“The Island” by Ana María Matute (Spain) Review Once they had gotten used to the style of writing and dated language, most readers liked this coming-of-age story. They felt that the long passages and the frequent use of parenthesis as commentary demanded that they pay attention. They loved the descriptions of the people and places, and thought the imagery used was highly evocative of both … Continue reading The Island
“Man Tiger” by Eka Kurniawan (Indonesia) Review Even though it took them a while to get used to the writing style, which weaves back and forward through moments in time, readers agreed that the book, with its visceral descriptions and an evocative setting, was easy to read. They found some characters sympathetic, but didn’t warm to most of them as they felt that they lacked … Continue reading Man Tiger
“Ceremony” by Leslie Marmon Silko (USA) Review Although readers struggled with the non-linear narrative to begin with, they quickly got into the story and were immersed in it. They warmed to the protagonist and liked the diversity of other characters: from his family members to the medicine men; from his childhood friends to his lovers. Readers liked the writing style with its mix of prose … Continue reading Ceremony
“Before the Coffee gets Cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (Japan) Review There were mixed feelings about this book, with most readers not really getting into the story at all and some enjoying it a lot. They found the first part a bit unconvincing, with a lot of repetitive passages which they felt slowed down the pace. But they agreed that the remaining three parts flowed better. … Continue reading Before the Coffee gets Cold
“Stay With Me” by Ayobami Adebayo (Nigeria) Review Readers agreed that this was an easy book to get into, with lots of twists and turns which kept them turning the pages. They loved the descriptions and felt that the author used subtle details to bring the scenes alive. They liked the two points of view and alternating chapters between the protagonists’ voices, though one reader … Continue reading Stay With Me
“Summer Light, and Then Comes the Night” by Jon Kalman Stefansson (Iceland) Review Readers loved this book, describing it as light, uplifting, gentle and philosophical. They loved the small world of the village with its little details, its simmering sexual undertones, the delicate balance between life and death, and the villagers’ search for meaning in their humdrum routines. Readers warmed to the various characters, and … Continue reading Summer Light, and Then Comes the Night
The four shortlisted books for this year’s Summer Reading Group all had plain writing styles making them easy to read despite some heavy themes. After some interesting discussion, the votes for Best Summer Read were spread equally over all 4 books, with one reader’s last vote tipping the balance in favour of “Afterlife.” “Afterlife” by Julia Alvarez (Dominican Republic) was chosen as Best Summer Read … Continue reading Best Summer Read 2021
The four shortlisted books for this year’s Summer Reading Group were all novels by black authors. When readers reserved their spot, they had the possibility to make a donation in memory of George Floyd and all the other Black Lives lost because of the systemic racism in our societies. We are delighted to say that we raised €125 and would like to thank all the … Continue reading Best Summer Read 2020
Nicola's Book Club 