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RECENT AWARD WINNERS
Five books to read for Women’s History Month
Book Lists
Death and the Dervish – a profound existential tale by Mesa Selimovic
Book Review, Modern Classic
5 books similar to Catch-22 you should read
POSTED ON 07/12/2025 IN
Discover 5 must-read books like Catch-22, featuring dark comedy and anti-war themes. From satirical novels by Jaroslav Hašek, Kurt Vonnegut, to Thomas Pynchon, and Vladimir Voinovich, each offering absurd humor and profound critiques of war and bureaucracy, these novels are perfect for fans of Joseph Heller’s classic..
Ernest Hemingway: The Writer, The Hunter, The Drinker, The Man
POSTED ON 07/11/2025 IN
Ernest Hemingway, known for his prolific writing career and larger-than-life persona, was also famously known for his love of drink. From the cafes of Paris to the bars of Key West, Hemingway lived a life surrounded by alcohol, and his drinking habits became just as much a part of his legacy as his writing. Papa,…
Saul Bellow – a witty writer and a womanizer
POSTED ON 07/08/2025 IN
I love Saul Bellow, the witty Nobel Prize-winning American novelist who in his soul-searching novels a la Herzog or Henderson, the Rain King tackled modern man’s big life questions, all while his five marriages added a dash of romantic adventure to his intellectual escapades!
A Quick Look at Some of the Great English Language Novels of the 21st Century
POSTED ON 07/06/2025 IN
The 21st century has seen a proliferation of great literature, with numerous novels capturing the attention of readers around the world. Here are some of the best English language novels published since the year 2000. The Road by Cormac McCarthy – This haunting and beautifully written novel is a bleak, but ultimately uplifting, meditation on…
The Use of Man – one of the greatest books to come out of former Yugoslavia
POSTED ON 07/05/2025 IN
The “Use of Man” is a beautifully written and deeply moving novel, filled with stark poetry and immeasurable sadness. It is considered to be one of the greatest books of the 20th century.
05/05/2025
/ World Literature
Letters from the Nordic World: Examining the Best of Nordic Countries Literature.
Dive into the captivating world of Nordic literature and read the best works from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland—uncovering the cultural, historical, and philosophical themes that shape the literary legacy of the North.
04/05/2025
/ Book Review
Bride and Groom by Alisa Ganieva: A Modern Russian Love Story.
Alisa Ganieva’s Bride and Groom is a compelling modern love story set in Dagestan, Russia, blending romance with political tension, cultural conflict, and the struggle between tradition and personal freedom in a changing society. It is a must read if you want to understand the Russian life today.
03/05/2025
/ Book Lists
Five books to read for Women’s History Month.
Discover 5 must-read books by women authors for Women’s History Month! From Annie Ernaux’s poignant memoir to Alisa Ganieva’s vibrant love story, explore diverse narratives on identity, resilience, and culture. Celebrate female voices in literature today!
01/05/2025
/ Book Review, Modern Classic
Death and the Dervish – a profound existential tale by Mesa Selimovic.
Death and the Dervish is more than a historical novel. It’s a deeply introspective journey into the heart of doubt, conscience, and the human struggle for meaning in a world ruled by fear and power. Through the tormented mind of Sheikh Ahmed Nuruddin, Selimović crafts a haunting narrative that explores the collision between faith and reason, silence and resistance, in the face of oppressive authority. One of the best books to come from former Yugoslavia.
2023 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction Finalists Announced
POSTED ON 03/12/2023 IN
The 2023 PEN/Faulkner finalists were announced Tuesday. The Penn/Faulkner Award for Fiction is a prestigious literary prize awarded annually to the best work of fiction published by an American author in the previous year. The award was founded in 1980 by the writers’ organization PEN (now known as PEN America) and named after William Faulkner,…
Annie Ernaux wins the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature
POSTED ON 10/11/2022 IN
Let’s talk abot the literary legacy of Annie Ernaux, the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature winner for her courageous and introspective autofiction. Her profound works like “La Place,” “The Years,” and “Simple Passion,” blend raw emotion, social critique, and personal memory to examine themes of class, gender, and identity in contemporary French literature.
Must Read Modern Classics
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Must Read Modern Classics
Jean-Baptiste Andrea
Veiller sur elle
follows the intense love between a poor sculptor and a rebellious heiress.
Annie Ernaux
A Man’s Place
A masterful memoir that explores the daughter father relationship.
Saul Bellow
Herzog
Saul Bellow
The Adventures of Augie March
A picaresque novel about young man navigating early 20th-century America.
Mesa Selimovic
Death and the Dervish
is a philosophical novel that explores the inner turmoil of a dervish grappling with faith, justice, and responsibility in Ottoman society.