Panics

Title: Panics (original title: Viens Writer: Barbara Molinard (translated by Emma Ramadan) Publishing House: The Feminist Press Date of Publication:  August 9th 2022 (first published 1969) Rating: 5 stars ‘’EVERYTHING BARBARA MOLLINARD HAS WRITTEN HAS BEEN TORN TO SHREDS.  The texts that follow were also torn to shreds. They were put back together, torn up…

The Mad Women’s Ball

Title: The Mad Women’s Ball (original title: Le Bal Des Folles) Writer: Victoria Mas (translated by Frank Wynne) Publishing House: Harry N. Abrams Date of Publication: September 7th 2021 (first published August 21st 2019) Rating: 5 stars ‘’They imagine naked women running through the corridors, banging their heads against tilled walls, spreading their legs to…

The Toys’ Christmas

Title: The Toys’ Christmas Writer: Claire Clément, illustrated by Geneviève Godbout Publishing House: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books Date of Publication: November 9th 2021 Rating: 5 stars ‘’Soon, Fanfan and Mr Long Ears reach a clearing filled with other toys. There are grumpy -looking bears, smiling dolls, friendly hippos, little clowns and even unicorns! The oldest…

Golem

Title: Golem Writer: Pierre Assouline Publishing House: Gallimard Date of Publication: January 1st 2016 Rating: 5 stars ‘’Where would I go, if I could go, who would I be, if I could be, what would I say, if I had a voice, who says this, saying it’s me?’’                          Samuel Beckett – The Unnamable Gustave Meyer…

A Sunday in Ville-d’Avray

Title: A Sunday in Ville-d’Avray (original title: Un dimanche à Ville-d’Avray) Writer: Dominique Barbéris (tr. by John Cullen) Publishing House: Other Press Date of Publication: April 27th 2021 (first published 2019) Rating: 5 stars ‘’Some of the houses in the neighbourhood I passed through were still closed up – proof that their owners hadn’t yet…

A Cage in Search of a Bird

Title: A Cage In Search of a Bird (original title: L’illusion délirante d’être aimé) Writer: Florence Noiville (tr. by Teresa Lavender Fagan) Publishing House: Seagull Books Date of Publication: September 15th 2016 (first published August 18th 2015) Rating: 5 stars ‘’Perhaps because I have too much respect for language, I suffer during conversations when nothing…

The Girl Who Reads on the Métro

Title: The Girl Who Reads on The Métro (original title: La Fille qui Lisait dans le Métro) Writer: Christine Féret-Fleury, Ros Schwartz (Translator) Publishing House: Flatiron Books Date of Publication: October 8th 2019 (first published 2017) Rating: 5 stars ‘’He was talking about books as if they were alive – old friends, powerful adversaries at times, insolent…

Nasla’s Dream

Title: Nasla’s Dream Writer: Cécile Roumiguière, illustrated by Simone Rea Publishing House: Princeton Architectural Press Date of Publication:September 15th 2020 Rating: 5 stars ”Nasla wants to sing, but at night, you do not sing. At night, you sleep. But what if the yellow dot grows and grows? What if it becomes big enough to swallow…

Thank you, Miyuki

Title: Thank you, Miyuki Writer: Roxanne Marie Galliez, Seng Soun Ratanavanh (Illustrations) Publishing House: Princeton Architectural Press Date of Publication: September 1st 2020 Rating: 5 stars ”Miyuki, look at the water. Not the flow. Not the twigs floating by. Only the water in front of your eyes.” Our beloved Miyuki is curious about meditation and her grandpa is always…

They Say Sarah

Title: They Say Sarah (original title: Ça raconte Sarah) Writer: Pauline Delabroy – Allard (translated by Adriana Hunter) Publishing House: Random House Date of Publication:  June 2nd 2020 (first published September 2018) Rating: 2 stars ”On clear night day of dark mists My absent love in my arms here No other part of me persists But what you whispered in…

Patience, Miyuki

Title: Patience, Miyuki Writer:  Roxane Marie Galliez (illustrated by Seng Soun Ratavanah Publishing House: Princeton Architectural Press Date of Publication: October 1st 2019 Rating: 5 stars ‘’Blue earth, orange moon, Spring was all dressed up and ready for her first day of the year. Miyuki was ready, too. She was already up and running through the garden.’’ Little Miyuki is…

The Collection

Title: The Collection (original title: Mise en pièces) Writer: Nina Leger (translated by Laura Francis) Publishing House: Granta Books Date of Publication: September 3rd 2019 (first published January 12th 2017) Rating: 4 stars ‘’Gare de Lyon – exit left – pale neon lights. Jeanne stares at the tropical garden caged by glass walls. Dark, mordant greens; droplets of water…

Captain Rosalie

Title: Captain Rosalie Writer:  Timothée de Fombelle, illustration by Isabelle Arsenault (tr. by Sam Gordon) Publishing House: Candlewick Press Date of Publication: June 11th 2019 Rating: 5 stars ‘’Dogs bark in the distance, out there by the farms. The dead leaves whistle their way across the school yard.’’ 1917, a cold autumn day in France. WWI has darkened Europe….