Leigh Stein is the author of six books, including the critically acclaimed satirical novel SELF CARE, and the creator of the ATTENTION ECONOMY newsletter on Substack.
She has also written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, Allure, ELLE, Airmail, and The Cut.
The Scoop (2026) Erin Van Der Meer "A thrilling page-turner about how far one ambitious journalist will go to land the story that could change her fortunes. It's also a scathing satire of the media outlets that run on celebrity gossip - and our own bottomless appetite for stories of the worst moments in celebrities' lives. I absolutely devoured it."
Leverage (2025) Amran Gowani "A profanely funny and devilishly entertaining novel about the American worship of capital at the expense of all else. Leverage has both the merry prankster vibes and the nerve-wracking pacing of r/wallstreetbets. I loved it."
Whoever You Are, Honey (2024) Olivia Gatwood "As lush and hypnotic as a dreampop album, this is an intoxicating debut about two women, each carrying a dark secret, who desire more than they've been allowed to want."
Victim (2024) Andrew Boryga "Victim is bold, unforgettable, and wickedly funny. Andrew Boryga has written a pitch-perfect Stephen Glass cautionary tale for the 21st century and a scathing satire of the commodification of identity and experience in the attention economy. I absolutely loved it."
The Glow (2023) Jessie Gaynor "Deliciously tart, fizzy, and absolutely intoxicating, The Glow is like a slim can of hard kombucha: a wellness tonic for people who like to make fun of the wellness industry."
The Daughter Ship (2023) Boo Trundle "This is a stunningly original, compulsively readable, darkly funny, and profoundly moving novel about the emotional cargo women carry in our minds and bodies, and how healing is possible - even from our deepest, darkest secrets."
Book of Extraordinary Tragedies (2022) Joe Meno "Set on Chicago's southside, this is a quirky, tender, and absurdly funny coming-of-age novel about not only caring for the ones we love, but also tending to the dreams they have for our future. It's a novel about work and the relentless grind of surviving paycheck to paycheck. Joe Meno writes beautifully of the way tragic stories become a kind of inheritance in this bittersweet love letter to the immigrants who built Chicago."
Happy for You (2022) Claire Stanford "For fans of Uncanny Valley, this is a clever and introspective debut about an ambivalent tech worker's search for a meaningful life in a culture obsessed with happiness. This novel is for anyone with mixed feelings about all the data we provide Big Tech, all the search terms we type into Google, looking to answer the same question that haunts Evelyn: 'Am I alone? Am I the only one?"
