Whether you’ve clicked on this article to find motivation to pick up new books after following #booktok on TikTok, or just ‘cause you’re curious about our team’s taste in books (promise not to judge!), you’re in the right place.
Keep scrolling to find out why we adore these reads, and why you’ll love ‘em too!
Nicole’s pick: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Summary: Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Beautiful, self-assured Ifemelu heads for America, where despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple with what it means to be black for the first time. Quiet, thoughtful Obinze had hoped to join her, but with post-9/11 America closed to him, he instead plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London. Fifteen years later, they reunite in a newly democratic Nigeria, and reignite their passion—for each other and for their homeland.
“Like many of you, I was first introduced to Adichie through her speech, We should all be feminists and I was instantly hooked on her sense of humor and her strong beliefs. Maybe I’m just a fan of Adichie but I think in my opinion this is one of her most astute pieces of writing (in my opinion). The way she writes (language-wise) Her language really helps me put myself in her shoes and see things I’m blindsided to from a new perspective. It’s enlightening to fully realise that this is someone’s reality, and there really isn’t an age or excuse to remain blithely unaware of the struggles or even microaggressions that some people face daily.
I’d recommend this to anyone with a short attention span that likes reading about real-world issues in engaging fiction.
If this isn’t enough to convince you yet, she was featured in Beyoncé’s track Flawless. Hello? Mic drop.”
Bonus: Anti-Racism Is Becoming Racist by Steve QJ
This is an essay that I was lucky enough to chance upon during my research for the Intro to Gender & Sexuality module (highly recommend), and other than being an easy but enriching read, it also reveals that our efforts to liberate and educate others on topics like racism and intersectionality fail us many a time. It’s a really great read for anyone, to be honest.
Read it here!
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Joanne’s pick: Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick
Summary: Nothing to Envy follows the lives of six North Koreans over fifteen years—a chaotic period that saw the death of Kim Il-sung, the unchallenged rise to power of his son Kim Jong-il, and the devastation of a far-ranging famine that killed one-fifth of the population.
“I like reading about North Korea for some reason, and this book illustrates the lives of everyday North Koreans really well, with really compelling prose and storytelling.
I’d suggest this to anyone interested in historical fiction or biographies!”
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Vedika’s pick: Room by Emma Donoghue
Summary: The story is told from the perspective of a five-year-old boy, Jack, who is being held captive in a small room along with his mother. Donoghue conceived the story after hearing about five-year-old Felix in the Fritzl case.
“We’ve mostly only heard about trauma victims during the trauma and immediately after but seeing her whole life play out kept me awake at night. Thinking about the world from the child’s point of view is something I think about a lot (discussing this with a friend is what pushed me to get a minor in psych). Also, the writer was inspired by a real incident.
Anyone who enjoys overthinking every major plot and subplot of a book. If you’re not much of a reader, it was made into a film too (can’t vouch for it though, haven’t seen it).”
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Gabrielle’s pick: The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence by Dacher Keltner
Summary: Celebrated UC Berkeley psychologist Dr. Dacher Keltner argues that compassion and selflessness enable us to have the most influence over others and the result is power as a force for good in the world. Power is ubiquitous—but totally misunderstood.
“Borrowed this book on a whim at the library. The book presents a very interesting shift of power dynamics between the powerful and the powerless, through sight, mind, and hearing.
The book combines elements of psychology and sociology, however, it’s quite light on the mind. You’d be surprised however, at how power might be achieved.”
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Saraniyah’s pick: God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Summary: The God of Small Things is the debut novel of Indian writer Arundhati Roy. It is a story about the childhood experiences of fraternal twins whose lives are destroyed by the “Love Laws” that lay down “who should be loved, and how”.
“I don’t have a favourite book per se because it changes with the seasons. Recently, I decided to de-colonise my reading and consume more non-white and non-straight male stories. Arundhati Roy is one of the few authors whose works have really gripped me. I chose The God of Small Things because I wanted a story that wasn’t trying too hard to be something but was also about everything.
I also wanted to read more stories set in marginal societies in India and centered on the displaced and dispossessed lower caste communities. I love (and hate) that this book is told from the perspective of children who witness and fall victim to these ugly politics and inequalities. More than anything I love that this is a book about love –– the most unorthodox, nuanced ideas of love that is.”
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Laura’s pick: The War on Women by Sue Lloyd-Roberts
Summary: The War on Women brings to life the inconceivable and dangerous life Sue led. It tells the story of orphan Mary Merritt who, age sixteen, instead of being released from the care of nuns was interned by them in a Magdalen Laundry and forced to work twelve hours a day six days a week, without pay, for over a decade.
“From female genital mutilations, to honour killings and the gender pay gap, this book highlights issues that women still face around the world in various countries. While we might have heard of such horrific acts through the news, we can get desensitised by the statistics. The author’s use of a narrative voice and the collection of stories humanises the statistics and highlights the amount of work that still needs to be done in our fight for equality globally.
It isn’t necessarily my favourite book, but it is a good book to shut down “men’s rights activists” Definitely not a light piece of reading as it can be quite disturbing.”
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Ruijia’s pick: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Summary: The story of Sapiens is coming to an end (in the next century or so), as the species has outgrown its hominid self. Through science and technology they have the power and intelligence to become gods and create new artificial life and recreate themselves.
“I’ve never been a fan of non-fiction but this book has such depth and intrigue — while remaining easy and pleasant to read — that I MUST bring it to your attention!
As the title promises, Yuval Noah Harari actually does portray the entire human history; but he adopts very refreshing perspectives, from demonstrating the total randomness of our evolution as a species, to examining “myths” that underlie society. Big philosophical ideas are skillfully weaved into the riveting storytelling, and you’re left with so much wonder and satisfaction.
It’s quite remarkable how someone can write about history in such an accessible yet thought-provoking, disinterested yet empathetic way. I read this last year but I’m still not done absorbing the impact.
I’d recommend this to anyone, really! There is such a huge range of ideas about humanity represented in this book that I think everyone can take away something important from it.”