Uma Thurman's Unexpected Novel Rec For Daughter Maya Hawke Is A BookTok Fave

While side-by-side photos of nepo babies and their moms reveal that Maya Hawke and Uma Thurman are definite lookalikes, their similarities seemingly extend to their taste in books. The "Stranger Things" actor had many positive things to say about the "Throne of Glass" series by Sarah J. Maas, which ranks alongside the author's other fantasy series as BookTok favorites. "I can't believe how good it is," she told The New Yorker. "I think about it as like a mythic language for my life, and I'm so moved by it."

Hawke went on to explain that it was actually Thurman who turned her onto the series. "She got on this, the romantasy, Sarah J. Maas kick," she continued. "Now we are both out of books to read and call each other on the phone, like, 'How can I fill this hole in my heart of these books?'" If you're unfamiliar, romantasy refers to a genre hybrid of romance and fantasy, with an emphasis on the lovey-dovey elements.

Thurman first spoke of her love for romantasy during an interview with The Times in 2025, explaining that her previously preferred genre of nonfiction was a bit too heavy. "The world has driven me to romantasy," the "Kill Bill" star explained. "Really, really teenage stuff. It's a great alternative to the newspapers right now." When asked about specific recommendations, she hinted that her tastes run a little spicy, saying, "I can't tell you. It will make me blush."

Maya Hawke and Uma Thurman aren't the only ones in their circle bitten by the literary bug, as the stunningly transformed Hawke revealed that she read the "Throne of Glass" series with her partner, Christian Lee Hutson. "My husband and I read them together, out loud," she told the New Yorker, having wed the singer-songwriter in February 2026. "We've gone on this journey together, kind of the three of us, and it has been some of the most like joyful, bonding, connective reading experiences I've ever—or that I've had since I was a little kid."

The "Do Revenge" actor compared the experience to reading J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" books as a child, as the Sarah J. Maas titles similarly consist of magic and intrigue. With the main series including eight installments, the fantasy epic centers around assassin Celaena Sardothien. The first novel, which shares the "Throne of Glass" title with the series, follows the protagonist as she competes against warriors, killers, and thieves to win her freedom and become the king's champion. As the series progresses, banished magic, kingdom politics, and, of course, romance are important elements of her story.

The series is consistently recommended on BookTok alongside other Maas releases, having nearly 800,000 posts on the platform. While it's received a large range of responses, the first novel boasts an average rating of 4.19 stars on Goodreads with over two million ratings. In this way, Hawke and Thurman are far from the only ones to fall in love with the romantasy books.