Read list

White Nights

Fyodor Dostoevsky · 2021

Discover the timeless elegance of "White Nights", Fyodor Dostoevsky's poignant exploration of solitude, dreams, and fleeting connections· This slender volume offers a profound glimpse into the essence of human loneliness and the ephemeral nature of our deepest desires·<br/><br/>In the ethereal twilight of St· Petersburg's famed white nights, a tale of unrequited love and unrealized dreams unfolds· Through the eyes of a solitary dreamer, we encounter the delicate soul of Nastenka, setting the stage for a narrative rich in emotional depth and psychological insight· The dialogues between these two souls—a mesmerizing blend of realism and poetic beauty—reveal the complexity of human emotions and the universal quest for companionship·<br/><br/>Embark on a journey through the captivating streets of St· Petersburg and into the heart of a narrative that weaves loneliness, love, and the fleeting moments that define our human experience· "White Nights" is not merely a book but a passage to the soul's most hidden corners, promising to move, inspire, and transform· Allow yourself to be ensnared by the beauty of Dostoevsky's prose and the universality of his themes· Discover why this novella continues to touch hearts and provoke thought, generation after generation·<br/><br/>"White Nights" delves into the poignant depths of loneliness and fleeting love, illuminating the human yearning for connection in the brief, luminous nights of St· Petersburg·<br/><br/>Translated by Constance Garnette.

Monstrilio

Gerardo Sámano Córdova · 2023

A "genuinely scary" horror debut written in "prose so beautiful you won't want to rush" about a boy who transforms into a monster, a monster who tries to be a man, and the people who love him in every form he takes (Ana Reyes) Grieving mother Magos cuts out a piece of her deceased eleven-year-old son Santiago's lung. Acting on fierce maternal instinct and the dubious logic of an old folktale, she nurtures the lung until it gains sentience, growing into the carnivorous little Monstrilio she keeps hidden within the walls of her family's decaying Mexico City estate. Eventually, Monstrilio begins to resemble the Santiago he once was, but his innate impulses--though curbed by his biological and chosen family's communal care--threaten to destroy this fragile second chance at life. A thought-provoking meditation on grief, acceptance, and the monstrous sides of love and loyalty, Gerardo Sámano Córdova blends bold imagination and evocative prose with deep emotional rigor. Told in four acts that span the globe from Brooklyn to Berlin, Monstrilio offers, with uncanny clarity, a cathartic and precise portrait of being human.

Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage

Rachel E. Gross · 2022

Acts of Desperation

Megan Nolan · 2022

"A love story like no other."—Karl Ove Knausgaard<br/><br/>"Hot as viscera." —The New Republic<br/><br/>A "blistering anti-romance" (Catherine Lacey) about love addiction and what it does to us. Wouldn’t I do anything to reverse my loss, the absence of him?<br/><br/>In the first scene of this provocative gut-punch of a novel, our unnamed narrator meets a magnetic writer named Ciaran and falls, against her better judgment, completely in his power. After a brief, all-consuming romance he abruptly rejects her, sending her into a tailspin of jealous obsession and longing. If he ever comes back to her, she resolves to hang onto him and his love at all costs, even if it destroys her…<br/><br/>Part breathless confession, part lucid critique, Acts of Desperation renders a consciousness split between rebellion and submission, between escaping degradation and eroticizing it, between loving and being lovable. With unsettling, electric precision, Nolan dissects one of life’s most elusive mysteries: Why do we want what we want, and how do we want it?<br/><br/>Heralding the arrival of a stunning new literary talent, Acts of Desperation interrogates the nature of fantasy, desire, and power, challenging us to reckon honestly with our own insatiability.