The Bibliophile's Compass

1955 The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith It’s here, in the first volume of Patricia Highsmith’s five-book Ripley series, that we are introduced to the suave Tom Ripley, a young striver seeking to leave behind his past as an orphan bullied for being a “sissy.” 1960  All the Way Home by Tad Mosel The play takes place in summer 1915 in Knoxville, Tennessee, where the extended families of the Folletts and the Lynches live. Jay Follet and his pregnant wife Mary have a six-year-old son named Rufus, who takes great joy in being with his father. Jay's brother, Ralph, is an undertaker. Ralph appears to have a drinking problem and mistreats his wife Sally. Mary's parents are Joel Lynch and Catherine Lynch, and her brother is Andrew. The play unfolds over a period of four days. 1983  Fool for love by Sam Shepard The play focuses on May and Eddie, former lovers who have met again in a motel in the desert.

1926  The Constant Wife by W. Somerset Maugham It is a comedy whose modern and amusing take on marriage and infidelity gives a quick-witted, alternative view on how to deal with an extramarital affair.

Title : The Haunted House Author : Virginia Woolf Publication Year: 1921 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Genre : Short Story, Modernist fiction Source : eBook Virginia Woolf’s short stories are more like poetic paintings than traditional narratives. If you want action, look elsewhere—but if you crave beauty and quiet observation, these stories are a perfect fit. “The Haunted House” isn’t about ghosts and scares, but about love lingering in a house that feels alive. Former residents return, hoping to find that love endures with the new occupants. Woolf crafts a haunting yet gentle portrait in which every word is rich with symbolism, inviting us to hunt for hidden meaning.

 1921 The Haunted House by Virginia Woolf  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

1951  I am a Camera by John Van Druten With a stringently photographic eye,  I am a Camera  looks at life in a tawdry Berlin rooming house, circa 1930, and concerns itself with the mercurial and irresponsible moods of Sally Bowles. She is a creature of extravagent attitudes, given to parading her vices and enormously confident that she is going to take life in stride.

Title : Sexing the Cherry Author : Jeanette Winterson Publication Year : 1989 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pages : 144 Source : book (2nd hand) Genre : literary fiction, Postmodernist Fiction, Historical Fiction Having read Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, I thought I knew what to expect—oh, how delightfully wrong I was! Sexing the Cherry packs a whirlwind of postmodern mischief and symbolism into such a slim volume that I was left spinning (in the best way). Before reading the first pages, I couldn’t help but wonder: why is it called Sexing the Cherry when the cover parades bananas and pineapples? No spoilers, but the book wastes no time unraveling that fruity little mystery. This book doesn’t just break the historical fiction mold—it stomps on it, cartwheels over it, and then invites you to join a merry game of question-everything. Postmodernism here means nothing is safe: norms, identity, history, gender, time, space, love, even truth itself—all tossed into a literary blender. At first, yo...

1939  Key Largo by Maxwell Anderson 1973  Good Doctor by Neil Simon This Broadway hit is a composite of Neil Simon and Anton Chekhov. In one sketch a harridan storms a bank and upbraids the manager for his gout and lack of money. In another a father takes his son to a house where he will be initiated into the mysteries of sex only to relent at the last moment and leave the boy more perplexed than ever. 2019 The Cockroach by Ian McEwan (UK) Jim Sams has undergone a metamorphosis. In his previous life he was ignored or loathed, but in his new incarnation he is the most powerful man in Britain – and it is his mission to carry out the will of the people. Nothing must get in his way: not the opposition, nor the dissenters within his own party. Not even the rules of parliamentary democracy. 2025 The Shipwright and the Shroudweaver by Rafael Torrubia (Scotland) No one remembers the calamity that killed the gods and stole the names of their people. Now Shipwright and Shroudw...

1859 Last weekly installment of Charles Dickens' " A Tale of Two Cities " is published in literary periodical "All the Year Round" (UK) A Tale of Two Cities portrays a world on fire, split between Paris and London during the brutal and bloody events of the French Revolution. 1865  Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is published in America (UK) Alice in Wonderland is an 1865 novel by English author Lewis Carroll. It tells of a young girl named Alice, who falls through a rabbit hole into a subterranean fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children. 1928  Holiday by Philip Barry The story follows Johnny Case, a corporate lawyer on Wall Street. He has abundant financial prospects but little social background.

2009 Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk In a remote Polish village, Janina devotes the dark winter days to studying astrology, translating the poetry of William Blake, and taking care of the summer homes of wealthy Warsaw residents. Her reputation as a crank and a recluse is amplified by her not-so-secret preference for the company of animals over humans. Then a neighbor, Big Foot, turns up dead. Soon other bodies are discovered, in increasingly strange circumstances. As suspicions mount, Janina inserts herself into the investigation, certain that she knows whodunit. If only anyone would pay her mind . . . Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize Longlisted for the National Book Award for Translated Literature Shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award. 2025 As Many Souls as Stars by Natasha Siegel (UK) An inventive and romantic speculative novel about two women—a witch and an ...

1862  Salammbô by Gustave Flaubert Set in Carthage during the 3rd century BC immediately before and during the Mercenary Revolt which took place shortly after the First Punic War. 1938  Rocket to the Moon by Clifford Odets 1947  The Pearl by John Steinbeck It is the story of the Mexican diver Kino, whose discovery of a magnificent pearl from the Gulf beds means the promise of a better life for his impoverished family. 1983  The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett Sir Terry Pratchett created a complex, satirical universe with its own set of cultures and rules, populated with wizards, witches, academics, fairies, policemen, and other creatures both fantastical and remarkably ordinary (including Death himself). 2015 The Shards of Heaven  by Michael Livingston Julius Caesar is dead, assassinated on the senate floor, and the glory that is Rome has been torn in two. Octavian, Caesar's ambitious great-nephew and adopted son, vies with Marc Ant...

1644  Areopagitica by John Milton (UK) One of the original, and greatest defenses of free speech, originally published as a written 'speech.' 1926 This Was a Man   by Noël Coward "This Was A Man" A Comedy In Three Acts by Noel Coward is a captivating anthology that delves into the intricate dynamics of relationships in 1920s England, masterfully crafted with Coward's signature wit. 1937  Golden Boy by Clifford Odets 1937  Of Mice & Men by John Steinbeck A controversial tale of friendship and tragedy during the Great Depression

2022 Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson Set against the backdrop of a small Tennessee town in the 1990s, this coming-of-age story follows two misfit teenagers, Frankie and Zeke, who stumble upon a creative project that unexpectedly spirals out of control.

2023 The Heron Catchers by David Joiner Joiner's second novel set in the fabled Kanazawa area is an intimate yet understated look at an American who seeks recovery after his marriage to a Japanese woman has failed. International Rubery Book Awards Winner American Writing Awards Finalist Foreword Indies Awards Finalist Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist 2025 Manhattan Death Ballad by Maxim Jakubowski (UK) An evocative and compelling look at the trials and tribulations of an author-cum-assassin as he reflects on his life, his loves, and the death he delivers with careful precision. 2025 The April King by Isolde Martyn (UK) A thrilling Tudor adventure novel! Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir, Rose Tremain and Elizabeth Chadwick. 2025 The Glass Brigade by Celine Rachelle For fans of The Inheritance Games, Truly Devious, and the sharp humor of Gilmore Girls, The Glass Brigade is a twisty, puzzle-filled dark academia mystery wi...

Title : The Lion Women of Tehran Author : Marjan Kamali Publication Year : 2024 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pages : 327 Source : audiobook @storytel.tr Genre : literary fiction, coming-of-age, historical fiction, Persian Literature Opening Sentence : I stood on the lacquered floor—a small woman in black with a rectangular name badge on my chest. My coiffed, contented look was calculated so I’d appear not just satisfied but quietly superior. In America, I’d learned the secret to being a successful salesperson was to act like one of the elite, as if spritzing perfume on customers’ blue-veined wrists were doing them a favor. The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali is a deeply somber story about two friends whose bond is tested by class, political upheaval, and migration. This book was incredibly hard for me to get through. Even if it hadn’t echoed my own history, I know I would have cried for Ellie and Homa. But because their story felt so close to home, I found myself in tears before the tr...

1852  Masks & Faces by Charles Reade and Tom Taylor (UK) 1906  Doctor's Dilemma by George Bernard Shaw (Ireland) This social comedy revolves around the ethical quandaries faced by a set of doctors once they need to determine which affected person is most deserving of limited clinical assets, particularly an existence-saving but experimental treatment. 1934  Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman The Children's Hour is a play written by Lillian Hellman that tells the story of two women who run a boarding school for girls in New England. When a vindictive student accuses them of having a lesbian relationship, their lives are turned upside down as the scandal spreads throughout the community. 1946  Another Part of the Forest by Lillian Hellman Set in the fictional town of Bowden, Alabama, in June 1880, the plot focuses on the wealthy, ruthless, and innately evil Hubbard family and their rise to prominence. 1952  Seven Year Itch by George Axelrod The ti...

1850 Alfred Tennyson becomes British Poet Laureate, succeeding William Wordsworth 1861  Battle Hymn of the Republic by Julia Ward Howe 1962  Lord Pengo by SN Behrman This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. 1986  Coastal Disturbances by Tina Howe A Broadway hit which gave Annette Bening and Tim Daly early stage roles, this charming ensemble play follows four generations of vacationers on a Massachusetts beach, focusing on a romance between a lifeguard and a kooky young photographer. 2025 The Mystery of the Missing Book by JUDITH CUTLER (UK) Antiques Roadshow meets Agatha Christie! Discover your next favourite cozy mystery series, featuring a funny, feisty antique dealer turned amateur sleuth who lives in the cosiest corner of Kent.

Title : What My Bones Know Author : Stephanie Foo Publication Year : 2022 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pages : 352 Source : audiobook @storytel.tr Genre : memoir, complex-PTSD Opening Sentence : “Do you want to know your diagnosis?” The first sentence of this memoir immediately signals the beginning of a difficult journey toward healing. Naming an illness—whether physical or mental—is an essential first step. You cannot confront or address something you cannot identify. Before diagnosis, there is only confusion and uncertainty; after it, there is at least the possibility of direction, however uncertain or imperfect that path may be. What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo is a memoir chronicling her life-long journey through relentless abuse and trauma, culminating in a diagnosis of Complex PTSD and her determined effort to heal. Foo’s account is brutally honest and deeply affecting, pulling no punches about the pain and setbacks she endures. This book is not an easy read; it may trigger anxiet...

1865  The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County by Mark Twain It is an 1865 short story by Mark Twain. It was his first great success as a writer and brought him national attention. 2022 Even As We Breathe  by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle It invokes the elements of bone, blood, and flesh as Cowney navigates difficult social, cultural, and ethnic divides. 2025 The Pelican Child by Joy Williams A razor-sharp new collection of stories of visionary childhood misfits and struggling adult dreamers from this legendary writer of “perfectly indescribable fiction . . . To read Williams is to look into the abyss” (The Atlantic). Longlisted for the National Book Award 2025 On the Calculation of Volume , Book 3 by Solvej Balle In the marvelous third installment of Balle’s “astonishing” ( The Washington Post ) septology, Tara’s November 18th transforms when she discovers that she is no longer alone in her endless autumnal day. Shortlisted for The National Book Award ...

1977  Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance "The Elephant Man" is based on the life of John Merrick, who lived in London during the latter part of the nineteenth century. A horribly deformed young man, who has been a freak attraction in traveling side shows, is found abandoned and helpless and is admitted for observation to Whitechapel, a prestigious London hospital. 1988  Rumors by Neil Simon At a large tastefully appointed Sneden's Landing townhouse the Deputy Mayor of New York has just shot himself. Though only a flesh wound four couples are about to experience a severe attack of Farce. 2011 The Beautiful Indifference by Sarah Hall A collection of short stories by Booker-shortlisted author Sarah Hall. 2020 The Burning God by R. F. Kuang The exciting end to The Poppy War trilogy, R. F. Kuang’s acclaimed, award-winning epic fantasy that combines the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters, to devastating, enthralling effect.

1925  In a Garden by Philip Barry Set in a lush garden estate, this witty and sophisticated play explores the entangled lives and loves of a group of upper-class characters. As tensions rise and secrets are revealed, the seemingly idyllic setting becomes the backdrop for a comedic exploration of romance, ambition, and the often absurd pretensions of high society. 1982  The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard The Real Thing begins with Max and Charlotte, a couple whose marriage is on the verge of collapse. Charlotte is an actress who has been appearing in a play about marriage written by her husband, Henry. Max, her leading man, is also married to an actress, Annie. Both marriages are at the point of rupture because Henry and Annie have fallen in love. But is it the real thing?

1689 Crusoe sets out from Pampeluna. 1978  Betrayal by Harold Pinter (UK) 2016 Swing Time by Zadie Smith (UK) Two brown girls dream of being dancers—but only one, Tracey, has talent. The other has ideas: about rhythm and time, about black bodies and black music, what constitutes a tribe, or makes a person truly free. It's a close but complicated childhood friendship that ends abruptly in their early twenties, never to be revisited, but never quite forgotten, either. Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize

1851  Moby-Dick by Herman Melville Herman Melville’s masterpiece of obsession and the untamed sea, one of the greatest works of imagination in literary history. 1883  Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson A legendary tale of pirates, treasure and treachery

1902  Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Heart of Darkness has been considered for most of this century as a literary classic, and also a powerful indictment of the evils of imperialism. It reflects the savage repressions carried out in the Congo by the Belgians in one of the largest acts of genocide committed up to that time.

1659 Crusoe begins his journal, making entries retrospectively from the date of his shipwreck. 1880 " Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ " by Lew Wallace Ben-Hur is one of the best selling books of all times. This poignant novel intertwines the life stories of a Jewish charioteer named Judah Ben-Hur and Jesus Christ. 1890 The first edition of " Poems by Emily Dickinson " 2018 Becoming by Michelle Obama An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States 2020 An Island by Karen Jennings (South Africa) A "powerful" (The Guardian) novel about a lighthouse keeper with a mysterious past, and the stranger who washes up on his shores--the American debut of a major voice in world literature. Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2024 Lazarus Man  by Richard Price In this electrifying novel, Richard Price, the author of Clockers and a writer on The Wire, gives us razor-sharp anatomy of an ever-changing...

2014 Revival  by Stephen King A dark and electrifying novel about addiction, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life. 2021 The Fell by Sarah Moss (UK) At dusk on a November evening in 2020 a woman slips out of her garden gate and turns up the hill. Kate is in the middle of a two week quarantine period, but she just can't take it anymore - the closeness of the air in her small house, the confinement. And anyway, the moor will be deserted at this time. Nobody need ever know.But Kate's neighbour Alice sees her leaving and Matt, Kate's son, soon realizes she's missing. 2024 Munichs by David Peace (UK) From the acclaimed author of The Damned Utd, a novel of tragedy and renewal, inspired by one of the greatest disasters in the history of sports. 2025 The Queen of Swords by Jazmina Barrera In what was at first meant to be a short essay about the influential Mexican writer Elena Garro (1916-1988), Jazmina Barrera’s deep curiosity and exploration giv...

1832 Loss of Breath by Edgar Allan Poe ( My Review ) ⭐️⭐️ 1920  Heartbreak House by George Bernard Shaw When Ellie Dunn joins a house party at the home of the eccentric Captain Shotover, she causes a stir with her decision to marry for money rather than love, and the Captain’s forthright daughter Hesione protests vigorously against the pragmatic young woman’s choice. Opinion on the matter quickly divides and a lively argument about money and morality, idealism and realism ensues as Hesione’s rakish husband, snobbish sister, and Ellie’s fiancé—a wealthy industrialist—enter the debate. 1958  The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui by Bertolt Brecht Described by Brecht as 'a gangster play that would recall certain events familiar to us all', Arturo Ui is a witty and savage satire of the rise of Hitler - recast by Brecht into a small-time Chicago gangster's takeover of the city's greengrocery trade. Using a wide range of parody and pastiche - from Al Capone to Shakespeare...

  2004 The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes ⭐️⭐️⭐️ If, like Kane, you’re a Denied Access Area spy for the CIA, then boundaries have no meaning. Your function is to go in, do whatever is required, and get out again—by whatever means necessary. You know when to run, when to hide—and when to shoot. 2021 Wergen: The Alien Love War by Mercurio D. Rivera The Wergens: a highly sophisticated alien race biochemically infatuated with humans. They crave us, they need us, while we need their technology. Shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award 2023 Held  by Anne Michaels A breathtaking and ineffable new novel from the author of the international bestsellers Fugitive Pieces and The Winter Vault—a novel of love and loyalty across generations, at once sweeping and intimate Winner of The Giller Prize Shortlisted for The Booker Prize 2025 One Little Mistake by Miranda Rijks They were best friends forever. Then Kate made one little mistake…

1838  Ruy Blas by Victor Hugo The scene is Madrid; the time 1699, during the reign of Charles II. Ruy Blas, an indentured commoner (and a poet), dares to love the Queen. The play is a thinly veiled cry for political reform. 1900  Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser It is about a young woman who moves to the big city where she starts realizing her own American Dream. 1978  Night & Day by Tom Stoppard Tom Stoppard’s stimulating, funny play Night and Day is set in a fictional African country, Kambawe, which is ruled by a leader not unlike Idi Amin. The nation is faced with a Soviet-backed revolution which quickly brings newsmen from around the world to cover the story.

1668 Crusoe undertakes his near-fatal circumnavigation of the island. 1722  The Conscious Lovers by Richard Steele premieres in London (UK) 2019 The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante Giovanna is searching for her reflection in two kindred cities that fear and detest one another: Naples of the heights, which assumes a mask of refinement, and Naples of the depths, a place of excess and vulgarity. She moves from one to the other in search of the truth, but neither city seems to offer answers or escape. 2023 A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Porter A powerfully funning and moving story told not just by five generations of Métis women, but also by the land, the bison that surround them, and two utterly captivating dogs. 2023 Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park In 1919, far-flung patriots establish the Korean Provisional Government to protest the Japanese occupation of their country. This government-in-exile proves mostly symbolic, though, and after Japan’s...

1668 Crusoe undertakes his near-fatal circumnavigation of the island. 1936  French Without Tears by Terence Rattigan premieres in London The play that established Rattigan's name and ran for over 1000 performances in the '30s. 2025 My Ex-Girlfriend's Wedding by Sophie Crawford A romcom for the modern age filled with magic, heart and the absurdities of the sapphic dating scene.

1740  A Treatise of Human Nature (Vol3) by David Hume (UK) 1936 French writer Andre Gide criticizes the Soviet regime in his " Return from the U. S. S. R " after his visit to the Soviet Union 2020 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Ireland) ( My Review ) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ It is 1985, in an Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal and timber merchant, faces into his busiest season. As he does the rounds, he feels the past rising up to meet him ― and encounters the complicit silences of a people controlled by the Church. Winner of The Orwell Prize Winner of The Kerry Group Irish Novel Of The Year Award Shortlisted For The Booker Prize Shortlisted for The Rathbones Folio Prize Shortlisted The Irish Novel Of The Year At The Dalkey Literary Awards 2020 Where Snow Angels Go  by Maggie O'Farrell (UK) Have you ever woken up suddenly, in the middle of the night, without knowing why? Best-selling and award-winning master stor...

1659 Crusoe starts his a daily routine on the island 2021 The Sentence by Louise Erdrich Louise Erdrich creates a wickedly funny ghost story, a tale of passion, of a complex marriage, and of a woman's relentless errors. 2025 Only Son by Kevin Moffett Florida, 1982. A nine-year-old watches as his dead father's possessions are hauled away: his clothes and tools, his faux-leather recliner. His sensei says it's a perfect time to turn his weaknesses into weapons. His PE teacher says he runs like a pregnant ostrich. His mother takes out a personal ad. Everyone is trying to teach him a lesson but he is, it seems, a slow learner. Meanwhile, with each passing day, his father recedes, growing less and less plausible, almost a myth. Longlisted for The National Book Award 2025 Palaver by Bryan Washington A life-affirming novel of family, mending, and how we learn to love, from the award-winning Bryan Washington. 2025 The Writing Room  by Marcia Argueta Mickelson Immediate...

  1860 Poet and critic Matthew Arnold begins his series of lectures " On Translating Home " as Oxford Professor of Poetry at Oxford University (UK) 1916 Playwright Eugene O'Neill makes his New York debut with " Bound East for Cardiff " with the Provincetown Players 2015 The Japanese Lover  by Isabel Allende Sweeping through time and spanning generations and continents, The Japanese Lover is written with the same keen understanding of her characters that Isabel Allende has been known for since her landmark first novel The House of the Spirits. The Japanese Lover is a moving tribute to the constancy of the human heart in a world of unceasing change. 2015 Avenue of Mysteries  by John Irving Avenue of Mysteries is the story of what happens to Juan Diego in the Philippines, where what happened to him in the past—in Mexico—collides with his future. 2015 The Bazaar of Bad Dreams  by Stephen Kin...

Title : Hysteria Author : Terry Johnson Publication Year : 1993 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pages : 108 Source : eBook Genre : drama, surrealism, comedy It’s been ages since I’ve stumbled upon an absurd play with such a strong theme. Terry Johnson pulls off a masterstroke by throwing Freud into his final days—only to have him cross paths with none other than Salvador Dalí. What could possibly go wrong in an absurd comedy, right? Well, how about a mysterious woman who materializes out of thin air and refuses to budge, forcing Freud to revisit every inch of his scholarly legacy (assuming you’re not one of those folks who side-eye psychoanalysis as "real science"). In the middle of all this delightful chaos, we get to watch Freud’s life’s work get skewered in the most brilliant way possible. I found myself laughing out loud, cringing, and pondering Freud’s theories all at once—a rare hat trick! All in all, it’s a wild, witty, and totally entertaining read.