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Modern Translated Literature You'll Love
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items When you think of translated literature, you might think of the “classics”--Homer, Tolstoy, Camus, and many others. However, a lot of amazing literature from around the world gets translated to English, and I'm here to share a list of some my favorit...
a really poignant novella taking place in two different time periods highlighting some of Palestine's tragic history, very poetic, i loved reading this!
Minor Detail by Adania Shibli
one of the most iconic pieces of science fiction from China, this trilogy features aliens, physics, and so much more! super cool, the second book is just god-tier!
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
contemporary novel about a journalist who investigates a gourmet cook-cum-serial killer that refuses to speak to the press
Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder by Asako Yuzuki
a slice-of-life style novel about a trans woman growing up in Madrid, with highs, lows, and everything in between. very moving, i loved seeing where the character grew up!
Bad Habit: A Novel by Alana S. Portero
an epic xianxia novel feat. demonic cultivation, a widespread war between magic-wielders, and a growing mystery of mysterious body parts (among other things). genuinely one of my favorites, and there's so much good fanfic out there for this!
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
a cozy, heartwarming story about a woman who abandons her life to open a bookshop in a quiet neighborhood of Seoul.
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum
a moving novel about four patrons of a coffee shop that lets one travel back in time
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
an introspective novel about an affluent Japanese family and their curious secrets, set in 1972
Mina's Matchbox by Yōko Ogawa
an evocative poetry collection translated in three languages: the indigenous Zoque language, Spanish, and English. the audiobook is fantastic, partially read by the author!
How to Be a Good Savage and Other Poems by Mikeas Sánchez
an introspective novel about seven teenagers who are pulled to a magical castle with dark secrets
Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura
a novel about a biracial young girl growing up in Lisbon, in the context of Europe's colonial history with Angola
That Hair by Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida
arguably more on the classic side, try this satirical dark comedy with supernatural elements that's an iconic piece of modern Russian literature
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
a highly acclaimed novel about an uncanny world filled with mysterious beasts and an amateur cryptozoologist who attempts to research them
Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge, Paperback
a sci-fi short story collection examining love and humanity through speculative, galaxy-spanning worlds
I'm Waiting for You: And Other Stories by Kim Bo-young
a humorous novel capturing the essence of Japanese convenience stores and peering into Japanese societal pressures, through the lens of a young woman who works there
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
a darkly allegorical novel about a woman whose brutal dreams lead her to pursue vegetarianism, launching a violent cascade of events from one of South Korea's most acclaimed authors
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
a historical novel centering 1960s Haiti from the perspective of a woman becoming a mistress to a man with power in a dictatorial regime, in order to protect her family
Savage Seasons by Kettly Mars
a surreal and comedic novel about a woman in Japan who fakes a pregnancy to avoid doing menial tasks in her microaggressive, sexist workplace. it's the perfect balance of comedy and practicality, and a quick read too!
Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi