Having trouble finding a book for this category? Here are some of our recommendations.
The vegetarian : a novel
Han Kang ; translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith
2016
ISBN: 9780553448184
"Before the nightmares began, Yeong-hye and her husband lived an ordinary, controlled life. But the dreams--invasive images of blood and brutality--torture her, driving Yeong-hye to purge her mind and renounce eating meat altogether. It's a small act of independence, but it interrupts her marriage and sets into motion an increasingly grotesque chain of events at home. As her husband, her brother-in-law, and her sister each fight to reassert their control, Yeong-hye obsessively defends the choice that's become sacred to her. Soon their attempts turn desperate, subjecting first her mind, then her body, to ever more intrusive and perverse violations, sending Yeong-hye spiraling into a dangerous, bizarre estrangement, not only from those closest to her but also from herself."--Front book jacket flap.
Ebook and audiobook available from the Alaska Digital Library.
Frankenstein in Baghdad : a novel
Ahmed Saadawi ; translated from the Arabic by Jonathan Wright
2018
ISBN: 9780143128793
After he constructs a corpse from body parts found on the street, Hadi wants the government to prepare a proper burial, but when the corpse goes missing, a series of strange murders occur and Hadi realizes he has created a monster.
Ebook available from the Alaska Digital Library.
The dinner : a novel
Herman Koch ; translated from the Dutch by Sam Garrett
2012
ISBN: 9780770437855
Two couples meet for dinner at a fashionable restaurant in Amsterdam. Behind their polite conversation, terrible things need to be said, and with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened. Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son. The two boys are united by their accountability for a single horrific act; an act that has triggered a police investigation and shattered the comfortable, insulated worlds of their families. As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches on their children. As civility and friendship disintegrate, each couple show just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love.
Ebook and audiobook available from the Alaska Digital Library.
Harsh times
Mario Vargas Llosa ; translated from the Spanish by Adrian Nathan West
2021
ISBN: 9780374601232
"The true story of Guatemala's political turmoil of the 1950s as only a master of fiction can tell it"-- Provided by publisher.
Ebook always available on hoopla.
Disoriental
Négar Djavadi ; translated from the French by Tina Kover
2018
ISBN: 9781609454517
"Kimiâ Sadr fled Iran at the age of ten in the company of her mother and sisters to join her father in France. Now twenty-five and facing the future she has built for herself as well as the prospect of a new generation, Kimiâ is inundated by her own memories and the stories of her ancestors, which come to her in unstoppable, uncontainable waves. In the waiting room of a Parisian fertility clinic, generations of flamboyant Sadrs return to her, including her formidable great-grandfather Montazemolmolk, with his harem of fifty-two wives, and her parents, Darius and Sara, stalwart opponents of each regime that befalls them"--Amazon.
Audiobook always available on hoopla.
Convenience store woman : a novel
Sayaka Murata ; translated from the Japanese by Ginny Tapley Takemori
2018
ISBN: 9780802128256
"Keiko Furukura had always been considered a strange child, and her parents always worried how she would get on in the real world, so when she takes on a job in a convenience store while at university, they are delighted for her. For her part, in the convenience store she finds a predictable world mandated by the store manual, which dictates how the workers should act and what they should say, and she copies her coworkers' style of dress and speech patterns so that she can play the part of a normal person. However, eighteen years later, at age 36, she is still in the same job, has never had a boyfriend, and has only few friends. She feels comfortable in her life, but is aware that she is not living up to society's expectations and causing her family to worry about her. When a similarly alienated but cynical and bitter young man comes to work in the store, he will upset Keiko's contented stasis--but will it be for the better? Sayaka Murata brilliantly captures the atmosphere of the familiar convenience store that is so much part of life in Japan. With some laugh-out-loud moments prompted by the disconnect between Keiko's thoughts and those of the people around her, she provides a sharp look at Japanese society and the pressure to conform, as well as penetrating insights into the female mind. Convenience Store Woman is a fresh, charming portrait of an unforgettable heroine that recalls Banana Yoshimoto, Han Kang, and Amélie ." -- (Source of summary not specified).
Ebook available from the Alaska Digital Library and ebook and audiobook always available on hoopla.
The three-body problem
Cixin Liu ; translated by Ken Liu
2014
ISBN: 9780765377067
"With the scope of Dune and the commercial action of Independence Day, this near-future trilogy is the first chance for English-speaking readers to experience this multiple-award-winning phenomenon from China's most beloved science fiction author. Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision" -- Provided by publisher
Ebook and audiobook available from the Alaska Digital Library.
Marigold mind laundry : the soul-stirring Korean bestseller
Jungeun Yun ; translated by Shanna Tan
2024
ISBN: 9780593733936
"Born with mysterious powers she does not know how to control, young Jieun accidentally causes her family to vanish. She vows to live a million lives in search of them. Finally, one night, she brings the Marigold Mind Laundry into existence. Its service: to remove the deepest pain from our hearts. Jieun listens while customers share their unhappy memories. As they speak, she transfers their sadness onto T-shirts as stains. After a spin in the washing machine, the stains become flower petals that soar into the air--and Jieun's customers find solace. Five wounded souls come to Jieun for help: a frustrated young filmmaker; a spiraling social media influencer; a mother betrayed by her husband; a woman jilted by her lover; a talented photographer who hides in the saftey of a mundane job. As Jieun listens to each of their stories, she learns that the will to heal is not a rare gift, but a power we all possess--if only we are open to it"-- Provided by publisher.