Pop sensation, meme celebrity and emerging fashion icon Dua Lipa is a bookworm (!!!), and she shares her passion with the world through Service95, her über cool internet book club. Launched in 2023, the club picks a new book each month that celebrates diverse voices and powerful stories across fiction, memoir, and even manifesto, with a special section dedicated to what Dua Lipa is personally reading and would recommend. Beyond just recommending reads, she provides bonus content like author interviews, playlists inspired by the book, and discussion guides to make you dive deeper. It’s a global community for readers to connect, analyse, and discover new favourites, all curated by Dua Lipa herself. And we have the top 6 titles from her wonderful selection!
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
Freshwater dives into the unconventional life of Ada, a Nigerian woman inhabited by ogbanje spirits. These spirits, drawn from Igbo cosmology, influence Ada’s thoughts and actions, creating a fragmented sense of self. Emezi’s debut breaks ground by portraying mental health through a cultural lens, rejecting Western medicalisation. The narrative unfolds non-linearly, mirroring the protagonist’s fractured experience. Freshwater’s strength lies in its fresh perspective on identity, mental health, and spirituality, offering a captivating exploration unlike any other.
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Half of a Yellow Sun, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, isn’t your typical war story. It weaves a tapestry of the Nigerian Civil War through the lives of three unforgettable characters. Olanna, a fiery woman in love, Ugwu, a young man finding his voice, and Richard, a conflicted Englishman, are caught up in the chaos of Biafra’s fight for independence. Adichie’s brilliance lies in the intimacy. We see the war not through grand battles, but through personal triumphs and losses, love and heartbreak. The novel’s freshness comes from its multifaceted perspective, challenging assumptions about race, class, and colonialism.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns weaves the lives of Mariam, an illegitimate girl cast out by society, and Laila, a vivacious young woman, against the backdrop of a turbulent Afghanistan. Their destinies collide when war forces Laila to marry Mariam’s husband, creating an unlikely and powerful bond. The novel’s strength lies in its unflinching portrayal of female resilience in the face of oppression. It sheds light on the Afghan war through the eyes of its women, making the human cost heartbreakingly real. Hosseini’s prose is both beautiful and brutal, offering a fresh perspective on war and the unwavering strength of the human spirit.
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
Shantaram is a sprawling epic by Gregory David Roberts. It follows Lin, an Australian convict who escapes prison and reinvents himself in the teeming chaos of 1980s Bombay. Unlike typical thrillers, Lin isn’t a flawless hero. He wrestles with addiction, forgery, and the fringes of the Bombay underworld. Yet, the novel shines in its humanity. Roberts’s vivid portrayal of Bombay’s underbelly – from slums to gangsters – feels fresh. Capturing the city’s vibrancy and resilience, this blend of grit and beauty, alongside Lin’s introspective journey, makes Shantaram a distinct and unforgettable novel.
The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
Simone de Beauvoir’s groundbreaking 1949 treatise, The Second Sex, isn’t just a book on women, it’s a dismantling of the entire concept of “woman” as the defined “other” to man. This existentialist text argues that societal forces, not biology, create the oppression women face. Fresh for its time, it dared to discuss female sexuality openly. De Beauvoir’s innovation lies in applying existentialist thought to gender, showing women aren’t a pre-defined category, but free beings who can choose their own paths. This concept, radical then, is a cornerstone of feminist thought today.
One Who Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey’s iconic 1962 novel, takes you inside a stifling Oregon mental hospital.Randle McMurphy, a boisterous new patient, challenges the iron grip of Nurse Ratched, who controls the ward with subtle manipulation. McMurphy, unlike the resigned patients, sparks rebellion, leading them on adventures and challenging authority. The story unfolds through the eyes of Chief Bromden, a seemingly deaf and mute giant. Kesey’s innovation lies in this unique perspective, exposing the hospital’s dehumanisation through the Chief’s awakening. The novel’s freshness comes from its scathing critique of institutional power and its celebration of individuality, making it a timeless fight for freedom and a powerful exploration of sanity and societal norms.
Pick up any of these 6 Book Recommendations From Dua Lipa’s Book Club from any Kunzum store or WhatsApp +91.8800200280 to order. Buy the book(s) and the coffee’s on us.