My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein – The story begins in the 1950s, in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples. Growing up on these tough streets the two girls learn to rely on each other ahead of anyone or anything else. Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between her protagonists, the unforgettable Elena and Lila.
The Vegetarian by Han Kang, translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith – Before the nightmares began, Yeong-hye and her husband lived an ordinary, controlled life. But the dreams–invasive images of blood and brutality–torture her, driving Yeong-hye to purge her mind and renounce eating meat altogether. It’s a small act of independence, but it interrupts her marriage and sets into motion an increasingly grotesque chain of events at home. As her husband, her brother-in-law, and her sister each fight to reassert their control, Yeong-hye obsessively defends the choice that’s become sacred to her.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated from Japanese by Ginny Tapley Takemori – Keiko Furukura works at a convenience store where she finds a predictable world mandated by the store manual, which dictates how the workers should act and what they should say, and she copies her coworkers’ style of dress and speech patterns so that she can play the part of a normal person. However, eighteen years later, at age 36, she is still in the same job, has never had a boyfriend, and has only few friends. She feels comfortable in her life, but is aware that she is not living up to society’s expectations and causing her family to worry about her. When a similarly alienated but cynical and bitter young man comes to work in the store, he will upset Keiko’s contented stasis―but will it be for the better?
Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin, translated from Spanish by Megan McDowell – A young woman named Amanda lies dying in a rural hospital clinic. A boy named David sits beside her. She’s not his mother. He’s not her child. Together, they tell a haunting story of broken souls, toxins, and the power and desperation of family. Fever Dream is a nightmare come to life, a ghost story for the real world, a love story and a cautionary tale.
Human Acts by Han Kang, translated from the Korean and introduced by Deborah Smith
In a series of interconnected stories, Han Kang tells the story of Dong-ho and the people around him whose lives were taken or forever changed.
Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, translated from the Spanish by Sarah Moses –
Working at the local processing plant, Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans—though no one calls them that anymore. His wife has left him, his father is sinking into dementia, and Marcos tries not to think too hard about how he makes a living. After all, it happened so quickly. First, it was reported that an infectious virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Then governments initiated the “Transition.” Now, eating human meat—“special meat”—is legal. One day he’s given a gift: a live specimen of the finest quality. Though he’s aware that any form of personal contact is forbidden on pain of death, little by little he starts to treat her like a human being. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost—and what might still be saved.
My Annihilation by Fuminori Nakamura, translated from the Japanese by Sam Bett – Japanese literary sensation Fuminori Nakamura’s latest novel is as a dark look into human psyche–what turns someone into a killer? Can it be something as small as a suggestion? Turn this page, and you may forfeit your entire life. A confessional diary implicates its reader in a heinous crime, and reveals with disturbing honesty the psychological motives of a killer. With My Annihilation, Fuminori Nakamura, master of literary noir, has constructed a puzzle-box of a narrative that delves relentlessly into the darkest corners of human consciousness that interrogates the unspeakable thoughts that all humans share and that only monsters act on.
We Know You Remember by Tove Alsterdal, translated from Swedish by Alice Menzies – It’s been more than twenty years since Olof Hagström left home. Returning to his family’s house, he knows instantly that something is amiss. The front door key, hidden under a familiar stone, is still there. Inside, there’s a panicked dog, a terrible stench, water pooling on the floor. Upstairs in the shower, the father Olaf has not seen or spoken to in decades is dead. For police detective Eira Sjödin, the investigation of this suspicious death resurrects long-forgotten nightmares.
Disquiet by Zülfü Livaneli, translated from the Turkish by Brendan Freely – A powerful story of love and faith amidst the atrocities committed by ISIS against the Yazidi people. Disquiet transports the reader to the contemporary Middle East through the stories of Meleknaz, a Yazidi Syrian refugee, and Hussein, a young man from the Turkish city of Mardin near the Syrian border. Passionate about helping others, Hussein begins visiting a refugee camp to tend to the thousands of poor and sick streaming into Turkey, fleeing ISIS. There, he falls in love with Meleknaz-whom his disapproving family will call “the devil” who seduced him-and their relationship sets further tragedy in motion.
Soul Lanterns by Shaw Kuzki, translated from the Japanese by Emily Balistrieri – Twelve-year-old Nozomi lives in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. She wasn’t even born when the bombing of Hiroshima took place. Every year Nozomi joins her family at the lantern-floating ceremony to honor those lost in the bombing. People write the names of their deceased loved ones along with messages of peace, on paper lanterns and set them afloat on the river. This year Nozomi realizes that her mother always releases one lantern with no name. She begins to ask questions, and when complicated stories of loss and loneliness unfold, Nozomi and her friends come up with a creative way to share their loved ones’ experiences.
The Ardent Swarm by Yamen Manai, translated from the French by Lara Vergnaud – Sidi lives a hermetic life as a bee whisperer, tending to his beloved ‘girls’ on the outskirts of the desolate North African village of Nawa. He wakes one morning to find that something has attacked one of his beehives, brutally killing every inhabitant. Heartbroken, he soon learns that a mysterious swarm of vicious hornets committed the mass murder–but where did they come from, and how can he stop them? If he is going to unravel this mystery and save his bees from annihilation, Sidi must venture out into the village and then brave the big city and beyond in search of answers.
Tears of Amber by Sofia Segovia, translated from Spanish by Simon Bruni – With war looming dangerously close, Ilse’s school days soon turn to lessons of survival. In the harshness of winter, her family must join the largest exodus in human history to survive. As battle lines are drawn and East Prussia’s borders vanish beneath them, they leave their farm and all they know behind for an uncertain future. But Ilse also has Janusz, her family’s young Polish laborer, by her side. As they flee from the Soviet army, his enchanting folktales keep her mind off the cold, the hunger, and the horrors unfolding around them.
The Cat Who Saved Books by Sôsuke Natsukawa, translated from the Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai – Bookish high school student Rintaro Natsuki is about to close the secondhand bookstore he has inherited from his beloved bookworm grandfather. However, one day, a talking cat named Tiger appears and asks Rintaro to save books with him. Of course, “ask” is putting it politely — Tiger is demanding Rintaro’s help. The world is full of lonely books, left unread and unloved, and only Tiger and Rintaro can liberate them from their neglectful owners. And so, the odd couple begin an amazing journey, entering different mazes to set books free.
The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson, translated from the Icelandic by Victoria Cribb – Celebrating Christmas and ringing in 1986 in the remote fishing hamlet of Skálar seems like a small price to pay for Una to earn some teaching credentials and get her life back on track. But Skálar isn’t just one of Iceland’s most isolated villages, it is home to just ten people. As darkness descends throughout the bleak winter, Una finds herself more often than not in her rented attic space-the site of a local legendary haunting-drinking her loneliness away. She is plagued by nightmares of a little girl in a white dress singing a lullaby. And when a sudden tragedy echoes an event long buried in Skálar’s past, the villagers become even more guarded, leaving a suspicious Una seeking to uncover a shocking truth that’s been kept secret for generations.
The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier, translated from the French by Adriana Hunter – Who would we be if we had made different choices? Told that secret, left that relationship, written that book? We all wonder—the passengers of Air France 006 will find out. In their own way, they were all living double lives when they boarded the plane. About to start their descent to JFK, they hit a shockingly violent patch of turbulence, emerging on the other side to a reality both perfectly familiar and utterly strange.
I’m Waiting For You: And Other Stories by Bo-Young Kim, translated from Korean by Sophie Bowman and Sung Ryu – Two worlds, four stories, infinite possibilities…In “I’m Waiting for You” and “On My Way,” an engaged couple coordinate their separate missions to distant corners of the galaxy to ensure—through relativity—they can arrive back on Earth simultaneously to make it down the aisle. In “The Prophet of Corruption” and “That One Life,” humanity is viewed through the eyes of its creators: godlike beings for which everything on Earth—from the richest woman to a speck of dirt—is an extension of their will. When one of the creations questions the righteousness of this arrangement, it is deemed a perversion—a disease—that must be excised and cured. Yet the Prophet Naban, whose “child” is rebelling, isn’t sure the rebellion is bad.
Dragonfly Eyes by Cao Wenxuan, translated from the Chinese by Helen Wang – Ah-Mei and her French grandmother, Nainai, share a rare bond. Maybe it’s because Ah-Mei is the only girl grandchild. Or maybe it’s because the pair look so much alike and neither resembles the rest of their Chinese family. Politics and war make 1960s Shanghai a hard place to grow up, especially when racism and bigotry are rife. In this time of political upheaval, her family suffers much. Ah-Mei and her grandmother are resourceful, but will the tender connection they share bring them enough strength to carry through?
Komi Can’t Communicate [Manga series] by Tomohito Oda, translated & adapted from Japanese by John Werry – Timid Tadano is a total wallflower, and that’s just the way he likes it. But all that changes when he finds himself alone in a classroom on the first day of high school with the legendary Komi. He quickly realizes she isn’t confident and aloof—she’s just super awkward. Now he’s made it his mission to help her on her quest to make 100 friends!
Solo Leveling [Manga series] by Chugong, translated from Korean by Hye Young Im – Originally published as a South Korean web novel, this manga follows the Weakest Hunter of All Mankind, E-rank hunter Jinwoo Sung’s contribution to raids amounts to trying not to get killed. Unfortunately, between his mother’s hospital bills, his sister’s tuition, and his own lack of job prospects, he has no choice but to continue to put his life on the line.
Best of Contemporary Mexican Fiction edited by Álvaro Uribe, translated from Spanish; Olivia Sears, translation editor – This bilingual anthology – including sixteen of Mexico’s finest writers born after 1945 – offers a glimpse of the rich tapestry of Mexican fiction. From small-town dramas to tales of urban savagery, this is a major event in contemporary Latin-American fiction. Readers will meet a Mariachi singer suffering from mediocrity, an embalmed man positioned in front of the TV, a man’s lifelong imaginary friend, and the town prostitute whose funeral draws a crowd from the highest rungs of the social ladder
My Pen is the Wing of a Bird: New Fiction by Afghan Women translated from Dari/Pashto by numerous translators – A woman’s fortitude saves her village from disaster. A teenager explores their identity in a moment of quiet. A petition writer reflects on his life as a dog lies nursing her puppies. A tormented girl tries to find love through a horrific act. A headmaster makes his way to work, treading the fine line between life and death. Eighteen writers tell stories that are both unique and universal – stories of family, work, childhood, friendship, war, gender identity and cultural traditions.
The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sun-Mi Hwang, translated from Korean by Chi-Young Kim – No longer content to lay eggs on command only to have them carted off to the market, a hen glimpses her future every morning through the barn doors, where the other animals roam free, and comes up with a plan to escape into the wild–and to hatch an egg of her own.
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman, translated from Swedish by Neil Smith – A small community tucked deep in the forest, Beartown is home to tough, hardworking people who don’t expect life to be easy or fair. No matter how difficult times get, they’ve always been able to take pride in their local ice hockey team. So it’s a cruel blow when they hear that Beartown ice hockey might soon be disbanded.
The Sisters of Auschwitz by Roxane Iperen, translated from the Dutch by Joni Zwart – During the Second World War two Jewish sisters — Janny and Lien Brilleslijper — run one of the largest hideaways in The Netherlands: The High Nest, a villa in The Gooi area. While the last remaining Jews are being hunted in The Netherlands, the lives of dozens of hideaways kept going for better or for worse, right under the noses of their National Socialist neighbors. Eventually, the nest is exposed and the Brilleslijper family put on one of the last transports to Auschwitz, along with the (Anne) Frank family.
The Neighborhood by Mario Vargas Llosa, translated from the Spanish by Edith Grossman – One day Enrique, a high-profile businessman, receives a visit from Rolando Garro, the editor of a notorious magazine that specializes in salacious exposés. Garro presents Enrique with lewd pictures from an old business trip and demands that he invest in the magazine. Enrique refuses, and the next day the pictures are on the front page. Meanwhile, Enrique’s wife is in the midst of a passionate and secret affair with the wife of Enrique’s lawyer and best friend. When Garro shows up murdered, the two couples are thrown into a whirlwind of navigating Peru’s unspoken laws and customs, while the staff of the magazine embark on their greatest exposé yet.
Flights by Olga Tokarczuk, translated from the Polish by Jennifer Croft – A seventeenth-century Dutch anatomist discovers the Achilles tendon by dissecting his own amputated leg. Chopin’s heart is carried back to Warsaw in secret by his adoring sister. A woman must return to her native Poland in order to poison her terminally ill high school sweetheart, and a young man slowly descends into madness when his wife and child mysteriously vanish during a vacation and just as suddenly reappear.
In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende, translated from the Spanish by Nick Castor and Amanda Hopkinson – In the middle of a snowstorm in Brooklyn, 60-year-old human rights scholar Richard Bowmaster hits the car of Evelyn Ortega, a young, undocumented immigrant from Guatemala. What at first seems just a small inconvenience takes a far more serious turn when Evelyn turns up at the professor’s house seeking help. At a loss, the professor asks his tenant Lucia Maraz, a 62-year-old lecturer from Chile, for her advice. These three very different people are brought together, sparking the beginning of a long overdue love story between Richard and Lucia.