Book cover of Italian Shoes

Book description

From the prizewinning "master of atmosphere" (Boston Globe) comes the surprising and affecting story of a man well past middle age who suddenly finds himself on the threshold of renewal.

Living on a tiny island entirely surrounded by ice during the long winter months, Fredrik Welin is so lost to…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Italian Shoes as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This novel explores the world of a surgeon who has spent 12 years in self-imposed isolation, and describes what propels him back into human connection. Some Amazon reviewers slammed the book as “sad and depressing,” or said it was full of “pathetically dysfunctional people.” They must have been extroverts, unable to emphathize with someone who had separated from society. I found the book touching, relatable, and uplifting. The author is famous for writing the Wallender detective series, but this is a stand-alone volume.

From Marcia's list on overlooked stories about introverts.

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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

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