{"id":101883,"date":"2025-05-14T22:12:18","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T22:12:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/101883\/"},"modified":"2025-05-14T22:12:18","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T22:12:18","slug":"read-prabal-gurungs-2025-book-recommendations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/101883\/","title":{"rendered":"Read Prabal Gurung\u2019s 2025 Book Recommendations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to Shelf Life, ELLE.com\u2019s books column<\/a>, in which authors share their most memorable reads. Whether you\u2019re on the hunt for a book to console you, move you profoundly, or make you laugh, consider a recommendation from the writers in our series, who, like you (since you\u2019re here), love books. Perhaps one of their favorite titles will become one of yours, too.<\/p>\n

Prabal Gurung grew up on the roof of the world, eventually scaling the heights of other worlds as a designer, from Oscar red carpets to the White House. Now he invites us on the journey from his birthplace of Singapore to his home base of New York in Walk Like a Girl<\/a> (Viking), his second book after a self-titled monograph<\/a>. It\u2019s \u201cnot just a memoir,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a soul laid bare.\u201d He describes it as \u201cthe story of a queer, immigrant boy who arrived in America with nothing but a suitcase full of dreams and a heart full of fire\u2014and how he turned that fire into fashion, into purpose, into a life. It\u2019s about identity, resilience, and radical self-love. But more than anything, it\u2019s a tribute to the women, the misfits, and the rebels who taught me how to walk\u2014not away from the world, but bravely through it.\u201d
<\/p>\n

Before striking out on his own in 2009, the Parsons grad interned at Donna Karan, worked at Cynthia Rowley, and rose to become design director at Bill Blass (he wore flip-flops to his interview). He is co-vice chair of the Council of Fashion Designers of America; co-founder of child education organization Shikshya Foundation Nepal<\/a>; co-founder of Gold House, which champions Asian Pacific creators; and co-creator of inclusivity advocacy collective House of Slay with fellow \u201cslaysians\u201d Laura Kim of Monse, Philip Lim, stylist Tina Leung, and restaurateur Ezra William. He\u2019s also lived in India, Australia, and London.<\/p>\n

The award-winning activist, whose name means \u201cthe strongest one\u201d in Nepali, Sanskrit\/Hindi, has dressed Vice President Kamala Harris<\/a>, Michelle Obama<\/a> (he attended her 50th birthday party), Oprah Winfrey<\/a>, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Lady Gaga, Kerry Washington, Zoe Salda\u00f1a, Demi Moore, Katy Perry, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Rachel Weisz, and Sarah Jessica Parker, among others. Gurung was raised with a sister and brother by a single mother (she was born into the Nepal royal family) and descended from a prime minister appointed by Queen Victoria. He has written<\/a> about the necessity of diversity; collaborated with Tasaki (where he was creative director), Lane Bryant, Rugs USA, and Etsy; is responsible for Gloria Steinem<\/a> attending her first fashion show; and has donated proceeds from sales of his clothes to The Bail Project, Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and Time\u2019s Up.<\/p>\n

First love:<\/strong> \u201cIn many ways, books were my first love\u2014and remain my faithful companions. They gave me mirrors when I needed understanding and windows when I needed escape.\u201d <\/p>\n

Always:<\/strong> Reads a book\u2019s acknowledgements. \u201cThat\u2019s where the real love story of every book lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Favorites:<\/strong> NPR<\/a>; Diwali; solitude, silence, and stillness;<\/a> Buddha busts; and female artists\u2014he named styles in his first shoe collection<\/a> after some including Cecily Brown, Tracey Emin, and Zaha Hadid. <\/p>\n

Build upon your library with Gurung\u2019s book recommendations below. <\/p>\n

Walk Like a Girl: A Memoir<\/p>\n

\"Walk<\/a>The book that…\u2026helped me through loss:<\/p>\n

The Year of Magical Thinking<\/a> by Joan Didion. A book that grieves with you, not for you. <\/p>\n

When Things Fall Apart<\/a> by Pema Ch\u00f6dr\u00f6n. A balm for the soul during moments of disintegration; her wisdom gave form to the formless ache of grief. <\/p>\n

\u2026kept me up way too late: <\/p>\n

Trust<\/a> by Hernan Diaz<\/a>. A masterful nesting doll of narratives that pulled me under with the quiet force of a riptide. <\/p>\n

\u2026made me weep uncontrollably: <\/p>\n

Never Let Me Go<\/a> by Kazuo Ishiguro. A restrained yet devastating elegy to youth, love, and the ephemeral nature of belonging. <\/p>\n

Crying in H Mart<\/a> by Michelle Zauner<\/a>. A symphony of grief, memory, and mother-love. Each page felt like a gentle unraveling of my own sorrow. Her hunger for connection mirrored my own, and by the final chapter, I was crying not just for her loss but for every unspoken word between parent and child.<\/p>\n

\u2026helped me become a better writer: <\/p>\n

The God of Small Things <\/a>by Arundhati Roy contains language as lush and layered as the memories it conjures. I return to its pages like one revisits a childhood home. <\/p>\n

\u2026shaped my worldview: <\/p>\n

Orientalism <\/a>by Edward Said. A tectonic shift in perspective sharpened my gaze toward culture, history, and the insidiousness of narrative control. <\/p>\n

\u2026made me rethink a long-held belief: <\/p>\n

A New Earth<\/a> by Eckhart Tolle and Sapiens <\/a>by Yuval Noah Harari. Together, they upended my assumptions about identity, evolution, and the illusion of permanence. <\/p>\n

\u2026I swear I\u2019ll finish one day: <\/p>\n

The Satanic Verses<\/a> by Salman Rushdie is dense, dazzling, and defiant. It demands full attention and deserves reverence\u2026eventually. <\/p>\n

\u2026I read in one sitting; it was that good: <\/p>\n

Normal People<\/a> by Sally Rooney\u2014intimacy laid bare with startling clarity. A modern love story that refuses to look away. <\/p>\n

\u2026currently sit on my nightstand: <\/p>\n

Orbital<\/a> by Samantha Harvey. A contemplative meditation on time, gravity, and our fragile place in the cosmos. <\/p>\n

Rejection<\/a> by Tony Tulathimutte. A razor-sharp, darkly funny exploration of loneliness, failure, and the quiet devastations of being unseen in the modern world.<\/p>\n

\u2026I\u2019d pass on to a kid: <\/p>\n

To Kill a Mockingbird<\/a> by Harper Lee is a moral compass in literary form. And for mischief, mystery, and wit: all of Agatha Christie. <\/p>\n

\u2026made me laugh out loud: <\/p>\n

Running with Scissors<\/a> by Augusten Burroughs and White Teeth<\/a> by Zadie Smith. Both are uproarious and unhinged, with humor born of chaos and contradiction. <\/p>\n

\u2026I\u2019d like to see turned into a TV show: <\/p>\n

A Little Life<\/a> by Hanya Yanagihara. Though it would be harrowing to watch, its emotional scope and narrative ambition feel ripe for a bold adaptation\u2014or perhaps the next novel I am writing.<\/p>\n

\u2026has the greatest ending: <\/p>\n

Pride and Prejudice<\/a> by Jane Austen. It\u2019s a triumph of restraint and romantic wit; closure delivered with a wink. <\/p>\n

\u2026changed my life: <\/p>\n

The Alchemist<\/a> by Paulo Coelho is a deceptively simple fable that unearthed the sacred in the everyday and reminded me of the value of intuition. <\/p>\n

\u2026broke my heart: <\/p>\n

The Remains of the Day<\/a> by Kazuo Ishiguro. The ache of unspoken love and deferred dignity\u2014it lingers long after the last page. <\/p>\n

\u2026features characters I love to hate: <\/p>\n

The Great Gatsby<\/a> by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Tom Buchanan: the embodiment of entitlement, hollow privilege, and casual cruelty. Daisy Buchanan: She is soft-voiced and shimmering, but beneath this charm lies a deep, devastating emptiness\u2014a woman who allows herself to be worshipped and then retreats into privilege when difficulties arise.<\/p>\n

\u2026I recommend over and over again: <\/p>\n

On Earth We\u2019re Briefly Gorgeous<\/a> by Ocean Vuong<\/a>. A letter, a lament, a lullaby\u2014it captures the ache and beauty of becoming\u2014with language so luminous, it transforms pain into poetry.<\/p>\n

\u2026should be on every college syllabus: <\/p>\n

Their Eyes Were Watching God<\/a> by Zora Neale Hurston and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Both are radical in their empathy and essential in their articulation of voice. <\/p>\n

\u2026I\u2019ve re-read the most: <\/p>\n

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. A perennial reminder to stay awake to wonder. <\/p>\n

\u2026I\u2019d want signed by the author: <\/p>\n

Romeo and Juliet<\/a> by William Shakespeare. It\u2019s a fanciful dream, but who wouldn\u2019t want the Bard\u2019s signature on the most iconic tragedy of all time? <\/p>\n

Jane Eyre<\/a> by Charlotte Bront\u00eb. A fierce, feminist heartbeat wrapped in Gothic mist, Bront\u00eb\u2019s masterpiece taught generations that a woman\u2019s voice, once found, can echo through centuries.<\/p>\n

\u2026I asked for as a kid: <\/p>\n

A Wonder Woman coloring book. Every heroine\/hero has to start somewhere. <\/p>\n

\u2026I consider literary comfort food: <\/p>\n

Little Women<\/a> by Louisa May Alcott. Cozy, sincere, and endlessly re-readable, it feels like tea by a fire. <\/p>\n

\u2026features the most beautiful book jacket: <\/p>\n

The cover of <\/a><\/a>The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy is lush with florals, deep greens, and a quiet melancholy that mirrors the lyrical, heartbreaking prose within. It feels like a painting and a promise. <\/p>\n

Knife<\/a> by Salman Rushdie. A stark, arresting cover\u2014minimal yet charged with symbolism\u2014its clean blade slicing through shadow hints at the memoir\u2019s raw, unflinching examination of survival, violence, and the enduring power of the written word.<\/p>\n

\u2026I never returned to the library (mea culpa): <\/p>\n

Wuthering Heights<\/a> by Emily Bront\u00eb, a storm of passion and vengeance howling across the moors. Bront\u00eb\u2019s singular novel defies convention, burns through time, and leaves the soul scorched with its untamed, immortal love. I could not part with it as a teenager.<\/p>\n

\u2026has a sex scene that will make you blush: <\/p>\n

Honestly? I\u2019ve yet to read one that could. <\/p>\n

\u2026grew on me: <\/p>\n

One Hundred Years of Solitude<\/a> by Gabriel Garc\u00eda M\u00e1rquez: initially confounding, eventually hypnotic. Time moves differently in Macondo. <\/p>\n

\u2026makes me feel seen: <\/p>\n

The Catcher in the Rye<\/a> by J.D. Salinger. That restless, searching voice mirrored something unnameable in me. <\/p>\n

\u2026everyone should read: <\/p>\n

Great Expectations<\/a> by Charles Dickens. A timeless tale of ambition, class, and the quiet heroism of the human heart. Its moral clarity and emotional richness make it as essential today as when it was first penned. I particularly love Miss Havisham\u2019s character. It\u2019s hauntingly beautiful. <\/p>\n

\u2026I first bought: <\/p>\n

The books of Enid Blyton<\/a> are a passport to adventure in the pre-digital age. <\/p>\n

\u2026has the best opening line: <\/p>\n

Pachinko<\/a> by Min Jin Lee: \u201cHistory has failed us, but no matter.\u201d A prologue and prophecy in one. <\/p>\n

\u2026is a master class on dialogue: <\/p>\n

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Every exchange is a duel, a dance, or a declaration. <\/p>\n

\u2026describes a place I\u2019d want to live: <\/p>\n

Pemberley [in Pride and Prejudice]\u2014dignity, design, and a great library. <\/p>\n

\u2026I brought on a momentous trip: <\/p>\n

I read Demon Copperhead<\/a> by Barbara Kingsolver<\/a> while tracing coastal Virginia; the landscape mirrored the novel’s emotional terrain. <\/p>\n

\u2026sealed a friendship: <\/p>\n

Call Me By Your Name<\/a> by Andr\u00e9 Aciman, because it captures the kind of intimate, unspoken understanding that only the truest friendships\u2014and the most tender books\u2014can create.<\/p>\n

…I last bought: <\/p>\n

Dream Count<\/a> by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie<\/a>. This book offers a profound exploration of dreams and identity, echoing my own journey of self-discovery and the aspirations that shape who I am.<\/p>\n

\u2026inspired me to donate to a cause: <\/p>\n

My Life on the Road<\/a> by Gloria Steinem. Steinem\u2019s reflections on her travels and activism ignited a passion within me to contribute to causes that resonate with my values and vision for a better world.<\/p>\n

…I could only have discovered at Left Bank Books<\/a>: <\/p>\n

Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens by J.M. Barrie, illustrated by Arthur Rackham, printed in 1916. Stumbling upon this unique edition in a charming independent bookstore reminded me of the magic that can be found in unexpected places. <\/p>\n

\u2026I would have blurbed if asked: <\/p>\n

Rebecca<\/a> by Daphne du Maurier. A haunting masterpiece of memory, identity, and obsession, Rebecca lingers like perfume in an empty room, its atmosphere as seductive as it is sinister, reminding us that the past is never truly past.<\/p>\n

…has the best title: <\/p>\n

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance<\/a> by Robert M. Pirsig. The title alone is an invitation to ponder life\u2019s complexities and the pursuit of meaning, prompting me to reflect deeply on my philosophical journey.<\/p>\n

…fills me with hope: <\/p>\n

Becoming<\/a> by Michelle Obama. Obama\u2019s narrative of resilience and growth resonates with my aspirations, reminding me that our stories can inspire change and illuminate paths for others.<\/p>\n

…surprised me: <\/p>\n

Howards End<\/a> by E.M. Forster. I expected a polite tale of Edwardian manners but was struck instead by its emotional depth and unexpected moral complexity. The way the story unfolded\u2014and ultimately concluded\u2014challenged my assumptions and left me reflecting on connection, class, and what it truly means to \u201conly connect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2026I\u2019d give to a new graduate: <\/p>\n

Walk Like a Girl<\/a> by Prabal Gurung, to inspire them to stride boldly into the world with unshakable authenticity, embracing their individuality as their greatest strength, their compassion as their fiercest power\u2014and to know that the only validation they need is their own, for in that truth, they will be free. <\/p>\n

If I could live in any bookstore or library in the world, it would be: <\/p>\n

The New York Public Library for its gravitas and ghosts, or The Left Bank Bookstore for its soul and scent of history. <\/p>\n

The literary organizations\/charities I support: <\/p>\n

Shikshya Foundation Nepal. As the founder, I am deeply proud of our work to harness education as a catalyst for change\u2014breaking cycles of poverty, nurturing potential, and reaffirming my unwavering belief in the transformative power of knowledge and opportunity.<\/p>\n

KathaSatha<\/a>. This organization\u2019s mission to amplify underrepresented voices in literature speaks to the heart of why stories matter: They provide connection and understanding in our diverse world.<\/p>\n

Read Prabal Gurung\u2019s Book Recommendations\"<i>The<\/a>The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion<\/p>\n

Now 47% Off<\/p>\n

\"<i>When<\/a>When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Ch\u00f6dr\u00f6n<\/p>\n

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\"<i>Trust<\/i><\/a>Trust by Hernan Diaz<\/p>\n

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\"<i>Never<\/a>Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro<\/p>\n

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\"<i>Crying<\/a>Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner\"<i>The<\/a>The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy\"<i>Orientalism<\/i><\/a>Orientalism by Edward W. Said<\/p>\n

Now 32% Off<\/p>\n

\"<i>A<\/a>A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle<\/p>\n

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\"<i>Sapiens:<\/a>Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari<\/p>\n

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\"<i>The<\/a>The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie<\/p>\n

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\"<i>Normal<\/a>Normal People by Sally Rooney<\/p>\n

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\"<i>Orbital<\/i><\/a>Orbital by Samantha Harvey<\/p>\n

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\"<i>Rejection<\/i><\/a>Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte<\/p>\n

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\"<i>To<\/a>To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee<\/p>\n

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\"<i>Running<\/a>Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs<\/p>\n

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\"<i>White<\/a>White Teeth by Zadie Smith<\/p>\n

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\"<i>A<\/a>A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara<\/p>\n

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\"<i>Pride<\/a>Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen<\/p>\n

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\"<i>The<\/a>The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho<\/p>\n

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\"<i>The<\/a>The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro<\/p>\n

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\"<i>The<\/a>The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald\"<i>On<\/a>On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong<\/p>\n

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\"<i>Romeo<\/a>Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare<\/p>\n

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\"<i>Jane<\/a>Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bront\u00eb<\/p>\n

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\"<i>Little<\/a>Penguin Little Women by Louisa May Alcott<\/p>\n

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\"<i>Knife:<\/a>Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie<\/p>\n

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\"<i>Wuthering<\/a>Wuthering Heights by Emily Bront\u00eb\"<i>One<\/a>One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garc\u00eda M\u00e1rquez<\/p>\n

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\"<i>The<\/a>The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger<\/p>\n

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\"<i>Great<\/a>Great Expectations by Charles Dickens<\/p>\n

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Show More<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Welcome to Shelf Life, ELLE.com\u2019s books column, in which authors share their most memorable reads. Whether you\u2019re on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":101884,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3938],"tags":[3444,4864,47115,14732,77,3989,1381,47114,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-101883","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-books","8":"tag-books","9":"tag-content-type-round-up-products","10":"tag-contentid-533be95a-d227-481c-bd39-29391cabd0be","11":"tag-displaytype-long-form-article","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-hasproduct-true","14":"tag-locale-us","15":"tag-shorttitle-shelf-life-prabal-gurung","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114508491602947756","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101883\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/101884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}