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"2024 has been a dramatic year for fantasy. The bedrock of the genre is, as always, ever-shifting over past versions of itself. So, it is unsurprising that the best fantasy of 2024 is quite unique.
Although these fantasy genre trends have been on the rise for longer than the last year, the prominence of cozy fantasy and romantasy books in 2024 is undeniable. Many conversations are still being had about what defines each subgenre as readers, writers, and publishers come to a public consensus.
Also, 2024 has seen more sprayed edges and special editions than previously thought possible. Sprayed edges, detailed dust jackets, embossed covers, and customized endpapers have upgraded many fantasy releases into special edition territory.
But, with everything new comes sacrifice, and I would be remiss to not mention the steady decline of mass-market paperback releases. Hardback novellas or trade paperbacks have all but replaced the pocket-sized stories.
However, the best fantasy of 2024 has shown it is whatâs inside that truly counts because this year, we have some thrilling, heart-pounding, gripping, fantastical novels. Everything from heartbreaking losses, to battles with governments (and gods), to a magic userâs struggle for control came out of this yearâs best fantasy novels. Weâve seen impressive books from both industry powerhouses and stunning debut authors.
In general, 2024 has seen many excellent fantasy releases, so narrowing down my selection was nearly impossible. The best fantasy books of 2024 are a range of stories that managed to do what fantasy does bestâreimagine what is possible. Letâs jump right in."
#The 20 Best Fantasy Books of 2024#fantasy 2024#2024#best books of 2024#The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin#The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri#The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlà Clark#A Sky of Emerald Stars by A.K. Mulford#The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst#Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy#Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse#A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher#Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-Il Kim#translated by Anton Hur#Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland#Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan#Nine Tailed by Jayci Lee#The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso#Faebound by Saara El-Arifi#Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson#This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher#The City in Glass by Nghi Vo#Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London#Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland#The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
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Happy National Translation Month 2024!
Join us in celebrating National Translation Month with these queer novels translated into English! Looking for non-English translations of English works? Click here for MG/YA and here for Adult fiction. Middle Grade Cross My Heart and Never Lie by Nora DĂĽsnes, translated from Norwegian by Matt Bagguley Tuva is starting seventh grade, and her checklist of goals includes: writing out a diary,âŚ
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Book 12/197
Country: South Korea
Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park
A series of interconnected stories about being gay in Seoul (and about finding love). I also need to give a special shout-out to the (also queer) translator. Anton Hur does a fantastic job with his Korean-English translations and has worked on a number of other queer Korean books. I highly recommend his LitHub article where he talks about the book!
#a momentary sidebar on my slow quest to read all of the works Anton Hur translates.... its like a recommendation system#book log#book review#asia
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newest braindead twt discourse is that bts deserve military exemption more than korean football players who win gold at the asian games etc i swear we recycle this every couple of months and those purple hearts go after every korean footballer ever like iâm going to go mental why donât we just say that we should abolish military conscription in the ROK entirely and seek to absolve US influence in the country??
#itâs anton hur starting the discourse too which is unfortunate bc i deeply respect him as a translator#đđđ i like kpop but my god i cannot stand those purple heart weirdos on twt#rahul.txt
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A Magical Girl Retires - Great YA Crossover
A Magical Girl Retires, by Park Seolyeon/Translated by Anton Hur, (Apr 2024, HarperVia), $21.99, ISBN: 9780063373266 Ages 13+ Okay, hear me out: yes, the protagonist in this story, translated from the original Korean, is 29 years old, but this is such a fun story that teens who love manga, particularly the magical girl genre, will love this as much as your older readers. We start with aâŚ
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#A Magical Girl Retires#Anton Hur#climate change#HarperVia#Korea#magical girl#Park Seolyeon#superheroes#translation
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2025 book bingo time đ
want a completely arbitrary set of reading goals for 2025? want to try something new in your literary diet but don't know where to start? just like a challenge for the sake of a challenge? just love a good game of bingo?
boy do I have something for you!
for anyone planning to participate, please know that I LOVE attention and talking about books, so I would be STOKED to be tagged on any and all updates about what you're reading or planning to read. I'm so, so excited to see all the different ways these prompts get filled, especially if and when they bring people away from the kinds of things they normally read. not to mention snag some new reading recs myself, hopefully!
and of course, I want to know whenever somebody gets a bingo - and ESPECIALLY if somebody fills the whole board! I don't have any prizes for you, but I can offer a sense of accomplishment :)
note that this is designed to be played as 1 book = 1 space, so even if you read, say, a fantasy graphic novel published in 1923 from an indie publisher that has a bat on the cover, you'd only cross off one space. I'm not a cop and I'm not in charge of what you read, so if it sparks more joy to check off multiple spaces per book then go nuts, but I am throwing that disclaimer out there.
EDIT: the 2025 book bingo challenge is now also on storygraph, thanks to @obi-wann-cannoli!
wondering what some of these spaces mean? seeking a couple recommendations to get you started? no idea what a zine even is, let alone how to make one? worry not! I have a guide to all 25 prompts, including recommendations + an example of what I'll be reading throughout the year to fulfill each space. read on beneath the cut!
Literary Fiction: I find that a lot of people are reluctant to check out literary fiction, as itâs often written off as not being about anything but adultery and divorce. If this is you, I implore you to take a chance, acknowledge that adultery and divorce are compelling sometimes, and also remember that lit fic has a lot more to offer than that. At Writerâs Digest, Michael Woodson describes literary fiction as âless of a genre than a category,â which âfocuses on style, character, and theme over plot.â My recommendations include Raven Leilaniâs Luster, Ocean Vuongâs On Earth Weâre Briefly Gorgeous, and Melissa Broderâs Milk Fed.Â
Iâll be reading: Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
2. Short Story Collection: You know, a bunch of short stories together in one book? It doesnât get much more self-explanatory than that. Could be a collection of stories by a single author or an anthologyâitâs up to you! I recommend checking out Mariana EnrĂquezâs The Dangers of Smoking in Bed (translated by Megan McDowell), Nalo Hopkinsonâs Falling in Love With Hominids, and Kim Fuâs Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century.Â
Iâll be reading: Your Utopia by Bora Chung and translated by Anton HurÂ
3. A Sequel: It could be one that youâve been meaning to get around to, one thatâs not releasing until 2025, or the sequel to something you read to cross off another space on this very bingo sheet!
Iâll be reading: Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao, sequel to 2021âs Iron WidowÂ
4. Childhood Favorite: Go back and read a book you loved as a child, tween, or teen! Thereâs no wrong answer here; anything from a YA novel to a picture book would be just lovely, and I canât wait to see what people pick for this option! Iâm not sure which of my old favorites Iâll be revisiting yetâshould I go for the warm and fuzzy Casson Family series, or straight towards the mindfucky sci-fi of Interstellar Piggy? Or maybe Iâll go see how Artemis Fowl holds up...
5. 20th Century Speculative Fiction: For those not familiar with the term, speculative fiction can encapsulate science fiction, fantasy, and anything else that falls into the unreal. Youâre spoiled for iconic choices here: the 20th century gave us Le Guinâs Left Hand of Darkness, Atwoodâs Handmaidâs Tale, Butlerâs Parable of the Sower and Kindred, LâEngleâs A Wrinkle in Time, the beginning of Pratchettâs Discworld series, Diana Wynne Jonesâ Howlsâ Moving Castle, and countless others.
Iâll be reading: Dawn by Octavia E. Butler, love of my literary life đ
6. Fantasy: Fantasy comes in a thousand different shades, from contemporary urban wizards with day jobs at the office to high fantasy spellslingers chasing dragons away from castles. Some examples Iâve adored are N.K. Jemisinâs The Killing Moon, C.L. Polkâs Witchmark, Fonda Leeâs Jade City, and Nghi Voâs Empress of Salt and Fortune.
Iâll be reading: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty Â
7. Published Before 1950: This one could not be more straightforward if I tried. You have all of human history (or at least, all the parts that have surviving literature), just not the last 75 years. Dig deep!Â
Iâll be reading: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, published in 1938Â
8. Independent Publisher: Did you guys know that just five publishing companies (Penguin Random House, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette Book Group) are responsible for 80% of books published in the US each year, and 25% of books globally? Break away from the big five and see what some small presses are putting out! If you need some ideas about where to start, check out this list of nearly 300 independent publishers with notes on what kind of books they put out!
Iâll be reading: Taiwan Travelogue by YĂĄng ShuÄng-zÇ and translated by Lin King, from Graywolf Press
9. Graphic Novel/Comic Book/Manga: Despite my personal obsession with Batman, the world of comic books is sooo much wider than Gotham Cityâor anything else that DC and Marvel have to offer. If superheroes arenât your speed, check out the Southern gothic of Carmen Maria Machado and Dani Stripsâ comic The Low, Low Woods, splash around in Kat Leyhâs graphic novel Thirsty Mermaids, or stop waiting for a new season of Dungeon Meshi and go read Ryoko Kuiâs manga, translated to English by Taylor Engel.Â
Iâll be reading: The Fade, by Aabria Iyengar and Mari Costa
10. Animal on the Cover: Yes, yes, donât judge a book by its coverâbut do go find one with a critter on the cover and give it a read! Absolutely no other requirements here, get silly with it.
Iâll be reading: Shark Heart by Emily Habeck
11. Set in a Country You Have Never Visited: Fiction or nonfiction, doesnât matter so long as it gives you a little glimpse of a country youâve never visited in real life. If youâve somehow visited every country currently recognized in the world, then I guess you get to go read something set in space.
Iâll be reading: A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon and Kim Sanho, translated by Anton HurÂ
12. Science Fiction: A genre just as diverse as fantasy, with a little something for everybody! I recommend Becky Chambersâ Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet for those who want to kiss an alien in the stars and Jessamine Chanâs The School for Good Mothers for those who want a surveillance state dystopia that hits much closer to home. Â
Iâll be reading: Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase
13. 2025 Debut Author: Read a book by someone whoâs releasing their first book in 2025. Fic or nonfic, any genre, no further requirements. Not quite a free space, but pretty close!
Iâll be reading: Liquid: A Love Story by Mariam Rahmani, coming out March 11
14. Memoir: Per Wikipedia, a memoir is âany nonfiction narrative writing based on the authorâs personal memories.â Some are funny, some are heartbreaking, some are both! I recommend Carman Maria Machadoâs In the Dream House and Roxane Gayâs Hunger, because I tend to lean heartbreaking!Â
Iâll be reading: Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. Again, I like heartbreaking!
15. Read a Zine, Make a Zine: Not familiar with zines? No problem! Check out some of these digital archives for inspiration, and then craft your own zine with this simple guide (or do it your own way, Iâm not in charge of you).Â
Internet Archives: https://archive.org/details/zines
Gay Zine Archive Project: https://gittings.qzap.org/Â
POC Zine Project: https://poczineproject.tumblr.com/Â
Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/collections/zine-web-archive/Â
16. Essay Collection: Like a short story collection, but itâs nonfiction now. Some of my favorites include Samantha Irbyâs We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, Elaine Castilloâs How to Read Now, Aimee Nezhukhumatathilâs World of Wonders, and Cathy Park Hongâs Minor Feelings.
Iâll be reading: A Little Devil in America: In Praise of Black Performance by Hanif AbdurraqibÂ
17. 2024 Award Winner: What award? Any award you like! And boy, there are tons to pick from. Any book that won any award in the year 2024 is free game. If you need some places to start looking, check out some of these:
Lambda Literary Awards, for excellence in LGBT literature: https://lambdaliterary.org/awards__trashed/2024-winners/Â
The Alex Awards, for adult books with crossover appeal for teen readers: https://www.ala.org/yalsa/alex-awardsÂ
Ignyte Awards, celebrating diversity in speculative fiction: https://ignyteawards.fiyahlitmag.com/2024-results/Â Â
Women's Prize for Fiction (self explanatory) https://womensprize.com/prizes/womens-prize-for-fiction/
Others: https://www.bookbrowse.com/awards/Â
Iâll be reading: Biography of X by Catherine Lacey, winner of the 2024 Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction
18. Nonfiction: Learn Something New: I know very little about archaeology, anthropology, or any other fields that involve studying ancient cities, but Annalee Newitzâs Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age was some of the most fun I had with nonfiction in 2024, because every page brought a brand new discovery. For 2025, find a nonfiction book about a topic you donât know ANYTHING about, and learn something new!
Iâll be reading: Cooling the Tropics: Ice, Indigeneity, and Hawaiian Refreshment by Hiâilei Julia Kawehipuaakahaopulani Hobart
19. Social Justice & Activism: Read a book about a social issue, the history of an activist movement, or brush up on a guiding philosophy or ideology. Arm yourself with knowledge, besties, because I have a feeling weâre going to need it! if you need a good place to start, why not try Angela Davis' Race, Women & Class, Mariame Kaba's We Do This 'Til We Free Us, or Molly Smith and Juno Mac's Revolting Prostitutes?
Iâll be reading: White Feminism: From Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind by Koa Beck
20. Romance Novel: Listen to me. Fucking listen to me. I mean a ROMANCE. NOVEL. Not a novel that incidentally has a romance in it. Romance novel, motherfucker. Go check out the romance section and have some whimsy as two people fall in love through the most contrived series of events ever conceived. If you really need a romance that makes you feel smart (thatâs still sexy and messy as hell), try Akwaeke Emeziâs You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty.
Iâll be reading: Go Luck Yourself by Sara Raasche Â
21. Read and Make a Recipe: Could be a cookbook, could be a recipe you yoinked from the New York Times, could be something your grandparents lovingly wrote down by hand. Could be as complex or as simple as you like, just make something tasty! Some cookbooks Iâve enjoyed are Sohla El-Wayllyâs Start Here, Dan Pashmanâs Mission Impastable, and John Wang and Storm Garnerâs The World Eats Here.
22. Horror: Slashers, zombies, haunted houses, creeping paranoia, you name it! Itâs time to get spooky and scary with all kinds of things going bump in the night. Maybe this is the year to finally keep up with Dracula Daily? Not for me, I'm not doing that, but you could!
Iâll be reading: I Was A Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones
23. Published in the Aughts: A throwback, but not too far back. Read something published between 2000 and 2009. Maybe itâs time to finally get into Twilight? (For legal reasons, thatâs a joke.)
Iâll be reading: The Sluts by Dennis Cooper, published in 2004
24. Historical Fiction: You know, fiction that takes place in a bygone era! Please remember, this isnât just about reading a book thatâs old; we have a separate prompt for that! This is about reading something that takes place in the past relative to the time it was written. Pride and Prejudice is historical to us, but was contemporary when Austen wrote it. Think of Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half, Markus Zusak's The Book Thief, or history + a bit of fantasy in book's like R.F. Kuang's Babel.
Iâll be reading: The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
Bookseller or Librarian Recommendation: This one is fun, and something I always like to do when Iâm travelling and visiting a new bookstore. Ask a bookseller or librarian to recommend something theyâve liked, and check it out! If going in person isnât feasible, many bookstores and libraries have staff picks on their websites, and the Indie Next List is a monthly list of independent booksellersâ favorite new releases.Â
Iâll be reading: The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich, which I bought at Erdrichâs bookstore, Birchbark Books, this summer :)
lastly: tagging people who asked to be tagged to make sure they didn't miss this! @thebisexualwreckoning @perfunctoryperfusions @reallyinkyhands come get your bingo sheet!
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Book Review: Cursed Bunny
by Bora Chung and Anton Hur (translator)
Source: Google Images
From a rising star of Korean literature, Cursed Bunny is a collection that will shock and surprise readers with each new tale. Translated by the acclaimed Anton Hur, Chungâs stories are wildly unique and imaginative, by turns thought-provoking and stomach-turning, where monstrous creatures take the shapes of furry woodland creatures and danger lurks in unexpected corners of everyday apartment buildings. But Chungâs rare, haunting universe could be our own, illuminating the ills of contemporary society.
âThe Headâ follows a woman haunted by her own waste. âThe Embodimentâ takes us into a dystopian gynecology office where a pregnant woman is told that her baby must have a father or face horrific consequences. Another story follows a young monster, forced into underground fight rings without knowing the force of his own power. The titular fable centers on a cursed lamp in the approachable shape of a rabbit, fit for a childâs bedroom.
Cursed Bunny is a book that screams to be read late into the night and passed on to the nearest set of hands the very next day.
ISBN: 9781643753607 (2022) | Source: Goodreads
Not Good, Not Bad, But Very Underwhelming
Before reading Cursed Bunny, I was reading a simple MM sports romance which would have put me in a reading slump if I forced through it instead of DNF-ing it. Because of that, I was having the hardest time finishing this book. I knew I can finish it but my goodness, the short stories in Cursed Bunny really weren't that fantastic. If it was that average with worse writing, I was going to DNF it as well. At least despite the mediocre storyline, the writing was okay enough to get me through the entire book.
I say it like this is one of the worst books I've read this year but no. It might not be good but it's not horrible as well. I did enjoy some of the stories, I am just someone who likes a thicker book instead of short stories. So, I got bored a lot more than I enjoyed Cursed Bunny.
There's also the problem with a translated text. You see, when you translate a book, a little bit of the original essence always goes away. I do not know Korean but I am acquainted enough with the language to know its literature can be a beautiful symphony. So, there is absolutely no doubt, this would have been a slightly better read in its own language because when it got translated into English, the language of Cursed Bunny (more often than not) became amateur.
All in all, Cursed Bunny at its best, really was just okay. It's not a must read but I wouldn't stop people from picking up the book either.
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Tor Publishing Group is BACK (again) with a guide of books to gift the people in your lifeâŚand yourself!
â ËÂ°Ë âžââ˝ ËÂ°Ë â
Cozy books to curl up with in the winter...
Legends & Lattes / Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
Canât Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne
â ËÂ°Ë âžââ˝ ËÂ°Ë â
Dazzling new worlds to explore...
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlà Clark
Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-il Kim; translated by Anton Hur
â ËÂ°Ë âžââ˝ ËÂ°Ë â
High stakes, high thrills...
Extinction by Douglas Preston
The Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning
Exordia by Seth Dickinson
â ËÂ°Ë âžââ˝ ËÂ°Ë â
Story collections that pack a punch...
Januaries by Olivie Blake
The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power edited by Terry J. Benton-Walker
Not enough books? Donât worry, we have another GET BOOKT: THE BOOKENING guide to help you out!
#Tor Books#Booklr#gift guide#getbookt#thebookening#getbooktthebookening#Bramble#TDCP#Tordotcom Publishing#Forge#The Spellshop#Sarah Beth Durst#Canât Spell Treason Without Tea#Rebecca Thorne#Legends & Lattes#Bookshops & Bonedust#Travis Baldree#Blood of the Old Kings#Sung-il Kim#Anton Hur#The Dead Cat Tail Assassins#P. DjèlĂ Clark#Exordia#Seth Dickinson#The Lies We Conjure#Sarah Henning#Januaries#Olivie Blake#The White Guy Dies FIrst#Terry J. Benton-Walker
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i don't know where you're from or how old you are, i just came across your post about love in the big city and as a queer korean and i just want to let you know, while it's an honorable goal, it will not change a thing. i hope this show will do well internationally and i hope the author gets opportunities to talk about his novel with international publications, but no amount of tweeting and westerners using korean hashtags will change the perception in korea. the political landscape here is getting worse. it is conservative to a degree bl fans do not seem to realise to the point where it is dangerous for actors to even star in something like this show. if a bunch of westerners/non korean people are hyping it up, conservative groups will fight even harder to get that piece of media taken down. i don't want to discourage people from sharing this show and writing about it online, i just want everyone to be realistic and know this effort of trying to make things better for the show in korea will not work. look at how people are treating the female author who was just awarded the nobel piece prize for literature. she is met with hate and they are trying to silence her. the only thing i would ask for non-koreans to do is not only to tweet and talk about korean bl, but inform people in their own countries/other fans of how bad it is here for everyone who is not a straight men.
Hi and thanks so much for sending this ask. I really appreciate your perspective on this as someone more closely connected to the culture this show is being released in.
I also want to be clear that I donât think western folks posting on social media will shift culture or affect how the show is received within South Korea. Rather, I think itâs important for people who care about queer people and media globally to watch a show that is so determined to tell a story about the experience of queer men in South Korea. One of the reasons this book got an official English translation is because Sang Young Park and Anton Hur, who did the translation, were passionate about getting this story to a broader audience so people could better understand their life experiences. Art is advocacy, after all. Anton actually joined us on tumblr briefly to talk about this during our book club earlier this year.
We know that many queer Asian creators pay attention to the international audience and seek to get their shows in front of them, and I do think international fans have a role in engaging with their art to say âwe see you, we care about you, and we are with you even if we canât change your context.â Thatâs what I think we can accomplish by engaging with this show, and I hope it will reach the people who put so much time and effort and love into making it, and into making sure the international audience would be able to see it. To your point about communicating to our own people about what life looks like for queer folks in South Korea, watching and talking about this novel and drama is part of how we can do that.
On a personal note, my country is also experiencing a conservative anti-queer backlash, and I want to extend my empathy and love from across the world. Itâs a hard time all around right now. Iâll be thinking of you.
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Hi friends! Inspired by @librarycards I wanted to make a post celebrating Women in Translation Month! Anglophone readers generally pay embarrassingly little attention to works in other languages, and that's even more true when it comes to literature by women, so I will jump at any chance to promote my faves 𼰠Here are some recs from 9 different languages! Also, I wrote this on my phone, so apologies for any typos or errors!
1. Trieste by DaĹĄa DrndiÄ, trans. Ellen Elias-BursaÄ (Croatian): An all-time favorite. Much of DrndiÄ's work interrogates the legacy of atrocities in Europe, particularly eastern Europe. Trieste is a haunting contemplative novel centered on an elderly Italian Jewish woman whose family converted to Catholicism during the Mussolini era and were complicit in the fascist violence surrounding them in order to protect themselves.
2. Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung, trans. Anton Hur (Korean): A collection of short stories that are difficult to classify by genreâspeculative fiction in the broadest sense. The first story is about a monster in a woman's toilet, which sounds impossible to pull off in a serious, thought-provoking manner, but Chung does so easilyâthese are the kind of stories that are hard to explain the brilliance of secondhand.
3. Sweet Days of Discipline by Fleur Jaeggy, trans. Tim Parks (Italian; Jaeggy is Swiss): Another all time favorite! The cold, sterile homoerotic girls' boarding school novella of your dreams.
4. Toddler-Hunting and Other Stories by Taeko Kono, trans. Lucy North (Japanese): I think I read this in one sitting. Incredibly unsettlingâthese stories will stay with you. They often focus on the unspoken psychosexual fantasies underscoring mundane daily life.
5. The Complete Stories by Clarice Lispector, trans. Katrina Dodson (Brazilian Portuguese): I think Lispector is the best known writer here, so she might not need much of an introduction. But what a legend! And this collection is so diverseâit's fascinating to see the evolution of Lispector's work.
6. Our Lady of the Nile by Scholastique Mukasonga, trans. Melanie L. Mauthner (French; Mukasonga is Rwandan): Give her the Nobel! Mukasonga's books, at least the ones available in English, are generally quite short but so impactful. Our Lady of the Nile is a collection of interrelated short stories set at a Catholic girls' boarding school in Rwanda in the years before the Rwandan genocide. These stories are fascinating on many levels, but perhaps the most haunting element is seeing how ethnic hatred intensifies over timeânone of these girls would consider themselves particularly hateful or prejudiced, but they easily justify atrocities in the end.
7. Extracting the Stone of Madness: Poems 1962-1972 by Alejandra Pizarnik, trans. Yvette Siegert (Spanish; Pizarnik was Argentinian): Does anyone remember when my url was @/pizarnikpdf... probably not but worth mentioning to emphasize how much I love her <3 Reading Pizarnik is so revelatory for me; she articulates things I didn't even realize I felt until I read her words.
8. Flight and Metamorphosis: Poems by Nelly Sachs, trans. Joshua Weiner (German): Sachs actually won the Nobel in the 1960s, so it's surprising that she's not better known in the Anglosphere. Her poems are cryptic and surreal, yet deeply evocative. Worth mentioning that this volume is bilingual, so you can read the original German too if you're interested.
9. Frontier by Can Xue, trans. Karen Gernant and Chen Zeping (Chinese): Can Xue is another difficult-to-classify writer in terms of genre. Her short stories are often very abstract and can be puzzling at first. I think Frontier is a great place to start with her because these stories are interconnected, which makes them a bit more accessible.
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A Mahou Shoujo Mid-Twenties Crisis: New Takes on âMagical Girls for Adultsâ
This posts contains mentions of suicide ideation, domestic violence, climate crisis; and minor spoilers for Park Seolyeonâs A Magical Girl Retires.
Sometimes the stars align. Park Seolyeonâs novella A Magical Girl Retires was originally published in 2022 but translated into English by Anton Hur and released into my local bookstore this year. A month or so later, Magilumiere Magical Girls Incâwhich began serialisation in 2021âgot an anime adaptation and danced across my TV screen. As the titles imply, theyâre both magical girl stories, with all the expected bells and whistles: transformation sequences set off by specific items, cute colour-coded battle dresses, and fantastical fights against both small and big-time monsters and villains. The twist is that these two works throw cynical, tired, downtrodden twenty-something-year-olds into the whimsical world of the genre. Thus, theyâre both distinctly âadultâ takes on the familiar magical girl framework⌠though in a very different way to other, similarly genre-aware stories that have come before.Â
Keep reading...
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Queer Adult SFF Books Bracket: Round 1
Book summaries below:
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens.
The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction â but assassins are getting closer to her door.
Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.
Across the dark sea, TanĂŠ has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.
Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.
Fantasy, epic fantasy, secondary world, adult
A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon
A millennial turned magical girl must combat climate change and credit card debt in this delightful, witty, and wildly imaginative ode to magical girl manga.
Twenty-nine, depressed, and drowning in credit card debt after losing her job during the pandemic, a millennial woman decides to end her troubles by jumping off Seoulâs Mapo Bridge.
But her suicide attempt is interrupted by a girl dressed all in whiteâher guardian angel. Ah Roa is a clairvoyant magical girl on a mission to find the greatest magical girl of all time. And our protagonist just may be that special someone.
But the young womanâs initial excitement turns to frustration when she learns being a magical girl in real life is much different than how itâs portrayed in stories. It isnât just destinyâitâs work. Magical girls go to job fairs, join trade unions, attend classes. And for this magical girl there are no special powers and no great perks, and despite being magical, she still battles with low self-esteem. Her magic wand . . . is a credit cardâwhich she must use to defeat a terrifying threat that isnât a monster or an intergalactic war. Itâs global climate change. Because magical girls need to think about sustainability, too.
Park Seolyeon reimagines classic fantasy tropes in a novel that explores real-world challenges that are both deeply personal and universal: the search for meaning and the desire to do good in a world that feels like itâs ending. A fun, fast-paced, and enchanting narrative that sparkles thanks to award-nominated translator Anton Hur, A Magical Girl Retires reminds us that we are all magical girlsâthat fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight can be anyone's game.
Fantasy, contemporary, climate fiction, novella, adult
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