The new year is the perfect time to create goals you have no plan to complete, but reading more doesn’t have to be one of them. This is why I have curated a list of books that should have something everyone will enjoy.
A memoir that is both entertaining, insightful, and funny:
You Can’t Be Serious by Kal Penn, recounts his experience of being a man of colour in the entertainment industry. While keeping the tone of the book mostly lighthearted, Kal looks at both his career’s most satisfying moments– such as how he worked for President Obama’s administration– and the challenges he faced along the way.
A good dystopian novel that isn’t The Hunger Games:
Legend by Marie Lu is a fast paced story with twists you could never anticipate. Set in a dystopian North America that has been split up into the Republic and the Colonies, the story follows the point of view of two teenagers; June, one of the Republics’ wealthiest members, and Day, the Republics’ most wanted criminal. The differences in their social standing give them no reason to interact, until June’s brother is murdered, and Day is the prime suspect. With amazing story telling and an intriguing plot, Lu will keep you captivated long after you finish reading the first installment in the trilogy.
A fantasy that actually makes sense in the first 100 pages:
Leigh Bardugo’s clear and compelling storytelling makes Shadow and Bone a fantastic novel to start reading fantasy. In this plot driven story we follow Alina Starkov in a world that easily sticks out because of the personifications of light and darkness, as well as the unmistakably unique magic system. We join Alina as she picks up new skills and learns more about herself and her powers. This helps us comprehend her growth throughout the book and how it happens. A Netflix show adaptation has also been created that includes content from the author’s other book to even further engage us in this creative world.
A book unlike anything you have probably ever read before:
When you’re in the jungle and a little girl appears seemingly out of nowhere, repeatedly telling you she likes your face, she may just plan to steal it. In Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray, we are taken by surprise by many things including the scenario I just mentioned. We follow alongside sixteen-year-old Koffi and seventeen-year-old Ekon, who are both after a beast that has plagued the city of Lkossa for nearly a decade. Unable to hunt it alone, they join together in this African mythology inspired fantasy. The journey takes them places they never could have anticipated and forces them to confront things they’d rather keep hidden.
With us all being settled one month into the new year, what is a better new hobby to pick up on other than reading? In all of these books there is so much more to unpack, so I strongly urge you to read them!