Books are the most simple, honest and useful things to turn to in times of crises. Whether you need some motivation to turn that bad day around, or inspiration to keep believing in your dreams, books tend to have all the solutions.
We’ve already spoken about inspirational books that women must read and books that will lead you to be more successful this year. Now, we’ve turned to our readers to get suggestions on the books they’ve been reading and loving.
Here are the top 10 suggestions. Take a look, buy them and tell us if you love them too.
1. Unladylike: A Field Guide to Smashing the Patriarchy and Claiming Your Space by Caroline Ervin and Cristen Conger
Recommended by our group member Sayanti Chattopadhyay Kar, Unladylike by Caroline Ervin and Cristen Conger is the perfect read for the modern-day feminist. The former hosts of the podcast Stuff Mom Never Told You, and Unladylike give you get a “social justice self-help” guide dealing with the issues that women face in this patriarchal culture – like the wage gap, gendered beauty standards and body image.
Get your copy from here
2. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Our Career Guidance With Kool Kanya member Chaitali Thanvi recommends reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. “Whenever I get stuck, I read it,” she says stressing on the fact that the book is a go-to for everyone across age, culture and gender. While there’s no good way to describe the story without giving away too many spoilers, we can tell you this. The Alchemist is a story about a young shepherd who has a recurring dream about finding a treasure. Believing that this is his ultimate ‘destiny’ he sets out to travel into the African and find the treasure.
Buy the book here
3. Factotum by Charles Bukowski
For Mohini Singhal, Factotum by Charles Bukowski is a perfect read. The book follows Hank Chinaski, a writer who rejects the conventional lifestyle and spends most of his time avoiding societal norms and traditional values. You’ll be thrown right into a fictional, slow-paced world which is perfect for people who don’t get too attached to people and love sarcasm.
Buy the book here
4. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Our ex-intern and group member Vanshika Sharma finds herself often reaching for A Thousand Splendid Suns By Khaled Hosseini. Set against the volatile events of Afghanistan in the last thirty years, the book is the journey of two generations brought together by war.
5. Niche: Why the Market No Longer Favours the Mainstream by James Harkin
Group member Anjali Mishra shares, “I picked up Niche by James Harkin for the case studies on change in market trends.” Published in 2011, the book talks about letting go of age-old principals in the business world and finding a niche instead. Citing examples like Woolworths, General Motors and HBO the book talks about the new revolution in business, how we got here, and the way ahead.
Buy the book here
6. The Zahir by Paulo Coelho
Another Paulo Coelho book, The Zahir, is recommended by Career Guidance member Trupti Hansraj Purohit. Taking you into the world of celebrities, the narrator of the novel is a bestselling novelist who lives in Paris and enjoys all the privileges money and fame brings. His wife, Esther, is a war correspondent, who suddenly disappears along with a friend, Mikhail. Was she kidnapped or did she simply need an escape from her ten-year marriage?
Grab your copy now
7. Strong Beauty: Power Up the Champion Within by Karen Furneaux
For Divya Subramanian, Strong Beauty by Karen Furneaux is a great, inspirational read. Author Karen shares her most in-depth insights and the golden nuggets that led her to success. Her actionable P.O.W.E.R. tools will help you find your strengths and work on them.
8. Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
Sakam Sruthi recommends reading Inner Engineering by Indian yogi Sadhguru. The book is filled with Sadhguru’s insights and teachings that will help you awaken your inner intelligence. Sadhguru uses his own experiences with spirituality and yoga and introduces the reader to the concept of Inner Engineering.
9. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
Jyotsna Sistla recommends picking up a copy of China’s Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem. If you are a fan of science fiction, you will love this novel. Based in 1967, physics professor Ye Zhetai is killed after he refuses to denounce the theory of relativity. His daughter, Ye Wenjie, witnesses his gruesome death. Forty years later Ye’s work is linked to a series of physicist suicides and an elaborate role-playing game that involves the physics problem of the title.
Buy the book here
10. I’m OK – You’re OK by Thomas Anthony Harris
Recommended by Manisha Deshmukh, I’m OK – You’re OK by Thomas Anthony Harris has sold over seven million copies. The book is based on Canadian-born psychiatrist, Eric Berne’s theory of Transactional Analysis, that has helped people who’ve never felt okay about themselves find the freedom to change and be happy.
Grab a copy here
