10 Books That Will Make You Feel At Home, No Matter Where You Are

Cólm Toibín’s BROOKLYN, hailed by critics as a modern classic, tells the story of Eilis Lacey, an Irish immigrant who leaves her sickly mother and beloved sister behind to seek a better life in Brooklyn in the 1950s. Despite hardships, Eilis finds work and falls in love with the charming, big-hearted Tony, an Italian boy with a boisterous and endearing family. But when tragic news comes to Eilis from Ireland, she’ll have to pick between the life she’s discovered and the home she left behind.

Read the full review of BROOKLYN.

In THE GUNNERS, Rebecca Kauffman’s follow-up to her debut novel, Mikey Callahan is struggling to make connections as he ages. Following the suicide of a childhood friend, Mikey and his old crew, who called themselves the Gunners, reunite to take stock of the dark secrets they’ve all harbored and find strength in friendship. Lyrical, sensitive, and quietly moving, THE GUNNERS examines the lengths to which friendship can go.

An American classic, LITTLE WOMEN has been the definitive text in countless women’s lives since it was published in 1868. The March sisters may not have much, but they will always have each other. As they grow and face domestic and professional challenges, the four express their kindness, ambition, and creativity in equal turns, demonstrating that there’s not just one way to be a woman in the world. Make sure to read this unforgettable, seminal work before the movie is released in December!

In this award-winning novel, three strangers attempt to cope with their newly discovered sibling status. While Grace has just given her own baby up for adoption, her biological younger sister, Maya, is struggling with finding where she belongs after having grown up in an adoptive family. Meanwhile, her biological older brother, Joaquin, is unconvinced that anyone deserves his trust after growing up in the foster care system. FAR FROM THE TREE takes a moving, close look at what it means to be a family.

Judd isn’t looking forward to spending a week sitting shiva with his dysfunctional family after his father’s death. But after his wife’s affair with his boss comes to light, Judd figures things can’t get much worse. That is, until his wife announces that she’s pregnant. Funny and poignant, THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU is sure to break your heart just in time to put it back together again. Can’t get enough? Check out the 2014 movie based on the book.

In this best-selling, award-winning novel by master storyteller Anne Tyler, four generations of family members unspool their stories and the realities behind them. While Abby and Red Whitshank like to paint their marriage as the perfect love story, they and their extended families have more than their fair share of secrets, disappointments, and jealousies. A SPOOL OF BLUE THREAD gently untangles the loves and losses that define a family with genuine insight and tenderness.

When novelist Ruth discovers a Hello Kitty lunchbox full of artifacts on the beach, she isn’t sure what to expect. Inside is the story of a socially isolated Tokyo teenager named Nao who planned to commit suicide but first attempted to document the life of her great grandmother. Steeped in thoughtful meta commentary on the relationship between author and reader, A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING is a mesmerizing meditation on storytelling and the desire to belong.

Fredrik Backman, the best-selling author of A MAN CALLED OVE, is back with this bittersweet novella about a man coming to terms with the fact that it’s time to let go. An aging man attempts to make the most of his remaining moments while his family holds on tight, but fears time is running out. A heartbreaking tearjerker with an inspirational message, AND EVERY MORNING THE WAY HOME GETS LONGER AND LONGER will live in readers’ hearts long after it’s over.

Two couples, one church, and a lifetime of evolving love and hardship form the backbone of this complex, emotional exploration of lifelong relationships. In Cara Wall’s THE DEARLY BELOVED, Charles/Lily and James/Nan meet in Greenwich Village in the 1960s when Charles and James are tasked with reviving the historic Third Presbyterian Church. Despite their differences in upbringings, faith, and personalities, the four persevere through disappointment and uncertainty in this rich story of marriage, faith, and family.

Beloved by young adults and adults alike, Stephen Chbosky’s cult classic THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER is a must-read coming-of-age story for any book lover. Charlie has spent his life looking on from the sidelines. But when he meets Sam and Patrick in his first year of high school, it’s time for him to take his place at the center of the action. Told through poignant first-person letters, Charlie’s story captures all the heartbreaks and transcendence of sex, rock and roll, and first love.

Read the full review of THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER.