(e.g., “List Last Reviewed: May 2025”) As I sift through the pages of my personal collection of the best essays to read, I can’t help but feel a profound sense of connection to the authors who penned these words. While some essays have provoked introspection, others have had me bursting into laughter or shedding a tear. For example, some of them led me through deep philosophical musings and allowed me to experience the joys and sorrows of people I’ve never met.
In other words, these essays to read are more than just ink on paper; they come from different times and places, each with its unique voice and perspective and they are windows into my own thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Essays are often written in the first-person, in which writers use their own personal experiences to reflect on a theme or topic for the reader. Many acclaimed authors I love —like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison—combine these pieces into collections of unique social commentary.
Therefore, each essay on this list has left a lasting impression on me, and I’ve handpicked these essays from diverse corners of literature to make sure it’s a selection of books you haven’t heard of too often. So let these authors be your guides, just as they have been mine, as we traverse the landscapes of their thoughts and experiences together. Whether you seek comfort, insight, or simply a good story, I hope you’ll find it within this list of essays to read.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into this collection of my favorite essays to read and the best essays to read which I thoughtfully curated. You can be sure that any book recommended on this page is worth your time as I obviously read every single one of them. Here are some of the best essays to read.
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The best essays to read
I’ve spent hours of reading before I came up with this top 5 best essays to read. Click on the buttons for more details about my recommended essays. From community ratings to book summaries, reviews, and information about the authors.
This bundle of essays includes stories of Arab and Middle Eastern female journalists reporting from some of the world’s most repressive countries, highlighting their unique challenges and advantages.
Notes of a native son
by James Baldwin
Bol.com | Amazon |
Waterstones |
A collection of 10 short essays that recollects the lived experience of a black person in the United States and Europe in the 50s.
This beautifully written essay intimately explores the aftermath of her husband’s unexpected death and her daughter’s critical illness, capturing her emotional turmoil and the complex process of grief and healing.
Related Reading Lists
There’s something I really love about personal essays — the kind that feel like a reflective, vulnerable, and a little raw conversation. If that sounds like your kind of reading, I’ve gathered a few that have stayed with me.
The nonfiction I love most doesn’t try to dazzle — it just opens something up. A way of seeing things. I’ve gathered a few reads here that did that for me.
