I enjoy reading novels and collecting lovely quotes in various languages.
Can you recommend a good novel? Anything that is not too violent will do.
Here are my favorites,
English: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Spanish: Invisible by Eloy Moreno
French: Le Petit Prince by Saint-Exupery
Actually this is the only book I’ve read in French, and I’m looking for something short and easy to read next.
Hello Sachi,
What a nice idea!
French: “Dans le café de la jeunesse perdue” by Patrick Mondiano. If you like Paris - it’s rather short, might be a bit difficult though.
If the topic is not too heavy, “Hiroshima mon Amour” by Marguerite Duras. It’s written like a screenplay and not too difficult. We’ve read it in school in French class and I just started it again, to see where I am at.
English: “Sapiens” by Yuval Noah Harari. Okay, not a novel, but still amazing and fun to read.
Nice idea indeed!
I’d highly recommend “Vendredi ou la Vie sauvage” by Michel Tournier – a spin on Robinson Crusoe´s story. Might not be the easiest read, but a great thought-provoking one.
As for english, why don´t I just link some booktubers with (perhaps) similar taste, so you can create a long tbr pile:
Would anyone be interested in starting a Polyglot group on Goodreads? I read in 5 languages and am always looking for book suggestions, especially in Swedish and Italian because I don’t know them as well.
As for French books, I loved Kiffe kiffe demain as a teenager. It uses a lot of slang, though, so may be tough if you’re not familiar with spoken, European French. My grade 8 students are reading Le chevalier de Chambly, so it can’t be too hard, but it’s Canadian, so may be challenging if you’re used to European French.
That sounds like a fun idea :). I’m also at a reading bookclub on Facebook you might like: https://www.facebook.com/groups/158484978075138
Thanks! That sounds interesting.
Hi! I’m fairly new to the forum, so I only just saw your post. I would definitely be interested in joining a Polyglot group on Goodreads, if you’re still “hiring”. 
I love learning languages through reading, but I have a hard time finding non-English ones in the genres I like. I read a lot of English novels and then their translation in the language I’m learning, but it would be nice to find some original ones.
Hi Sachi,
If you like reading young adult books, I can recommend Sueños de Piedra by Iria G. Parente and Selene M. Pascual for Spanish. It’s fantasy, but not too descriptive, so it’s an easier read than most fantasy novels or literary fiction.
If you’re looking for nice quotes in English, I can recommend The Raven Boys (and its sequels) by Maggie Stiefvater. She writes beautifully!
It would be great to have some kind of Polyglot’s Quotes group where one quote is posted and then literary translations from different languages are matched to it.
Thank you for your recommendations!
I enjoy reading young adult books, so I’ll definitely check it out.
What a coincidence! I’ve just finished reading The Raven Boys, and I’ve already ordered the second one. Here’s my favorite quote,
“She recognized the strange happiness that came from loving something without knowing why you did, that strange happiness that was sometimes so big that it felt like sadness. It was the way she felt when she looked at the stars” Maggie Stiefvater
La mia scoperta italiana di libri quest’anno è :
“La storia di una famiglia somiglia più a una cartina topografica che a un romanzo, e una biografia è la somma di tutte le ere geologiche che hai attraversato”. Come si racconta una vita se non esplorandone i luoghi simbolici e geografici, ricostruendo una mappa di sé e del mondo vissuto? Tra la Basilicata e Brooklyn, da Roma a Londra, dall’infanzia al futuro, il nuovo libro dell’autrice di Cleopatra va in prigione è un’avventura che unisce vecchie e nuove migrazioni. Figlia di due genitori sordi che al senso di isolamento oppongono un rapporto passionale e iroso, emigrata in un paesino lucano da New York ancora bambina per farvi ritorno periodicamente, la protagonista della Straniera vive un’infanzia febbrile, fragile eppure capace, come una pianta ostinata, di generare radici ovunque. La bambina divenuta adulta non smette di disegnare ancora nuove rotte migratorie: per studio, per emancipazione, per irrimediabile amore. Per intenzione o per destino, perlustra la memoria e ne asseconda gli smottamenti e le oscurità.
Non solo memoir, non solo romanzo, in questo libro dalla definizione mobile come un paesaggio e con un linguaggio così ampio da contenere la geografia e il tempo, Claudia Durastanti indaga il sentirsi sempre stranieri e ubiqui.
La straniera è il racconto di un’educazione sentimentale contemporanea, disorientata da un passato magnetico e incontenibile, dalla cognizione della diversità fisica e di distinzioni sociali irriducibili, e dimostra che la storia di una famiglia, delle sue voci e delle sue traiettorie, è prima di tutto una storia del corpo e delle parole, in cui, a un certo punto, misurare la distanza da casa diventa impossibile.
Hi, If you like good Sci-Fy stories, check out the work by Dan Simmons. Hyperion, Endymon etc. His style of writing is just perfect to learn and enjoy.
Br,
Björn
I’m so glad you like The Raven Boys too. In my opinion, the books even get better after the first one. Mine are filled with tons of sticky notes. I also quite like Maggie Stiefvater’s standalone All the Crooked Saints. If you would like to have other young adult recommendations, I’d be happy to share more.
That quote is definitely one of my favourites as well. My favourite one from The Raven King is:
“If you can’t be unafraid,” he said. “Be afraid and happy.”
Something to look forward to when you read on. 
That’s cool. I’m reading Le Petit Prince right now with a group of people. What did you think of that book?
Great, I think it’s a nice, simple book with a lot of beautiful phrases. I’ve read it several times in various languages, but I can still enjoy it every time. Here’s my favorite scene,
“— …Mais ce n’est pas un homme, c’est un champignon !
— Un quoi?
— Un champignon
Le petit prince était maintenant tout pâle de colère.”
Saint-Exupery
Ah, that’s neat that you’ve read it in several languages and still enjoy it. I’m lookin forward to readin it all the way through
Hi,
So happy to see others enjoying to read in their TL. I would also like to join a Goodreads group:)
Here some recommendations that come to my mind:
Dutch:
-Ventoux, wagendorp
Young adult fiction with lots of direct speech, quite useful
-het Rosie project, Graeme simsion
Translated from English, easy read, entertaining story about a guy who is autistic and wants to find a wife
Nonfiction: I am currently reading: de meeste Mensen deugen by rutger bregman; I would say more for advanced learners but good if you want to read something non fictional.
Italian:
Spanish:
There’s probably more, need to check good reads.
Looking for recommendations for beginner Japanese if anybody can help out :))
I just found some kids bed night stories, but it’s not very exciting😅
@heatherjosephine Hi Heather, I’m also interested in joining your polyglot goodreads group. I only started using the app this year so not sure how groups work on there. Keep me posted
I have created a Goodreads group: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1125375-polyglot-book-club. I look forward to discussing with some of you there!
Great, thank you Heather!
