pickA collection of essays and poems, this book was an early piece about the ongoing Siege of Sarajevo and the Bosnian War. A Bosnian city resident and writer living out the early ‘90s under daily sniper fire and shelling, Mehmedinovic documents what strikes him hardest amongst the existential dread and ennui of this war, from the gray hairs found in his young son‘s hair to fellow artists risking their lives to chronicle Sarajevo‘s destruction.
To start tomorrow. Not sure how I will go as books in war are not really my thing, but still trying to read my way around the world.
pick12-6 Oct 24 (audiobook)
Brooks tells the story of a priceless 15th century illuminated Jewish book and its travels from Spain to Sarajevo through many hands to reach an Australian rare book excerpt shortly after the Serbian War recounting a history of antisemitism.
I enjoyed the concept which seems to be a trial run for the more successful Horse, but the narrative was difficult to follow as the book is traced backward in time to its origins.
pickI loved the story of the book & the various people who were involved in creating & caring for it through the ages but I wasn't thrilled w Hanna in the present day. Her examination of the book was interesting but her difficult relationship w her mom didn't feel like it added anything to the story. Then, the entire last 1/4 was pretty annoying, I'll rant a bit in a spoiler comment. But I learned a lot & the history was fascinating so it's a pick.
The MC has gone from her home in Sydney to Sarajevo to Vienna to Boston to London…so far. But the book in question lives In Sarajevo. #WhereAreYouMonday @Cupcake12
so-soI decided to check out Edna O‘Brien after the news of her passing. I found this on audible, read by Juliet Stevenson (!). Elegant language. Heaven. Oh, what i didn‘t know. O‘Brien is seriously messing with her reader and i was seriously uncomfortable with it. Effective. But, whoa.
The story opens with a Radovan Karadžić-like character arriving in small Irish town, hiding, posing as a healer and "sex therapist"…
pick3.5⭐️ A really interesting book; some sections felt longer than they should have. A character study that looks at how war affects people on a daily basis. #2024 #historicalfiction #fiction #canadian #literary #bosnianwar
Mehmedinović wrote this book in Sarajevo, during the Bosnian war. It contains poems and essays. It's heart-breaking.
Photo of Vijećnica, Sarajevo's former city hall and library, from wikipedia. An extraordinary place that had to be rebuilt after the war.
pickI enjoyed this novel immensely, books by this author are always such learning experiences for me, which I always appreciate.
pickThis is a book about an almost forgotten war and its forgotten children. A book that really got me. Maybe because I have memories attached to this war. Names, friendships. Sila talks about being a child in a town torn apart by war. About growing up and survival. And also about leaving. So strong, told in a quiet and thoughtful voice.
