This wretched valley by Jenny Kiefer 🎧

Narrated by Megan Tusing

From its gorgeously haunting cover through the plot to the narration – this was an incredibly tense and brutal read. This is not for readers who prefer their horror on the lighter side. Many thanks to Talking Scared podcast for putting this on my radar!

Synopsis

Rising climbing star Dylan and her boyfriend Kyle join geologist researchers Clay and Sonia on a combined trip to a newly discovered cliff in the Kentucky wilderness. Seven months later three bodies are discovered just next to the highway, the state of the corpses and the fact that Dylan remains unaccounted for sparking lots of theories for both researchers and amateurs online.

Thoughts

Initially I was wondering how 4 characters would be enough to keep suspense through an entire book. I have after all recently read 2 books from the slasher inspired Indian Lake trilogy by Stephen Graham Jones. But this was one of the most tense reads for me with little to no breaks in the horror. I was engaged, I wanted to scream instructions, and I was absolutely terrified. One part of this is that the book doesn’t explain or reveal too much. It leaves some space for my brain to fill out the details in ways that scare me the most. If you want something unsettling because it is relentless and scary, give this one a try.

How to keep house while drowning: a gentle approach to cleaning and organizing by KC Davis

As someone who always have felt behind on house chores, who doesn’t enjoy cleaning, and typically has to let it get so messy that I get furious in order to find the energy to clean – this title caught my attention on Bookstagram.

Synopsis

After KC Davis gave birth to her second child, she didn’t fold a single piece of laundry for seven months. Between postpartum depression and ADHD, she felt numb and overwhelmed. She regained her sanity—and the functionality of her home—after one life-changing realization:
You don’t work for your home; your home works for you.
In other words, messiness is not a moral failing. A new sense of calm washed over her as she let go of the shame-based messaging that interpreted a pile of dirty laundry as “I can never keep up” and a chaotic kitchen as “I’m a bad mother.” Instead, she looked at unwashed clothes and thought, “I am alive,” and at stacks of dishes and thought, “I cooked my family dinner three nights in a row.”
Building on this foundation of self-compassion, KC devised the powerful practical approach that has exploded in popularity. The secret is to stop following perfectionist rules that don’t make sense for you—like folding clothes that don’t wrinkle anyway, or thinking that every room has to be clean at the same time—and to find creative solutions that accommodate your needs, pet peeves, daily rhythms, and attention span.

Read this book to make home feel like a sanctuary again: where you can move with ease, where guilt, self-criticism, and endless checklists have no place, and where you always have permission to rest, even when things aren’t finished.

Thoughts

What this book has given me is a reframing of chores and the belief that my ability to keep up with them says something about my value as a person and parent. Starting to more and more see it as care tasks has also helped me understand why I struggle with it, as showing care and kindness to myself is something that doesn’t come easy for me. So the angry cleaning is gone which is a kindness to myself and to my family who doesn’t have to be around that energy anymore.

The thought process that this book initiated has also led me to investing in things that make our life a little easier. Making our home work for us, as the book says.

I bought a fairly cheap solution which allows me to clean and refill water and dry food for the cats once a week instead of something that I have to screen for and perform on a daily basis, while I’m late for work and trying to convince my kid to get out the door.

We have also finally decided to try out a cleaning service. It is a privilege to be able to consider that within our budget, for which I’m grateful. I’m already feeling a huge mental load lifting, because the mandatory things like work, childcare, and taking care of basic needs is already taking up most of the energy I currently have available on a weekly basis. I need more time for rest and fun things if I’m going to start feeling better, it has been a tough couple of years.

For some reason I thought that the only way to clean our cars was the way my dad used to – by hand at a manual cleaning station. It is something we used to enjoy together whenever I came over with my car, a little adventure away from everyone else where we worked as a team – him cleaning and me turning the wheel for the different steps, or running away from the water he would “accidentally” shoot my way. But I can’t and it is probably tied to feeling the loss of him in my world, so I’ve just started using automated cleaning stations and it feels good to see the cars, somewhat, clean. I also got a memory when taking my kid into the automated cleaner, when I was younger, that is how I used to clean the car with dad and it was so much fun to see my kid scream and laugh at the machine.

After reading this book I have become kinder to myself when it comes to our house. I clean in a new way, I feel more relaxed about the mess, and I question the way we organise things which means slowly things become easier. I appreciate that for me this book was a reframing more than hard mental work, like in therapy. It might not be that easy for everyone but I hope you give this book a try for even a little bit of relief.

My heart is a chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

I recently saw a post by @spookishmommy on Bookstagram pointing out that Stephen Graham Jones is about to finish the horror series The Indian Lake trilogy. Which is when I remembered I have a weak spot for series and I’ve been saving books by Stephen Graham Jones to my tbr whenever I see them at my library. So I immediately borrowed the audiobook for My heart is a chainsaw and am currently well into the second book in the trilogy.

Synopsis

My heart is a chainsaw follows Jade, a teenager with a deep knowledge of horror movies, specifically slashers, that knows something is wrong in her mountain town. It is not just the stories about Camp Blood, the rich building vacation homes in “Terra Nova” on what was designated park lands, or the rich flora of myths surrounding Indian Lake, Jade knows that something is coming for them all.

Thoughts

Jade was so much better than I expected. What an unusual main character to spend time with. An absolute delight in all the ways that it wasn’t a perfect, lovely, straightforward character. Jade made me think of Lisbeth Salander, there is a darkness and fierceness that both characters share.

The first couple of pages made me so tense. Stephen Graham Jones excels at not giving me the complete picture which is a must for me to get truly scared. When one of my family members by mistake (husband) or on purpose (kid) turns off the light as I’m walking up from the basement I will legit shriek convinced my time has come.

I loved the side characters not being what I expected them to be. They were more human and frequently veered away from stereotypes. The references to horror movies, concepts and references were delicious. I was fighting myself hard to not create a movie tbr. I’m still scarred from Friday the 13th and I know who I watched it with, decades ago. My nervous system cannot handle horror movies and the stress from work, I’ll start screaming out loud the next time someone calls me on Teams.

Payback’s a witch by Lana Harper

Synopsis

Emmy Harlow is a witch but not a very powerful one—in part because she hasn’t been home to the magical town of Thistle Grove in years. Her self-imposed exile has a lot to do with a complicated family history and a desire to forge her own way in the world, and only the very tiniest bit to do with Gareth Blackmoore, heir to the most powerful magical family in town and casual breaker of hearts and destroyer of dreams.
But when a spellcasting tournament that her family serves as arbiters for approaches, it turns out the pull of tradition (or the truly impressive parental guilt trip that comes with it) is strong enough to bring Emmy back. She’s determined to do her familial duty; spend some quality time with her best friend, Linden Thorn; and get back to her real life in Chicago.
On her first night home, Emmy runs into Talia Avramov—an all-around badass adept in the darker magical arts—who is fresh off a bad breakup . . . with Gareth Blackmoore. Talia had let herself be charmed, only to discover that Gareth was also seeing Linden—unbeknownst to either of them. And now she and Linden want revenge. Only one question stands: Is Emmy in?
But most concerning of all: Why can’t she stop thinking about the terrifyingly competent, devastatingly gorgeous, wickedly charming Talia Avramov?

Thoughts

Following a recent excursion into cozy fantasy I was pulled in by this title and cover. What followed was a pretty classic world with witches, competition, and focus on relationships and finding your place in life. There is some delicious romance and bisexual characters.

I do have things that I personally would have wanted handled differently, but this was genuinely a fun & nice world to be in and I recommend it for anyone that wants some romance with their cozy fantasy.

The details by Ia Genberg

My first International Booker is done! I’m honestly pleased that although I’m enjoying the buzz I haven’t bought all the longlisters. Coming to terms with the fact that my reading of library books and buying of other books rarely overlap, plus the fact that I don’t have anywhere near the same reading pace as others, has kept me from adding to a book collection that is too big already. I am however looking forward to deliveries of multiple longlisters through the library.

Synopsis

A woman lies bedridden from a high fever. Suddenly she is struck with an urge to revisit a novel from her past. Inside the book is an inscription: a get-well-soon message from Johanna, an ex-girlfriend who is now a famous television host. As she flips through the book, pages from the woman’s own past begin to come alive, scenes of events and people she cannot forget.

There are moments with Johanna, and Niki, the friend who disappeared years ago without a phone number or an address and with no online footprint. There is Alejandro, who appears like a storm in precisely the right moment. And Brigitte, whose elusive qualities mask a painful secret.

The details is a novel built around four portraits; the small details that, pieced together, comprise a life. Can a loved one really disappear? Who is the real subject of the portrait, the person being painted or the one holding the brush? Do we fully become ourselves through our connections to others? This exhilarating, provocative tale raises profound questions about the nature of relationships, and how we tell our stories. The result is an intimate and illuminating study of what it means to be human.

Thoughts

Enjoyed the writing style, loved the vibe, will not stick to my memory. The book is subtle in terms of its message, a reflection on life and relationships and this is just hard for me to engage with at the moment.

International Booker excerpts review

Having ranked the books based on their first lines I was curious to see if the impression remained the same after reading the excerpts on the prize website. The inspiration for this post comes from BookTuber Charlotte R Malloy.

Undiscovered – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This does not pull any punches in the opening paragraphs. It is honest and to the point about many of the things that are wrong in today’s society. I’m very intrigued!

Lost on me – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Really liking the prospect of this! It has tone, good writing, relationship focus but within a family, mental health and politics. I want to read this!

Crooked plow – ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

This feels very mysterious and ominous, I feel bad vibes oozing of the page. In comparison to the others I’ve sampled at the point I read it this appears more plot driven. Curious to see where this story goes.

The Details – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is my current read and is a book that has a distinct tone as it reflects over life and the relationships that have come and gone. I think the excerpt hints at a book that is conversational and reflective.

Kairos – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I find this similar to The Details in how it appears to reflect on relationships in the past. It has a tone that is its own, but it has aspects to it that I think might annoy me as the chapters go on. Placing it lower than The Details.

Not a river – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I suspect this will discuss masculinity, fatherhood and parenthood. I’m also getting a vibe of nature as a stand-in for mothers or women. A definite improvement compared to the first sentence.

The House On Via Gemito – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I like the reflection on a difficult relationship with a parent and how that affects you. A critical look on masculinity and violence, but at the same time the writing feels heavy to me. Like it is taking turns I’m not expecting.

The silver bone – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Direct, intense, terrifying, and with a drive. The writing is simpler compared to many of the others, yet has a purpose. These first paragraphs hit me hard.

White nights – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I like the writing and want to learn more about the characters.

What I’d rather not think about – ⭐⭐⭐💫

Disturbing and ominous, but I don’t vibe with the writing really. Willing to give it a go though because of its theme.

Mater 2-10 – ⭐⭐⭐

I enjoy the writing and I think it might go somewhere interesting. But I also don’t feel like I have to see how it ends.

A dictator calls – ⭐⭐💫

I’m not drawn in by the writing and not sure I will care to continue. For sure not a purchase. What does intrigue me a little is the references to Tirana, Moscow and politics.

Simpatía – ⭐⭐

This did not work for me, I’m a little surprised. I think I’m not that keen on men dealing with hatred of women, it is important that it happens, but it is not written for me. I also think there is a disadvantage for me to not understand the references, not the book’s fault, and I would absolutely need to give it more time than just a few paragraphs. What did intrigue me is the references to people leaving or staying, the conflict that inevitably holds. I’m also a cat person.

First line review – International Booker longlist

Inspired by BookTube I’ve read the first sentence of each International Booker longlister and this is my ranking.

1. “When I opened the suitcase and took out the knife, wrapped in a grimy old rag tied with a knot and covered in dark stains, I was just over seven years old.” – Crooked plow by Itamar Vieira Junior, translated by Johnny Lorenz. Perfection!
2. “When my father told me he hit my mother only once in twenty-three years of marriage, I didn’t even bother replying.” – The house on via Gemito by Domenico Starnone, translated by Oonagh Stransky.  Tough topic, which I like, and there is something about the tone and the history behind it that makes me want to read more.
3. “When a writer is born into a family, the family is finished, they say.” – Lost on me by Veronica Raimo, translated by Leah Janeczko. Ominous in its own way.
4. “Will you come to my funeral?” – Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Michael Hofmann. I have so many questions.
5. “Samson was deafened by the sound of the saber striking his father’s head.” – The Silver Bone by Andrey Kurkov, translated by Boris Dralyuk. Upsetting and hard to read as someone who has immense grief around losing my father.
6. “On the day his wife left the country, Ulises Kan decided to get himself a dog.” – Simpatía by Rodrigo Blanco Calderón, translated by Noel Hernández González and Daniel Hahn. Why did the wife leave a guy that likes dogs?
7. “The strangest thing about being alone here in Paris, in an anthropology museum gallery more or less beneath the Eiffel Tower, is the thought that all these statuettes that look like me were wrenched from my country by a man whose last name I inherited.” – Undiscovered by Gabriela Wiener, translated by Julia Sanches. I did not see that last punch coming.
8. “A house like a chicken coop, so that if you leaned on it or kicked at it, all the planks would fall to the ground, and some would break in half, everything rotten.” – White nights by Urszula Honek, translated by Kate Webster. I’m very concerned for this house.
9. “Yi Jino set up his toilet on the opposite side of the catwalk, as far away from his tent as possible.” – Mater 2-10 by Hwang Sok-yong, translated by Sora Kim-Russell and Youngjae Josephine Bae. I’m confused but intrigued.
10. “After a few days of the virus in my body I come down with a fever, which is followed by an urge to return to a particular novel.” – The details by Ia Genberg, translated by Kira Josefsson. Peculiar and quirky and my current read.
11. “Waterboarding, I told my mother.” – What I’d rather not think about by Jente Posthuma, translated by Sarah Timmer Harvey. Yeah, I didn’t not remember what waterboarding was when I first read this.
12. “Enero Rey, standing firm on the boat, stocky and beardless, swollen-bellied, legs astride, stares hard at the surface of the river and waits, revolver in hand.” – Not a river by Selva Almada, translated by Annie McDermott. I’m worried we are in for some anti-fatness my friends.
13. “The stop is on the right-hand side of the street.” – A dictator calls by Ismail Kadare, translated by John Hodgson. … …. …. Ok.

Which one is your favourite and least favourite? What are you reading (International Booker or not)?

International Booker – First reaction based on recognition

I know these books!!!

Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Michael Hofmann
Crooked Plow by Itamar Vieira Junior, translated by Johnny Lorenz
The Details by Ia Genberg, translated by Kira Josefsson
Not A River by Selva Almada, translated by Annie McDermott
The Silver Bone by Andrey Kurkov, translated by Boris Dralyuk

Maybe…?

A Dictator Calls by Ismai Kadare, translated by John Hodgson
The House On Via Gemito by Domenico Starnone, translated by Oonagh Stransky

New to me

Lost On Me by Veronica Raimo, translated by Leah Janeczko
Mater 2-10 by Hwang Sok-yong, translated by Sora Kim-Russell & Youngjae Josephine Bae
What I’d Rather Not Think About by Jente Posthuma, translated by Sarah Timmer Harvey
Undiscovered by Gabriela Wiener, translated by Julia Sanches
White Nights by Urszula Honek, translated by Kate Webster
Simpatía by Rodrigo Blanco Calderón, translated by Noel Hernández González & Daniel Hahn

Note: my memory may be off as I deal with the unacceptable omission of Ædnan.
Honestly.
WHAT.

International Booker – publisher predictions #2

There might be 3 major publishers that take up most of the longlist spots, but the International Booker would be nothing without the never-heard-of-awesome-translated-fic that shows up on announcement day.

And other stories

The past 3 years, And other stories have had 1 book on the longlist each year. Eligible books:

• Veridgris by Michele Mari, translated from Italian by Brian Robert Moore.
• The hunger of women by Marosia Castaldi, translated from Italian by Jamie Richards.
• Star 111 by Lutz Seiler, translated from German by Tess Lewis.
• You, bleeding childhood by Michele Mari, translated from Italian by Brian Robert Moore.
• Shalash, the Iraqi by Salash, translated from Arabic by Luke Leafgren.

Out of these I would pick Shalash, the Iraqi as my longlister. Its origin as scattered blog posts, the importance of storytelling in times of war, would make it an important and unfortunately relevant longlister.

Charco press

Since 2018 Charco Press has had 1 book on the longlist every other year. If the pattern continues then there will be 1 Charco press on this year’s longlist.

• Fresh dirt from the grave by Giovanna Rivero, translated by Juana Adcock.
• A little luck by Claudia Piñeiro, translated by Frances Riddle.
• Confession by Martín Kohan, translated by Daniel Hahn.
• The delivery by Margarita García Robayo, translated by Megan McDowell.
• Not a river by Selva Almada, translated by Annie McDermott.
• The dark side of skin by Jeferson Tenório, translated by Bruna Dantas Lobato.

I love the darker vibes of Fresh dirt from the grave so this would be my pick for the longlist.

Honford star

The past 2 years Honford star has had 1 book on the longlist.

• Your Utopia by Bora Chung, translated from Korean by Anton Hur.
• Cannibals by Shinya Tanaka, translated from Japanese by Kalau Almony.
• Finger bone by Hiroki Takahashi, translated from Japanese by Takami Nieda.
• Launch something by Bae Myung-hoon, translated from Korean by Stella Kim.

I loved Cursed Bunny and it is a big part in how I got attached to International Booker, in fact that entire year the longlist was fantastic. So of course I want to see Bora Chung make it onto the longlist!

Lolli editions

Lolli editions missed out on last year’s longlist but had 1 book in 2022 and 2021.

• Tityrus by Duncan Wiese, translated from Danish by Max Minden Ribeiro and Sam Riviere.
• Eunuch by Kristina Carlson, translated from Finnish by Mikko Alapuro.
• My work by Olga Ravn, translated from Danish by Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell.
• Sublunar by Harald Voetmann, translated from Danish by Johanne Sorgenfri Ottosen.

I’m going with the popular pick that everyone else is making – My work by Olga Ravn!

Picador Pan Macmillan

Has the same track record as Lolli editions. Their website is an equal to Penguin’s so I can’t be bothered to dig through for potentially eligible books.

Pushkin press

Looking at the past 4 years, the average for Pushkin press is 1 book per year. They had zero books in 2022 but made up for it with 2 books in 2021.

• Harlequin Butterfly by Toh EnJoe, translated by David Boyd.
• 19 claws and black bird by Agustina Bazterrica, translated by Sarah Moses.
• Glorious people by Sasha Salzmann, translated by Imogen Taylor.
• Ædnan by Linnea Axelsson, translated by Saskia Vogel.
• The wizard of the Kremlin by Giuliano da Empoli, translated by Willard Wood.

I probably will not surprise anyone by saying I want Ædnan and 19 claws and black bird to make it to the longlist. Leaving out Ædnan will be a devastating blow to my trust in International Booker. This is the one prediction I had to not think about as soon as I saw that it was eligible.

Tilted Axis press

Came out of nowhere with 3 longlisted books in 2022 and surprised many by having zero longlisters in 2023. Is it time for another appearance?

• The end of August by Yu Miri, translated from Japanese by Morgan Giles
• A book, untitled by Shushan Avagyan, translated from Armenian by Deanna Cachoian-Schanz
• DD’s umbrella by Hwang Jungeun, translated from Korean by E. Yaewon
• To hell with poets by Baqytgul Sarmekova, translated from Kazakh by Mirgul Kali

I have to go with one of the few eligible books I own – The end of August.

World editions

Increased their appearance by having 1 longlisted book in 2023 and 2021.

• Fowl eulogies by Lucie Rico, translated from French by Daria Chernysheva
• The drinker of horizons by Mia Couto, translated from Portugese by David Brookshaw
• Selamlik by Khaled Alesmael, translated from Arabic by Leri Price

I’m picking The drinker of horizons, even though it appears to be part of a series.

Disclaimer

Same as the last prediction post.

Do not trust me.

International Booker anticipation stack

A stack of mostly library books as I impatiently wait for International Booker longlist announcement on Monday.

🇧🇷 Of cattle and men by Ana Paula Maia, translated into English by Zoë Perry. Edit: this was eligible last year.

🇺🇸 Postcolonial love poem by International Booker judge Natalie Diaz

🇫🇷  🇸🇳 Vengeance is mine by Marie NDiaye, translated into English by Jordan Stump

🇸🇪 🇮🇷 The singularity by Balsam Karam in the original Swedish

🇦🇷 19 claws and a black bird Agustina Bazterrica, translated into English by Sarah Moses

🇺🇸 When my brother was an Aztec by IB judge Natalie Diaz

🇸🇪 The details by Ia Genberg in its original Swedish

🇸🇪 Hunter in Huskvarna by Sara Stridsberg in its original Swedish

🇮🇸 The mark by Frída Ísberg, translated into Swedish by Arvid Nordh

🇳🇴 The wolves of eternity by Karl Ove Knausgård, translated into Swedish by Staffan Söderblom

🇸🇪 Ædnan by Linnea Axelsson in the original Swedish

🇯🇵 The end of August by Yu Miri, translated into English by Morgan Giles

Have you read any of these? Which ones would you want to see on the longlist on Monday?