Review

Jesse Q. Sutanto is no stranger to blending genres: From murder mystery romantic comedy “Dial A for Aunties” to the cozy and humorous “Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers,” Sutanto skillfully crafts fun and charismatic stories that leave you both in suspense and with a good laugh. She … [Read more...]

I’m determined to finish my Around the World in 80 Books reading challenge this year, and yes, I did say that last year too   It has got more challenging as time has gone on because I’m dependent on what has been translated, so I was delighted to find Indonesian writer Intan Paramaditha included in … [Read more...]

All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. But that is only the tip of the iceberg. Malam Seribu Jahanam, Intan Paramaditha’s second novel after the critically acclaimed Gentayangan in 2017 (published as The Wandering in English translation in 2020) is … [Read more...]

I moved to Asia and the third book I have reviewed from Indonesia. This time, it is published by one of my favourite publishers, Archieplago Books. Their books are just lovely. So, when I saw this a while ago, it was one I had to buy from them. Felix Nesi is from West Timor. The book looks back at … [Read more...]

It can be hard to read without projecting a use function onto a piece of writing—perhaps inevitable, since most literature is subject to market forces. Even the self-declared aesthete wants something: an encounter with the sublime, or an escape from utilitarianism. I’m drawn to Bruno Latour’s notion … [Read more...]