A stalwart member of Brooklyn’s music scene, Freidberger came to fame as one half of indie rock duo, The Fiery Furnaces, but has since embarked on a successful solo career. Her 2013 album, Personal Record, marked her out as a particularly compelling storyteller. “When I write a song, the lyrics come first,” she has said. “It’s just always more about getting a story or an emotion across, than it is about creating a mood with the music. Hopefully they complement each other. But it is about the words first.”

Below are Eleanor Friedberger’s favorite books, available to purchase as a set or individually.