The four shortlisted Summer Reads this year all had highly original writing styles and structures, making each one of them a treat to read despite some serious themes, such as racism, trauma, and death. After an in-depth discussion on each of them, “The Promise” was voted Best Summer Read by a majority of readers. “The Promise” by Damon Galgut (South Africa) was chosen as Best … Continue reading Best Summer Read 2022 – The Promise
“Before Night Falls” by Reinaldo Arenas (Cuba) Review Readers had mixed feelings about this book, with some liking it while others found it hard to read. They described the writing style as being inconsistent as they found some passages well written, whereas others felt very mechanistic. Some readers also thought that there were a bit too many erotic scenes, which broke up the flow of … Continue reading Before Night Falls
Members of the Summer Reading Group 2009 reacted both positively and negatively to the selection of books this year, loving some of them and disliking others. They did notice some commonalities between the stories: writers or would-be writers, books and literature, and funnily enough… alcohol! They voted “Broken Glass” by Alain Mabanckou the Best Summer Read 2009. This is the second novel to appear in … Continue reading Best Summer Read 2009 – Broken Glass
“Distant Palaces” by Abilio Estevez (Cuba) Synopsis and Review “Distant Palaces”: transforming creative energy into life When Victorio learns that his home is about to be demolished he leaves his job, burns his possessions and takes to the streets. Wandering the city, he meets two people who change his life: Salma, a young prostitute, and Don Fuco, an enigmatic old man who performs as a … Continue reading Distant Palaces
Nicola's Book Club 