Eskatos & The Stretched Necks of Stillness by Mats Söderlund, translated by Olivia Olsen

(Thank you to Restless Books for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book: (summary from publisher)

In a sweeping but intimate blend of ecopoetry, mythology, and political verse, Eskatos & the Stretched Necks of Stillness communes with Sweden’s primeval woodlands during an age of transformation. These collected poems lead the reader down overgrown paths, beyond the flickering of leaves and lichen, to meet the dead: a troop of scattering spirits that Söderlund sets out to praise, and to mourn. Shining of rain and gnawing of sorrow, cast from stone, frost, surgical nails, and charcoal ash, Söderlund’s hypnotic ode forms a fragile tether to a world and past that threatens to slip through our fingers, and which no generation who seeks to survive can disclaim.

my thoughts:

Wow! What a powerful collection of poetry. I absolutely LOVED it to bits. Talk about all the feels, Eskatos & The Stretched Necks of Stillness by Mats Söderlund and translated by Olivia Olsen, has it in spades. The way Söderlund explores grief through the life and death of nature is exquisite. His ability to create a rhythm with his words is astounding. You can't help but feel the urgency with which he writes, because it touches you deeply and leaves its mark. This book is a testament to his talent and creativity. And, it's the perfect example of how poetry can be both loud and quiet at the same time. It's truly an amazing read.

I would happily recommend Eskatos & The Stretched Necks of Stillness to anyone and everyone looking for their next great read - you won't want to miss out on this excellent book. Make sure to grab a copy and check it out! 

Thank you to Restless Books for providing me with a copy of this book. 

A Compass On The Navigable Sea: 100 Years of World Literature, An Anthology Edited by Daniel Simon

 

about book: (summary from Goodreads)

A global chorus from the archives of World Literature Today, this landmark collection of fiction, essays, and poetry commemorates a century of exploration through pen and ink.

The Night Closes, the Sky Opens is a bold, global anthology of stories that cross borders and essays that reshape worlds, reimagining what international writing can be. From Nobel laureates to dissident poets, iconic novelists to fresh contemporary voices, this collection brings together powerful essays, visionary lectures, and urgent reflections that speak to the heart of literature’s role in a rapidly changing world.

Spanning four dynamic sections—from foundational manifestos to groundbreaking critical takes, from national literatures to transnational identities—this anthology offers readers a vibrant map of how stories cross borders, bridge histories, and shape futures. Alongside works by Octavio Paz, Elie Wiesel, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Toni Morrison, Dubravka Ugrešić, and many others. Ultimately, this collection bridges genre, time, and location, and asks What can literature do in a time of crisis?

my thoughts:

Love, love, loved this beautiful book! A Compass On the Navigable Sea is an anthology by Daniel Simon, and it encompasses 100 Years of World Literature. How awesome is that? Voices from all over brought together to share their love, consideration, and urgent concerns regarding this vast and ever-changing world we all call home. We get history and contemporary ideas all together, which makes for such a refreshing view on the ways in which the world has changed, or barely moved forward. It's fascinating, powerful, and thought-provoking. I would happily recommend this book to everyone - it's a definitely must-read that will provide plenty of food for thought. Make sure to grab a copy ASAP! You won't want to miss out on such a wonderful collection. 

Thank you to Restless Books for providing me with a copy of this book!

The Trial Of Anna Thalberg: A Novel by Eduardo Sangarcia, translated by Elizabeth Bryer

(Thank you to Restless Books for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

Anna Thalberg is a peasant woman shunned for her red hair and provocative beauty. When she is dragged from her home and accused of witchcraft, her neighbors do not intervene. Only Klaus, Anna’s husband, and Father Friedrich, a priest experiencing a crisis of faith, set out to the city of Würzburg to prove her innocence. There, Anna faces isolation and torture inside the prison tower, while the populace grows anxious over strange happenings within the city walls. Can Klaus and Friedrich convince the church to release Anna, or will she burn at the stake?

Set in the Holy Roman Empire during the Protestant Reformation, The Trial of Anna Thalberg is a story of religious persecution, superstition, and human suffering. While exploring the medieval fear of witches and demons, it delves into enduring human concerns: the historical oppression of women, the inhumanity of institutions, and the question of God’s existence. Frantic in pace and experimental in form, this novel is an unforgettable debut from Mexican author Eduardo Sangarcía.

my thoughts:

The Trial Of Anna Thalberg by Eduardo Sangarcia is historical fiction at its finest. I loved reading all about the ways in which morality, superstition, and religion played vital roles in this story. They helped to show the suffering Anna endured as she dealt with false accusations based on jealousy - all because she was a beautiful redhead!?! How crazy?! Talk about 'he said - she said' at it's worst!

Sangarcia has written a riveting tale about witches, society, and faith. I found myself easily engaged with the story and eager to keep reading. I wanted to find out about these people involved in Anna's fate, along with the history of it all. This was one story that I would not put down for anything - it was just too good to resist. 

I would definitely recommend The Trial Of Anna Thalberg to everyone looking for their next great read - you won't want to miss out on this gem. Make sure to check it out!

Thank you to Restless Books for providing me with a copy of this book!

The Wildcat Behind Glass by Alki Wei

(Thank you to Restless Books for providing with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

For Melia and her sister Myrto, summer means a break from Grandfather’s history lessons and weeks of running free at the seaside with their ragtag group of friends. Best of all, cousin Nikos will visit and tell his fabulous stories about the taxidermied wildcat, which opens its blue glass eye when it wants to do good deeds and its black one when it makes trouble. The black eye must be open lately because all the adults have been acting strangely, arguing about politics and fearful of the police. Soon even the children are divided—who can Melia trust? And can the wildcat help keep her family safe?

Set in Greece during the 1930s, when the nation was torn apart by fascism, The Wildcat Behind Glass is an unforgettable tale of family, humanity, and what it means to be free. From its 1963 release to the dozens of international editions and honors that followed including a Mildred L. Batchelder Award, the novel has enchanted generations of young readers. Now, a fresh English translation—the first in over 50 years—breathes new life into the timeless story.

my thoughts:

A marvelous and unforgettable story that I can't wait to read again and again. The Wildcat Behind Glass by Alki Wei is a wonderful children's book that I would wholeheartedly recommend to everyone. It's a definite must-read!

I loved the story, the characters, the setting, and the writing - it was all superb! I found myself easily engaged right from the start and would not put the book down for anything. I enjoyed every second I spent with Melia, Myrto, Nikos, and the wildcat with a blue glass eye. Their summer adventures made for fun and wondrous storytelling.  And, that is all I will share about the book, because you must experience it for yourself. It's such a special treat to read - you will LOVE it!!

Make sure to get your hands on a copy ASAP - you won't regret it! And, make sure to tell your friends about this story, too - they are going to fall in deep, too. 

Thank you to Restless Books for providing me with a copy of this book!

The Book Censor's Library: A Novel by Bothayna Al-Essa

(Thank you to Restless Books for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

A perilous and fantastical satire of banned books, secret libraries, and the looming eye of an all-powerful government. 

The new book censor hasn’t slept soundly in weeks. By day he combs through manuscripts at a government office, looking for anything that would make a book unfit to publish―allusions to queerness, unapproved religions, any mention of life before the Revolution. By night the characters of literary classics crowd his dreams, and pilfered novels pile up in the house he shares with his wife and daughter. As the siren song of forbidden reading continues to beckon, he descends into a netherworld of resistance fighters, undercover booksellers, and outlaw librarians trying to save their history and culture. 

Reckoning with the global threat to free speech and the bleak future it all but guarantees, Bothayna Al-Essa marries the steely dystopia of Orwell’s 1984 with the madcap absurdity of Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland , resulting in a dreadful twist worthy of Kafka. The Book Censor’s Library is a warning call and a love letter to stories and the delicious act of losing oneself in them.

my thoughts:

A magnificent story about books, which I just loved. There are so many literary references, I kept a notebook nearby to jot them all down - talk about an enriching reading experience! The Book Censor's Library by Bothayna Al-Essa is one of my favorite reads of 2024 and I strong urge you to pick up a copy ASAP! You won't want to miss out on this terrific story about books, censorship (think Big Brother), secret libraries, and so much more! 

So, why did I love this book so much? 

1. All the bookishness made my day. 

2. Big Brotherishness is always scary, intriguing, and thought-provoking.

3. Al-Essa's writing was excellent! Truly reminded me of why I love to read. 

4. The story was unputdownable - you can't help but get caught up in it. 

5. Translated fiction is truly the best! Makes me want to read more of it. 

Overall, this is one story that I don't want to share any details about, because you MUST read it for yourself and experiment the beauty of it. You are going to LOVE it to bits!!

Thank you to Restless Books for providing me with a copy of this book!

Tenderloin: A Novel by Joy Sorman

(Thank you to Restless Books for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

Can killing be an act of love? Hypnotic, gruesome, and exultant, Joy Sorman’s macabre ballet whirls from industrial slaughterhouses to the boutique butcher shops of Paris.

Pim is a delicate youth—stringy, solemn, and prone to bouts of unexplained weeping. When he enrolls in trade school as an apprentice butcher, his mentors have low expectations, but his lanky body conceals a peculiar flame: a passionate devotion to animals. In a business that strives to distance the chopping block from the dinner plate, his ardor might seem like a handicap, but Pim rises through the knife-wielding ranks with a barely-tethered zeal. He scours blood from floor mats and stacks carcasses in the cold room by day. By night he tries to slake his appetites: at the table over boudin sausage and steak tartare, and in bed with women whose flanks, ribs, and haunches he maps with careful fingers.

As Pim’s professional successes mount, his cravings gnaw. Meat crowds his waking thoughts. Even as he carves ripe flesh from exquisite bone, he labors to close the gap between man and beast—to be seen, understood, even loved, by a primordial mind. Will this ravenous obsession yield to madness, or to ecstasy?

With shades of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, Joy Sorman’s Tenderloin is an ethical foray, fever dream, and paean to an ageless hunger.

my thoughts:

Wow! What a fascinating, disturbing, and riveting story! I couldn't put it down! I found myself immersed in Pim's life right from the start. It was unusual and strange, which made me want to keep reading. Tenderloin by Joy Sorman is a definite must-read!

1. I love that book cover. Yes, I am a sucker for a great book cover. If I love it, then I'm most likely grabbing a copy of the book. And this one was definitely intriguing. I loved the colors and the simplicity of the look - it had a cool style to it. 

2. The book's title - definitely caught my attention. 

3. The story. A butcher named Pim and his insatiable cravings is pretty much all you need to know. I never knew I wanted to know about a butcher until now. 

4.  The characters are unforgettable. 

5. The writing was top notch! I loved the vivid details - they were so graphic at times - whoa! 

6. Overall, I really enjoyed this short novel and would recommend it to anyone and everyone. 

And now, I'm off to figure out what to read next. I'm veering toward Elizabeth Strout's latest, Tell Me Everything. Hmm...

Thank you to Restless Books for providing me with a copy of this book!