Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami
This novel gives us a glimpse of one possible future for Earth and its people. After an unnamed disaster, only small groups of humans are left behind, and it’s like the end of the road for humans. Yet there’s a strange beauty in this dreamlike world, and a hint that people can still grow and change in powerful ways.
Each chapter has something to offer new. The book touches on things we’ve seen before like cloning, superpowers, mutation, and AI but it presents them in new and thoughtful ground. It encourages readers to think about what it means to be human, our connection to nature, time, faith, and even the idea of afterlife.
Even though it tackles some big and serious topics, the story remains engaging and easy to follow. There’s a ray of gloominess throughout, but also humor and a strong sense of hope.

Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi
Heart Lamp shares the heartfelt stories about the lives of the rural Muslim women in India. Banu Mushtaq tells these stories with warmth and honesty, and Deepa Bhasthi’s translation from Kannada captures their quiet strength beautifully.
The stories covers the everyday struggles of women living in a world controlled by men – young girls being pushed into marriage, older women forced to accept a second wife, or widows who can say nothing when their sons decide they should remarry.
Mushtaq writes with deep empathy, giving a voice to women who are often overlooked. The last story, “Be a Woman Once, O Lord!” beautifully captures the spirit of the book its like a plea for understanding and justice in a world ruled by patriarchy.

A Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre, translated by Mark Hutchinson
This novel, originally published in French, narrates the story of a 20-year friendship between a woman named Fanny and an unnamed man referred to only as “the Narrator.” But interestingly, he’s not the one telling the story we hear it from someone else.
As Fanny slowly slips into what the book calls “madness,” the story explores the emotional layers of their bond.
Author focuses on ordinary moment’s meals, holidays, walks but through them, she reveals the deep connection of friendship, love, and life. It’s a moving view at how we try to understand the people we care about, even when they feel distant or different from us.

Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico, translated by Sophie Hughes
Perfection follows the lives of Anna and Tom, a thoughtful couple living in Berlin. They’re stuck in a mundane routine, and the story gently explores their growing dissatisfaction over a decade.
The book starts by describing their home in great detail, and then slowly reveals their struggles with modern life their careers, relationships, and the world around them.
With major world events happening just out of their sight  like political unrest and climate change – Anna and Tom drift through life, unable to imagine something better. The novel captures the quiet discontent of a generation caught between ambition and uncertainty.

On the Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle, translated by Barbara Havelan
In this novel, a woman named Tara Selter finds herself stuck in a time loop, reliving the same day November 18 – over and over again. This first volume covers the first full year of her repeating the same day.
At first, she tries to make sense of what’s happening and explain it to her husband, who still lives in normal time. But as the story moves forward, it dives deeper into philosophical questions: What does it feel to live the same day endlessly? How does it affect our sense of relationships, time, and the future?
Despite the repeating plot, the novel keeps you hooked. Even when time stands still, you will still want to know what happen next.

Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix, translated by Helen Stevenson
Small Boat is a short but strong novel based on a real tragedy the drowning of 27 migrants in the English Channel in 2021.
Instead of focusing on the people in the boat, the story centers on a French coastguard officer who heard their cries for help over the radio that night.
Delecroix shows how tragic decisions are often made by the normal people just doing their jobs not out of cruelty, but out of routine and bureaucracy.
The novel is a haunting reminder that this kind of tragedy doesn’t just belong to the people who died it belongs to all of us.