Happy Reading 2026!
Buddha in the Attic A deeply moving experience of people living away from their home countries. Experiences of women, sexual abuse, being put down because of the skin and features and body of poverty. The books speaks about assimilation of individuals as well as not being able to assimilate at all. A lot of historical narrative in the book which I was not aware of. This quote from the book got to me in a heavy kind of way- “Haruko left a tiny brass laughing Buddha in the corner in the attic who is laughing till the day.”
Octavia’s Brood A collection of some really, really, cool short stories written by two authors who were inspired by Octavia Butler. They defined the book as ‘visionary fiction’ so like ski-fi style writing but with vision towards intersectionality justice and inclusion. The stories are written in such a raw powerful energy, that at times I had to stop reading. I had to take a deep breath and close my eyes because the fact is, it is every possibility that the worlds described in the stories might exist- for good or for worse. One of my favorite quote from the book is, “All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you. It is the only truth.”
Origin I think I was missing this kind of fun read in my list. If you are a fan of realistic sci-fi mixed with religion and AI in the game, this book is for you. The fact that this was written in 2017 is a little eerie for me given the context in the book. A fantastic read with detailed descriptions of some of the most beautiful historical landmarks in Spain along with their history. Perfect for a history and a travel buff!
Master Slave Husband Wife Weaving through the passages of time, this book tells the story of an escape from slavery. The book is very well researched and warms your heart in many ways. For me the most important aspect of the book was the rich and intricate historical narrative which taught a whole lot. Perfect for history buffs!
A different kind of Normal Non-fiction, memoir written by an autistic author. The descriptions are spot on and very beautifully described. It made me laugh and cry at the same time. It’s a fantastic and very educative read. Everyone should read and own a copy.
Born a Crime A fantastic memoir by Trevor Noah- his childhood struggles, life around him and his world view. It is written in a ‘very’ Trevor way and is hilarious. At the same time it explores some very deep conversations around various aspects of Apartheid- very believable and totally worth reading. I do not read memoirs- this changed that for me. Obviously.
Out of My Mind A very good novel about Melody, an 11year old who can’t walk or talk but has learned innumerable words. She feels the color in music and feels bad about the goldfish in the bowl. I teared up a little at the text in the book ‘but she had to do the Mom thing and double-check.’ Very relatable. A beautiful and easy read. Just came to know there are two more in the series so I am definitely reading those next!
We’ll prescribe you a Cat Short stories about struggle people face in their lives and how having a ‘prescribed cat’ in their lives changes perspectives.
The Serviceberry An interesting conversation about gift economies and how that is rooted in a relationship model vs market economy which is rooted in money. Gift economies continue to gift. It is a small and easy book to read with a lovely actionable message. A beautiful quote from the book: ‘Competition makes sense only when we consider the unit of evolution to be individual. When focus shifts to the level of a group, cooperation is a better model.’
The Berry Pickers A book which haunted me for days. It is beautifully written and raw with emotion. A young Native American girl was taken away from her family, with justifications from the abductors ‘thinking of her well-being’. Very realistic and heart wrenching book which I am so glad I read this year.
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness This web of stories seems to be written from the non- dominant voices in Delhi- whether it be Muslims, Transgender, Sikhs, communities facing discrimination due to caste, class, structures in the society. The author brings in a lot of Indian history into the picture which hits hard at times. A very good read for history buffs! An awesome quote from the book, “Life is like-A rehearsal for a performance which never eventually materializes!”
God of the Woods Such a fantastic read. A thriller which I usually don’t read but this was gripping. I could not put the book down and read it pretty fast and it helps that it is a very easy read. Female lead characters to that!
The Ministry of Time At some point, all of my friends was reading this. So I did as well. And I was not disappointed. It flows really well and has a mix of historical fiction in it. A good read overall.
The Vegetarian A very heavy book to say the least. The exploration of various themes like patriarchy, submissiveness and resistance intertwined with mental health exploration. I enjoyed it very much but it does need some deep breathes in between. This is the book for you if you are a therapist/expert!
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches This book made me feel so warm and cozy. A very cute fiction about witches and an irregular brood among them. It explores relationships, childhood traumas and how the cycle of trauma can be broken to move towards healing.
The Christmas Bookshop and Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop These two books are beautiful stories about two sisters on their own paths in life. Interesting and light read with some plot twists but nothing shocking. Part 2 was fun to read- light hearted. A read about family and love!
The Book of Friendship A beautiful collection of poems, quotes and excerpts from famous and non-famous authors, all on- you guessed it- Friendship! They warm your heart and make you miss your besties from all different walks of life. A perfect coffee table book!
P.S. Picture taken by a friend as I happily read in the beautiful Concord Public Library on a cold Fall day!