Book Haul – April 2017

I always try not to have too many unread books on my shelves. But, although my pile of to be read books is only slowly decreasing, I bought more books this month. Just four though! There was a sale on an online Portuguese shop and I wasn’t able to resist the temptation to buy some bargains.

So, I acquired the following books:

 

Jerusalém by Gonçalo M. Tavares

I have to confess that I know nothing about the plot of this book by Gonçalo M. Tavares. But this is one of the most renowned books by a contemporary Portuguese author. It was praised by many other famous writers, including José Saramago. I’ve also just realised that this is the third book in a series, but I believe that they may also be read as standalones. I bought the original in Portuguese, but there is an available translation into English by Anna Kushner, published by Dalkey Archive Press and titled Jerusalem.

 

Vozes do Vento by Maria Isabel Barreno

Maria Isabel Barreno is one of the Portuguese female writers I have on my list of 100 women writers to read in my lifetime. Vozes do Vento is a family colonial saga taking place in Cape Verde.

 

Mulheres de Cinza by Mia Couto

I read my first book by the Mozambican author Mia Couto last year and really liked it. When I saw this book in the sale, I couldn’t resist buying it. Mulheres de Cinza is the first book in a trilogy (As Areias do Imperador) about the last days of the second largest empire in Africa ruled by an African leader in the 19th century.

 

Instante by Wislawa Szymborska

I have recently decided to read more books by other European authors, besides those from Portugal, the UK, Ireland and France. With that in mind, I bought the poetry collection Instante (Moment in English) by the Polish Nobel Prize winner Wislawa Szymborska. When my order arrived, I was surprised to see that this edition features the poems in both Portuguese and Polish.