“On the Radar” provides small incidental rundowns on books which I’ve discovered, but haven’t yet purchased. These are titles that I’ve either added to my wishlist or am keeping a close eye on, with a view to adding them. In addition, these are books which I feel may be of some interest to fellow readers, and I welcome feedback as always, on your own opinions and thoughts on the listed titles – especially if you’ve already had the pleasure of reading them.
Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada [ISBN: 9781846140822] – This is Penguin’s newly released, first time in English translation of Hans Fallada’s 1947 anti-fascist novel Jeder stirbt für sich allein, which is also being released in the US by MelvilleHouse Publishing under the title of Every Man Dies Alone [ISBN: 978-1-933633-63-3]. The story centres on a Berlin couple’s resistance against Nazism during the Second World War. Their resolution to promote opposition to Hitler is discovered and a game of cat and mouse begins with the ‘cat’ being the formidable Gestapo. Holocaust survivor and eminent writer Primo Levi called this novel “the greatest book ever written about German resistance to the Nazis” , and if that isn’t endorsement enough I don’t know what is. :: source of discovery [Penguin Classics website]
Drown by Junot Diaz [ISBN: 0571244971] – I discovered this short story anthology while researching Diaz’s more familiar novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. When reviewers say things such as ‘Diaz is one of the best writers of short stories that I know of. Every one of these stories takes you in and makes you feel every emotion for the main characters” and “ten intensely personal vignettes of life”, you can be sure my interest will be piqued, and with regards to this anthology it certainly is. :: source of discovery [Amazon UK *non-affiliate link*]
Guernica by Dave Boling [ISBN: 978-0330460651] – A novel in the first place has to be good of course, but it often helps when the author is equally appealing too. I’ve heard a lot of good stuff about Guernica over the past few weeks, so it’s been hovering just outside my radar for a while now. However it finally became a definite addition to my ‘to buy’ list when I read just how humble, considerate and down-to-earth its author Dave Boling is, in a recent interview on the Picador blog. :: source of discovery [Picador blog]
About Rob
Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another's skin, another's voice, another's soul" - 
I really do prefer the direct translation of the Hans Fallada title that Melville House are going with. That said, it didn’t stop me picking up the book when it came out.