The Books People Keep Talking About

There is no single path to becoming a beloved book. Some books are passed from hand to hand, recommended with urgency and affection. Others quietly dominate group chats, reading lists, and social feeds. Some simply refuse to disappear from bookshop tables or conversations, long after their moment of release has passed. What unites them is not hype, prizes, or labels, but sustained reader devotion and a little bit of FOMO of not having read the book that everyone keeps talking about.

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Earlier in January, a curated list titled ‘certified reading’ of 10 such iconic books, selected through recommendations by Indian influencers, literary icons, and booksellers, was put forward by Bloomsbury Publishing India. These are stories that have travelled widely through reader communities, shaped discussions, and earned repeat recommendations across platforms and generations. From memoir and romance to literary fiction and genre-defying narratives, the list reflects what readers across the world are choosing, revisiting, and sharing right now.

These are not books anointed by authority. They are reader favourites and must-reads. We ask you – how many have you read from the list below? 

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
A sweeping, deeply human family saga that traces four generations of a Korean family living in Japan. Through love, loss, ambition, and survival, the novel examines belonging, displacement, and resilience, capturing the quiet dignity of ordinary lives shaped by history and circumstance.

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Collide by Bal Khabra
A contemporary romance grounded in ambition, emotional tension, and self-discovery. Set in the high-pressure world of elite sport and academia, Collide explores attraction, vulnerability, and the challenge of balancing personal dreams with connection, resonating with readers who want love stories that feel current and emotionally honest.

Just Kids by Patti Smith
A raw, lyrical memoir of youth, art, and becoming, chronicling Patti Smith’s relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in 1970s New York. Tender and unguarded, the book captures friendship, creativity, and the hunger to make something meaningful, told with poetic restraint and deep emotional clarity.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
A haunting, genre-defying novel that unfolds like a waking dream. Set inside an endless, mysterious house filled with statues and tides, the story explores memory, solitude, and knowledge itself. Strange, atmospheric, and quietly profound, it rewards patience with wonder and revelation.

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
Set against the backdrop of the Syrian conflict, this powerful novel centres on love, resistance, and the struggle to choose hope amid devastation. Compassionate and unflinching, it explores the emotional cost of war while honouring resilience, tenderness, and the courage to imagine a future.

Bunny by Mona Awad
Darkly comic and unsettling, this cult favourite blends satire, horror, and psychological drama. Set in a competitive MFA programme, Bunny examines friendship, identity, and creative obsession, blurring reality and fantasy. Strange, sharp, and unforgettable, it challenges ideas of belonging and selfhood.

I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Se-hee
Structured as conversations between the author and her psychiatrist, this book offers an intimate and disarmingly honest look at living with depression and anxiety. Gentle, relatable, and quietly reassuring, it resonates for its vulnerability and its refusal to offer easy answers or tidy resolutions.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
A tender, emotionally rich retelling of the Iliad through the eyes of Patroclus. This novel reimagines Achilles not as a distant hero, but as a deeply human figure shaped by love, loyalty, and fate. Lyrical and heartbreaking, it has become a modern reader favourite.

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum
A comforting, slow-paced novel about burnout, second chances, and the healing power of books. Set in a small neighbourhood bookshop, it celebrates quiet connections, community, and the courage to step away from relentless productivity in search of a gentler, more meaningful life.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
A deeply moving story of friendship, betrayal, guilt, and redemption set against Afghanistan’s changing political landscape. Following a man’s reckoning with his past, the novel explores loyalty and forgiveness with emotional intensity, continuing to resonate with readers across generations and cultures.

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