With the winter chills settling in, all we want to do is snuggle in front of the heater and possibly read a good book. Kamila Habib of My Bookshelf Pk rounds up this year’s must-read books:
10. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
What a brilliant debut novel. A heart-warming yet disturbing story of a young girl alone and abandoned, raising herself in the marshes of middle America. This story shows us the best and worst of humanity and is not to be missed.
9. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
The facts in this book were so extraordinary that for a while I couldn’t believe it was non-fiction. Every person needs to read this to learn important life lessons. The take away from this profound story is that no matter what the circumstances, the human spirit can conquer all.
8. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Why would a seemingly normal, highly successful artist shoot her husband for no good reason? This riveting mystery is definitely one of the better thrillers to release in recent times. The fact that it would make a great movie just adds to the attraction.
7. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
This 2019 Man Booker winner follows twelve women as they navigate through their lives. It touches upon important subjects such as politics, feminism, cultural identity and orientation. This is definitely a very important novel for our time.
6. 10 minutes 38 seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak
This Booker Prize nominee delves into a myriad of relevant topics especially relating to countries where there is a tussle between religious fundamentalism and western perspectives I think this novel is timeless as well as timely.
5. The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
This mystery, fantasy novel explores darker themes of the occult and ghost stories. A homicide survivor tries to navigate an Ivy League school while battling her literal demons. A spooky novel is a must, every once in a while.
4. Becoming by Michelle Obama
This celebrated memoir of former American first lady is an easy, heart-warming read. The take away from this narrative is that hard work and persistence overcome even the most abject of odds. For me the stand out was definitely Michelle’s mother as the poised, patient parent. We could all learn some parenting tips from her.
3. Normal People by Sally Rooney
I love divisive books even if I personally dislike them. This book definitely falls within this category by evoking extreme reactions within the reading community. You have to read it to decide which side you are on.
2. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
This Young Adult book is definitely a must read. Sometimes stepping away from one’s usual genre is a struggle but a necessity. This is a simple yet relevant story about a young girl from a poor side of town trying to make her dreams a reality despite numerous odds.
1. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
This Booker Prize winner picks up from where The Handmaids Tale left off. Gilead is as stringent and suffocating as ever, yet the powers that be, can never quite quell the strength of the human spirit and the will to survive. If you are into dystopian/feminist fiction this is definitely the book for you.
