Instagram story viewer> @samreadsquietly> Posts

Sam

@samreadsquietly

7.8K

followers

693

following

37・📍NL ・🏳️‍🌈
📚 Forgotten gems & weird litfic
📖 Sad, Queer and Unhinged is my cup of tea

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

📖 Overleving van de soort

Het is lang geleden dat ik mijn leeservaring op deze manier deelde. Maar dit boek verdient het! ✨

In Overleving van de soort vertelt Lydia Sandgren het verhaal van de docent en auteur Karl Hillberg, die de opdracht krijgt van weduwe Alice om het levensverhaal van haar overleden echtgenoot, de legendarische dirigent Enzo Viera, op te tekenen.

Een ruim 700 pagina’s meeslepende zoektocht naar het leven van Enzo Viera, maar vooral ook naar zijn eigen leven en het leven van Alice en haar toch wat bijzondere gezin. Na het lezen van de eerste honderd pagina’s deed het mij denken aan Max, Mischa en het Tetoffensief. Het is absoluut een ander verhaal, maar toch moest ik daaraan denken.

Karl raakt verstrikt in een web van geheimen, kunst en obsessie. Vooral de continue, bijna spookachtige aanwezigheid van de raadselachtige pianist Adrian de Witte geeft het verhaal een fascinerende gelaagdheid. Wie was hij echt in het leven van Enzo, en hoeveel van het verleden is door de betrokkenen verdraaid?

Sandgren schakelt moeiteloos tussen continenten en tijdsperiodes. Van het Göteborg in de jaren 70 tot het New York van de jaren 80 en Rome in het heden. Daardoor wordt het ook nooit saai.

Ik heb het met veel plezier gelezen en vloog erdoorheen, ondanks de dikte.

Rating: ★★★★☆

❓Wat was het laatste dikke boek dat jij las?

#bigbooks #leeservaring #bookreview by @samreadsquietly

3

10

a month ago

If she writes it, I’ll read it - Part 4: The North American Unhinged Edition 🥀

These books are haunting, unhinged and often weird. But most of all: definitely worth your time. I had so many North American authors I love. Some are less unhinged or I’ve read less books by them. Or they just line up well with other authors I love, because there’s definitely going to be a second North American part! So suggestions are welcome!

The Spotlight:
✨ Ottessa Moshfegh (US)
✨ Emily St. John Mandel (US)
✨ Mona Awad (CA)
✨ Shirley Jackson (US)
✨ Anne de Marcken (US)
✨ Olivia E. Butler (US)

❓ Do we have the same favourite North American authors, and do you know more that I need to read?

#northamericanbooks #WomenWriters #UnhingedBooks #litfic #bestamericanwriters If she writes it I’ll read it by @samreadsquietly

2k

111

6 months ago

✨ The underrated books: Books I loved but no one is talking about - The Classics edition - 📖

For the forgotten gems I made a new idea. Books I loved but no one is talking about. I’ll start with some history with ‘The Classics’.

Because we all know the bestsellers, but what about the books that shaped generations without the loud marketing? In my opinion these books definitely deserve more spotlight!

The Spotlight:
✨ Ghassan Kanafani - Men in the Sun
✨ Ann Petry - The Street
✨ Alba de Céspedes - Forbidden Notebook
✨ Sylvia Townsend Warner - Lolly Willowes
✨ Emily Holmes Coleman - The Shutter of Snow
✨ John Fante - Full of Life

If you’re looking for a story with soul, grit, and history, skip the Top 10 list and pick one of these up instead.

❓ Which “forgotten” classic is your favourite? And which one are you adding to your TBR?

#UnderratedReads #ClassicLiterature #BacklistBooks #BookRecommendations #hiddengems by @samreadsquietly

920

111

6 months ago

If she writes it, I’ll read it - Part 3: The South American Unhinged Edition 🥀

South American literary unhinged books are on another level. These writers are the icons of the (new) Latin American gothic, mixing supernatural tension with the real weird world right now. This is Literary Horror that is as beautiful as it’s disturbing.

This edition is all about Female Rage and high-intensity Body Horror. We’re talking about characters pushed to the edge in worlds that have completely unraveled.

The Spotlight:
✨ Samanta Schweblin (Argentina)
✨ Agustina Bazterrica (Argentina)
✨ Mariana Enriquez (Argentina)
✨ Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Mexico/Canada)
✨ Pilar Quintana (Colombia)

🇳🇱 For my Dutchies: many of these books are translated and published by @meridiaanboeken Make sure to check them out!

Stay tuned for Part 4, where we head to another continent ✈️

❓ Do we have the same favourite South American authors, and do you know more that I need to read? 📚

#southamericanLiterature #WomenWriters #UnhingedBooks #litfic #bookrecommendations If she writes it i’ll read it. The south american unhinged edition by @samreadsquietly

1k

99

6 months ago

✨ The Northern Quiet: The best Scandinavian literature 📖

If you followed my last post on European unhinged and sad female writers, you’ll recognize Solvej Balle and Tove Ditlevsen. I couldn’t leave them behind just yet! They are the essential bridge into this collection.

While the “Northern Quiet” implies peace, these writers prove that “the quiet” is often where the most intense drama happens. Whether it’s Roy Jacobsen’s coastal isolation or Carl Frode Tiller’s suffocating family ties, or Balle’s never ending 18th of November, these stories have some quietness and isolation in them.

Featuring:

✨ Pirkko Saisio (Finland): The rhythm of a life remembered.
✨ Solvej Balle (Denmark): The slow unfolding of time and presence.
✨ Tove Jansson (Finland): The philosophy of the island and the sea.
✨ Roy Jacobsen (Norway): The rugged solitude of the invisible islanders.
✨ Tove Ditlevsen (Denmark): The haunting interiority of the own mind.
✨ Carl Frode Tiller (Norway): The psychological pressure of the unspoken.

❓ Who is the ‘quiet’ author you think belongs on this list? I’d love to add more to my TBR!

#NorthernQuiet #ScandinavianLiterature #TranslatedFiction #northernwriters#quietreading by @samreadsquietly

1k

116

6 months ago

If she writes it, I’ll read it - Part 2: The European Unhinged & Sad Edition 🥀

There is a specific kind of quiet, clinical dread that only these authors can capture. I’ve divided my favourite female authors by continent because the list is simply too long. I’ve posted part 1 - The Asian Unhinged & Sad last week.

Now it’s time for the European list. Some of them won’t write books any more and some are just started. I find them all inspiring and worth your time.
I missed so many, but I didn’t want to make the list too long, so there will be additions some other time 🕺

The Spotlight:
✨ Jacqueline Harpman
✨ Rachel Cusk
✨ Deborah Levy
✨ Ali Smith
✨ Tove Ditlevsen
✨ Solvej Balle

Stay tuned for Part 3, where we head to another continent ✈️

❓ What’s is your absolute favourite book written by an European woman?

#EuropeanLiterature #WomenWriters #UnhingedBooks #sadbooks #litfic Text overlay on a minimalist background: "If she writes it, I’ll read it - Part 2: The European Unhinged & Sad Edition." by @samreadsquietly

6k

190

6 months ago

#transrightsreadathon started again organised by @transrightsreadathon From 17th March until 31 March we read Trans Literature 🏳️‍⚧️

It’s always important to read Queer literature throughout the year, and this two weeks I’ll be focussing on Trans Literature. Books written or about (or preferably both) transgender people.

And this year the Transgender Readathon feels more personal than ever. Amidst the stories of others, my own chapter is finally moving forward.

Today I’ve officially been referred for top surgery and a hysterectomy! 🥺🥳

I have my first HRT appointment next week. Hopefully that also will start soon.

There is a strange, beautiful rhythm in timing. Reading stories about gender fluidity, rebellion, and self-actualization while my own body prepares for its next chapter feels like a quiet sort of magic.

To everyone reading along this week: thank you so much for being part of this initiative! This means a lot to me. Let’s make this world a better place together 🫶🏼

I’m donating to @transgendernetwerknl to support their amazing work! 🏳️‍⚧️

Current read: A Dutch Non-fiction: Het is misschien wennen (maar je kunt me niet ontkennen) by @luca.mattia.duif

Current mood: Overwhelmed, relieved, and finally seen 🤍

❓Are any of these on your radar? And do you have other recs for me?

#transrightsreadathon2026 #wereadtransliterature #transbooks #nonbinary by @samreadsquietly

589

121

7 months ago

If she writes it, I’ll read it - Part 1: The Asian Unhinged & Sad Edition 🥀

There is a specific kind of quiet, clinical dread that only these authors can capture. I’ve divided my favourite female authors by continent because the list is simply too long.

From the bodily intensity of Sayaka Murata to the more quiet and grieving work of Banana Yoshimoto, these women write the stories that you will remember long after the final page.

The Spotlight:
✨ Han Kang
✨ Banana Yoshimoto
✨ Mieko Kawakami
✨ Yoko Ogawa
✨ Sayaka Murata
✨ Hiromi Kawakami

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we head to another continent. ✈️

❓ Which Asian female authors have moved you lately? And what is your absolute favourite book written by a woman?

#AsianLiterature #WomenWriters #UnhingedBooks #JapaneseLit #KoreanLit A stylized Bookstagram carousel slide featuring a list of renowned female authors from Asia, including Han Kang, Banana Yoshimoto, and Mieko Kawakami. The design is moody and minimalist, featuring a dark, grainy texture and elegant typography. The text reads: 'If She Writes It, I’ll Read It – Part 1: The Asian Unhinged and Sad Edition,' followed by a curated list of authors known for their atmospheric, surreal, and introspective literary works." by @samreadsquietly

7k

225

7 months ago

People always ask why I spend so much time tucked away in the shadows with a book, but for me, reading has never been "just a hobby." It’s the only place where the noise of the modern world finally goes quiet. There is a specific kind of healing that happens when you exchange your own frantic thoughts for the deliberate, beautiful sentences of a stranger.

In a world that demands we be "on" 24/7, a book is the only thing that asks for nothing but my attention. It doesn’t ping, it doesn't notify, and it doesn't judge. It’s a quiet conversation between the author’s past and my present. When the world feels too loud, I find my center in the smell of the pages or the way a character sees the world.

It’s not just about "escapism." It’s about finding pieces of yourself in characters who lived centuries ago or are so different but so the same. And realizing that the human heart has always ached, loved, and wondered in exactly the same way. When the book is finished. It’s never finished in my head. I can live there for hours and hours.

On top of my TBR:
• The Wax Child
• Stoner by John Williams
• The Shadow of the Wind (a reread)

❓Do you have a ritual that helps you find your peace?

#darkacademiavibes #reelsofbookstagram #unhingedbooks #bookstagramphotography #thewaxchild by @samreadsquietly

223

62

7 months ago

What I read (and did) in February 📚

I’m so glad February is over. I’ve been yearning for spring for months! 🌷We already had some really nice weather and I really was longing for a bit Vitamin D ☀️ . And. The most difficult days are over for now. I’m always struggling during winter, and February became so much darker after one of my best friends passed away two years ago.

Nonetheless I tried to make the best of it. I went on a little trip with my son, which was a lovely time. I also went to a literary event: Het grote gebeuren, which was fantastic 👌🏼.

Now what I’ve read:

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐬
🔹12 books
🔹 Pages read: 4128
🔹 Longest book: 1032 pages
🔹 Shortest book: 224 pages
🔹 Favourite: Emily St. James - Woodworking

I did have some good moments too! So I dedicated the last slide to them. Although my birthday is always a difficult day, I celebrated it with my children and two close friends. And we had a lovely time ❤️

I’m celebrating, making it through ✨

❓Have you read any of these? What was your favourite of February?

#februarywrapup #whatiread #favouritebooks #lightdarklightagain #bookstoread by @samreadsquietly

243

67

7 months ago

239

72

7 months ago

Turning the page to Chapter 37 ✨🥳 (last Saturday, this post is just late 🙈)

I celebrated my birthday last Saturday and I couldn’t have asked for a better haul to start this new year. From epic fantasy book to delicious new recipes and even some Stars Hollow vibes 🎶

I also got an awesome illustration made by @estherjillustration (third slide)

My TBR pile just got a lot more exciting! 🥂

Thanks @benjamins_kinderboeken for making these pictures 🤣

Books I got:
📕 John Gwynne - The Shadow of the Gods
📘 Jewelle Gomez - The Gilda Stories
📕 Silvaba Ocampo - Vergeten reis
📘 Meera Sodha - Azië (recipes)

❓Do you celebrate your birthday? And what’s your favourite gift to give (or get)? 🎁

Mine is obviously books 😂

#BirthdayBookHaul #NewChapter #GilmoreGirls #ReaderLife taken in Zwolle, Netherlands by @samreadsquietly

298

205

7 months ago