Take a Tour of Jessica Knoll's Personal Library in 'Shelf Portrait'

published 3 November 2023

Writer Jessica Knoll gave Marie Claire a tour of her bookshelves in the latest episode of Shelf Portrait, our video series in which celebrities, influencers, and famous bookworms show off their personal libraries.

'Bright Young Women'

As the writer of two thrillers, Knoll unsurprisingly keeps her chicly decorated shelves full of dark titles, many written by empowering female authors, of course. For starters, Knoll loves Slyvia Plath's The Bell Jar, a book you may be shocked to hear Knoll didn't read until she was 29, as well as the book she keeps on her desk for inspiration, A Double Life by Flynn Berry. Additionally, Knoll is a big fan of the "quietly angry and quietly erotic" In The Cut by Susanna Moore, plus Wally Lamb's She's Come Undone, which served as her inspiration for her debut novel, Luckiest Girl Alive.

Another title you'll also find on Knoll's shelf is her latest thriller, Bright Young Women, which also happens to be a #ReadWithMC book club pick. The novel is a fictionalized retelling of Ted Bundy's last killing spree told from the perspective of the women that got away. Knoll explains that the powerful title of the book came from the judge in Bundy's sentencing hearing. "[The judge] lamented the tragedy of all this was not the women who had lost their future and their lives but that Ted Bundy had lost his." she says. "He would have loved to have seen [Bundy] practice in the courtroom in front of him, but instead he went another way, and [Bundy] was a 'bright young man.' And as soon as I heard that I knew I had to steal it and give it back to the women."

To hear what book Knoll wishes became a movie and who her fictional book crush is, watch Knoll's full Shelf Portrait video, above, then order some of her favorite books for yourself, below.

'The Bell Jar'

'A Double Life'

'In The Cut'

'She's Come Undone'

Brooke Knappenberger is the Associate Commerce Editor at Marie Claire, where she specializes in crafting shopping stories—from sales content to buying guides that span every vertical on the site. She also oversees holiday coverage with an emphasis on gifting guides as well as Power Pick, our monthly column on the items that power the lives of MC’s editors. She also tackled shopping content as Marie Claire's Editorial Fellow prior to her role as Associate Commerce Editor.

She has over three years of experience writing on fashion, beauty, and entertainment and her work has appeared on Looper, NickiSwift, The Sun US, and Vox Magazine of Columbia, Missouri. Brooke obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism with an emphasis on Magazine Editing and has a minor in Textile and Apparel Management.

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