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One of my favorite things to do is to buy books without knowing anything about them. I’ll reach for a book because of the title or author, because I’ve seen it on bookstagram or a friend’s shelf, but more than anything, I’ll pick up a book if I’m drawn to the cover. Though I nearly purchased Exit West by Mohsin Hamid for full price more than once because of its stunning cover, I recently snagged it for only 1.49 at my thrift store (!!!) Kristen @doesthedogbark told me the writing was stunning too, and she was so right. Exit West takes place on a series of precipices: for Nadia and Saeed, who are just beginning a relationship; for their country, which is on the brink of war; and for the world, which is about to discover the existence of doors that can transport people to far reaching places. Nadia and Saeed’s journey is set against a world that is realistic and recognizable, even with its element of magical realism. It isn’t about the war, or even about the doors - those are simply elements of a beautiful and brutal allegory about immigration and belonging, resources and humanity. It reminds me of Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel in ways that I struggle to explain but that are highly unsettling. I think it is because both stories are fictional only in the sense that they haven’t happened. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In adding this book to my Goodreads challenge for the year, I caught a glimpse of some reviews and discovered that this book is incredibly polarizing: people were evangelical in their admiration or dislike of this book, and I’m now super curious to hear from you if you’ve read it! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ID: I’m holding up a paperback copy of Exit West against a white wall. via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CVVyzkfL-Bu/