Expand Your Shelf 2024: April Edition

Hello, readers! I’m back again with two new “Expand Your Shelf” prompts for you to explore:

Read a book that has been translated from another language.

I enjoy that translations bring new opportunities to explore and experience other countries and cultures. It’s armchair traveling at its finest!  

Some of my favorite translated works have been the literary, coming-of-age stories like Notes of a Crocodile by Miaojin Qiu, Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove, a contemporary novel about a grumpy older man who clashes with his neighbors, and the thriller detective novels The Harry Hole Series by Jo Nesbo.  

For this challenge, I read Red Queen by Juan Gomez-Jurado, a Spanish author and journalist whose works have been translated into 40 languages. This murder thriller introduces us to Antonia Scott, a ‘red queen’ for a covert organization. Scott has a genius mind and a talent for reconstructing and solving the most difficult crimes. The red queen is coaxed out of retirement by Detective Gutierrez, a disgraced police officer looking to save his career if only he can solve a high-profile murder and kidnapping—lots of plot twists and fast-paced chapters.  Red Queen was recently adapted into a limited-run series by Amazon. 

For more great translated works, check out Kayla’s (Platte City Branch) list of books that are  translated from another language. 

Read a book that consists of poetry, short stories, or essays.

Essays: The expression of unique thoughts and perspectives
Short stories: Where every word counts
Poetry: The lyrical rhythm and flow of emotion!

How do you choose which one to indulge in? 

For this prompt, I picked  I Sing to Use the Waiting: A Collection of Essays About the Women Singers Who've Made Me Who I Am by Zachary Pace. The cover was what first caught my attention. (Hmm…spoiler, that’s an upcoming prompt!) The blank cassette tape on the front reminded me of creating mix tapes and the ones I wore out with my constant playing. It’s a perfect analogy for this book’s theme. It’s laid out as if it were a mix tape, exploring and analyzing how the music of women and nonbinary musicians have helped play a role in shaping someone’s personal identity. 

Check out more options by Angie (Reader Services Library): Read a Book of Short Stories, Poetry, or Essays. 

See you in May for two new prompts to explore!

Happy Reading!
Lisa P.
Reader Engagement Department