many of us had been taught was a bad word.”

Washington emphasized how radical that cultural shift once felt.

“Now, vagina is no longer a bad word the way it was when the Monologues were first produced.”

That might sound obvious today, but it speaks to how influential the work truly became. The Vagina Monologues helped normalize conversations about women’s bodies, sexuality, violence, and empowerment in mainstream culture.

Washington’s admiration for the work reflects her own activism and advocacy work. Throughout her career, she has consistently supported conversations around equality, women’s rights, and representation.

The book’s legacy remains significant because it encouraged honesty at a time when silence was often expected.

What Kerry Washington’s Favorite Books Say About Her

Looking at these recommendations together, a pattern quickly emerges.

Kerry Washington gravitates toward books about survival, creativity, identity, grief, and transformation. Whether it is Toni Morrison exploring generational trauma, Octavia Butler reimagining history through science fiction, or Joan Didion documenting grief with brutal honesty, these are books that confront difficult truths while still offering hope.

There is also a strong sense of community throughout her reading choices. Many of these books explore belonging, healing, and connection between women.

That emotional depth mirrors the performances Washington often gives onscreen. Her favorite books reveal somebody who values empathy, vulnerability, and courage both in art and in life.

For readers searching for meaningful literature that lingers long after the final page, this list is filled with incredible starting points.

And perhaps the best part about Kerry Washington’s recommendations is that they are timeless. These are not trendy books that will disappear after a few months online. They are works that continue to matter year after year because they speak to universal human experiences.

That is the mark of truly great literature.

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