International fiction
Normal Rules Don't Apply by Kate Atkinson
Kate Atkinson’s first full collection of short stories, Normal Rules Don’t Apply are absurdist in their content – and, to be honest, a little spooky. It does seem as if Atkinson has been reading the Bible and the result is…
The Fraud by Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith’s first historical fiction novel is for readers who are prepared to pause, reflect, and then continue. It is not an easy read, but stay with it because Smith has done something unusual here and the result is an…
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
As cherry harvest season begins in the warm Michigan springtime, Lara cannot believe her good fortune in the midst of the pandemic: all three of her grown-up daughters are back at home. There is Emily, poised to take over the…
Penance by Eliza Clark
‘Did you know her? Did you see it on the internet?’… ’Did you listen to a podcast? Did the hosts make jokes? Do you have a dark sense of humour? Did that make it okay? … Did they give you…
The List by Yomi Adegoke
Ola Olajide is a Nigerian-British journalist with a reputation for breaking hard-hitting feminist stories. She’s working at the dubiously named but otherwise well-regarded Womxxxn, an online women’s sexual health and lifestyle platform. Ola is best known for two things: her…
What You Are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama & Alison Watts (trans.)
Perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this heartfelt, charming Japanese collection of stories focuses on a curious library and its even curiouser librarian, who, as well as having read every book on the shelves, has the…
Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck & Michael Hofmann (trans.)
The title of Jenny Erpenbeck’s fourth novel refers to a tenet of ancient Greek philosophy – the idea of the right or critical moment to act. Just how kairos impacts the novel’s two major characters becomes clear in its final…
Pet by Catherine Chidgey
Pet, by New Zealand author Catherine Chidgey, is my favourite book of 2023 so far. Set in a Catholic primary school in the mid 1980s, it’s narrated by Justine, an 11-year-old girl. Justine’s mother has died recently, and her…
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead
If you need to offload some suspiciously acquired jewellery while getting a good deal on a recliner in 1970s Harlem, Ray Carney’s your man. Or, at least, he used to be, before he went straight – now he’s living comfortably…
Bored Gay Werewolf by Tony Santorella
I had to read this book on title alone. I mean, who wouldn’t want to read a book called Bored Gay Werewolf? Seriously! I wasn’t disappointed.
Brian is a 20-something college dropout who is not living up to his…
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