Listed: Reader Recommendations #1
Discover the new and old books that 103 readers, including fellow Substackers, authors, celebrities, librarians, booksellers, and bookstagrammers are recommending
Hi friends,
Get your cup of coffee, tea, or cocktail ready and settle in for some serious book recommendation browsing! A couple months ago I asked readers in my Friday Substack Thread, as well as in my Instagram story to give me one book recommendation for a book they thought would appeal to “a wide range of readers.” And you delivered! I then went down a huge bookish rabbit hole to find a variety of personalized book recs from authors, booksellers, librarians, celebrities, and others in the book world.
Long story short….I have 118 non-repeated, thoughtful, and passionate book recommendations for you! I say “non-repeated” because there are 3 books that were mentioned more than once and those are in addition to the 118. There was one book that was recommended the most (by four readers) - can you guess what that was?? I’m so excited about the incredible mix of new and deep under the radar backlist.
The first twenty recommenders and their book choices are for everyone and give you a good idea of the types of recs you’ll be seeing (from the next 83 recommenders you’ll see more of these types of recs, plus many recs from librarians and others who work in the book world). The next 83 are behind the paywall as this project has taken me hours upon hours to complete. I’ve included links to every single book mentioned, as well as links to podcasts, social media and Substack accounts, and bookstores with the intention that you’ll be able to have additional recommendations to listen, shop, and/or find a new book twin in the mix. If something is underlined, click on it for the link:). I’ve also included photos of the book covers because we all love to SEE the book too:) Paid subscribers can also grab the PDF I’ve included, so the entire list can be easily downloaded for future browsing.
I hope you enjoy reading this passion project of mine and perhaps find a new to you book (or ten:), and maybe you’ll also discover new reading friends to follow and connect with along the way. Happy Reading📚
**This post is too long for email and will be best read via the website (itsbooktalk.substack.com) or the Substack App
“This is impossible to overstate – books are everything to me. Books have made me constantly curious, hungry to learn and just full of wonder. They’re an endless source of delight” R.F Kuang
Recommendations
1. Me – The Unwilling by John Hart. “I think this book is not only well written, it would appeal to a wide range of readers because it’s such an interesting mix of the genres of historical fiction, thriller, and mystery wrapped up in a compelling plot with memorable characters”
2. My 27 year old son recommends You Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins. “This is the best, most inspirational book I’ve read in the last 2 years. I think everyone could get something out of reading his story.”
3. Author Elif Shafak recommends An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro. “Set in post-Second World War Japan, this is a masterfully written novel by the British-Japanese author about aging, solitude, art, memory and the endless tricks it plays on our minds… Ishiguro is the kind of writer who each time asks the reader to trust him, come along for a walk in an unknown territory, and if need be, change perspective. But he does all this with an unwavering modesty and quiet intelligence that only further contributes to his literary strength” and Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides which is “One of the most beautifully told family sagas in world literature. Exploring gender identity, ethnic identity, American dream, immigrants, family memories and collective myths… but to me this is primarily a novel about belonging—how we fail but still somehow find the hope and the will to continue to try to belong.”
4. Bookseller Kelly O'Sullivan from R.J. Julia Booksellers recommends Miss You by Kate Eberlen “Tess and Gus first cross paths in Florence as 18-year-olds with their futures stretching ahead of them. Back in England, they live their lives oblivious to all the near-misses and chances they have to encounter one another again. The meandering way their lives circle each other is charming rather than frustrating, but the heart of this book lies in the choices Tess and Gus make as their lives unfold in ways neither anticipated. Exceptionally poignant and filled with relatable and deeply human characters, this is a thoughtful story about how you can never quite guess what life has in store for you - and maybe that's for the best.”
5. Sara Hildreth from @fictionmatters on Substack and Instagram recommends Search by Michelle Huneven “and a couple more niche books I like to shout about are: Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera and Lisa Dillman and Possession by A.S. Byatt.”
6. Jennifer Bodenhoefer (via Friday Substack Thread) “My current book recommendation is The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods. It has a touch of a mystical edge, which I normally do not enjoy. However, the story was grounded ‘enough’ in reality to satisfy me. The story drew me in and I devoured the book in no time flat. I only found this book because it was the last book that was recommended to me.”
7. Author Ann Patchett (Bel Canto) recommends Irish fiction The All of It by Jeanette Haien and The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor from her New to You Instagram series. The All of It is one of Parnassus Books bestselling books over the years. She says “they sold tons and so many people came back and bought more copies for friends and The Story of Lucy Gault is one of my all time favorite books.”
8. Kristin Clark (via Friday Substack Thread) “I love recommending Kelly Corrigan to people. I love all of her work, but Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I’m Learning To Say probably has the most universal appeal.”
9. Lisa (via Friday Substack Thread) “My favorite nonfiction to recommend is Daring Greatly by Brene Brown; for fiction it depends on the person - The Rose Code by Kate Quinn if they like historical fiction, People We Meet on Vacation if they like romance, Dark Matter by Blake Crouch if they like science fiction.”
10. Carrie (via Friday Substack Thread) “One book I love to recommend is The Shining by Stephen King, I don't think I need to explain why:)”
11. Linda Seale (via Friday Substack Thread) “My favorite book to recommend is Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. It is a masterpiece, and I still remember so many things about it. I was on the trail with Cal and Gus, and I was in the world of cowboys and all their adventures.”
12. Beatrice Mulligan (via Friday Substack Thread) “I’m recommending The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. A beautiful tale that evokes many feelings. Perfect for the upcoming chilly season.”
13. Kathy K (via Friday Substack Thread) recommends The Class by Eric Siegal. “It is an old book from the 1980’s, but it is along the same storyline as A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, but not as dark. For a more recent book I would recommend The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne. I can’t even put into words why I recommend this book all the time”
14. Diana J (via Friday Substack Thread) recommends Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
15. Abra McAndrew from The Booktender on Substack. “My idea of universal appeal may be a little skewed as my lane is usually more unhinged, a bit weird, not for everyone. But I like to recommend Priest Daddy: A Memoir by Patricia Lockwood. It’s comical, but ultimately affectionate, about family and faith. It’s relatable to anyone who has ended up somewhere different than where they started.”
16. Michelle Beckworth @bookshelfbybeckworth on Instagram recommends Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau. “This is a book I constantly recommend. Not only does it nail a time and a place near and dear to my heart (1970s Baltimore), but the back story as to how the author came to write it absolutely blows my mind.”
17. Bookseller Karin Pinto from Second Flight Books recommends Bright and Tender Dark by Joanna Pearson - “A literary murder mystery with unexpected twists. It’s been 20 years since Karlie, Joy's friend, was murdered. Will a long-forgotten letter Joy finds from Karlie help reopen the case? A great read for book clubs and true crime fans.”
18. Reagan Tan (via Friday Substack Thread) “While I Was Gone by Sue Miller was amazing! It is my recommendation for literary fiction. It’s a mystery, romance and the setting is the seventies, then it goes to 30 years later. A very good plot, as well as being character driven.”
19. Susie @novelvisits on Instagram recommends How We Named the Stars by Andres Ordorica “It’s an underrated debut.”
20. Author Michael Connelly recommends Red Dragon by Thomas Harris “I think this is possibly the most influential crime novel in the last 40 years. It is totally absorbing and thrilling and it brought all the advancements of technology, psychology and law enforcement into play in a masterfully constructed story. All of that and throw in one of the greatest literary villains and a damn good hero and you have one of the best books of any kind”.
Upgrade your subscription to enjoy book recommendations from 83 additional readers (plus even more book content), including this author recommendation that had me immediately downloading the recommended backlist book…
“I had two small children. They were playing in the backyard sandbox. It was summer. Bath time came and went, suppertime came and went. But I could not put down this book. It was unlike anything I’d ever read. When my then husband came home and found me reading and the children still playing outside, he was not happy. But I was.” - What a tempting pitch this is!