Have you chosen your book for the Massachusetts Center for the Book Reading Challenge August prompt? This month, our challenge is to read “a book in translation.” Luckily, if you’d like to read a book translated into English, I have some great options for you!
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. This is the first title of a four-volume set that became a worldwide sensation when first published in English in 2012. Described as an “enduring masterpiece,” it’s the story of a lifelong friendship of two women from Naples, Italy. Written in Italian, it’s a classic in the genre of female friendships.
Grey Bees by Andrey Kurkov. This title won the 2022 National Book Critics Circle Award for translated fiction. Kurkov is widely regarded as Ukraine’s most famous novelist, and this is an illuminating portrait of modern conflict. Little Starhorodivka, a village of three streets, lies in Ukraine’s Grey Zone, the no-man’s land between loyalist and separatist forces. Thanks to the lukewarm war of sporadic violence and constant propaganda that has been dragging on for years, only two residents remain: retired safety inspector turned beekeeper Sergey Sergeyich and Pashka, a rival from his schooldays. With little food and no electricity and under constant threat of bombardment, Sergeyich’s one remaining pleasure is his bees.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. The premise sounds simple: A cafe in Tokyo where patrons can travel back in time, but only until their coffee gets cold. Try this one, the first in a four-book series, especially if you love books like The Midnight Library or The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Originally written in Japanese, the final book (Before We Say Goodbye) in the series is slated for a November 2023 release.
From modern bestsellers to current themes to absolute classics, there are so many options when looking for a book translated into English from another language. Perhaps you read Spanish? We have a wonderful Spanish-language collection on the first floor, where you can read the work of popular English-language authors like Jodi Picoult or Colleen Hoover translated into Spanish. However you choose to read a book in translation, APL is here to help you find a title that will educate and entertain you!
