Confinement: here are the reading tips of the editors

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What to read during lockdown? Instead of losing your mind talking to yourself within its four walls, come and escape thanks to books. You will be able to go out without violating the rules of confinement!The editorial team recommends:

1. Tokyo Delights – Durian Sukegawa

Sentaro, is a former inmate who works in a dorayaki (Japanese pastry) stall to pay off his debts. He finds himself caught off guard when Madame Yoshi, an elderly lady who hides a secret, enters his life like a squall. With her, he will take a liking to baking and will create links with his customers. Review : This is a sympathetic book that conjures us to appreciate life as best we can. Quite typical of the Japanese writing style, the author focuses on the introspection of his characters and the description of his landscapes. This book also criticizes some Japanese political dogmas vis-à-vis leprosy and the stigmatization of former patients. Without acting as a judge, nor seeking to remake the world, the author conveys a comforting message to appreciate what life offers us. It's a pleasant style to read and a read that transports you to the city of Tokyo.

2. #Infirmière – Caroline Estremo

Follow the journey of the "puffed nurse" and actress Caroline Estremo. With Georges-son-instinct, she reveals her beginnings as a nurse after leaving law school. Her book shows readers the difficult moments of her journey and how she was able to cope with the pressure of the emergency field. Review : This autobiography shows us the nurse/actress in her strong moments and doubts. She introduces us to Georges-her-instinct, her protector and her seven personalities. The reader directly hears the voice of the actress reasoning in her head and finds the humorous style of her sketches. Written in the first person, this style allows the reader to establish an important connection with Estremo. This testimony is intriguing and rather funny when it tells anecdotes with patients of all kinds. The only downside of the book is that sometimes the author's explanations are too complex when she uses medical jargon and its abbreviations. Determined not to take itself too seriously, this book shows that, sometimes, life is funnier than fiction.

3. The Bear and the Nightingale — Katherine Arden

Welcome to medieval northern Russia, where man and mythology meet, at the dawn of the influence of Christianity. Vasya is a young girl who can communicate with the protective spirits of ancient times. Happy to spend her life listening to the tales of her nurse and the legends of Morozko, the lord of winter, Vasya has no idea of the dangers that lie in wait for the horizon. When his father remarries and a zealous priest moves into his village, Vasya discovers that a danger, far more terrible than the threat of the bear, hangs over his head. Review : This book is a discovery of Russian mythology and tales. The reader is transported to the icy lands of Russia and discovers the magic of ancient times and the spirits of the past. Katherine Arden focuses on her heroine Vasya , who prefers to chat with spirits than conform to the expectations of her mother-in-law, who seeks to make her a typical woman of the time. This book goes in the direction of an adventure novel. However, it offers a breath of novelty in the genre by touching on Russian mythology and culture. It is an exciting and fascinating read in the fantasy genre. Katherine Arden, The Bear and the Nightingale

4. Circe – Madeleine Miller

In a new interpretation of Greek mythology, the nymph Circe offers the audience her own perspective on the events told by philosophers and poets. Born of the naiad Perseus and the Titan Helios, the nymph has nothing, at first glance, of a deity. Abandoned by her family, she discovers by herself her powers as a witch, which one day attracts the wrath of Zeus, leading to his banishment to the island of Aiaia. Condemned to solitary confinement for eternity, Circe reveals her impressions of famous figures in Greek mythology, such as Daedalus and Icarus, Theseus and Medea, Odysseus and Penelope. Critique : This book is a fundamental shift in the narratives of Greek mythology. It tells the point of view of women, even more, of a nymph. Presented in The Odyssey in a brief passage, Madeleine Miller managed to extirpate a whole world on this character. This feminist prose very clearly underlines the adage: "it is better to be alone than badly accompanied". As this book is presented through the introspections of Circe and her thoughts, the reader will be able to find some parallels of style with Albert Camus' The Stranger. Except that unlike the latter, Circeus is a more endearing and sympathetic character in the eyes of readers. In this time of confinement, Circée puts the notion of solitude into perspective in the eyes of the world. Although this book does not offer fights or twists of any kind, it is an excellent pastime that takes readers into the world of men and gods.   And for comic book fans:

1. The Complete Divinity

In the midst of the Cold War, Soviet science must be proof of the superiority of communism. A secret space mission is sent for this noble purpose to the Unknown, at the edge of the universe with two Abram men (Divinity), Kazmir and a Myshka woman. Once arrived, a strange phenomenon modifies each of the protagonists. Years later, they realize that the dream of communism has collapsed with the Berlin Wall but are now endowed with superpowers. They now have a role to play in history. Is it possible to go back when you have the means to change everything? Review : This complete series is composed of three mini-series. Each is centered on one of these three astronauts : Abram, Myshka and Kazmir. Each mini-series enriches the discovery of the Unknown. For example, the reader notices in the second story that Abram abandoned his companions. Myshka follows the ideology of the state: to complete her mission, she uses Kazmir's body as energy for the capsule. The latter then decides to take revenge on reality. Divinity is first and foremost an action story. Like a good James Bond, the last cycle is a race between individuals and spy networks. But they are also profound stories. The first episodes ask a question: how to coexist with a god? The screenplay is by Matt Kindt and art by Trevor Hairsine. The colors are by David Barron. Bliss editions even offer you the first hundred pages for free on their site. The same goes for all other integrals. A very good opportunity to discover this abundant universe. Coronavirus: what readings during confinement?

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 0: New Beginning

In a vacant lot, a street fight pits a mutant rat and ninja turtles against a humanoid cat and its mobsters. In a flashback, we understand the origin of all these characters. This whole group turned into one night. Ninjas attack a research center, taking with them dwarf turtles, a lab rat and samples of a fluorescent product. Everything falls to the ground during the flight of the thieves. A gutter cat removes one of the turtles, Raphael, putting mutagenic in his mouth. The turtles will not stop looking for their missing brother in the following months. Review: As in a good Spider-Man, humor mixes with punches. The shelled ninjas gradually understand that the previous narrative is too simple. How do they know how to fight so fast? The reader then follows two timelines: the turtles who want to escape the Hob gang on one side and the daily life of important characters in medieval Japan on the other. This volume published by Hi Comics is a very good gateway to learn about this excellent series. The action is hectic: the attack of ninjas, robot dogs, urban gangs… but screenwriter Tom Waltz never neglects characters who gradually have different characters and motivations.

3. Merwan, Celestial Mechanics

We would have suspected it with the confinement, but the future is not glorious. The water level rose sharply and the economy collapsed. There are only islands left where humans survive by theft, barter and some agriculture. The young Aster is on an expedition with her friend Wallis to ancient ruins to find food. Meanwhile, representatives of the military republic of Fortuna come to impose their authority in their village. Overwhelmed, the leader of the group asks for the use of Celestial Mechanics… without having any idea what it is. Critique : Are you tired of predictable narratives of an atrocious future where violence, perversion, and wickedness are the only way to survive? Celestial Mechanics is the right answer to have another vision. Merwan composes a beautiful portrait of a woman including Aster, an intrepid teenager. Living on the margins, she is the only one who can save the agricultural city of Pan. Fearing nothing, she will defy the forbidden and the unknown. It is she who blows the idea of Celestial Mechanics which is actually a very popular contest of ball to the prisoner! Through a rounded drawing colorized in watercolor, Merwan imagines hilarious and increasingly improbable matches. The reader smiles incessantly while admiring the courage of this young girl. Article by Clemence Waller and Corentin Grébert