Cynthia Erivo’s Simply More is our January pick for The Queerty Book Club

Cynthia Erivo has a way of taking up space that makes the rest of us feel braver. The Grammy, Emmy, and Tony winner, now a three-time Oscar nominee after absolutely owning the role of Elphaba in Wicked, has become a familiar voice for queer folks who know what it feels like to be told they are too loud, too emotional, too intense, or just… too much.

Her new memoir Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They Are Too Much leans directly into that experience, which is why it is our January 2026 pick for The Queerty Book Club in partnership with Allstora.

Why Simply More hits the way it does

The book feels like sitting down with someone who refuses to apologize for the life they have lived. Erivo writes about the strange mix of preparation, luck, instinct, and stubbornness that gets you from one chapter of your life to the next. She shares intimate moments from her work onstage and onscreen, along with the quieter personal things that shaped her long before the world learned her name.

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What we love most is how Cynthia shares the lessons she has learned. They are definitely lessons, but not in the typical self-help format. Each one comes out of a real moment with a real story behind it, so you never feel talked down to. Instead you get these thoughtful reflections tied to situations she has lived through, and those reflections become things you can actually apply to your own life without feeling like someone is lecturing you.

She writes about the odd ways preparation finds you before you even know you need it and how the qualities that make you feel out of place are sometimes the ones that end up guiding you forward.

What this memoir offers queer readers

If you have ever been called dramatic or intense or too ambitious or too sensitive, this book is going to land right in the chest. Erivo is not trying to fix anyone, and she is definitely not pretending she has everything figured out. What she does instead is show how a life can expand even when the world keeps telling you to shrink.

We found ourselves pausing at several points because a sentence landed a little too accurately (in a good way).

Related

Can we have your attention? Announcing The Queerty Book Club
We’re launching The Queerty Book Club with Allstora! Get ready for your monthly dose of iconic queer non-fiction, starting with Lukas Gage’s juicy memoir, I Wrote This for Attention.

How The Queerty Book Club works

Every month we share a new LGBTQ+ memoir or nonfiction pick that feels worth talking about.

We kicked things off in December with Lukas Gage, who gave us humor and chaos in equal measure. Cynthia Erivo brings a different kind of energy for January. It is quieter, but it has weight to it, and it feels like the right way to start a new year.

Members get discounted Allstora titles, a private space to chat with other readers, and occasional surprises from the authors themselves.

Join The Queerty Book Club by January 14 to be a part of our discussions on Cynthia Erivo’s Simply More.

Related

Cynthia Erivo lists her top vocal performances of all time & it includes one surprising entry
The ‘Wicked’ star pays tribute to legendary singers before her.

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