By Girish Shukla
We often underestimate how easily a powerful book can change the direction of a conversation. A passing remark about travel, love, or loss can open up space for deeper connection when rooted in ideas that challenge and inspire us. These ten brilliant books don’t just give you something to say; they help you ask the questions that matter. Whether through poetic reflection, philosophical inquiry, or personal revelation, each book turns surface-level exchanges into moments of real insight. Also Read: 10 Brilliant Books You’ve Never Heard Of But Should Quote In Conversations 1. The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton ‘In The Art of Travel’, Alain de Botton blends philosophy, art, and personal reflection to examine why we travel and how it shapes us. Far beyond a guidebook, the narrative reveals the disparity between expectation and reality in new places. With references to artists and thinkers like Wordsworth and Hopper, de Botton probes how beauty, boredom, and observation affect our journeys. It’s ideal for sparking deeper conversations about desire, introspection, and how we experience the world around us. 2. Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong Cathy Park Hong’s ‘Minor Feelings’ explores the emotional landscape of being Asian American through personal essays and cultural analysis. She unpacks themes of racial identity, invisibility, and systemic inequality with striking honesty and intellectual rigour. The book redefines often-dismissed emotions like discomfort, shame, or frustration as essential to understanding marginalisation. It’s a compelling text that pushes readers to reflect on privilege, belonging, and language. Hong’s sharp observations make it a perfect companion for thought-provoking conversations about race, culture, and empathy. 3. Bluets by Maggie Nelson ‘Bluets’ by Maggie Nelson is a genre-defying work composed of fragments that revolve around the colour blue, but stretch into much deeper terrain. With poetic precision, Nelson explores heartbreak, longing, and philosophical thought in just over 200 fragments. What begins as an obsession transforms into a profound meditation on grief, beauty, and desire. Nelson’s language is both lyrical and raw, creating a space for readers to contemplate their emotional lives. It turns simple talk into conversations laced with vulnerability and depth. 4. How Fascism Works by Jason Stanley Jason Stanley’s ‘How Fascism Works’ breaks down the mechanics of fascist ideology with clarity and urgency. Using historical and present-day examples, he explains how authoritarian regimes weaponise nationalism, undermine truth, and divide societies. Stanley’s accessible style invites readers from all backgrounds to reflect on the political forces shaping our time. This book provides critical context for discussing current affairs and social responsibility. It encourages meaningful discussions about democracy, freedom, and how easily history can repeat itself without vigilance. 5. Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller In ‘Why Fish Don’t Exist’, Lulu Miller combines science writing with memoir to explore the life of David Starr Jordan, a taxonomist obsessed with order. As Miller questions Jordan’s legacy, she also wrestles with chaos in her own life. The result is a book that contemplates the fragility of meaning and the limits of categorisation. It’s a brilliant meditation on uncertainty, resilience, and human error. Ideal for conversations about identity, ambition, and the stories we tell to make sense of life. 6. What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver Raymond Carver’s ‘What We Talk About When We Talk About Love’ features minimalist short stories that peer into everyday moments of love, tension, and silence. His stripped-down prose highlights the emotional complexity behind ordinary exchanges. Each story invites reflection on miscommunication, vulnerability, and affection in various forms. Carver’s writing opens a window into human intimacy, offering more than meets the eye. This collection gently turns casual discussions into contemplations about the many meanings and contradictions of love. 7. A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit Rebecca Solnit’s ‘A Field Guide to Getting Lost’ combines history, memoir, and philosophy in an exploration of disorientation both literally and emotionally. Through desert landscapes, forgotten memories, and artistic musings, Solnit redefines being lost as a necessary part of finding meaning. Her prose is reflective and lush, urging readers to embrace the unknown rather than fear it. It’s the kind of book that transforms small talk about journeys into deeper reflections about change, freedom, and personal growth. 8. The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli Carlo Rovelli’s ‘The Order of Time’ demystifies the physics of time with poetic clarity, inviting both scientific and philosophical curiosity. He explains concepts like entropy, time’s arrow, and relativity in accessible language, while also touching on memory, loss, and the human experience. Rovelli’s blending of hard science with emotion allows readers to question their assumptions about reality. It’s a remarkable springboard for deeper conversations about existence, impermanence, and the nature of moments slipping constantly into the past. 9. The Little Virtues by Natalia Ginzburg Natalia Ginzburg’s ‘The Little Virtues’ offers twelve timeless essays that reflect on daily life, values, and the unseen habits that shape character. Set in post-war Europe, the collection champions modest traits like patience, generosity, and resilience over grand ambitions. Ginzburg’s insights into parenting, language, and morality are understated but profound. Her gentle yet incisive style encourages heartfelt dialogue about what really matters in life. It’s a book that makes readers question how we live and what we choose to pass on. 10. Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter ‘Grief Is the Thing with Feathers’ by Max Porter blends fable, poetry, and prose to narrate a father and his two sons mourning the loss of their wife and mother. A crow, a mischievous symbol of grief, haunts their home, helping and unsettling them in equal measure. The book captures the rawness of sorrow while finding surprising moments of levity and love. It invites conversations about loss, healing, and the strange, poetic ways grief enters and reshapes our lives. Also Read: 10 Books That Mean Something New Each Time You Read Them Some books linger long after the last page, not because they told us what to think, but because they helped us ask better questions. These ten books do just that. They open the door to the kinds of conversations that connect us to others and ourselves more fully. So the next time a chat threatens to stay at the surface, let one of these titles help you go deeper. It might just change everything.