The 52 Book Club: 2025 Challenge discussion

43. About Finding Identity

We love books with themes, and for this prompt, we’re looking for books centered around the theme of identity.

This may be a middle school book about belonging and finding who you are, a memoir of a celebrity sharing their road to uncovering identity, a non-fiction read, an inspiring novel, etc. This theme will look widely different from book to book and includes a broad range of interpretations, sub-topics, and sub-themes. But no matter what form or genre the book, it should have a clear message or central theme around finding identity.

You may also decide on a more literal interpretation of this prompt and choose a book where the character is suffering from amnesia and has no idea who they are. Or, a mystery or suspense-style novel in which a character’s identity is stolen, etc.


Click here for our Goodreads List of suggestions

I'm planning on reading Sylvia Plath's Bell Jar. I've been meaning to read it for a while

I plan to read Becoming by Michelle Obama. My alternate choices are The Strange Journey of Alice Pendelbury by Marc Levy or Where Waters Meet by Zhang Ling

I will be reading The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak.

literal interpretation of the prompt- I think What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty would fit this prompt- suffering amnesia of the last 10 years and so works through to figure out identity of who she is no rather than then.

Lawless spaces by Corey Ann Haydu

Educated - Tara Westover

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

I've never read Eat Pray Love, The Bell Jar or the Perks of Being a Wallflower but own them all so maybe one of those

EDIT: Nope, it will be Everything After.

I’ve chosen from so many good options, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

I plan on reading The midnight library by Matt Haig.

Black Cake or The God of Small Things

My book choice is What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

The Last Flight by Julie Clark

I will be reading Untamed by Glennon Doyle

I am reading "Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop" which has a character's journey to do what they love and leave the past behind.

I am reading Passing by Nella Larsen

I am reading „Shampoo Planet“ by Douglas Coupland :)

Looking forward to listening to Becoming by Michelle Obama to fulfill this prompt.

I didn’t see this on the list, but I am reading “Brown Girl Dreaming” by Jacqueline Woodson

Would Maame by Jessica George, work for this prompt?

i cannot recommend Jennifer Finney Boylan's "She’s Not There: A Life In Two Genders" highly enough.

I wonder if First Lie wins by Ashley Elston would be a good choice for this. I have ordered the book but not sure which prompt it would best fit into.

For this prompt I read Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann

Jane Eyre

Just finished Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt that I think fits perfectly for this category!

I am reading In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park. I believe her discussion surrounding her journey to freedom, but also coming to terms with how she grew up, and how she now embraces her past as part of who she is, is in line with the prompt of “finding identity.” Already an excellent and compelling read so far, and incredibly educational.

"A River of Golden Bones" by A.K. Mulford

My read for finding identity was Go Back and Get It: A Memoir of Race, Inheritance, and Intergenerational Healing by Dionne Ford. She weaves together trauma from childhood abuse, and intergenerational family life, along with her search for her enslaved grandmothers, who lead her to the conflicting realization that some of her grandfathers were the enslavers. The challenge of reconciliation, remembering, and recovering are presented through the concept of "Sankofa" - the idea of going back and retrieving that which is of value and at risk of being lost. A heartfelt work.

I read Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin for this prompt. It was excellent!

I read I Don't by Clementine Ford, this is the 3rd or 4th book I've read of hers, and she always makes you ponder you beliefs.

I listened to No Be From Hia by Natasha Omokhodion-Kalulu Banda.

I read Happy Place by Emily Henry for this one!

“Eat the Buddha: Life and Death in a Tibetan Town” by Barbara Demick. Non-fiction.

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

I've read the book "Hoe overleef ik alles wat ik niemand vertel?" from Francien Oomen.

I've read the previous books form this series when I was a teen and liked what she did whith the characters to age them 10 years

I've chosen A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. Googling this I found a review that stated, "A Darker Shade of Magic” offers a fresh take on the concept of parallel worlds, exploring themes of identity, power, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. With its fast-paced plot, captivating world, and memorable characters, the book has gained a devoted following and is widely praised for its imaginative storytelling."

So I believe that will fit nicely.

The Tea Dragon Society by K. O'Neill

I've finished Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

A quick, easy read & highly recommended. I'm an appalling cook so delighted to read about heat treating food food, rathan cooking!

I read Pageboy by Elliot Page.

I read A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

I’ve just finished Di Morrissey’s “Tears of the Moon” & loved it!

My daughter is two now and I've been following her development alongside little Athena's discovery of self in "A Thousand Days of Wonder" by Charles Ferneyhough.

The Lost Girl by Anne Ursu


Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen -3/5
A really good book if you want to explore both identity and how valuable books are to our life and culture. Also, this book is a startling parallel to what is happening between Russia and Ukraine right now.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

“Mr. Murder” by Dean Koontz is a great novel about stolen identity with an amazing twist. What If someone demanded your family and looks just like you? A real page-turner.

Bit left of centre, but I feel like the Murderbot series is a pretty good match for this one.

I just finished The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett for this prompt. If you want a well-written novel that will encourage some great discussions about identity as it applies to race, this is definitely it!

The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn't, and Get Stuff Done by Kendra Adachi 5 stars!!! I needed this at just the right time!