Here you'll find stories to savor and characters you'll love so much you'll have to put the book down and walk away, to get ready, when things get tense. Also, a memoir about growing up on the largest block of unfenced wilderness in the lower 48 states, and a new novel I'm thinking may just be a spring break beach read.
Category: Books in Translation
My 10 favorite books of 2021
A surprising mix of novels became my year-end favorites for their morally conflicted and inspiring characters: from scientists to petty thieves, French Algerians to Chilean dictators, an Indiana farm woman to a Black female executive. And then one book, simply put, I didn't want to end.
A man walks into a tacky hotel
"Winter in Sokcho" by Elisa Shua Dusapin tells the story of a stranger arriving in an isolated South Korean fishing village. He’s a graphic novelist looking for peace and quiet to complete his final book in a series. The unnamed narrator, who works at the guesthouse where he takes a room, becomes his tour guide, and also his unexpected emotional life reckoning. Her voice is enticing. Read more here about this award-winning novel.
“You come from here, but this is not your home.”
Alice Zeniter's new novel THE ART OF LOSING marries the present-day Parisian life of a young career girl with the mid-20th century legacy of her father and grandparents. It's an epic drama about French Algerians before and after the war of independence. Moving and memorable.
Finalists for the 2021 International Booker Prize
I wasn't paying attention, and then I was, when the six books in the running for this year's International Booker Prize jumped out at me on social media with their surprising variety. It's the stuff that astonishes. Take a look.
My reading life: a few good books
Here you'll find three novels that will capture your attention for their complex characters, intriguing settings, and heartrending stories. Also, I’ve included the title of an unusual book from Melbourne, Australia, and a new novel coming out next week that takes place during a bloody week in 1871 Paris.
“The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World”
Laura Imai Messina’s engaging new novel tells the story of Japan's 2011 tsunami survivors and others who talk to their dead loved ones on a disconnected phone. Inspired by true events. Unusual and not to be missed.
My reading life: just finished + coming soon
A 21st century poet writes about the life of an enslaved 18th century poet, and a psychoanalyst explores that fateful night in Gethsemane in two profound stories far from this century. Plus, March is promising to be a literary month to look forward to – here’s why.
My 10 favorite books of 2020
Literary novels, a biography, a humorous memoir, a fable, and more. "What I want to tell you about is something quite different," says one character in these unforgettable books on this year-end list.
Book award winners announced this week
Some of the finest books published this year won the Booker Prize and the National Book Awards. Fiction includes stories about a ghost haunting a train station, an Asian actor aspiring to be Kung Fu Guy, and a boy in 1980's Glasgow. Here are the titles.
An old man contemplates his life with music: “Self-Portrait With Russian Piano”
Wolf Wondratshek's new novel evocatively explores the life and emotions of a concert pianist. Profoundly enjoyable, especially for classical music enthusiasts.
Three new story collections you want to ignore, but I recommend you don’t.
It's unheard of for me to read not just one but three short story collections in less than a month. I'm typically more into novels, but I couldn't put these down.
My impossible list of wants. Then three.
The International Dublin Literary Award is parked indefinitely at its 2020 Longlist due to the pandemic. But wait ‘til you see the nominees, happy hunting ground for readers in search of a good novel. There are many, but I provide a tip to help your search.
The books I’m reading now
Readers looking for new stories, here's a list of five books, all new this year, a mix of fascinating JFK fact/fiction, WWII non-fiction, an "engrossing" biography, and a dark novel that's one of the six finalists for the International Booker Prize. Also, an update about delayed spring releases.
“The Teacher” by Michal Ben-Naftali
An unnamed narrator imagines the life of her austere high school English teacher, compelled to understand what the Kolozsvár native experienced during the Holocaust and why she took her own life. It's profound storytelling in an intense, moving novel.
The Longest Chapter 