Hi! Welcome to Vastela Bookclub Recommendations. In these pages, I will try to summarize our book recommendations dating back to 2023, when we first started hosting a weekly book club on Mondays @ 7 pm. These recommendations come from our book club attendees—people from all cultures and interested in all types of books. Therefore, you will find a variety of old and new books, originally published in any language, ranging from fiction to non-fiction. Hope you enjoy our recommendations as I try to do my best to recall what our book club attendees said about all these books!
What I Loved by Siri Hustvedt - For this one, it is easy to recall what was said because I brought it myself. I remember very well reading it on a trip to Iceland just after I discovered the author. It is a fantastic book of fiction by Hustvedt (who is the author of several works of non-fiction). Highly recommend to anyone looking for deep characters and topics of art, family, friendship, and tumultuous relationships. Hustvedt writes beautifully and shines a devastatingly raw light on what it means to love.
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides - I remember distinctly (although it has been almost 2 years) that the person who brought this book said the first page of The Virgin Suicides was the best first page they ever read. I personally am a big fan of Middlesex by the same author but never read this one. The Virgin Suicides is a coming-of-age thriller novel that explores the lives of sisters through the eyes of the neighborhood boys and approaches topics of suicide, death's impact on people, and obsession—all wrapped in a dreamlike style of writing.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - This one is a hard book to recommend since it is so polarizing. Since the summer of '23, when it first showed up at our book club, it has been brought many times and the reviews are always a coin toss. The premise is intriguing (in my opinion): a woman goes into a magical library and there gets to relive multiple parallel lives that could all have happened had she made different life choices. The reality is that this book has very strong themes of mental health and suicide ideation, and the tone of the book and the character of our protagonist do not always connect with all readers. That being said, tread carefully. My suggestion is that you buy it second-hand (shameless!) so if you hate it... you didn't spend too much money on it.
Bird Box by Josh Malerman - Ok, I am starting to think my memory is quite good... because I also remember distinctly that the person who brought this book said they read it over the weekend when it was raining and the vibes were just right. I have not personally read this one but watched the movie (it's on Netflix) and really enjoyed it. Highly recommend this one to fans of horror and sci-fi who are looking for a rainy day scary read. There is something out there, and if you look at it, you will be so terrified that you will end your own life and take all around it with you....
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - You can safely read anything by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (I think most people's favorite is Half of a Yellow Sun), including her new book Dream Country. But you should know none of her books are easy to digest. Purple Hibiscus, in particular, explores the life of a Nigerian teenager who struggles with her relationship with her hyper-religious and abusive father. Highly recommend if you want to read about family, Nigerian culture and colonial effects, and are comfortable with topics of violence, oppression, and religious fanaticism.
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou - As the only non-fiction of the day, Bad Blood tells the real story of a multi-billion-dollar startup and the horrible lies that led to the conviction of Elizabeth Holmes. If you are looking for a story so shocking you will think it is fiction (and will end up in the rabbit hole Googling all about it), look no further. Carreyrou has done beautiful investigative work and tells us all in this gripping book.
with much love from your only Zürich-based second-hand bookstore,
Ana