In Translation
Here are some suggestions for your 2024 Book Bingo NW category: In Translation. Book Bingo is our annual adult summer reading program presented in partnership with Seattle Arts & Lectures. GN=Graphic novel.
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The Love of Singular Men
Fiction. This outstanding posthumous English-language debut from Heringer (1988–2018) revolves around a Brazilian boy’s life-changing summer. It’s a hypnotic and playful depiction of love’s seismic forces. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Ten Planets
Fiction. Herrera spins a wondrous collection of science fiction and parables about the desire for intimacy and expression. The emotional heft, combined with Herrera’s commitment to genre, yield satisfying results. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Whisper of the Woods
Fiction GN. In Iurov’s graphic novel, a man goes on a quest to find his best friend in a forest where many people have disappeared. A well-illustrated and very satisfying horror tale. (Kirkus)
Format: Graphic Novel
Availability: Available
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The Kamogawa Food Detectives
Fiction. A father-daughter restaurant duo serves up six cozy vignettes in the first installment of this bestselling Japanese series, translated by Kirkwood. (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Sweet Sweet Revenge Ltd
Fiction, Swirling around a colorful cast of characters, including a goat called Molly and the Pope, this madcap adventure follows Ole Mbatian Jr., a Maasai warrior, and Agneta as they hire an unscrupulous man who specializes in revenge to take action against the gallery owner who wronged them. (NoveList)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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No One Prayed Over Their Graves
Fiction. An elegantly written multigenerational novel set in 19th- and early-20th-century Syria. A small epic that blends magic realism with grim realities, always memorably. (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Seasons of Purgatory
Fiction. Across this startling, unnerving, and haunting collection, Mandanipour explores the many traumas of recent Iranian history. Dostoyevskian in their density and black humor, Mandanipour's stories capture the Iranian experience of constant upheaval in a brilliant translation that allows the English-speaking world to experience this gem of Iranian literature. (Booklist)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Rental Person Who Does Nothing
Nonfiction. This meditative debut from Morimoto reflects on what he’s learned about work and life from his “rental person” service. The client anecdotes amuse and provide unexpectedly perceptive insights into the nature of work and individuals’ self-worth under capitalism. This is worth seeking out. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Shubeik Lubeik
GN. The debut graphic novel from Mohamed presents a modern Egypt full of magical realism where wishes have been industrialized and heavily regulated. Mohamed has a great sense of humor, which comes out in footnotes and casual asides throughout. Immensely enjoyable. (Kirkus)
Format: Graphic Novel
Availability: Available
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Kibogo
Fiction. Mukasonga draws on Rwanda’s colonial history and ancient myths for an intriguing theological satire. This speaks volumes to the power of storytelling. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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