I know everyone does not have the same reading tastes. But without fail these are some of my all time favorite books to recommend 1.) because I love them and 2.) because I think they are such great stories that they will draw in readers of all kinds.
“The Heart’s Invisible Furies” by John Boyne
This book made me cry. At work. In front of a bunch of college students trying to study for finals. Maybe this is why you’re not supposed to read while working at the reference desk at libraries, because I’m pretty sure no one wanted to come up and ask me a question as I finished this book and snotted on my sweater. Anyway if you love a sweeping text that spans generations, asks important questions, and is filled with dynamic characters, then this book is for you! I recommend this book to everyone, and everyone I’ve ever recommended it to has loved it. This is a long book yet somehow it’s so good that I could read hundreds of more pages of these characters and their lives.
“Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi
I don’t even have a copy of this book anymore because I’ve passed mine on to so many people and just keep doing so. This book follows two half-sisters, one who is married off to an Englishman and lives comfortably in Ghana, and the other who is sold into slavey and sent to America. The book follows generations of their descendants through space and time as they navigate life in these two countries. Gyasi’s writing is so powerful, and she’s a must-buy author for me now. Her next book Transcendent Kingdom comes out in September!
“How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy” by Jenny Odell
This is a nonfiction book that I read last year. I wish I could say it changed my life in tangible ways (like that I stop using my phone as a security blanket) but in the books defense even if it had done that, all that would’ve been undone with the pandemic. Still, it is 100% a book that I think about SO often, and I do believe it has changed the way I think about a lot of things. Odell uses contemporary art, philosophy, history and activism to help readers better conceptualize how and why different things capture our attention. I wrote briefly about her book in my book review of Big Friendship, because I truly love the way she emphasizes maintenance. She is constantly asking us to question why our attention is drawn towards new things, productive things and monetized things, rather than towards the less glamorous (but arguably more important) aspects of maintaining things (lives, friendships, public spaces, families). I think everyone in my life should read this book, and then talk to me about it because I still have so many thoughts.
“Circe” by Madeline Miller
I think at the time I read this book I was mostly reading historical fiction. This book made me realize I love fantasy, greek mythology and most importantly strong female characters. I thought Madeline Miller did an amazing job with this retelling and she gives us really complex characters that I found so interesting. Even if you’re not normally into this type of book, I think the story is so well done that you won’t be able to put it down. If you do love it you should also check out The Book of Longings and The Silence of the Girls.
“Clap When you Land” by Elizabeth Acevedo
Acevedo is another author whose books are a must buy for me. I loved Poet X and With the Fire on High, so I immediately purchased Clap When You Land when it came out recently and it might be my favorite of them all. It is a YA novel written in verse, and even if you are unfamiliar with what either of those things mean—PICK THIS BOOK UP. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Acevedo writes her characters so tenderly. I heard her recently say that she takes very seriously her role as a writer for young people, and purposely writes characters that can serve as models for them. But let me be clear, this does not mean her characters come off as inauthentic or didactic. It simply means that she writes romantic relationships with consent and friendships with kindness. She explores nuances, and doesn’t use characters to make a point. Her characters are always dynamic; they struggle to make the right decisions and they have complex feelings. I have a full review of the book here, where I continue to gush about how much I love this book, but please, read it and see for yourself.
& that’s all! Please feel free to reach out about any of the books mentioned or to tell me a book list you’d like to see!
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