Cup of Jo editor Caroline was a book editor for years and still reads a book a week. Bottom line: She knows her stuff. I love her recommendations, so here, she shares five of her favorite books (and please share yours!)…


Let me begin by saying, I could NEVER choose just five favorite books. That is like asking me to pick my favorite child. But of the many books I’ve loved, here are five titles that are worthy of favorite status. (Bonus: They’re all written by women!)

SELF-HELP by Lorrie Moore
Despite the title, this is not a self-help book, but a collection of nine brilliant short stories. I’ve loved everything Moore has written, but this is the one that first got me hooked. It didn’t matter that I was going through a horrible breakup at the time, that my job was miserable, that I was totally broke…you get the point. I stayed up too late reading these sharp, vulnerable, tragic-yet-hilarious tales and hoped it would never end.

THE FRAN LEBOWITZ READER by Fran Lebowitz
I love smart, funny books written by smart, funny women (Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, Lena Dunham…) But for me, no one compares to the acerbic wit of Fran Lebowitz. This volume combines the two bestselling essay collections Metropolitan Life and Social Studies, in which Fran shares her hilarious insights on everything from polite conversation to baggage claim to people who are overly tan. It’s like listening to a curmudgeonly person complain in a really funny way. Not to be missed. (Bonus: Scorsese did a documentary about her a few years ago, and it’s amazing.)

LOTS OF CANDLES, PLENTY OF CAKE by Anna Quindlen
In a nutshell, Anna Quindlen makes life seem more good and less scary. I’ve read this memoir a few times now, and it’s become a tradition to look through it every year around my birthday. Anna, like Oprah, seems to know ALL OF THE THINGS and has an incredible gift for presenting them eloquently and wisely. This book reads like a wonderful conversation with a friend, that will soothe and inspire you time and time again.

WE SHOULD ALL BE FEMINISTS by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This essay, based on the TED talk Beyoncé famously sampled, should be required reading for all human beings. The books is tiny—only 64 pages—but packs more humor, wisdom and good common sense in those pages than any other in recent memory. Read it for yourself, then give it to everyone you know.

THE GIRLS’ GUIDE TO HUNTING AND FISHING by Melissa Bank
This book was a big deal when it published back in 1999. It took me years to actually pick it up, largely because I took the “hunting” and “fishing” parts too literally. (What can I say? I was young then.) But when I finally did read it, I fell in love. The novel’s narrator, Jane, explores life as a teenager, dating in your 20s, career, heartbreak…She is alternately the person you’ve been, the person you are, and the person you’re glad you don’t have to be anymore. A wry and wonderful read.

What are some of your favorite books? Have you read anything good recently? Please share!

P.S. The best scary book, and a graphic novel I loved.

(Photo via Caroline’s instagram)