PUBLISHED November 23rd, 2021 06:00 am | UPDATED July 24th, 2024 12:39 pm
With all the travel lanes opening up, new food places popping up and events going on, the forecast for November seems hopeful with a tinge (or a lot) of rain. In case you just want to stay in, cosy up with a good book and just indulge your mind and soul, we’ve got you covered as well. Here is a handpicked list of funny and thoughtful books about gratitude, laughs and love in the spirit of the holidays.
Reasons to Be Cheerful By Nina Stibbe
Reasons to Be Cheerful is a refreshing coming-of-age story set in the 1980s about Lizzie, a bright 18-year old attempting to escape the grips of an alcoholic mother. The girl from the suburbs charms her way into a dental assistant job, and voilah! The freedom and independence she’s always wanted – or so she thought.
Nina Stibbe evokes a sense of nostalgia about becoming young adults, triggering memories that are bound to leave you chuckling to yourself. Her writing promises an amusing vintage comedy that trails the innocent kid as she journeys into adulthood.
Reasons to Be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe is available on Book Depository.
The Wangs vs The World By Jade Chang
What do you do when the fortune empire you painstakingly built crumbles to nothing but dust? Take a road trip. In The Wangs vs The World, Charles Wang takes his family across the country to visit his oldest daughter, Saina, in a final, and desperate, attempt to regain all lost hope and himself. Eventually, the family not only reconnects with one another over this opportunity, but they also revisit their roots in China.
As the plot oscillates between Saina and the Wang family’s quirky but comical misadventures, Jade Chang hits home with mentions of the financial crisis – an unintended caricature of today – between effortless expressions of topical humour.
The Wangs vs The World by Jade Chang is available on Book Depository.
A Little Hope by Ethan Joella
A Little Hope by Ethan Joella is about the suburb of Wharton in Connecticut, where many are experiencing a season of unimaginable grief, pain and loss. One has just been diagnosed with a rapidly advancing form of cancer, two other families have lost their children. Another is battling with the repercussions of his past infidelity. There’s a wedding, and people trying to find love.
Grit and determination aren’t enough for these townsfolk to face or deal with their problems on their own. And so, they are forced to turn to one another. As we are trudging out of the pandemic into an altered, new ‘normal’, now more than ever, this collection of linked stories, about hope, connection and community becomes important.
A Little Hope by Ethan Joella is available on Book Depository.
The Echo Chamber By John Boyne
John Boyne comes out with guns blazing at all trigger-happy hunters and armchair activists. The hilarious read centres around George Cleverley, a part-time chatshow host and full-time “national treasure”. One wrong word, in a single tweet, topples his career. The story shows Cleverley’s battle against the toxic cancel culture. But Cleverley’s struggles pale in comparison to his other immediate family members, who each have their own phone-related issues, from trolling to stolen identities.
The Echo Chamber may seem to borrow from real life with the many public figures going on apology tours today, but Boyne stands out with his unapologetic honesty. With a tad bit of humour (and loads of hilarious wit and sarcasm), he injects the painful message that people have become unnecessarily vicious. This brilliant read prompts us to reflect and approach from a place of empathy and understanding rather than to simply charge at another for being different.
The Echo Chamber by John Boyne is available on Book Depository.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? By Mindy Kaling
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? feels like you’re reconnecting with an old friend. An old friend who knows everything you have been through and relates. You’ll catch yourself giggling every few pages as Mindy Kaling narrates her experiences of growing up in the US, finding friendship, romance and independence, and eventually going on to pursue a career in writing and comedy.
Every once in a while, though, the giggles die down and Kaling makes you think about the intersections of gender, race, as well as other topics like body image and immigrant – without even mentioning it. It becomes a reflective read about a girl-next-door, and we’re all the better for it.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling is available on Book Depository.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven By Mitch Albom
As the year draws to an end, it is common for one existential question to pop into our heads – “why am I here?” The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a reminder that the question comes from a place of dread. Protagonist Eddie – a wounded war veteran who loses his life being a martyr till the very end – discovers heaven isn’t a place in the afterlife. It’s a liminal space where the setting changes according to who Eddie meets.
As Eddie meets the five different people, each delivers a lesson – about love, sacrifice, trauma and much more. The book may be old, but Mitch Albom’s imagination and writing make it timeless. The perfect read about self-love, empathy, and above all, healing – just in time for the holidays.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom is available on Book Depository.
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