Rachel Lindsay wears many hats—she's a former Bachelor contestant, the first Black Bachelorette, an attorney, a TV correspondent, and now a debut author. In Marie Claire’s latest episode of Shelf Portrait—in which celebrities, influencers, and famous bookworms show off their personal libraries—Lindsay gave us a tour of her collection, one that's just as eclectic as she is.
Lindsay begins the video by sharing some of her childhood reads, including Anne Terry White's George Washington Carver and Mildred D. Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear Me Cry. She loves Trevor Noah's Born a Crime and Michelle Obama's Becoming—two biographies she's recently read—as well as Greg McKeown's Essentialism and Christina Dalcher's Vox (she says the latter is very relevant to what's going on in our society today).
Two books Lindsay's received from exes that she still keeps on her bookshelf? Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People and Michael Eric Dyson's Mercy, Mercy, Me. Those are alongside one of her other favs—May Cobb's The Hunting Wives (she's obsessed with all-things housewives!)—as well as Isabel Wilkerson's Caste and Nikole Hannah-Jones's The 1619 Project: two essential reads.
Toward the end of the video, Lindsay opens up about writing her debut book, Miss Me With That (out January 25), and describes the process as "rigorous." "I knew I always wanted to do a book, especially after doing The Bachelorette," she says. "It's tough. There are so many things that you want to say, but then at the same time you have to be careful to tell your story and not tell someone else's business." It's the first time people will learn Lindsay's full, unedited story.
Watch Lindsay's Shelf Portrait video, below, and then order some of her favorite books for yourself. Lindsay's book, Miss Me With That, is available for purchase now.