Fireplace? Lit. Tea? Steeped. Book? You just have to choose. Here’s a perfect (and non-exhaustive) reading list to spend your afternoons curled up by the fire.
Cover photo: Ioann-Mark Kuznietsov
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
It’s rare to come across a book that you just can’t put down. In her latest novel, the Irish author forges ties between two brothers, Ivan and Peter, both shaken up by their father’s death. Page after page, she delves into the characters’ complexity with her own ultra-precise complexity. No wonder she’s such a hit with both the public and the press.
Photo: @sandy.epub
Houris by Kamel Daoud
Winner of the Prix Goncourt 2024, this powerful and heartrending tale looks back on the dark years of the Algerian Civil War. We follow Aube, who tells her life story to the child in her womb, so as never to forget. With this emancipated flow of words, Kamel Daoud unfurls a historic fresco that leaves a lasting impression.
Photo: @sophielitdeslivres
Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh
Every once in a while, you get to the end of a book and … wonder what you just read. Some see this as a lost opportunity, but, for others, it’s not exactly a problem. Case in point: this medieval fable, which defies every rule of contemporary life and makes no attempt to follow real historical details. But none of that matters. The novel follows the characters of a small village over the course of four seasons. An immersion in a world that is fantastic, macabre, horrific, funny, pathetic and extremely disturbing … All that rolled into one.
Photo: @bookxchild
L’arabe du futur : moi Fadi, le frère volé by Riad Sattouf
Riad Sattouf continues to immerse his readers in the world of The Arab of the Future with a new volume that could be translated as “I, Fadi, the Stolen Brother”. This time, he turns the spotlight on his brother Fadi. After a childhood in Brittany, his brother was kidnapped by their father and taken to Syria – an unknown land for him. A powerful graphic novel that’s already on the bookshelves of readers in the know.
Photo: @violette_ebep
Flush: A Biography by Virginia Woolf
Have you ever read the biography of a dog? No? Well, here’s your chance. Flush is none other than Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s cocker spaniel. By studying the famous poet’s poems and letters, Virginia Woolf was able to retrace the history and daily life of this irresistibly endearing dog. A humorous book, but also a subtle criticism of London life during the Victorian era.
Photo: American Vintage
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.