Fiction

Every year, more and more incredible books are released, and in 2017, some of the best novels of the decade were published. Among the greatest authors this year, Pakistani novelist Mohsin Hamid is known for his fictional novels describing the great change in the world today, as well as the effects of the modern world on those leaning towards a traditional societal viewpoint. In his novel “Exit West,” Hamid recounts the journey of a young couple, Nadia and Saeed, as they flee from their country embroiled in civil war. Connecting the boundaries of the past and the present, Hamid successfully conveys the sharp turns that a life can take, and the sheer terror and emotion felt in perilous times. Through all this, Hamid can masterfully intertwine every experienced emotion with the psychological and social pressure of the time into a jarring realization of problems of the present.

Nonfiction

Many nonfiction books this year have also topped the charts. “The Influential Mind: What the Brain Reveals About Our Power to Change Others” by Tali Sharot, director of the Affective Brain Lab at University College London, shows how brains function and why people make decisions the way they do. With creativity, as well as an assortment of tricks and strategies, Sharot delves into the far reaches of the mind. Primarily, Sharot looks at why decisions are made, and she additionally describes the many flaws of common methods of decision-making. With that in mind, Sharot is successful in making her book not only an excellent read, but one of the best books released in 2017. By combining this modern journey with an introduction to some of the most innovative science today, Sharot is successful in crafting yet another of last year’s best reads.