Conversations with Friends
Sally Rooney
Rooney's debut, and the one I love most — a college student, her ex, and an older married couple, all talking and hurting their way through. She's so good on the things people don't say.
Buy on Bookshop.org ↗If you liked this, try…
★ 5Normal People
Sally Rooney
Marianne and Connell, on and off, over years. Rooney gets under your skin — I couldn't put it down.
Intermezzo
Sally Rooney
Two brothers grieving their father, both a mess about love. Rooney at her most tender — maybe my favorite of hers.
Beautiful World, Where Are You
Sally Rooney
Rooney doing what Rooney does — smart people, long emails, and a lot of feelings. I'm always in.
★ 5The Correspondent
Virginia Evans
The protagonist of this beautiful novel is a 73-year-old woman processing her life — and regrets — through letters. It’s poignant but not saccharine, specific but universally appealing. I dare you not to cry.
Tom Lake
Ann Patchett
An older woman tells her daughters about the summer she spent performing alongside — and falling in love with — a now-famous actor. My friend Anna said her husband adored this book just as much as she did — impressive, considering he typically reads business non-fiction.