Marie H Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 Hello everyone, I'm Marie. 40something, living in semi-rural Shropshire. I love reading, as I'm sure most of the members do, that's why we are here! I mostly read fiction, especially speculative fiction with a hint of magical realism, but I am also interested in non-fiction - art, philosophy and psychology, at the moment. I am trying to expand my library into The World Outside of British Literature. I am a huge fan of Gabriel García Márquez and Isabel Allende, and now I want to find more great novels, both old and new, by international authors. Camus, Kafka and Zola are the style I enjoy, but I don't seem to have many female international authors. Anyone have any recommendations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 (edited) Hello Marie and welcome to the forum! You said you wanted to expand your literary horizons... So this is off the top of my hat. I don't usually go about recommending this to just anyone, but as I'm Finnish, I would like to toot a Finnish horn now I could whole-heartedly recommend Purge by Sofi Oksanen. Edit: She's a female author, at that She's now written four novels, but her third, Purge, has become an international success, which is not that usual for a Finnish author. Edited September 28, 2013 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 Hey Marie! Welcome to BCF! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggle not Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 Hello everyone, I'm Marie. 40something, living in semi-rural Shropshire. I love reading, as I'm sure most of the members do, that's why we are here! I mostly read fiction, especially speculative fiction with a hint of magical realism, but I am also interested in non-fiction - art, philosophy and psychology, at the moment. I am trying to expand my library into The World Outside of British Literature. I am a huge fan of Gabriel García Márquez and Isabel Allende, and now I want to find more great novels, both old and new, by international authors. Camus, Kafka and Zola are the style I enjoy, but I don't seem to have many female international authors. Anyone have any recommendations? Great to see another fan of Isabel Allende. I attended a lecture/question and answer program that Isabel gave at the University of Virginia many years ago. She was interesting and told some really funny stories. Welcome aboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Welcome here ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Hello Marie. Welcome to the forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Hi Marie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Hi Marie, and welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted October 1, 2013 Author Share Posted October 1, 2013 Thanks very much for all your welcomes, I do appreciate them. frankie, thanks for your recommendation. I found Purge by Sofi Oksanen on the website of my local public library. Their copy is on loan at the moment, so at least someone else is trying Finnish fiction too. I will try Purge when it comes back to the library.Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 frankie, thanks for your recommendation. I found Purge by Sofi Oksanen on the website of my local public library. Their copy is on loan at the moment, so at least someone else is trying Finnish fiction too. I will try Purge when it comes back to the library.Thanks. Oh yay, I'm so happy they have a copy you can borrow! I hope you enjoy the novel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 Hello and welcome, Marie! Glad you joined us If you're expanding your reading to include American authors, I would highly recommend Katherine Howe. She has written two books, The Physic Book of Deliverance Dane and The House of Velvet and Glass. The former is my favorite and one I'll read over and over . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 Thanks Peacefield, I am including American authors, especially new novels with quirky-ish themes. I have heard of Katherine Howe's The House of Velvet and Glass, but not read it yet. The Physic Book of Deliverance Dane seems to have the quirkiness for me, so it will be on my 'to read' list. Another 'find' in the public library website! I have read American classics (Twain, Steinbeck and Kerouac, for examples) but I am lost for female American authors of their time and genre. Any authors like that you think of would be appreciated. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 Welcome Marie! Er...does Andrea Levy count? She is English but born to Jamaican parents who came on the Empire Windrush....Small Island was the the best book I have read so far this year. Oh just remembered Arundhati Roy. God of Small Things. Brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted October 5, 2013 Author Share Posted October 5, 2013 Welcome Marie! Er...does Andrea Levy count? She is English but born to Jamaican parents who came on the Empire Windrush....Small Island was the the best book I have read so far this year. Oh just remembered Arundhati Roy. God of Small Things. Brilliant. Hello vodkafan, thanks for the Andrea Levy recommendation. My global travels in lit. are very vague, so any author/themes/characters etc out of the British Isles are my starting point. I half-read The Long Song for my library reading group this year, but couldn't get into it. Small Island is now on my to read list. I have God of Small Things somewhere in my many bags of books I've found in charity shops. Finding them again is the challenge now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.