In a Nutshell: Half a Lifelong Romance is set in the 1930s, the only clue of when the book is set, is a reference towards the end of the book, to the Battle of Shanghai, which started in August 1937: “the battle of Shanghai began in mid-august and the fighting was intense for three months.” … Continue reading Day 15: 🇨🇳 Half a Lifelong Romance
Day 7: 🇨🇺 Havana Year Zero
After reading two brilliant books from Charco Press last summer: The German Room by Carla Maliandi ( tr. Frances Riddle) and Holiday Heart by Margarita García Robayo (tr. Charlotte Coombe). I decided to subscribe to their 2021 bundle. Charco Press is a small indie publisher, based in Edinburgh, that brings Latin American contemporary writers to … Continue reading Day 7: 🇨🇺 Havana Year Zero
Day 6: 🇭🇹 Dance on the Volcano
Observations: Originally published in 1957 in French, this edition was translated by Kaiama L. Glover, a beautiful translation I may add. It was published in 2016 by Archipelago Books. I loved it, a period romp in places and at other times, a devastating tale of the impact colonialism has on nations like Haiti. In a … Continue reading Day 6: 🇭🇹 Dance on the Volcano
Day 5: 🇫🇷 Mend the Living by Maylis de Kerangal, (tr.Jessica Moore)
Observations: There are two English translations of the novel, one for UK audiences (Mend the Living) and one for U.S. audiences (The Heart), which was published in the U.S. in 2017. The Wellcome Book prize rewards exceptional works of literature that illuminate the many ways that health, medicine and illness touch our lives. Mend the … Continue reading Day 5: 🇫🇷 Mend the Living by Maylis de Kerangal, (tr.Jessica Moore)
Day 4: 🇸🇻 Slash and Burn
In a Nutshell: Quite an intense reading experience. The book is written in the third person, yet at times it feels like it is almost in the first person. None of the characters are given names, and only one place, Paris, France, is referred to. It talks of the after-effects of El Salvador’s Civil War, … Continue reading Day 4: 🇸🇻 Slash and Burn
Day 2: 🇩🇿 Our Riches/A Bookshop in Algiers
A lot of my reading is accompanied by a snack or a good coffee. My edition of this book is called Our Riches but a new edition was released in May called A Bookshop in Algiers. In a Nutshell: Adimi was born in 1986, the same year as me! She was born in Algiers but … Continue reading Day 2: 🇩🇿 Our Riches/A Bookshop in Algiers
#QATARILITMONTH: Contemporary Qatari Literature: Fiction from an Urban Desert
You can learn a lot about a nation’s history, culture and aspirations by reading its literature. A number of Qatari authors have made their work available in the English language, making it easy for a global audience to read the country’s historical fiction, magical fantasy and folk tales. Qatari author Abdulaziz Al-Mahmoud’s writing depicts the … Continue reading #QATARILITMONTH: Contemporary Qatari Literature: Fiction from an Urban Desert
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Temple Alley Summer
Written by award-winning Japanese author Sachiko Kashiwaba, Temple Alley Summer* features not one but two ghost stories. The first is the outer shell in this engrossing middle-grade novel and a fully-fleshed narrative; the other is an embedded fairy-tale fantasy with intriguing connections and parallels to the first. In the “outer” ghost story, Kazu, who is … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Temple Alley Summer
The Booktrekker: Kenya
READ Dust, by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, opens with the shooting death of a young man on the streets of Nairobi. He is killed by the police after stealing back the car that was stolen from him. The young man’s name is Moses Ebewesit Odidi Oganda (Odidi), and his death shatters his family: his estranged father Nyipir, … Continue reading The Booktrekker: Kenya
The Booktrekker: Eritrea
READ Eritrea is an East African country situated just above Ethiopia. At one point in the country’s history, it was annexed by Ethiopia, which led to numerous armed conflicts between the Ethiopian army and Eritreans fighting for their country’s independence. Many civilians were forced to flee Eritrea, and they ended up living in refugee camps. … Continue reading The Booktrekker: Eritrea
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 