11 Books We Always Return To
Even with an ever-growing to-read pile of new books on our bedside tables, these favorites have a hold on us.
It’s no secret that we at The Persistent are big readers. From nonfiction to fantasy, classics and adaptations to the classics, to the latest best sellers, we love the way books change our lives (and simply entertain us). And while those nightstand piles are sometimes so high they’re in danger of toppling, there are certain books that linger in our mind.
This week, we asked The Persistent contributors which ones they return to over and over–or always suggest to friends in a pinch. From an exploration of the role of a literary icon’s wife to a realistic portrayal of life if a disability to memoirs of divorce, death, and trauma, these books left a lasting impression.
I love the whole series of "Olive Kitteridge" books by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout. Most are set in an imaginary Maine town called Crosby. I am nothing like any of these vividly drawn characters, who are usually stoic, reserved with their emotions, and even more reserved with their words. But Strout has a way of getting at the truth of how human beings hurt and love and misunderstand one another that feels so much more profound than the words on the page.
I also love her style of focusing each chapter on a different character--the books read almost like short stories, except the characters and stories end up coming together in the end, in very satisfying and often surprising ways.
— Paula Derrow, Features Editor
"Those Who Save Us" by Jenna Blum switches between Weimar Germany in the 1930s and the 1990s Minnesota. It's both a coming of age novel and an exploration of the relationship between mothers and daughters.
There is a line in the book where one of the characters loses a parent and her friend says to her that she is now in a club that no one wants to be in but only those in the club truly understand what she has been through. I read this soon after my father died and I found this to be an incredibly poignant way to describe loss.
— Ginanne Brownell, contributing writer
I reread "Moominland Midwinter" by Tove Jansson almost every year. It’s a children’s book that isn’t really for children. I’d describe it more as a meditation on solitude, fear, and learning how to live in a season you didn’t choose. It's melancholic but also calming and grounding.
— Tanya Mozias, contributing writer
Maybe it feels a little too obvious, but our current political climate has brought George Orwell’s "1984" to mind many times since I first read it more than 20 years ago. After immersing myself in his now-not-so-far-fetched dystopian world, I quickly devoured Orwell’s entire cannon.
Recently, I’ve moved on to more feminist takes: "Julia" by Sandra Newman, a retelling of 1984 from the perspective of its protagonists Julia Worthing and Winston Smith. Follow it up, as I did, with "Wifedom: Mrs. Orwell's Invisible Life" by Anna Funder. It’s an intimate and detailed exploration of the life of Orwell’s rarely mentioned wife Eileen O’Shaughnessy, a writer whose insights shaped and informed Orwell’s work.
– Kathleen Davis, executive editor
I highly recommend "The Summer When My Mother Had Green Eyes" by Tatiana Țîbuleac, which was published in English this year. This small novel is an ode to mothers and sons, life and death, love and neglect, forgiveness and regret. Your heart will skip more than once while reading it.
— Luba Kassova, contributing writer
In her book "Sitting Pretty," Rebekah Taussig gives the reader a visceral description of the experience of being a disabled woman in an ableist world. Her writing is searing and beautiful. So many people don't know anything about the disabled experience, so it’s wonderful to be able to press this book into their hands and say This is how it really feels.
— Lucy Webster, contributing writer
"What My Bones Know" by Stephanie Foo hit me hard. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the mind-body connection, specifically when trauma comes into play. If your back hurts and you don't know why, or you're having a hard time moving on from a traumatic event, I say you should read this memoir.
— Han Goldstein, social media manager
I thought “You Could Make This Place Beautiful” by Maggie Smith was a masterpiece of a divorce memoir. For those experiencing grief, I recommend Virginia Woolf's “To the Light House.” I've read it several times now since my father's untimely death two decades ago, and I find something new in it every time. — Deborah Copaken, contributing writer
What book do you always return to? Send your recommendations to hello@thepersistent.com. We’ll be back with more recommendations next Friday!
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