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Ivana | Bookstagrammer

@readinternationally

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Translator 📖 Book geek 📚 Mum of 👶👧
Marketing Manager @asymptotejrnl
Bristol, UK 🇬🇧
Reading diversely, widely and seriously
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I'm still wrestling with my final read for #ScienceSeptember, but couldn't resist not joining #JessicaTinyBookChallenge, especially since it's been extended for one more week. ⁠ ⁠ Hosted by @jessicas_bookstack, the challenge is to read as many tiny books (100-150 pages) as possible during 25 September - 9 October. ⁠ ⁠ I love tinies and the vast worlds contained in them, and there were more than plenty on my TBR shelf to choose from. I went with these for now, but let's see how many I'll manage to actually get through or if my mood takes me elsewhere. ⁠ ⁠ My selection is based on diversity: there's poetry, a novella, a play, short fiction, non-fiction, translated literature (of course) and a book in my native language that I got this summer by an author who hasn't yet been translated into English (a miserable fact that I'll be personally working towards changing). ⁠ ⁠ I actually started reading Walsh's Girl Online a few months back, as a buddy read with my fellow Walsh fan crusader @bookepiphanies, but I found the text too dense to focus at the time. I'm very keen to get back to it. ⁠ ⁠ And Brief Lessons on Rule Breaking (based on examples from the art world) would hopefully serve as inspiration before I embark on a new personal creative project. ⁠ ⁠ Are you a fan of tiny books or big books, or do you prefer a sweet spot? ⁠ ⁠ by @readinternationally
12
4 years ago
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DEBUT: The Weight of Loss by @sallyoliver_writer⁠ I was SO excited to read Sally Oliver's debut this summer whom I've had the pleasure of connecting and interacting with here on bookstagram for the past couple of years. Having read many splendid reviews by her, it shouldn't have been a surprise that her writing would also be magnificent, but even so I was gushing at her skill of crafting beautiful sentences. The Weight of Loss has a super intriguing premise. It tells the story of Marianne's grief over the death of her sister that manifests in strange physical symptoms–growing thick hairs on her spine. She accepts an offer by her doctor and goes to stay at an experimental health retreat deep in the Welsh countryside. ⁠ I found the first (introspective) half much more satisfying than the more paced up and plot-driven story further on, but there's no denying that it's a highly accomplished novel. Throughout I had the feeling of watching a film and could picture all details very clearly and colourfully. The mystery that unfolds partly through what goes on "in real time" and partly through recollecting memories was elegantly structured. Here's a taste of her alluring writing style. 👇 ⁠ "Richard only liked to penetrate her in the morning. He required the urgent collision of flesh on flesh, to chafe his body across the surface of another, one that hadn’t quite stirred from sleep, and unload himself into the darkness of something that wouldn’t follow him out of the door. Then he could throw the duvet back, unfurl himself and stretch towards the bathroom in a clean white arc."⁠ ⁠ "Time has a way of bullying the mind into submission, of breaking down all defences until the thing one cannot bear to think must be born again and again, endlessly reconceived. And she could never bring herself to abort it once it emerged; she felt guilty if she tried, for it only survived through recollection. The thing itself – could she call it a memory? – still had the force of a revelation; the event, the incident (how formal that word was), that entered her head was tied to a person."⁠ and a bit more in comments 👇 #TheWeghtOfLoss #SallyOliver #Debut #WomenWriters #BookReviews by @readinternationally
5
4 years ago
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Will she be the biggest bookworm in the family? It remains to be seen 🤓📚😀 For the time being, after reading 15 books in a row she screams if you dare think of stopping. 😂 P.S. This was shot a month ago; now she can take them all out herself. #RaisingLittleReaders #LittleBookworms #ReadToYourKids #ReadAloud #ReadingIsMagic #BooksMatter #LetsRead #LittleReaders #BooksForKids by @readinternationally
14
4 years ago
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On writing and solitude | Marguerite Duras ⁠ ⁠ "The solitude of writing is a solitude without which writing could not be produced, or would crumble, drained bloodless by the search for something else to write. When it loses its blood, its author stops recognizing it."⁠ ⁠ "To begin with, one must ask oneself what the silence surrounding one is–with practically every step one takes in a house, at every moment of the day, in every kind of light, whether light from outside or from lamps lit in daytime. This real, corporeal solitude becomes the inviolable silence of writing."⁠ ⁠ "In life there comes a moment, and I believe that it’s unavoidable, that one cannot escape it, when everything is put in doubt: marriage, friends, especially friends of the couple. Not children. Children are never put in doubt. And this doubt grows around one. This doubt is alone, it is the doubt of solitude. It is born of solitude. We can already speak the word. I believe that most people couldn’t stand what I’m saying here, that they’d run away from it. This might be the reason why not everyone is a writer. Yes. That’s the difference. That is the truth. No other. Doubt equals writing. So it also equals the writer. And for the writer, everyone writes. We’ve always known this."⁠ ⁠ "This is what makes writing wild. One returns to a savage state from before life itself. And one can always recognize it: it’s the savageness of forests, as ancient as time."⁠ ⁠ "A writer is an odd thing. He’s a contradiction, and he makes no sense. Writing also means not speaking. Keeping silent. Screaming without sound. A writer is often quite restful; she listens a lot. She doesn’t speak much because it’s impossible to speak to someone about a book one has written, and especially about a book one is writing. It’s impossible."⁠ ⁠ "To be alone with the as yet unwritten book is still to be in the primal sleep of humanity. That’s it. It also means being alone with the writing that is still lying fallow. It means trying not to die."⁠ ⁠ "Writing comes like the wind. It’s naked, it’s made of ink, it’s the thing written, and it passes like nothing else passes in life, nothing more, except life itself. " by @readinternationally
5
4 years ago
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I have many #womenintranslation titles on my unread bookshelves, but these are the ones I'm most excited to read (at least that's my current mood). ⁠ ⁠ Sadly, the way things are going, I'll hardly get through more than a couple of these. I'm half way through The Book of Mother, my first read of the month, and life is only going to get way more hectic with each day forward. BUT, intentions are a good thing and anticipation will (I hope) only going to deepen the joyful experience once I get more time to read (and review). ⁠ ⁠ I'm super excited about #WITMonth and SO happy that it's taking more space year on year, and if I haven't made much fuss about it, it's because: 1) I'm not around much these days and 2) I wish for everyone to be reading women and translated works and women in translation all year round. Which is not to say that #WomenInTranslationMonth isn't the best initiative ever! And my hope is that August will hook some people onto new narratives and attract them to explore more later. 🤞❤️⁠ ⁠ That being said, I love seeing other people's choices, various stacks and recs, so please tell me what have you read this month that's blown your mind? ⁠ ⁠ by @readinternationally
20
4 years ago
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I'm back! 🤓⁠ ⁠ In all honesty, I've been back from my trip abroad for 3 (three!) whole weeks, but needed extra time before coming back to this space. ⁠ ⁠ The trip itself was tough, but so worth it. Spending time with family and friends felt like a gift, and I'm hoping no more cataclysmic world events will happen before we can make a return. ⁠ ⁠ An interesting observation I had was that even though I hadn't been "home" for over 3 years, I didn't get the usual cultural shock I normally encounter. That passage between cultures is always shortlived, but even when I was going regularly (up to 3 times a year), I would need a couple of days of adjustment. This time, though, I was right there from moment zero. Having thought about this, I think the reason might be that I've been talking to my son in my native language in the last few years and so, the language barrier didn't exist which somehow meant that there was nothing else to acclimatise to. My point here being that language is more powerful than we realise. ⁠ ⁠ Reading-wise, I've been going at a slower pace while away, albeit speeding up as soon as I've returned. I'll share my June & July reads very soon. ⁠ ⁠ So, not in a reading slump, but emotionally drained is probably the closest description to how I'm doing these days. I do miss chatting about books here, though, and I'm hoping to be back to full speed before long. ⁠ ⁠ In the meantime, how has your summer been so far? What are you reading? Tell me everything ❤️⁠ ⁠ P.S. Pictured here is my dad's current TBR (or some of it, in his words) 😅 by @readinternationally
24
4 years ago
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💫 MAY WRAP UP⁠ ⁠ This month I discovered several new voices that I loved, which made for a wonderful and exhilarating reading experience. ⁠I find it really interesting that I end up with a 50/50 split between fiction and nonfiction each month this year, without it being planned. In an ideal world, I'd aim for that always, and this year things are rolling well. ⁠ ⁠ My top 3 reads in no particular order (although don't discount the subconscious 😀): ⁠ Gentlemen Callers by Corinne Hoex (I will 100% tell you about this one in more detail, I promise, because it's spectacular!), Immanuel by winner of the inaugural Fitzcarraldo Editions Essay Prize, Matthew McNaught (review on my feed), and Never Did the Fire by Diamela Eltit, translated by Daniel Hahn and whose Translation Diary related to his work on this book I'm currently reading. ⁠ ⁠ Reading Katya Adaui's (another new-to-me author) short story collection Here Be Icebergs (out next week) made for a curious journey through Adaui's invocation of memory through language and structure. ⁠ ⁠ I also got to be involved in my favourite (so far) readalong with @tandemcollectiveuk for 'A Manual For Being Human', which gave me the push I needed to do some journaling and also connected me with others in a super supportive group eager to uncover uncomfortable parts of ourselves. ⁠ ⁠ Disability Visibility was my audio read for the month, and I can only credit @frenzyreads for inspiring me to read this important anthology that uncovers aspects of ableism that are not talked about. The first-person accounts make for such a powerful cry for change that I can only pray that more people end up reading this. ⁠ ⁠ I'm about to go away for a month to finally see my parents and friends after 3 long years, and so my reading and posting will be on hold. But, books will be read and books will be discussed sooner or later. Now, tell me, how is June treating you? ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Big thanks to @charcopress and @fitzcarraldoeditions for gifting me copies of Immanuel, Never Did the Fire and Here Be Icebergs. 🙏⁠ by @readinternationally
8
4 years ago
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BOOK HAUL 📚⁠ ⁠ After restraining myself for over a year (and succeeding!), it was extremely difficult to decide which ones to buy when I got some book vouchers for my birthday back in March. ⁠ ⁠ What I knew for sure was that I wanted to buy Susan Sontag's diaries, which I borrowed from the library many years ago, and got absolutely obsessed with. I filled entire notebooks with thoughts and quotes from her essays and diaries, so having these in my possession means a lot. ⁠ ⁠ Another one I was very keen to get is Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar, a personal recommendation by @monsieurbayle. We share such similar taste that I don't doubt it for a second that I'm going to love this. Now, finding the time to tackle this brick... 😀⁠ ⁠ Valeria Luiselli quickly jumped on my list of favourite authors last year, and I'm determined to read her backlist (available in English). ⁠ ⁠ Catherine Lacey is an author I really enjoy and value and after @book.appetit's banging review last year, it was just a matter of time (I mean yes, literally!) before it came to my hands. ⁠ ⁠ I got really curious about Lucy Caldwell after reading her fantastic shortlisted short story last year that eventually won the BBC National Short Story Award (thanks @commapress for introducing her to me). This is a play written by her, and as someone who enjoys theatre but also reading plays (not just watching them performed), I can't wait to give this a go. ⁠ ⁠ Joanna Walsh is an auto-buy author for me, of course, and having @bookepiphanies urging me to get this while it's hot so we can read it together, helped rush things along. ⁠ ⁠ How Fiction Works and The Order of Time were recommendations by @lanabasta, Weather by Jenny Offill has been on my wishlist for far too long, and the rest were bought on a whim, more or less. ⁠ ⁠ The book sleeve is from @paperandword 😍 ⁠ I've been wanting one for ageeees, but to be completely honest having little ones in my life...I don't think I'll be going outside to read anytime (any year, more like) soon 😂⁠ ⁠ Now, all these are going on the shelf to be read sometime in the future. Which ones would you read first? ⁠ by @readinternationally
25
4 years ago
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REVIEW: IMMANUEL by Matthew McNaught, out on 8 June⁠ ⁠ (gifted by @fitzcarraldoeditions ❤️) ⁠ Can I start by saying how completely transfixed I am by this book? Masterfully written, Matthew McNaught blends essay, memoir and reportage in an enrapturing debut about faith, community, dogma, and doubt. ⁠ ⁠ McNaught explores his upbringing in an evangelical Christian church (Immanuel) in Winchester, England, a small but intrinsically and tightly-knit community. Assuaged by inescapable doubt as a teenager, he gives up on his faith. Meanwhile, a group of his old church friends take a more radical path, moving to Nigeria to join a community of international disciples serving TB Joshua, a charismatic millionaire pastor whose reported gifts of healing attracted vast crowds to his Lagos headquarters, the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN). Years later, a few of these friends leave SCOAN on the account of violence, sexual abuse, sleep deprivation, and various other mistreatment. ⁠ ⁠ Drawn and mystified by the inexplicable pull that brought his friends to join such a cult-like community, McNaught reconnects with them and digs deep into what attracted them to this man and his claims, touching on universal questions of belonging, belief, existentialism. ⁠ ⁠ The figure of TB Joshua takes centerstage. Portrayed as both charlatan and semi-God and the innumerable in-betweens, McNaught doesn't leave a stone unturned and explores as many angles as he can in his investigation of TB Joshua's success: his background as an uneducated poor man that gave him the lure as the shepherd of the masses, the favourable conditions in the West for succumbing to his charms, the "split and divide" method of keeping his disciples on their toes, and disorientating grip he had over his followers. ⁠ ⁠ The empathy McNaught displays–his effort at getting under the skin of others–makes for an astonishing and fruitful exploration of his inquiry. ⁠ ⁠ I loved the beautifully described personal moments that perfectly capture the power of community: the peculiar sonority of group voices, the delicate play of dust motes in a ray of sunshine, the sense of purpose and connection. ⁠ ⁠ [cont. in comments] by @readinternationally
5
4 years ago
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💗💗 Pink stack for a cause 💗💗⁠ ⁠ Thanks to the activist warrior @frenzyreads for tagging me to do a stack for a cause that I'm fervently supporting and always will. ⁠ ⁠ Access to abortion is a fundamental human right. Regardless of the arguments on the pro-life spectrum, bodily autonomy doesn't depend on any number of factors, and therefore details on when and why should abortion access be given and to whom and in what way is absolutely redundant. This only invites a debate on creating a hierarchy of who deserves to have abortion, which is besides the point. ⁠ ⁠ The bookstagrammer @pocketsized_pageturner is using the hashtag #StackForReproductiveRights to raise money until 31st May to donate to: @brigitalliance @wrrapreprojustice @nationalabortionfederation⁠ ⁠ I'm horrified by the anti-abortion bills popping up all over America and the possibility of women having their hard-earned reproductive rights taken away. History doesn't always mean progress, so let's not ignore that fact. ⁠ ⁠ Also, I love this quote by Margaret Atwood:⁠ ⁠ "No one is forcing women to have abortions. No one either should force them to undergo childbirth. Enforce childbirth if you wish but at least call that enforcing by what it is. It is slavery: the claim to own and control another’s body, and to profit by that claim". ⁠ ⁠ I'm tagging a few friends, but if you want to show your support please feel free to do your own pink stack. ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #PinkBooks #BookSpines #StacksForACause #AbortionRights #ReproductiveRights #SupportCauses #WomanForAbortion #ProChoice by @readinternationally
11
4 years ago
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REVIEW: Elizabeth Finch by Julian Barnes⁠ ⁠ Elizabeth Finch is a teacher of an adult education course in culture and civilisation. Her curriculum is designed to guide her students into developing critical thinking and individual ideas. The story is told by Neil, a former student, who was starstruck by her passion and presence. The novel has a tripartite structure. The first part is an intro to Elizabeth Finch and the third supposedly an apogee to her original character and the lack of conclusion (of her character, of history, of life) is a way of concluding the novel. The middle section tells the story of Julian the Apostate, the last pagan Roman emperor before Christianity took full hold over the world. The connection to the main narrative is that Elizabeth Finch had a soft spot for this historical figure, believing that his death marked the time when history went wrong. ⁠ ⁠ Elizabeth Finch is supposed to be this special, one-of-a-kind, inspirational female persona, but all I could see was a barely sketched character. I understand what Barnes was going for: imbued with intellectualism and keeping her inner life a mystery, Elizabeth Finch should convey an aura of mysticism, of surrealist existence, the good outsider. However, the descriptions of Finch only paint a picture of a stiff woman with no charm. She's not unlikable, that's not where the problem lies; in fact, the opposite is true as Neil's obsession with her indicates. And it's also not that the female character, our major protagonist, is portrayed via a singularly male gaze, which nevertheless does exhibit some problematic points. No, it's simply that the ideation of the character does not translate well into the actual writing. One reviewer on the gram said the book is a great example of a case study of a character; well, for me it's the contrary. ⁠ ⁠ What I enjoyed was the second part of the book, which tells the story of Julian the Apostate. Barnes is known for his crafty historical investigations and insertions into the literary domain. So yes, this is what I liked. Ironically, I think for some (many?) this part may read as a prolonged and boring essay. ⁠ ⁠ [more on Barnes👇]⁠ ⁠ by @readinternationally
4
4 years ago
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REVIEW: A Manual For Being Human by @_drsoph ⁠(AD-PR PRODUCT)⁠ ⁠ Thanks to @tandemcollectiveuk & @simonandschuster for hosting my favourite readalong experience to date. Spurred on by the prospect of committing myself to journaling, which I'm perpetually taking on and dropping as a regular practice, I'm so glad I got to read this title. ⁠ ⁠ Clinical psychologist Dr Sophie Mort has produced an easily accessible book on psychology, structured in a way that first walks you through the earliest experiences that shape us into who we are and how we relate to others (our childhoods and school experiences), then goes through some of the most frequent behavioural patterns we fall into and which we have developed as coping mechanisms (such as perfectionism, people-pleasing, numbing etc), and finally provides tools that can help with each of these (grounding & breathing exercises, journaling, meditation, and different types of therapy). ⁠ ⁠ The part on how emotions work is especially helpful, describing in detail that our thoughts are not us, so if you're gripped by some strange thoughts on occasion, rest assured that doesn't say much about what kind of a person you are. Yep, even if you think it's morally despicable, there is a scientific explanation for it. ⁠ ⁠ I particularly enjoyed reading the chapter on prejudices and @_drsoph's stand on psychology being political (as well as personal), admitting that a lot of what assails us is because of our society (sexism, racism, homophobia, ageism, ableism, you name it), and her commitment to motivating others to raising their voices and taking action. ⁠ ⁠ In a previous post, I mentioned that the book is structured in a way that invites the reader to investigate their past experiences and present patterns, so in a way, this is a manual AND a workbook. ⁠ ⁠ If you're especially bothered by social comparison, modern dating, keeping up with life timelines and definitions of success, there's a lot you can take away from this book. Moving away from a goal-setting paradigm towards a value-driven model is the recommendation here. ⁠ ⁠ It's #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek, so here's a good pick. Your mental health will thank you for it. by @readinternationally
10
4 years ago
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