I daresay that a lot of people who visit a certain Swedish home store feel overwhelmed and lost as they…
Country Doctor, by Michael Sparrow
I’m kind of glad that Michael Sparrow, the author of the memoir Country Doctor, is not my doctor. He declares…
The Villains We Can't Read About
Through no planning whatsoever, the last three books I’ve read included elements of domestic violence. Seeing them all together like…
Thunder Bay, by Douglas Skelton
Trigger warning for domestic violence. The island where Douglas Skelton’s Thunder Bay is set is the kind of place that…
Blue Flowers, by Carola Saavedra
Trigger warning for rape and domestic violence. I was drawn to Blue Flowers, by Carola Saavedra (and translated by Daniel…
Mercy House, by Alena Dillon
Trigger warning for domestic violence and rape. There is a house in Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York, where abused women can seek…
This week on the bookish internet
GoodReads troll problems are getting worse. (Camestros Felapton) Davis Shariatmadari meditates on untranslatable words. (LitHub) Peter Derk lays out the…
Tyll, by Daniel Kehlmann
There is no such thing as verifiable truth in Daniel Kehlmann’s Tyll. There are only the “truths” and “facts” that…
The Hidden People, by Alison Littlewood
The Hidden People, by Alison Littlewood, opens with one of the brightest moments of the Industrial Revolution. The Exhibition at…
Weather, by Jenny Offill
I understand the fuss about Jenny Offill now. Weather is an amazing work of fiction that captures so much of…
