Tag: literary fiction recommendations
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Review: Uprising – Tahmima Anam
A stunning tale of revolt and revolution. Such a brilliant and short read, so many of you will love this.
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Review – Pachinko – Min Jin Lee
Pancinko is a long and sprawling literary historical novel focusing on just one family and the generations that follow. An utterly beautiful book, spanning generations, for fans of Homegoing and more historical fiction.
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Review: Small Joys – Elvin James Mensah
I don’t know what else I can add and say about this book that hasn’t already been said, but it’s easily one of my favourite books of the year. This is literary fiction at its best and is a modern day classic, implore you to read this.
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Review: Punching the Air – Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam
Amal should have been somewhere else that night, but he was there and he’s now living with that decision. I devoured this and I already can’t wait this YA novel in verse read it again.
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Review: White Spaces – Elvin James Mensah
“A hymn to brotherly love and its transcendent power to heal”. Mensah has done it again, White Spaces is a masterpiece.
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Review: Sister of Mine – Marie-Claire Amuah
Family secrets are uncovered on a trip to Ghana and Sika will never be the same again. I fell in love with Amuah’s writing in her debut, One for Sorrow, Two for Joy, and it was a pleasure to return to that heartfelt style in Sister of Mine.
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Review: Half Lives – Krystle Zara Appiah
Krystle Zara Appiah is back with another beautifully told novel, which this time centres sisterhood and all its nuances. A slightly different pace than Rootless but a brilliant read nonetheless.
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Review: Rootless – Krystle Zara Appiah
Efe and Sam were meant to be together, they just were never there at the right time. A book that has truly broken me but I couldn’t recommend more, just stunning.
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Review: James – Percival Everett
James retells the Mark Twain’s The Tales of Huckleberry Finn from his untold perspective. Thoroughly enjoyable and I can’t recommend on audio enough.
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Review: Celestial Lights – Cecile Pin
Celestial Lights follows Ollie as he’s going where no man has gone before, to Jupiter’s moon to search for life. More exquisite writing from Pin that starts gentle but leaves a heavy hole after finishing.
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Review: Kin – Tayari Jones
Two motherless girls, raised side by side until their lives take them in different directions. An unforgettable tale of sisterhood.
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Review: Havisham – Elle Machray
You’ll know of Miss Havisham through Dickens’ Great Expectations but get ready to find out who she was and could be when women write their own stories. One of my favourite reads of the year, a stunning reworking of one of literacy’s most ignored women.
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Review: Strangerland – Monika Radojevic
Strangerland proves that love can transcend language, borders and whole oceans. Radojevic’s debut is a roaring success, readers will be incredibly moved by this one.
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Review: Good Dirt – Charmaine Wilkerson
The fate of one jar ripples through history with this multi-generational story centring family legacy. This is Wilkerson’s best work yet and I’m so excited to see what comes next for her, do not miss this.
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Review: I Dreamed of You – Pim Wangtechawat
How does friendship fare when dreams and hopes of romance are involved? A beautifully light and delicate literary novel, set in beautiful Edinburgh.
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Review: Black Cake – Charmaine Wilkerson
A novel of uncovered family secrets and the lengths people go to for survival. I enjoyed the premise of this one, there was a lot going on and lots of twines to unravel.
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Review: As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow
Layla feels like she can’t leave Syria while she can still be of use in the hospital, but the revolution is getting closer and it’s only a matter of time… A devastating story of revolution and the hope that can blossom in the darkest of times.
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Review: The Hate U Give – Angie Thomas
After Star witness the murder of her friend, she’s called to be a witness and the importance of using her voice becomes apparent. I mean, how do I even review this book? It’s a modern classic!
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Review: Mongrel – Hanako Footman
Three women, three tales of identity and belonging. A stunning novel that has me hoping Footman will be writing for years to come.
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Review: The Girl With the Louding Voice – Abi Daré
Adunni just wants to finish her education, but life has never dealt her the fairest hand. This is beautifully written with distressing but necessary topics, a modern classic.
The Bookish Mindset 