Sedaris in another popular author that I have never read. This entertaining book is a collection of short essays, really stories or vignettes of his observations on life. Yes, the stories are often humorous but also poignant and sometime meaningful. In short, completely entertaining, an appreciation of his wit and his eye for the absurd.
Exit Party – Emily St. John Mandel
Simply put, this new book is great, to be expected by the author of Station Eleven. In reality, the story is hard to describe without spoilers. Imagine that there are two parallel existences. In one, it is 2031 and the United States has collapsed Into feuding factions, and Paris exists under an artificial dome. In the other, the US exists under a totalitarian surveillance state without elections, an ordered calm. Now imagine a crossover of some individuals due to a botched teleportation experiment, creating literal doppelgängers! This is elegant and imaginative writing, a must read.
Cool Machine – Colson Whitehead
This is the third and final book in the Harlem trilogy, featuring Ray Carey as a successful furniture businessman who is inexorably drawn to crime. The real focus of this remarkable book is NY in the 1980s: crime and corruption in seedy locations, racism, and vivid characters with names like the Melancholy Hitman. Finally, there is Carney’s memorable quote (page 8): “It is harder to find a good coffee table than it is to fall in love”. Whitehead is a literary genius (with two Pulitzers).
Opioids And Organs – Arizona O’Neill
Arizona’s first graphic novel is autobiographical, prompted by the death of her estranged father from a drug overdose. Her surprising designation as next-of-kin meant having to make a dramatic decision about organ donation. This leads to a somewhat obsessive analysis of the ethics of organ donation. Are brain-dead addicts after an overdose serving as a supply of a valuable resource, namely organs? Is there an imbalance between those giving organs and the recipients? This is a moving and often irreverent exploration of grief and family – highly recommended.
The Astral Library – Kate Quinn
Ms. Quinn has written some superb historical fiction (The Alice Network, The Rose Code). And now for something entirely different: she offers a foray into magic realism. The heroine Alix is a misfit product of parental abandonment and the foster-care system. She takes refuge in a reading room at the Boston Public Library, and accidentally gains entry to the magical Astral Library which permits access to book lovers in need. Patrons in the Astral Library can enter and live inside books; imagine living in Jane Austen’s world in Pride and Prejudice, or in The Great Gatsby! Importantly, this book is a love letter to literature and libraries, with some exquisite book trivia. But there is peril and danger in the form of attacks on the library, requiring original defences. Simply put, this is a great read!
The Keeper – Tana French
Ms. French is a superb crime writer of some excellent police procedural stories. This third and final book in the Cal Hooper trilogy is entirely different. First, there are only two deaths in this story about a village in West Ireland, one at the beginning and one at the end of a 489-page book. The context is the village; casual dialog reveals subtle conversational codes. And most of the violence comes from rumours, generational grudges and power struggles. A compelling question: what is justice? Finally, the last 8 pages are … perfect.
Taipei Story – R.F. Kuang
Rebecca Kuang is an extraordinary author, in part because each of her novels uses different genres. In this book, Lily Chen is a Chinese-American Yale student who decides to spend a summer in Taipei in an intensive language program to improve her Chinese. Now, Lily is a young woman experiencing culture shock for the first time, and she makes some epic mistakes. Her program is difficult and her roommate is super annoying. And then mid-program she experiences a personal tragedy, the death of her maternal grandfather (Gonggong) in China which results in a profound identity crisis. Thus, the story is intensely introspective, all about belonging. Some of the writing is transcendent, like attending a piano concert. Overall, an amazing coming-of-age novel about self-discovery and understanding.
The Black Wolf – Louise Penny
This 20th Gamache novel is a direct sequel to The Grey Wolf. Inspector Gamache with a very small group of trusted investigators works to foil more dastardly plots in what must be a covert operation. Trust no-one! There are police moles, crooked politicians, the Montreal mob, and a great deal of misdirection. So, in short, totally entertaining.
Camino Ghosts – John Grisham
First, a confession: I have never read a Grisham novel, despite his being one of the best-selling authors in the world! So, this randomly chosen novel describes a classic legal battle. On the one side is Lovely Jackson, a Black woman claiming ownership of an island settled and inhabited by ship-wrecked African slaves in 1760. And on the other side is a despicable corporate developer who wants to build a resort and casino on the island. This classic David-Goliath battle comes to a satisfying conclusion because there is no last-minute revelation at the end of the book. So, a very entertaining read.
