Open Book with Jenna

Comedian Heather McMahan has made audiences laugh with her relatable and authentic comedy for years. Jenna Bush Hager and Heather sit down to discuss her rise in comedy - from performing at her junior prom, to going on tour. They chat about how Heather knew as a kid that she was destined to be a performer, how comedy legend Joan Rivers impacted her career, and how social media helped skyrocket her career to the next level. Plus, sh...

Ego Nwodim has entertained viewers with her standout impressions and roster of hilarious original characters for the past seven seasons of ‘Saturday Night Live.’ Jenna Bush Hager sat down with the hilarious Ego Nowdim to chat about her earliest memories of making people laugh, the life lessons improv taught her, and her journey from pre-med to joining the cast of Saturday Night Live. Plus, she opens up about her SNL audition proces...

Kristin Hannah is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than twenty novels including ‘The Nightingale,’ ‘The Four Winds,’ and “The Women.’ A former attorney, she has made it her mission to tell the often forgotten stories of women in history. Kristin sat down with Jenna Bush Hager to chat about how books were a constant in her life growing up, how her mom knew she was destined to become a writer, and how she transitioned...

Rebecca Yarros is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of over twenty novels including ‘Fourth Wing,’ ‘Iron Flame’ and ‘Onyx Storm.’  Her latest and highly anticipated novel ‘Onyx Storm’ is the fastest selling adult novel in twenty years and sold 2.7 million copies in its first week. Rebecca sat down with Jenna Bush Hager to chat about how she drew on her experience with chronic illness and life in a military family to write “Fou...

Jenny Han is a literary powerhouse and New York Times bestselling author of the “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” series and “The Summer I Turned Pretty” series. She is also the creator and co-showrunner of The Summer I Turned Pretty television series. Jenny sat down with Jenna Bush Hager to chat about how she built a media empire that showcases diverse characters and young women coming into their own. She opens up about how she ...

Coco Mellors is a New York Times & Sunday Times Bestselling Author. Her second novel, “Blue Sisters" was a Read with Jenna book pick.  Jenna Bush Hager sat down with Coco at a Read with Jenna book club event to talk about the deep, complicated and unbreakable bonds of sisterhood, and how her own relationship with her sister shaped the book. Coco opens up about her struggles with grief and addiction, and why she wanted to tackle the...

Jamie Lee Curtis is a Hollywood legend, an Oscar & Emmy Award winning actor, and a New York Times Bestselling Author.  Jamie joins Jenna Bush Hager to discuss her new show “The Sticky” and upcoming film “The Last Showgirl.”  She reflects on her forty years of marriage, her path to sobriety, and what it was like growing up with famous parents Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. She also opens up about her career blossoming at the age of 66...

As 2024 comes to an end, we’re looking back at some of our favorite books, and literary trends from the year. Jenna Bush Hager sits down with her two friends, authors, and book lovers, Emma Straub and Isaac Fitzgerald. Emma and Isaac share how their families instilled their love of reading, the power of independent bookstores, and how to make reading a habit in the New Year. They also answer questions from Read with Jenna readers a...

Riley Keough is an Emmy nominated actress and producer, starring in hit shows like “Daisy Jones and the Six.” She’s also part of one of the most famous families in American Pop culture.  Her mother Lisa Marie Presley asked her to help her write her memoir, then weeks later passed away. Riley decided to finish her mother’s memoir using her notes and recordings. Riley sat down with Jenna Bush Hager to chat about what it was like to l...

Actor and comedian Matt Rogers co-hosts the pop culture podcast "Las Culturistas” with Bowen Yang and stars in Netflix’s new dark comedy series “No Good Deed.” Matt joins Jenna Bush Hager to talk about his Prince of Christmas Tour, why he regrets not telling Mariah Carey about his prince of Christmas title, and his journey from prom king to pop culture podcaster. He also opens up about his disappointment at not getting hired on Sat...

Jon M. Chu is a visionary director known for his blockbuster films like ‘Crazy Rich Asians,’ ‘In The Heights’ and the hugely anticipated movie musical ‘Wicked.’  He sits down with Jenna Bush Hager to discuss how he welcomed his daughter on the movie’s premiere day, and what it was like to turn the lens on his own life and work in his memoir ‘Viewfinder.’  Chu also reveals how he discovered the story of “Wicked” before it became a B...

Keke Palmer is an Emmy Award Winning actress, singer, podcast host, and mother. She rose to prominence at the age of twelve through her breakout role in ‘Akeelah and the Bee’ and has gone on to star in more than twenty-five films.  In her latest memoir ‘Master of Me’ Keke tells her own raw and intimate story.  Keke sits down with Jenna Bush Hager to discuss how she navigated fame at a young age, how becoming a mother gave her clari...

Ann Patchett is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and was named one of the most influential people in the world by Time Magazine. Ann sat down with Jenna Bush Hager for a conversation about what inspired her latest children’s book, “The Verts: A Story of Introverts and Extroverts” and what it was like to revisit her beloved novel "Bel Canto" for the special annotated release. Ann shares how ...

Nicholas Sparks is the king of love stories  who has sold over 130 million copies worldwide. He’s a New York Times bestselling author, with twenty-four books to his name. His emotionally gripping novels have captured readers' hearts and eleven of his novels have been adapted into films. Sparks sat down with Jenna Bush Hager to discuss the inspiration for his novels, and how his journey led him to writing the bestselling book, The N...

Stanley Tucci is an award winning actor, author, and dad. He’s appeared in roles such as The Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games, and The Lovely Bones. His latest role includes, food lover, social media star, and one of America's favorite home chefs.  His latest novel ‘What I Ate in One Year’ chronicles a year’s worth of meals and allows him to reflect back on a year with family and friends. Stanley sat down with Jenna Bush Hager t...

Emily Henry is a New York Times & Sunday Times Bestselling author who has written five consecutive number one Bestsellers.  She has been dubbed the ‘Queen of the Beach Read’ and has helped redefine the romance genre. Jenna Bush Hager sits down with Emily to discuss how she began writing fan fiction in middle school, and the teachers that encouraged her along the way. She opens up about how she first discovered the romance genre, an...