Staff Picks: What We’re Reading Before Bed

Andrea Lerebours: According to the experts, the secret to a good night’s sleep could be having a good belly laugh just before you go to bed. Seth Rogen’s memoir, Yearbook, has been the perfect book to get me laughing. I’ve been reading one chapter per night, but deep down, I want to read the whole thing in one sitting. Yearbook is a collection of personal and funny stories that range from his childhood in Canada to working and meeting people in Hollywood to more serious conversations on antisemitism and mass incarceration — all told in his signature voice. I highly recommend this one if you are looking for a laugh!

Liz Lesnick: I’m an insomniac, so having a comforting bedtime book is a must. The late, great Laurie Colwin’s essay collection, Home Cooking, is my go-to when I need to unwind. If I’m looking for a laugh, I read “Repulsive Dinners: A Memoir;” if I need a hug, I turn to her classic, “Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant.” No matter my mood, I always feel better after a dose of Colwin.

Kathryn Monaco: My favorite kind of bedtime story transports me to a completely different time and place. I’m currently loving Half a Lifelong Romance, which begins as a love story set in 1930s Shanghai and follows several characters as tragedy strikes. . .  many, many times. I’m in awe of Eileen Chang’s writing; although she wrote this long ago during a very turbulent time in history, the emotions and observations of her characters feel so real and relatable. This is a must-read if you love classics, historical fiction, or sad literary fiction!

Carly Gorga: I’m listening to a little-known indie book called A Promised Land, and even though I’ve already read it, whenever I wake up at 4 a.m. (which is quite often), I’ll play from a random spot and fall back to sleep to the smooth, calming voice of Barack Obama. If, at 6:30 a.m., I can recall details of his Supreme Court nomination of Sonya Sotomayor, for example, I know I’m going to be tired for the rest of the day.

Grant Griglak: I’ve been reading Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye. It’s lighthearted and fun, but still engaging. During the pandemic, I let go of self-judgment about reading YA, and doing so has unlocked more joy into my nightly(ish) reading habits. Plus, we love to see the LGBTQ+ inclusivity!

Victoria Squirlock: I’ve been reading The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde before bed. I love the tone of the writing and I love his long, descriptive sentences. There is so much ‘stream of consciousness’ thinking dialogued between the characters, which I love, and combined with the descriptions of the ambiance by the author, my imagination runs wild! I love how scandalous the story is and it has suspense and mystery without being scary and giving me nightmares.

Lindsey Elias: I’m currently reading The Magnolia Palace before bed. I love Fiona Davis’s parallel plotlines across timelines and how she incorporates famous New York City landmarks in her narratives. After reading her books that feature the Dakota, Grand Central Station, the Chelsea Hotel, and others, The Magnolia Palace centers around The Frick Collection on the Upper East Side. The main characters are an artists’ model in 1919 who gets into some trouble and finds the perfect hiding spot as the personal secretary of Helen Frick, despite the fact that she has zero experience as a private secretary, and an English model at the start of her career in the 1960s who finds a hidden message while on a shoot at The Frick Collection and begins a hunt for the truth. A great read for any art lover, the chapters always leave me wanting more but the timeline switches offer great stopping points making it the perfect bedtime read.

Sarah Mangiola: I’m a big advocate of putting your phone away and getting some screen-free reading time in before bed (even if I have to remind myself to do it). I heard about Amy Lea’s debut novel, Set on You, through TikTok (where I’m getting a ton of reading recommendations these days!). It’s an inclusive, contemporary romance about a fitness influencer and her firefighter gym nemesis. This book was such a delight and I looked forward to reading it at the end of a long day!

Court Clinch: One of the overlapping pleasures between reading and sleeping is not knowing exactly what the next moment brings, but still usually coming through the experience slightly improved. Every now and then, though, we dream such a dream as to break the confines of what we assumed possible. Johann Hari’s book, Stolen Focus, shattered my worldview, awakening me to a degree I didn’t realize I needed, and in a way only books can.

Allison Wallach: Full disclosure: I’m not actually reading The Random House Book of Fairy Tales before I fall asleep, but I want to be. I want to put aside my “grownup” books and rock myself to sleep with a nostalgic bedtime story. Granted, these fairy tales are pretty horrifying and problematic, but they’re not as horrifying as reality.

Julianne Jones: I will be talking about and rereading Reincarnation Blues for the rest of my life, guaranteed. It’s perfect for a pre-bed read, as you can drift off after each chapter and dream of a different imaginative time and place from one of Milo’s thousands of lives. Plus, his love story is to DIE for! (Literally.)

Corey Nascenzi: At the end of the day, we could all use a good hug and a snuggle, even a virtual one from across the country. Each night, my niece and I read together over Facetime. Although 1500 miles apart, we enjoy diving into the worlds of Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials series. This otherworldly adventure is captivating for all ages and often results in us getting lost in the story filled with high flying zeppelins, zealous villains, and kindhearted armored bears far past bedtime.

Amy Brinker: Ok, so a detailed and devastating look at the Troubles isn’t exactly a bedtime story, but it’s one of the best books I read last year. I found myself heading to bed a little early just to squeeze in more time with this story — if you, like me, are trying to read more nonfiction, I can’t recommend this gripping and eye-opening book enough.

Sarah Graves: As a person who often struggles to put a book down, short stories make perfect before-bed reading for me. This book of stories by Denis Johnson has so much beauty and humor it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite collections, and I’ve been having the most colorful and mysterious dreams night after night.

Haley Larson: Instead of scrolling through Instagram every night before bed, I’ve been going on a much more satisfying journey through the world of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade and Shadow. It follows a young woman in 1920s Mexico who is enlisted by the Mayan god of death to help him reclaim his throne, taking her on a wild adventure through jungles and cities alike. I do have to make sure I leave a good amount of time to read before bed with this book, though; this mesmerizing tale is one you won’t want to put down for a while.

John Clinton: I interned for a concert promoter in college — which had its moments, but none as magical as discovering Prince. I had of course heard of Prince, and was familiar with a few of his hits, but seeing him up close while working his shows at Madison Square Garden was a profound experience. When I saw this memoir was being published I knew I would have to pick it up. While the ideal setting for reading this would, of course, be sitting cross-legged on the floor of the studio at Paisley Park, I’ve found that spending some time one of the most chilled-out artists of all-time is a great way to drift off to sleep.

Rianna Jobanputra: I’ve always been drawn to coming-of-age stories and was so excited to start Pizza Girl after several recommendations from friends. This funny, quirky, and honestly, heart-wrenching book about a pregnant pizza delivery girl who becomes obsessed with one of her customers did not disappoint. I couldn’t wait to get to bed so I could continue reading, although I will say that it was very hard to put down and turn out the lights once I had started.

Taylor Borda: As an avid fan of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ nonfiction works, I couldn’t have been more excited to hear about his foray into the fiction world with The Water Dancer. The story of Hiram Walker and his character arc completely captivated me from the onset and I simply could not put this powerful read down. This book also possesses elements of magical realism that transported me to a different place in time and night after night, put my mind at ease prior to falling asleep.

Brian Orloff: It hasn’t been so tough to trade scrolling through the internet in bed on my phone or iPad now that I’ve started devouring Brandon Taylor’s novel Real Life. The book drew me in immediately thanks to a well-drawn narrator, Wallace, and a compelling set of characters. I now find myself battling dueling instincts — the need to turn off the light and get 7-to-8 full hours of sleep vs. my desire to follow Wallace’s story for a few more pages.