Celebrate National Book Lovers Day With 10 Reads AT Staffers Love

"A recent book I've read that I fell in love with is 'Circe.' I've had a long, loving relationship with mythology, and reading this tale — filled with beautiful language, mythical creatures, and a storyline that made it hard to put the book down — brought me pure joy." — Nicoletta, Entertainment Editor

"I've been really into short stories and essay collections lately because they're so easy to read. A recent fave is 'Love In Colour,' which features fairytales and myths from countries all over the globe retold in modern times." — Tara, News & Culture Director

Now for a personal pick: My all-time favorite book is Stephen King's '11/22/63.' It's a behemoth of a read at 880 pages but worth every second. I'm a history buff so I love historical fiction and this one tackles the ultimate what-if: What if John F. Kennedy wasn't assassinated? Combining history, time travel, and love (in all forms) this book is a journey, but you'll love every stop on the way.

"'The Vanishing Half' is a gorgeous book that I haven't been able to stop thinking about since I read it. It's thoughtful, complex, and beautifully written. We read it for book club and discussing it with others made it even better — this is one you want to talk about!" — Megan, Projects Editor

Megan also shared her love for Mary Roach's "Gulp." She says, "Mary Roach is one of my all-time favorite authors — she excels at taking deep dives into seemingly small topics, and uncovering all the weird stuff inside with intelligence and humor. I think Gulp, about the digestive system, is my favorite book of hers."

"I think Samantha Irby’s humor is second to none. I can’t get enough of her humor, wit, and self-deprecating commentary, but there is so much more to her writing. I loved reading about her finally finding a partner for life after giving up on love (so relatable!). Every story makes me laugh uncontrollably or tear up. Never a dull moment!" — Jasmine, Senior Commerce Editor

After 11/22/63, there's only one other book I've told everyone from my mother to my best friends that they have to read: Lucy Foley's 'The Guest List.' My favorite read of 2020, this book is a textbook mystery thriller that channels the whodunit suspense of authors like Agatha Christie and Liane Moriarty. The story takes place on a remote Scottish isle where a celebrity wedding — and a murder — have everyone on edge. The best part about this book is that the days' events are retold from the guest's multiple points of view, which leaves everyone looking more and more suspicious as the story goes on and sets up a twist ending you'll never see coming.

"If you love travel, real estate, and reading decadent French recipes, this book packs all three into an ultra-charming tour de force. Chef and American ex-pat David Lebovitz humorously details his absolutely distressing, completely entertaining journey to buy the apartment of his dreams (flaws and all) in Paris. And here I thought the process of finding an apartment in NYC was hard..." — Ivy, Managing Commerce Editor

"Ever since reading Gabriel Tallent's debut novel 'My Absolute Darling' four years ago, I still find myself thinking about it often. It's beautifully written without being pretentious and truly feels like a modern masterpiece. It's a dark story, and can be disturbing at times (trigger warning, there are some scenes of graphic abuse), but there are moments of such joy and beauty that round everything out. It will most definitely keep you turning  pages in the wee hours of the night." — Marisa, Senior Manager, Sales Research & Consumer Insights

"I've been recommending Goodbye, again to everyone this summer. It's witty, nostalgic, and somehow feels like you're just listening to an old friend. It's a collection of essays about everything from endings to plant care to the author's relationship with work and productivity. I love that the essays are just short moments in time, so it's easy to pick up if you don't have a lot of time to read. Plus, it's full of lovely little plant illustrations by the writer, Jonny Sun (who you should definitely follow on Twitter, if you don't already)." — Grace, Commerce Intern