Confession time – I spent most of last week watching the Harris-Waltz rallies and some of the Olympics, so no review this week. But back to the books. The links are to The Literate Lizard, nonfiction expert Debtorsprison’s online bookstore for readers and book lovers, and the blurbs are from the publishers. Whether from this list, recommended titles in the library, or a random title from your own TBR list, we want you to find the right book for you at the right time.
Peggy by Rebecca Godfrey, with Leslie Jamison
Rebecca Godfrey’s Peggy is a fiery, fresh take on a woman who challenges every expectation of being an original. The daughter of two Jewish dynasties, Peggy (Guggenheim)’s life in a convent is turned upside down at fourteen when her beloved father dies on the Titanic. His death prompts Peggy to seek a life of passion and personal freedom, and above all to believe in the transformative power of art.
The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey
Tama is just a helpless chick when he is rescued by Marnie, and that’s where his story could have ended. “If it keeps me awake,” says Marnie’s husband Rob, a farmer, “I’ll have to wring his neck.” But with Tama, new possibilities open up for the couple’s future. Tama can speak and his fame grows. Out in the pines, his father warns him about the evil that humans do. Inside, Marnie confides in him about her violent marriage. The more Tama sees, the more the world of animals and that of humans – and all the uncertainty, darkness and hope in them – blur together.
Mina’s Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa
From the award-winning, psychologically astute author of The Memory Police, a hypnotic, introspective novel about a wealthy Japanese family grappling with hidden secrets and their young houseguest who uncovers them.
The Register of Forgotten Objects: Stories by Miles Harvey
Short stories that use inanimate objects and humans’ relationships with them to explore grief, environmental disasters, and other themes of contemporary life.
The utopian generation by Pepetela
A groundbreaking novel about the decolonization of Africa, available for the first time in English translation.
Lisbon, 1961. Aware that they are being watched by the secret police, four young Angolans discuss their plans for a utopian homeland free from Portuguese rule. When war breaks out, they flee to France and must decide whether to return home and join the fight. Two remain in exile, two return to Angola to become guerrilla fighters. Over the course of the brutal fourteen-year war, they narrowly avoid capture. Reunited in the capital Luanda, the old friends face independence, their confidence shaken, and struggle to build a new society free from the corruption and violence of colonial rule.
Highway Thirteen: Stories by Fiona McFarlane
A gripping, enigmatic collection of interconnected short stories about the impact of a serial killer’s crimes on people’s lives.
The Bird Hourglass by Lindsey Drager
The birds have disappeared. The stars can no longer be seen. The crisis is getting worse. In a town as isolated as a snow globe, a woman who dreams of becoming a radio astronomer struggles to raise the triplets she gave birth to via surrogate whose parents were killed in a car crash. Surrounded by characters who wear wings, memorize etymologies, and build giant bird’s nests, and tied to this town where young adults must choose between two binary worldviews—either YES or NO—the woman is haunted by the old fable of the girl in the glass jar, a cautionary tale about breaking down the facade of one’s world.
Remember the death by Eunice Hong
Did Eurydice want to return from the underworld? Did anyone ask?
The Hypocrite: Novel by Jo Hamya
From an incredibly talented author who has the potential to become the Rachel Cusk or Deborah Levy of a new generation. A novel set between the stages of London and Sicily, about a daughter who turns the case of her novelist father into a play, and a father who is increasingly afraid of the voice of his precocious daughter.
Silky Gazelles by Jokha Alharthi
The new novel by the Man Booker International Prize-winning author of Celestial Bodies and Bitter Orange Tree is about two Omani women who form an inseparable bond as breastfeeding sisters – a bond comparable to that between biological siblings.
Medusa of the Roses by Navid Sinaki
Sex, revenge and betrayal in modern Tehran – Navid Sinaki’s brave film debut is a queer literary noir novel about Anjir, a morbid romantic and petty thief whose friend disappears just as they are planning to leave their hometown forever.
Jimi Hendrix Live in Lviv by Andrey Kurkov
Longlisted for the International Booker Prize is a Murakami-style ode to western Ukraine’s famous cultural capital, with a charming band of eccentrics who together form the city’s beating heart.
The fertile earth by Ruthvika Rao
An unforgettable story of love and resistance about two young people born into different social backgrounds, set against the backdrop of India’s turbulent political landscape.
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