It described the world of plantation slavery through the eyes of two gay slaves. It was enlightening and chilling at the same time. I had no idea what the truth was about the daily life of slaves.
This book was about the enduring love between two men despite crushing odds. It was so beautifully written it took my breath away.
'This visionary and deeply evocative debut carves a radiant love story out of the bleakest of landscapes.' Waterstones - Best Books to Look Out For in 2021
'An Outstanding novel' Guardian 'A lyrical, poetic novel' Independent 'Epic in its scale' Marlon James, author of Black Leopard, Red Wolf 'A rare marvel' Ocean Vuong, author of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous 'Magisterial' Courttia Newland, author of A River Called Time 'A spellbinding debut' COSMO 'Ambitious and intense' Vanity Fair
In this blinding debut, Robert Jones Jr. blends the lyricism of Toni Morrison with the vivid prose…
I tend to think that Christopher Bollen and I are similar writers in that we both write literary thrillers with gay main characters set in exotic locations (Cairo in the case of The Lost Americans).
Cracking the cover of any Christopher Bollen novel is a guaranteed door into a new world, even if it’s one you think you already know. His stories, always credible, suspenseful, and filled with engaging characters, have so many unexpected twists that you can’t guess the ending. You don’t want it to be finished when you turn the last page because getting there was so gripping.
A young woman finds herself in the crosshairs of powerful and very dangerous enemies when she travels to Cairo to uncover the truth about her brother’s mysterious death in this smart, atmospheric, and propulsive literary thriller from the acclaimed author of A Beautiful Crime and Orient
“Bollen writes expansive, psychologically probing novels in the manner of Updike, Eugenides and Franzen, but he is also an avowed disciple of Agatha Christie."—Daily Telegraph (UK)
When the lifeless body of Eric Castle, a weapons technician for a major American defense contractor, is found under his hotel balcony, both his employer and the Egyptian…
Basically, it’s a story about Syrian refugees who have made it to the Greek island of Lesbos.
I’ve been going to the same island – and indeed, village – for the last 20 years, and in 2015-2017 I personally worked extensively with the refugees. Alameddine’s portrayal of the place, people, and situation is perfect. It’s the first novel I read with a trans protagonist, in this case a female Lebanese doctor who comes for a week to help the refugees.
Structurally, the book is unique. Through short chapters (sometimes only a couple of pages long so they are more like scenes,) the trans doctor tells her story of grappling with her sexual identity in a very homophobic cultural environment, woven into a story of one Syrian family in desperate straits, and frequently told to someone only referred to as “you” who turns out to the author himself. Beautifully written and crafted.
'A beautiful, well paced, enraging, funny and heartbreaking book' the Guardian
'Spectacular . . . Alameddine's irreverent prose evokes the old master storytellers from my own Middle Eastern home . . . deeply poignant' New York Times
Mina Simpson, a Lebanese doctor, arrives at the infamous Moria refugee camp on Lesbos, Greece, after being urgently summoned for help by her friend who runs an NGO there. Alienated from her family except for her beloved brother, Mina has avoided being so close to her homeland for decades. But with a week off work…
Fire on the Island is a playful, romantic thriller set in contemporary Greece, with a gay Greek-American FBI agent, who is undercover on the island to investigate a series of mysterious fires. Set against the very real refugee crisis on the beautiful, sun-drenched Greek islands, this novel paints a loving portrait of a community in crisis. As the island residents grapple with declining tourism, poverty, refugees, family feuds, and a perilously damaged church, an arsonist invades their midst.
A long-time devotee of the Greek islands, Smith paints the setting with gorgeous color and empathy, ushering in a new romantic thriller with the charm of Zorba the Greek while shedding bright light on the very real challenges of life in contemporary Greece.
