Breadcrumbs ![SL’s Resident Bookworm Shares Her All-Time Favourite Reads](https://media.sheerluxe.com/WJ1M1bCTb7128D-NPUiClH093Ws=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fsl-site-assets-150926-thumb-hero-harriet-my-life-in-books.jpg) [Books & Podcasts](/culture/books-podcasts) / 15 September 2026 # SL’s Resident Bookworm Shares Her All-Time Favourite Reads How many people do you know who track their reading with a spreadsheet? Or have yearly goals when it comes to books, authors and genres? We know at least one – our chief sub-editor and features manager Harriet Russell. Closing in on nearly 50 books already this year, we asked her to tell us which have stood out to her the most, as well as the novels and non-fiction she recommends time and again… ByHarriet Russell / [ Save To My Favourites ](/user/login?destination=/markdownify/node/54078) All products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however we may make commission on some products. [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/RvNmOaxrAapJDdT0CrhBt4vvLzw=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fthe-road-to-tender-hearts.png) ](https://amzn.to/4r9TDLV) ## 2026 STANDOUT #### The Road To Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett “This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Not high brow at all, it follows a 63-year-old washed up lottery winner as he travels across the country in an attempt to fulfil one last dream. His travel companions include two grandchildren he’s accidentally adopted, his grown-up daughter and a stray cat. It’s funny, charming and full of heart.” *Available at* [AMAZON.CO.UK](https://amzn.to/4r9TDLV) --- [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/Kww_5y1xBZQrCMm3m0PtSXl1K_o=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fthis-is-not-about-us.png) ](https://amzn.to/4xPHXAt) ## NEW DISCOVERY #### This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman “Another standout from this year, Allegra Goodman has had a varied career, first as a short story specialist, then a historical fiction writer and now with what I believe is her strongest work to date. *This Is Not About Us* is an acerbic, insightful and often funny look at modern family life in America.” *Available at* [AMAZON.CO.UK](https://amzn.to/4xPHXAt) [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/vNKAAtzBJNnNLnBqsATYLCxirGI=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fballet-shoes.png) ](https://amzn.to/46oiQZu) ## CHILDHOOD FAVOURITE #### Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield “When I was a child, I must have read this dozens of times. I even once faked being sick so I could stay home from school and re-read it. I loved dance when I was younger and dreamt of a career in the theatre, so this was right up my street. Of course, honourable mentions have to go to the [*Malory Towers*](https://amzn.to/4xSuW9l) series, [*The Worst Witch*](https://amzn.to/3TqDuVN) and [*Anne Of Green Gables*](https://amzn.to/3V5tuSg) – all classics.” *Available at* [AMAZON.CO.UK](https://amzn.to/46oiQZu) --- [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/jKwz22c63jjSsy-31iuAawxlzvY=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fmy-brilliant-friend.png) ](https://amzn.to/46S3Gvz) ## STUCK WITH ME #### My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante “I read this ten years ago but can still remember exactly how I felt at the time – it’s never left me. Last year, the *New York Times* named it the best book of the 21st century and I’m inclined to agree. A multi-generational story that starts in post-war Naples, it’s a sweeping epic about a period of enormous change in Italy but also a very intimate and nuanced look at the nature of female friendships.” *Available at* [AMAZON.CO.UK](https://amzn.to/46S3Gvz) --- [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/iptWAkZ_F0i9V2Lk_CnY-QbBGYg=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fthis-is-going-to-hurt.png) ](https://amzn.to/4cGq7HD) ## NON-FICTION PICK #### This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay “I’m not a huge non-fiction reader as I don’t always find it very relaxing or escapist – which are the primary reasons I read. That said, Adam Kay’s personal experience of being a junior doctor in the NHS is one of my most memorable reads of recent memory. Its runaway success was highly deserved. Before the year is out, I’m really keen to read [*Man’s Search For Meaning*](https://amzn.to/4cBypjV) by Viktor E. Frankel – a moving true story of the psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor’s time as a prisoner in Auschwitz. It sounds bleak but I’m told it’s incredibly uplifting and life-affirming.” *Available at* [AMAZON.CO.UK](https://amzn.to/4cGq7HD) [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/frAp6O12b-YYZD2F3LU_QF6ho_U=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fsmall-things-like-these.png) ](https://amzn.to/4yyRUSJ) ## GOOD GIFT #### Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan “If people ask me for good book gift ideas, I often say *Small Things Like These* by Claire Keegan. Recently adapted into a film starring Cilian Murphy, it’s only 128 pages – so anyone could get through it. And boy, is it powerful.” *Available at* [AMAZON.CO.UK](https://amzn.to/4yyRUSJ) --- [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/s-DC3NhnSch5MUR-qXg0MtMT8co=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Ffamesick.png) ](https://amzn.to/4xo5Qy2) ## TEAR-JERKER #### Famesick by Lena Dunham “I’m not a big crier with books but this made me shed a tear – yes, I’m as surprised as anyone. Having endured a few health battles of my own in recent years, I related to Lena’s – admittedly far more serious – experience with chronic pain, all while trying to maintain her increasingly public life during the filming of *Girls*. Her last book was much criticised but this reminded me why she is, in fact, the voice of her generation.” *Available at* [AMAZON.CO.UK](https://amzn.to/4xo5Qy2) --- [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/q8kAlNX4ZfZ_kq-X06QijUduRZc=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fmurder-on-the-orient-express.png) ](https://amzn.to/3UUHj63) ## FUNNY & CHARMING #### Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie “Funny books are such a personal choice but there’s real wit in a lot of Agatha Christie’s work. I read *Murder On The Orient Express* this year – just to say I had, I admit – but was surprised at how clever and humorous it was. There’s very little gore or gratuitous violence either, so if you like your mysteries on the cosier side, her work really stands up.” *Available at* [AMAZON.CO.UK](https://amzn.to/3UUHj63) [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/Ci9VnNi2AwYHepWZWDpyoqALJac=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fthe-safekeep.png) ](https://amzn.to/3SK2Vl1) ## A SURPRISE #### The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden “A question I’m asked a lot is which book has surprised me the most and this instantly comes to mind. It covers a period in the post-war Netherlands I knew very little about and it’s a brilliant example of looking at a historic issue through a modern lens. Of course, we also read [*Yesteryear*](https://amzn.to/4A6ILCn) by Caro Claire Burke for the SL Book Club earlier this year. That was a shocker too – but it didn’t surprise me how viral it went considering the subject matter.” *Available at* [AMAZON.CO.UK](https://amzn.to/3SK2Vl1) --- [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/i4TjSozk3h4RZjCuPkmtl8EY1iw=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fthe-remains-of-the-day.png) ](https://amzn.to/4xhy2Ck) ## MUST-READ #### The Remains Of The Day by Kazuo Ishiguro “I really don’t have words to describe my experience with this book. It’s so quiet but also so poignant. You might get to the end and think ‘What was all that about?’ but you have to read between the lines to understand the horror unfolding at this country estate in the inter-war years. I can’t wait to watch the movie starring Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins.” *Available at* [AMAZON.CO.UK](https://amzn.to/4xhy2Ck) --- [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/byAKl7EXNeH9Ni6u8e6szYaPlK0=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fthe-secret-history.png) ](https://amzn.to/46S44Kx) ## BEST OF ALL-TIME #### The Secret History by Donna Tartt “Donna Tartt is famous for writing about one book every decade and while some people love [*The Goldfinch*](https://amzn.to/3UKDPmB), I personally think *The Secret History* can’t be bettered. It takes place at a liberal arts college in Vermont – there’s a group of elite students, a mysterious murder and some seriously unhinged fallout. It’s just… brilliant.” *Available at* [AMAZON.CO.UK](https://amzn.to/46S44Kx) [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/jVxaRXHH6rDU53WnSv1fS5HC65I=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fsense-sensibility.png) ](https://amzn.to/4xg5Qjl) ## CURRENT READ #### Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen “I’m happy to have the argument but I do consume the odd audiobook here and there – it’s pure joy on my commute. Right now, I’m listening to *Sense & Sensibility* by Jane Austen (the narration by Rosamund Pike is sublime) ahead of the new adaptation coming at the end of the month. Physically, I’m also reading [*The Leopard*](https://amzn.to/4gPgeJZ) by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa. I’m told the Netflix adaptation is seriously lush but I'm a bit of a stickler for reading the book before you watch the film.” *Available at* [AMAZON.CO.UK](https://amzn.to/4xg5Qjl) *Follow* [@HARRIETRUSSELL712](https://www.instagram.com/harrietrussell712/) [ Sign in to comment with your SheerLuxe profile ](/user/login?destination=)Or continue to comment as a Guest below [View the discussion thread.](http://sheerluxe-dev.disqus.com/) *more from* Culture [View All Culture](/culture) ![Inside The SheerLuxe Founders’ Evening At The Arding Rooms](https://media.sheerluxe.com/JgnoVFZEzSH3doXZRMkd-V-ztc8=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fsl-100926-founders-event-thumb.jpg) [Culture](/culture) / 10 September 2026 [## Inside The SheerLuxe Founders’ Evening At The Arding Rooms ](/culture/inside-the-sheerluxe-founders-evening-at-the-arding-rooms) ![The Luxe List: September](https://media.sheerluxe.com/rEhXdYl78f7_W5I-GYnFYSlV094=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fsl-site-assets-020926-thumb-luxe-list-2.jpg) [Culture](/culture) / 02 September 2026 [## The Luxe List: September ](/culture/the-luxe-list-september-0) ![The Gold Edition Hot List ](https://media.sheerluxe.com/9mgRYt6AVBR_KA9qTjczNSh_tBo=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F08%2Fgold-site-assets-0826-thumb-hero-hot-list.jpg) [Travel & Culture](/gold/travel-culture)/ 17 August 2026 [## The Gold Edition Hot List ](/culture/the-gold-edition-hot-list-3) ![This Luxury Car Will Change The Way You Think About Electric Driving](https://media.sheerluxe.com/g7TtDNkf3HJLqJlWYDwcNP4SIpo=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F08%2Fsl-site-assets-100826-thumb-porsche-com.jpg) [Culture](/culture) / 10 August 2026 [## This Luxury Car Will Change The Way You Think About Electric Driving ](/culture/this-luxury-car-will-change-the-way-you-think-about-electric-driving) ![The Luxe List: August](https://media.sheerluxe.com/HdnnnG3O3dwyIjhS1xuAaYWzCeY=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F08%2Fsl-site-assets-030826-thumb-luxe-list-more-to-come.jpg) [Culture](/culture) / 03 August 2026 [## The Luxe List: August ](/culture/the-luxe-list-august-0) ![11 Books To Add To Your New-Season Reading List ](https://media.sheerluxe.com/gVw7oWwTBXC7wupqnKe6VOnpxPA=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F08%2Fsl-site-assets-210826-thumb-hero-end-of-summer-reading-more-to-come.jpg) [Books & Podcasts](/culture/books-podcasts) / 21 August 2026 [## 11 Books To Add To Your New-Season Reading List ](/culture/books-podcasts/11-books-to-add-to-your-new-season-reading-list) ![12 Books To Add To Your Summer Reading List](https://media.sheerluxe.com/6y8J8Ff4Qhn5H4PSJxe74GeXeN4=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F07%2Fsl-gold-200726-site-assets-books-to-add-to-your-reading-list-hero-thumb.jpg) [Travel & Culture](/gold/travel-culture)/ 20 July 2026 [## 12 Books To Add To Your Summer Reading List ](/culture/books-podcasts/12-books-to-add-to-your-summer-reading-list) ![The Books Our Community Can't Put Down](https://media.sheerluxe.com/ywZX936bYSWZiBLRym-6KtJsY8g=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F07%2Fsl-site-assets-090726-hero-community-books.jpg) [Books & Podcasts](/culture/books-podcasts) / 09 July 2026 [## The Books Our Community Can't Put Down ](/culture/books-podcasts/the-books-our-community-cant-put-down) ![An In-The-Know Bookshop Owner Shares Her Favourite Reads](https://media.sheerluxe.com/DqW8izOKjc191kAoKycU5RUdr-4=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F06%2Fsl-site-assets-100526-thumb-hero-books-with-lala-books-founder.jpg) [Books & Podcasts](/culture/books-podcasts) / 10 June 2026 [## An In-The-Know Bookshop Owner Shares Her Favourite Reads ](/culture/books-podcasts/an-in-the-know-bookshop-owner-shares-her-favourite-reads) Share This Story [Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?display=popup&redirect_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com&u=https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fculture%2Fbooks-podcasts%2Fsls-resident-bookworm-shares-her-all-time-favourite-reads&t=SL%E2%80%99s+Resident+Bookworm+Shares+Her+All-Time+Favourite+Reads) [ Pinterest ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fculture%2Fbooks-podcasts%2Fsls-resident-bookworm-shares-her-all-time-favourite-reads&description=SL%E2%80%99s+Resident+Bookworm+Shares+Her+All-Time+Favourite+Reads&media=) [ E-mail ]() DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. 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