5 new books we recommend this week

When you go to a book-store, it is often difficult to choose from the plethora of newly released books available. The following list should help when deciding what new books to buy.

Shurjo's Clan 
Iffat Nawaz
Penguin Random House India (2022) 

Bangladeshi-American writer Iffat Nawaz's debut novel Shurjo's Clan tells the story of a young girl growing up in the newly formed country of Bangladesh. With the mingling of magical realism and history, the story follows the ventures of a family as they migrate to East Bengal after the Partition in 1947 and experience the horrors of the Liberation War in 1971; the book portraying the struggles they have to face in the country born into sorrow. 

Lessons
Ian McEwan
Jonathan Cape (2022) 

Written by the prominent novelist Ian McEwan, the novel tells the story of Roland Baines who lives through major historical events, from WWII to the Covid-19 pandemic. While he surfs the tide of history smoothly, he oftentimes finds himself struggling against it, especially in his personal life, due to his experiences of unfulfilled love and grief.

Traumatised by his past memories of unfulfillment, he finds himself seeking comfort through the means of literature, travel, friendship, politics, and intimacy. Roland's story helps us unravel fundamental questions, like, can we take full charge of the course of our lives without damage to others? And what can we learn from the traumas of the past?

Novelist as a Vocation
Haruki Murakami
Knopf (2022) 

Written by Haruki Murakami for aspiring writers and novelists—a favourite author to have won this year's Nobel Prize in Literature—the book captures Murakami's journey as a novelist in an unprecedented manner. From personal anecdotes about when he realised he could write a novel to a revelation of his "unadorned natural style", the book serves as a personal guide to fiction writing alongside his biography. 

Bangladesher Obhuddoye: Purbo Pakistaner Itihash
Badruddin Umar (Trans.), Pranab Dey & Shubhasish Mukhapadhya
Baatighar (2022) 

The first Bangla translation of Badruddin Umar's The Emergence of Bangladesh Vol. I & II looks at the history of our country during the early stages after the Partition. Both the volumes combined exposes the reader to the socio-political climate of our country under the Pakistani rule. This highly anticipated translation of the globally recognised book is surely going to have significant contributions to our local intellectual cultures. 

Fairy Tale
Stephen King
Simon and Schuster (2022) 

Stephen King's latest novel, Fairy Tale, is a dark fantasy novel which follows Charlie Reade, a 17-year-old who finds a portal to a hidden and otherworldly realm. In a story which explores the historic collision of good and evil, Stephen King's storytelling techniques peak as Charlie is faced against an overwhelmingly maleficent force. The novel is surely going to be a very good read for the chilly winter nights which lie ahead.