Jonah and His Daughter by Ioana Pârvulescu, translated from Romanian by Alistair Ian Blyth. The Biblical story of Jonah forms the core of a complex, magical multi-generational story. This is only the second of Pârvulescu's novels to be translated into English (the first, Life Begins on Friday, is another favourite). We need more!
Voice of the Fish by Lars Horn. This collection of captivating essays ranges from natural and cultural history, to the author's childhood with their eccentric and sometimes brutal artist mother, to their experiences navigating the world as a transmasc non-binary person. Sometimes delightful, sometimes upsetting, always fascinating.
On Chapel Sands by Laura Cumming. I bought this after loving another of of Cumming's books, Thunderclap. Its narrative style is different, but the story of Cumming's mother's brief kidnap as a toddler and the mystery surrounding it reads like a novel. Cumming writes with compassion for all her characters, however flawed.
Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati. A riveting retelling of the Greek myth from the (anti-)heroine's point of view. I've pre-ordered Casati's next book, Babylonia.
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals by J.R. Pick, translated from Czech by Alex Zucker. A sassy, funny, bawdy novel set in - yes - the last days of the Terezin concentration camp, based on the author's childhood experience.
This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen by Tadeusz Borowski, translated from Polish by Barbara Vedder. Another mix of horror and black humour in this classic collection of short stories from a former political prisoner in Auschwitz.
Flaws of Nature by Andy Dobson. It's refreshing to read a popular science book where the science starts on page 1. Dobson explains why evolution causes some species to retain traits that seem like disadvantages. He quotes Richard Dawkins too often for my liking, and seems to be writing for the U.S. market rather than his native UK (he spends a lot of time debunking "intelligent design," which isn't really a thing even among Christians in the UK), but it's a good read.
Piping Hot Bees and Boisterous Buzz-Runners by Thomas D. Seeley. Ever wonder how honeybees choose a new hive, whether they sleep or how to keep a swarm from flying off while you get your equipment ready? Seeley explains all this and 17 other behavioural mysteries. This book is dry and technical in places, but I know it will be an important reference for me.
A World of Bees by Éric Tourneret. Photographs showing the amazing diversity of beekeeping methods around the world.