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Here are 12 books that caught my interest lately.
Fresh, off-beat, quirky or curious titles – all published in 2012 – that might deserve more attention:
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01: RICHARD KRAMER, „These Things happen“, 272 pages, 2012. [quirky domestic drama, written by a former „My so-called Life“ writer.]
02: PHILIP SINGTON, „The Valley of Unknowing“, 298 pages, 2012. [set in the GDR, a story in the style of „The Lives of Others“]
03: LEANNE SHAPTON, „Swimming Studies“, 336 pages, 2012. [Essays / Memoir, German title: „Bahnen ziehen“ (Link, Perlentaucher)]
04: KEVIN YOUNG, „The Grey Album“, 476 pages, 2012. [Essays / Experimental]
05: WILEY CASH, „A Land more kind than Home“, 320 pages, 2012. [literary Thriller]
06: GILLIAN FLYNN, „Gone Girl“, 419 pages, 2012 [Thriller / Bestseller].
07: JESS WALTER, „Beautiful Ruins“, 337 pages, 2012 [Bestseller].
08: FLORIAN ILLIES, „1913 – Der Sommer des Jahrhunderts“, 320 pages, 2012. [German (Link: Perlentaucher)]
09: PIA ZIEFLE, „Suna“, 304 pages, 2012. [German]
10: VERONIQUE BIZOT, „Un Avenir“ / „Eine Zukunft“, 130 pages, 2011. [French; German edition (Link, 2012)… review at Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Link)]
11: KERSTIN EKMAN, „Schwindlerinnen“ / „Grand final i skojarbranschen“, 448 pages, 2011. [Swedish, German edition 2012 (Perlentaucher)]
12: MICHEL ROSTAIN, „The Son“ / „Le Fils“ / „Als ich meine Eltern verließ“, 160 pages, 2011. [French Memoir, German Edition 2012 (Perlentaucher)]
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Here are nine 2012 books that I’ve featured / mentioned here before… and that might (still) be worth a look:
01: STEVE ERICKSON, “These Dreams of you”, 309 pages, 2012.
02: SHANNON MESSENGER, “Keeper of the Lost Cities”, 496 pages, 2012. [Young Adult / Fantasy]
03: CLAIRE LEGRAND, “The Cavandish Home for Boys and Girls”, 352 pages, 2012. [Young Adult, Horror]
04: FRANCIS SPUFFORD, “Red Plenty”, 448 pages, 2007. [Science Fiction; German version published in April 2012: „Rote Zukunft“, Rowohlt]
05: JENNY LAWSON, “Let’s pretend this never happened”, 318 pages, 2012. [Memoir / Comedy]
06: NICK HARKAWAY, „Angelmaker“, 482 pages, 2012. [post-modern, absurdist Sci-Fi Noir]
07: GAITO GASDANOW, „Das Phantom des Alexander Wolf“, 192 pages, 1947. [Russian emigré writer, new German translation]
08: GERMÁN KRATOCHWIL, „Scherbengericht“, 311 pages, 2012. [German, Link (Perlentaucher)]
09: NORA BOSSONG, „Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung“, 296 pages, 2012. [German, Link (Perlentaucher)]
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Here are 3 books not published in 2012 (…to round up „Underdog Literature’s“ usual „15 new recommendations, every month“ format):
01: TAIYE SELASI, „Ghana must go“, 336 pages, 2013.
02: SAMANTHA HUNT, „The Seas“, 193 pages, 2004.
03: J.L. CARR, „A Month in the Country“, 135 pages, 1980.
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Here are five books that made me curious enough to buy them:
01: SIMON MAWER, „The Fall“, 442 pages, 2003.
02: NATALIA GINZBURG, „All our Yesterdays“, 300 pages, 1952.
03: KVETA LEGATOVA, „Zelary“ / „Der Mann aus Zelary“, 156 pages, 2001 [Czechian].
04: WILLY RUSSELL, „The Wrong Boy“, 506 pages, 2002.
05: MARKUS FELDENKIRCHEN, „Was zusamengehört“, 318 pages, 2010. [German]
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…and finally, here are three books that I read – and that were really good:
5 of 5 stars: ALEXIS M. SMITH, „Glaciers“, 174 pages, 2012.
5 of 5 stars: MARLEN HAUSHOFER, „The Wall“ / „Die Wand“, 284 pages, 1962. [Austrian]
4 of 5 stars: DANIELA KRIEN, „Irgendwann werden wir uns alles erzählen“, 240 pages, 2011. [German]
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related Posts:
- my 20 Best Books of 2011 (Link)
- Summer Reading – 60 books for the next couple of months! (Link)
- Still unread: books I plan to read (pretty soon?) (Link)
- 40 disappointing Literary Classics (Link)
and:
- Underdog Literature: November 2012 (Link)
- Underdog Literature: October 2012 (Link)
- Underdog Literature: September 2012 (Link)
- Underdog Literature: August 2012 (Link)
- Underdog Literature: July 2012 (Link)
- Underdog Literature: June 2012 (Link)
- Underdog Literature: May 2012 (Link)
- Underdog Literature: April 2012 (Link)
- Underdog Literature: March 2012 (Link)
- Underdog Literature: February 2012 (Link)
- Underdog Literature: January 2012 (Link)
