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Mandarin translation wins big as Taiwan Travelogue takes International Booker Prize
Taiwan Travelogue, by Yang Shuang-zi with Lin King’s English translation, won the International Booker Prize — the first Mandarin Chinese work to win. The novel follows two women on a 1930s culinary tour of Taiwan under Japanese rule, framed as a rediscovered travel memoir with fictional footnotes, and it explores love, culture, colonial history, and power. The win underscores the vital role of translation in literature; King’s English translation had already won the National Book Award for Translated Literature in 2024, and Yang’s Mandarin edition won Taiwan’s Golden Tripod Award in 2021. The £50,000 prize will be split between the author and the translator.

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Famous Buildings Featured in Popular Books
This article presents a quiz about notable buildings that inspired authors and feature in their novels, including locations like Belle da Costa Greene's workplace, a hotel in 'Death in Venice,' the House of the Seven Gables, a historic fort in Ghana, and a building by Mies van der Rohe that inspired a fictional house.

The Ten Year Affair: A Relatable Midlife Adultery Tale
Erin Somers's novel 'The Ten Year Affair' humorously explores the midlife longing and moral rigidity of a millennial couple in New York, highlighting their decade-long fantasies about an affair that ultimately reveals their emotional stagnation and societal pressures, all wrapped in sharp wit and keen social observation.

Surprising Advantages of Random Reading
The author shares how embracing random, uncurated reading has expanded their literary horizons, improved their writing, and fostered a more diverse and authentic relationship with books, moving beyond hype and marketing-driven choices to discover unexpected and enriching stories.

Top Books and Albums to Kick Off 2025
The article reviews notable books from 2025, including a history of the 1929 Wall Street crash, a biography of Joan Crawford, and a memoir by Cameron Crowe, highlighting the year's significant literary works.

Top Anticipated Books to Watch for in 2026
Barnes & Noble released its most anticipated books for 2026 across various categories, highlighting titles like George Saunders' 'Vigil' and Tayari Jones' 'Kin', along with debut novels and collections. The article also discusses American reading habits in 2025, revealing that the median number of books read was two, and shares cultural moments like Zohran Mamdani's swearing-in with a Qur'an from the Schomburg Center. Additionally, it reviews popular literary activism stories from 2025, organized by themes.

Exploring Thomas Mann's Writing of The Magic Mountain
Morten Høi Jensen's book offers an accessible overview of Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain, highlighting Mann's contradictions and the novel's significance in modernist literature, while also exploring how the author's personal and political shifts influenced the work.

Novel Inspired by Real Treasure Hunt Sheds Light on the American West
Inspired by the real-life treasure hunt of Forrest Fenn, Kathleen Boland's novel 'Scavengers' explores the complex relationships between a mother and daughter as they search for a hidden treasure in the American West, revealing deeper themes of myth, control, and humility.

Black Library Announces 2025 Book of the Year Winners
The Black Library Book of the Year 2025 was won by John French’s 'Dropsite Massacre,' a compelling retelling of a pivotal Horus Heresy event, with other notable entries including works by Dan Abnett and Mike Brooks. The event showcased a variety of stories from the Warhammer universe, highlighting the year's top releases and setting the stage for 2026's upcoming titles.

Book Club Discusses 'What We Can Know'
Ian McEwan's novel 'What We Can Know' is a multifaceted work blending science fiction, mystery, and literary exploration, praised as one of his best recent works, examining themes of climate catastrophe, history, and personal relationships.

‘Hamnet’ Adaptation and Success Highlighting Shakespeare’s Legacy
The audiobook of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel 'Hamnet' narrates the poignant story of Agnes Hathaway, wife of William Shakespeare, and their grief over their son Hamnet’s death, highlighting themes of love, loss, and family through a sensitive narration by Jessie Buckley.