Our Favorite Books of All Time
We’re always reading and recommending–and of course, reading what people recommend to us! Every so often, we love a book so much that it becomes a “hand-press book,” a book we buy multiple copies of and press into the hands of people we hope will love it too. These days, we’re often talking about (and hand-pressing) Quite Literally Books, but here are just a few more unputdownable books, also by women authors. These tried and true favorites are always calling out from our shelves to be read again and again.
Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford
Often sold together, these two books are part of a series of satirical portrayals of British aristocracy focusing on romantic entanglements and societal expectations.
Why we love it:
If there was a Venn diagram of our favorite books list, this one would be smack dab in the overlap, taking up a lot of space! Bremond keeps a stack of Nancy Mitford books to give to people, and I recommend it as a great reread–these characters are sure to become old friends you’ll enjoy visiting again. If you love being in love– or if you once did and want to remember that feeling!–this will make you love love again. It’s funny, it’s sad, it’s fizzy and uplifting–don’t think too hard, and just enjoy!
– Lisa
This, along with Miss Buncle’s Book, is my current “hand-press” book.
-Bremond
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
A poignant narrative of a Bengali-American family’s struggle with identity and cultural assimilation across generations.
Why we love it:
It’s not the same magnitude at all, but when I went from Austin to Boston and from the University of Texas to Harvard-adjacent, I had a terrible time assimilating with Boston culture and people, with Harvard culture and people, and with the God-forsaken weather. I remember reading this book and, to my surprise, thinking, “I get that.”
– Bremond
The Postcard by Anne Berest
A woman investigates an anonymous postcard to uncover her family’s Holocaust history and reclaim their narrative.
Why we love it:
This book has so many stories across time and different generations of the family within it. It’s a rich story–each page is like peeling back a layer that allows you to see things a little more clearly. I was absolutely entranced and at one point, when I “got” it– gobsmacked.
– Lisa
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
A young woman’s journal chronicles her eccentric family’s life in a decaying English castle during the 1930s.
Why we love it:
I somehow missed this book as a kid, but one year when I was in my twenties, my two best friends in the world (who don’t really know each other) both gave meI Capture the Castlefor my birthday with similar notes about how much they loved it. And then I loved it, too!
– Bremond
Recommending books can be a tricky business, and it usually helps to know someone well. But the person who first recommended this one to me was just a mere acquaintance– but one who never, not once, got it wrong with me. In the early 2000s, it was my go to hand-press book. It’s now a perennial reread, because it always makes me happy to return to the contents of Casssandra’s head!
– Lisa
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
A writer discovers a teenager’s diary washed ashore, intertwining their lives across time and continents.
Why we love it:
I love pretty much anything and everything by Ruth Ozeki, but this one is very special. I’m usually not a huge fan of magical realism or anything to do with time travel of any sort, but she weaves the threads of the story together so seamlessly. I love the voice of the teenaged Nao and how Ruth Ozeki seems to be a part of the story. It’s also super funny and tender. For years, I kept trying to get my daughters to read it, and for the longest time, neither of them would. When Lucy finally read it a few years ago, she was like, “Whydidn’t I read this sooner?!”
– Lisa
Wifedom: Mrs. Orwell’s Invisible Life by Anna Funder
An exploration of Eileen O’Shaughnessy’s overlooked role in George Orwell’s life and the broader erasure of women in history.
Why we love it:
If you love George Orwell, read this book. You may not love him quite as much afterwards, but you’ll come to understand how his biographers created a “woman-shaped hole” by erasing the contributions of all the women that propped him up, and you will especially appreciate the genius of Eileen O’Shaughnessy. She’s utterly, endlessly, and tragically fascinating. Sent me down an Orwellian-shaped rabbit hole which included rereading his works, especially Burmese Days,“Why I Write,” and Homage to Catalonia, as well as Sylvia Tropp’s Eileen, Rebeccca Solnit’s Orwell’s Roses, and Christopher Hitchens’ Why Orwell Matters.
– Lisa
Thanks for reading!