What are you reading? "There Are Rivers in the Sky" by Elif Shafak

Noelia's contribution 

The Book

Amazon

There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak is a novel that follows three characters: Arthur, Narin, and Zaleekhah. They each live in a different time and place, but somehow, their stories are all connected by a single raindrop.

Through their stories, we travel from ancient Mesopotamia and the creation of one of the world’s first libraries, to nineteenth-century London and the Tigris River in 2014. It’s a journey through different places, cultures, religions, and moments in history, all beautifully woven together.

What I particularly loved about this novel is how many different themes it explores. Shafak touches on postpartum depression, the preservation of culture and religion through oral storytelling, the atrocities committed by ISIS in Iraq in 2014, slavery, human trafficking, and the trafficking of human organs. Despite covering such difficult and varied subjects, the story never feels like a list of historical events or social issues. Everything is woven naturally into the characters’ lives and their stories, making these themes feel deeply personal and human.

Elif Shafak’s writing is absolutely beautiful. While reading this novel, I sometimes felt like I wasn’t really reading a book at all, but rather listening to someone tell me their own story, the legends of their culture and religion, their memories, and the disappointment that comes from the actions and choices of someone you love.

I kept trying to find something I didn’t like about this book, but honestly, I couldn’t. It has been one of the best books I’ve read this year. There were chapters I desperately wanted to know how the story would end, but the closer I got to the end, the more I didn’t want to go any further because I was afraid the magic would disappear.

It’s a fairly long novel, around 400 pages, but I honestly didn’t mind. I strongly recommend giving this book a chance. It’s a beautiful, moving, and unforgettable journey.

The Author

Wikipedia

Elif Shafak is a Turkish-British novelist, essayist, and one of the most widely read contemporary writers. Born in Strasbourg, France, in 1971, she grew up in Turkey and has lived in several countries, experiences that have strongly influenced her writing.

She writes in both Turkish and English and often explores themes such as identity, migration, culture, religion, women’s rights, and the connections between East and West. Her novels blend history, mythology, and personal stories, often giving a voice to characters from different cultures and backgrounds.

Shafak is the author of numerous internationally acclaimed novels, including The Bastard of Istanbul, The Forty Rules of Love, 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World, and The Island of Missing Trees. Her work has been translated into many languages and has received numerous literary awards and nominations.

What are you reading? "We Spread" by Lain Raid

 Noelia's contribution

The Book

I'm torn between recommending We Spread by Iain Reid or not.

Amazon

The novel follows Penny, an elderly woman who lives alone in her apartment, surrounded by countless handwritten notes that help her remember what she is increasingly forgetting. After an accident, she is moved to a care home, setting the stage for a story that is as unsettling as it is thought-provoking.

The novel is divided into three parts. The first was, without a doubt, my favourite. Reid gives Penny the space to reflect on her youth, her marriage, and the life she has lived, while gradually revealing the extent of her cognitive decline. It's clear that she needs help, yet she fiercely resists the idea of losing her independence. These opening chapters are both moving and deeply human.

The second part explores an especially sensitive subject: the experience of being uprooted because of dementia. Reid brilliantly captures the confusion, fear, and grief of being forced to leave behind the home that holds a lifetime of memories in exchange for an unfamiliar place where others insist you'll be better cared for. Through Penny's eyes, the care home feels alien, even threatening. Everyday routines become oppressive, the constant supervision feels suffocating, and strange events begin to unfold that she cannot make sense of. At the same time, she forms unexpected friendships, leading to thoughtful conversations about life, time, memory, and what gives our existence meaning. This section was easily the highlight of the novel for me.

Unfortunately, the third part didn't work nearly as well. It tries to sustain the novel's growing sense of mystery and unease, but the suspense gradually loses its impact, and I found the ending far more predictable than I had hoped. Rather than deepening the story's emotional core, the narrative leans more heavily into psychological horror, and for me, it never fully succeeds.

Overall, We Spread offers a compelling and deeply empathetic portrayal of dementia from the perspective of the person experiencing it. Its greatest strength lies in showing how frightening and disorienting it is to lose not only your memories, but also your home, your independence, and your sense of self. While the novel occasionally loses its way in its attempt to become a work of psychological horror, it remains an insightful and emotionally resonant exploration of ageing, memory, and identity.

The Author

Simon & Schuster - Ian Reid

Iain Reid is a Canadian novelist, screenwriter, and former journalist best known for blending psychological suspense with literary fiction. Before turning to novels, he worked as a columnist and nonfiction writer, experiences that sharpened his keen observational style and interest in the complexities of human behavior.

He made his fiction debut with I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2016), an acclaimed psychological novel that was later adapted into a film by director Charlie Kaufman. Reid followed it with Foe (2018), a haunting exploration of identity, relationships, and technology, which was also adapted for the screen. With We Spread (2022), he shifted his focus to aging, memory, and dementia, crafting a deeply unsettling novel that examines the fragility of perception and the fear of losing one's sense of self.

Across all his work, Reid has established a distinctive voice characterized by sparse, elegant prose, slow-burning psychological tension, and stories that blur the line between reality and imagination, inviting readers to question both the narrator's perspective and their own assumptions.

What are you reading? "Sunrise on the Reaping" by Suzanne Collins

 Noelia's contribution

The book

Amazon

I return to the world of The Hunger Games with Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, this time following Haymitch Abernathy twenty-five years before he becomes the mentor we know from the original trilogy.

At first, I expected this book to feel very similar to the previous novels, and in some ways it does. However, Collins introduces new layers that make the story stand out. The novel explores the manipulation of the media in the service of the government, as well as the use of fear and emotional coercion to control the population. These themes feel especially relevant and add depth to the narrative beyond the action and survival elements.

That said, the book is not without its flaws. Some chapters felt slow and, at times, fairly predictable, which affected the pacing for me.

Despite this, I would still recommend it. Beyond expanding the history of Panem and giving me a deeper understanding of Haymitch, the novel raises thought-provoking moral questions about resistance, sacrifice, and the price of fighting against an oppressive regime. One question stayed with me long after I finished the book: how much would you be willing to lose to bring down a dictatorship?

Overall, Sunrise on the Reaping is a worthwhile addition to the series, offering both an engaging story and plenty of food for thought.

The Author

Amazon

Suzanne Collins is an American author best known for writing The Hunger Games series, one of the most successful young adult dystopian franchises of all time. Before becoming a novelist, she worked as a writer for children's television programs. Her books are praised for combining fast-paced storytelling with thought-provoking themes such as war, political oppression, media manipulation, and social inequality. Since the publication of The Hunger Games in 2008, Collins has become one of the most influential contemporary authors in young adult literature.

What are you reading? "Born a Crime" by Trevor Noah

 Ana Melendo's contribution

The Book

Amazon

Through this book, we discover the History of South Africa during and just after apartheid. There is also the story of people, so many and so different. And eventually, of some persons leaving around the protagonist, emphasising the figure of the mother.  The book relates very well the complexity of the relations between different communities. 

Through this biography we understand quite well life after the end of apartheid. It’s at the same time a scathing portrait of South Africa and a magnificent story of filial love. And what’s more, it is written in a very clear style.

It would be a pleasure for me to talk about this book if anyone else read it.

And thank you to Marta who recommend it in our last meeting!

Ana Melendo

The Author

Amazon

Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, writer, television host, and political commentator. Born in Johannesburg in 1984 during the apartheid era, he grew up in a society deeply divided by race. His unique background and sharp observational humor helped him build a successful career in stand-up comedy, first in South Africa and later on the international stage.

A major turning point in Noah’s career was the publication of Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood in 2016. The memoir takes its title from the fact that his birth was technically illegal under apartheid laws because his mother was Black and his father was White. The book combines personal stories, humor, and social commentary, earning widespread critical acclaim and becoming an international bestseller.

The success of Born a Crime greatly expanded Noah’s global reputation, establishing him not only as a comedian but also as a respected author and storyteller.