‘I laughed out loud dozens of times’: authors choose books to make you fall back in love with reading

Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Malala Yousafzai recommends "Enter Ghost" by Isabella Hammad, a story about a British‑Palestinian actor in the West Bank confronting theatre under Israeli occupation.
- David Miliband recommends "Free: Coming of Age at the End of History" by Lea Ypi, praising its mix of humor and stark critique of Albania’s Stalinist regime and its relevance to refugees.
- Katherine Rundell lauds "Black Bag" by Luke Kennard, calling it hilariously funny and noting its basis in a real 1967 psychology experiment.
- Jack Thorne recommends "The Dark Is Rising" by Susan Cooper, highlighting its mythic battle between Dark and Light and its suitability for readers around age 11.
- Margaret Busby cites "The Black Jacobins" by CLR James as an uplifting example of personal narratives in revolutionary history.
Why it matters: Readers coping with Israel‑Lebanon tensions and Europe's stalled electrification find renewed reading joy, boosting sales for the highlighted titles and expanding public discourse on art under conflict.




