Best Tech Interview Books to Gift This Diwali

Festivals in India — whether it’s Navratri or Diwali— bring joy, light, and the spirit of new beginnings. Many of us clean our homes, buy something new, and set fresh goals for our personal lives. But what about our career goals?

If you’re dreaming of a new job, a promotion, or maybe even switching to a top tech company like Google, Microsoft, or Amazon, the festive season can be the perfect time to start preparing.

Just like we decorate our homes with lights, why not decorate our resume with new skills and knowledge?

 

 

And one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to prepare is to read the right tech interview books. 📚

In this blog, let’s explore:

• Why festive season is the right time to prepare
• The best books for coding interviews, system design, and soft skills
• How to balance celebration and preparation
• Bonus: Tips to make learning feel festive and fun

🌟 Why Festive Season is the Right Time to Start

1. Fresh Energy – Festivals are about positivity and new beginnings. That energy can fuel your career prep.
2. Time Off Work – You may have a few holidays or lighter schedules, perfect for catching up on reading.
3. Symbol of Growth – Just as we celebrate prosperity during Diwali, investing in knowledge is like lighting a lamp for your career.
4. Motivation Boost – Festivals often remind us of community and success — both can motivate you to aim for a big career leap.

So instead of just sweets and shopping, why not add a career upgrade gift to yourself — like one of these highly recommended interview books? 🎁

📚 Top Tech Interview Books to Read

Here’s a mix of must-have books that thousands of engineers swear by for cracking interviews.

1. Cracking the Coding Interview by Gayle Laakmann McDowell

1. Why Read It: Considered the Bible for coding interviews. It covers 189 programming questions with detailed solutions.
2. Festive Connection: Think of it like a “Diwali guide” for interviews — structured, step-by-step, and lights up your concepts.
3. What You’ll Learn: Data structures, algorithms, problem-solving strategies, and tips on how interviewers think.

 

2. Elements of Programming Interviews (EPI) by Adnan Aziz, Tsung-Hsien Lee, and Amit Prakash      

1. Why Read It: Packed with hundreds of problems, puzzles, and coding challenges.
2. Festive Connection: Like the rangoli patterns of Navratri, it focuses on solving problems creatively and beautifully.
3. What You’ll Learn: Practical problem-solving, coding efficiency, and analytical thinking.

 

3. System Design Interview – An Insider’s Guide by Alex Xu

1. Why Read It: Interviews at top tech firms aren’t just about coding — they test your ability to design scalable systems.
2. Festive Connection: Building a system is like organizing a grand Diwali party — you need structure, flow, and planning.
3. What You’ll Learn: Designing scalable architectures, trade-offs, and handling real-world complexity.

4. Programming Pearls by Jon Bentley

1. Why Read It: A classic that sharpens the way you think about problems, not just coding them.
2. Festive Connection: Just like pearls add elegance to festive outfits, this book adds polish to your coding style.
3. What You’ll Learn: Elegant problem-solving approaches, optimization, and simplicity in design.

5. Soft Skills: The Software Developer’s Life Manual by John Sonmez

1. Why Read It: Interviews aren’t only about coding — communication, mindset, and confidence play a huge role.
2. Festive Connection: Festivals teach us balance — between joy and discipline, between tradition and progress. This book helps you balance coding with confidence.
3. What You’ll Learn: Career growth hacks, productivity, networking, and building confidence.

6. Decode and Conquer by Lewis C. Lin

1. Why Read It: If you’re preparing for PM (Product Manager) or tech leadership roles, this is gold.
2. Festive Connection: Like planning for a festive fair, product management is about handling multiple moving pieces with clarity.
3. What You’ll Learn: Frameworks for answering tricky interview questions, leadership, and decision-making.

 

🎇 How to Balance Festivities and Preparation

Festivals are a time for family, food, and fun — so don’t lock yourself in a room with only books! Instead, balance it smartly:

1. Set small goals: Solve 2–3 problems per day instead of marathon sessions.
2. Morning study, evening celebration: Use fresh mornings for reading, evenings for lights and sweets.
3. Gamify your learning: Treat each solved problem like lighting a diya 🪔. The more you solve, the brighter your path.
4. Study buddies: Pair up with a friend — festivals are social, so learning can be too.

 

🪔 Festive Tips to Make Learning Fun

1. Create a festive workspace – Add fairy lights, a small idol, or a plant to your desk. A cozy corner boosts motivation.
2. Reward yourself – After every study session, treat yourself with a sweet or a festive snack. 🎂
3. Mix books with practice – Alternate reading a book with solving problems on LeetCode, HackerRank, or Codeforces.
4. Gratitude practice – Festivals remind us of gratitude. Be thankful for opportunities, mentors, and even tough problems.

🌱 Wrapping It Up

Festivals are about hope, joy, and renewal. Preparing for tech interviews during this time can feel less like a burden and more like a celebration of your career dreams.

Whether it’s “Cracking the Coding Interview” to sharpen your coding, “System Design Interview” to master scalability, or “Soft Skills” to boost confidence — each book can act as a lamp lighting your path.

So, as you light diyas this Diwali or dance through Navratri nights, also light the spark of preparation. Your future job offer may just be the ultimate festive gift 🎁.

✨ Here’s to new beginnings, brighter careers, and interviews cracked with confidence! ✨

 

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