If you loved
Books like 'Tis
A lyrical, bittersweet exploration of mid-century New York and the messy, triumphant journey of finding one's place in a new world. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with 'Tis.
- bittersweet
- nostalgic
- gritty
- reflective
- 01
Teacher Man
Frank McCourt · 2005
A warm, wry, and deeply human reflection on the chaotic trenches of the classroom and the long road to finding one's own voice.
- 02
Angela's Ashes
Frank McCourt · 1996
A rain-soaked, tragicomic masterpiece of survival that finds poetry and dark humor in the depths of unimaginable deprivation.
- 03
The Gathering
Anne Enright · 2008
A visceral, unflinching excavation of family trauma and the unreliable nature of memory, told through the lens of a sister's raw grief.
- 04
All over but the shoutin'
Rick Bragg
A lyrical, fiercely loving tribute to a mother's sacrifice and the inescapable gravity of a Southern childhood.
- 05
Brooklyn
Colm Tóibín
A quiet, deeply felt exploration of the ache of leaving home and the impossible weight of choosing where you belong.
- 06
Tattoos on the heart
Gregory Boyle
A deeply moving tapestry of vignettes that shatters the illusion that we are separate from one another.
- 07
Born standing up
Steve Martin · 2007
A quiet, analytical masterclass on the grueling, lonely mechanics of becoming a legend and the grace of walking away.
- 08
Hitch-22
Christopher Hitchens
A smoky, late-night masterclass in intellectual combat and literary friendship, delivered by a fiercely unapologetic raconteur.
- 09
The Tender Bar
J. R. Moehringer
A warm, achingly funny memoir about finding fatherhood, identity, and sanctuary in the company of a grand old saloon's colorful regulars.
- 10
The fortunate pilgrim
Mario Puzo · 1964
A gritty, deeply empathetic portrait of a matriarch holding her family together against the crushing weight of the American Dream.
- 11
Born Round
Frank Bruni · 2009
A funny, vulnerable exploration of how a lifelong, complicated obsession with food transformed into a professional calling and a balanced life.
- 12
When I was Puerto Rican
Esmeralda Santiago · 1993
A deeply sensory journey through the vibrant, bittersweet memories of childhood and the disorienting, transformative leap into a new culture.
