Best books...chosen by Randi Zuckerberg
Randi Zuckerberg, Facebook’s longtime spokeswoman and marketing chief, is now CEO of her own production company.
Randi Zuckerberg, Facebook’s longtime spokeswoman and marketing chief, is now CEO of her own production company. In Dot Complicated and the children’s book Dot, she advises readers not to let social media monopolize their lives.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (Random House, $28). Louis Zamperini was a former Olympic athlete whose U.S. bomber went down in the Pacific during World War II. In a story that’s a testament to human endurance, Zamperini clings to life and is later challenged by an even greater trial when he becomes a prisoner of war. Hillenbrand is a skillful storyteller, as evidenced by her earlier success with Seabiscuit.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (Harper Perennial, $16). This classic New York City tale is a joy no matter how many times I read it. As young Francie Nolan and the city she lives in simultaneously mature, Smith’s depictions of day-to-day life are barren and honest.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Bossypants by Tina Fey (Reagan Arthur, $9). Tina Fey presents a balanced mix of personal memoir and insights into her industry. A trailblazer for other female comedians, she confronts the hard issues facing any woman in the spotlight, but with her signature brand of laugh-out-loud humor.
Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Atria, $17). A gripping memoir and coming-of-age story. Raised in Somalia in a strict Muslim family, Hirsi Ali eventually flees a forced marriage and finds refuge in the Netherlands, where against all odds she earns an advanced degree and secures a place in parliament, only to make international headlines (and attract death threats) as a champion of free speech.
Heads in Beds by Jacob Tomsky (Anchor, $15). What Anthony Bourdain did for restaurateurs in Kitchen Confidential, Jacob Tomsky does for the hospitality industry in Heads in Beds. As someone who spends a lot of time on the road, I was shocked and tickled to learn his insider tricks and confessions from the other side of the concierge desk.
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (Vintage, $17). This meticulously researched, beautifully written work of nonfiction provides a stunning view into the Great Migration, the decades-long movement of black citizens from the segregated South to the often-unwelcoming North. Wilkerson does a fantastic job bringing this little-told story to life.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Brazil has a scorpion problem
Under The Radar Venomous arachnids are infesting country's fast-growing cities
-
Why Rikers Island will no longer be under New York City's control
The Explainer A 'remediation manager' has been appointed to run the infamous jail
-
California may pull health care from eligible undocumented migrants
IN THE SPOTLIGHT After pushing for universal health care for all Californians regardless of immigration status, Gov. Gavin Newsom's latest budget proposal backs away from a key campaign promise
-
Marya E. Gates' 6 favorite books about women filmmakers
Feature The film writer recommends works by Julie Dash, Sofia Coppola, and more
-
Laurence Leamer's 6 favorite books that took courage to write
Feature The author recommends works by George Orwell, Truman Capote and more
-
Amor Towles' 6 favorite books from the 1950s
Feature The author recommends works by Vladimir Nabokov, Jack Kerouac, and more
-
Susan Page's 6 favorite books about historical figures who stood up to authority
Feature The USA Today's Washington bureau chief recommends works by Catherine Clinton, Alexei Navalny, and more
-
Ione Skye's 6 favorite books about love and loss
Feature The actress recommends works by James Baldwin, Nora Ephron, and more
-
Colum McCann's 6 favorite books that take place at sea
Feature The National Book Award-winning author recommends works by Ernest Hemingway, Herman Melville, and more
-
Max Allan Collins’ 6 favorite books that feature private detectives
Feature The mystery writer recommends works by Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and more
-
John McWhorter’s 6 favorite books that are rooted in history
Feature The Columbia University professor recommends works by Lyla Sage, Sally Thorne, and more