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Mindy Kaling Has a Book for Everyone on Your List
To celebrate Mindy’s Book Studio, her new imprint with Amazon Publishing, the writer-actor-producer curates a literary gift guide for your holiday reading pleasure.
As a self-described “latchkey kid of busy immigrant parents in suburban Boston,” Mindy Kaling developed a deep love of books. “I wasn’t allowed to watch TV or play video games, and I was not particularly good at musical instruments or sports,” she says. “Reading was my only pastime.” The solitary hobby allowed her to “go on adventures” and “experience romantic entanglements that fogged my glasses,” she says. It also inspired her to become a writer.
It’s about time, then, that the prolific multi-hyphenate has entered the world of publishing with a new imprint. Starting today, Mindy’s Book Studio will publish titles from a diverse roster of new and established literary voices. In honor of the launch, Kaling is recommending some of her favorite recent reads that also happen to make great gifts. “I love Bridget Jones as much as Agatha Christie,” she says, “but all of my favorite books have one thing in common—they’re cinematic.”
Read on for Kaling’s picks, but first, some advice from the lifelong bookworm: “Never start reading at 10 p.m., or you won’t go to bed until 2 a.m. Great books are more addictive than anything.” Also, she advises, choose paperback whenever possible: “Hardcovers are too poke-y!”
Thomas & Mercer Kismet by Amina Akhtar
“I’m loving this gripping thriller set in the desert mountains of Sedona. It’s a sardonic, twisty take on ‘finding your best self,’ told from the perspective of lifelong New Yorker Ronnie Khan, who’s beginning to question her luxe new lifestyle in an Arizona wellness community.”
Little A The Goddess Effect by Sheila Yasmin Marikar
Little A The Goddess Effect by Sheila Yasmin Marikar
“I’m telling you, darkly comedic ‘wellness thrillers’ are a thing! After a string of personal and professional disappointments (okay, disasters), Anita ditches NYC for the promise of a healthier lifestyle in L.A. Once there, she sets snark aside and joins a grueling workout class called The Goddess Effect, run by a lifestyle guru named Venus. After snagging an invitation to one of its retreats, Anita discovers the terrifying truths behind Venus’s shiny veneer.”
Little A Token Black Girl by Danielle Prescod
Little A Token Black Girl by Danielle Prescod
“I was so moved reading this timely, sharp-witted memoir from the entrepreneur, writer, and fashion insider. Danielle unpacks the cultural and societal conversation around race and representation in media, art, and everyday life from the point of view of someone who has often found herself the only Black person in the room.”
Mindy’s Book Studio The Vibrant Years by Sonali Dev
Mindy’s Book Studio The Vibrant Years by Sonali Dev
“This heartwarming and hilarious book is the first release from my new imprint. Sonali infuses her hopeful, authentic stories with the drama, fun, and deliciousness of Bollywood movies. I couldn’t be more excited for readers to meet the three incredible Desai women at the heart of this book!”
Skyscape Somebody That I Used to Know by Dana L. Davis
Skyscape Somebody That I Used to Know by Dana L. Davis
“I have a soft spot for fresh and witty young adult love stories. In this one, Dylan Woods is completely ghosted by her best friend, Langston. But not just ghosted. Ghosted, as in your best friend moves to Los Angeles and becomes the biggest R&B teen star on the planet and then stops talking to you, ghosted. When Dylan and Langston are forced to see each other again, old feelings (good and bad) begin to resurface.”
Little A Excuse Me While I Disappear by Laurie Notaro
Little A Excuse Me While I Disappear by Laurie Notaro
“Laurie Notaro’s voice is everything, and her writing reminds me of my all-time favorite, Nora Ephron. At one point, Notaro notes how ‘the brilliance of getting older is that with each passing day, you lose an equivalent amount of fear.’ It’s empowering, candid, and perfect for anyone in your life who’s facing the other side of 50 with irreverence.”
Claire Stern is the Deputy Editor of ELLE.com. Previously, she served as Editor at Bergdorf Goodman. Her interests include fashion, food, travel, music, Peloton, and The Hills—not necessarily in that order. She used to have a Harriet the Spy notebook and isn’t ashamed to admit it.
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