A relatively short but insightful book about family and motherhood. There are three separate storylines. Lila is contemplating motherhood. Tess is the mother of an 8-year-old whose relationship with Emily is ending. And Adam is the enigmatic sperm donor. What are our responsibilities to each other in order to create a family? This is a remarkable book – highly recommended.
A Meditation of Murder – Susan Jubey
Helen is an extremely efficient butler to a super-rich couple in Vancouver. Her calm demeanor is enhanced because she is a practising Buddhist. Helen is “loaned” to help a young woman, an internet influencer, get her life in order. Helen is reluctantly exposed to the toxic work of social media, and then there are murders. Helen’s ability to be a calm observer is tested by people without sound judgement. And finally, the setting is contemporaryy Vancouver and a ranch in BC’s interior. Often hilarious because of contrasting lifestyles, this is a pleasant read.
In The Upper Country – Kai Thomas
The context in this important story is key. It is 1859 in a Candian town, a terminus of the underground railway. A recently arrived Black woman shoots dead an American slave hunter, and surrenders to be imprisoned for murder. A young journalist want to collect the testimony of the old accused woman but what evolves is a remarkable barter, a story exchange. What is revealed is a tapestry of interwoven stories, including relationships between blacks and indigenous peoples. This is a seriously fine book.
Red Queen – Juan Gomez-Jurado
A mystery-thriller set in Madrid features an odd investigative couple: a disgraced police detective and a brilliant female forensic analyst with an uncanny ability to reconstruct crimes. A secretive organization directs their investigation into a ritualistic murder and a kidnapping. This is a very entertaining story with many plot twists, and happily, this investigative team will return in a second book. Thanks Renee, for this recommendation.
The Covenant of Water – Abraham Verghese
Be advised that this is a long book, more than 700 pages, but the writing is exquisite. The setting is South India from 1900-1977, with a focus on three generations in a single family. The story begins with a 12-year-old bride meeting her much older widowed husband. Being India, some tragedy is inevitable ranging from an inherited propensity for drowning to leprosy. Verghese’s writing is exceptional; some examples are describing Madras evening breezes to rail journeys, plus medical information. Family secrets abound, of course, and historical India provides an indelible backdrop to lives full of joy and triumph as well as hardship and loss. A must read book – highly recommended.
Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
In this current era of ever-increasing mis-information and dis-information, a re-read of Orwell’s classic dystopian book is very worthwhile. His last book, published in 1949, describes totalitarianism, mass surveillance, and manipulations of truth and facts. A cautionary tale, to be sure.
The Mystery Guest – Nita Prose
In the four years since the events outlined brilliantly in the best-selling The Maid, Molly has been promoted to Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. Her dedication to superior cleanliness and etiquette has to be balanced with her atypical abilities, with both observed and hidden behavioural quirks. What will happen when a renowned author is murdered in the hotel? Will secrets be revealed? What is unique about this new novel is that a major element is Molly’s backstory when she was 10-years-old and living with her Gran. This mystery is a delight to read.
Dandelion Daughter – Gabrielle Boulianne-Tremblay
A heart-breaking story of a childhood in the remote Charlevoix region of Quebec that features isolation and alienation, resulting in profound gender dysphoria and eventually a trans-feminine transition. The story provides insight into the realization that one can be assigned the wrong gender at birth. As a consequence, a childhood and adolescence become particularly turbulent as the protagonist searches for a path of self-discovery.
Black River Orchard – Chuck Wendig
An effective horror trope is to assign malevolence to an inanimate object like a doll or car. Mr. Wendig’s story involves magical apples with obsessive consumption. Can an apple provide a parasite of the soul? Can an orchard be evil? And what’s not to love about a character named Edward Naberius, a restorer of lost dignities. A genuinely creepy and frightening story!
What David Read 