February Wrap Up Overview
My February wrap up was another good one, featuring some very dark translated fiction and illuminating historical fiction. I took part in Seji’s @theartisangeek #BlackLitChallenge on Instagram, which pushed me out of my comfort zone by making me read a PLAY for the first time since secondary school! In case you can’t see it in the photo, it was For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange, recommended by Anna at @never_withouta_book.
Laura from What’s Hot Blog also invited me to co-write a blog post on some excellent Japanese fiction. I did some extra reading for that with Banana Yoshimoto and Ryū Murakami. You can read the blog post here!
Please note, titles with an asterisk* were gifted by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I’m an affiliate for Blackwell’s, so this post contains affiliate links to their site.
Translation Talk
In terms of translated lit, The Discomfort of Evening*, In the Miso Soup, Diary of a Murderer* and Elly* all explore some extremely dark and disturbing themes. The Disaster Tourist* is a timely disaster novel with a difference, while Katalin Street* and The President’s Gardens are both poignant historical fiction novels concerning Hungary and Iraq respectively. I was also delighted to read and review Annie Ernaux’s latest offering to be translated into English, A Girl’s Story*.
February Standouts
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
You know a book is good when you devour almost 700 pages in two days. I was blown away by this novel. Tackling topics such as the AIDs crisis and sexual repression in Ireland in the 20th century, this is a poignant read. Yet it perfectly balances humour and heartbreak, moving me to tears and laughter in equal parts. Definitely the highlight of my February wrap up.
Buy The Heart’s Invisible Furies at Blackwell’s
Your House Will Pay* by Steph Cha
I learned a lot from this novel. As a Brit, the LA Riots of the 90s aren’t something that I knew a lot about. Steph Cha’s novel sheds light on the racial tensions that were rife between the Black and Korean communities at the time. Gripping and still pertinent today, this book covers issues such as racism, family dynamics, responsibility, and justice. I’m also hoping to read the book Cha recommends at the end, The Contested Murder of Latasha Harlins: Justice, Gender, and the Origins of the LA Riots.
Buy Your House Will Pay at Blackwell’s
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
I read this classic as part of Seji’s challenge and I’m happy to report that I loved it. I don’t see how anyone can read this book and not fall in love with Janey. Watching her grow as a woman, determined to find the love she deserves, was such a beautiful thing. She doesn’t play games, and doesn’t accept anything less than what she wants. The edition I read also had a wonderfully insightful foreword by Zadie Smith, which I recommend reading if you can.
Buy Their Eyes Were Watching God at Blackwell’s
Death in Her Hands* by Ottessa Moshfegh
Ottessa Moshfegh certainly divides readers but I am firmly in the love camp! She’s not afraid to explore the dark underbelly of the human pysche. Her books are mainly character studies, so I don’t recommend this one if you prefer plot-driven stories. As with all her protagonists, Vesta has a vein of darkness running through her. She seems to take pleasure in other people’s discomfort. This, cut through with an undercurrent of palpable tension, makes for a delightfully unsettling reading experience.
Preorder Death in Her Hands at Blackwell’s
Reading Stats
I visited two new countries for my world reading challenge:
Meanwhile, I made return visits to:
- Japan
- Nigeria
- US
- UK
- Ireland
- Canada
- Sweden
- The Netherlands
- Germany
- France
- South Korea
Again, I read a total of 20 books in February, so I read 10 translations.
- Dutch (Michele Hutchison)
- Hungarian (Len Rix)
- French (Alison L. Strayer)
- Two Japanese (Ralph McCarthy and Megan Backus)
- Swedish (Saskia Vogel)
- Arabic (Luke Leafgren)
- Two Korean (Krys Lee and Lizzie Buehler)
- German (Lyn Marven)
You can keep up with my reading the world efforts on Instagram by looking under my hashtag #AbReadsAroundTheWorld, while I post reviews for most books I read over there, on The StoryGraph, and Goodreads.
If you missed my January wrap up, you can check that out here!