Laila Lalami’s Recommended Reading List
Photograph of Laila Lalami by Beowulf Sheehan
Laila Lalami, an award-winning author, Pulitzer Prize finalist, and the author of the upcoming release The Dream Hotel: A Read with Jenna Pick (March 4th, 2025) shares her recommended reading list with us. Laila is also the author of the highly praised books: Conditional Citizens, The Other Americans, The Moor’s Account, Secret Son, and Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits.
To learn more about Laila’s inspiring career, visit here.
“An epidemic of blindness strikes an unnamed country. One by one, people lose their sight, without any apparent reason and with no sign of a cure. The government forces those afflicted into a hospital, but soon disorder and disaster take root. I love Saramago’s entrancing sentences and his exploration of faith, power, and freedom has remained with me over the years.”
“Imagine if your dreams became a reality. Sounds like fun, right? But in LeGuin’s hands, this phenomenal power is co-opted by a doctor who is certain he knows exactly how to make the world a better place. It’s a phenomenal premise and LeGuin has great fun with it in this smart, brisk, and witty speculative novel.”
“Set on an island whose people have been made to forget certain concepts, the novel follows a writer who discovers that someone close to her remembers the forbidden words. Ogawa explores life under authoritarian systems, the ethical choices.”
“After the catastrophic crash of an elevator she has just inspected and cleared, the eponymous Intuitionist goes on a quest to discover the truth about the school of thought she has devoted herself to for years. Years after reading this one, I’m still amazed that a novel about elevator inspectors could be so riveting, so fun, and ultimately so profound.”
“The apocalyptic wildfires that raged in Los Angeles this past January have made the fictions of Octavia Butler seem even more prescient. But Parable of the Sower offers more than just a future of climate disaster; it also shows us ways that people can work together to survive.”
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