’Tis the season... to discover great books
At Europa, 2023 has been another year of extraordinary books—each of which will make an ideal gift for the readers in your life. Find some of our recommendations below.
Wishing you all joy, serenity, and peace this holiday season,
The Europa Editions Team
Fiction
FOR THE SISTER RESEARCHING YOUR FAMILY SECRETS
(and for readers who want a fresh angle on World War II)
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
TIME Magazine・NPR・Library Journal・Globe & Mail・Forward Magazine・Lilith・Toronto Star
Translated from the French by Tina Kover
“A testament to the power of imagination and an investigation of empathy.”—Vogue
More like this: My Father’s House, All You Children Scattered
For readers of: Three Sisters by Heather Morris
FOR THE SAPPHIC SCHOOL ROMANCE FANS
(also, for the “poetic language” reader in your life)
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
Oprah Daily・Electric Literature・Gay Times
“A sly rewriting of Charlotte Brontë’s boarding-school romances.”—The New Yorker
For readers of: Plain Bad Heroines by Emily Danforth
FOR FANS OF UNLIKELY HEROES
(also, for the history buff in your life)
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
The Washington Post
“Riveting... A storytelling tour de force. This is top-drawer WWII fiction.”—Publisher’s Weekly
More like this: The Postcard, Remote Sympathy
For readers of: The Magician by Colm Toibin
FOR READERS CRAVING MORE ANN PATCHETT OR RICHARD RUSSO
(also, for those missing the 90s)
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
NPR
“A triumphant work that reminds us what literature should be.”
—Morgan Talty
For readers of: Beartown by Fredrik Backman; Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
FOR THE PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER LOVER
(also, for your friend who lives for the drama)
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
The Washington Post・Slate・The New Yorker・Good Housekeeping・Amazon Book Review
“It should make one hell of a movie.”—The Sydney Morning Herald
For readers of: The Secret History by Donna Tartt; The Girls by Emma Cline
FOR THE TRUE CRIME PODCAST JUNKIE
(also, for those who just saw Killers of the Flower Moon)
A CRIMEREADS AND WORLD LITERATURE TODAY NOTABLE BOOK OF 2023
Translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein
“I don’t think it’s possible to praise this book enough.”—
CrimeReads
For readers of: Three Women by Lisa Taddeo; In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
FOR THE READER THAT FINISHES EVERY PRIZE LIST
(and also, those prone to tortured artist dynamics)
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
The Washington Post・Kirkus Reviews
Translated from the Italian by Oonagh Stransky
“A masterpiece.”—The New York Times Book Review
For readers of: The Promise by Damon Galgut; The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante
FOR THE FERRANTE COMPLETIST
(also, for those seeking the crossover of an iconic story of girlhood and a graphic novel)
Adapted by Chiara Lagani, illustrated by Mara Cerri, translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein
“A must-read for all Ferrante fans.”—Book Riot
Non-fiction
FOR THE COUSIN WITH A WIKIPEDIA LOGIN
(also, for the friend with unused air miles)
“Meticulously researched but written for genuine laughs.”—
CNN Travel
FOR THE UNCLE OBSESSED WITH BUSINESS
(and for those fascinated by the seedy underbellies of everyday culture)
Translated from the French by Steven Rendall
“The extraordinary, harrowing story of the Nazi roots of our work culture.”—
Marianne
For readers of: Blitzed by Norman Ohler; Nazi Billionaires by David de Jong
FOR THE PERSON WHO THINKS THEY’VE BEEN TO MEXICO (BUT HAVEN’T, REALLY)
“These books are so rich and engrossing that it is rewarding to read them even when one is stuck at home.”
—The Times Literary Supplement
For readers of: Bad Mexicans by Kelly Lytle Hernández
Children’s & YA
FOR THE TEENAGER IN THEIR FANTASY-HORROR PHASE
(and the adult who remembers junior high all too well)
Translated from the French by Hildegarde Serle
“[A] wildly creative and engaging tale of the middle school from hell.”—Reading the West
More by Christelle Dabos: The Mirror Visitor Quartet
For readers of: Lord of the Flies by William Golding; Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
FOR YOUNG BOOK LOVERS, A PROTO MIDDLE-EARTH
“
The Marvelous Land of Snergs is a beautiful book to see and hold. It’s also jolly to read aloud, full of wit and surprise and, in pacing, more exciting than the original.”—
Wall Street Journal
More like this: Tiger Skin Rug by Joan HaigFor readers of: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
FOR THE JUNIOR HISTORY BUFF WITH A TASTE FOR ADVENTURE (AND MAGIC!) ON THE HIGH SEAS
Translated from the French by Holly James
“Art and text conspire to create a brilliantly formed and unforgettable world of action, adventure, and, in its gritty depiction of the treatment of the soon-to-be enslaved, heartbreaking realism.”—Booklist (Starred Review)
For readers of: The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander; Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
