11 Books You Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda Read in 2017

Under-the-radar titles you may have missed out on.

2017 was a year filled with incredible new books from established writers to first-time authors, but when so many top notch reads come at you at once, it’s hard to fit them all into one year. You hear yourself saying “I’ve been meaning to read that,” and “I heard that was really good!”, then suddenly you’re in a new year, and you didn’t get through half of them! Take a deep breath; we’re all in the same boat. It’s time to say buh bye to those regrets, and dive into something you’ve really been meaning to get to.

How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

The Combahee River Collective is a progressive collective of radical black feminist that emerged in the 60s and 70s civil rights movement. Arguably one of the most important groups in women’s liberation and activism, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor has collected essays and interviews from founding members and contemporary activists alike to speak to black feminism and its impact on today’s struggles. Meet Keeanga-Yamahtta at Strand on January 18.

Too Much and Not The Mood by Durga Chew-Bose

If you can feel your creative spirit just tingling under the surface, you will find a similar soul in Durga Chew-Bose. Inspired by and titled after a diary entry by Virginia Woolf in A Writer’s Diary, Too Much and Not The Mood thrives on the nagging feeling all artists and writers have at one point or another saying, “Do I have anything worth saying?”

Rabbit: The Autobiography of Ms. Pat by Patricia Williams

Darkly funny and unapologetically honest, Ms. Pat paints a realistic and eye-opening picture of what it is truly like to be a black mom in America. Raised in Atlanta and one of five children, Pat watched her mom struggle to support her family, often by nefarious means with the wrong crowd. By age 15, Pat was the mother of two young kids with only and eighth grade education and instinct to survive on. This is the story of how she made it through.

What It Means When A Man Falls From The Sky: Stories by Lesley Nneka Arimah

A debut collection of stories exploring what binds us together as humans. Deceptively slim in size, this book is overflowing with subversive and evocative style that will leave you a bit breathless. Arimah was a National Book Foundation “5 under 35” honoree and winner of the 2017 Kirkus prize, so you may have had this title on your mind for a while. Time to dive it!

Things That Happened Before the Earthquake by Chiara Barzini

We are in for all things 90s in this novel! After the 1992 riots in LA, Eugenia, a typical Italian teenager, is uprooted by her hippie parents to find new roots in the San Fernando Valley. Fabulously true to the Californian culture of the era, we journey with Eugenia through a giant new public school, all-night raves, and eccentric new friendships. However, as she finally starts envisioning her new future in the valley, the 1994 earthquake threatens to change everything once again. Equal parts hilarious, intense, and open, Barzini has created a strong voice with her lead character that we love.

Autumn by Karl Ove Knausgaard

Read Autumn to get reacquainted with life and your own world. This is the first of a four part autobiographical series by Knausgaard based on the four seasons. Beginning with a charming and warm letter to his unborn daughter, Autumn tells of the author’s life in Sweden with his wife and children. No detail is left unturned, from an old kitchen chair to his own childhood, and every beautifully written observation will remind you of the wonderous world that is constantly present and ready for you.

The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6' 4", African American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama’s Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian by W. Kamau Bell

We already want to hang out with Kamau based on the title of his memoir/manifesto alone. Often hailed as an “up and coming” talent in political comedy (New York Times), this novel takes on a wide range of topics from fatherhood to the 2016 election to being raised by divorced parents with strong opinions. Bell is equal parts sarcastic, heartfelt and enraged as he navigates racism, sexism and discrimination in his life as a contemporary Black comedian.

We Need To Talk: How To Have Conversations That Matter by Celeste Headlee

“In this day and age, every just talks through texts and social media. Nobody knows how to talk to each other anymore!” We may mock our grandparents for this inevitable blank statement at every family function, but they have a point. Celeste Headlee speaks from experience with strategies that will help us get back to good conversation. Whether you are struggling taking to your parents or a fellow employee or even your partner, use this great book as a guide to having important conversations in real life.

Extreme Cities: The Perils and Promise of Urban Life in the Age of Climate Change by Ashley Dawson

Climbing over the snow drifts of the recent “polar bomb”, this book is really hitting close to home. Through careful research and studies, Dawson offers that the biggest contributors in climate change are the very metropolises we glamourize on the coastlines of the world. If you are over people claiming global warming isn’t real because it’s -10 degrees outside, arm yourself with this excellent guide to the social justice that is now a necessary survival strategy.

Somebody With a Little Hammer: Essays by Mary Gaitskill

From the author that brought us Bad Behavior, Mary Gaitskill’s release of essays collected throughout her career is irresistible. Touching on literary, social, cultural and personal themes, she deftly moves into the depths of the American unconscious. She writes like she knows each reader individually. Her complex observations on what someone else would overlook as mundane will change you.

The Gringo Champion by Aura Xilonen

Not many Mexican authors have been translated into English since the 1970s, but we hope this novel might change that. Xilonen, who aspires to be a filmmaker, saw her debut novel published at just 20 years old. In it, we follow Liborio as he journeys away from a bleak childhood, toward the Mexican border, and into the world of boxing. Incredibly profound and strikingly relevant, this novel is a remarkable cultural object that shines a light on underrepresented lower-class Mexican immigrants.

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