While I was running around like a mad thing last week, the very wonderful Shiny New Books reached the milestone of its first birthday, and also launched issue 5 – very exciting, with lots of lovely bookish stuff to read, and you can dip in here!
I’ve been very pleased to provide a couple of reviews for SNB, including one of a book which I think will be one of my favourites of the year – “The Librarian”, by Mikhail Elizarov, published by the ever-wonderful Pushkin Press.
To quote myself: “We all believe in the transformative power of literature; however, what would happen if books really did change us in dramatic ways, bringing strength to old people and wisdom to fools? That’s the premise behind Ukrainian author Mikhail Elizarov’s extraordinary new novel from Pushkin Press.”
“The Librarian” is a remarkably powerful work of literature, engrossing and unforgettable. You can read the rest of my review here, and the book is definitely going to feature highly in my end-of-year round-up!
Elizarov is a writer whose work is new to the English-speaking reader, and as far as I can tell this is the first book of his to be translated. Let’s hope there are more to follow!
Apr 14, 2015 @ 20:47:13
Great review – one that gets across how strong this book is on character, plot and setting. Wish I had more time to give it a go!
Apr 14, 2015 @ 21:33:05
Thanks! It is a great book – definitely one I’d like to return to one day!
Apr 15, 2015 @ 15:59:14
Must pop through to the SNB issue to check it out soon. Although it’s a dangerous thing to read in many ways, isn’t it. So many good books …
Apr 15, 2015 @ 16:20:44
Very dangerous… I always end up with a long list of books to investigate!
Dec 31, 2015 @ 07:25:01