Nels Joshua's book recommendations feel like spoken word poetry

05 Jan 2026 18:25 IST

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Nels Joshua has a unique way of sharing his book recommendations and here's why you should check them out.

There’s always a feeling of deep emotional stability and otherworldliness about people who read books. It’s not saying that they are better than non-book readers, but we can’t deny the fact that they bring a sense of emotional intelligence into a conversation. They see the world more philosophically, dissecting the deeper meaning of everything. And that's exactly what you're reminded of when you watch Nels Joshua share his book recommendations with us.

Steady, calm, and conversational, Nels' videos feel informational, engaging and calming at the same time. With over 91,000 followers on Instagram, he is known for alternating between sharing parts of his life and recommending an author to his followers. One moment he is highly active, sharing his training vlog and the next, he's talking about how Mitch Albom's "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" impacted him. You get motivated seeing him hit a punching bag while also feeling the need to hear him speak about Satyajit Ray's short stories as he sits on the porch of his native home in Kerala. What also makes his videos stand out, apart from his quick breakdown of a book, is the way they are shot. Considering how we have come to perceive videos to be a certain way on social media, watching someone like Joshua use a simple yet scenic setup, with nothing but natural light and a chair in the middle, feels extraordinary enough to catch our attention. This set-up also adds to his nonchalant yet thoughtful ideas that crossed his mind while reading a book. With every book, he makes sure to share his take on what the book made him feel as opposed to what he has personally heard about a book, especially if its one that is popular among every bibliophile.

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If you are someone who is looking to add an interesting book to your collection, these recommendations by Joshua might help.

Joshua finds The Trial by Franz Kafka to be a book about our powerlessness in front of our arbitrary authority.

He recommendsThe Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albombecause he found himself emotionally connected to it, making it one of his many suggestions.

Norwegian Woods by Murakami, one of the author's popular works, was also his introduction to the author

Here's why he thinks Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a book that one should check out as a beginner.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, according to him, 'brings our attention to how normalised it is to put on a facade in society'.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde highlights the main character's lack of fear for the consequences of his moral corruption and more hence it made Joshua think of the ethics of it, suggesting why it's a must-read.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is a must read, according to him, not just because of how impactful it is but also because he found it to be based on something he believes in.

Reading Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is one of the most beautiful experiences that Joshua has had.

He explains why he thinks Animal Farm by George Orwell is a perfect book for anyone hoping to start getting into reading books.

According to him, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo is 'not just a story or a novel, but an aesthetic'.

Joshua explains how he got into reading No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai, expecting to feel what most people felt, but ended up hating the main character, and his reason makes you want to see it in a new light.

He has an enticing way of explaining why one should try a genre even when it's not always the kind they love by example of Dan Brown.

Joshua explains how On The Road by Jack Kerouac means to enjoy freedom and truly live free, suggesting why one should give it a try atleast once.

What do you think of his recommendations? Let us know in the comments below.

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Nels Joshua book reccomendations by Nels Joshua