Books & Literature

Books & Literature

BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / Rediscovering reading How ‘Fragments of Riversong’ helped me heal

Harvard killed my love for reading. When my advisor took me out for a celebratory dinner an hour after my doctoral defense in July 2012, I struggled to read the menu.

BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / Murakami and the limits of an artist’s imagination

Haruki Murakami’s The City and Its Uncertain Walls, its English translation published last November, plunges the reader into a kind of metaphysical vertigo that never reaches a concluding synthesis.

BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / A novel’s wry exploration of nostalgia, growth, and the baggage we carry

In Good Material, Dolly Alderton uses her sharp humor and keen observations to explore the challenges of adulthood.

BOOK REVIEW: GRAPHIC NOVEL / 'Deadly Class': A raw, rebellious dive into the chaos of youth

Review of ‘Deadly Class’ (first published in 2014 by Image Comic), created and written by Rick Remender

2w ago

BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / Shards of clarity

Beginning to read Fine Gråbøl’s What Kingdom, translated from the Danish by Martin Aitkin, is like sitting in a silent room, alone, and a voice begins to speak as though from beside you.

2w ago

BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / Accounts of a joyless life

Izumi Suzuki was little known outside of Japan during her short lifetime. The Japanese author and actress had remained a cult figure most of her life.

2w ago

EVENT REPORT / ‘A tested language of time’: Mozid Mahmud’s Memorial Club sees virtual launch

On January 11, 2025, the online book launch of writer and poet Mozid Mahmud’s first novel, 'Memorial Club', was held

2w ago

EVENT REPORT / ‘Trigger Warning: Dark Romance’: Exploring the world of dark tropes and taboo with Sister Library

On January 11, Sister Library with Bookworm Bangladesh, organised the event with the intent of fostering discussions around dark romance, erotic literature, and everything in between

3w ago

BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / The apocalypse is already here

From A Handmaid’s Tale (McClelland and Stewart, 1985) to The Hunger Games (Scholastic, 2008),

3w ago

BOOK REVIEW: NONFICTION / Behind the screens: Unpacking the power of Bangladeshi TV ads

Consuming advertisements on television is a fixture of modern life—we are constantly aware when watching TV that we can buy more things, be better looking, have more fun, and treat ourselves to more.

3w ago

THE SHELF / 5 books to read while you’re sick

With cold waves sweeping the country, many of us have already succumbed to illnesses. For this list, we’ve compiled 5 books you could curl up with while on a sickbed

4w ago

Violence, justice, and the aunties in between: Discussing the “intimacies of violence”

The Book Talk discussing Nadine Murshid’s new book was arranged by Bookworm Bangladesh on January 2, 2025

1m ago

Through folklore and fantasy: An ode to Bangla mythological characters

The book invites you to revel in the world of legends, to dream as you once did as a child.

1m ago

For the Curious Writer: Writing tips for the New Year

As 2025 rolls around, spelling yet another year of reading about writing and writing about reading, we asked the Star Books and Literature family to share their top writing tips for our readers.

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‘Bangladesh: A Legacy of Blood’ is a flawed but essential critique of the founding fathers of our nation

Review of ‘Bangladesh: A Legacy of Blood’ (Hodder and Stoughton, 1986) by Anthony Mascarenhas

1m ago

Bishwo Shahitto Kendro's mobile libraries on temporary halt

The mobile libraries will resume operating, serving readers again from February 1, 2025

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The role of women’s agency in transforming Bangladesh from a basket case into a beacon of progress

Review of ‘Renegotiating Patriarchy’ (LSE Press, 2024) by Naila Kabeer

1m ago

Translating magic: Netflix’s bold journey to bring Macondo to life

Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude (originally published in 1967) has long been heralded as a masterpiece of magical realism and a cornerstone of Latin American literature.

1m ago

2024: The year of literature in translation

Starting from comfort reads to kicking-my-feet-giggling romance to stimulating memoirs, there is a little bit for everyone from every country, including the vast South Asia. Here we have accumulated a few titles to give you an overview of all the translated works published this year. 

1m ago

Fascism, propaganda, and resistance: ‘Wicked’ as a mirror to our times

The basic premise is a powerful one: What if the Wicked Witch of the West wasn't so bad after all, and what if the Wizard and the seemingly perfect society he oversaw were the real threats?

1m ago

Redefining aviation safety culture

Research on Aviation Safety: Safety is a Mindset by Air Commodore Munim Khan Majlish is a fresh look at the concept of aviation safety challenging standard ideas about safety.

1m ago