From unsettling fiction and inventive memoirs to boundary-pushing literary experiments, these are the books Team Service95 are diving into in June. Take them to the beach, read them on your commute or lose yourself in them on a quiet evening at home. Wherever you turn the pages, expect to come out the other side seeing things a little differently.
The Must-Read Short Story Collection
Good And Evil And Other Stories by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell
Fans of Argentinian author Samanta Schweblin will be delighted with this collection of short stories, her third to be translated into English. While her full-length debut Fever Dream read like a tautly paced short story, these thematically linked stories have the propulsion of a really gripping novel. The trademarks of Samanta’s previous work are all there – stories that are haunting, disturbing, and deeply affecting, grounded in domestic life at the same time as occupying a suspended otherworldly realm. Beautifully translated by Megan McDowell.
The Music Memoir
Tonight The Music Seems So Loud by Sathnam Sanghera
What is the author of a serious history tome like Empireland doing writing about George Michael? That’s just one of the contradictions that makes this book by Sathnam Sanghera such an intriguing read. As one of the biggest pop stars ever, George makes a fascinating study: a chubby teenager who transformed himself into one of the most desired men on the planet; an apparently heterosexual idol who in reality was a lifelong avid gay cruiser; an unapproachable megastar hidden behind aviator sunglasses who answered his own front door in London’s Highgate, and walked his dogs in the local park.
Sathnam’s lifelong love for George’s work, his appreciation of the man’s genius songwriting and soulful voice shines through in this book, as does Michael’s own eloquence and humour. Ultimately, George Michael was consumed by fame and addiction, and his fate contains lessons for us all – themes that Sathnam writes about with compassion and profound humanity – whether you love him or not.
The Translated Fiction
A Girl Left The Room by Ulrikka S Gernes, translated by Caroline Waight
Blending poetic reflection with sharp honesty, A Girl Left The Room recounts the story of Danish poet Tanja Kjersgaard as she looks back on a formative and unsettling relationship from her teenage years. It begins with her adolescent fascination with an older family friend and follows how admiration and desire are gradually shaped into a harmful relationship marked by control and exploitation. Years later, as she revisits old letters, Tanja comes to terms with what really happened and begins to reclaim her own story.
The Literary Brainteaser
Short Circuit by Wolf Haas, translated by Jamie Bulloch
With its playful structure and mind-bending design, Short Circuit is a brilliantly inventive, puzzle-like novel that plays with form and perception. Two parallel narratives unfold: Franz Escher, waiting for an electrician, and Elio Russo, a mafia informant entering witness protection. Each reads about the other, their stories mirroring and gradually intersecting in unexpected ways. Structured like an MC Escher optical illusion, the novel twists detective fiction into something playful, self-referential and surprising. It is an exhilarating literary experiment that ultimately brings both narratives together in a satisfying resolution.
The Revolutionary Read
Dangerous, Dirty, Violent And Young by Zayd Ayers Dohrn
This is a gripping memoir by Zayd Ayers Dohrn that blends family history with political reckoning. Born to fugitive revolutionaries linked to the Weather Underground, Zayd explores a childhood shaped by secrecy, idealism, and danger. Through vivid storytelling, he examines the legacy of 1960s activism, the costs of political violence, and the complex bonds between parents and children. Thought-provoking and deeply personal, the book raises enduring questions about justice, radicalism, and how individuals seek to change the world.
The Stellar Debut
It Comes In Waves by Rukky Brume
In this new debut from #Merky Books, Onome returns to Nigeria after her father’s sudden death for his funeral, where everything she thought she knew is shaken by unexpected revelations. As she works through grief, family tensions, and questions about the man she thought her father was, deeper truths start to surface. Richly drawn and emotionally resonant, it marks the arrival of an exciting new literary voice.
