An Unnecessary Woman – Rabih Alameddine

Lebanon-USA
Women-Centered Fiction

Our protagonist is a 72 year old reclusive woman living alone in Beirut. She spends her time translating texts into Arabic, but they are sparsely read. The reader stays with her in her apartment while a civil war rages on in the streets and is thus privy to a fascinating account of her life and her neighbours. Alameddine presents an interesting take on subdued women who live in war torn countries.

The Dosadi Experiment – Frank Herbert

USA
Science Fiction

A planet as the location for an experiment, power as a daily transaction, isolation in conjunction with overcrowding — these are just some of the key themes of the novel. Herbert’s use of visual imagery however, is what sets this text apart in its competitive genre. 

The Housekeeper and the Professor – Yoko Ogawa

Japan
Contemporary Fiction

Yoko Ogawa tells a quaint tale about a man who revels in his world of numbers. There is a warm coming together of family and memories; so practically and so emotionally. One could read it for the tree or one could read it for the forest. 

Mother Night – Kurt Vonnegut

USA
Metafiction

With Mother Night, Vonnegut plays with genre to challenge conventional sci-fi styles while keeping true to his own style of writing. Vonnegut’s experience as a WW2 soldier seeps into the text, and we see the multiple layers of the character lend a historical, autobiographical tone to the novel.