Book recommendations by Hudson Williams: Looking for your next read? Here are the Heated Rivalry star’s five book suggestions on friendship, rivalry, identity, addiction, love, Hollywood disillusionment and family

Hudson Williams may have become a global sensation playing hockey star Shane Hollander in Heated Rivalry, but his reading list reveals a side of the actor fans rarely get to see. Away from the cameras and red carpets, the 25-year-old is a self-confessed bookworm with a taste for literary classics and deeply introspective stories.

From Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr! to John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, Williams’ recommendations explore identity, ambition, loneliness, morality and existentialism. His book choices offer an intriguing glimpse into the interests of the Heated Rivalry breakout star.

Here are five books recommended by Hudson Williams that offer a glimpse into his literary tastes:

1. Didion and Babitz by Lili Anolik

As a fan of both Joan Didion and Eve Babitz, it comes as no surprise that Williams has included Lili Anolik’s Didion and Babitz among his recommendations. The nonfiction book explores the complicated friendship and rivalry between the two writers, while tracing their contrasting careers, personalities and literary styles against the backdrop of mid-20th-century Los Angeles culture.

2. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

Kaveh Akbar’s 2024 debut novel Martyr! also features among Williams’ recommendations.

“Dazzzzzzling. Kaveh is a genius. For anyone who’s felt like a dilettante artist or for biracial people who feel disconnected from their culture(s). Also, for agnostic theists,” Williams wrote in his review.

The novel follows Cyrus, a queer Iranian-American man who becomes fascinated by martyrdom while dealing with depression, addiction and questions surrounding identity and belonging.

Williams’ recommendation also reportedly sparked increased interest in the novel.

3. Stoner by John Williams

Williams also recommends John Williams’ 1965 classic Stoner, a novel centred on William Stoner, a university professor whose life is marked by professional and personal struggles.

“Beautiful in its simplicity. A book I'll come back to every 5-10 years.”

The novel explores failure, love, work and the idea that a seemingly ordinary life can still have meaning. Stoner’s enduring relationship with literature remains at the heart of the story.

4. Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion

Joan Didion’s Play It As It Lays is another title on Williams’ reading list.

“This novel goes down like absinthe. But it's amazing,” he said of the 1970 book.

The novel follows Maria Wyeth, a former actress navigating the emptiness and isolation behind the glamour of Hollywood. Didion’s sharp and detached writing examines ambition, loneliness and the darker side of the American dream.

5. East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Williams’ list also includes John Steinbeck’s classic East of Eden, first published in 1952.

The novel retells the biblical story of Cain and Abel through the intertwined lives of the Hamilton and Trask families. Themes of family, rivalry, morality and free will drive the story across generations.

Williams also plans to revisit the 1955 film adaptation starring James Dean before Florence Pugh’s upcoming Netflix limited series adaptation arrives later this year.