Books You Should Read To Start Your Year Right

Because reading is the new sexy.

In today’s vast landscape of modern media consumption, it’s undeniable that books are enjoying a renaissance. More people are now reading books as a hobby, especially with the rise of online communities that center on literature.

So whether you are just about to hop on this journey or are looking for titles to diversify your brimming bookshelves, here are five books you should pick up to get on the right foot this year.

1. Luha ng Buwaya (Crocodile’s Tears) by Amado V. Hernandez

If you’re in the market for Filipino historical books other than Rizal’s works, this one’s for you. 

First published in 1964, Hernandez’s second and last novel explores a corrupt political system, portraying the unjust power dynamics between landowners and farmers. From the conjugal dictatorship of those in power to the dirty works in politics and the church, we get to see who the real crocodiles are in society. 

And it’s scary that these crocodiles continue to live with us today.

2. Conversations on Love by Natasha Lunn

We get it; nonfiction can be intimidating—or boring. But if it celebrates love in all its forms, maybe we’d reconsider.

Then again, it would be too cheesy if we got 320 pages worth of romance, right? 

It’s a good thing this book goes beyond falling in love. It bravely tackles conversations on friendship, loss, vulnerability, parenthood, sex, romantic idealizations that are sometimes unrealistic, and all the things we do with love—including the ones that hurt.

3. Lie With Me by Philippe Besson

If you’ve read or watched Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman, here’s another compelling pick.

A French queer story on love and heartbreak, Lie With Me is a poignant short tale that captures the bittersweet nostalgia of first love. Following two teenage boys and their coming-out story, it reminisces about their passionate romance behind closed doors.

This is going to be quite a sobfest, so prepare as many tissues as you can.

4. No Wonder, Women by Carissa Foo

Composed of 16 heartwarming short stories, No Wonder, Women is an ode to all women in love.

This book offers a glimpse into the lives of women as they navigate through the joys and aches of girlhood, women friendships, motherhood, and queer relationships.

Foo’s short story collection encapsulates one of the most profound romantic genres of all time—women loving others without unloving themselves.

5. Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

“Besides, sometimes it’s inevitable for the past to be forgotten, especially if the present is no less horrific;” 

This slim, two-narrative book is nothing short of a masterpiece in political fiction, and it needs to be on your to-be-read list this year.

Decades after the death of a young Palestinian girl in the hands of the soldiers, a Palestinian writer begins exploring the incident despite the present-day constraints of living in a conflict-ridden zone. Aiming to obtain more from this minor detail that’s never been told in history, Shibli tells this story in such a harrowing and heartbreaking way.