A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

This is probably my most recommended book (and I recommend books A LOT). It is complex and layered while staying fresh and unpretentious. The characters seem so real, and the book has a plethora of themes including family and loyalty, philosophy and loss, memory and erasure, ethical technology and war, climate change and spirituality, time and being (and not being). For having multiple dark elements, it’s still such a pleasure to read – entertaining, clever, and bright.