The wait is over! Goodreads has announced its winners for 2018, which also marks the ten-year anniversary of the book awards. Readers get the chance to vote for their favourite books based on different popular categories like fiction, sci-fi, and Romance. It is basically the Oscars for books. This year, Goodreads recorded over five million … Continue reading
TRIGGER WARNING: This review deals with death by suicide. The Virgin Suicides were first published in 1993 and it was Jeffrey Eugenides’ breakout debut novel. It was received with critical acclaim and some reviewers at the time called his novel a modern Greek tragedy. It has captured readers since its release and was turned into … Continue reading
I love books. I love reading them, reviewing them, talking about them, and even being photographed next to them in a book-coordinated outfit (see above)! I feel like I have been doing a lot of really interesting and thought-provoking book reviews recently, but I also feel that they have been heavy. So to bring some … Continue reading
Jeffrey Eugenides’ novel Middlesex is a breathtaking inter-generational novel that addresses issues of the complex history of Eastern Europe, Greek identity, Greek-American identity, growing up in the U.S., and intersex and other LGBTQA identities. It would be easy to talk all day about the complexities of this novel as well as Eugenides’ exquisite prose … Continue reading
I have been attending author events at the Kaufleuten in Zurich since I moved to Switzerland. They are great things for the community and I think they can encourage reading, multilingual boarder-crossing, and intellectual discussions about literature from around the world. I recently went to Han Kang’s talk/interview about her book, The Vegetarian. I have … Continue reading
If you grow up in an English speaking country, chances are rather high that you have had to read some Shakespeare. Conquering Shakespearean language, rhythm, and rhyme are a rite of passage every young English speaking teenager must go through. Some people hate Shakespeare, others love him so much that they pursue academic research projects … Continue reading
Han Kang is one of my new favourite authors. Her latest novel, “The Vegetarian”, is such an intriguing look into the human psyche. Her novel, “Human Acts” was translated into English and published in 2014. A basic summary of the novel would be it explores the complex nature of loss, violence, and death that accompanied … Continue reading
On my last trip to the U.S.A. I did what I always do: spend waaaay to many hours in bookstores. Bookstores provide me with so much comfort. Just being around books instantly relaxes me. Who knew that words written on paper could bring so much peace? I am always looking for something new. It is … Continue reading
Many news articles over the past few months have toted the line that millennials are the most widely read generation to date. This is due to factors like access to the internet, eBooks, cheap(ish) books, and international delivery (I’m talking to you Amazon, Verso, and Book Depository). Online social book spaces like Goodreads and the … Continue reading
The rituals that surround death are comforting like the rituals of making tea. Despite death taking a life from your hands, you can still feel useful. The body needs to be collected, prepared for burial or cremation, and eventually buried or burned. Fill the kettle, boil the water, select the tea. You can collect photos … Continue reading
