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!
Month: February 2024
Denison Avenue – Christina Wong
A haunting portrayal of the gentrification of Toronto’s Chinatown-Kensington Market, told from the viewpoint of an elderly Chinese-Canadian woman, Wang Cho Sum. After the heartbreaking death of her husband in a hit-and-run accident, Cho Sum copes with grief by collecting recyclables. Loss is everywhere: shops closing, loss of the Toisan dialect. How can you build a new life when elders are dismissed and discarded? The moving prose is accompanied by beautifully-rendered black-and-white drawings by David Innes. This book should be a powerful contender for Canada Reads, championed by Naheed Nenshi.
Roaming – Jillian and Mariko Tamaki
The Tamaki cousins have created a brilliant graphic novel about 5 days in New York city in 2009, experienced by three 19-year-old Canadian women. Initial euphoria is tempered by reality as friendships are tested. Overall, an immersive slice-of-life, in part a love letter to a great city. This book was a chance discovery at the October Word Fest, a true find.
Superfan – How Pop Culture Broke My Heart – Jen Sookfong Lee
A non-linear memoir of Ms. Lee’s search for a Chinese-Canadian identity, where pop culture (Anne of Green Gables, Bob Ross, etc.) is used as an escape from her fractious family life and as a means of fitting in. She has provided a candid account of her struggles and failures; her insights are tender, often hilarious and always profound.
Starling House – Alix E. Harrow
This is an excellent modern gothic fantasy. There is a spooky mansion that may be sentient. Can dreams and nightmares create monsters? What constitutes bad luck? Opal is a 26-year-old survivor who is fighting to create better future opportunities for her younger brother. And finally, the Kentucky setting provides a sinister background to a tale of worlds within worlds. Highly recommended.
What David Read 