Bel Canto Books’ 10 Must-Read Titles!
The following list is curated by Jhoanna Belfer, owner and operator of Bel Canto Books.
Our TBR pile just got way bigger.
One of our favorite things about chatting with and supporting indie bookstores is that the booksellers are readers, ready with their curated book recommendations. And like no two indie bookstores are the same, no two indie booksellers booklists are, either—making for an endless collection of must-reads from the best booksellers far and wide.
Jhoanna Belfer, owner and operator of this month’s featured indie bookstore, shares with us 10 books you definitely need to add to your home library right now!
Kindred by Octavia L. Butler
A brilliant work of socially conscious science fiction, Kindred follows Dana, a modern Black woman who is mysteriously transported back to the antebellum South and must try to survive the brutal regime of slavery.
The Leavers by Lisa Ko
One of our favorite novels - about an undocumented Chinese immigrant whose sudden deportation upends her young family’s lives.
The Beauty of Her Face by Sahar Mustafah
A captivating page-turner about a Palestinian-American woman principal who comes face to face with a White school shooter.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
A gorgeously written family saga about two half-sisters in 18th century Ghana and how luck and circumstance set them and their descendants on divergent paths across continents.
Belonging: A German Reckons With History and Home by Nora Krug
German graphic artist and writer Nora Krug blends illustration, personal archives, history, and family research to explore truth, rumor, and mythmaking in her own family’s WWII experiences.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
A beautifully meditative memoir about Indigenous history, knowledge, and values and their importance to the movement for restorative justice and creating a more balanced culture of reciprocity and sustainability.
The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
Poet Ross Gay decides to write for a year about everyday things that delight him, and the resulting book of mini essays is filled with curiosity, joy, and a profound love of language, nature, and community.
What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding by Kristin Newman
A perfect summer beach read - about Newman’s escapade-filled travels around the world as an adventurous and sexually active woman who refuses to settle down.
We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union
This is the best celebrity memoir we’ve ever read, with thought-provoking, sometimes hilarious, stories of Union’s culture-straddling childhood as one of the only Black kids in her suburban hometown, her early days as an actress, and coming to terms with fame, sisterhood, and becoming a stepmother.
Love, Loss and What We Ate by Padma Lakshmi
Most people know Padma Lakshmi from Top Chef fame, but her inspiring memoir delves deeply into her upbringing as a first-generation Indian-American, her struggles to carve out a meaningful professional life, and her work as co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation.
Have you read any of these titles? Support Bel Canto Books by ordering these or any titles today!