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I love writing letters. Depending on who I’m writing to, I can express myself freely with little to no filter. That love naturally spills over into the kinds of books I’m drawn to as well, especially books with letters tucked inside their pages. Writing a letter forces me to be my most authentic self. Not that I’m not authentic in person, but let’s be honest: I can be quieter with strangers. I hold back until I feel safe. On paper? All bets are off.
When I write a letter, I don’t worry about revealing my quirks, being too bold, too loud, or too much. I write my thoughts as they arrive. Tangents welcome. Emotions included. Ink doesn’t flinch.
Because I’m such a devoted lover of letters, diaries, journal entries, notes scribbled on scraps, anything personal and handwritten—it only makes sense that I’m also drawn to books that contain letters. And no, I’m not talking about dry, monotone “how-to” manuals (although a few of those can surprise you). I mean books that feel like letters. Books that let you peek into someone’s private world.
One book that absolutely lights me up is Syme’s Letter Writer. I adore it. The bold colors. The creative layouts. The stories and history tucked into every page. It’s one of those books that made me want to immediately tell everyone why I loved it—so much so that it inspired what is still my favorite book review I’ve ever written. It doesn’t just talk about letters; it celebrates them.
And then there are books that contain real letters. Those are the crown jewels. Add in fictional stories built around correspondence, and I’m completely smitten. Let me share a few that have stayed with me.
Love Letters: Private, Passionate, and a Little Bit Naughty
Have you ever written or received a love letter?
When passion is involved, words tend to pour out effortlessly. Sometimes they even turn poetic without you meaning them to. Love letters don’t require polish; they require honesty.
That’s why Other People’s Love Letters: 150 Letters You Were Never Meant to See is such a fascinating read. It feels deliciously voyeuristic—like you’re peeking through a crack in the door of someone else’s private life. You quickly realize that not all love letters are long, swoony novellas. Some are short, cheeky, and unforgettable.
One of my favorite moments in the book is this postscript:
“P.S. I look forward to your letters too much to call. Also, where do you stand on chains?”
Tell me that doesn’t say everything.
Reading this book made me feel like a peeping Tom—and I loved every single sentiment.
Marriage, Devotion, and Writing It Down
Being married for many years doesn’t have to mean losing romance.
Former Hollywood film star and former President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, wrote letters to his wife Nancy throughout their entire marriage. Their correspondence is a true love story—one built on affection, humor, and devotion.
He addressed her in countless ways: Dear First Lady, My Darling, Dear Mrs. Reagan, Dear Nancy Pants, My Beloved First Lady—each salutation more endearing than the last.
On their anniversary in 2002, Nancy read this aloud:
“To the woman in my life fifty years isn’t enough. Let’s carry on. Your happy, happy husband.”
This is one of my all-time favorite collections of letters. It shows just how intentional Reagan was about reminding Nancy that she was loved. I admire that kind of devotion—the kind that takes time to sit down and say, I’m thinking of you.
Children’s Letters: Honest, Hilarious, and Heart-Tugging
When I was a kid (a very long time ago), Highlights Magazine arrived in our mailbox regularly. I couldn’t wait to flip through the pages. My favorite feature? Goofus and Gallant.
Goofus was the do-bad kid. Gallant was the do-good kid. And if my siblings or I forgot to make our beds or clean up our toys, my mom had no problem calling us Goofus. But I digress.
Highlights has always encouraged kids to use their voices, and their long-running advice column, Dear Highlights, is proof of that. Children write in about friendships, worries, beliefs—and sometimes surprisingly big issues.
Here are two letters that stood out to me:
“Dear Highlights, Some of my friends smoke. So do I, but I don’t inhale… What can I do?”
— C.W., 1992
“Dear Highlights, I am 10. I need help. All my friends say Santa isn’t real, but I still want to believe.”
— Taylor, 2015
If we paid attention, we could learn a lot from kids.
Christine French Cully curated Dear Highlights: What Adults Can Learn from 75 Years of Letters and Conversations with Kids, a collection of correspondence spanning decades. It’s tender, funny, and quietly profound. This book will make you smile and probably get misty-eyed.
Letters From War: Holding History in Your Hands
My pen pal, Melissa, recently sent me the most beautiful and completely unexpected gift in the mail: a book filled with letters from World War II.
It’s hard to properly describe how stunning this book is. Visually, it’s just as compelling as Syme’s Letter Writer, but instead of playful design and postal history, the focus here is on the men and women who served during the war. Each chapter includes a removable facsimile of an actual letter. You don’t just read the book—you interact with it. Every few pages feels like opening a small, solemn surprise.
Some excerpts stopped me in my tracks:
“Everything is on a war footing here.”
“Mama, if you’re worrying about me, you should quit—because if millions of other boys have taken this treatment, I guess I can.”
One of my favorite chapters highlights the women who served. Members of the Women’s Army Corps (WACs), something I embarrassingly didn’t know much about until reading this book. One line in particular stayed with me:
“We came here to work, and we are certainly proving that we can.”
And then there are moments that are hard to look at but impossible to ignore. In Chapter 8, I felt a wave of despair while studying a photograph showing the remains of prisoners at the Dachau concentration camp. Letters like these don’t just document history—they carry its emotional weight.
I know not everyone is as wildly passionate about letters as I am, but I have to admit that I get a little giddy sharing all this goodness. I always hope that one curious reader might feel a spark.
Whenever I discover a truly unique book, my first thought is almost always, “Why didn’t I think of that?” That’s exactly how I felt when I stumbled upon Found by Davy Rothbart (The Best Lost, Tossed, and Forgotten Items from Around the World).
This is a series, and my first was Found II, which I bought back in 2008. I also own Found 5, and honestly, these books are dangerously hard to put down. Inside you’ll find notes, letters, photographs, ticket stubs, fortunes, doodles—tiny pieces of strangers’ lives that were once lost and somehow found their way into print.
Who would’ve thought that picking up discarded scraps of paper could turn into a magazine-style book that’s so hip, artsy, and oddly intimate? And yes, some of the notes are very juicy.
Whenever I send a letter through the mail, I can’t help myself. I have to dress up the envelope. A plain white envelope just won’t do. My personality demands at least some color or embellishment, no matter how subtle.
Years ago, I discovered that mail art was an actual thing, and it felt like finding my people. If the book Good Mail Day: A Primer for Making Eye-Popping Postal Art doesn’t inspire you to decorate your own envelopes, it will at the very least leave you admiring the creativity bursting from its pages.
When I’m craving an escape from real life, I often reach for southern fiction, especially stories that include letters. I’m usually not drawn to deeply historical novels; I prefer settings in the 19th century and later. But every once in a while, a book sneaks in and surprises me.
The Venetian Affair was one of those surprises. I’m not even sure why I bought it but I’m so glad I did. The story is loosely inspired by real letters from the 18th century, discovered in an attic by a descendant. It’s a tale of forbidden love, shaped by rigid social class and whispered correspondence. If you enjoy passion, romance, and clandestine lovers who write their hearts and lust onto paper, this one’s for you.
I’m having so much fun that I could keep going but I’ll restrain myself and leave you with one last favorite.
In Dream When You’re Feeling Blue, three sisters write letters to soldiers during World War II. Through their correspondence, we get glimpses into the sisters’ everyday lives as well as the realities of the battlefront. If you’ve ever felt a pull toward the 1940s, this book will wrap you right up in that era.
There you have it. Letters aren’t just found in your mailbox. They’re discovered on sidewalks, lost on buses, left behind in taxi cabs and lovingly relived between the pages of books.
Paper never ghosted anyone.
XOXO, JarieLyn