My 2025 Reads
Amitav Ghosh
Amitav Ghosh is an acclaimed Indian author known for blending historical research with compelling storytelling, particularly exploring themes of colonialism, migration, and identity across South Asia. From his works, I hope to learn how to transform complex themes into global, page-turning stories.
The Circle of Reason (1986) – migration, identity
The Shadow Lines (1988) – borders, memory
In an Antique Land (1992) – history, culture
The Calcutta Chromosome (1995) – science, colonialism
Dancing in Cambodia and at Large in Burma (1998) – travel, observation
Countdown (1999) – politics, nuclear issues
The Glass Palace (2000) – empire, displacement
The Imam and the Indian (2002) [essays] – culture, colonialism
The Hungry Tide (2004) – environment, human resilience
Incendiary Circumstances (2005) [essays] – turmoil, conflict
Sea of Poppies (2008) – trade, survival
River of Smoke (2011) – commerce, culture
Flood of Fire (2015) – war, power
The Great Derangement (2016) – climate, history
Gun Island (2019) – climate, mythology
The Nutmeg's Curse (2021) – colonialism, environmental change
Smoke and Ashes (2023) – opium trade, empire
Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison was a groundbreaking American novelist and Nobel Prize winner whose powerful writing illuminates the Black American experience through lyrical prose, complex characters, and deep psychological insight. Reading her canon will teach me to craft emotionally resonant stories that tackle difficult themes with both unflinching honesty and poetic grace.
The Bluest Eye (1970) – racism, identity
Sula (1973) – friendship, independence
Song of Solomon (1977) – heritage, masculinity
Tar Baby (1981) – class, relationships
Beloved (1987) – trauma, memory
Jazz (1992) – love, music
Playing in the Dark (1992) – race, literature
Paradise (1997) – community, power
The Dancing Mind (1996) [speech] – reading, creativity
Love (2003) – obsession, betrayal
A Mercy (2008) – slavery, motherhood
What Moves at the Margin (2008) [essays] – politics, culture
Home (2012) – healing, belonging
God Help the Child (2015) – abuse, redemption
The Source of Self-Regard (2019) [essays, speeches] – power, art
James Baldwin
James Baldwin was a transformative American writer whose essays and fiction fearlessly confront race, sexuality, and social justice through precise, passionate prose that combines personal experience with sharp cultural analysis. From his works, I hope to learn how to write with raw honesty while maintaining intellectual clarity and emotional power.
Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953) – religion, identity
Notes of a Native Son (1955) [essay collection] – race, experience
Giovanni's Room (1956) – sexuality, isolation
The Fire Next Time (1963) [essay] – racism, justice
Another Country (1962) – race, desire
Nobody Knows My Name (1961) [essays] – race, identity
Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone (1968) – art, activism
If Beale Street Could Talk (1974) – love, injustice
The Devil Finds Work (1976) – film, prejudice
Just Above My Head (1979) – family, survival
The Evidence of Things Not Seen (1985) – violence, society
The Cross of Redemption (2010) [essays] – politics, literature
Maggie O’Farrell
Maggie O'Farrell is a contemporary Irish-British novelist acclaimed for her intimate exploration of family relationships, memory, and near-death experiences through intricate, time-shifting narratives. My goal in studying her work is to master the art of weaving multiple timelines and perspectives into emotionally compelling stories.
After You'd Gone (2000) – grief, memory
My Lover's Lover (2002) – obsession, relationships
The Distance Between Us (2004) – connection, separation
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox (2006) – secrets, confinement
The Hand That First Held Mine (2010) – motherhood, art
Instructions for a Heatwave (2013) – family, disappearance
This Must Be the Place (2016) – marriage, identity
I Am, I Am, I Am (2017) – survival, resilience
Hamnet (2020) – loss, creativity
The Marriage Portrait (2022) – power, destiny
Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith is a brilliant British novelist and essayist known for her sharp wit and incisive exploration of race, class, and cultural identity through richly layered characters and vibrant dialogue. Studying her masterful blend of humor and social commentary will sharpen my ability to create stories that are both entertaining and intellectually engaging.
White Teeth (2000) – family, multiculturalism
The Autograph Man (2002) – identity, celebrity
On Beauty (2005) – art, academia
Changing My Mind (2009) – essays, perspective
NW (2012) – city life, friendship
Swing Time (2016) – dance, ambition
Feel Free (2018) – essays, freedom
Grand Union (2019) – short stories, society
Intimations (2020) – pandemic, reflection
The Wife of Willesden (2021) – adaptation, storytelling
The Fraud (2023) – history, deception
Anne Berest
Anne Berest is a contemporary French writer whose personal and historical narratives delicately explore Jewish identity, family secrets, and intergenerational trauma through elegant, emotionally resonant prose. Through her work, particularly The Postcard, I aim to understand how to transform family history into universal stories that bridge past and present.
Sagan 1954 (2014) – literature, nostalgia
How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are (2014) – culture, lifestyle
Gabriële (2017) – art, biography
La Carte Postale (2021) – family, Holocaust
Kazuo Ishiguro
Kazuo Ishiguro is a Nobel Prize-winning British novelist celebrated for his subtle exploration of memory, loss, and self-deception through deceptively simple prose and unreliable narrators. His masterful restraint in storytelling will teach me how to build complex emotional worlds through what remains unsaid.
A Pale View of Hills (1982) – memory, loss
An Artist of the Floating World (1986) – guilt, nationalism
The Remains of the Day (1989) – duty, regret
The Unconsoled (1995) – confusion, identity
When We Were Orphans (2000) – memory, isolation
Never Let Me Go (2005) – cloning, humanity
Nocturnes (2009) – music, longing
The Buried Giant (2015) – memory, mythology
Klara and the Sun (2021) – AI, loneliness
Ta-Nehisi Coates
Ta-Nehisi Coates is an incisive American writer who transforms personal experience, historical analysis, and cultural criticism into powerful narratives about race, justice, and identity in both his non-fiction and fiction works. His ability to weave scholarship and storytelling into accessible, urgent prose will guide my approach to research-driven narrative.
The Beautiful Struggle (2008) - coming-of-age, resilience
Between the World and Me (2015) - identity, racism
We Were Eight Years in Power (2017) - history, politics
The Water Dancer (2019) - slavery, memory
The Message (2024) - faith, transformation
Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah is a bestselling American novelist known for crafting emotionally gripping historical fiction that centers on family relationships, female resilience, and survival through meticulously researched settings. Her talent for blending intimate character development with sweeping historical events will show me how to create commercially successful stories that maintain literary depth.
A Handful of Heaven (1991) - love, loss
The Enchantment (1992) - romance, magic
Once in Every Life (1992) - fate, healing
If You Believe (1993) - faith, hope
When Lightning Strikes (1994) - destiny, passion
Waiting for the Moon (1995) - longing, dreams
Home Again (1996) - family, reconciliation
On Mystic Lake (1999) - grief, recovery
Angel Falls (2000) - love, tragedy
Summer Island (2001) - family, forgiveness
Distant Shores (2002) - relationships, change
Between Sisters (2003) - sisterhood, healing
The Things We Do for Love (2004) - sacrifice, family
Comfort & Joy (2005) - Christmas, renewal
Magic Hour (2006) - healing, innocence
Firefly Lane (2008) - friendship, loyalty
True Colors (2009) - sibling rivalry, love
Winter Garden (2010) - family, secrets
Night Road (2011) - tragedy, forgiveness
Home Front (2012) - war, resilience
Fly Away (2013) - loss, recovery
The Nightingale (2015) - survival, resistance
The Great Alone (2018) - survival, love
The Four Winds (2021) - resilience, hope
The Women (2024) - strength, sacrifice
Harriet E. Wilson
Harriet E. Wilson was a pioneering African-American author whose 1859 novel Our Nig broke ground as the first known publication by a Black American woman, documenting the brutal realities of Northern racism through semi-autobiographical fiction. Reading her groundbreaking work will teach me how to transform personal hardship into fearless, truthful storytelling that opens new paths for others.
Our Nig (1859) - race, identity
Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston was a luminous American anthropologist and novelist whose masterful use of Black vernacular and folklore brought the richness of African-American cultural life in the rural South to the literary forefront. Her fearless storytelling and ethnographic approach will guide me in authentically capturing distinct voices and cultural experiences.
Jonah's Gourd Vine (1934) - family, folklore
Mules and Men (1935) - culture, folklore
Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) - self-discovery, love
Tell My Horse (1938) - Haiti, spirituality
Moses, Man of the Mountain (1939) - faith, leadership
Dust Tracks on a Road (1942) - autobiography, resilience
Seraph on the Suwanee (1948) - love, conflict
Barracoon (2018) - slavery, history
Joan Didion
Joan Didion was a masterful American writer whose precise, unsentimental prose style revolutionized both personal essays and cultural criticism through keen observation and unflinching self-examination. Her surgical precision with language and clear-eyed approach to both personal and cultural analysis will teach me how to write with ruthless clarity and emotional restraint.
Run River (1963) - family, tragedy
Slouching Towards Bethlehem (1968) - culture, disillusionment
Play It as It Lays (1970) - mental health, society
The White Album (1979) - culture, identity
A Book of Common Prayer (1977) - politics, loss
Salvador (1983) - conflict, journalism
Democracy (1984) - politics, power
Miami (1987) - city, culture
The Last Thing He Wanted (1996) - intrigue, politics
After Henry (1992) - loss, reflection
Political Fictions (2001) - politics, media
Where I Was From (2003) - identity, history
The Year of Magical Thinking (2005) - grief, memory
Blue Nights (2011) - grief, motherhood
South and West (2017) - history, self-discovery
Let Me Tell You What I Mean (2021) - essays, reflections
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was a revolutionary British novelist whose sharp social satire and masterful character development illuminated the complexities of class, marriage, and women's lives in Regency England through wit and precise observation. Her brilliant dialogue and subtle irony will show me how to craft social commentary that entertains while it critiques.
Sense and Sensibility (1811) - family, love
Pride and Prejudice (1813) - society, romance
Mansfield Park (1814) - morality, class
Emma (1815) - matchmaking, self-discovery
Northanger Abbey (1817) - gothic, satire
Persuasion (1817) - love, regret
Lady Susan (1871) - marriage, manipulation
James McBride
James McBride is a versatile American author whose work blends humor, history, and jazz-like storytelling rhythms to explore race, identity, and family through both intimate personal narratives and sweeping historical fiction. His gift for finding joy and humanity in serious subjects will teach me to balance light and dark elements in complex stories.
The Color of Water (1995) - identity, race
Miracle at St. Anna (2002) - war, brotherhood
Song Yet Sung (2008) - freedom, resilience
The Good Lord Bird (2013) - slavery, abolition
Kill 'Em and Leave (2016) - music, legacy
Deacon King Kong (2020) - community, redemption
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store (2023) - history, secrets
Ann Patchett
Ann Patchett is a perceptive American novelist whose intimate storytelling explores the surprising ways strangers become family through elegantly structured narratives and compassionate character studies. Her ability to find extraordinary stories in ordinary human connections will guide my approach to crafting compelling interpersonal dynamics.
The Patron Saint of Liars (1992) - identity, secrets
Taft (1994) - redemption, family
The Magician's Assistant (1997) - loss, illusion
Bel Canto (2001) - music, hostage
Run (2007) - family, sacrifice
State of Wonder (2011) - science, morality
Commonwealth (2016) - family, guilt
The Dutch House (2019) - family, inheritance
These Precious Days (2021) - friendship, reflection
Tom Lake (2023) - love, memory
Elizabeth Gaskell
Elizabeth Gaskell was a pioneering Victorian novelist whose social reform narratives illuminated class struggles and industrial change in 19th-century England through compassionate character studies and detailed social observation. Her skillful balance of social commentary with compelling personal stories will guide my approach to writing about systemic issues through intimate human perspectives.
Mary Barton (1848) - class, labor
Cranford (1851) - community, women
Ruth (1853) - morality, redemption
North and South (1854) - industrialization, love
Sylvia's Lovers (1863) - love, war
Cousin Phillis (1864) - rural life, relationships
Wives and Daughters (1865) - marriage, society
bell hooks
bell hooks was a transformative cultural critic and author whose accessible yet profound writing challenged readers to examine love, race, gender, and capitalism through radical, intersectional perspectives. Her genius for making complex theoretical ideas personal and actionable will show me how to write about big ideas with clarity and revolutionary warmth.
Ain’t I a Woman (1981) - race, gender
Feminist Theory (1984) - feminism, critique
Talking Back (1989) - voice, power
Yearning (1990) - desire, identity
Black Looks (1992) - race, representation
Sisters of the Yam (1993) - healing, spirituality
Teaching to Transgress (1994) - education, liberation
Killing Rage (1995) - anger, justice
Art on My Mind (1995) - art, culture
Bone Black (1996) - memoir, identity
Wounds of Passion (1997) - love, desire
Remembered Rapture (1999) - love, spirituality
All About Love (2000) - love, healing
Where We Stand (2000) - race, society
Salvation (2001) - faith, transformation
Communion (2002) - spirituality, connection
Teaching Community (2003) - education, community
The Will to Change (2004) - masculinity, change
Belonging (2008) - community, identity
Teaching Critical Thinking (2009) - thought, education
Writing Beyond Race (2012) - race, writing
Appalachian Elegy (2012) - heritage, grief