Emily For President’s Little Readers
If you love reading books for fun, STAY IN LINE!!!!!
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As a lifelong reader who often feels my most confident and comfortable talking with others about books, I’ve tried to never judge anyone for their reading preferences. I have, as a lifelong reader who also grew up in a digital native generation, been judged for reading in general, but I think that’s only served to make me all the more joyful to talk about books with anyone willing to hear me out.
Or so I thought.
I saw the best minds of my generation begin reading for pleasure during the pandemic…and I kind of became a bitch about it. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking: how dare you co-opt the thing you used to mock me for? How dare you share the cover of a romance novel on your Instagram story when I got snide laughter for buying one at the Scholastic Book Fair?
Me, me, me. It truly is so fucking annoying to be in my head sometimes.
Listen: yeah, it was shitty for people to act like my liking books and being a nerd was a capital offense. But what makes me better than a middle school bully if I wrote a whole E4P installment shitting on Colleen Hoover and her fans? Especially when the reason why so many people have turned to her books and others in her Goodreads tax bracket can be best described by this section of Vulture’s interview with Emily Henry:
A lot can happen in a two-year span. Henry went on Zoloft and started to feel better, and the pandemic forced millions inside, where they began losing their minds in their own unique ways. Among the trapped were a legion of Gen-Zers, some recently graduated and craving lighthearted, nonacademic reading, some just depressed and seeking nourishing distractions. Millennials had tried decorating with soft pink throw pillows and basic acts of maintenance they called “adulting.” These new adults looked around and saw an inhospitable world that was hard to manage, inhabited by people so jaded by a decade of slogging through swipes on dating apps that they’d conditioned themselves into near psychopathy instead of admitting they just wanted to spoon.
What I’m trying to say is that when I dreamt up this piece months ago, I was initially planning on only polling those who thought reading was lame in school but have since decided books were fetch again in an attempt to unpack the psychology of a Goodreads Girlie. But not only would that survey have been a little unkind, it also would have been one side of a conversation—and not the fun one.
No one died and made me the Gatekeeper of Bookshop.org. People grow and change and realize what I’ve known since Biscuit Goes to School: reading fucking rocks.
Regardless of how or when or why you land at that point, there is something really beautiful and powerful about recognizing it as fact. At a time when book banning is en vogue again, who the hell am I to judge anyone for picking up any book at all? As you’ll see in all of today’s responses, reading connects us and nourishes us and offers us life experiences we may never have on our own. What is so wonderful about reading is that everyone’s tastes and opinions and interpretations are so uniquely their own.
That’s why I tried to ask as many book lovers as I could to participate in today’s survey which is officially the largest one yet here at E4P. I am so grateful to everyone who replied, especially my mom’s book club and my former Macmillan compatriots. There is so much tenderness in these responses, not only for books and reading but for people and life in general.
This is what I love most about reading and I hope you’ll all enjoy it, too.
What book are you currently reading right now?
Gill, 26, she/her: How to Win The Bachelor: The Secret to Finding Love and Fame on America’s Favorite Reality Show
Alyssa Van Arsdale, 26, she/her: Funny You Should Ask
Melissa Hebert, 57, she/her: West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
Blair, 25, she/her: The Great Believers!!!!
RC, 55, she/her: Seven Days in June
Susan, 57: The Girl Who Wrote In Silk and Demon Copperhead
Maggie, 23, she/her: Court of Mist & Fury (for fun) and Policing the Womb (for research)
CC, 57, she: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
LMP, 60, she/her: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
TM: The Love Stories of W.EB. DuBois. Just finished All Our Missing Hearts.
SHE: The Reunion
Patty Ford, 67, she/her: Valencia and Valentine
MC, 25, she/her: Us Against You by Fredrick Backman
Micaela, 27, she/her: Maid by Stephanie Land
Riley, 23, he/him: Reprieve
AJ: Light Through the Vines by Fiona Valpy
Donna: Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
DC, 59, she/her: West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
BL, 60, she/her: West with Giraffes
Cathi: West with Giraffes
AC: West with Giraffes
Danielle, 55, she/her: The Society of Shame
Gillian, 24, she/her: My Brilliant Friend
Nicole, 25, she/her: Finished What We Lose today, starting Super Attractor tomorrow
Halle, 25, she/her: On the Rocks by Kandi Steiner
Melanie, 28, she/her: The Push by Ashley Audrain
MD, 25, she/her: The Club
Leigh, 25, she/her: The Tools by Phil Stutz
Lincoln, 24, she/her: Comedy Comedy Drama by Bob Odenkirk
Sophie, 25, she/her: JUST finished Night of the Living Rez; 30 pages into Jesmyn Ward’s Let Us Descend
Alli, 23, she/her: Re-reading the Hunger Games Trilogy
David Melgoza: 👀
EC, 24, she/her: Exiles by Jane Harper
Dahlia, 28, she/her: Can’t remember the name
Audrey, 21, she/her: My textbooks :) and scientific journals :) because I have no time to read during school :)
GM, 25, she/her: none 😫
OA, 25, she/her: The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
Emily, 25, she/her: Severance by Ling Ma and Girly Drinks by Mallory O’Meara
When did you really get into reading for pleasure, and why?
Gill: When the pandemic hit and BookTok took off. I read a lot up until I graduated high school, then I felt I didn’t have time for it.
Alyssa: After college! If I’m being honest, reading felt like something I had to do for school and I was such an iPad kid that I avoided it at all costs until I was out of school and it wasn’t a requirement anymore. I finally enjoyed it by doing it on my own terms!
Blair: I've always loved to read and spent a lot of my childhood reading. Starting in middle school, when school reading became more rigorous, I definitely fell off from reading a bit. I would still often read on vacations (and often forced by my parents) but it wasn't until I graduated college and the pandemic that I returned to my love of reading. In addition, I took a class in college where we read numerous memoirs which reminded me how much I love a good book.
Maggie: My mom has photos of me sitting in a basket of books when I was 9 months old. I have always loved to read!! I think a big part of that is, of course, my mom. She read to me regularly and my house has always been full of books. My mom was also a teacher, so I’m sure that aided in my love of reading.
LMP: Decided I was missing out when I heard friends and colleagues making references to books and decided in my mid-20s to begin with the classics and haven’t stopped reading since (I was a Cliffs Notes reader)! I have been in book clubs for the better part of 25 years which also helps!
Patty: When I was 21 and needed an escape from my job.
Micaela: Second grade—Magic Treehouse Books baby!! It was when I truly realized what an escape books could be and I became obsessed with the fact that I could be drawn into one story for hours.
Riley: As a kid, I read for the imagination factor; now, for the serotonin. I feel most of my emotions through books now.
Donna: In high school, I started with the Judy Blume books and then kept finding other authors of interest.
DC: Age 12 because I was intrigued with the people I met and places I went to in books.
BL: After my kids grew up because I had more time.
Gillian: January 2020—I had just graduated and had more free time to read. The Da Vinci Code got me excited about reading again.
Halle: I have a report card from a 3rd-grade teacher that says I “am an avid reader and read for pleasure at any chance I get,” so uhhhhh…really early and it hasn’t stopped.
MD: In the past two years, I have been traveling and like to read in the airport and on the plane.
Sophie: I liked reading biographies and memoirs of remarkable people when I was a little kid: Helen Keller, Anne Frank, Harriet Tubman. Oh, and obviously the Destiny’s Child biography.
David: Still working on reading for fun!
Audrey: As soon as I learned how to read... perks of growing up with Danni Lee as your mom
OA: I went to a hippie elementary and grade school that did not teach us to read until 2nd grade. Once I learned how, it was game over.
Why do you think reading became the "thing to do" during the pandemic?
Gill: It’s easily accessible—a lot of libraries continued operations during different phases of the pandemic (my mom works at the local library).
Alyssa: Because people desperately needed anything to do and Tiger King could only take us so far.
Melissa: Reading became a non-electronic escape. It was quiet, and a way to decompress.
Blair: It started because people had time, but it has become more of a status thing. It's the new "hot girl" thing to do.
RC: To keep “sane.” Reading books allows one to go to different places.
Susan: I think it was “the thing to do” well before the pandemic, as book groups were always social support systems for women (and men!) who needed “time away” from family responsibilities. During the pandemic, Zoom discussions were our connection. And more time for reading—or, we made more time for reading so as to not get depressed.
CC: That was not my experience.
Patty: It’s comforting and takes your mind where your body couldn’t go.
MC: People had more time and exhausted their stamina for TV. I think people may have also been looking for things to post on social media, and for appearances, books look more cool and intellectual than TV.
Micaela: I think that we were all looking for an alternate life or world to immerse ourselves in. Reading also took remote computer workers off of their screens, which I think had a bigger role to play than we care to admit. Simultaneously, a lot of people turned to social media as a distraction, and the book readers there were really pushing certain kinds of fiction along. Folks started falling in line with some of the trendy books because it gave them something to talk about!
Riley: Couldn’t leave the house and everyone wanted to “better themselves.”
Nicole: In my opinion, reading as opposed to watching a film or series allows the reader to place themselves in the plot easier. You think of what the characters look like and sound like. Also, people just like to appear more interesting than they actually are and it seems smarter/more intellectual to brag about reading than binge-watching shows. The same goes for why cooking became the thing, too.
Halle: People had no choice but to sit with themselves at home and if they didn’t want to do the work of being self-reflective, they decided to turn to books for both a distraction and, for some, community (if they discussed the books with anyone). People also had a lot of time and the most common thing I hear about people not reading is that they “don’t have time.”
Melanie: I personally hit a cap with scrolling on the phone so I can imagine that people who normally wouldn’t read would feel the same eventually, maybe.
Lincoln: I think aesthetically, a lot of people want to seem smart and put together so posting a book on their story is a good look. I feel like everyone was so bored in the pandemic that they were all trying to one-up each other in the race of “who’s holding it together best.” On the other hand, I think people also read for pleasure since they finally had free time.
Alli: It was something to do besides play games and binge-watch TV. Also, it kind of took you to a different world momentarily instead of the pandemic. Really just a break from reality.
David: Because everyone wants to be that “woke” intellect and there was nothing else to do.
Audrey: I think because of two reasons—one because it genuinely was a hobby that people picked up during quarantine and it was kind of a way to escape our real world at the time. The other reason why I think personally so many people my age did was because influencers and YouTubers were getting involved in it and it became "trendy."
OA: Not too sure. Time is probably a big reason for a lot of people, myself included. However, I do think it became "trendy" but I don't say that negatively.
Why do you think so many people who stopped reading for pleasure in school have returned to it since the pandemic?
Susan: More literature accessibility (such as apps and library sites) as technology was and is more relied upon vs in-person reading venues.
AJ: For a lot of people, their everyday identity was taken away from them, either work or school or whatever it was. We all had so much time on our hands and our entire lives had shifted around Covid that it allowed people the opportunity to explore different interests or return to things they previously enjoyed and for a lot of people when they were younger, that was reading. I think the combination of having more time on our hands and being in a world where trying new things or finding a hobby, was really encouraged, a lot of people started—or went back to reading—frequently.
DC: Wait—people stopped reading for pleasure in school??? I think once people leave school, a lot stop reading.
Gillian: More free time post-grad! Also, #BookTok is allowing people to discover books they otherwise would have no idea about.
Melanie: I feel like the pressure of having to read while in school completely washed out my wanting to read for pleasure. You couldn’t pay me to read Lord of the Flies in high school. Chances are, now, I’d read it in a sitting.
MD: You get to start reading about things you are actually interested in.
Audrey: Personally, I've always struggled with reading for pleasure in school even before the pandemic just because of the time commitment and stress from work and assignments. I think it's very natural and reasonable nowadays for it to not be the typical outlet to go to when wanting a stress reliever during the school year. When I'm reading, I'm in full relaxation mode which I can't get to when I'm in classes.
Do you think reading has become more of an aesthetic (as argued here) than an activity? If so, why?
Gill: I don’t think this is new—there’s always been the Book Girl trope. Mysterious, beautiful, smart—Tumblr had a field day with it!
Alyssa: I do and, unfortunately, I think I perpetuate this.
Melissa: For some, yes. I call it Readingcore.
Blair: Yes! It has become a status symbol most likely passed down from the upper class and influencers. Cultural norms and trends are usually set by the upper class. For example, having nails painted says, “I don’t do heavy work and have time for this pampering.” In this example, being able to read means you have the time to do it—you aren't working beyond a weekly 40 hours (if not, less). As a status symbol, it has become a vibe on social media.
Maggie: I guess, maybe? For me, it’s definitely not. I don’t think my relationship with reading is one that’s gone through much change. Sure, I’ve had phases of my life where I read more or less for fun, but it’s always been in my life and I’ve always enjoyed reading for my own personal benefit.
Patty: Yes. It’s fun to discuss books you’ve ACTUALLY read as opposed to merely saying you’re reading Book XYZ. Put in the time, do the work, and enrich yourself.
MC: Yes—I have seen a lot more people posting on social (and I do occasionally). While I read for myself and love discussing with others, I do LOVE how it feels to read on a train, in an airport, or on a plane—big main character energy. While it’s not the reason I read, I do find myself thinking, “If I stop now, I look like a poser!!” So it actually motivates me to keep reading.
And honestly—aesthetic or not, Colleen Hoover book or not—anything that gets people reading is a positive thing in my opinion (as someone certified to teach English).
Micaela: The concept argued in the article can be attributed to any kind of commercial good (music, books, clothing). I don't disagree that it's an aesthetic, but hey, if it means that people are reading, I don't really care.
Riley: It has (looking at the Colleen Hooverists).
AJ: No one I know can read a book they hate or they find boring, so even if someone is reading “for the aesthetic,” they still happen to be enjoying the book and therefore, are just reading because they like it.
Donna: Never heard of BookTok but now I must check it out.
Nicole: I think just within the ages of 18-35 it’s more of an aesthetic because it makes one look more interesting and want to feel included with trends and pop culture which now includes books. However, I do think people who started for the aesthetic are continuing now due to enjoyment.
Halle: I think some people think of it as an aesthetic, and there is a fine line between folks who do it for content creation/job/money/passion and those who do it for clout/followings. I definitely don’t think of it as an aesthetic for myself. I love being a reader but as an almost exclusive audiobook listener at this time, I don’t have full shelves or bookish candles or citations on sticky tabs, and I don’t want those things.
I read so many books in a year all for the love of reading that I don’t really care what others get up to or why, so long as the quality and quantity of good books in my genre continue.
Melanie: It doesn’t really affect me how people want to be perceived when it comes to reading so I guess if someone wants to make it their personality… *gestures vaguely*
MD: Yes I think so. It’s an activity that’s considered active and engaging vs something “on the internet or TV.” I know my parents wouldn’t make a comment if I was sitting all day reading, but they would have a problem if I was sitting all day watching TV.
Leigh: I don’t know why men critiquing BookTok just gives me the heebie-jeebies but it does. I think the article makes some good points but at the end of the day, BookTok feels mostly like a bunch of women sharing the books they like. I think any social media can lead to virtue signaling and flash popular books, but why does everything women do on social media have to become an aesthetic in the derogatory sense?
Lincoln: I think some people use books to seem smart. The people I know who read the most talk about it the least.
Sophie: Defo. Hot take but I think this is in part due less to social media (what I anticipate a lot of people will say) and more to choice paralysis. Seriously—there are so many titles to read, especially if you have conflicting motivations to read (do I read to get smarter? to expand my worldview? to get the hype? to turn off my brain?) and you have to spend hours on each one. And a lot of people have trouble NOT finishing what they start.
Ultimately, it feels like a bigger choice than it is—so then how do you make it? Reading as an aesthetic reflects this choice paralysis in the sense that we all DO aspire to read more. Sure there’s a falseness to it, but I think "reading as an aesthetic" has more authenticity and good faith to it than we might assume.
Alli: It can be. People want others to know they are different by reading a book and looking smart rather than glued to their phones. I mean you see constantly people posting about what book they are reading and it’s all the generic Colleen Hoover books (love her but seems like the most common author young adults are reading now).
David: Yes. Everyone wants to be that cute person reading a book at a cafe.
EC: I think for some people, yes. There are definitely people who are picking books based on aesthetics and creating “BookTok” videos etc. I think that there are still a good number of people who are still just reading as an activity, but there are always going to be people who will try to create an aesthetic out of it as well.
Audrey: Yes. I hate to admit it because I don't like to knock people down for things that they like. But I see it when I get so excited that a peer of mine is "getting into reading" and I try sparking conversations about books or recommending books or asking for suggestions and they end the conversation with, "Oh I just like Colleen Hoover" because that's the extent of their interest.
And for the people who think they're slick in thinking that I and others don't notice that you started reading just because Emma Chamberlain was reading Catcher in the Rye during quarantine...I see you. You all used to make fun of me for reading in middle school when it was "not cool," so you're fake.
GM: No, unless you are annoying
OA: Yes and no. On one hand, I think social media has largely contributed to the creation of these "aesthetics" and being "well-read" and/or owning books are one way to portray this. On the other, I do not think reading in and of itself has become an aesthetic. That is, I think a lot of people probably still read to read.
Do you view reading as a community activity? Why or why not?
Gill: It can be if you have a community similar to you. I read on my own a lot until I met other friends who read a lot. Now we swap recommendations and discuss books we’ve read.
Melissa: Reading something for the first time? No. Leave me alone and don't interrupt unless the house is on fire. Book club is different.
Susan: Sometimes. There are many blogs, websites, library reviews, meet-the-author, and other public means of being part of a community, which I believe most need—and appreciate—now more than before the pandemic
LMP: On some level, yes, because we get to share experiences and thoughts via the book.
TM: Mostly no. But I guess yes if and when you talk with others about what you’ve read, share recs, etc.
MC: Not really but I do have a group of trusted English nerds who I go to for recommendations and share opinions with.
Micaela: Yes. It brings people together, whether that's in a book club or an independent bookstore or in a group chat about the TV adaptation of a popular book, reading is everywhere.
Riley: Not really because everyone is individual in their tastes and interpretations.
DC: Absolutely. Talking about the characters and places a book takes you is a shared experience with others who read the same book.
Cathi: It’s both…I read individually just for my own pleasure and also for community activities such as book groups, One Book One Town, etc.
AC: Yes I do because it brings people together.
Gillian: Definitely! My book club with my school friends is one of the main ways we stay in touch these days.
Halle: It can be! But for me, it is usually not, as I get through books quickly and never want to make someone feel bad for not keeping up. I am choosy about who I buddy read or book club with and what we’re reading—usually something very distinct from the other books I have in rotation at that time (i.e. a fantasy YA romance and an adult erotic small-town romance). I do like obsessing over characters or series with friends who read the same genres as me, and I am in a few book chats with friends but I have sought those out with intention.
MD: Yes, it’s so fun to be able to talk to people about what you are reading.
Lincoln: Hmm not for me. When I do get the time to read it’s almost always when I have alone time. When I was younger, though, my mom was in a book club and I was so jealous because they would go out to dinner once a month to discuss the book. I was like, “Ah fuck, I wanna go to dinner.” I made her join a separate book club that was just me and her. We read one book—The Witches by Roald Dahl—then I made her take me to my favorite Thai restaurant. The book club disbanded after that, but it was a good run.
I guess what I’m trying to say here is…that one time it felt like a community activity?
Alli: It’s a difficult side to take, but I prefer it as a singular activity. I’m part of a book club because I like new recommendations but if it doesn’t seem to interest me I won’t read that book.
David: Yes and no. Book clubs are fun, but reading in solitude is also a vibe.
EC: I think there are definitely community aspects to it, like if someone is part of a book club or even participating in author talks or book events. I think there’s a community aspect around it as well just with BookTok videos and virtual ways people are able to connect now. Also for people who share books with their friends or family they think will enjoy something they’ve read. For me personally, I’d say it’s more of just a personal thing than a community activity as I mostly just read whatever interests me and am not part of things that would make it more of a community activity, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be for others.
Audrey: I think it can be but not always. Reading can either be an isolating act where you emerge yourself into the book and someone else's world. But also it can be a way to connect with other people in how they relate to the story in their own way!
Do you view reading as an act of self-care? Why or why not?
Gill: I do. My mom always told me I loved fiction books as a way to cope with my childhood anxiety—she called it my escapism and said it’s why I loved Animal Crossing when it came out. You can step into a different world and immerse yourself in it, ignoring the chaos around you!
Alyssa: I tend to read a lot of trauma and psych books so yes, from the standpoint of wanting to heal and understand who I am.
Melissa: Yes. It's a way to use my brain differently. Rather than reading for function (work communications, recipes, news articles), I can enjoy the experience.
Susan: Absolutely. Cognitive functioning, neuroplasticity, de-stressing, and learning, plus “feel good” endorphin releasers.
Maggie: Yes!!!! Reading allows me to get lost and forget the stresses of the “real world”.
CC: No, but maybe I should!
SHE: Yes as it forces you to stop and concentrate on only one thing
MC: Yes because it is a solitary action and something I mainly do for myself.
Micaela: I've tried writing a response to this multiple times and cannot seem to get my point across. I don't consider it self-care. The actual act of reading is too active and too involved to be self-care. It requires a lot of focus and time and a level of dissociation from your current life to be successful. I find that self-care requires a level of introspection that I can't reach when I'm reading.
Riley: Absolutely. It helps me discern emotions I may not have been able to put into words before. Also choosing to read a funny, happy book boosts my serotonin
AJ: Abso-freakin-lutely. For me, reading is a part of my self-care routine. It sort of allows me to get out of my head and into another storyline or world. Even if it’s not that deep, a lot of people use reading to relax or unwind at the end of the day, or on their lunch breaks to distract themselves, in a way, from what’s happening in their everyday life.
Donna: Yes. I became very sick five years ago and when my mobility was taken away, I reverted back to the world of books.
Danielle: Yes. Choosing when to read is taking time for me; choosing me over other things.
Halle: Yes and no—I love to read and so in the simplest sense it is self-care because I enjoy it so much (and do experience book hangovers from really great ones). But I also have a habit of listening to audiobooks and multi-tasking, which sometimes feels less like self-care and more of a distraction. I am very self-aware about it though so I think my therapist would say that’s good.
Lincoln: Yes! It’s really relaxing on the mind, especially when you’re not in a rush and you’re looking at a physical book. Anything that gives you a break from the daily hustle and bustle + enriches your mind with new information is definitely self-care. Unless you really hate reading. Then I don’t think forcing yourself to read would be self-care.
Sophie: Big time. It positions me better for when I eventually acquire!!!
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Gill: My mom works at a library 🫡 so this representation matters.
Alyssa: There is really no excuse for an ugly book cover.
Melissa: Don't take writing ideas from V.C. Andrews’ books.
Maggie: It’s impossible not to judge books by their cover!! Advertisers and PR teams are paid big bucks to design a cover that draws you in. I was at the library today and only grab a book I don’t recognize if the cover draws me in. I’m, therefore, judging different books by their cover. The key for me is that I always have to read a book’s jacket and a lot of times I’ll put it back down even if the cover drew me in.
Patty: Reading is a gift that, once given, can never be taken away. It enriches my life in so many ways. I’d be lost without it.
AJ: we all know BookTok and the romance novel genre really exploded during Covid. But let’s just stop judging people on what they’re reading. If people are enjoying themselves with their book, who are you to judge? That’s the whole reason so many genres exist!
Danielle: I like the act/process/thrill of buying and borrowing books! I have a beautiful home library but am also an avid borrower of library books.
Nicole: At the end of the day, reading is just good for you whether or not you’re doing it because of a true enjoyment or a trend. No one is superior in their reasoning.
Halle: I LOVE TO READ and have gotten so much more confident in my 20s sharing openly that I enjoy reading romance and fantasy and smut! I think folks are often embarrassed to share what they read if it’s in one of these categories but romance makes all the money baby!! The publishing world has come a long way but still has further to go in terms of embracing its money-maker genre and I’m so grateful for the romance bookshops and book clubs and BookTokers for continuing to bring visibility to it!
Melanie: Reading is reading is reading. No one is better because they like physical books over e-books, and no one is better because they prefer novels over reading articles in their local newspaper. Engaging in new information is important regardless of the fashion in which it’s ingested.
Lincoln: If anyone wants to start a book club with me and also pay for my dinner, I’m free on Tuesday nights
Sophie: We all like to read. If you don’t like to read then you haven’t found the right book (or format!!!!) yet.
Alli: My favorite place to read is the beach :) it’s where I do my best reading
David: Reading is fundamental!!
What is the best book you've ever read?
Gill: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
Alyssa: Rude question tbh
Melissa: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Blair: Ughhhh hard to decide. A Little Life? Educated? Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow? I can’t pick!!
RC: The Book of Names
Susan: Cutting for Stone and The Book of Lost Names. Tied!
Maggie: This question is tough because there is a difference between best and favorite. My favorite book ever is The Outsiders by S.E Hinton. I think the best book I’ve read recently is The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
CC: I’m not sure, but I’m reading Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow for the second time…I love it!
LMP: To Kill a Mockingbird
TM: Too hard of a question but a recent fave from last year—Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
SHE: Sarah’s Key
Patty: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
MC: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Micaela: This question is difficult to answer because it depends on the mindset you are in. What does "best" mean? A book that changed my life? That it made me fall in love with reading? That when someone mentions it, I remember how I felt when I read it? The Phantom Tollbooth and To Kill A Mockingbird made me fall in love with stories. Inkheart was my obsession for years and I still think that book came into my life at the precise moment I needed it. The Hours was a perfect slow burn and Yolk summarized sister relationships in a manner that I have yet to encounter again. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman was one I expected to hate and ended up loving.
Maybe the answer is The Book Thief because there are lines from the book that haunt me to this day.
Riley: Best: Catch-22 or American Psycho. Favorite: They Both Die At The End.
AJ: Always a classic—the Harry Potter series! OG Philosopher’s Stone is probably the best.
Donna: Too many!! So very very many.
DC: There's more than one. :)
BL: Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Cathi: All the Light We Cannot See is one of my favorites.
AC: I read almost all of Herman Hess’s books. I really enjoyed them!
Danielle: Probably a Margaret Atwood or Alice Hoffman book.
Gillian: A Little Life…the most depressing book ever but so great.
Nicole: Not the best but my favorite is Frankenstein.
Halle: Trick question—I don’t have one.
Melanie: Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
MD: Been on a bit of a BookTok kick but Verity and Beach Read were both INCREDIBLE, they were easy to read and had a great story.
Leigh: Quite honestly might be the fifth Percy Jackson book.
Lincoln: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Sophie: Beloved by Toni Morrison. Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. Very likely this Jesmyn Ward book.
Alli: The Perfect Marriage
David: The Alchemist
EC: I’m honestly not sure if there’s one particular book that stands out in my mind over all others that I’ve read.
Dahlia: Can’t think of one
Audrey: Literally wtf is this question I'm not choosing (...The Hunger Games)
GM: This is difficult but most books by Fredrik Backman, or Malcolm Gladwell’s Talking to Strangers.
OA: Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
Emily: Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL 37 PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS!!!!! I am so grateful to have an excuse to pick people’s minds about things and conversations I care about, and you all were so generous with your responses. I hope all of your books are 5-stars.
In a fun little aside, I am now a Glossier Affiliate (!!!!) which means I can get paid to talk to y’all about the company and their products. I can’t believe I get to say this but click here to use my storefront to shop!!! 💅💅