They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but this girl’s best friends are books. Over the years, I’ve come across other girls just like me, ones who will forget their keys or their wallet but never fail to have a book in their purse (probably because “must be big enough to hold a book” is a requirement for all purses). So I reached out to some of my pals and asked them what books they totally love and think you’ll totally love as well.
Here are the books that my friends recommend:
Mary is a biology major at Baylor University and her dog, Sampson, is the cutest pup ever. Mary recommends:
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
“I loved Big Little Lies because it kept me interested. It was such an interesting book because it was funny yet depressing at the same time. If you are looking for a page turner then Big Little Lies is for you!”
The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty
“The Hypnotist’s Love Story is more of a slow, vacation read. The plot was unique and different and had a good ending. If you are looking for a book to fill your free time, then The Hypnotists Love Story is for you!”
Kat is a freshman at Sewanee: University of the South and loves poetry more than anyone else I know. Kat recommends:
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
“I’m going to be honest, this book initially drew me in because of the cover. I’m a sucker for beautiful design, and I had already seen positive reviews floating around the internet, so when I bought this book, I started reading it immediately. It’s rare that I simply ignore my huge TBR pile for a brand new book, but the magic of Exit West kept me captivated and I didn’t regret my decision for a second.”
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
“If you’re a reader that is thinking of trying out the ‘classics’ genre for the first time, this would be a great book to start out with. It’s quite exciting! There’s romance, death, drama, and a few mid-life crises. If the plot doesn’t draw you in, Oscar Wilde really is a fantastic writer, so I would suggest at least reading a few chapters of this book to see where it takes you!”
Olivia is a freshman at the University of Delaware and wants to combine her loves of art and chemistry by working as an art conservationist. Olivia recommends:
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
“The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke was a fun weekend read because it’s more of kids book but still exciting.”
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
“The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is cool and I always wanted to know what was gonna happen next and I felt soft and whisky and floaty while reading it.”
Lily is a freshman at Appalachian State University. Lily and I met in fourth grade and the rest is history–we’ve been friends ever since. Lily recommends:
The Summer I Turned Pretty, It’s Not Summer Without You, and We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han
“Basically it was a love story that showed the real life problems that occur and get in the way of love. It’s real and powerful.”
Eva is a freshman at Wake Forest University and is a living, breathing Pinterest board: she’s perfected the cool-girl aesthetic and has gorgeous, tousled hair to match. Eva recommends:
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
“This is a classic coming-of-age novel that I loved for its innocence doubled with the dark side of racial tensions… I want to be a lawyer so the legal side of Scout’s story is fascinating to me!”
The Selection by Kiera Cass
“The Selection is a great series of fun-loving princess-y drama and it’s both captivating while still maintaining a more complex level of diction.”
Quiet by Susan Cain
“I just read Quiet for my college and it is an AMAZING look into introverts and how they are beneficial to society. Being an introvert myself, this novel taught me to embrace my reserved personality and to appreciate the Quiet.”
Payson is currently taking a gap year and plans to enroll at North Carolina State University next year. Payson and I met when we were little in our neighborhood play group and have stayed connected ever since. Payson recommends:
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
“I am a huge sucker for cheesy romance novels. I enjoy reading books that are simple, easy to read, and take me out of my own head and into someone else’s. I definitely challenge myself when it comes to reading, but when I am looking for pure bliss in a book I can always turn to Emily Giffin… You’ll get through this book so quick because you never want to put it down!”
HUGE thanks to Mary, Kat, Olivia, Lily, Eva, and Payson for contributing to this post!
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I’m just reading Big Little Lies now, and it’s true…totally a page turner! It’s the second Moriarty book I’ve read. The Husband’s Secret was really good, too. I’ll have to check out the Hypnotist’s Love Story, too!
Jo-Ann
I have The Husband’s Secret on my shelf but haven’t read it yet. I also want to watch Big Little Lies, so might as well toss that one on the old TBR pile too!
Oooh! I just finished it, and I couldn’t WAIT to find out what happened and now I’m sad because I’m finished and I really miss them. Loved it! It was sooo good! I think I liked Big Little Lies even more than the Husband’s Secret!
Friends who love books are awesome! Thief Lord and To Kill a Mockingbird are absolutely amazing books, and I enjoyed the Selection. Such a fun post
Thanks so much! It was super easy with awesome friends like mine ๐
What a lovely post! And really reat recommendations too – I remember loving The Thief lord when I read it years ago. Cornelia Funke’s writing is absolutely enthralling.
Thanks so much! That recommendation was new to me too ๐
This is such a great post! We love that you wrote about different books that your friends recommend, and it was so cool seeing their diverse reading interests! We definitely agree with your friend Kat! We love Oscar Wilde, particularly The Picture of Dorian Gray!
Thank you so much!! She’s got a great taste in books (and so do y’all :))
Oh this is such an amazing post! What an inspiring idea ๐
I’ll have to check this list and make sure I don’t miss any awesome books!
Hi Annie!
I read Quiet a while back and absolutely loved it. It’s definitely a book that i relate to, being an introvert, and I would recommend it as well ๐
I’m an introvert too! So glad my friend Eva recommended this book–I’ve heard it’s a fabulous look into why being an introvert is a weapon, not a weakness. Gonna have to read it soon ๐
Yes!! I think it sends an empowering message for introverts out there! The author also gave an amazing ted talk about introversion as well ๐
Ooh I’ll have to look that up! Thanks for recommending ๐
No problem! Hope you will like the book and the video ๐
Wow, you’ve got some great firends! These are all amazing recommendations. To Kill a Mockingbird is probably my favourite.
Right?! They’re amazing :$
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awww, this is so cool! ๐ your friends know what is good haha ๐
This is such a fun blog post idea! I love it! The Graveyard Book is on my October TBR. I just ordered it last week and I’m really eager to get into it.
Ah, I absolutely loved Big Little Lies and Quiet! Your friends have great taste! ๐ I still need to read a Neil Gaiman book (I KNOW!) and I’m reading To Kill A Mockingbird for school next year, if I remember correctly (which I’ve only heard good things about! ๐
I read To Kill a Mockingbird in high school. I’m probably one of the rare few, but I just couldn’t get into that one.
Big Little Lies sounds interesting. I might have to check that out.
I’ve heard you either love To Kill a Mockingbird or it’s just not for you. I need to read Big Little Lies too! They just adapted it to TV, so that’s really one of my motivations for checking it out.
Big Little Lies is definitely a must-read.
Totally!! Iโve got it on my TBR now and canโt wait to watch the HBO series as well ๐
There’s an HBO series?? How did I miss that??
Yeah itโs apparently really good!
Okay. Thanks for the tip!