Can't-Wait Wednesday: Ascension by Nicholas Binge, Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina, & Greek Lessons by Han Kang

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

Ascension by Nicholas Binge
Publication: April 25th, 2023
Riverhead Books
Hardcover. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"An enormous snow-covered mountain has appeared in the Pacific Ocean. No one knows when exactly it showed up, precisely how big it might be, or how to explain its existence. When Harold Tunmore, a scientist of mysterious phenomena, is contacted by a shadowy organization to help investigate, he has no idea what he is getting into as he and his team set out for the mountain.

The higher Harold’s team ascends, the less things make sense. Time moves differently, turning minutes into hours, and hours into days. Amid the whipping cold of higher elevation, the climbers’ limbs numb and memories of their lives before the mountain begin to fade. Paranoia quickly turns to violence among the crew, and slithering, ancient creatures pursue them in the snow. Still, as the dangers increase, the mystery of the mountain compels them to its peak, where they are certain they will find their answers. Have they stumbled upon the greatest scientific discovery known to man or the seeds of their own demise?

Framed by the discovery of Harold Tunmore’s unsent letters to his family and the chilling and provocative story they tell, Ascension considers the limitations of science and faith and examines both the beautiful and the unsettling sides of human nature."

I love this type of premise and am so eager to see what Nicholas Binge will do with it! This has a lot of potential to be something really unique and interesting, so I'm feeling excited for it. (Also, I've chosen to feature the UK cover simply because I really like it, but this is also a US release!)

Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina
Publication: April 18th, 2023
Berkley Books
Hardcover. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"Anna Horn is always looking over her shoulder. For the bullies who torment her, for the entitled visitors at the reservation's casino...and for the nameless, disembodied entity that stalks her every step--an ancient tribal myth come-to-life, one that's intent on devouring her whole.

With strange and sinister happenings occurring around the casino, Anna starts to suspect that not all the horrors on the reservation are old. As girls begin to go missing and the tribe scrambles to find answers, Anna struggles with her place on the rez, desperately searching for the key she's sure lies in the legends of her tribe's past.

When Anna's own little sister also disappears, she'll do anything to bring Grace home. But the demons plaguing the reservation--both ancient and new--are strong, and sometimes, it's the stories that never get told that are the most important.

Part gripping thriller and part mythological horror, author Nick Medina spins an incisive and timely novel of life as an outcast, the cost of forgetting tradition, and the courage it takes to become who you were always meant to be."

"Part gripping thriller and part mythological horror" has got me extremely hooked on the sound of this book.  I can't wait to have a chance to check it out. 

Greek Lessons by Han Kang
Publication: April 18th, 2023
Hogarth Press
Hardcover. 192 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"'Now and then, language would thrust its way into her sleep like a skewer through meat, startling her awake several times a night...'

In a classroom in Seoul, a young woman watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard. She tries to speak but has lost her voice. Her teacher finds himself drawn to the silent woman, for day by day he is losing his sight.

Soon they discover a deeper pain binds them together. For her, in the space of just a few months, she has lost both her mother and the custody battle for her nine-year-old son. For him, it's the pain of growing up between Korea and Germany, being torn between two cultures and languages, and the fear of losing his independence.

Greek Lessons tells the story of two ordinary people brought together at a moment of private anguish—the fading light of a man losing his vision meeting the silence of a woman who has lost her language. Yet these are the very things that draw them to one another. Slowly the two discover a profound sense of unity—their voices intersecting with startling beauty, as they move from darkness to light, from silence to breath and expression.

Greek Lessons is the story of the unlikely bond between this pair and a tender love letter to human intimacy and connection—a novel to awaken the senses, one that vividly conjures the essence of what it means to be alive."

I really enjoyed Kang's The Vegetarian and have been meaning to read more of her work, so this seems like the perfect opportunity. I also stories that examine language and communication, and this seems like it will be doing that and more–hopefully I'll have a chance to check it out!

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

The Vegetarian by Han Kang. Hogarth, 2016. Hardcover. 192 pages.

The Vegetarian is one of those books in which the entire time you're reading it, you have no idea what you're reading, and when you finally finish and close the book, all you can think is "what did I just read?" I'm still trying to figure out this book, and I'm still coming up with own interpretation of what Kang's message is meant to be. This is a striking novel that will make you feel intrigued, repulsed, impressed, and uncomfortable all at once.  Kang's writing is deeply compelling and almost eerie at times, making this book impossible to put down. At just under 200 pages, it is one that can easily be read in one or two sittings.

The initial cause that gets the entire plot of this book rolling is so simple, yet so riveting: Yeong-hye, the main character, begins having dreams that cause her to no longer have any desire to eat meat. Her opinions on the morality of eating meat and meat products seem to take a sudden turn and she suddenly stops, which shocks her husband and the rest of her family. It is their response to her sudden vegetarianism that eventually sparks the rest of the events of this book to unfold. 

I can't quite convey what it is about this book that makes it so compelling - perhaps it is the fact that it does not follow the traditional mold of most fiction books. The Vegetarian is broken into three parts: the first is narrated by Yeong-hye's husband, the second by her brother-in-law, and the final section narrated by her sister. Each of these characters brings a unique perspective to the current situation and also plays a large role in Yeong-hye's story, whether is is easily understandable or not.  The first part of the book immediately introduces us to the fact that he is a despicable man who doesn't seem to care much for his wife, describing her as "completely unremarkable in every way." Each section is equally enthralling and provides many new issues to deal with along with the main conflict.

There is so much to think about from this book, from the actions of her abusive husband, the inability of society to understand and respect other people's choices of lifestyle, gender roles, familial issues, and even sexual motives and manifestations. The idea of isolation as a result of one's unwillingness to conform to society is also one of the largest themes found within this book, and it is one that drives the bleak, unnerving atmosphere of each page.

The ending is entirely ambiguous is up to the reader to interpret what the conclusion is - if there even is a conclusion that can be determined. I personally enjoy endings like this, despite the fact that I do sometimes feel frustrated by the lack of a firm ending, but I enjoy how it leaves so many possibilities available to dwell on. 

The Vegetarian is not an easy book to read, but I do think it is an important one. I'm curious to read more about other people's views on this book to see what they take away from this book, because I can see it meaning different things to different people, despite the constant underlying themes. 

Overall, I have decided on four stars for The Vegetarian, and I would recommend to anyone looking for something different or 'weird.' Just make sure you have plenty of time blocked out when you sit down to read - this one might prevent you from getting other things done! This book would also be great for those looking to diversify their reading choices, as Kang is a superb female South Korean author!

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You might also like:
Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
Slade House by David Mitchell
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow