Memorable books everyone should read this year

Perhaps one of the more insufferable aspects of my personality is that I keep a record of every single book I read. After I finish a book, I record its name, number of pages, and my rating —which, as the years have gone by, have steadily turned up less and less that hold the 5-star title.

What can I say? It’s becoming harder to impress me. Yet, though that may be true, it’s been equally easier to find the gems worth dog-earing and underlining. These five books were undoubtedly at the top of the 35 I read this year – and the five that I recommend to whoever will listen.

**“Bunny” by Mona Awad** *Genre: Fiction*

If I had to describe this book in two words, it’d be deliciously weird. It begins with the protagonist, who attends a creative writing grad school with a group of girls who could only be described as a cult. By the end, the protagonist has gotten caught up with the girls, and reality and imagination become increasingly harder to distinguish. I give a massive round of applause to Awad, who has both resparked my love of unreliable narration and of novels that are surprisingly twisted. Of any books on this list, this is the one that made me think “what the hell did I just read.” And there’s something so inimitable about that.

**“When You Learn the Alphabet” by Kendra Allen** *Genre: Essays*

I read this book during the summer, just a couple months before Kendra Allen came to campus. Being that I was studying abroad in Greece at the time, I lost my chance to tell her how much I admired her, to which I presume she inevitably would’ve said: “God, Amelia, just from that crazed look in your eyes I can tell that you, too, want to be a creative writer. Of course we can sit down for a cup of coffee and I’ll tell you all my secrets, and maybe leave you with a Danish pastry and an autograph.”

Sigh. What a missed opportunity. Described as “unifying personal narrative and cultural commentary,” this book of essays is a unique and powerful reflection on colorism, feminism, homophobia and other social issues. It defies usual structure in favor of authenticity, and, if there’s any indication that you should read Allen’s words, I’ll tell you this: it’s been seven months and I’m still thinking about them.

**“Sexual Citizens: A Landmark Study on Sex, Power, and Assault on Campus” by Jennifer S. Hirsch and Dr. Shamus Khan** *Genre: Non-Fiction*

I first heard about this book through my Criminology class last spring (shoutout Jacob Jantzer) and was immediately intrigued. Undeniably, consent, sexual assault and safe sex practices have been on everyone’s tongues since the Pat Hall incident last year, and this novel was an educational—and extremely important—read which explores more on those topics. Taking testimonies from real college students, “Sexual Citizens” is masterful at combining research with personal narrative. It’s genuinely fascinating, not to mention a stellar analysis on how college students regard sex.

**“Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner** *Genre: Memoir*

In a book that follows her relationship with her mother and her grief after she passes, Zauner is nothing short of lyrical. I don’t know how, exactly, to express how I feel about it, so I’ll say this. My favorite thing about meeting someone new is when you can see the humanity in them, and that’s exactly what reading this book is like; you can feel the humanity in it. Her sentences are honest and heartbreaking—maybe that’s why she’s both an author and a songwriter—and the whole time, I felt like I was reading a profound diary. My room might have a shrine to her. Don’t check.

**“Eating Animals” by Jonathan Safran Foer** *Genre: Non-Fiction*

I’m not a vegetarian, and to be honest, before reading this I had never given much thought to the meat I was eating. This book changed that. Its goal isn’t to wean its audiences off of meat forever, but rather to show the implications of where meat comes from—most prominently, the horrifying reality of factory farming. Foer is an excellent writer, one who at once recognizes the multiplicity of perspectives and yet remains passionate and methodical. Even if you love meat, this book is a necessary read for self-awareness. Because truly, no matter the subject, a book that makes you think more deeply and deliberately about things is always a good idea.