manipulation

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.

19/20
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#20Covers

SilversReviews I had fun…thanks!! 14h

26 likes1 comment

VRM1975

My Husband: A Novel | Maud Ventura

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ChaoticMissAdventures

My Husband: A Novel | Maud Ventura

I am ecstatic for Maud Ventura's new novel translated to English. May is going to be a great reading month with her, Fredrik Backman and Ocean Vuong having new ones (I am sure there will be lots of tears with both!) and I am interested in debut Awake in the Floating City.
June is all about SA Cosby
July I like the idea of The Phoenix Pencil Company- 'Reforging pencils, bringing the memories they contain back to life'
And August is RF Kuang!!

BarbaraBB So many titles to look forward to 4w

34 likes1 comment

ChaoticMissAdventures

My Husband: A Novel | Maud Ventura

This one is not in the Litsy catalogue yet, but it has shifted all of my most anticipated for 2025!

My Husband was my absolute favorite read of 2023 and I am so so excited I got my hands on a digital ARC of this one.

Has me thinking more and more about my most anticipated for 2025. I am going to do a round up!

BarbaraBB And she is French I think? Which you were looking for? 4w

ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB she is! And I LOVED her other book that has been translated which helped me fall into my current mood for French books 4w

BarbaraBB Cool! I loved My Husband too. I looked up the new one but it won‘t be published before May here 🤷🏻‍♀️ 4w

33 likes3 comments

ChaoticMissAdventures

My Husband: A Novel | Maud Ventura

I am looking for all the French novels you loved! Last year my favorite book was My Husband. Next year I want to read a bunch of French books. I have and will read all of the Valerie Perrin books that are available in English, I am working my way through Edouard Louis, and Philippe Besson. I need more modern day ladies!
All suggestions appreciated.
Photo from UK Vogue

Ruthiella She‘s disturbing but try

Vernon Subutex

1mo

sarahbarnes I liked

Kids Run the Show

1mo

Hooked_on_books She writes what I think is a blend of fact and fiction, but give Annie Ernaux a try. Pretty much anything from her, she‘s superb. 1mo

See All 16 Comments

Dilara Seconding Vernon Subutex (or any other book by Virginie Despentes if you don't want to commit to the Vernon Subutex trilogy) & Annie Ernaux. I haven't read Kids Run the Show, but I did read Gratitude by the same author (Delphine de Vigan) & found it very moving.
Are you looking for French works by mainland France authors or for works originally written in French? Just novels, or also graphic works? How modern? Do authors have to be alive? 😁

Gratitude

(edited) 1mo

BarbaraBB Such a great idea! I second @sarahbarnes and @Hooked_on_books and will add this one, an all time favorite of mine

The Woman Destroyed

(edited) 1mo

BarbaraBB And I think of this one. Author is French-American but the book is set in France and feels very French too. It‘s on the #ToB longlist

Scaffolding: A Novel

1mo

squirrelbrain I also agree with Kids Run The Show. I read this recently - it‘s not ‘new‘ fiction but I think you‘d like it.

Astragal: A Novel

1mo

squirrelbrain Also, I have this NF on my shelves but haven‘t read it yet.

Consent: A Memoir

1mo

squirrelbrain Have you read any Leila Slimani? Plus, also not ‘new‘ but Bonjour Tristesse is one of my all-time favourites.

Bonjour Tristesse: And, a Certain Smile. Franoise Sagan

1mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @Ruthiella I don't mind a little disturbing! I find it interesting what is popular in other countries in this vein. Adding it to the list! 1mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @sarahbarnes I love that my library has this! It is on the list, thank you! 1mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @Hooked_on_books I forget about her, which is silly she has won so many awards. I read her Happening a while back, but she has such a huge catalogue I will have to just go through my library availability for her! Thanks for the reminder. 1mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @Dilara authors don't have to be alive. I am planning on reading Dumas' Tulips novel at some point 2025. I am pretty open to anything else. I have just found myself really loving the vibe of French novelist. Most of what I love has been translated from French - Maud Ventura, Valerie Perrin, Philippe Besson. I just don't know a ton of other authors. Planning on going through the Prix Goncourt nominations too. 1mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB good ole Simone! I read her nonfiction in college, but I don't remember ever picking up Woman Destroyed! And I think Scaffolding was on some list... ToB maybe? I read the synopsis and immediately thought it could be a women's prize contender, so I will get on that one! 1mo

BarbaraBB Yes Scaffolding is on the ToB longlist. And the Beuauvoir book is fabulous! 1mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain Astragal sounds so good! And my library has it ! Consent is one that keeps going on and off my list, I am curious to see if you like it, reminds me a bit of the novel Dark Vanessa which I did enjoy. I have read Bonjour Tristesse and really enjoyed it! I will add Leila Simani I have yet to read anything by her. Thank you! 1mo

28 likes16 comments

Lesliereadsalot

My Husband: A Novel | Maud Ventura

1. I get dressed in the morning and undressed at night. @Deblovestoread reminded me that I exercise 3/week and wear exercise clothes! Totally forgot this.
2. The wife in the tagged book worries constantly about what she‘s wearing, how her husband will feel about about what she‘s wearing, and how others see her in what she‘s wearing! Yes, she‘s as neurotic as she sounds.

@TheSpineView #TwoforTuesday

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! 4mo

dabbe #1: I like your style. 🤩 4mo

12 likes2 comments

Victoriahoperose

My Summer Darlings | May Cobb

so-so

This one was just okay for me. It was pretty predictable and there was t anything that was overly new and exciting to me. It felt like stories I‘ve read before in some way or another and the characters were very unsympathetic. It had a Desperate Housewives feel, but just didn‘t work for me.

28 likes

youneverarrived

My Husband: A Novel | Maud Ventura

pick

You just have to go along for the ride with this one. It‘s first person narrative so you really get that obsessive, full on vibe from her. It reads sort of like a thriller but the drama is all confined to the narrator. Absolutely my sort of read. I did get an inkling about the ending @BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes so I wasn‘t completely surprised but I still thought it was brilliant.

sarahbarnes Glad you liked it! 🩵 5mo

BarbaraBB Me too! The ending for me didn‘t add much to the experience, I enjoyed the story nevertheless 🖤 5mo

46 likes2 stack adds2 comments

Kazzie

My Husband: A Novel | Maud Ventura

pick

This was wild! Such a range of emotions - from respecting to empathizing with to disliking the wife. The twist at the end is interesting, but annoyingly typical that the man puts so much less effort into the “game” the two are playing

6 likes

youneverarrived

My Husband: A Novel | Maud Ventura