The Wild Grain welcomes you back to our publication! This month we’re starting off with favorite book recommendations from none other than our own English Undergraduate Association’s (EUA) executive board!

Julia Li, Co-President: Bliss Montage by Ling Ma

I recommend that everyone reads my favorite book, Bliss Montage by Ling Ma! When I read this short story collection, I found it to be incredibly unique with notes of magical surrealism flowing through all of the stories, tying them all together. I particularly loved the short stories “Q”  and “Office Hours” the most!

Katherine Jeng, Co-President: Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang

I would recommend Yellowface by Rebecca f. Kuang, a satirical thriller that is willing to pull the curtain back on the darker sides of publishing. Delving into cultural appropriation and ownership, the novel is overall a very punchy analysis and critique of the way the publishing industry treats racial diversity.   

Ellie Cha, Vice President: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

I would recommend my favorite book, Pachinko by Min Jin Lee! The author paints such a beautiful story of intergenerational trauma and the Korean American experience through the lens of struggle and triumph. I could see parts of myself in every character, both their flaws and strengths. Truly a beautiful book and I highly recommend it to everybody! 

Riley Combes, Secretary: Luster by Raven Leilani 

My favorite book is Luster by Raven Leilani. The novel’s unconventional love triangle plot and uncontainable main character are rendered masterfully by concise yet poignant prose. Leilani’s debut is feverishly readable even through moments of intense awkwardness and complex social commentary. Ultimately, it will leave you in awe. 

Angela An, Treasurer: Paris: The Memoir by Paris Hilton

I recommend reading Paris: The Memoir by Paris Hilton. I watched her documentary and really enjoyed her raw honesty, and she does the same with the memoir. I recommend it because I believe that people tend to overlook her due to her image but her memoir offers a new perspective on her as a person while also being witty and smartly written.

Essence Ratliff, Co-Editor in Chief of The Wild Grain: The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

My favorite book is The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur! This collection of poetry based upon Kaur’s life experiences is probably some of the best contemporary poetry I’ve ever read. It’s real, raw, vulnerable and makes you understand the aspects of womanhood like no other. My favorite quote of all time also comes from this book: “You do not just wake up and become the butterfly. – Growth is a process.” This book is what actually got me into poetry myself as it showed me that poetry didn’t have to be “Shakespearean” for it to be good! 10/10 would most def recommend!!!

Basma Bedawi, Co-Editor in Chief of The Wild Grain: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

My favorite book is On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong! The book, a mixture of prose and poetry, is written in the form of a letter to Vuong’s mother who cannot read. The novel feels cathartic, an endlessly open and honest piece that reads like a confession spoken into a bottle set off to sea. Vuong has a strong handle on language, painting skies with his words into a book that tore me to shreds and placed all the pieces into a neat pile.