Reads 365: No. 1
Kicking on our month of November - Voices of Resistance.
A good starting point witha mix of contemporary literary fiction from across worlds.
Some of the books features heavy subject matter, so please be mindful of the content warnings and research them fully.
Your mental wellbeing matters.
Open Water
by Caleb Azumah Nelson
A lyrical love story between two young Black British artists navigating intimacy, identity, and the weight of being seen. Nelson's debut is a poetic meditation on what it means to be vulnerable in a world that demands you be strong.
✨ "Can we, for a moment, be soft with each other?"
📚 Genre: Literary Fiction
🎨 Perfect for lovers of: Ocean Vuong, Jenny Offill
#MarginsXReads #BlackBritishLit #OpenWater #CalebAzumahNelson #LoveStory #BlackLove #ContemporaryFiction
Small Things Like These
by Claire Keegan
A masterful novella that proves powerful stories don't need hundreds of pages. Set in 1980s Ireland, this intimate portrait of a coal merchant confronting the brutality of Magdalene laundries will stay with you long after its brief 128 pages.
✨ Why it matters: Keegan illuminates working-class Irish life and the moral courage it takes to see and act on injustice.
📚 Genre: Literary Fiction
⏰ Perfect for: A powerful evening read
#MarginsXReads #IrishLiterature #LiteraryFiction #ClaireKeegan #VoicesOfResistance #SmallThingsLikeThese #BookCommunity
A Map of Home
by Randa Jarrar
A powerful literary work centring Palestinian-American voices and experiences. Essential reading from marginalized voices.
🌍 Voice: Palestinian-American
📚 Genre: Literary Fiction
💫 What to Expect:
Beautiful, thoughtful prose
Authentic Palestinian-American perspective
Complex character development
Themes that resonate
#MarginsXReads #LiteraryFiction #DiverseBooks #BookCommunity #ReadDiverse
The Ministry of Time
by Kaliane Bradley
Time travel meets workplace romance in this wildly inventive sci-fi debut! A British-Cambodian woman becomes a 'bridge' for a Victorian explorer brought to the 21st century. Smart, funny, and deeply human.
✨ What if your job was helping someone from 1847 adjust to modern London?
📚 Genre: Science Fiction
💫 Fans of Doctor Who & The Time Traveler's Wife will love this
#MarginsXReads #SciFi #TimeTravel #QueerLit #KalianeBradley #TheMinistryOfTime #SFF
Assembly
by Natasha Brown
In just 100 pages, Brown delivers a devastating critique of corporate Britain and racial capitalism. A Black British woman prepares for a garden party while reflecting on the compromises she's made to 'succeed.'
✨ Compact, fierce, unforgettable. Read it in one sitting.
📚 Genre: Literary Fiction
⚡ A novella with the impact of a novel
🏆 One of the most talked-about debuts of 2021
#MarginsXReads #Assembly #NatashaBrown #BlackBritishLit #MustRead #ShortButMighty #LiteraryFiction
Wahala
by Nikki May
"Wahala" means trouble in Yoruba, and trouble arrives when three Nigerian-British best friends' loyalty is tested. Think Big Little Lies meets Lagos. Sharp, addictive, and brilliantly observed.
✨ A debut that examines friendship, marriage, and the masks we wear.
📚 Genre: Contemporary Fiction
🎭 Content: Complex female friendships, marriage, secrets
#MarginsXReads #Wahala #NikkiMay #BritishNigerianLit #Friendship #WomensFiction #BookClubPick
Exciting Times
by Naoise Dolan
An Irish expat in Hong Kong teaches English, lives with a wealthy banker, and falls for a lawyer. Dolan's debut is witty, sharp, and achingly observant about class, capitalism, and queer desire.
✨ Sally Rooney meets Patricia Highsmith
📚 Genre: Literary Fiction
🌃 Set in glittering Hong Kong
#MarginsXReads #ExcitingTimes #NaoiseDolan #IrishLit #QueerLit #HongKong #Capitalism
November’s Voices of Resistance book list.