Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

Gabriel García Márquez was born in Colombia in 1927. He wrote sixteen novels during his lifetime and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982. His novel, Love in the Time of Cholera, was published in 1985. It is not generally considered to be his best work, but it has been acclaimed as his most romantic novel.

The setting is a coastal city in Colombia, and the timeframe covers about sixty years from the later 19th century to the early 20th century. The premise involves the question, “What happens when a young man’s unrequited love is unable to break his spirit?”

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Hiker

Detective Johnny McGruff was a seasoned detective from North America who was in Gwangju, South Korea, for a short vacation. He had always been fascinated with South Korean culture and could not wait to explore the city. As he was walking down Geumnam Street, he noticed a commotion near the ACC in downtown Gwangju. Curiosity getting the better of him, he made his way over to the crowd to see what was happening.

Bewilderment by Richard Powers

Richard Powers’ first book was published in 1985. His twelfth novel, The Overstory, released in 2018, won the Pulitzer Prize and was a #1 New York Times best seller. Bewilderment is his thirteenth book.

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

This book’s title is taken from a 1950s top-20 hit song. It has been re-recorded many times, and a 1963 version by Bobby Vinton reached number one. It is a love song of a jilted lover who sings, “But when she left, gone was the glow of blue velvet … I can still see blue velvet through my tears.”

A Can of Coke

“You count your blessings when she asks what you are up to. You answer, throat hoarse from being out of use for so long.”

Freckles

“Each time you die another freckle is added to your skin. How faint the freckle indicates how much of a positive impact you had on the life you just expired from. “

The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak

The Bastard of Istanbul, by Elif Shafak, is a complicated novel which, through the lens of historical hostilities between Turks and Armenians, tells the story of people conflicted by the burden of reconciling the past with the present.

An African in Greenland by Tété-Michel Kpomassie

Book Review by Michael Attard The title of the book An African in Greenland sparked my curiosity. How did he go? When did he visit? What did he do there? … Read More