Month: March 2025

In Japan’s rich literary tradition, food often serves as more than mere sustenance—it becomes a vessel for memory, connection, and healing. Yuta Takahashi’s “Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen,” newly translated into English by Cat Anderson, exemplifies this tradition with its tender exploration of grief, longing, and the mysterious power of a shared meal to […]

In Fernando A. Flores’ ambitious third novel, Brother Bronte, readers are transported to Three Rivers, Texas, in 2038—a dystopian wasteland where books are banned, mothers are forced into indentured servitude, and volcanic ash has blotted out the sun. The world Flores has meticulously constructed feels both absurdly fantastical and uncomfortably familiar, presenting a surreal yet […]

Lee Mi-ye’s “The Dallergut Dream-Making District” takes readers on a captivating return journey to the whimsical world first introduced in “The Dallergut Dream Department Store.” This sequel expands the magical universe where dreams are commodities to be bought and sold, delving deeper into the mechanics of dream-making while exploring themes of memory, purpose, and human […]

In “The River Has Roots,” Amal El-Mohtar crafts a mesmerizing tale where enchantment isn’t merely an abstract concept but a tangible force that flows through the world like water through a riverbed. This slim novella—just under 100 pages—delivers an impact disproportionate to its size, weaving together folklore, sisterhood, love, and betrayal into a tapestry as […]

In Ava Reid’s “Fable for the End of the World,” we are given a haunting vision of a future where capitalism has reached its logical, horrifying conclusion. Set in a waterlogged world where debt means death, Reid crafts a dystopian romance that manages to be both brutal and achingly tender. This standalone novel marks a […]