Recs if you like North Woods...

the darker side of new england. crumbling colonial-era brick, run down coastal towns, abandoned factories, dilapidated mills, foggy orchards, cold dark waters, whispers of witchcraft, venerated institutions, secret societies, and uneasy echoes of the past.

All of the books seen on display in Episode 1 of The Vampire Lestat, "Detroit," during Lestat's trip to the independent bookstore in Montreal, encountering some snotty cashiers.

Fictional stories about families spanning across multiple generations. Books that focus on the life of a matriarch or patriarch (roots) and continue along their blood lines (branches) in an epic tale. Please feel free to recommend any fictional stories that fit within this description.

A mix of reader favorites and editorial picks from The New York Times—100 books that defined the 21st century.

partly inspired by toni morrison’s concept of ‘rememory’, where the past haunts the present. these are stories where family ties, friendships, communities, trauma, or physical locations act as threads (or invisible string) to connect characters across distance or time and through generations.

sagas that span centuries

as always, open to suggestions!

Books featuring magical apples or apple orchards

NYT Top 100 of the 21st Century: Reader's Choice. In order as published in 2024

📍title inspired by @erintripsey's lists Audiobooks narrated by Brighton, England's Simon Vance! I'm a fan of his narration of Bram Stoker's Dracula and wanted to compile a list of more books narrated by him. He has a smooth English accent, lighter tone for feminine characters, and distinct variations with other UK/European accents.

Fun Fact: He's been an audiobook narrator since age 6, when he did a reading of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne!

books that stick with you for months and leave you thinking

Books (mostly fiction) with relationship to place/natural systems as a major theme. Recommendations welcome!

Atmospheric novels that feel like stepping into another country, another era, another interior life.

For when you like apples a normal amount and have a normal amount of books about them. Suggestions extremely welcome.

How many have you read?

A balance of breezy page-turners with immersive classics and thought-provoking non-fiction.

Books of all genres whose plots tell a story across the generations.

For when you need to get off your phone and be immersed in the beauty of the world!