Books of the Week

SUMMER DREAMS DREAM BIRDS (Tomris Uyar)Tomris Uyar, one of the most original storytellers of Turkish literature, brings together her work Summer Dreams Dream Winters, which consists of simple stories coming from real life, to the readers by Can Publishing. Shaped through characters, some grappling with various nightmares in their daily lives, others dreaming big dreams, these stories host events that everyone has experienced or could experience, dreams they have or could have: “Like a silent film pianist, I accompanied events from the outside. While life flowed by with its grand calculations, I toiled in dark rooms with fine castings. Starting in my youth. To achieve the averages that young people like you can achieve in two seconds today, I stayed out of the sun for days, became preoccupied with my surroundings, didn't see my loved ones, and committed sins. My only desire was for our state to survive. And it has. It will continue to do so until our generation is gone. I don't know what's next. You know what turbulent years we've been through; I don't know if we'll survive again.”

50 YEARS OF COLLECTED STORIES (Buket Uzuner) Everest Publications has brought to readers a special collection titled "50 Years of Collected Stories," which celebrates the 50-year literary journey of Buket Uzuner, one of the master writers of contemporary Turkish literature. Known for her works in diverse genres including short stories, novels, essays, and travel writing, Uzuner once again reveals her multifaceted and profound impact on Turkish literature with this comprehensive selection of stories. This special collection brings together seven of Uzuner's previously published short stories, offering readers the opportunity to witness her literary development. One of the most striking features of the book is that it includes a brand-new, previously unpublished story by Buket Uzuner, "Ankara'nın En Güzel Mevimi" (The Most Beautiful Season of Ankara). Furthermore, the inclusion of the censored lines in "The Naked Day of the Month" in their original form strikes a significant note regarding the ongoing situation regarding freedom of thought and expression.

FEAR AT THE SCALA (Dino Buzzati) One of the rare works in modern European literature that combines social criticism with fantastical narrative: Fright at the Scala. Using striking allegorical language, Dino Buzzati explores the moral disintegration of individuals in the face of fear after World War II. His stories explore universal themes that remain pertinent: conformism, intellectual decay, submission to authority, and the test of individual conscience. In this book, published by Timaş Publications, Buzzati explores human fears, weaknesses, and hopes through themes such as forbidden mountains, uncertain threats, strange friendships, and the end of the world. This collection by Buzzati appeals to readers of Kafka, Borges, and Camus. Dino Buzzati's Kafkaesque structure, postmodern approach, and symbolic narrative are suitable for readers familiar with classic literature and seeking aesthetic and intellectual intensity. Literature lovers familiar with the author's style and those who have read works such as The Tartar Desert will also find this collection of interest.

THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE (Philip K. Dick)Philip K. Dick is one of the genre's greatest writers, transforming science fiction with his profound philosophical questions of reality, identity, and authority, inspiring countless films, television series, and plays. Written with a vision ahead of its time, The Man in the High Castle is a cornerstone of science fiction, plunging the reader into an alternate reality eerily close to the world we know. Published by İthaki Publishing, The Man in the High Castle is a staggering narrative that makes you feel that fiction is reality and reality is fiction. From the extraordinary mind of Philip K. Dick, this novel is a masterpiece that upends historical possibilities, ideological nightmares, and the very nature of humanity.

MAİŞET (Ahmet Rasim) VakıfBank Cultural Publications (VBKY) presents the book "Maişet" to its readers. This work, written by Ahmet Rasim, who holds a special place in Turkish literature and has produced numerous works in various literary genres throughout his writing career spanning over half a century, is a valuable resource for better understanding his literary world and understanding it within the context of his time. These four narratives—Maişet, Sabiha, The Anxious Girl, and Derd-i Dil—reflect the daily life, human relations, and social transformation of late Ottoman Istanbul with a keen eye for observation. These texts, which explore the musings of a woman encountered in a mansion on the Bosphorus, a woman encountered on the street, and the quiet thoughts of an introverted character, offer insights into both the social spirit of the period and the inner worlds of individuals.

OXFORD WORLD MYTHOLOGY (Eva M. Thury-Margaret K. Devinney) ALFA Publications has introduced readers to Oxford World Mythology: Contemporary Approaches to Myths from Ancient Times to the Present, authored by Eva M. Thury and Margaret K. Devinney, which explores the world of mythology through a contemporary lens. Published by Oxford University Press in 2015, this comprehensive study reveals that mythology is more than just old stories. Oxford World Mythology covers a wide geographical and cultural spectrum, from Greek and Roman mythology to Biblical narratives, from Mesopotamian and Norse legends to Native American, African, and Chinese myths. The work explores in detail fundamental mythological themes such as creation and destruction myths, hero and trickster figures, rituals, dreams, and fairy tales. Readers will find a wide variety of mythological examples, from the Epic of Gilgamesh to Arthurian Legend, and even Harry Potter and the vampire tales.

WHY WE TELL STORIES I-II (Christopher Booker)Christopher Booker’s two-volume classic “Why We Tell Stories” examines the most powerful narrative forms in human history around the framework of seven basic plots. Across a vast narrative universe stretching from myths and novels to films and folk tales, Booker systematically lays out the fundamental building blocks of narratology in Why We Tell Stories. Woven around seven basic plots, this comprehensive work deciphers the common structural codes of stories with countless examples ranging from Beowulf to Jaws , from Shakespeare to Tolkien, and from Dickens to Tolstoy. This cult work, which reveals that stories are not merely entertainment but archetypal narratives born of the universal needs of the human mind, is an unparalleled resource for enthusiasts of psychology, literature, and mythology. Taking its place on the shelves under the İnkılâp Kitabevi label, Why We Tell Stories appeals to both fiction producers and readers who want to make deeper sense of what they read.

RISK SOCIETY (Ulrich Beck) Ulrich Beck's masterpiece, Risk Society , became one of the most influential works of social analysis to emerge from Europe in the late twentieth century and achieved massive sales in the nearly thirty years following its initial publication. Comparable to Habermas's The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere in terms of its impact across disciplines and on the public, Risk Society has become a classic in sociology and social theory. It is widely accepted that Western industrial society is in a decisive transition period, sometimes described as "post-Enlightenment," "post-Fordist," or "postmodern." In his work from the Minotaur Book, Beck argues that we are instead facing a different modernity dominated by reflexivity, and within this framework, he presents a coherent picture of the trajectory of global social change.

INVESTMENT PHILOSOPHY (Mary Buffett-David Clark) "Investment Philosophy: Life-Changing Advice from Billionaire Warren Buffett," a unique guide for those who want to follow the financial vision of the world's greatest investor, Warren Buffett, step by step, has hit shelves under the label "The Third Eye." Written by Mary Buffett and David Clark, the book presents the mindset, strategic thinking, and decision-making principles of one of the most trusted figures in the investment world in accessible and inspiring language. Buffett's success story, spanning many years, is told not only through numbers, but as a journey woven with patience, intuition, analysis, and character. The book covers a wide range of investment principles, from stocks and real estate to ways to cope with inflation and cryptocurrency evaluations. It also explains Buffett's concepts, such as "enduring competitive advantage," "value-oriented investing," and "the power of compound interest," with real-life examples.

BALABAN (Cevat Sarıkartal) Bursa, Seçköy. A boy fascinated by drawing in the rural world where land and animals create daily life: He can't fit the notebooks he constantly asks his father for new ones, but moreover, he has a world overflowing from his mind and heart. He attends only a three-grade village school, but his true place of learning will be the prison where he's imprisoned before he turns eighteen. And the prison's most important asset is "Poet Baba" (Father the Poet): He touches not only him and the future Orhan Kemal, but the lives of all inmates. The village boy, passionate about painting, emerges from prison for drugs and, later, murder as the artist İbrahim Balaban, the creator and founder of Balabanism. Cevat Sarıkartal's "Balaban," published by h2O Kitap, depicts this powerful figure who breaks away from his village.

Sibel Kırcadere Uslu's novels, woven with a rich imagination , are now available on shelves under the Mona Kitap label. The first book, "The Child in the Prophecy," featuring Suzan Orto, who stands out with her powerful narrative and wonderful characters woven with fantastical stories, and the eagerly awaited sequel, "The Child in the Storm," invites young readers on a breathtaking adventure in a universe that pushes the boundaries of the imagination. Believing she has found her true place, Suzan, with the help of the villagers, weaves together her life in Ortoköy. But a storm unexpectedly breaks out in the village. This storm, which lingers for days and destroys the village, can only have one cause: Suzan, the only outsider in the village. Now Suzan must both save the village and gain acceptance. Gathering all her courage, she sets off towards a new, unknown, always feared, Forbidden Forest. Is she the Suzan she believes herself to be, or who the villagers think she is? Will the answers she finds on this journey of searching for who she is make her happy? Suzan's breathtaking adventure continues!