Last week, as part of Hopes Week, we asked the BuzzFeed Community about books they're reading to stay hopeful this year. Here are some of the most powerful, thought-provoking, or comforting recommended reads.
1.The Humans by Matt Haig, a novel about an alien who visits Earth in the form of a Cambridge University professor — and though initially disgusted by everything about humanity, he slowly warms up to them.
2.Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl, a personal and psychological exploration by a Holocaust survivor who argues that humanity's driving pursuit isn't for pleasure but rather for meaning.
3.May We Be Forgiven by A.M. Homes, a novel about Harry, a man who's always been jealous of his very impressive younger brother, George — but when George's violent temper gets him into trouble, Harry has to step in to raise his two children.
4.The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin, an urban fantasy about New York's five avatars — one for each borough — joining forces to defend the city from an evil being bent on destroying it.
5.The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown, a self-help classic about allowing self-acceptance, letting go of defeatist thoughts, and fostering a better connection to the world.
6.The Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban, a magical story about a pair of wind-up toys who are thrown out and separated, and then must find their way back home.
7.Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, a poignant novel about a Ghanaian American woman who turns to her childhood faith in an effort to deal with the death of her brother.
8.I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson, a dual-timeline YA novel about twins who were once inseparable, but end up barely speaking.
9.The Moon by Night by Madeleine L'Engle, a YA classic about a 14-year-old girl trying to make sense of her rapidly changing life, while on a wild cross-country trip with her family as they move their lives to New York.
10.The Language of Kindness: A Nurse's Story by Christie Watson, a memoir of compassion and insight learned over the course of the author's 20-year career as a nurse.
12.Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, a surreal story about a young couple who discover magical doors that can whisk them away from the civil war that's brought violence to their city.
13.A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron, a best-selling novel told from the perspective of a dog over the course of his reincarnations.
14.The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch, a forthcoming YA novel about a gay teen in a small town whose epic promposal plan is threatened by an anonymous anti-gay troll.
15.The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly, a fantastical story about a 12-year-old boy who turns to books for comfort while mourning the death of his mother — but soon reality and fantasy begin to blur.
17.When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, the end-of-life memoir of a 36-year-old neurosurgeon diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer, trying to figure out what gives a life meaning.
18.Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, the wildly popular post-apocalyptic novel about rebuilding the world.
19.Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a reverend writing a letter to his young son as he nears the end of his life.
20.All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot, the memoir of "the world's most beloved veterinarian," full of stories of compassion, hardship, joy, and love.
21.The Friend by Sigrid Nunez, the National Book Award-winning novel about a woman mourning her friend's suicide while taking care of his beloved dog.
