Grief, Memory & Reinvention
It’s that glorious time of year when the books have been better than ever—and I’ve read far more than I have weeks left to recommend them. So, for the next little while, you’ll be getting a few short and sweet lists. Just the gems. No overthinking. I hope you find something in here to love.
Sometimes you don’t need a big twist or a fast pace. Sometimes, what you need is a book that feels like a conversation with someone who really sees you—grief, mess, tenderness and all. These five books explore memory, loss, and the quiet beauty of becoming.
The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains by Sarah Clutton
Alfie Bains is nine, Irish, inquisitive, and completely unforgettable. This book had me by the heart before the end of chapter one. When Alfie’s mum is hospitalised, he learns he’s not as alone in the world as he thought—and that family secrets run deep in the Tasmanian soil. The characters (those aunts!) are gloriously vivid, the humour quietly gorgeous, and the grief threaded with hope. I was reminded a little of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, but warmer, more human. One of those books that leaves you smiling and a little wrecked.
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
The title gives it away, but this is a novel that blooms backwards—from death into life. It's a story of gender and identity and the dangerous tenderness of being fully yourself in a world that often punishes it. Vivek’s voice, though fractured and ghosted, stays with you. Not an easy read, but a necessary one. You’ll come away changed.
Limberlost by Robbie Arnott
This is grief by way of the Australian bush—quiet, elemental, and deeply felt. It’s a coming-of-age story wrapped in nature writing so lush you can almost hear the wind through the trees. I’d hand this one to readers who loved Boy Swallows Universe but wanted less plot and more stillness. A beautiful novel about boys, fathers, and the way landscapes shape our inner world.
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
It’s a modern classic for a reason. Patchett gives us siblings, class, abandonment, memory—and a house that stands like a monument to it all. I could have read entire volumes of just Danny and Maeve sitting in a parked car together, dissecting their childhood. A brilliant book to read slowly, and then recommend passionately to every friend you love like family. This will be in my top ten books of 2025.
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
Don’t be put off by the title—this one is utterly human. Green’s first-hand encounters with a boy named Henry in a Sierra Leonean TB ward become the spine of this astonishing book. It’s part memoir, part history, part righteous manifesto about global health injustice. A reminder that the personal is political, and the smallest stories often reveal the biggest truths.
Each of these books left me feeling a little more human, a little more seen—and isn’t that the magic we’re all chasing when we turn a page? Choose the ones that speak to you, because life is too short to read bad books.