Ülrika's Top 10 Books by Women
Deepti Kapoor’s second novel is literally impossible to put down. Ajay, the watchful servant to the wealthy playboy Sunny, and Neda, a curious journalist, find their lives and stories intertwined. An epic, face-paced novel that weaves the Wadia family and those that find themselves attached to them into a world of intrigue. Wealth, corruption, violence, and family are at the core of this novel, equal parts crime thriller and generational family saga.
A novel that takes place within 24 hours during the Saturnalia carnival in Philadelphia. A suspenseful novel that combines debauchery, the occult, alchemy, friendship, manipulation, and betrayal. When Nina is asked a favor from her friend and former elite Saturn Club member to steal a box, it begins an evening of horrifying secrets and betrayals from those who were once close to her taking her to parades, worship houses, museums, cemeteries, and hidden mansions while she is forced to confront her past decisions and friendships.
A powerful and disturbing debut novel about a mixed-raced young woman as she considers her identity as a Black German, recalling her past, the estrangement with her family, and 21st century Germany. A timeless novel about what it means to discover one’s self.
A ruthless satire, Identitti delves deep into academica, identity, social media, and scandals. When a celebrated college professor of South Asian studies is discovered to actually be white, an outrage follows. Following the uproar, the narrator is forced to reflect on the key moments in her life, when she doubted her identity and her place in the world. It is a thought-provoking novel about the outsized power of social media in the current debates about identity politics and the power of claiming your own voice.
Ketty Rouf’s debut novel takes an erotic approach to the relationship between one’s body and the freedom to explore one’s life that you never thought existed without judgement even when there might be consequences. Josephine is a high school philosophy teacher trying to balance her existence between Xanax and the daily routine of life. Her life will never be the same once she walks in a strip club on the Champs-Elysée.
Lily is waiting to attend Oxford while living under the scrutiny of her Singaporean mother and distant English father. When her mother suspects her father of having an affair she begins to become unhinged. The only way to calm her down is spoiled glasses of orange juice that Lily must taste first. Beautiful and shocking, it's an explosive story of mothers and daughters.
Claire Kodha’s debut novel is a fresh take on the vampire story that is both insightful and an exploration of hunger, delving into becoming an artist, and finding your true self. Lydia’s mixed-raced heritage tackles both common and difficult themes of race, social isolation, family, heritage, food, art, and the longing to connect.
Brave, daring, as well as an insightful guide for writers and non-writers alike, Melissa Febos’ Body Work, is a marvel. A candid examination of the self and the act of writing, Forbes seamlessly blends memoir, craft, and the profound effort of looking into oneself. A book ranging from addiction to trauma to issues of privacy, Body Work is an urgent and profound book.
Both heartbreaking and hopeful, Allegra Goodman's Sam is a tender, brave, and original book about coming of age. Deftly balancing family, loss, self-discovery, and all their inherent complexities, Sam will have readers rooting for the titular character even after they've finished. A brilliant, nuanced novel.
Keri Blakinger’s memoir is brave, brutal, and truthful about what it means to survive life's trials, from an eating disorder, to addiction, to imprisonment in the American judicial system, all while navigating life inside, recovery, and redemption. Inspiring and relevant, a true story that will stay with you long after you finished.