You don’t need a reason to curl up for a read. But if we had to come up with one, we think that warmer weather and longer days is a pretty good start. The perfect conditions for settling down in the sun with a good book.
Cover photo: Ioann-Mark Kuznietsov
“All Fours” by Miranda July
What kind of life would you be leading if you really listened to the little voice in your head? American author Miranda July goes some way to providing an answer with All Fours, in which we follow a slightly eccentric woman in her forties on a quest for freedom, both professional and personal. A book that reads like an adventure novel, driven by a sharp, almost unsettling sense of humor.
All Fours, a book by Miranda July, is published by Riverhead Books.
Photo: @emsrecentlyred
“Heart Lamp” by Banu Mushtaq
In these twelve short stories, author Banu Mushtaq explores the daily lives of the women and young girls from a Muslim community in southern India. These touching family portraits also highlight the tensions that can arise between the younger generation and their sometimes more conservative elders.
Heart Lamp, a collection of short stories by Banu Mushtaq.
Photo: @karosreads
“Convent Wisdom” by Ana Garriga and Carmen Urbita
There’s no better time than spring to engage in a little self-reflection. In a book that’s both funny and smart, Garriga and Urbita invite us to compare our modern-day problems (think: work stress, self-enforced diets, arguments with friends) with those faced by 16th and 17th-century nuns. As the subtitle of the book suggests, their advice could well help us to survive our times.
Convent Wisdom, a book by Ana Garriga and Carmen Urbita, published by Bloomsbury.
“Perfections” by Vincenzo Latronico
Readable in a single sitting, this novel sees the author delve into the expat lifestyle, and the disillusionment that can come with it. A book that doesn’t shy away from exposing the characters’ contradictions, all while adopting an almost entomological perspective on a certain generation (millennials, we’re looking at you).
Perfection, a novel by Vincenzo Latronico, translated into English by Sophie Hughes and published by Fitzcarraldo editions.
Photo: @erwandesplanques
“L’appel des odeurs” by Ryoko Sekiguchi
In this essay that reads more like a collection, the author offers up a journal of scents, an exploration made through dreamlike stories and tales, without ever knowing whether any of it is biographical or not. A sensory journey to savor, from the very first days of warm weather.
L’appel des odeurs, a text by Ryoko Sekiguchi published by P.O.L., not yet available in English.
Photo: @matinlecture
AMV Journal is a space dedicated to encounters, discovery and travel. Every week, explore the musts, portraits and inspirations of American Vintage and its creation studio.