This year’s four shortlisted Summer Reads were all high-calibre page turners, with an enthralling mix of literary thrillers, mysteries and political intrigues. After an intense discussion on each of them, “My Father’s House” was voted Best Summer Read by a majority of readers. “My Father’s House” by Joseph O’Connor (Ireland) was chosen as Best Summer Read 2023. Set in Rome in the 1940s, it is … Continue reading Best Summer Read 2023 – My Father’s House
“Shantytown” by César Aira (Argentina) Review There were mixed reactions to this novella-length story with some readers finding it charming and magical, while others described it as strange or unusual, and one reader liked it the least of all the books she’d read so far in the book club. At 160 pages, everyone agreed it was a quick and easy read. They loved the descriptions … Continue reading Shantytown
“Departing at Dawn” by Gloria Lisé (Argentina) Review With its subtitle “A Novel of Argentina’s Dirty War”, readers said they found the story to be completely different from what they had imagined. Instead of getting details of the horrors of a military dictatorship, which is what they had been expecting, readers felt they were given an introspective and interesting look at life in that context from … Continue reading Departing at Dawn
“Death as a Side Effect” by Ana Maria Shua (Argentina) Review Readers had varying opinions on this book with some of them loving it while others found it unrelentingly bleak. One thing they all agreed upon was that it was extremely well written and that the translator, Andrea G. Labinger, had done an excellent job rendering this. Most readers found the depiction of the dystopian … Continue reading Death as a Side Effect
“My Name is Light” by Elsa Osorio (Argentina) Review Most readers enjoyed the story finding it a fast-paced read. They liked being enlightened about the lesser-known political situation in Argentina in the seventies and they got a good feel for the fear and tension without too many disturbing details. They also felt that the topic of adoption raised some highly interesting questions, especially concerning the … Continue reading My Name is Light
Members of the Summer Reading Group enjoyed the selection of books this year, though they found the themes of each one quite melancholic! They voted “The Dream Life of Sukhanov” by Olga Grushin the Best Summer Read 2007. This is a first novel by a young Russian author, which was shortlisted for the Orange Award for New Writers in 2006. Readers found heart-breaking this complex … Continue reading Best Summer Read 2007 – The Dream Life of Sukhanov
Nicola's Book Club 