My favorite books with loads of nostalgia

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m somebody that starts far too many sentences with the phrase “Remember when.” I have great sensory recollection of things from my past. As a high schooler in the 90s, I can still smell the CK One I was wearing during the Seinfeld finale and hear the Nirvana blaring through my 5-disc changer while I did my homework. I love using my writing to bring certain time periods back to life. I think because technology is moving so quickly – I struggle to understand TikTok – I like writing books and reading books that take me back to a time period that isn’t changing with status updates, new pictures, and Snaps every second. 


I wrote...

The Most Likely Club

By Elyssa Friedland,

Book cover of The Most Likely Club

What is my book about?

A hilarious, honest story about four lifelong friends determined to change their lives, come hell (terrible bosses, ex-husbands) or high water (so much laundry) from the author of Last Summer at the Golden Hotel.

Melissa, Priya, Tara, and Suki were going places when they graduated high school in 1997. Their yearbook superlatives were Most Likely to Win the White House, Cure Cancer, Open a Michelin-Starred Restaurant, and Join the Forbes 400. Reunited at their 25th reunion, the women realize nothing has gone according to plan. Fueled by nostalgia, they form a pact to bring their youthful dreams to fruition. Through the ensuing highs and lows, they are reminded of the enduring bonds of friendship and why it’s never a good idea to peak too early.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Mrs. Everything

Elyssa Friedland Why did I love this book?

I have long been a fan of Jennifer Weiner and expected another charming, funny (and modern) read when I picked up Mrs. Everything. But this book far surpassed my expectations. It was far more serious, ambitious, and sweeping than her other books. The story centers on two sisters growing up in 1950s Detroit, taking me back to an era where women were raised to be housewives alone, and follows them through the tumultuous sixties and beyond. Weiner’s writing and research are so strong, I felt like I experienced the historical milestones along with the characters. 

By Jennifer Weiner,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mrs. Everything as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this instant New York Times bestseller and “multigenerational narrative that’s nothing short of brilliant” (People), two sisters’ lives from the 1950s to the present are explored as they struggle to find their places—and be true to themselves—in a rapidly evolving world from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner.

Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.

Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world…


Book cover of Florence Adler Swims Forever

Elyssa Friedland Why did I love this book?

Tearjerker warning here. This book brought me back to 1930s Atlantic City. As a Jersey Girl, I’m always curious to read books about the place I grew up. I was especially interested in this book because it centered on a Jewish family, similar to my own. While the plot hinges on a tragedy, there are also hopeful moments and some well-placed humor. Not only was I wrapped up in the family drama, but I learned so much history about the Jersey Shore, a place that today barely resembles what author Rachel Beanland describes.   

By Rachel Beanland,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Florence Adler Swims Forever as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"The perfect summer read" (USA TODAY) begins with a shocking tragedy that results in three generations of the Adler family grappling with heartbreak, romance, and the weight of family secrets across the course of one summer.

"Rachel Beanland is a writer of uncommon wit and wisdom, with a sharp and empathetic eye for character. She'll win you over in the most old fashioned of ways: She simply tells a hell of a story." -Rebecca Makkai, Pulitzer Finalist for The Great Believers

Atlantic City, 1934. Every summer, Esther and Joseph Adler rent their house out to vacationers escaping to "America's Playground"…


Book cover of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Elyssa Friedland Why did I love this book?

This book gave me the nostalgia vibes I didn’t know I needed. As a non-gamer, I was hesitant to pick up a novel about two video game designers. I’m not interested in the games of today – Fortnite makes me cringe – let alone the history of how modern gaming came about. Or so I thought. I bought this book because I have loved all of Zevin’s other books and she’s an auto-buy author for me. It turns out that in the right hands, any subject matter is interesting and I found myself fascinated by the way the early games were developed and even the history of the various consoles. Not to mention the heart-wrenching friendship tale that deeply affected me and had me recommending this book to my tech-challenged mom and my teenage son equally. 

By Gabrielle Zevin,

Why should I read it?

21 authors picked Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

* AMAZON'S #1 BOOK OF 2022 *

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow takes us on a dazzling imaginative quest, examining identity, creativity and our need to connect.

This is not a romance, but it is about love.

'I just love this book and I hope you love it too' JOHN GREEN, TikTok

Sam and Sadie meet in a hospital in 1987. Sadie is visiting her sister, Sam is recovering from a car crash. The days and months are long there, but playing together brings joy, escape, fierce competition -- and a special friendship. Then all too soon that time is…


Book cover of Lessons in Chemistry

Elyssa Friedland Why did I love this book?

I love a quirky book and more than a quirky book, I love a quirky main character. Lessons in Chemistry took me across the country to California and time-traveled me to the 1960s into a scientific research lab where the indefatigable Elizabeth Zott is a brilliant mind constantly being put down and forced into jobs beneath her. She ends up becoming a TV chef – cooking is just chemistry after all – and the rest is all just positively charming and delicious. 

By Bonnie Garmus,

Why should I read it?

60 authors picked Lessons in Chemistry as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • Meet Elizabeth Zott: a “formidable, unapologetic and inspiring” (PARADE) scientist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show in this novel that is “irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel. It reminds you that change takes time and always requires heat” (The New York Times Book Review).

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Newsweek, GoodReads

"A unique heroine ... you'll find yourself wishing she wasn’t fictional." —Seattle Times…


Book cover of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post

Elyssa Friedland Why did I love this book?

Historical fiction at its best. This book about the once wealthiest woman in the United States, Marjorie Post, packed the informational punch of a textbook and the juicy details of a soap opera. I loved moving through the decades with Marjorie, starting in the late 19th century at her birth up until her death in the 1970s. Getting to relive major historical events and reveling in the zeitgeist of different cultural moments in Marjorie’s shoes was such a thrill. Pataki is top-notch at historical fiction that focuses on fascinating women. 

By Allison Pataki,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “Marvelous . . . I just had to be there with the Post cereal heiress through every twist and turn.”—Martha Hall Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls

“New-money heiress Marjorie Post isn’t content to remain a society bride as she remakes herself into a savvy entrepreneur, a visionary philanthropist, a presidential hostess, and much more.”—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code

Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone,…


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Alpha Max

By Mark A. Rayner,

Book cover of Alpha Max

Mark A. Rayner Author Of Alpha Max

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Human shaped Pirate hearted Storytelling addict Creatively inclined

Mark's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

Maximilian Tundra is about to have an existential crisis of cosmic proportions.

When a physical duplicate of him appears in his living room, wearing a tight-fitting silver lamé unitard and speaking with an English accent, Max knows something bad is about to happen. Bad doesn’t cover it. Max discovers he’s the only human being who can prevent the end of the world, and not just on his planet! In the multiverse, infinite Earths will be destroyed.

Alpha Max

By Mark A. Rayner,

What is this book about?

★★★★★ "Funny, yet deep, this is definitely worth venturing into the multiverse for."

Amazing Stories says: "Snarky as Pratchet, insightful as Stephenson, as full of scathing social commentary as Swift or Voltaire, and weirdly reminiscent of LeGuin, Alpha Max is the only multiverse novel you need this month, or maybe ever."

Maximilian Tundra is about to have an existential crisis of cosmic proportions.

When a physical duplicate of him appears in his living room, wearing a tight-fitting silver lamé unitard and speaking with an English accent, Max knows something bad is about to happen. Bad doesn’t cover it. Max discovers…


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