Bookmark 02/2023

Bookmark
No. 2/2023
The English Magazine
by Orell Füssli Thalia AG
Magazine
R. F. Kuang
enters new literary
territory – p. 5
p. 3 Cosy Crime
p. 12 Urban Stories
p. 18 What We Loved

Christine Roth
Head of Marketing &
Communication
Orell Füssli Thalia AG
The next issue of Bookmark,
the English magazine by
Orell Füssli Thalia AG, will be
published in spring 2024.
Dear Reader
One of the most rewarding moments during
the colder season is curling up with a
captivating book, accompanied by a strong
cup of tea or coffee and a warm blanket. We
hope that, equipped with this issue of Bookmark,
you’ll find your next favourite read.
To elevate the cosiness of your reading
experience, we’ve shared here a fantastic
compilation of cosy crime novels. Whether
you are an experienced armchair detective
seeking to solve a puzzle or are simply longing
for an immersive tale to escape everyday
life for a few hours – these mysteries
will definitely do the trick.
We are honoured to be featuring bestselling
author R. F. Kuang in our interview.
Kuang gives fascinating insights into her
celebrated and timely novel Yellowface, in
which she fearlessly explores questions of
exploitation, friendship, and the irresistible
power of storytelling.
Showing that there are indeed entire cities
to be discovered between only two covers
of a book, we invite you to travel to our favourite
literary interpretations of different
cities – from New York’s skyscrapers all the
way to the canals of Amsterdam.
Last but certainly not least, Bookmark now
includes a section with book recommendations
for our youngest, helping to spark
the love of books for a new generation of
readers.
Warmest regards
Christine Roth
As modern-day events unravel, books have never been a safer space
to find solace and refuge from the struggles of everyday life. In
cosies, amateur sleuths who are often overlooked by society get their
chance to shine: the everyman solves crimes, puzzles and mysteries,
possibly all while cuddling a pet, munching on biscuits and sipping
tea. With autumn just around the corner and more chances to stay
indoors and read, we’ve put together a list of the cosiest new releases,
perfect for those first cold, crisp days after summer’s come and gone.
From historical and paranormal fiction to senior citizens sleuths and
closed-room mysteries, the books we’ve found are all so different
while honouring traditional components of the cosy crime subgenre.
1 The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
Starting strong with the maestro of cosy crime, Richard Osman’s
million-copy bestselling series Thursday Murder Club hands the four
eighty-year-old retired friends another juicy mystery to solve. This
time, in the attempt to protect a package, an antique seller, who also
happens to be a friend, has been murdered. As they solve yet another
murder, the gang of crime retirees are met with the intricacies of
the drug trade and the complicated business of antique fraud. And
Osman has cleverly laced into this novel questions surrounding the
care of the elderly. A simultaneously funny and heart-breaking read
in the much-loved series.
Imprint
Editor: Orell Füssli Thalia AG,
Dietzingerstrasse 3, Postfach, 8036 Zurich
Authors: Christine Modafferi, Fanny Lewis,
Catherine Sandwell-Meyer
Editorial staff: Orell Füssli Thalia AG
Design: design.isch. GmbH
Cover photo: Jose Camacho
5
“When
8
Rip-Roaring
all the dust has
settled, does anything
ever really change?”
Interview with
bestselling author
R. F. Kuang
Releases
Discover the season’s
best titles
Urban Stories
Some of our favourite literary interpretations
of cities around the world
Cosy Crime
3There is no such thing as an unsolved mystery
12
18
22
39
What We Loved
Recommendations
from our book experts
Stories for Young and Old
These books are bound to
take you back to the stories
that grew us into readers
Our branches
An overview of
our shops
Prices are subject to change. Current retail prices and an extensive selection of books, films and games can be found at www.orellfuessli.ch.
Titles marked with these symbols are also available as e-book or audiobook.
Cosy
Crime
Is there anything cosier than curling
up with a good book, a hot cup
of tea or coffee, and the comforting
knowledge that wherever you
escape, there is no such thing as
an unsolved mystery? Welcome
to the world of cosy crime.
Text by Christine Modafferi
Bookmark Magazine
2 The Murder Game by Tom Hindle
Murder mystery parties are a much-loved trope in the world of cosy
crime: multiple characters, all dressed-up in vintage outfits and a
locked-room mystery are the ingredients to a killer recipe! As old
friends meet at Hamlet Hall for a 1920s-themed New Year’s Eve
murder mystery party, their roles are set. But their relationships
are more complicated than they seem, and, as the fictional mystery
begins to play out, one late-comer is found murdered. To solve the
crime, the close-knit group members will inevitably begin to turn
against each other, and the closed circle’s secrets will come undone.
Told through multiple points of view with an unexpected plot twist
at its end, this is the perfect nostalgic-feeling Sunday afternoon read.
3 Grave Expectations by Alice Bell
If you love some soft paranormal activity in your cosies and lots
of humour, Grave Expectations by Alice Bell is the debut you won’t
want to miss. This cosy brings together four very different characters:
a medium called on to solve a murder that occurred in a very
posh English family’s mansion, her ghost friend who has been by
her side since she was seventeen, and the only two family members
that definitely aren’t the murderer(s), a handsome ex-policeman and
a non-binary teen. As they work together to solve the crime, Claire,
the medium, walks on a fine line. She’s not a very skilled medium,
and if her two new friends discover her best friend is a ghost who
follows her everywhere, she might lose all her credibility … and her
new friends.
4 Three Card Murder by J. L. Blackhurst
A closed-room mystery with not one but two female protagonists,
two sisters leading opposite lives. Tess is a policewoman. Her
half-sister, Sarah, a con artist. The two met late in life and never
really got the chance to form a relationship. But that’s about to
change, as Tess is assigned her first murder investigation, and the
only person who can help her is Sarah. As the two sisters get to the
bottom of the mystery murder, and their potential connection with
the killer, prepare to be misdirected, illuded and surprised by a
thrilling reveal at the end.
Second feature
3

1
3
1 The Last Devil to Die
Four senior citizen friends
team up to solve yet another crime.
Part of the much-loved Thursday
Murder Club series!
Richard Osman, Viking, CHF 29.90
2 The Murder Game
A New Year’s Eve murder
mystery party, only an actual murder
takes place! The perfect read for
the Christmas holidays.
Tom Hindle, Penguin, CHF 18.90
“When all the dust has
settled, does anything
ever really change?”
Rebecca F. Kuang © Jose Camacho
2
4
3 Grave Expectations
A mansion, ghosts and a
crime from years and years ago to
solve … This is perfect for readers
who love to see friendships blossom.
Alice Bell, Atlantic, CHF 18.90
R. F. Kuang enters new literary territory with Yellowface, a spellbinding
tale that fearlessly wrestles with questions of cultural appropriation,
exploitation, friendship, and the irresistible power of storytelling.
Acknowledgements: William Morrow and Company
5
4 Three Card Murder
Sisterhood portrayed in a
way you've never seen before. And
a plot twist you just could never
predict!
J. L. Blackhurst , HarperCollins
Publishers UK, CHF 18.90
6
5 Shot With Crimson
Hollywood glamour with a
murderous twist! Inspired by Rebecca,
this one’s for all cinephiles.
Nicola Upson, Faber & Faber, CHF 25.90
Release Date: 2 November 2023
6 The Cat Who Solved
Three Murders
For an extra layer of cosiness, how
about a fluffy cat? Lulu and her furry
friend solve all crimes – including a
terrible fire – once again!
L T Shearer, Macmillan, CHF 28.90
5 Shot With Crimson by Nicola Upson
Josephine Tey fans, unite! An eleventh book is on its way this
November after over a year’s wait. Join Josephine as she sails to
Hollywood. It’s September 1939, Josephine is reunited with her
partner Marta, and Hitchcock is directing Rebecca. But while Josephine
basks in fictional drama, Hollywood glamour and exciting
meetings with the likes of Laurence Olivier, Daphne du Maurier
and Joan Fontaine, a murder needs solving in England, at the very
premises that inspired the fictional story of Rebecca. Luckily, detective
Archie Penrose is already on the scene. This book, full of real
historical figures and with a hint of romance, is perfect for all lovers
of historical cosies.
6 The Cat Who Solved Three Murders by L T Shearer
Ending our list strong with a cosy murder mystery featuring one
of the genre’s staples: a cuddly pet. With this second book in the
series by L T Shearer, Conrad the talking cat will have solved not
one, not two, but three murders since joining widow and retired
police detective Lulu Lewis for a quiet life on a canal boat. Together
with Conrad, Lulu is on her way to Oxford for a friend’s birthday.
Everything goes to plan, until a murder, fire and art heist force
Lulu – and her trusty pet – to solve the mystery. If you’re not a cat
person, we promise this book will turn you into one!
4 Bookmark Magazine Second feature

You’ve waded into some of the most
explosive cultural and artistic questions
of our time with this novel, particularly
about cultural appropriation and exploitation,
racism, diversity, tokenism,
and who has the right to write about a
particular subject or from a particular
point of view. What inspired you to write
it? And what gave you the courage to
tackle issues that many writers and publishers
are frankly terrified to address?
Yellowface was one of those stories that
dropped into my head fully formed, like
Athena springs from Zeus’s skull. I like to
joke with my friends that when God starts
ringing, you pick up the phone. This has
only happened to me twice in my life – the
second time was when I got the idea for my
next fantasy novel, Katabasis – and what
happens next is I start writing like mad before
the fire dies out. Of course there must
have been a lot going on in my unconscious
for that particular story to ferment like
cyclical cynicism and the remarkable ability of the system to absorb
the shockwaves of critique. If anything, the system only turns
critique into another way to profit. Yellowface is a fundamentally
pessimistic story, because it lays out this horrific scandal and then
displays how that scandal in itself becomes another easily packaged
consumer product. Who controls the narrative, really? When all
the dust has settled, does anything ever really change? What would
it take – how bad would things have to get – to really break down
the system? In that sense Yellowface is not so thematically different
from Babel, although their style and tone are worlds apart.
Three years ago, there was an uproar about the book American
Dirt, a bestselling novel about a Mexican immigrant mother
and child, by a white American woman, a well-respected author,
who claimed a minor amount of Latino heritage. Did that
incident inform your book at all?
Of course. I don’t think you could be a BIPOC author in publishing
and not hear about it. It had a lot of us thinking about how diversity
in publishing is often not a good-faith effort to engage with difference
but to profit off of perceived distance.
«Junie just witnessed her friend’s
death, stole her manuscript and is heading
towards fame and fun. Was it all
worth it? Big gasps and tears running
down my face from laughter.»
Discover more on
bookcircle.ch
@FLAKIM
RECOMMENDS:
Yellowface
R. F. Kuang, HarperCollins
Publishers US,
CHF 26.90
Authors June Hayward and
Athena Liu were supposed
to be twin rising stars. But
Athena is a literary darling.
June Hayward is literally
nobody. When June witnesses
Athena’s death in a
freak accident, she acts on
impulse: she steals Athena’s
just-finished masterpiece.
“I wanted to write
something that spoke
to that cyclical
cynicism and the
remarkable ability of
the system to absorb
the shockwaves
of critique.”
it did. I recall it was in early 2021, while
publishing was still being rocked by the
movements of late 2020. The Publishing
Paid Me social media campaign had taken
off, folks were sharing and comparing
advances, and there was a lot of chatter
across the board about how publishers had
let down their BIPOC writers and readers.
There was a lot of promise of change from
the top. But by the time I started drafting in
2021, you could tell – there was something
in the air – that this change was never going
to materialize in any meaningful way.
What we saw instead were some shallow,
cosmetic changes; ornamental nods towards
diversity. A few token opportunities;
a few big “BIPOC books of the year.” I wanted
to write something that spoke to that
Rebecca F. Kuang is the #1 New-
York-Times-bestselling, Astounding-Award-winning,
and Hugo-,
Nebula-, Locus- and World-Fantasy-Award-nominated
author of the
Poppy War trilogy and Babel. Her
work has won the Crawford Award
and the Compton Crook Award for
Best First Novel. A Marshall Scholar
and Chinese-English translator with
an MPhil in Chinese Studies from
Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary
Chinese Studies from
Oxford, she is now pursuing a PhD
in East Asian Languages and
Literatures at Yale.
In response to charges of cultural appropriation and exploitation,
publishers have started taking preemptive measures like
using “sensitivity readers.” What are they? When and how are
they used?
I had a very good experience with authenticity readers while Babel
was in production. I approached it not so much as a way to avoid
trouble but as a way to deepen and enrich the text. I treated my readers
as collaborators who helped make Babel a truly representational
community effort. And they made the novel much better – I learned
cultural and linguistic details that the novel would have suffered
without. I think sensitivity reads go wrong more often when
“I treated my readers as
collaborators who helped make
Babel a truly representational
community effort.”
authors and publishers are just trying to find someone to function
as a scapegoat. “This book can’t be racist because we had a BIPOC
sensitivity reader!” I think that the way June describes sensitivity
reads in the novel is precisely the wrong way to go about things.
There are some great contemporary debates about standpoint
epistemology that get to the heart of why sensitivity reads aren’t a
catch-all solution.
Oxford, 1836. The city of
dreaming spires. It is the
centre of all knowledge
and progress in the world.
And at its centre is Babel,
the Royal Institute of
Translation. To Robin
Swift, orphaned in Canton
and brought to England
by a mysterious guardian,
Babel seemed like paradise.
Until it became a prison ...
But can a student stand
against an empire?
The Poppy War
R. F. Kuang,
HarperCollins Publishers US,
CHF 16.90
Babel
R. F. Kuang,
HarperCollins
Publishers US,
CHF 25.90
Epic historical military
fantasy, inspired by the
bloody history of China’s
twentieth century and
filled with treachery and
magic.
6 Bookmark Magazine Interview
Bookmark Magazine
Interview
7

Rip-Roaring
Releases
Discover the best new reads
of the season.
Text by Christine Modafferi
1
Also by the author
Toshikazu Kawaguchi
“Before the Coffee Gets Cold”
“Four short stories about people
visiting a cafe that allows them to
travel through time to meet loved
ones from the past or future –
very intriguing! This book is for
everyone who enjoys open endings
and cozy, bittersweet storytelling.”
Discover more on
bookcircle.ch
@STEPHIESHEENA
RECOMMENDS:
2
8
3
5
4
7
6
Critically acclaimed White Teeth
1
bestselling author Zadie Smith is
back with her very first historical fiction
novel. Get ready to be thrown into 1873
Victorian England, at a time when a
sensational trial regarding a man
performing identity fraud divided the
country: the Tichborne trial. Surrounding
this trial are our two main characters:
Andrew Bogle, an enslaved Jamaican man
brought to England to provide his
invaluable trial testimony, and 70-year-old
Mrs Eliza Touchet, a Scottish housekeeper
who has lived a privileged life with a
once-famous novelist for 30 years. While
Mrs Touchet believes in the power of
justice and abolitionism, Andrew Bogle
knows that to preserve his future, he will
have to tell the story his British
counterparts hope to hear having brought
him to England. In this ambitious historical
novel, the characters’ lives are intertwined
with major historical events, literary
figures and colonialism.
The Fraud
Zadie Smith, Hamish Hamilton, CHF 29.90
Three-time National Book Award
2
finalist and New York Times
bestselling author Lauren Groff’s The
Vaster Wilds follows the breath-taking
survival story of Bess. Bess is a servant girl
living in 17th century Jamestown who
suddenly escapes her home in a colonial
settlement and the only family she’s ever
known. But the land beyond the settlement
is unexplored territory, and she will have to
overcome extreme weather, illness,
hallucinations, starvation and the dangers
of the wilderness, including bears and other
wild animals, to survive. As Bess endures
her journey through the physical world,
she also is on a spiritual journey and will
have to come to the realisation that her own
religion has been used as a weapon against
her since she was a little girl and has
removed her from any form of communion
with nature. This incredibly paced “if I stop
I die” survival story is one that you will
keep thinking about after you’ve finished it,
as Groff describes loneliness in its most raw
and brutal state.
The Vaster Wilds
Lauren Groff, Hutchinson Heinemann, CHF 29.90
This beautiful yet short collection
3
crafts eight micro-biographies of
eight Korean women of all ages up to 80.
Through these individual biographies,
bestselling author of Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982
Cho Nam-joo explores the female
experience in Korea, which unsurprisingly
doesn’t differ much to that of Western
women. From childbirth and caregiving to
growing old, to being hated, loved and
hated again, to being sexually harassed and
discriminated at work, this author
scrutinised the collective experience of
existing in the world as a woman. Her voice
is raw yet funny, succinct yet so thoroughly
descriptive and attentive to detail. And
speaking of detail, we love that each story
features a different version of “Miss Kim”,
which is the Korean equivalent of a Jane
Doe, hence the title Miss Kim Knows,
suggesting any woman can relate to these
stories. A brilliant and unphased take on
womanhood.
Miss Kim Knows and Other Stories
Cho Nam-Joo, Scribner UK, CHF 24.90
Award-winning comedian, writer
4
and actor Sara Pascoe has written an
over-the-top tragicomic novel about an
Essex-bound young contemporary woman
elbowing her way through life, and it is
funny. Sophie’s life is far from perfect:
drowning in debt, coming to terms with the
fact that her sister is engaged to her ex, a
boyfriend who barely wants to be with her,
and to top it all off, Chris, the man she
secretly followed to Australia in the hope to
stage a meet-cute, is ordering two gin and
tonics at the very pub she’s working at.
Sophie takes this as her sign to get her life
together, bin her sexless relationship and
start living the life she believes she’s made
for. If you're on the hunt for a unique read,
welcome to Sophie's incredibly messy life.
Weirdo
Sara Pascoe, Faber & Faber, CHF 26.90
It’s not every day that authors get the
5
chance to revisit characters from
books they’ve already published and whose
stories have seemingly ended, so the return
of Freddie Montgomery from The Book of
Evidence feels extra special. The
Singularities begins with Freddie’s release
from prison and his return to the estate he
grew up in. But during his time away from
home things have changed. A new family
lives on the estate, his housekeeper has
become his landlady, and a rich woman
from what feels like a faraway life has come
out of the woodworks. It’s all very
unsettling, but that’s not all: a new
scientific theory has thrown the universe
into chaos, and the strange family living in
his home are descendants of its theorist. If
you love unlikeable characters and relish in
the beauty of prose, this book by critically
acclaimed Booker Prize winner John
Banville will not disappoint.
The Singularities
John Banville, Swift, CHF 19.90
Greek mythology lovers and fans of
6
Madeline Miller and Joanne M.
Harris’ writing will fall head over heels for
this queer, funny and feminist retelling of
the myth we’ve always only seen one side
of. You may be familiar with the story of
Hercules and his twelve labours, but this
book is about the struggles and lives of
those who surrounded him, suffered the
consequences of his actions and so often
saw him less as a hero and more as a villain.
Told in an absolutely hilarious way (most of
the time), we’re served multiple brutally
honest point of views from his mother and
sister to his lovers and wife. This book is
such a hilarious take on the chaotic, messy
and adventurous half mortal, half god hero
that was both loved and loathed.
Herc
Phoenicia Rogerson, HarperCollins Publishers UK,
CHF 26.90
The third book in Kate Mosse’s New
7
York Times bestselling Burning
Chambers series is another brilliantly
crafted historical novel set on the Barbary
Coast in 1621. All main character Louise
wants is to become a captain and have a ship
of her own. And while this is unthinkable
for a woman of her time, her wish is
granted thanks to a hefty inheritance. As
she prepares to sail off, she meets Gilles, an
apprentice in need of a safe space, and
decides to help him. Together, they set sail,
and soon fall in love, but during their
journey they must dodge pirates, slavers
and men representing the Inquisition. This
novel has high stakes, crime, revenge,
secrets and a refreshing love story.
The Ghost Ship
Kate Mosse, Macmillan, CHF 29.90
Who would you want to meet if you
8
could travel back in time? This fourth
book in the million-copy bestselling series
by Toshikazu Kawaguchi explores just this
very question, drawing on the same format
of Before the Coffee Gets Cold. Enter
Funiculi Funicula, a café hidden in Tokyo’s
back alleys where customers get to travel
back in time for just an hour but can’t
change history. In this book, a husband has
8
Bookmark Magazine
New releases
9

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15
11
13
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16
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one last important thing to say, a woman
grieves the pet she didn’t get the chance to
say goodbye to, and another finally answers
an important question, ending with a
complicated father-daughter relationship.
Each page in this book dissects human
emotion, and beautiful raw feelings are
explored and on display.
Before We Say Goodbye
Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Picador, CHF 19.90
With The Wonder releasing just this
9
year as a hit Netflix film, so many of
us have been waiting with bated breath
what comes next from Emma Donoghue in
her 16th novel. Inspired by the true love
story between Eliza Raine and Anne Lister,
Learned by Heart is about the first love
between two very different 14-year-old
girls attending the same boarding school in
19th century York – one an orphan heiress
exiled from India and her British peers, the
other a troublemaker and unconventional
young woman. Thoroughly researched and
leaving no detail to the imagination,
Donoghue includes snippets of what awaits
for them in the future, with Anne Lister
becoming the well-known “Gentleman
Jack”, and tells this story through the eyes
of Eliza. A historical sapphic romance that
also looks at racism, society and social
hierarchy.
Learned By Heart
Emma Donoghue, Picador, CHF 29.90
If George R. R. Martin says
10
Cassandra Clare’s Sword Catcher gave
him everything he looks for in medieval
fantasy, do you really need any other form
of endorsement? Adventure, magic,
mystery and betrayal are the building
blocks of master fantasy writer Cassandra
Clare’s first adult fantasy. Set in an
imagined world called Castellane, two
outcasts strike an unlikely romance, and
together they will uncover a conspiracy
that could set the wheels of war in motion
for their city-state. Kel is an orphan whose
sole purpose in life is to protect the Prince,
while Lin is an Ashkar physician and part
of a community shunned by society. What
brings them together is Castellane’s
underworld, where the rules of society
don’t apply and a strange king has
established power. Following the success of
the epic Shadowhunter Chronicles, this first
book in a brand new series makes an
excellent impression.
Sword Catcher
Cassandra Clare, Tor, CHF 29.90
Following the prize-winning success
11
of The Beekeper of Aleppo, Christy
Lefteri’s The Book of Fire is the dual
timeline narration of what happens when
people are stripped of what makes them
who they are: their home, their talents,
their looks. Jumping between before and
after a terrible tragedy, a wildfire that
destroys main character Irini’s Greek home,
the devastation and loss of a family is
explored. Each member reacts differently to
the harrowing event: some despair, others
seek revenge and later wallow in guilt,
while others search for hope in order to
move forward. At a time where wildfires
are a hot topic, this book also honours those
who have been expressing the urgency of
climate change and shows the greed of
those who won’t listen. A haunting yet
beautiful unmissable read.
The Book of Fire
Christy Lefteri, Bonnier Books UK, CHF 29.90
Vogue and The Guardian journalist
12
and Slay in Your Lane author Yomi
Adegoke’s debut fiction novel, The List, was
acquired through an aggressive eleven-way
auction between publishers. Since its
publication, it’s sparked so many
conversations, rehashing thoughts on the
#Metoo movement, cancel culture and the
weaponisation of the internet. Michael and
Ola have the perfect jobs, perfect
relationship, perfect life. But just when
things are about to get even more perfect
with a shiny engagement ring and their
wedding a month away, the rug is pulled
from under their feet. A list is circulated
online anonymously, and it pins Michael
down as a female predator. As Michael does
everything to clear his name, Ola has one
month to figure out whether he’s innocent
or guilty, and throughout the book an
important reflection is made on the
complex time of digitalisation we live in.
The List
Yomi Adegoke, HarperCollins Publishers UK, CHF 24.90
YA author and poet Lang Leav
13
explores the small town trope
through the lens of Ai, a young daughter of
Cambodian refugees who has come back to
her Australian hometown following a
mental health crisis, despite her vow to
never come back. Upon her return, the
cause of her crisis is unveiled: unresolved
trauma comes up to the surface, as she
reconnects with friends from school who
have shared a tragic experience with her.
And as she comes to term with her grief,
through masterful and lyrical prose, Ai
reflects on heavy topics, from racial
injustice and the difficult journeys of
refugees in search for safety to domestic
violence, romantic relationships, and
friendship. This beautiful coming-of-age
novel from the bestselling author of Sad
Girls is poetic, moving and full of nineties
nostalgia.
Others Were Emeralds
Lang Leav, HarperCollins Publishers US, CHF 24.90
In a world where instant gratification
14
and picking the low-hanging fruit
seem to reign, an Oxford philosopher
develops a theory that could preserve, or
even save, humanity in the long run. Such
theory is “longtermism”, the idea of putting
the happiness of those who will follow us
first. An ambitious call to action to protect
future generations, What We Owe the
Future by charity founder and professor of
philosophy William MacAskill addresses
how important it is that, as we develop as a
society and technology reaches incredible
heights of capability, we also ensure we’re
providing our children, grandchildren and
great-grandchildren with the tools to
maintain justice and values in the
ever-changing world we live in.
What We Owe the Future
William MacAskill, Oneworld Publications, CHF 19.90
Deep in the heart of Paris, along the
15
banks of the Seine River and just by
Notre-Dame, you will find one of the most
famous and historic bookshops in the
world. Shakespeare and Company, the
French/English-language bookshop,
opened in 1951 and to this day is an
important meeting space for writers and
readers, and it has seen literary icons walk
through its doors, from Joyce and
Hemingway to Fitzgerald and Pound. To
celebrate the shop’s history, owner Sylvia
Whitman and novelist and Shakespeare
and Company’s literary director Adam Biles
have joined forces to pen a collection of
interviews with prize-winning authors that
have changed the publishing industry in
the last ten years, from Reni Eddo-Lodge
and Annie Ernaux to George Saunders and
Jesmyn Ward. The book takes us into the
writing process of these authors and the
thoughts that sparked the books that have
shaped our age.
The Shakespeare and Company
Book of Interviews
Adam Biles, Canongate, CHF 38.90
Mirror, mirror on the wall, what’s the
16
creepiest fairy tale of them all? This
goth-horror Snow White retelling has
elements of Eyes Wide Shut and unveils the
chilling reality behind the beauty industry,
viewing it as a real-life cult. Belle is a dress
shop clerk who also loves all things
skincare. Her life is relatively ordinary,
until her estranged mother suddenly dies.
After a series of strange events following
the mysterious death, including a pair of
red shoes – echoing Snow White’s red apple
– Belle is lured into a beauty cult where a
handsome man in a mirror possesses great
power, and, over time, its members seem to
slowly become brainwashed. As Belle
works through her complicated grief, she
comes into a world where appearance is
what matters most and will have to claw her
way out to avoid her mother’s fate.
Rouge
Mona Awad, Scribner UK, CHF 24.90
10 Bookmark Magazine New releases
Bookmark Magazine
New releases
11

Urban Stories
Cities are complicated, often made up of winding
roads, messy and full of contradictions, but they’re an
endless source of inspiration for authors.
Text by Christine Modafferi
Whether you love the city or loathe it, it’s bound to sweep you off your feet and welcome you.
In the city, there are opportunities galore, and you can become whoever you wish to be. You
can meet like-minded people. You’re surrounded by novelty, from new technology to new ideas
being formed. You can struggle immensely and feel terribly lonely, but you’re never alone. And
you can be different by being yourself, while always fitting in. Here are just some of our favourite
literary interpretations of the cities around the world, from classics to new releases.
1 Happy City by Charles Montgomery
Before we jump into fictional stories about the big city life, let’s take a look at some of the
non-fiction literature that has shaped our thinking around cities and that maps how they’ve
impacted our individual lives as well as civilisation as a whole.
In Happy City, published over ten years ago, the award-winning journalist Charles Montgomery
challenges the way we view cities by mixing urban design analysis with scientific studies on
happiness. What emerges is an inspiring study of architecture that debunks the belief that
cities are the epicentre of the proverbial rat race and rather views them as a project towards
happiness, referring back to the ancient Athenians, who brought democracy to life through the
city. Montgomery studies many man-made creations in cities, from Copenhagen to Bogotá to
Vancouver, suggesting that experiencing them is a form of mindfulness, self-care and living life
more fully – a complete shift from the sadness of the suburbs, where we must rely heavily on
our cars to get anywhere, from work to meetings with friends.
2 Imagine a City by Mark Vanhoenacker
Continuing in the vein of Montgomery’s celebration of the city, airline pilot and author of Skyfaring
Mark Vanhoenacker writes about the places he’s travelled to and loved. Coming from the
small New England town of Pittsfield, Vanhoenacker grew up dreaming of big cities. Today, as a
pilot, he stops somewhere new each day, and Imagine a City is his love letter to the metropolises
of the world he’s visited over the course of twenty years. Partly working as a travelogue and
partly as a personal memoir, Vanhoenacker reflects on the great cities of our planet, from LA
and Kuwait City to Jeddah and Sapporo. But if there’s one thing travel inspires, it’s the anticipation
to get back to your hometown with a renewed appreciation for the familiar, and this book
also includes nostalgic passages about home that will tug at your heartstrings.
3 Ten Cities that Led the World by Paul Strathern
Similarly to Imagine a City, Ten Cities that Led the World walks readers through metropolises of
our globe from a historical viewpoint. Yes, this is the book you’ll want to read if you’re a history
nerd! Journeying through ten cities from ancient history through to modern day, Paul Strathern
offers a complex analysis of how cities have defined eras, formed new ideas, brought revolution,
and made history. Learn how the human mind discovered mathematics in Babylonia, enjoy
the first theatrical spectacles in ancient Athens, and marvel at the ancient Roman construction
work that lasts to this day. Form new and enlightened ideas in Paris, build the first skyscrapers
in New York, and discover how economy is progressing in Beijing. Each city that’s shaped our
world is distinct, but they are also all interconnected, creating world history, together.
4 In Search of Berlin by John Kampfner
While many of the books mentioned so far give readers a broad overview and analysis of cities
and their history, In Search of Berlin by John Kampfner will appeal to those who love minutiae
and want more of a deep dive when tucking into a good book. Berlin is one of the most fascinat-
3
2
1
4
ing cities in the world. Located at the heart
of Europe, it’s a place full of contradictions,
constantly reinventing itself while also
looking back at its turbulent past. In this
book, Kampfner looks back at 800 years of
history, studying archives, interviewing
historians, architects and archaeologists,
scrutinising every inch of the city. The
book took four years to write, and its level
of detail is unparalleled, as the author
shares his journeys across the city and finds
its hidden gems and stories, from the fallen
statue of Lenin to cabaret stars thrown out
of the city. Whether you’re planning a trip
to Berlin, live in the city, or simply want to
learn more about its history, this fascinating
read will not disappoint.
5 A Book of Days by Patti Smith
Cities are not just made up of urban plans,
revolutionary ideas and important events.
Sometimes, cities represent our very own
memories and Proustian feelings. Patti
Smith has, quite truly, dedicated her life to
making memories. In A Book of Days, the
musician and bestselling author’s love for
photography and words marry in a beautiful
collection of 365 photographs. Each
photograph and caption works as documentation
of the passions and thoughts of the
artist’s life, and throughout the book she
honours the work of fellow artists she ad-
1
Happy City
Discover how cities make people happy –
and why life in suburbia is not quite as fulfilling.
2
Charles Montgomery, Penguin,
CHF 19.90
Imagine a City
The true definition of having your feet
on the ground and your head in the sky. See the
biggest cities through the eyes of a pilot.
3
Mark Vanhoenacker, Chatto & Windus
CHF 29.90
Ten Cities that Led the World
History buffs, this one’s for you! Uncover
the cities that have made history, from Babylonia
to Beijing.
4
Paul Strathern, Hodder & Stoughton,
CHF 19.90
In Search of Berlin
Zoom in on the history of one city – discover
the many complexities of Berlin, as well as the
beauty it has to offer today.
John Kampfner, Atlantic,
CHF 28.90
12 Bookmark Magazine Main feature
13

mires, from writers to musicians, as well as loved ones, from friends
to family with various cities as their backdrop. What transpires is
the spirit of a human being who lives and breathes their passion,
who has become one with their art and that of others, whose work
and motivation in life are inextricably linked with even their most
mundane moments. As it’s mostly photographic, this is a beautiful
diary-style book to display on a coffee table or gift to someone who
follows Patti Smith’s Instagram account.
6 The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
If you’ve had enough of non-fiction and are after some good old
fictional escapism, Paul Auster’s New York Trilogy is an excellent
series to sink your teeth into with the crowded streets of – you
guessed it – New York as its backdrop. Written in the mid-1980s,
this trilogy was truly ahead of its time, mixing postmodern fiction
with classic detective mystery, breaking the fourth wall, experimenting
with philosophy and the concept of identity. In the first title,
City of Glass, we see a mystery writer trotting the streets of New
York, as he gets lost in a real-life mystery that must be solved. In
the second book, Ghosts, a private investigator gets similarly lost in
the life of the person investigated. And the third book takes us even
deeper into madness, as a writer struggles with his own creativity
and decides to take on another person’s identity. Each book vividly
portrays the gruelling experience of being a writer, bringing readers
to a trance as they lose themselves among the vividly described
streets of New York City.
9 The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
If stories set in today’s complicated reality hit too close to home,
you may want to travel a bit further from Rome and back in time.
Welcome to 17th century Amsterdam. Eighteen-year-old Nella is
promised to Amsterdam-based Johannes Brandt, a merchant trader
who lives with his sister. Nella is confronted with solitude from the
get-go, a dreadful feeling relieved only by a small gift from her husband:
a cabinet-sized replica of their house. She seeks out the help of
a miniaturist to fill the rooms of her mini-house. And soon enough,
through the small creation, Nella uncovers secrets of the very house
she lives in, and realises that the miniaturist helping her knows
much more about her new life than she thought. The Miniaturist by
Jessie Burton was a true phenomenon before it even published: the
focus of a heated bidding war between publishers, it went on to win
awards, sell millions of copies, and translate into over 37 languages.
It’s an addictive story of obsession, betrayal, and the need to go
beyond appearances and to uncover truth.
10 Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
An incredible way of exploring cities in books is by creating magical
systems within them, and that’s exactly what Rivers of London
by Ben Aaronovitch does excellently. An urban fantasy set in modern-day
London, the story centres around Probationary Constable
Peter Grant, who works for the London Metropolitan Police. His
career is at a standstill, but things are about to dramatically change
for him when he speaks to a ghost regarding a mystery murder
5
A Book of Days
A beautiful coffee table
book, a compendium of photographic
memories, a feast for
the eyes! Signed by one of the
greatest artists of our time.
6
Patti Smith, Bloomsbury Publishing,
CHF 46.90
The New York
Trilogy
Postmodern fiction meets detective
mystery in this series from
the 80s set in the Big Apple.
7
Paul Auster, Faber & Faber,
CHF 12.90
Stories From the
Tenants Downstairs
Widen your horizons by
meeting your neighbours. An
exploration of community,
gentrification and everyday
struggles of life in the city.
Sidik Fofana, John Murray,
CHF 19.90
5
6
7 Stories From the Tenants Downstairs by Sidik Fofana
From the very solitary experience of being a writer and getting lost
in our own minds, prepare to be catapulted into the complete opposite
experience of life in the city. We’re still in New York, and Sidik
Fofana takes us into the heart of Harlem with a beautiful collection
of eight short stories centred around one building: Banneker Terrace,
a low-income high-rise. Its tenants all living under the looming
threat of gentrification, living pay check to pay check, sometimes
working multiple jobs, as they go through the motions of real,
everyday life. We meet a single mother, a homeless street dancer, a
college dropout facing eviction and so many more characters whose
lives are intertwined with each other. It may seem that they’re each
facing individual struggles, but they’re all equally moving through
a world of poverty and injustice. This unromanticised view of life
in the city is told through a third person omniscient narrative, yet
each character holds their own individual voice, making this a
varied but cohesive reading experience.
8 Roman Stories by Jhumpa Lahiri
For short story lovers, we have another fantastic collection to share.
While Stories from the Tenants Downstairs is very much centred
around American culture, Roman Stories takes us to the ever so
romanticised Rome in Italy. Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri
lived in Rome for many years, and she actually wrote these stories,
now translated by Todd Portnowitz, in Italian. Inspired by some
of Italy’s greatest literary voices, from Alberto Moravia to Dante
Alighieri, Lahiri digs deep in the human experience, especially the
sense of alienation, vulnerability and displacement. From families
seeking refuge in their new country to migrant women facing
racism to friends meeting in an osteria, each character is searching
for a sense of home, even the Italian characters themselves. With
hauntingly beautiful prose, Lahiri explores themes of belonging,
social status, and family, with the beautiful architecture and social
fabric of the eternal city bringing each story together.
7
8
11
9
12
10
8
Roman Stories
La Bella Vita … or is it so? Short stories
about short moments in a person’s life in Rome,
told through different perspectives.
9
Jhumpa Lahiri, Picador, CHF 29.90
The Miniaturist
A magical story full of secrets set in 17th
century Amsterdam that has captured the world
since its release.
10
Jessie Burton, Picador, CHF 17.90
Rivers of London
A love letter to London! A member of the
police force learns that some crimes are a bit more
magical than others.
11
Ben Aaronovitch, Orion, CHF 16.90
Dubliners
The work of one of the biggest voices in
literature to this day, Dubliners is a masterful piece
of art from the Naturalism movement.
12
James Joyce, Penguin Classics, CHF 16.90
A Moveable Feast
Writers in Paris in the roaring twenties
… What an era! For fans of the writers of the lost
generation who want a sneak peek into their lives.
Ernest Hemingway, Arrow, CHF 16.90
14 Bookmark Magazine Main feature
15

and realises that there’s a whole police department that deals with
crimes involving magic. The magic system in this book is so unique,
with much of it rooted in scientific theories and so much of the city
of London weaved into it, making the book feel like a long love letter
to the city from a Londoner. Since its publication in 2011, Rivers
of London has extended into an incredibly successful series, so there
are more Peter Grant books in store after this, but be warned: you
will quickly fall head over heels for London!
11 Dubliners by James Joyce
Not all stories must have ground-breaking revelations, huge plot
twists or magical worldbuilding. Sometimes, the best descriptions
of city life are those that simply capture small, seemingly insignificant
actions or moments. Finishing off our round-up with some
classics that vividly describe cities, we couldn’t leave out literature’s
greatest: Dubliners by James Joyce. These stories are a great example
of the Naturalism movement in literature: most are observing quite
ordinary main characters leading ordinary lives. The author tells
the stories of 15 fictional Dubliners inspired by real people he met:
a little boy who sees death for the first time, a young boy falling
in love, a young woman deciding whether she should elope with
her lover, a young man spending beyond his means, all the way
to unfaithful spouses reflecting on life and death. The stories in
this collection are so deeply rooted in reality, Joyce spent ten years
trying to get them published. Every publisher but one refused to
publish them, because they were too afraid of being sued!
12 A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
And to conclude our exciting list, this wouldn’t be a selection of
books about cities for book lovers without including the great hub
of literature: Paris. Paris was home of the so-called Lost Generation,
a group of literary figures who lived in Paris in the 1920s and who
we now revere, including F. Scott Fitzgerald and E. E. Cummings.
Their writing is a reflection of the lost values following the tragedy
and immense loss of World War I, and it was Earnest Hemingway
who popularised the term in his book A Moveable Feast, a collection
of Hemingway’s personal papers published posthumously. In this
book, Hemingway, still an unknown writer, walks the streets of
Paris, surrounded by author friends James Joyce, the Fitzgeralds,
Gertrude Stein and many more. This memoir is a coming-of-age
story of an author discovering his passion and talent for writing
thanks to the endless inspiration gifted by the magical French city
of lights. Whether cities inspire you to be creative like Hemingway,
take you on incredible journeys of magic or simply work as a
window into a country’s culture on your travels, it’s impossible not
to marvel at how they’ve shaped our world, moulding new ideas,
creating change and each carving a special place in our hearts.
Mysterious librarian Sayuri
has a particular skill for
recommending books that will
guide people towards their
goals. This Japanese bestseller
is a celebration of books and
their impact on our lives. It’s a
beautiful, atmospheric tale for
fans of When the Coffee Gets
Cold and The Midnight Library.
How many of us really know
what our parents were like
before we were born? Patchett
explores this idea through Lara,
who reveals her past to her
three daughters. With a compelling
narrative, and described
as “life rather than literature”
by The Guardian, this is truly a
novel to revel in.
Introducing
1970s Brooklyn is a dangerous
place where even criminals
must play by the rules. Witty
and entertaining at the same
time as offering social commentary,
Brooklyn Crime Novel
is a love letter to Brooklyn by
someone who not only knows it
intimately, but is also a writer
on top of his game.
Jackson’s teen thriller, now a
TikTok sensation and soon to
be a BBC series, has been taking
the world by storm since it was
published in 2019. Fans who
can’t get enough of Pippa and
Ravi will love this stunning
collector’s edition with striking,
coloured edges and a special
letter from the author.
What You Are Looking
For Is in the Library
Michiko Aoyama and Alison Watts,
Doubleday, CHF 24.90
Tom Lake
Ann Patchett, HarperCollins
Publishers US, CHF 28.90
Brooklyn Crime Novel
Jonathan Lethem, HarperCollins
Publishers US, CHF 39.90
A Good Girl’s Guide
to Murder [collector’s
edition]
Holly Jackson, HarperCollins
Publishers UK, CHF 29.90
F I C T I O N
AUGUST
TPB | 9781805300496
AUGUST
PB | 9780571386932
SEPTEMBER
PB | 9781800810440
SEPTEMBER
TPB | 9780571374533
OCTOBER
TPB | 9780571384396
OCTOBER
TPB | 9781783789184
When Flor Marte decides to
hold her own living wake, her
family members are unsure if
she’s predicted her own death,
and she seems not to be the only
one with secrets. Family Lore is
a multi-generational novel that
explores the past and present
lives of the Marte women.
Family Lore
Elizabeth Acevedo, Canongate,
CHF 29.90
Working as a transcriber for a
sex therapist means that Greta
knows the juiciest secrets of
just about everyone in Hudson,
as long as she bumps into them
and recognises their voices.
Hailed as one of the funniest
novels of the year, Big Swiss is
dark as well as comical.
Big Swiss
Jen Beagin, Faber, CHF 19.90
A Nobel-Prize-winning scientist
with signs of Alzheimer’s
disease attends a biotech
conference. While there, she
learns about the work of another
scientist that could lead to a
cure. But research like that can
attract negative attention … An
unpredictable debut thriller by
actor Richard Armitage.
Geneva
Richard Armitage, Faber, CHF 26.90
Aging, memory, and love
are the major themes of
Baumgartner, Auster’s 18th
novel. Titled for its protagonist,
who is a 71-year-old philosopher
reminiscing about his life,
especially the precious time he
spent with his late wife, this is
an illuminating and compassionate
story.
Baumgartner
Paul Auster, Faber, CHF 36.90
Release Date: 7 November 2023
Bookmark Magazine
Introducing
17

What We Loved
Recommendations from our book experts.
Jane, Stauffacher Bern
1
An incredibly entertaining and
well-written novel about a woman in
science in the 1960s, working in a very
male-dominated environment. Elizabeth
Zott is a great chemist, but is the world of
science ready for her? Elizabeth is not one
to allow a man to stand in her way, so when
she is fired from her job for getting pregnant
and left as a single mother, her determination
to succeed only grows stronger.
An incredible story of a woman following
her passion. A charming, enlightening and
undeniably feminist tale set in mid-century
America.
Lessons in Chemistry
Bonnie Garmus, Penguin, CHF 18.90
Tashina, Stauffacher Bern
This book is a piece of art that should
2
be put in a museum. Henry and Alex
are such multilayered characters whose
relationship is crafted perfectly; I was rooting
for them! This novel will make you cry,
laugh, and believe in true love. The story is
heart-warming and unforgettable, it will
stay in your heart forever.
Red, White & Royal Blue
Casey McQuiston, Macmillan, CHF 18.90
Johanna, Orell Füssli Basel
3
You don’t have to be a gamer to love
this book! You don’t even have to know
anything about games to be able to immerse
yourself in the world of Sam and Sadie:
two kids who connect over a game of Super
Mario and then go on to design highly
successful games themselves. Spanning 30
years, this is a story of success and failure,
friendship and deceit, love and tragedy, and
the ever-redemptive possibilities in playing
games. Simply brilliant!
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow,
and Tomorrow
Gabrielle Zevin, Vintage, CHF 18.90
Elena, Orell Füssli Kramhof
4
& The Bookshop
I can’t and won’t stop recommending this
book! I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love
with the characters. So far my favourite
read this year.
Happy Place
Emily Henry, Viking, CHF 24.90
Dagmar, Orell Füssli Thun
5
Set in 1975 Ireland during the
Troubles, Trespasses evolves around two
significant aspects of the life of Cushla, a
young Catholic teacher who lives with her
alcoholic mother in a small working-class
town near Belfast. In one story, she falls for
Michael, a much older, married, Protestant
barrister. In the second, we follow Cushla’s
involvement in the home life of Davy, one
of her young pupils who is bullied. From
the very beginning, I felt sure both stories
would find no happy ending. Yet this book
is so tenderly written, full of detail and
compassion for its characters and for the
special place and time they live in, that it
wouldn’t let me go, even after I had finished
reading it. Kennedy’s wonderful, complex
debut novel is now shortlisted for the Women’s
Prize for Fiction 2023.
5
Trespasses
Louise Kennedy, Bloomsbury Publishing, CHF 18.90
6
Livia, Orell Füssli Airport Center
Monika, Orell Füssli Wil
8
Brutal, feminist, different. Full of
A mysterious shipping container is
10
magic and dark reality. A book that portrays
women, their freedom, their destiny,
their daily struggle, and their beauty in a
way you’ve never read before.
discovered at the port of Norrtälje. Once the
container is opened, nothing is the same:
for no apparent reason, people become
aggressive and violent.
This extraordinary horror story explores
Who Fears Death
Nnedi Okorafor, HarperCollins Publishers UK, CHF 18.90
how fear can turn “good” people into monsters.
A compelling read that really got me
thinking.
Jennifer, Orell Füssli Bellevue
7
A wonderfully weird and wacky tale
that is beautifully and touchingly told. K.
Wilson shows how any trauma can be overcome
with enough love, understanding,
patience, and compassion.
Nothing to See Here
Kevin Wilson, HarperCollins Publishers US, CHF 19.90
7
The Kindness
John Ajvide Lindqvist, Quercus, CHF 29.90
Nadine, Orell Füssli Kramhof
9
& The Bookshop
A story about being in love in modern
London. It’s about the little joys in life, and
about finding your place in the world. It’s
fresh, intelligent, and honest. A new comfort
read, for sure.
Okay Days
Jenny Mustard, Hodder & Stoughton, CHF 29.90
Catherine
Gory and gothic, Anatomy is much
more than the “love story” the subtitle
promises. Clearly inspired by Mary Shelley’s
Frankenstein but written in a pacy,
modern style, it’s a brilliant read for teens
and adults with a taste for the Romantic era.
I can’t wait to read the second part!
Anatomy
Dana Schwartz, Little, Brown, CHF 18.90
Glòria, Orell Füssli Bellevue
11
These psychological portraits throw
a very revealing light on the intimate
thoughts of the characters and illustrate
with unapologetic rawness what it means
to be a woman today – the pressure, the
expectations, the challenges, and the glory
of it all. Thought-provoking, fascinating,
and radically brilliant.
Ghost Lover
Lisa Taddeo, Bloomsbury Publishing, CHF 18.90
1
10
3
9
2
4 6
8
11
18 Bookmark Magazine Book Experts
Bookmark Magazine
Book Experts
19

Introducing
12
13
Yaiza, Orell Füssli Bern
12
Magical, quirky, and heart-warming.
This novel tells the experience of 25-yearold
Takako, with all the complexities of her
relationships and the bookshop that has
been in her family for three generations.
As summer fades into autumn, Takako
and her uncle discover they have more in
common than they first thought. Great for
Japanese-literature lovers.
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop
Satoshi Yagisawa, HarperCollins Publishers US, CHF 19.90
Dario, Orell Füssli SBB Bern
13
Every morning employees at Orsk
find objects misplaced and furniture
spoiled. One day the store manager decides
to solve this mystery and stays overnight
with some of his coworkers, and that’s
when the nightmare starts. A ghost story
inside a furniture store: what could go
wrong? Even the book looks and feels like a
furniture catalogue.
Horrorstör
Grady Hendrix, Quirk Books, CHF 19.90
Renate, Orell Füssli Kramhof
14
& The Bookshop
Dr Miriam Price is dead, due to an overdose
of pills and lots of booze. Death by
misadventure, say the police, but Miriam
knows better: she was murdered. And she
is determined to prove it, even if it means to
ask her much-detested neighbour for help.
A hilarious read, with lots of dark humour.
Over My Dead Body
Maz Evans, Headline, CHF 29.90
14
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Almost 75 years since it was
published, George Orwell’s
1984 remains a terrifying
dystopian vision and a modern
classic. Now, Newman brings
us Julia’s version of the events.
Offering deeper insight into
Orwell’s world with a feminist
slant, this clever retelling is not
for the faint-hearted.
Julia
Sandra Newman, Granta, CHF 29.90
Talasyn has ancient magic in
her blood. Magic that Prince
Alaric wants to eliminate. But
what happens when their
powers clash? Hurricane Wars
is the unputdownable first
volume of a highly anticipated
fantasy-romance trilogy. With
stunning worldbuilding, Guanzon’s
debut makes her a talent
to watch.
The Hurricane Wars
Thea Guanzon, HarperCollins
Publishers US, CHF 23.90
In Emperor of Rome, Mary Beard,
one of the world’s leading
classicists and professor at
Cambridge University, brings
us a different, personal account
of emperors from Caesar to
Severus. Breaking down our assumptions
that these men were
cruel and brutal, Beard paints
them in a fascinating new light.
Emperor of Rome
Mary Beard, Profile, CHF 54.90
Dystopian fantasy abounds
in Shannon’s much-loved
Bone Season series. This tenth
anniversary edition is revised
and reimagined, including an
additional prequel, The Pale
Dreamer. Established fans and
new readers alike will love
diving into gothic London and
following Paige into other
people's dreams.
The Bone Season
Samantha Shannon, Bloomsbury
Publishing, CHF 38.90
Mixing up your charms and
potions? Can’t identify the
magical creature flying past
your window? The Wizarding
World Almanac is here to help.
The only official compendium
for all things Harry Potter, it
must be charmed like Newt
Scamander’s suitcase to keep
all these facts and illustrations
inside!
The Wizarding World
Almanac
J. K. Rowling, Peter Goes, Louise Lockhart,
Weitong Mai, Olia Muza, Pham Quang Phuc,
Levi Pinfold, and Tomislav Tomic, Bloomsbury
Publishing, CHF 54.90
Even for an experienced CIA
spy, extracting someone who
has risky information from
the border between Pakistan,
Iran, and Afghanistan is not an
easy task. Especially not when
someone fuelled by vengeance
stands in their way, and this is
what Kane is up against in this
riveting thriller.
The Year of the Locust
Terry Hayes, Bantam Press, CHF 22.90
Release Date: 9 November 2023
Titled with a line from Dante’s
Inferno, Let Us Descend is a
powerful depiction of Black
American slavery. As Annis
is forced to trudge all the way
to New Orleans, she finds
strength in the natural world,
and the memories of her mother
and grandmother. A masterful
novel of hardship and rebirth.
Let Us Descend
Jesmyn Ward, Bloomsbury Publishing,
CHF 27.90
Choosing to live on an island
with disgraced academics to
further her own career, Helen
has to learn to balance ambition
and morality … Science, cancel
culture, #MeToo, and comedy.
How I Won a Nobel Prize
weaves major issues of today
into a thoughtful, witty, and
extremely original novel.
How I Won a Nobel Prize
Julius Taranto, Picador, CHF 29.90
20 Bookmark Magazine Book Experts
Bookmark Magazine
Introducing
21

Stories for Young and Old
These books are bound to take you back to the stories
that grew us into readers.
Text von Christine Modafferi
‘Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.’
This brilliant quote by C. S. Lewis reminds us of the power of children’s
books, and why kids and adults alike should never shy away
from reading a good book, no matter the age range it is intended
for. So in honour of falling in love with the beauty of a good story,
let us take a look at some of the best children’s releases, starting at
the beginning with a little one’s first introduction to stories: picture
books, continuing with middle grade and last but not least, YA
recommendations. Whether you are gifting this to a special child in
your life or nurturing and healing your inner child, these books are
bound to take you back to the stories that grew us into readers.
Aged 4 and up
Friendship, dreams and working together
to create change make for the perfect
picture book.
On a similar note, a strong message of hope
is weaved into the words and illustrations
of Something, Someday. Written by presidential
inaugural poet Amanda Gorman
and illustrated by award-winning illustrator
Christian Robinson, this beautiful book
is about how, however small we may feel in
this messy, complicated world, together we
can make a BIG difference. It is also about
the importance of finding true friendship
and the beauty of hoping, dreaming and
fighting together for change. Who ever said
children’s books cannot change the world?
4+
Something, Someday
Amanda Gorman, Christian
Robinson (illustrator),
Penguin Books UK,
CHF 23.90
4+
What You Need
to Be Warm
Neil Gaiman,
HarperCollins Publishers US,
CHF 23.90
Release Date: 31 October
2023
Aged 8 and up
A brand-new read from the middle-grade
master.
Moving down to books for readers aged
8+, also called middle grade books, we are
starting strong with an author who many
of our readers might recognise from when
they first fell in love with books: Patricia C.
Wrede, author of the bestselling Enchanted
Forest Chronicles series. In her latest release,
The Dark Lord’s Daughter, Kayla, an
ordinary girl, discovers she is actually the
daughter of a dark lord, and gets whisked
off to a fantasy world, along with her adoptive
mother and brother. In complete Patricia
C. Wrede style, Kayla will have to battle
her new society’s expectations surrounding
what a Dark Lady should do, and she has
her own thoughts about how to manage her
new status...
A gorgeous picture book with a strong
message about helping those in need.
And finally, the picture books. Perfect
bedtime stories to read aloud, you are in
for a treat with our last two children’s
recommendations. We often think of Neil
Gaiman as the master of fantasy, but the
prolific UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador’s
pen lends itself to an important cause in this
32-page picture book: helping those who
need a home. With a strong core message
around the ideas of warmth and community,
as well as beautiful illustrations
throughout by some of the biggest names
in publishing, from Chris Riddell and
Benji Davies to Yuliya Gwilym and Nadine
Kaadan, this is the perfect book to set on a
coffee table or to keep you and your little
ones warm at bedtime.
The Dark Lord’s Daughter
Patricia C. Wrede,
Random House US,
CHF 14.90
8+
Illustration from the Book Megamonster
A knee-slappingly funny illustrated
book for reluctant readers.
If you are looking for a fail-safe book that
children aged 8+ will love, Megamonster by
multi-million bestselling author David Walliams
will do the trick. Set in an imaginary
school called The Cruel School, which is
found on an island surrounded by sharks,
welcome to a world where school dinners
are vomit-inducing, lessons include Gabber
language classes and the teachers are truly
horrific! Larker is not at all happy when she
is sent to this strange school, and one teacher
in particular is very suspicious... With
black-and-white illustrations by Tony Ross
throughout, the book makes for a hilarious
read that will win over even reluctant
readers!
8+
Fireborn (2) – Phoenix
and the Frost Palace
Aisling Fowler,
HarperCollins Publishers UK,
CHF 16.90
9+
Megamonster
David Walliams,
HarperCollins Publishers UK,
CHF 16.90
A fantasy adventure for readers who
love imaginative world-building.
Continuing our round-up with another
fantastic fantasy read for middle graders,
let us introduce you to the second book in
the bestselling fantasy series Fireborn by
Aisling Fowler. Featuring journeys to new
lands, an entire witch-clan, a strange darkness,
and a terrible enemy, this is a true fantasy
adventure story, brimming with new
worlds and imaginative world-building.
Join Twelve, who now has the new name
Phoenix, as she uses her powers of fire to
answer a plea for help.
Aged 14 and up
14+
The Scarlet Veil
Shelby Mahurin,
HarperCollins
Publishers UK,
CHF 21.90
High stakes and fast-paced, for readers
looking for a story with edge.
On the topic of morally grey characters
... meet some characters who are especially
good at stealing. However, with
thieving comes serious danger and seventeen-year-old
Ross Quest’s mother has been
kidnapped as a consequence of the life she
and her family lead. Therefore, Ross enters
a competition for thieves. The grand prize?
A granted wish. And her wish is to find her
mother, no matter what it takes. High-octane
and full of twists, turns, betrayal,
action, and suspense, Thieves’ Gambit by
Kayvion Lewis is one of the most highly
anticipated titles of the year.
14+
One of Us Is Back
Karen M. McManus,
Delacorte Press, CHF 16.90
Romantacy and vampires, perfect for
fans of Sarah J Maas.
For YA and romantasy lovers, Shelby Mahurin's
The Scarlet Veil is the first book in a
new duology set in the much-loved Serpent
& Dove world, centring on character Célie,
who has taken on the role of huntress, vowing
to protect the land of Belterra. If the fact
that Sarah J. Maas said this book kept her
‘reading long into the night’ is not enough
for you to pick up this book, let us convince
you to read this by promising: vampires,
a slow-burn romance with a morally grey
love interest, and a murder mystery. This is
the perfect read whether you love fantasy
novels with a gothic atmosphere or are simply
in the mood for vampire nostalgia.
14+
Thieves’ Gambit
Kayvion Lewis,
Simon & Schuster UK,
CHF 18.90
The concluding instalment in the
best-selling series.
To conclude our YA recommendations, we
thought we would end with a bang. And
what could be more of a banger than the
very last book in the One of Us Is... trilogy?
We are back at Bayview High, where its
students just cannot seem to get a break and
secrets hide in every crack of the school
building. This time, one of the Bayview
crew members goes missing and a new
deadly game is in play. The crew will have
to figure out who is behind it this time, so
they can finally end this story once and for
all.
22 Bookmark Magazine Children and young people
Bookmark Magazine
Children and young people
23

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