Our Editors Share The Best Book They’ve Ever Read

While choosing just one book is by no means an easy task for me, the one that first comes to mind is Ian McEwan’s Atonement. At risk of sounding cliché, this is the novel that truly changed the way I read and my entire perspective on writing as an art form. It’s the kind of book that has you flipping straight back to the first page as soon as you reach the end, and will stay with you long after it finally retires to your bookshelf. I would also highly recommend giving Joe Wright’s film adaptation with Keira Knightley and James McAvoy a watch once you’ve finished the novel, if you find you aren’t quite ready to part ways with the story after reading. – Amelia, Culture & Lifestyle Editor

I read this book quite a few years ago and remember closing it thinking ‘that’s the best book I’ve ever read’. Following the lives of four sisters, each with different aspirations, it taught me a lot about girlhood and grappling with the realities of life’s twists and turns. In addition to being the only ‘classic’ I’ve honestly enjoyed – so far, might I add – it’s a really powerful and beautiful story that completely transports you to another time. – Natasha, Managing Editor

I’m sure a lot of people will say this, but Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life. From the moment I opened it, I was hooked – I used to get the bus the long way home just to get more pages in. It’s an intense read full of devastating heartbreak (there were A LOT of tears), but also a beautiful story of friendship, hope and love. I don’t think I’ve ever rooted for a character as much as I did for Jude. It, without a doubt, lives up to the accolades it’s received. – Astrid, Contributing Fashion & Lifestyle Editor

I’m almost embarrassed by how repetitively I’ve talked about this book all summer, but with the new show, it’s been back at the top of my mind. There are very few books that have moved me as much as East of Eden. I find myself thinking about it all the time, even months after finishing it. It’s such a heavy book, but there is so much meaning and so much to take from it. Everything is written so beautifully and with so much intention that I still find myself thinking about certain ideas, characters and moments at completely random times. Read my full review here – Caitlin, Senior Campaign Success Manager

This book has every single thing you want from a crime/thriller novel: mystery, suspense, a touch of romance, and a plot twist you could absolutely never see coming. I was hooked on every single word, my jaw was on the floor reading the last few pages. I’m still in disbelief and awe of how the plot is imagined and unfolds. Sarah Pinborough is a genius. – Sophia, Social Media Editor

I picked up The Woman Destroyed in a kooky bookshop on a road trip around Canada without any clue that Simone de Beauvoir was an iconic feminist writer and agent of change for her time. A collection of three short stories, the connecting theme is the exploration of the female psyche, both its fragility and its strength. Written from the perspectives of three different women, it explores the devastating impact of losing youth, family and love. But most of all the element of control. De Beauvoir is a skilled storyteller and this book has captivated my imagination. – Robyn, Managing Director

“Happy fifty third birthday, Doctor. Welcome to the first day of your death.” When Dr. Frederick Starks, a NYC psychoanalyst, receives a letter on his 53rd birthday, the least he expects is to find a death threat and 3 alternative choices: find out who the mastermind behind the letter is, kill himself or watch 52 of his loved ones die. This was the first proper thriller novel I read, and it became the beginning of a love story with the genre. The book is a page turner, where the main character is tormented by the constant menace of a very powerful enemy who gives him no choice but to participate in the macabre game he carefully designed for Starks to lose. – Nicole, Senior Graphic Designer

So much of the 80s is thought of in neon pink, big hair and figures like Thatcher and Reagan- but Tom Wolfe’s The Bonfire of the Vanities hones in on the decade as it was in New York. It follows Sherman McCoy, a WASP bond trader working on Wall Street who fancies himself a “Master of the Universe”, Jewish assistant DA Larry Kramer, and British expat and journalist Peter Fallow. But while some are making millions in finance, other parts of NYC are struggling- and things come to a head when Sherman and his mistress hit and run a young Black man in the Bronx. A rich, Dickensian tapestry of life in American cities, it’s the defining novel of the 80s and well worth a read- and was right up my alley. – Rufus, Contributing Entertainment Writer

Thia is a fascinating, funny and slightly jaw-dropping look behind the scenes at Facebook, told by whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams. She went from being an idealistic diplomat, believing Facebook could genuinely change the world, to a disillusioned insider as she watched money and power begin to change the company from the inside out. – Tamara, Contributing Beauty Editor