Category Archives: World Literature

**Books translated from the original language to English**

The Shy Assassin – Clara Usón, translated by Lily Meyer

Posted on May 1, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading The Shy Assassin by Clara Usón, but it completely surprised me. What begins as a curiosity about the mysterious death of Spanish “erotic” actress Sandra Mozarowsky … Continue reading →

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Another UnderratedRead Revisited: Affections: A Novel – Rodrigo Hasbún , Translated by Sophie Hughes

Posted on April 23, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Affections is an intriguing work of historical fiction based on true events following the once- close Ertl family. Hans, the patriarch, was a Nazi propaganda cinematographer, and the family fled Munich and arrived in La Paz, … Continue reading →

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The Presence of Men – Francesca Marciano

Posted on April 20, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) This novella immediately drew me in with its quiet emotional depth and evocative Italian setting. Starting over after divorce captures what it really means to rebuild a life. —messy, uncertain, and deeply personal. . Lara used … Continue reading →

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My Dreadful Body – Egana Djabbarova (Author), Lisa C. Hayden (Translator)

Posted on April 14, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Author Egana Djabbarova shares a story about identity, illness, and cultural expectations in her novel, My Dreadful Body. Set between Russia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, it follows a Muslim woman who feels like she belongs nowhere—not in … Continue reading →

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The Cut Line – Carolina Pihelgas (Translated from the Estonian by Darcy Hurford)

Posted on February 2, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Liine, an Estonian woman in her early thirties, just wants to take control of her life in The Cut Line. (more…)Read More →

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The Ferryman and His Wife – Frode Grytten, translated from the Norwegian by Alison McCullough

Posted on January 12, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Ferryman Nils Vik has spent decades carrying people across the fjord. Widowed for many years and the father of two grown daughters, he wants this crossing to be his last day on earth or sea. (more…)Read More →

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COLLECTED WITH SMILE: A Comedy Anthology for the Slightly Twisted – Rahul Bhandari

Posted on December 3, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) While author Rahul Bhandari sees humor as transformative, this collection of eight short stories provides a well needed escape from the dire events taking place in the United States and throughout the world. In these stories, … Continue reading →

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Ham’s Heaven- Ori Gersht (Translated by Joanna Chen)

Posted on October 24, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch)   Ham’s Heaven was a tough book to get through – but not for the usual reasons: poor plotting, pacing, etc. It was tough because it was a very emotional story that needed to be … Continue reading →

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All That Dies in April – Mariana Travacio (translated by Samantha Schnee and Will Morningstar

Posted on September 12, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Lina wants to leave her Argentinian quebrada, where the soil is dry and the land barren, no longer offering them anything for sustenance. Her only son left years earlier with her younger brother. She is not … Continue reading →

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The Man of Middling Height – Fadi Zaghmout (Author), Wasan Abdelhaq (Translator)

Posted on August 15, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) In most societies, identity and status are shaped by gender—and often, by the body parts we are born with. Jordanian author Fadi Zaghmount flips that concept on its head in his provocative speculative novel The Man … Continue reading →

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