written by Lília
Nothing beats curling up on the couch with a blanket, book and (hot) beverage in the autumn months. We’ve got some great new titles for you spanning the genres—starting with true story-based fiction, passing through pure romantic escapism and falling finally into the magical world of translation. (You’ll have to trust us on that one.) Read on for our picks!
Young Adult
From Sophie, our Young Adult (YA) book buyer in The Hague and Leidschendam:
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouoh is about a young Syrian woman who works at a hospital in Homs. Although she encounters horrible things, the book is a love letter to Syria and its people, and it shows that even though there’s war, life also happens. It’s a book written from the heart, with beautiful descriptions of day-to-day life.
A Scatter of Light, by Malinda Lo, is not a sequel to her award-winning Last Night at the Telegraph Club, but the book is set in the same world – 60 years later. It is a beautiful queer love story.
Fiction
From Bob, our Memoirs book buyer in Amsterdam:
In Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, the main character is confronted with an unexpected situation, putting him in a position in which his past and his consciousness compel him to take action at the risk of becoming a social outcast.
From Bella, our Manga and Languages book buyer in Amsterdam:
Bella loves all things Japanese so is recommending All The Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami. The novel is about a freelance proofreader in her thirties, severely introverted and depressed, learning to crawl out of her shell and allow herself to meet people and heal. According to Bella, you want to wrap your arms around the main character as you root for her.
Romance
From Lília, our Romance book buyer in The Hague and Leidschendam:
Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon is pure escapism—sexy, spicy and hilarious romantic fiction. Originally published as an e-book, it’s now in print in an extended version with an extra epilogue as a bonus.
The People on Platform 5 by Clare Pooley, on the other hand, is a story falling somewhere between fiction and romance. It’s about a group of people who always make the same commute but never talk to each other. Then something happens that forces them to, and they learn that their preconceptions were not exactly correct.
Science Fiction, Fiction or Mystery?
From Simone, our Fiction book buyer in The Hague and Leidschendam:
We’re asking ourselves the above question because Upgrade by Blake Crouch is set in the near future and has a theme that seems more science fiction than fiction. But actually, it is something that is already possible. A scientist needs to test genetic enhancements and she may have found her perfect subjects: her children.
Fantasy
From Iris, The Hague store’s Horror buyer:
Iris just finished Babel by R.F. Kuang and can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s about a fictional version of Oxford, where one of the university’s colleges is dedicated to translations – Babel, the Royal Institute of Translation. Its translators need to know many languages and understand their deep meanings to uncover the magic in their words. Babel is about colonialism, magic and academia—and features both their beauty and darkness—including the violent history of the western world.
