Fresh Parchment

01

Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik

This book was described to me as Bridget Jones' Diary with a few hijab jokes thrown in. Not only is it that much fun, but it's also a moving picture of being a modern Muslim and of being a second-generation immigrant. It takes family relationships, dating, business, and faith, and mixes it all together into a wonderful, well-rounded read.

 

02

Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon

Romantic Outlaws is a dual biography of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley, a mother and daughter who, despite never knowing each other, led incredibly similar lives. Gordon's book highlights those similarities as she shows the reader how each woman came to be an incredible feminist and literary influence for her generation.

 

03

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Menon's romantic comedy is the modern Bollywood romantic comedy that you never knew that you needed. That's all I can say about it, really. It's wonderful and fun. Read it.

 

04

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Homegoing begins with two sisters in eighteenth-century Africa. One is married to a British slaver, the other is traded into slavery. From there, Gyasi traces each subsequent generation up to the end of the twentieth century, highlighting both how our choices affect future generations and how every generation of a family is inextricably linked.

 

05

The Genius of Jane Austen by Paula Byrne

Paula Byrne is one of the top Jane Austen scholars (therefore I will read anything that she writes). In this book, she looks specifically at Austen's connection to theatre, both in her own life and in her novels. Covering eighteenth-century dramas to modern film interpretations of Austen's own works, each point that Byrne highlights is fascinating.

 

06

Laughing All the Way to the Mosque: The Misadventures of a Muslim Woman by Zarqa Nawaz

Zarqa Nawaz is most famous for writing the Canadian sitcom Little Mosque on the Prairie. In this memoir, she looks at both the funny and more serious sides of her life, being a second-generation immigrant, a modern Muslim woman, and a woman in the comedy-writing business. Even if none of those categories is something that you have personally experienced, I guarantee that you will still find it relatable in some way. That's how much heart Nawaz puts into the book.

 

07

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Henry "Monty" Montague is a teenager on the brink of manhood - which, in the eighteenth-century, means he will be sent on his "Grand Tour" of Europe. Parties, culture, and no parents sound like everything Monty could want. However, this Tour will get a little more complicated: his sister and his tutor will be coming on the trip, and he might be in love with his best friend, Percy. This YA novel has great representation, a rollicking adventure of a plot, and great historical accuracy.

 

08

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

I missed reading The Color Purple in high school. I'm glad I waited. It was worth the wait. The novel covers the story of sisters Celie and Nettie as they grow up and eventually leave an abusive childhood. For Celie, leaving her childhood home does not improve, as she is married as a teenager to a controlling husband. Through writing to God, Nettie, and meeting the entrancing Shug Avery, Celie eventually finds her place in the world. Walker captures such raw emotions that it is impossible not to be moved by (and thus love) this book.

 

09

Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens by Eddie Izzard

This book says exactly what it says on the cover...OK, minus the jazz chickens. Eddie Izzard, comedian and hopeful politician writes the story of his life thus far, from school capers to acting to coming out as transgender and beginning his comedy career. The footnotes are my favorite part. His book is just as funny, smart, and moving as he is onstage.

 

10

Franklin's Flying Bookshop by Jen Campbell 

Jen Campbell, author and BookTube host, has written one of the best children's books I've read in a long time. Franklin the dragon loves books and wants to tell others about them. But, because he's a dragon, people keep running away from him. One day, he meets a little girl named Luna, and they hatch a plan to help Franklin take his love of books to others. If that summary doesn't melt any book-lover's heart, I don't know what will. My favorite line? "Franklin felt as though he were made of stories." Go buy this book (and its upcoming sequel) for the young book-lover in your life!