2021 started on a good note in the book industry, with publishers bringing intriguing new releases to their readers. Romance lovers, historic novel enthusiasts or psychological thriller fans have a lot to choose from.
Karin Lednická: Šikmý kostel 2 ("Leaning Church")
We've already introduced last year’s sensation, Leaning Church, in a previous article. Czech author Karin Lednická and her chronicle got into the hearts of many, and these hearts shall rejoice once again, for January of this year has brought them a sequel.
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Karin Lednická u kostelaSource: Alexandr Satinský / MAFRA / Profimedia
Leaning Church 2 picks up where the first book ended. The chronicle keeps following the same main heroes, this time in newly established Czechoslovakia. Just like the previous part, the sequel is based on real events and should be sought after not only by the author’s fans, but also by anyone who loves a genuine historic novel that you just can’t put down.
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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Half of a Yellow Sun
Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is relatively well known in the Czech Republic, mainly thanks to her book Americanah, which was translated into Czech in 2017 and which deals with love and racial issues.
The new edition of her novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, takes readers to a war setting, right inside a story of love and hate. Half of a Yellow Sun starts slowly, with strong opposites further intensified by the book’s decelerated pace. The author describes both luxurious and common life during the Nigerian-Biafran War, a civil conflict. Biafra uses the rising sun as its emblem, a symbol that also gave the book its name. In this story the reader follows the fates of some very different characters, all of them intrinsically connected with Biafra, where they face constant threats and a steadily deteriorating situation. As it happens with all war conflicts, each hero will have to choose between family, love and politics.
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Žena s knihou v ruceSource: Pixabay.com/ThoughtCatalog
Brian Freeman: Thief River Falls
American author Brian Freeman is another well-known name in Czech reader circles. Many took a liking to his books such as The Night Bird, The Voice Inside or the thriller The Crooked Street. Now the author comes with a psychological thriller called Thief River Falls. This chilling story tells of an author of a bestselling thriller Thief River Falls, who lost almost everyone she cared about in an extremely short time. At the moment she’s living somewhere in the woods, all alone, until one day a boy turns up at her door, allegedly being chased by someone. But who? And why? That’s up to the readers to find out for themselves. But one thing is clear to the main heroine. The boy's story matches the story of her protagonist alarmingly.
Ian McEwan: Machines Like Me
British author Ian McEwan probably needs no introduction. In the Czech translation we've seen almost two dozen of his titles. Among his most famous works are, for example, the cinematized novel Atonement, On Chesil Beach or The Cement Garden.
His newest book has the title of Machines Like Me and tells a story set in the Great Britain in the ‘80s, with a role reserved for the artificial intelligence. The AI’s inability to understand any form of lie gets the author deep into a conflict between artificial intelligence and love as such.
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Žena s knihouSource: Pixabay.com/Pezibear
Rachel Winters: Would Like to Meet
The first months of this year brought Czech readers a novel from British author Rachel Winters. Every romantic soul, reminiscing blockbusters such as When Harry Met Sally or anything featuring Hugh Grant with a tear in their eye should take note.
Would Like to Meet is a romantic comedy asking a very special question. Can a common person fall in love in the same way as they do in movies? The protagonist just moved to London and started working for a film and television agency going slowly, but steadily out of business. Therefore, she has one single goal: to get her client to finish his script. And what’s a better way to persuade him than starting to meet random men the exact same way it happens in famous movies. Would Like to Meet is a book fit for every romance and light literature fan.
As the British writer Rachel Winters says in her novel Would Like to Meet:
"In order to get where you need to be, sometimes you have to take baby steps. But you have to be willing to seize your opportunity as well."
