"This is an enchanted place. Others don't see it but I do." It’s not easy to find the words to talk about this one. It’s a searing yet oddly gentle dive into a prison, focusing on its death row. It’s unlike anything I have read before. The hardest story, imparted with the most tender, lyrical … Continue reading The Enchanted, by Rene Denfeld
“I know that time for you feels finite. But you'll see it will stretch out. There's so much more to come.” This is the sequel to The Miniaturist, which I enjoyed a lot some years ago. It was intriguing, atmospheric and well, you can read all about it here. So why then did I let … Continue reading The House of Fortune, by Jessie Burton
A few days before embarking on my plane trip to my new dwelling across the Atlantic, I visited Penelope at my favourite bookstore in Paris, The Red Wheelbarrow . I asked her what my "last title" should be. She recommended this, the second installment of Deborah’s Levy “living autobiography”. I asked if I should not … Continue reading The Cost of Living, by Deborah Levy
"For me, the aim of poetry is to capture the true essence of things. But Truth is difficult to catch, understand and explain. Truth is hard to embrace in one sweep. So one must go tangentially, and turn around with a laser beam. One must shed light on each side of Truth like this, with words. And little by little, from this literary exploration, an approximation of Truth emerges. That's what poetry does."
"Although it deals with difficult and sensitives topics, I laughed and had a very good time reading Concrete Rose"
Many thanks to Elena over at Bloomsbury Publishing for sending an ARC of Joanne Ramos' debut novel my way! Jane is a young woman , immigrant, half-Filipina, half-American, and a single mother. She needs money. So when her old cousin Ate tells her about Golden Oaks Farm, she decides to seize the opportunity. At the … Continue reading The Farm, by Joanne Ramos
First of all, thanks to the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. I had a basic knowledge of the Romanov's history before entering this novel, enough to get me very intrigued. And I had been following Nadine Brandes on Instagram for some time, but although it … Continue reading Romanov, by Nadine Brandes
I came across this title by chance, as I was ( how surprising) wandering around The Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore (again). I love spending time here, helping Penelope out and learning about how the bookstore works. You Will Safe Here was among the ARCs she had received, standing quietly on its shelf, patiently waiting for me … Continue reading You Will Be Safe Here, by Damian Barr
After having heard -read- about The Night Circus everywhere, I finally got my hands on it and even found my way through my overflowing TBR to open it. The first try, in August, was a false start, though, because at the time, after a long stretch of reading in English, I felt the need to … Continue reading The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
I don't read short stories very often, but Kat (@redwavereads) was so enthusiastic about this collection that I had to give it a try. At the time, Lucia Berlin was completely unknown to me, which, now that I have read her, seems a real shame. Berlin was incredibly talented. And even this falls short to … Continue reading A Manual For Cleaning Women, by Lucia Berlin
Kemy's bookshelf 