World Literature

Body Double by Hanna Johansson Read More »

Two women meet in a cafe after accidentally grabbing each other’s coats, the tan jackets identical, though it’s viewed as a small accident, the meeting lingers in both of their memories. Shortly after, they seek each other out, move in together, and immediately are bonded in a soul-bending way. Unreliable narration and blurred points of view carry the story of these women as they easily slip into a routine of sharing the same life. Coupled with narrations from an unnamed woman who works for a ghostwriter and her spiral after receiving a haunting tape, Body Double is a discomforting yet masterful and taut thriller of identity and power. By the end, the story has morphed into a different tale completely, Lynchian-esque literature at its finest!

Body Double by Hanna Johansson, (List Price: $27, Catapult, 9781646223138, April 2026)

Reviewed by Grace, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA

City of Rats by Copi

Adult Fiction, Argentina, Asian American & Pacific Islander, Fiction, World Literature

City of Rats by Copi Read More »

Imagine: Remy from the classic Pixar film Ratatouille is fed up with the high-pressure life of a chef. He quits his job, opens up a worm-selling business on a Parisian street corner, and gets really into ketamine. This is the vibe of City of Rats. We follow Gouri, a Parisian rat, through a disastrous double date, a prison break, a meeting with the Rat Devil, an animal uprising, and, ultimately, the end of the world (sort of). It is a joyous, madcap, absolute TREASURE of a book, at once strange, sweeping, and deeply personal. I cannot express how much I loved this book.

City of Rats by Copi, (List Price: $15.95, New Directions, 9780811238373, March 2026)

Reviewed by Charlie, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA

The Last Movement by Robert Seethaler

Adult Fiction, Austria, Fiction, World Literature

The Last Movement by Robert Seethaler Read More »

This stunning novella depicting the last days of Gustave Mahler will definitely be one of my top reads of 2026. Its emotional power far exceeds its diminutive length. I was transported into the mind of a musical genius, witnessed deep love and great heartache, and mourned the betrayal of an aging body. Lovers of the work of Claire Keegan will gravitate naturally to this book. Like her works, when I finished it, I was inspired to turn it over and read it a second time.

The Last Movement by Robert Seethaler, (List Price: $22, Europa Editions, 9798889661801, April 2026)

Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA

Book Buzz: Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar

Adult Fiction, Cultural Heritage, Fiction, Israel, Literary, Middle East, War & Military, Women, World Literature

Amal El-Mohtar, photo credit Jessica P. Wick I know a lot of fairy tales. Like I cut my teeth on them. I grew up reading lots of fairy tale collections, and I realized I could only with difficulty think of fairytales where women were friends, where women talk to each other, and where they weren’t antagonists to each other in some way. I know they’re there, but the fact that I could reach for 10 stories of women waiting for rescue or women waiting to be chosen or women seeking husbands or, you know, that sort of thing instead of a story of women setting out together to have adventures—which is really what I wanted to tell my 7 year old niece who is asking me for a fairy tale— It was very disturbing to me, and I just remember in that moment thinking I’m just going to make something up. I’m gonna make something up because I really want her to know that there is room in fairytales for girls to be friends.
― Amal El-Mohtar, Interview, Storylogical

What booksellers are saying about Seasons of Glass & Iron

Amal El-Mohtar could transform a grocery list into the most beautiful lyrical poetry you can imagine. Eleven stories created over a 15-year span, all centered on one theme: women and their stories, proof of what Emily Yoshida once said about the terrifying magic of two women in a room, talking. Beautiful, lyrical, and haunting. Another powerful collection from one of the best authors of my generation.
― Erika, Righton Books, St. Simon’s Island, Georgia | BUY
El-Mohtar weaves themes of grief, desire, girlhood, and war into this short story collection, a combination of new and republished works. She does it all: drifting through magical realism, folklore, verse, and fantasy, with stories that will break your heart and stitch it, delicately and lovingly, back together. “The Truth About Owls” was my personal favorite!
― Flora, Epilogue Books, Chapel Hill, North Carolina | BUY
Amal El-Mohtar is a true literary magician! With intelligent, musical prose, she manifested wonders that I’ve never dared to imagine: hills blown from bright glass, seas glittering with liquid diamond, emerald hummingbirds erupting in flame. Each classical fable was anchored in heartfelt humanity; every contemporary narrative imbued ordinary struggles with extraordinary magic. All of these stories left me spellbound, wishing for more.
― Alexandria, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida | BUY
Amal El-Mohtar is a short story wizard and this collection proves it. Seasons of Glass and Iron holds the sort of magic every reader hungers for. These stories pack punch after punch, and I will return to them again and again, to renew the magic.
― Rachel, Parnassus
Books in Nashville, Tennessee | BUY

About Amal El-Mohtar

Amal El-Mohtar is a Hugo Award-winning author of science fiction, fantasy, poetry and criticism, and the co-author of the New York Times bestseller This is How You Lose the Time War, written with Max Gladstone, which has been translated into over ten languages. Her reviews and articles have appeared in the New York Times and on NPR Books. She lives in Ottawa, Canada.

Book Buzz: Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar Read More »

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

Banned Books, Cultural Heritage, Fiction, Middle East, War & Military, Women, World Literature

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli Read More »

Within a dual timeline, Shibli collapses 50 years into one another through the lens of settler colonialism and Israeli apartheid of the Palestinian people while remaining deeply human. The ending of this book has haunted me for three days straight.

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli, (List Price: $15.95, New Directions, 9780811229074, May 2020)

Reviewed by Olivia, Shelf Life Books in Richmond, Virginia

Nadezhda in the Dark by Yelena Moskovitch

Adult Fiction, Fiction, Germany, Jewish, LGBTQ+, Literary, Poetry, World Literature

Nadezhda in the Dark by Yelena Moskovitch Read More »

This is truly what novels written in verse should be. Beautiful and devastating in equal measure, Moskovich reminds us that writing can be at its best when experimented with. Told over the span of one night, and arguably one sentence, this book is a blend of both styles and cultures. Following the Ukrainian Jewish narrator as she rests by her Russian lover in the dark, there are no words exchanged. Instead, what lies in the space between is history, both their own and that of their cultures. There is no clean plot, no clean anything left in their world. There is a series of vignettes: lesbian sex, folk tales, institutional antisemitism, Soviet jokes, the invasion of Ukraine. Through all of it though, is a love that, while it cannot fix their problems, shines beyond reason and uncertainty.

Nadezhda in the Dark by Yelena Moskovitch, (List Price: $17.95, Dzanc Books, 9781938603518, January 2026)

Reviewed by Oliver, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Book Buzz: The Book of I by David Greig

Adult Fiction, Fiction, Friendship, Historical, Humorous, Literary, Medieval, Nature & Environment, Scotland, Sea Stories, World Literature

David Greig I hope I don’t give too much away, but I was quite inspired by Witness, with Harrison Ford amongst the Amish. I was really interested in this idea of a gangster amongst peacemakers, which is really what Witness is. I find that really fascinating. I became interested in Celtic Christianity because it was very revolutionary at the time in ways that we slightly forget. This was a world of utter warlordism, a very, very violent world and it was pagan. All of that was predicated on the idea that it was good to be strong and kill people. If gods were with you, that’s what would happen. If gods weren’t with you, you’d be weak. The idea of a religion that was founded on the idea that you might want to be weak, or you might want to be humble, was completely insane to these people. I mean, they looked at it and just went, “You’re mad! What are you talking about?”
― David Greig, Interview, Indies Introduce

What booksellers are saying about The Book of I

A monk, a Viking and a widow are left on an island after a devastating Viking raid. No, this is not the start of a bad joke. I had little to no expectations from this slim novel and was pleasantly surprised, especially by the humor. The characters are distinct and the setting beautifully realized. Brother Martin is the only monk left alive after the attack and concerns himself with only the spiritual. Thank goodness he has Una and Grimur to take care of his worldly needs. Grimur wrestles with his Viking ways and his new quiet life with the others on the island. Una is learning to trust again while also just getting on with the business of daily living. The fact that these three very different people with very different world views could come to live and work together not just with camaraderie but with love is a lesson we could all stand to take to heart in our own turbulent times.
― Holly. The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, North Carolina | BUY
In the year 825 CE, Grimur No Name (the Viking) descends with his band of berserkers upon the peaceful island of I (Iona) off the coast of Scotland. After the bloody, but ultimately unsuccessful, raid Grimur is mistaken for dead and left behind, buried in a shallow grave, with the two lone survivors of I: Martin the young monk, and Una the mead-maker. What ensues is a very funny. deceptively deep meditation on love, friendship, and faith. I loved every page of this weird, wonderful book!
― Amanda Hurley, Tombolo Books, St. Petersburg, Florida | BUY
The Viking Age, a period marked by Norsemen raids and trade, serves as the backdrop for a compelling narrative of survival, faith, and redemption. Three distinct characters emerge from the shadows of this tumultuous era, each bearing their own burdens and stories…With an emotional journey through the beautiful landscapes of Scotland, the author does an exceptional job of writing these characters’ personal growth and redemption.
― VaLinda, Turning Page Bookshop in Charleston, South Carolina | BUY

About David Greig

David Greig is a Scottish writer whose plays have been performed widely in the UK and around the world. His theatre work includes The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, Touching the Void, Midsummer, The Events, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Local Hero, and Dunsinane. From 2015 to 2025 he was the Artistic Director at Edinburgh’s Lyceum Theatre. The Book of I is his first novel.

Book Buzz: The Book of I by David Greig Read More »

Eating Ashes by Brenda Navarro

Adult iction, Bereavement, Death, Fiction, Grief, Immigration, Literary, Spain, World Literature

Eating Ashes by Brenda Navarro Read More »

Eating Ashes is a haunting, profound examination of the complexities of grief, migration, and neglect. With a startling, arresting narrative voice, our unnamed protagonist spirals through memories of her brother before his tragic death, until she develops a compulsion toward touching and tasting her brother’s ashes. Never before have I encountered a book that so perfectly captures the way a mind twists in the throes of grief, the way our thoughts spit and claw and recur, trying to fill a void. This book is beautiful, and sad, and beautiful.

Eating Ashes by Brenda Navarro, (List Price: $24.99, Liveright, 9781324096085, January 2026)

Reviewed by Charlie, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

The Old Fire by Elisa Shua Dusapin

21st Century, Adult Fiction, Family Life, Fiction, France, Literary, World Literature

The Old Fire by Elisa Shua Dusapin Read More »

Dusapin’s novel depicts the heavy silence that has fallen between two sisters who love and understand each other but who can no longer connect. The characters struggle to find peace with their life choices and roles in one another’s lives. The Old Fire questions how an individual is defined by place, family, loss, and abandonment and how those definitions can impede growth and happiness. A quiet novel whose impact on the reader is anything but quiet.

The Old Fire by Elisa Shua Dusapin, (List Price: $27, S&S/Summit Books, 9781668212219, January 2026)

Reviewed by Lera Shawver, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai

Adult Fiction, Bestsellers, Coming of Age, Family Life, Fiction, India, World Literature

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai Read More »

I’m now on the last 100 pages, and I find myself slowing down because I do not want it to end and dogearing nearly every other page because the writing is so astounding. The characters, the worlds they inhabit in Vermont, New York, and India, and the cultural and family dynamics are written with such depth and humanity. Kiran Desai has created another masterpiece!

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai, (List Price: $32, Hogarth, 9780307700155, September 2025)

Reviewed by Alsace Walentine, Tombolo Books in St Petersburg, Florida

On the Calculation of Volume (Book III) by Solvej Balle

Adult Fiction, Denmark, Fiction, Science Fiction, Women, World Literature

On the Calculation of Volume (Book III) by Solvej Balle Read More »

Another perfect installment of this astonishing series! Tara Selter discovers that she’s not alone inside her eternal November 18th, and the implications are deeply moving and endlessly exciting. Balle has unlocked a level of narrative that I scarcely knew was possible. Translators Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell deserve a lot of credit, too, for how pleasurable the work is to read.

On the Calculation of Volume (Book III) by Solvej Balle, (List Price: $15.95, New Directions, 9780811238397, November 2025)

Reviewed by Kristen Iskandrian, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama

Baron Wenckheim’s Homecoming by László Krasznahorkai

Absurdist, Adult Fiction, Europe (General), Hungary, Literary, Nobel 2025, World Literature

Baron Wenckheim’s Homecoming by László Krasznahorkai Read More »

Gotta admit: after reading the Warning on page one, I almost put this one on the back burner. Twenty pages into the main story, however, I was swept away by an incredibly ardent undertow. The paragraph/sentences were in no way as overwhelming as the Warning. If anything, these “sentegraphs” felt more like I was pulling the string of a Mattel “Farmer Says” See-N-Say, bouncing from character to character with such flawless fluidity that I occasionally had to come up for air, take a five-minute break, then dive right back in. Wonderfully exhausting.

Baron Wenckheim’s Homecoming by László Krasznahorkai, (List Price: $29.95, New Directions, 9780811226646, December 2025)

Reviewed by Ian McCord, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

A Mountain to the North, a Lake to the South, Paths to the West, a River to the East by László Krasznahorkai

Absurdist, Fiction, Hungary, Literary, Nobel 2025, World Literature

A Mountain to the North, a Lake to the South, Paths to the West, a River to the East by László Krasznahorkai Read More »

A prayer, a spiritual exercise, a meditation on the nature of time, with long, winding sentences that evoke the ploddingness of existence and the labyrinthine endlessness of the search for meaning and enlightenment. I loved the way this one made my brain feel—an alert sort of hypnosis, reminded me of some Calvino and Borges. Especially memorable was the section on how papyrus for sacred scrolls was made!

A Mountain to the North, a Lake to the South, Paths to the West, a River to the East by László Krasznahorkai, (List Price: $15.95, New Directions, 9780811234474, November 2022)

Reviewed by Kristen Iskandrian, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama

Herscht 07769 by László Krasznahorkai

Absurdist, Adult Fiction, Fiction, Hungary, Nature & Environment, Nobel 2025, World Literature