Books of Summer '17
Some of the books were published a month ago, some last year. And all of them have become must-read books of this summer. What do you think?
My personal two winners in English:
The Underground Railway by Colson Whitehead (the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2017) - If you want to read something completely different than you have ever read, reach for this story about slavery and its abolition in the US. But I am planning to write a detailed review in my August Atelier.
Hot Milk by Deborah Levy (Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2016) - Looking for a hot book of this summer? Well Hot Milk literally has it in its title. You can find more details here.
+ I have to admit that my number one book of this summer was published in Czech. It is called Ke dnu by Anna Bolavá. I wrote a review in Czech here, so whoever understands my mother tongue can have a look.
The Books of This
Summer
(about which I have heard so much and still, I have not read them yet! Except The Girls by Emma Cline and The Little Book of Hygge.)
Sour Heart by Jenny Zhang - Seven stories about family, immigration, community, femininity and more are set in 1990's New York. Zhang was "discover" by Lena Dunham on Twitter and it was Dunham who made sure that Sour Heart gets published. Vanity Fair calls it a literary fairy tale. What do you think?
The Power by Naomi Alderman (Winner of the Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction 2017) - I am repeating myself when mentioning this book, but the truth is that Alderman has caused a little sensation with her book about the world in which women rule and men must listen.
Swing Time by Zadie Smith (The Man Booker Prize 2017 Longlist) - The author of my favourite book On Beauty just got her latest release longlisted for the prestigious Man Booker Prize and I am not surprised at all. Swing Time is about everyday life, London, music and friendship.
The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking - I must admit that I am not a massive fan of a book teaching you how to be happy based on Danish secrets to merry life. Basically, Wiking tells you how to decorate your flat, highlighting the importance of candles, warm jumpers and fuzzy socks. Yes, the photos and illustrations are cute; the problem in my case was that I simply did not learn anything new.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari - Although the book was published way back in 2014, I feel I have been seeing it everywhere since May 2017. Harari tackles the question of our entire human history, looking back to the times when our ancestors started establishing their dominance on Earth. What has happened since then?
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - Everyone has been talking about the TV show based on Margaret Atwood's book about society that treats women like property. But have you read the book? I can't wait to find time to do so.
Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor (The Man Booker Prize 2017 Longlist) - Once again, I mentioned this book about a month ago, and here we go, freshly longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. What happens after a young girl has gone missing? This is going to be my last read before starting the uni reading list!
The Girls by Emma Cline - It is 1969, Evie Boyd is fourteen and feels like she is invisible to people around her. Until she meets Suzanne. And there is no way back. At least that is what she thinks. After reading it I thought that there definitely was a way back, but I will talk about it in my August Atelier...
I See You by Claire Macintosh - A thriller of this summer, as some readers have called the book. Zoe sees a photo of a woman in a newspaper who looks just like her. A coincidence? Or is there something more twisted behind it?