Recommendations
Welcome to our bookshelves! Whether you’re looking for a new book to add to your (probably already overflowing) TBR stack or just mean to compile a psychological profile of us based on our favourite books, you have certainly come to the right place.
We have divided our recommendations into fiction and nonfiction, so just skip ahead if you are only interested in one of the two (although be warned: you will be missing out on some absolute bangers).
We hope you’ll enjoy these books as much as we did!
In case you find yourself desparately in need of any of the books below, consider buying them over our affiliate links! We will earn a small commision without any effects on your purchase.
Fiction
“Do you remember the happiest day of your life? What about the saddest? Do you ever wonder if sadness and happiness can be combined, to make a deep purple feeling, not good, not bad, but remarkable simply because you didn’t have to live on one side or the other?”
Ocean Vuong – On earth we’re briefly gorgeous
This book is written out of the perspective of an incredibly poetic and empathetic Vietnamese-American son and focuses on his relationships to his family. It feels like an intimate insight into their struggles and touches on the ugly and dark sides of life as an immigrant. The language in this novel is impossible to put into words, but probably best described as truly “gorgeous”.
“When he died, all things soft and beautiful and bright would be buried with him.”
Madeline Miller – The Song of Achilles
A story of soulmates based on the Greek myth of Achilles. Since its base-material is Greek, it is a tragedy and will make you cry enough tears to fill a small marmalade-jar, so I recommend bringing tissues. Great characters (both in pro- and antagonists), moving and hauntingly beautiful style. – Lisa
“To you, Mother was always Mother. It never occurred to you that she had once taken her first step, or had once been three or twelve or twenty years old. Mother was Mother. She was born as Mother.”
Kyung-Sook Shin – Please look after Mother
A heartbreaking story about loss and family that leaves you reflecting on your own relationship to your mother. Written from the perspective of different family members remembering their mother after she got lost in Seoul, the book incorporates unusual narrative perspectives and paints a vivid portrait of a woman who never got to live her life the way she might have wanted to. – Franzi
“Come on back and we’ll see if you remember the simplest thing of all – how it is to be children, secure in belief and thus afraid of the dark.”
Stephen King – It
An absolute classic for fans of the mysterious and fantastical, this gripping story tells the tale of seven children growing up in a sleepy town with a surprisingly gory history. The meticulously planned world building makes you feel like you know Derry, Maine like the back of your hand, while the two parallel story lines incorporate flash backs within flash backs Inception-style. This book might make you a little bit more wary of the dark nooks and crannies within your home – so beware! – Lea
“Do you remember the happiest day of your life? What about the saddest? Do you ever wonder if sadness and happiness can be combined, to make a deep purple feeling, not good, not bad, but remarkable simply because you didn’t have to live on one side or the other?”
Ocean Vuong – On earth we’re briefly gorgeous
This book is written out of the perspective of an incredibly poetic and empathetic Vietnamese-American son and focuses on his relationships to his family. It feels like an intimate insight into their struggles and touches on the ugly and dark sides of life as an immigrant. The language in this novel is impossible to put into words, but probably best described as truly “gorgeous”.
“When he died, all things soft and beautiful and bright would be buried with him.”
Madeline Miller – The Song of Achilles
A story of soulmates based on the Greek myth of Achilles. Since its base-material is Greek, it is a tragedy and will make you cry enough tears to fill a small marmalade-jar, so I recommend bringing tissues. Great characters (both in pro- and antagonists), moving and hauntingly beautiful style. – Lisa
“To you, Mother was always Mother. It never occurred to you that she had once taken her first step, or had once been three or twelve or twenty years old. Mother was Mother. She was born as Mother.”
Kyung-Sook Shin – Please look after Mother
A heartbreaking story about loss and family that leaves you reflecting on your own relationship to your mother. Written from the perspective of different family members remembering their mother after she got lost in Seoul, the book incorporates unusual narrative perspectives and paints a vivid portrait of a woman who never got to live her life the way she might have wanted to. – Franzi
“Come on back and we’ll see if you remember the simplest thing of all – how it is to be children, secure in belief and thus afraid of the dark.”
Stephen King – It
An absolute classic for fans of the mysterious and fantastical, this gripping story tells the tale of seven children growing up in a sleepy town with a surprisingly gory history. The meticulously planned world building makes you feel like you know Derry, Maine like the back of your hand, while the two parallel story lines incorporate flash backs within flash backs Inception-style. This book might make you a little bit more wary of the dark nooks and crannies within your home – so beware! – Lea
Nonfiction
“We study history not to know the future but to widen our horizons, to understand that our present situation is neither natural nor inevitable, and that we consequently have many more possibilities before us than we imagine.”
Yuval Noah Harari – Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
A remarkable book that puts evolutionary and historical facts into context and outlines the past – and future! – of humanity in an incredibly educational and engaging way. In case no one you know has told you yet (which is near impossible from my experience) or you still haven’t followed someone’s advice to read this book, take mine: Go read this book!
“This is data as you have never known it: it is data as therapy. It is understanding as a source of mental peace. Because the world is not as dramatic as it seems.”
Hans Rosling – Factfulness
A book I believe everyone should read. Hans Rosling draws attention to common misconceptions many of us have about the world we live in – and I mean many (according to surveys he conducted even monkeys are more likely to be right about fundamental facts of our world than literal Nobelprize winners and state leaders which just leaves you wondering doesn’t it). A book that left me feeling more hopeful and capable of making rational decisions based on a more accurate understanding of the current state of our world – I hope it does the same for you! – Franzi
“Modern cultish groups also feel comforting in part because they help alleviate the anxious mayhem of living in a world that presents almost too many possibilities for who to be (or at least the illusion of such). I once had a therapist tell me that flexibility without structure isn’t flexibility at all; it’s just chaos. That’s how a lot of people’s lives have been feeling.”
Amanda Montell – Cultish: The language of fanaticism
Amanda Montell explores the language of cults and everyday manipulation in a very approachable and easygoing way. A good starter if you’re not really into non-fiction books as Montell’s writing style is very loose and fun and lets her (lovely) personality shine through, all while you learn some interesting things about language, MLM’s and Scientology – what else could you possibly wish for?
Want to know more? Check out our full review over here!
“We study history not to know the future but to widen our horizons, to understand that our present situation is neither natural nor inevitable, and that we consequently have many more possibilities before us than we imagine.”
Yuval Noah Harari – Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
A remarkable book that puts evolutionary and historical facts into context and outlines the past – and future! – of humanity in an incredibly educational and engaging way. In case no one you know has told you yet (which is near impossible from my experience) or you still haven’t followed someone’s advice to read this book, take mine: Go read this book!
“This is data as you have never known it: it is data as therapy. It is understanding as a source of mental peace. Because the world is not as dramatic as it seems.”
Hans Rosling – Factfulness
A book I believe everyone should read. Hans Rosling draws attention to common misconceptions many of us have about the world we live in – and I mean many (according to surveys he conducted even monkeys are more likely to be right about fundamental facts of our world than literal Nobelprize winners and state leaders which just leaves you wondering doesn’t it). A book that left me feeling more hopeful and capable of making rational decisions based on a more accurate understanding of the current state of our world – I hope it does the same for you! – Franzi
“Modern cultish groups also feel comforting in part because they help alleviate the anxious mayhem of living in a world that presents almost too many possibilities for who to be (or at least the illusion of such). I once had a therapist tell me that flexibility without structure isn’t flexibility at all; it’s just chaos. That’s how a lot of people’s lives have been feeling.”
Amanda Montell – Cultish: The language of fanaticism
Amanda Montell explores the language of cults and everyday manipulation in a very approachable and easygoing way. A good starter if you’re not really into non-fiction books as Montell’s writing style is very loose and fun and lets her (lovely) personality shine through, all while you learn some interesting things about language, MLM’s and Scientology – what else could you possibly wish for?
Want to know more? Check out our full review over here!
Support Us!
pls. we’re students.
Are you sick of the boring, annotated, asthetically pleasing pictures of book bloggers in your Instagram feed? Then be sure to check out our epic, original, illustrated reviews made by Lisa! (Another upside: you won’t miss it when we post something new).
If you would like to support us in the quest of living and gathering an amount of books to casually compete with a dragon’s hoard – or of course, fuel our tired little student brains with sweet caffeine – consider doing that over here!
Whenever you think that a book is worthy enough to be added to your to-read pile, consider buying it over one of our Amazon Affiliate links. Thereby we earn a small commission without it affecting your purchase!
Support Us!
pls. we’re students.
Are you sick of the boring, annotated, asthetically pleasing pictures of book bloggers in your Instagram feed? Then be sure to check out our epic, original, illustrated reviews made by Lisa! (Another upside: you won’t miss it when we post something new).
If you would like to support us in the quest of living and gathering an amount of books to casually compete with a dragon’s hoard – or of course, fuel our tired little student brains with sweet caffeine – consider doing that over here!
Whenever you think that a book is worthy enough to be added to your to-read pile, consider buying it over one of our Amazon Affiliate links. Thereby we earn a small commission without it affecting your purchase!