The Best Books to Read Right Now That You Might’ve Missed

We know—you’ve been stuck inside for a month, catching up on weeks, months, even years of reading. You’ve read the best books of this year and last, gone through your personal notes app, picked the book review section clean for new titles, and you’ve taken a pass at the classics. So what now?

This is a short list of books we think you might have missed on other lists. We also asked booksellers at some of our favorite indie shops (who need your support now more than ever) for some titles they thought were overlooked in the past few years. Unsurprisingly, they came back with some air-tight recommendations, from laugh-out-loud fiction to mental wellness guides to art history primers. And because we couldn’t help it, we added in some recommendations of our own. These are nine of the best books that might have passed you by, but are definitely worthy of your attention.

Space Invaders by Nona Fernandez

Nona Fernandez is perhaps the hippest Chilean writer since Roberto Bolaño (with whom she shares a translator). Her novella Space Invaders, which came out in English last year, is a fractured narrative of the Pinochet regime that follows a government official’s daughter who suddenly disappears from school. Short, stylish, and engrossing, this is a stellar book from a writer who should be on your radar.

Looking at Art with Alex Katz by Alex Katz

This book is great because it offers insight into the mind of the 20th century’s greatest American artists. Katz writes about his New York contemporaries and gives exciting, incisive takes on his own interactions with the work of El Greco, Philip Guston, and more. Like his own images, Katz’s descriptions are stripped down, colorful, and playful.—Jesse Bryand, Strand Books, New York, NY

The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay

Madhuri Vijay’s novel follows Shalini, a young woman on a journey of self-discovery that takes her across India. She’s 30 years old, but in many ways her story is a classic coming of age tale. When she leaves her upscale neighbourhood in Bangalore for a small village in Kashmir, Shalini learns a great deal about privilege, politics, her family, and herself, resulting in a riveting and transporting read that’s a welcome respite from the current pandemic.

Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday

Before this pandemic, Stillness is the Key was encouraging us to take more time in our lives to be still. Now that stillness has been forced upon many of us, this book offers great insight into how to make the most of the quiet time we now have so much of. Ryan teaches us how to maintain our tranquility and composure even while chaos erupts around us. The book’s anecdotes of Anne Frank, Winston Churchill, and John F. Kennedy help us put everything into perspective, and they teach us how we can get through the weeks to come.—Brandon Beckett, Coas Books, Las Cruces, NM

The Weil Conjectures by Karen Olsson

Floating somewhere between memoir and biography, The Weil Conjectures tells the story of one of history’s most impressive sets of siblings, Simone and Andre Weil. Simone was a famous Christian philosopher and political activist; Andre was one of the most important mathematicians of the 20th century. Olsson tells both siblings’ stories while reflecting on her love of math in college. The result is a short, powerful read about some of the more brilliant people of last century.

Song for the Unraveling of the World by Brian Evenson

For those of you who binge-watched Stranger Things and are looking for more portals into the Upside Down, look no further. Also for fans of Shirley Jackson, Angela Carter, and Joyce Carol Oates, behold this peculiar and perfect collection of stories.—Stacey Lewis, City Lights, San Francisco, CA.

Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong

Ocean Vuong made waves last year with his stunning debut novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. That book appeared on manyof 2019’s best books lists (including our own). If you, like several readers, discovered Vuong through his prose, we assure you that you’ll be just as dazzled by his poetry. Check out Night Sky with Exit Wounds, his vivid (and award-winning!) collection from 2016.

The Shakespeare Requirement, by Julie Schumacher

Julie Schumacher burst onto the scene with her side-splitting academic satire, Dear Committee Members. In this sequel, the well-endowed and relentlessly strategic Economics Department is determined to evict the clearly irrelevant and backward English Department from its premises. And with beleaguered Creative Writing professor Jay Fitger as department chair, things can only get worse before they get better…if they do get better. Schumacher has her finger on the pulse of academia today, and also a winning way with her characters, who could have been just cartoons in the hands of a less talented writer, but who truly end up touching your heart.—Nina Barrett, Bookends & Beginnings, Evanston, IL.

House of Stone by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma

This astonishing debut came out in January 2019, and missed the lion’s share of the attention it deserved. Tshuma’s novel is narrated by a young man named Zamani, who begins to insinuate himself into his landlord’s family when their son mysteriously disappears. In his quest to become a surrogate son, Zamani learns about the family’s past and Zimbabwe’s history, from its problematic colonial origins to its dark years under Robert Mugabe. Though some scenes from that history make for brutal reading, Tshuma is a gifted storyteller who keeps the pages turning with fresh twists and revelations.

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Originally Appeared on GQ