Yikes, 3 months without posting my reads. I’m going to have to do some bedside and e-reader archaeology for sure! Shall I blame the pandemic for this too? Truth is, I’ve been more interesting in reading and knitting than writing about reading and knitting. I’ve got a lot of good books to share with you this time around.
Okay, in no particular order other than memory or where they books have been stacked, here we go!
Me Before You by JoJo Mayes. Absolutely wonderful novel from start to finish. It’s a smart, unusual, and heartbreaking love story. I tore through it and, yes, I cried.
One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London. In this novel, the protagonist stars in a reality show that I might actually watch. She’s a smart, interesting style blogger who agrees to become the first plus-size “Main Squeeze” on a Bachelorette-style dating show. Actually, who am I kidding? I wouldn’t watch it, but I loved reading about it.
Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson. I picked this book to read with my book club, and it was indeed a great choice. From the first page, I became immersed in the world of the novel and its protagonist, Lisamarie, a young Haisla woman who has just learned that her brother is missing at sea. Scenes shift in time: back to childhood, forward to teenage years, back to pre-teen then all the way to present day in the story. Because Lisamarie is the narrator, we can only know what she knows or thinks she knows at each point in time. It makes for a potent mix of intuition, spirituality, guilt, innocence, wonder, and mystery. Also, sasquatches. Maybe.
The Eleventh Hour by Anina Collins. A perfectly enjoyable, not particularly memorable cozy mystery.
Lethal Bayou Beauty by Jana DeLeon. Unlike most cozies that I borrow from the library, I actually paid real money for this one. It’s the second in a series, and I enjoyed the first so much that I not only remembered it, but sought out the sequel and bought it. Wowza. I might even pony up for the next one at some point.
Honor Kills by Nanci Rathbun. Another good not-quite-cozy mystery.
Calypso by David Sedaris. If you enjoy David Sedaris, you’ll love this even more than his other memoirs. While he always talks about his childhood, his family and his partner in his books, you realize when reading this one that he’s managed to remain somehow remote, a witty observer rather than a flesh-and-blood human. Calypso contains the same cast of characters, but takes a more introspective, intimate tone.
When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole. A gripping novel about the experience of people who already live in the neighbourhoods that are being reclaimed or “gentrified.” In a Brooklyn neighbourhood, the predominantly Black community is being squeezed out – until one woman decides to hold on at any cost. It’s a wild ride.
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. Continuing my learning journey. Join me, won’t you?
Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah. This author sure knows how to write a book that keeps you reading. If you can suspend your disbelief about the too-convenient premise (and I could), you’ll power through quickly to the overly pat ending. All that noted, however, I’ll happily dig into another book by Kristin Hannah.
Moriarty Meets His Match by Anna Castle. Make Sherlock’s nemesis the hero and the master detective himself sort of a tool? Yes, please! A thoroughly engaging historical mystery set in – where else? – late 1800’s London.
Blue Fire by Joel Canfield. Max Bowman is a foul-mouthed private detective with a whole boatload of personal issues, including a neurotic rescue dog that adores him but tries to attack everyone else. Bowman is hired to track down a legendary, long-vanished comic book artist and chaos ensues. I really did not know what I was getting into, but it’s a heckuva read.
Girl's Guide to Witchcraft by Mindy Klasky. I very much enjoyed this charming tale (pun alert!) and will look for others by the same author.
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. If you enjoy Gone Girl, The Guest List, The Woman in the Window or other novels along that line, you’re bound to enjoy this one too. I do, and I did.
Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman. Now, this is a different sort of premise. A woman inherits her mother’s battered and well-thumbed yearbook from early in her teaching career. Not having any particular attachment to it, the woman throws it in with the recycling, where a neighbour finds it. The neighbour decides it’s ripe material for a documentary. Who owns it now? What scandals may be revealed? A fantastic read if you enjoy a mystery without the macabre.
Moons of Jupiter by Alice Munro. Short stories by Alice Munro. Happy sigh.
Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson – The second novel I’ve read by Ms Robinson (see above) but nowhere close to the last. Set in the same area of Kitimat, BC, and also with a young adult Haisla protagonist, this novel focuses on Jared, the “son” referenced in the title. His grandmother may not think he’s quite human, but he’s doing the best he can to keep his family safe and his life on track. No sasquatches here, but do beware of the river otters.
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice - Yes, a reread. Yes, so good. I have found myself thinking about this story several times in the year or so since I first read it, so I dove back in. While I didn’t experience the same thrills of suspense as the first time obviously, I became just as immersed in the narrative. So much to unpack and ponder and appreciate.
Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T.A. Willberg. This novel is a clever mystery-adventure that imagines a 1950s London, England with a secret detective agency that works out of a large network of tunnels beneath the city. Equipped with magical gadgets and her wits, Marion Lane a first-year “inquirer in training,” must uncover the culprit of a murder before her mentor is convicted. The challenge? The murder took place in a locked, alarmed room that only a fellow inquirer could access.
Do you think I listened to any new podcasts this season? I did not. Happy to take recommendations! “Driving to the beach” season is upon us and though the road trips may be on the short side, they will at least have me leaving the neighbourhood for a change.
