We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.
1. Sharanya Haridas - Life Doesn't Frighten Me by Maya Angelou, illustrated by Jean-Michel Basquiat
"I love Maya Angelou’s poetry and Jean-Michel Basquiat’s art, so this book is a dream pairing. The whole book is a single poem by Angelou (Life Doesn’t Frighten Me) that she wrote “for all children who whistle in the dark and who refuse to admit that they’re frightened out of their wits.” Basquiat’s art (inspired by “royalty, heroism and the streets”) bursts with raw emotion. All of us, no matter our age, needed a little extra courage in 2020 and it’s impossible not to be moved by this stark, beautiful book. It’s a poetry book, coffee table book and work of art all in one. "
2. Sumedha Bharpilania - The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
"As someone who loves reading, I have, during the past couple of months, struggled with even starting a book because I just CAN'T focus. However, this title has been interesting enough to hold my attention. The Immortalists is about four siblings who learn the date of their death from a mysterious soothsayer and Chloe Benjamin takes us through the events that transpire before and after this prophecy. It is beautifully written - heartbreaking and comforting in equal parts - without getting too preachy and philosophical. I would strongly recommend."
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3. Sumedha Bharpilania - A Burning by Megha Majumdar
“A young woman gets arrested for a Facebook post. A man lets his nationalistic vigour take over his morals. A deeply ambitious hijra merely wishes to achieve her dreams while constantly being otherised. A Burning by Megha Majumdar is eerily reflective of the times we live in and is unputdownable because of the way it follows the intertwined lives of these characters. I am a slow reader but I finished it in two days. Strongly recommend!”
4. Mugdha Kusray - Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
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5. Shreya Mali - Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
6. Shivani Agrawal - Little Weirds by Jenny Slate
“ I don't think I have shut up about this book since I first read it in early March. Jenny Slate is as funny in writing as she is on screen. Her writing is visceral, poetic and deeply personal but somehow it feels like her words are aimed right at you. It packs a right punch and it changed my entire perspective on love and life. If you're a twenty-something struggling with urban loneliness, you HAVE to read this book right now!”
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7. Shivani Agrawal - Toast by Nigel Slater
“Anyone who knows me, knows I love a good food related piece of writing. Nigel Slater is a food critic and has written coloumns for British dailies for over a decade. In Toast, he uses his instinctual love for food and his deep-seated memories to tell the story of his life - the loss of his mother, his father's anger issues, and coming to terms with his sexuality. Toast is somehow both Nigel's story and everyone else's story.”
8. Swapna Ravichandran - The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
“I picked this book up on a friends recommendation, and the only thing I knew about it was that it was written from the perspective of a dog. I love dogs, and this book hit all the right spots for me - it was funny, endearing, full of emotion and even had a little suspense. By the end of the book you’ll definitely have a warm spot in your heart for Enzo and his little human family.”
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