12 books I recommend all the time

Like, at least once a month

When someone asks me for a book recommendation, my answer often begins with “I know this book isn’t for everyone, but…”, and that should tell you all you need to know about the list that I’m about to share. Now, obviously, no book is for everyone, but some are more widely loved than others. Some are more polarizing than others. And while many of my favorite books have been universally well-received, the rest wouldn’t necessarily make the cut for Oprah’s Book Club.

For that reason, today I’m not only sharing a list of titles I often recommend, but also offering you some context as to what might lead me to recommend each of the following books to someone.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

I usually recommend Pachinko to people who say “I want a book that will destroy me! Leave me in shambles on the floor! Make me feel, feel, feel!”. A go-to recommendation within this category tends to be Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life, which I also enjoyed very much, but that is definitely not for everyone (and besides, everyone who it is for has most likely already read it).

Pachinko, while popular and celebrated in its own right, is still not as well known, and it should be. It has the makings of a classic, it’s beautifully written, and it will slowly crush your heart in its little book hand.

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

It’s funny (read: embarrassing) that I keep recommending The Artist’s Way when I haven’t even technically finished it yet, but I digress. It is a testament to this book that I am so dedicated to recommending it so often, and that I praise it even though I haven’t finished the course. It is undeniable that it has already changed my life for the better and that is what I wish to every fellow creative I come across. If that’s you, get the book and get to work.

The Force of Such Beauty by Barbara Bourland

I remain outraged by how little The Force of Such Beauty is talked about, given how good it is. And listen, I would have to really love this book in order to recommend it, since the copy that made its way to my hands had some serious Portuguese typos in one of the initial chapters (the book isn’t set in Portugal, but the main character lives here for a short period of time). I don’t know if the typos have been fixed since, but I looked past them because I loved the book so much.

I recommend this mainly to readers who enjoy glamorous but somber atmospheres, female characters slowly descending into madness, and gilded cage tales. It’s slow, suspenseful and deliciously character-driven. I talk about it every chance I get.

Bear by Marian Engel

This book, I recommend to the weirdos. If you’re a little weirdo—and I say this with the utmost love—who enjoys weird little books that might be a little disturbing and/or gross, I will probably tell you to read Bear. And offer no further context.

Little Weirds by Jenny Slate

Speaking of weird, here’s another brand of weird that I often recommend. While Bear is on the Oh Sh*t I Might Throw Up! side of the weird spectrum, Little Weirds is on the Kiss Your Own Shoulder, Become A Caterpillar side of weird. It’s… hard to explain.

The (critical) vibe difference:

Bear (left) / Little Weirds (right)

While it’s a wholesome read, I still don’t recommend Little Weirds to just about anyone because its writing style is so unique, it can even be hard to categorize. Jenny Slate’s singular voice will either leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling in your belly or make you want to throw the book against a wall. Cynics, skip this one! Unless you want to change your ways.

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Joan Didion was a word witch and witnessing her magic on the page is one of my life’s greatest pleasures. This book, however, is not about pleasure; it’s a portrait of grief, and a strikingly painful one at that, being non-fiction. Again, not a book I recommend to everyone but a title that I do believe most people should read at least once in their lifetime. When someone asks me for books about grief, The Year of Magical Thinking is usually the first that comes to mind.