After a long break from the project, I have finished two books for the #TranslatedLitChallenge over the past few weeks!

For the October prompt, which was to read translated horror/thriller/mystery, I read A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enriquez (tr. Megan McDowell). It was very good, just like all of the authors short story collections. I guess now I have to finally by her novel that's translated into English, though I think there's also some nonfiction of hers coming soon.

Then, I jumped back to the April prompt because I skipped that to do the May prompt many months ago and then everything went nuts. April's prompt was to read a book that had either one or was nominated for an award, so I finally started reading from the International Booker longlist for this year. Took me long enough. I just finished A Leopard-Skin Hat, which was really interesting in ways that are difficult to describe, and even though I really liked it, I'm not really sure how I feel right now.

I still have to do the prompts for June, July, August, and September + the prompt for this month, so I have no idea if I'm going to finish the whole challenge this year, but I'm going to try.

Good luck, future me 🤣

#TranslatedLit #AmReading #bookstodon

Considered making this a blog post after posting the original thread on Bluesky, but decided it's just not worth the time it would take. So a post it is!

For the past three(?) years, I've done the #TranslatedLitChallenge as a way to get myself to try out books I might not otherwise reach for. I've yet to finish it, but I got pretty close this year with 11/12 prompts completed, and I only missed it because I've been in Canada for the holidays.

Anyway, here are the books I read for the challenge and their prompts:
1. BOOK INTENDED TO READ IN 2023 - The Forest Brims Over by Mayu Ayase (tr. Haydn Trowell)

2. LESS THAN 200 PAGES - One Hundred Shadows by Hwang Jungeun (tr. Jung Yewon)

3. TRANSLATED SF - Little Mushroom: Revelations by Shisi (tr. Xia)

4. AWARD WINNER/NOMINATED - Violets by Kyung-Sook Shin (tr. Anton Hur)

5. TRANSLATED FANTASY - The Scum Villian's Self-Saving System V3 by MXTX (tr. Faelicy & Lily)

6. FROM A COUNTRY YOU WANT TO VISIT - Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck

7. RECOMMENDED BY SOMEONE - Cocoon by Zhang Yueran (tr. Jeremy Tiang)

8. BY A FEMALE AUTHOR - The Storm of Echoes by Christelle Dabos (tr. Hildegarde Serle)

9. TRANSLATED SHORT STORY/STORIES - Untold Microcosms by numerous authors (tr. numerous translators)

10. TRANSLATED HORROR/THRILLER/MYSTERY - Walking Practice by Dolki Min (tr. Victoria Caudle)

11. TRANSLATED NONFICTION - I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee (tr. Anton Hur)

#TranslatedLit #bookstodon

I feel like I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off for weeks. Time to slow down, read a book that nourishes my mind in the mental health department, and focus on myself.

This book seems like a great way to do that given the light-hearted way that it deals with often very serious topic of depression.

#KoreanLit #TranslatedLit #AmReading

Just finished reading a novel* I've had for years and now I want to go to Hakone for a vacation. I've never been to Hakone even though it isn't far, but I absolutely don't have the money to take such a trip right now lol

The book was good by the way. I recommend it.

*Inheritance from Mother by Minae Mizumura (tr. Juliet Winters Carpenter)

#JapaneseLit #TranslatedLit #AmReading

Exchange rate is really putting the pressure on when it comes to buying imported books in Tokyo these days, but I just had to put up Anton Hur's debut novel and his latest translation. Ended up getting some other Korean books in translation too that I'm very excited to eventually read.

#KoreanLit #TranslatedLit #BookHaul

Posting in various places remains tedious, but there are some bookish people here that I like, so double posting it is.

Read this book after it was announced as part of the International Booker 2024 shortlist. Given the generally dark content, it feels odd to say I enjoyed it, but I really did. The episodic format really made the heaviness more approachable and real.

Content warnings for suicide and depression for anybody interested though.

#TranslatedLit #InternationalBooker #InTranslation

Forgot to report my translation challenge book for March (it was Little Mushroom V2 by Shishi, tr. Xia), but I finished my April book last week, so better post here before I forget.

Violets was devastating in such a casual way that I'm frankly alarmed. How could anyone read as calmly as I did? It's shocking and makes the devastation all the greater by proving its own unspoken thesis. I remain very disturbed.

#TranslatedLitChallenge #TranslatedLit #KoreanLit