Bookmark 02/2023

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