Due to the recent circumstances, a lot of us are finding ourselves with extra time on our hands. What better way to spend that time than to lose yourself in a book? Here are our top four picks to get excited for, fiction and non-fiction.
The Pink Line: Journeys Across the World’s Queer Frontiers, by Mark Gevisser
Picked by The Guardian as one of the books to look forward to in 2020, The Pink Line is a groundbreaking analysis of the human rights history of queer communities. Mark Gevisser explores how the social movements of sexual orientation and gender identity rights resulted in both dividing and unifying society from all over the world. Gevisser illustrates the struggles on the queer frontiers through the stories of queer folk spanning nine countries.
Although many countries across the globe have taken multiple steps in allowing the same freedoms to the LGBTQ+ community, there are still many nations that are working to curb their rights and criminalise anything that falls under the definition of queer. Because of this, The Pink Line is an incredibly relevant and important read.
Conjure Women, by Afia Atakora
A debut novel about healers, curses, and bonds among women. Set in the American south, spanning before and after the Civil War, Conjure Women tells the story of Miss May Belle – a healer, and her daughter Rue who follows in her footsteps. When an illness befalls their community, Rue finds to be at the centre of suspicion.
Evocative, sincere, and thoroughly researched, Conjure Women moved back and forth in time to tell a story about how far we are willing to go to save our loved ones, from an exquisite and memorable new voice in fiction.
Self-Care, by Leigh Stein
A satirical look at the modern obsession with the self and a searing criticism of ‘woke capitalism’. Co-founders of a wellness start-up, Richual, struggle to find the balance between being good businesswomen, being good people, and being good friends.
A horrible tweet that turns into a PR nightmare, a sexual misconduct scandal, and a secret about how feminist the company actually is, Self-Care takes apart the idea of a ‘girl boss’ and white feminism through fun, incisive writing. With a healthy dose of humour, Leigh Stein shines a bright light on the ‘wellness’ industry and community.
The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett
From The New York Times -bestselling author of The Mothers, an extraordinary new novel that follows the lives of twin sisters who chose to live in drastically different communities as they grew up.
After growing up in a black community and running away at sixteen, one of the sisters ends up coming back with her black daughter to the same town she tried to escape from. The other secretly passes for a white woman, with even her spouse not knowing her secret.
The story goes back and forth in time, addressing the issues of colourism through the Vignes twins’ and their daughters’ eyes. The Vanishing Half looks at our past can affect our lives in a poignantly written masterpiece.
