Jenna Bush Hager Offers Reading List to Alix Earle After Influencer Admits Never Reading a Book

Jenna Bush Hager playfully addressed Alix Earle's recent admission that she has never read a book, offering a curated list of literary suggestions.

Earle, 25, sparked widespread discussion after telling Interview Magazine that she had not read a book since childhood. In response, Bush Hager, 44, commented on the matter during a segment on the "Today" show.

"Alix, you’ve been on the show, we know that you’re smart, so you know what we want to do? We want to give you a little syllabus," Bush Hager stated, seemingly directing her remarks to the influencer.

The "Today" show co-host emphasized the cognitive benefits of reading longer works, contrasting it with the rapid consumption of information on social media. "With social media, you have to use your mind quickly, but when you sit in a book and you’re there for a while it uses a different part of our brain, which is a part that we used a lot back in the day and has been sort of combatted with the rise of short videos," Bush Hager explained. "Reading fiction brings about the rise of empathy. Because you’re sitting in the shoes of somebody else."

Bush Hager proposed Ann M. Martin's "The Baby-Sitters Club" as a starting point for Earle, noting the protagonist Kristy Thomas's entrepreneurial spirit. "[Character Kristy Thomas] started her own brand. This talks about females getting together, starting a club, empowering each other. Let’s start here, Alix," Bush Hager suggested.

She also recommended Judy Blume's "Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret," adding humorously, "Alix, if you haven’t learned about sex, this might hit the ticket."

Additional book suggestions from Bush Hager included John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men," Min Jin Lee's "Pachinko," and Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games."

Earle's confession was made during a rapid-fire interview with Interview Magazine. When asked about the last book she read, Earle responded with a giggle, stating, "I've never read a book," and playfully adding, "Maybe Dr Seuss?"

The influencer's admission drew criticism online, with many users expressing disappointment. One widely shared sentiment on Reddit stated, "Being dumb isn't a flex. Being ignorant isn't cute."

Despite the backlash, Earle appeared unfazed, reposting a tweet about the reaction and commenting, "This is sending me."