Through her vast Hello Sunshine media empire—behind Oscar-nominated movies like Gone Girl and Wild, TV series such as Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere and the mega-popular Reese’s Book Club—Reese Witherspoon is one of the most formidable forces in entertainment. Over the years, she’s used her considerable clout to champion worthy authors and female-focused storytelling.
In the summer of 2025, the Oscar winner began inspiring a younger generation with the launch of Sunnie—Hello Sunshine’s media and lifestyle brand for Gen Z girls. From there, it was only natural to launch Sunnie Reads. “It is a club for the next generation of readers, where reading is about community, it’s about conversation, it’s about the joy of stories,” Witherspoon said on Instagram. Sunnie Reads spotlights an official bi-monthly book selection—as well as author profiles, community polls and book-inspired playlists.
Seeking new additions for your TBR list? Here are 2026’s Sunnie Reads picks, updated regularly.
What is Sunnie Reads?
Sunnie Reads is a Gen Z-focused book club and social community created by Hello Sunshine, the media company founded by Reese Witherspoon. The Coach-sponsored club launched in early January 2026, with the aim of fostering literary community and conversation among younger readers through bimonthly book selections.
What’s the difference between Sunnie Reads’ and Reese Witherspoon’s book club picks?
Through her Hello Sunshine company, Reese Witherspoon also has another book club: the succinctly titled Reese’s Book Club, which was established back in 2017. While Sunnie Reads centers on Gen Z/YA literature and recommends fast-paced, youth-focused titles on a bimonthly basis, Reese’s Book Club is geared towards a broader adult audience, with monthly selections across genres like contemporary women’s literature, suspenseful thrillers, historical fiction and more.
When are new Sunnie Reads going to be announced?
New Sunnie Reads selections are announced on a bimonthly basis. Since the first 2026 recommendation was announced via the club’s Instagram on January 7, the next curated title will likely be revealed in early March. Stay tuned!
Sunnie Reads’ 2026 Book Club List
January 2026: Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet
The first book to be published from the new imprint Sarah Barley Books, Katie Bernet’s Beth is Dead is also the inaugural Sunnie Select from 2026. The Beth in question is Beth March—one of the four iconic March sisters from Louisa May Alcott’s beloved 1868 novel Little Women.
Bernet gives the coming-of-age classic a contemporary spin as a YA murder mystery, with the titular March daughter found dead in the very first chapter as her three surviving siblings—Jo, Meg and Amy—are left to not only investigate her murder, but also uncover secrets and motives within their own family. Along the way, the girls will have to navigate modern-day concerns like cancel culture and social media obsession along with their own grief and growing suspicions.
The novel’s official description reads:
When Beth March is found dead in the woods on New Year’s Day, her sisters vow to uncover her murderer.
Suspects abound. There’s the neighbor who has feelings for not one but two of the girls. Meg’s manipulative best friend. Amy’s flirtatious mentor. And Beth’s lionhearted first love. But it doesn’t take the surviving sisters much digging to uncover motives each one of the March girls had for doing the unthinkable.
Jo, an aspiring author with a huge following on social media, would do anything to hook readers. Would she kill her sister for the story? Amy dreams of studying art in Europe, but she’ll need money from her aunt—money that’s always been earmarked for Beth. And Meg wouldn’t dream of hurting her sister…but her boyfriend might have, and she’ll protect him at all costs.
Despite the growing suspicion within the family, it’s hard to know for sure if the crime was committed by someone close to home. After all, the March sisters were dragged into the spotlight months ago when their father published a controversial bestseller about his own daughters. Beth could have been killed by anyone.
Related: Every 2026 Book Club Pick From Jenna Bush Hager (Updated Monthly)
Of its January 2026 selection, the Sunnie Reads team praised the way Bernet’s snappy thriller “takes a classic story we all know and flips it into something darker and more fast-paced” and offers up “a murder mystery where literally everyone has a motive, so the theories don’t stop.”
And throughout the year, there will be more where that comes from. Parade will keep you updated on every selection as soon as it’s announced. Happy reading!
Next up, Reese Witherspoon Takes On Netflix Adaptation of Emily Giffin’s ‘All We Ever Wanted’
This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the Books section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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