Twice a year, it's the same struggle for any French book lover. Hundreds of books come out in the space of a few weeks, and choices must be made. Time and money aren't as flexible as every reader hopes, so here's a selection of some books you and I should read.
Last year, I wrote a post about la rentrée littéraire to explain how unique and intense this moment is in France. The apotheosis will be reached on November 4th as the Goncourt committee will announce the winner of this year’s award. Four books remain in the competition. The bets are open, but whoever wins, there are more important questions starting with: which books to buy from la rentrée littéraire? Lucky you, we have most of them in our catalog. Then, which ones to read? After a few weeks spent listening to numerous podcasts, reading a bunch of novels and browsing the shelves, I feel ready to give you my selection from the 459 novels that have been released. To be honest, I haven't read them all, but it will happen eventually.
- La désinvolture est une bien belle chose – Philippe Jaenada (in stock)
- Vous êtes l’amour malheureux du Führer - Jean-Noël Orengo (in stock)
- Nord Sentinelle - Jérôme Ferrari (in stock)
- Houris – Kamel Daoud (ordered)
- La vie meilleure - Étienne Kern (ordered)
- Tombée du ciel – Alice Deverley
If you want more recommendations, feel free to drop by at the library. I’ll be happy to chat with you and help you. We are also launching our Silent Book Club in French on November 12th. Bring a book or browse our shelves and gather in the reading room for a quiet reading session followed by a chat about your reading experience.
Last year, I wrote a post about la rentrée littéraire to explain how unique and intense this moment is in France. The apotheosis will be reached on November 4th as the Goncourt committee will announce the winner of this year’s award. Four books remain in the competition. The bets are open, but whoever wins, there are more important questions starting with: which books to buy from la rentrée littéraire? Lucky you, we have most of them in our catalog. Then, which ones to read? After a few weeks spent listening to numerous podcasts, reading a bunch of novels and browsing the shelves, I feel ready to give you my selection from the 459 novels that have been released. To be honest, I haven't read them all, but it will happen eventually.
Le mal joli – Emma Becker (in stock)
Book after book, Emma Becker is building a work that will last. Following writers like Colette, Nelly Arcan, Annie Ernaux or Catherine Millet, she has developed a deep and intimate style to write about love, desire, self-accomplishment and finding yourself in all these things. Her latest book tells the sulfurous love affair she had with a French writer, while trying to be a married mom of two. More memoir than fiction, she spares the reader no detail, but also delves deep into her own mind to come to terms with what she's feeling and try to cope with it while raising her children. It's brutal and poetic. Emma Becker is fast becoming a major writer in France.Jacaranda - Gaël Faye (in stock)
Eight years after Petit Pays, Gaël Faye, writer and rapper from Burundi (East Africa), is finally releasing a new novel. Jacaranda is haunted by the souvenir of the Rwandan genocide (side note: Hôtel Rwanda is a must-watched if you want to learn more about this tragic event). I first heard of Gaël Faye through his great album Pili Pili sur un croissant au beurre, a celebration of multiculturalism with brilliant writing. Gaël Faye is a fan of poetry, especially the Haitian writer René Depestre. All his influences are reflected in his books. I haven't read Jacaranda yet, but it's high on my to-be-read list.Amiante - Sébastien Dulude (ordered)
Poet and editor, Sébastien Dulude oversees La Mèche, a publishing house in Québec. Amiante is his first novel. In this Tom Sawyer-style adventure, Sébastien Dulude portrays childhood with the innocence tinged with gravity, typical of those who have experienced trauma too young. Between incomprehension, guilt and the will to live, the main character tries to ride through the tragedies as he rides through the countryside on his motorcycle: at full throttle. Sébastien Dulude masters time and the quantity of emotions it contains. It’s probably the best book I have read from la rentrée littéraire so far.La route – Manu Larcenet (in stock)
Manu Larcenet is a French cartoonist. La route is an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning 2007 novel. Larcenet's work lends a terrifying aspect to this apocalyptic novel, with very little dialogue, concentrating mainly on the visual atmosphere. With grey, orange and blue tones, he has created a work of art.Pot-pourri
Below are more books that deserve your attention. Kamel Daoud’s new novel is a finalist for the Goncourt prize. Etienne Kern, whose first book was acclaimed by members of the Club des lecteurs, is also releasing a new novel.- La désinvolture est une bien belle chose – Philippe Jaenada (in stock)
- Vous êtes l’amour malheureux du Führer - Jean-Noël Orengo (in stock)
- Nord Sentinelle - Jérôme Ferrari (in stock)
- Houris – Kamel Daoud (ordered)
- La vie meilleure - Étienne Kern (ordered)
- Tombée du ciel – Alice Deverley
If you want more recommendations, feel free to drop by at the library. I’ll be happy to chat with you and help you. We are also launching our Silent Book Club in French on November 12th. Bring a book or browse our shelves and gather in the reading room for a quiet reading session followed by a chat about your reading experience.
Benoit Landon
Librarian
After studying journalism in France, Benoit began his career in Paris where he lived and worked for over a decade. In 2018, he crossed the Atlantic for a research project on a typewriter he bought at a flea market. He ended up in Hartford, Connecticut, where he met his wife by accident. Many administrative forms later, he settled in Greater Boston. As an avid reader, Benoit is delighted to be surrounded by books and to stay in touch with the French culture he loves. Come say hello at the circulation desk!
