November 24, 2021

5 Profound and Stunning Reads Recommended by Elif Shafak

The Island of Missing Trees author shares five books on her shelf that she loves

5 Profound and Stunning Reads Recommended by Elif Shafak

The Island of Missing Trees author shares five books on her shelf that she loves

1. The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

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This book is special—it is so profound and powerful. Based on a multi-generational epic the characters in this novel will stay with you long after you have finished reading. Erdrich is a deep and compassionate observer of human nature; her prose is intelligent, wise but also touchingly beautiful. From identity to memory, from nature to social inequality, the issues she deals with are very close to my heart. I have huge respect for Erdrich.

2. A Year of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman

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I have read this novel with deep admiration and afterward, I listened to the audiobook, which is read so beautifully by the author herself. It’s fabulous. Winman has that special talent where, in the scope of a single story, she can break your heart into tiny pieces and mend it back again and fill it with hope in humanity. The old woman, Marvellous, is a remarkable character. This story deals with tough subjects, including grief, trauma, and depression, but it is ultimately life-affirming, magical.

3. Let The Great World Spin by Colum McCann

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I have read this book years ago, and then recently read it again. It is such an extraordinary novel, multilayered, teeming with life and beauty. It is told through different perspectives, shifting realities or perceptions. It is a dazzling portrait of a city—New York in the 1970s— as much as it is about the intertwined stories of people who are struggling and surviving under its immense skies.

4. Travellers by Helon Habila

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I love this book and I have recommended it to so many people. Anyone who has experienced displacement or migration, anyone who has ever struggled with the complexity of belonging and non-belonging, exile, homesickness or loneliness, should definitely read this novel. It is stunning, deeply moving. Habila is a great storyteller.

5. Matrix by Lauren Groff

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Sisterhood—that’s the word I’d use to describe this utterly wonderful novel. It is about women and power and resistance and rebellion and freedom. This book has so much chutzpah, wisdom, passion that it will change the way you look at history, which is, and has been for too long, read and understood as “his-story.” Groff’s writing is captivating.

"I quite literally told anyone who would listen about this book."

📷+💬: @lorraineslibrary
The Three Lives of Cate Kay and its love stories alway brighten our day. 🌈☀️
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"As I came to understand my path as that of a writer, I realized that my family didn’t have much in the way of material things to pass down, but had stories, had representations of the life we lived together on this earth, and folks before me had representations of the life they lived and survived so that I could be so privileged to be here to tell you all about it…and that for me is the legacy."

Thank you, @delana.r.a.dameron, for sharing Redwood Court with the world and reminding us why it's important to tell stories. Experience the beauty of Redwood Court at our link in bio.
When a book you adore gets a companion ✨ 

If you loved Seven Days in June and everything it celebrates, you’re in for a treat. In Audre & Bash Are Just Friends, @tiawilliamswrites revisits the world of Seven Day in June and gives Audre the main character treatment. Start reading to find out why first love stories never lose their magic.
Inspired by this sweet moment of nostalgia in Tom Lake to take the time to appreciate both the past and present this morning. ✨
Listen up book lovers, we’ve got a new podcast brewing, and you won't want to miss it.

Reese's Book Club is excited to announce, Bookmarked, the podcast that goes behind the scenes with your favorite stories, characters, and authors. Books are stacked high, tea is piping hot. You in? 

Press play every Tuesday starting June 24th, available on the @iheartradio app, @applepodcasts, or wherever you listen.
Our plans today? Locking in with our newest pick, The Phoenix Pencil Company, and a latte! 💙 What's your go-to drink to read with?