"Infinite Country" by Patricia Engel
"Infinite Country" by Patricia Engel, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $14.49
As Mauro and Elena fall in love and have their first child, they know they must escape their war-torn home country in the hopes of a better life. The winner of the 2021 New American Voices Award, " Infinite Country " is a fictional story about a Colombian family's migration and the seemingly insurmountable challenges they face through generations.
"The Vegetarian" by Han Kang
"The Vegetarian" by Han Kang, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $12.30
When Yeong-hye begins having terrible nightmares, she decides to stop eating meat in an effort to stop the dreams. When her decision is seen as an act of rebellion, the relationships in her life become slowly twisted as those closest to her fight to regain control in this story about taboos, violence, and metamorphosis.
"The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
"The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $8.89
Loved by readers for its powerful moments of wisdom, " The Alchemist " is about a young boy named Santiago who travels from his home in Spain to Egypt in search of a buried treasure. Encountering a number of incredible characters along the way, Santiago's meaningful journey highlights the importance of listening to your heart.
"The Removed" by Brandon Hobson
"The Removed" by Brandon Hobson, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $12.49
In this incredible read steeped with magical realism and Cherokee history, Ray-Ray's family is still struggling with grief 15 years after he was killed in a police shooting. As the family's annual bonfire nears, the estranged family members attempt to close their emotional and physical distances in this novel about home, trauma, grief, and heritage.
"Elevation" by Stephen King
"Elevation" by Stephen King, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $7.98
Winner of the 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards for Horror, this 150-page Stephen King novel is about Scott Carey, who is engaged in a slowly escalating battle with his neighbors — a lesbian couple whose dog regularly uses his lawn as a bathroom. When the women face challenging prejudices as they try to open a restaurant, Scott becomes their unlikely ally in this novella with a supernatural twist.
"The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
"The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $9.43
" The Bluest Eye " is Toni Morrison's first novel , originally published in 1970. This classic is about Pecola, a young Black girl who wishes she could have blue eyes so she could be considered beautiful like the white children others seem to fawn over.
"Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning" by Cathy Park Hong
"Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning" by Cathy Park Hong, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $13.70
Told with poetic prose, " Minor Feelings " is a memoir about history, culture, and the racism Cathy Park Hong and so many other Asian Americans have experienced. Both an examination of the author's reckoning with her identity and a criticism of racial consciousness, this memoir is a powerful search for personal and universal truths.
"Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn
"Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $10.22
From the same author who wrote "Gone Girl," this gripping thriller follows reporter Camille Preaker as she returns to her hometown to cover the disappearance and unsolved murder of two preteen girls. Staying in her childhood home, Camille struggles to escape her own demons in this nail-biting read with an outrageous plot twist.
"The Undocumented Americans" by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
"The Undocumented Americans" by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $12.39
Karla Cornejo Villavicencio is one of the first undocumented immigrants to graduate from Harvard and, in this book , highlights the stories of countless other undocumented immigrants like her, though all with very different stories. Part-memoir and part-nonfiction portrait , the book brings life to the stories of those regularly dismissed or villainized because of their immigration status.
"Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
"Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $12.92
This memoir is told as a letter from Ta-Nehisi Coates to his adolescent son as he attempts to explain our nation's deep-seated racism, the ways it has continued through history, and what it means to be Black today. Though this is a short read, it contains a powerful message for all readers, dubbed "required reading" by Toni Morrison.
"This Is How You Lose the Time War" by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
"This Is How You Lose the Time War" by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $13.15
" This Is How You Lose the Time War" won the 2020 Hugo Award for Best Novella, adored by readers for the lyrical and intricate writing style. When agent Red finds a letter from a rival agent Blue, the two begin to exchange letters despite the mounting danger of their correspondence, traveling through time in this romantic science-fiction thriller.
"When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi
"When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $14.63
Neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer when he was 36. In this memoir that outlines the final months of his life, Paul grapples with his own mortality and what it means to find your purpose in life.
"All You Can Ever Know" by Nicole Chung
"All You Can Ever Know" by Nicole Chung, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $10.66
This award-winning 2018 memoir is loved for Nicole Chung's insightful and compassionate observations about race, family, and motherhood. Born premature and adopted by a white family, Nicole Chung always believed that her birth parents made the ultimate sacrifice to give her a better life. This memoir follows Nicole Chung as she unearths her family's secrets in her search for a place where she truly belongs.
"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" by John Boyne
"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" by John Boyne, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $9.19
I personally recommended opening this emotional book with little knowledge of the plot so the story slowly unravels with even more power. This historical fiction young adult novel follows nine-year-old Bruno, a new friend, and a very long, mysterious fence.
"Dept. of Speculation" by Jenny Offill
"Dept. of Speculation" by Jenny Offill, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $10.98
As a husband and wife exchange love letters postmarked by the "Dept. of Speculation," a code name for the uncertainties of life, they confront the ever-changing landscape of their relationship, the world, and their lives. Mediative and unfiltered, this suspenseful and emotional 180-page story demands to be read in a single sitting.
"Remote Control" by Nnedi Okorafor
"Remote Control" by Nnedi Okorafor, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $12.99
When Death paid Fatima a visit, she became Sankofa, a name that tied her to her family and her past but meant nothing to anyone but her. As she searches for the object that fell from the sky and gave her the power of death, she is also searching for her new purpose in a world that doesn't understand her.
"The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $6.79
This beloved sci-fi read is about Arthur Dent's adventures across the galaxy with his friend, Ford Prefect, after the demolition of the Earth. Together, they search for the answers to some of life's greatest questions — including the ultimate meaning of life.
"The Soul of a Woman" by Isabel Allende
"The Soul of a Woman" by Isabel Allende, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $12.47
A self-proclaimed feminist since kindergarten, Isabel Allende grew up in the 1960s and joined the first wave of feminist journalists who wrote about women's issues. Her memoir, " The Soul of a Woman ," outlines both her personal and society's feminist journey in a book she hopes will help future budding feminists find their voice.
"The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War" by Malcolm Gladwell
"The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War" by Malcolm Gladwell, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $13.50
During World War II, the Bomber Mafia was a group of American military men who believed a large number of long-range bomber aircraft could swiftly win the war. In this nonfiction read , Malcolm Gladwell tells the stories of great strategists and their moral challenges during the war.
Via PakApNews