Katia Bagnoli Volgorde van de boeken (chronologisch)

Isobel ha nove anni e il suo compleanno si avvicina, ma non ci saranno regali per lei. L'unica cosa che la fa volare lontano dalle rigide regole familiari è la lettura, che deve praticare di nascosto poiché sua madre la considera inadeguata per una bambina. Crescendo, alimenta questa passione di notte, alla luce di una candela. A sedici anni, la sua vita cambia radicalmente: è costretta a lasciare tutto, cercandosi un lavoro e una nuova sistemazione. Per la prima volta, Isobel si confronta con un mondo al di fuori della sua famiglia e del suo quartiere, sentendosi inadeguata e fuori posto, come sua madre le ha sempre fatto credere. Quando incontra un gruppo di ragazzi appassionati di libri, inizialmente rimane in silenzio, spaventata dalla possibilità di esprimere se stessa. Tuttavia, le parole di grandi autori iniziano a far breccia nelle sue insicurezze, insegnandole il coraggio di esprimere le proprie opinioni e di rivendicare la cultura che ha costruito. Isobel scopre il sogno di scrivere e liberare le parole che ha trattenuto per troppo tempo. Amy Witting celebra la lotta per i diritti delle donne, rendendo "La lettrice testarda" un elogio della letteratura e un romanzo di formazione sulla scoperta del proprio posto nel mondo, con una protagonista pronta a sfidare le convenzioni per vivere in autonomia.

I read it in one sitting Kate Kellaway Observer

Days before his release from prison, Shadow's wife, Laura, dies in a mysterious car crash. Numbly, he makes his way back home. On the plane, he encounters the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, who claims to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America. Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break. Scary, gripping and deeply unsettling, American Gods takes a long, hard look into the soul of America. You'll be surprised by what - and who - it finds there... This is the author's preferred text, never before published in the UK, and is about 12,000 words longer than the previous UK edition.

With devastating wit and deep affection for his characters, Jeffrey Eugenides crafts a contemporary story that feels like an intimate journal of our lives. Set in the early 1980s during a deep recession, the narrative follows Madeleine Hanna, an English major writing her thesis on the marriage plot in literature. As she grapples with the shift from classic writers like Cheever and Updike to more avant-garde figures, her life takes a turn with the arrival of Leonard Bankhead, a charismatic and troubled college Darwinist. Their intense intellectual and erotic relationship complicates matters, especially with the reemergence of Mitchell Grammaticus, a friend obsessed with the idea that he and Madeleine are destined to be together. As the trio navigates post-college life, they are forced to reevaluate their beliefs and experiences. Leonard and Madeleine's move to a biology lab on Cape Cod reveals the struggles behind Leonard's charm, while Mitchell travels the world, confronting profound questions about love, existence, and faith. The story probes whether the great love narratives of the past are obsolete or if a new, modern tale can emerge, addressing contemporary issues like feminism, sexual freedom, and the complexities of relationships.

Zo kwamen we aan het eind speelt zich af op een Amerikaans reclamebureau tijdens de laatste stuiptrekkingen van de internethype. Prikborden, koffiebekers, ontslagbriefjes en moordende concurrentie - the American way of life, gezien door de ramen van een kantoortoren. In een klimaat van inkrimpingsoperaties moeten de medewerkers leren om dag in, dag uit op min of meer vreedzame wijze met elkaar om te gaan, ook al doen de onophoudelijke herrie en onmin het bureau eerder op een groot probleemgezin lijken.

A follow-up to In the Woods finds a traumatized detective Cassie Maddox struggling in her career and relationship with Sam O'Neill while investigating the unsettling murder of a young woman whose name matches an alias Cassie once had used as an undercover officer. 50,000 first printing.

Cinque racconti. Un vivido ritratto del Tibet lontano dall’immagine mitica e stereotipata cui è di solito associato. Scritti con grande maestria letteraria, hanno la colpa e il merito di mostrare come la povertà e la repressione politica abbiano annientato quella che un tempo era considerata una cultura ricca e brillante. Il libro che ha costretto Ma Jian all’esilio.

Vagabondi, falliti, pezzenti, ubriaconi, giocatori d'azzardo di terz'ordine, prostitute e naturalmente il poeta stesso, fallito tra i falliti e pezzente tra i pezzenti: è questo il mondo di cui si popolano i versi di Bukowski, un mondo osservato a volte con il distacco sarcastico di chi ne scorge con chiarezza e lucidità i limiti e le piccolezze, altre volte con la genuina e partecipata commozione di chi non può tirarsene fuori, di chi si sente in qualche modo parte di quell'umanità sconfitta e umiliata.

Plenty of liberal scholars and pundits have criticized the deception of the American people, but Michael Moore's work offers a distinctly positive perspective. He argues that Republican lawmakers and their wealthy corporate allies have manipulated the public using fabricated threats and lies to maintain their power and wealth. Moore expresses his anger towards George W. Bush and conservatives regarding the Iraq war, the Enron collapse, and the connections between the Bush family, the Saudi government, and Osama bin Laden. His book aims to empower those with liberal views—whom he believes comprise the majority of Americans—to reclaim their country from conservative control. With his signature confrontational humor, Moore provides insights on how to engage with conservative relatives and even proposes a "Draft Oprah for President" movement. Notably, he acknowledges some areas where Republicans are correct and critiques his fellow liberals, suggesting a desire for a more nuanced political discourse. While the book covers a wide range of topics, including Iraq, tax cuts, and the Patriot Act, its scattered nature and comedic tone occasionally detract from clarity. Nevertheless, this variety showcases Moore's bewildered yet resiliently optimistic viewpoints.

Yokohama, 1862. Japan staat op de rand van een burgeroorlog, met rivaliserende samoerai die strijden om de macht. Een groep jonge, idealistische krijgsheren wil de oude tradities herstellen en beschuldigt Yoshi Toronaga, de eerste Shogun, van het stelen van de keizerlijke macht. De volgelingen van de Shogun zijn vastbesloten om zijn gezag met geweld te verdedigen. In deze wereld van corruptie, eergevoel en intriges spelen de Gai-Jin, de gehate buitenlandse handelaren, een cruciale rol. Zij profiteren van de conflicten door te handelen met elke Japanse partij die hen betaalt, gedreven door de torenhoge winsten op oorlogsmaterieel. De Gai-Jin zijn onderling verdeeld: Britten tegenover Fransen, Pruisen tegenover Russen, en kooplui tegenover militairen. Een van de machtigste handelshuizen in Yokohama is Noble House, geleid door de jonge Malcolm Struan, kleinzoon van de legendarische Dirk Struan. Wanneer Malcolm levensgevaarlijk gewond raakt in een confrontatie met vijandige samoerai, lijkt het geluk de Struans en Noble House te verlaten. Ondertussen beraamt Tyler Brock, de aartsvijand van de Struan-familie, in het geheim plannen om de macht van Noble House voorgoed te breken.