Category: Magical Realism

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki & His Years of Pilgrimage – Haruki Murakami

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Jo A young man attempts to discover why his friends have abandoned him ❝ The protagonist of this book is Tsukuru Tazaki, a Japanese man in his 30s who designs railroad stations. He recalls his younger years, where at… Continue Reading “Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki & His Years of Pilgrimage – Haruki Murakami”

Sing Unburied Sing – Jesmyn Ward

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Jodie An intimate portrait of a family and an epic tale of hope and struggle; the archetypal road novel is transformed for twenty-first-century America ⚑ “Sing Unburied Sing was the first novel I have read featuring ghosts and Southern… Continue Reading “Sing Unburied Sing – Jesmyn Ward”

The Orphan Master’s Son – Adam Johnston

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel A portrait of a world hidden from view: North Korea, rife with hunger, corruption, and casual cruelty but also camaraderie, stolen moments of beauty, and love. ⚑ “The Orphan Master’s Son reminded me of Nineteen Eighty Four, but… Continue Reading “The Orphan Master’s Son – Adam Johnston”

Kafka On The Shore – Haruki Murakami

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel A teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, runs away from home to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy and search for his long-missing mother and sister. ◉ “One day in 2006 I bought this book new off the shelves in an… Continue Reading “Kafka On The Shore – Haruki Murakami”

Exit West – Mohsin Hamid

READ FOR BOOKERTHON In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young lovers hear whispers about doors that can whisk people far away, albeit perilously and for a price. ◉ “If I had to pigeonhole Exit West I would call it… Continue Reading “Exit West – Mohsin Hamid”

The Famished Road – Ben Okri

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Becks In this 1991 Booker winner, the narrator, Azaro, is a spirit child struggling between the tensions of the living and the temptations of the carefree spirit kingdom. ➤ “Set in an unnamed city in Nigeria, this novel employs a unique… Continue Reading “The Famished Road – Ben Okri”

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle – Haruki Murakami

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel This seemingly simple story of a Japanese man whose cat runs away is anything but.  ❖ “I couldn’t wait to re-read and share this, my #1 favourite book of all time. I was nervous too, knowing how much of an emotional… Continue Reading “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle – Haruki Murakami”

Slaughterhouse Five – Kurt Vonnegut

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel Kurt Vonnegut writes of his own experiences as a World War II prisoner in Slaughterhouse Five, in particular the bombing of Dresden. On February 13, 1945, only months before the end of World War II, the Allies undertook… Continue Reading “Slaughterhouse Five – Kurt Vonnegut”

The Metamorphosis & Other Stories – Franz Kafka

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel Gregor Samsa awakens one morning to discover he has turned into a giant insect, in this 1915 novella. An establishing story in the existentialism genre. ⚈ “Gregor Samsa one day wakes to find he has turned into a dung… Continue Reading “The Metamorphosis & Other Stories – Franz Kafka”

The Unconsoled – Kazuo Ishiguro

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel Ryder, a famous pianist, arrives in a European city to perform a concert. However, he appears to have lost most of his memory and finds his new environment surreal and dreamlike. ⚈ “Ryder is an accomplished artist, renowned… Continue Reading “The Unconsoled – Kazuo Ishiguro”