Author: AJ

Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted – Suleika Jaouad

At age 22, Suleika is diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. What follows are three years of brutal treatments: extensive chemotherapy, an experimental clinical trial, and a bone marrow transplant. The second half of this honest and insightful book details her “survival”, the transition back to the real world. Her coping strategy is to undertake a 15,000-mile road trip to visit those who sustained her when she was very ill. Cancer forces people to face mortality, and emotions are complicated and often conflicted because suffering makes you selfish. Suleika has to imagine a future that includes anger and fear; her writing is brutally honest and courageous. Thanks Sarah, for this recommendation.

This Is How We Love – Lisa Moore

Ms. Moore is a very fine writer (February, Caught) but this is her best book to date. A multi-generational story set in St. John’s creates a superb relationship book, of mothers mostly and children who are loved, neglected, lost and re-found. What makes a family? Do we ever really choose who we love? Warning: there is violence, a stabbing. And much of the story takes place in a legendary winter storm, a snow-mageddon! Overall: a rich tapestry of the sacrifice, pain and joy of loving, for tour-de-force storytelling.

Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead – Emily Austin

Gilda suffers from paralyzing anxiety with chronic panic attacks producing disjointed thought patterns. In short, her life is a messy disaster. And then she, a lesbian atheist, accidentally gets a receptionist job in a Catholic Church where she becomes obsessed with the death of her predecessor. The author of this first novel successfully navigates a tricky balance between hilarious events and some truly pathetic behaviour, so a story of angst and uncertain redemption.

Jones – Neil Smith

Abi and Eli are siblings, Abi the elder by two years. They share a special communicative relationship, more typical in twins. Their story concerns growing up in a dysfunctional family; in fact, family is described as the f-word. This is a difficult book to describe, other than it is wonderfully written and is highly recommended albeit with a warning that there is violence and abusive parental behaviour. Some dreadful actions are balanced with amazing humour. The outcome is absolutely stunning in its complexity and honesty. Note: I have just heard Neil Smith speak twice at Calgary’s WorldFest, making it even more important to read this book.

Should We Stay Or Should We Go – Lionel Shriver

In 1991 at the age of 51, Cyril and Kay make a pact: to avoid the ravages of old age, they will jointly commit suicide at age 80. Now in March 2020, it is decision time. Ms. Shriver thoughtfully and comprehensively provides 12 possible outcomes. What if one opts out? What if cryogenics delivers then into a future strange new world? As usual, Shriver addresses serious themes with characteristic scenarios that may be touching but often hilarious, with contemporary issues like Brexit and the pandemic. Highly recommended.

The Mermaid Of Black Conch – Monique Roffey

Aycayia was once an indigenous Taino woman in the Caribbean. What curse transformed her into a mermaid? If she is captured, will she re-transform into a woman? What will be her fate? How are the island lives changed by this phenomenon? This is a great story, no surprise since it is a Heather O’Neill recommendation.

The Christmas Bookshop – Jenny Colgan

You may wonder why I liked this book because the story is entirely predictable, and the plot is sweetly sentimental. On the other hand, the word “bookshop” is in the title and the setting is contemporary Edinburgh. What can I say – it is a relationship book that is entirely satisfying.

Good Moms On Paper – Edited by Stacy May Fowles and Jen Sookfong Lee

Twenty essays about motherhood by (obviously) women authors: struggles with work-life balance, feeling fraudulent as both mother and writer, and creative compulsion – powerful themes with insightful thoughts. Essays cover both biological and adoptive parenting, new mothers, and relationships with the essayist’s mother. Heather O’Neill writes “being a single mother working on a novel is like asking a clairvoyant to book a ticket on the Titanic – it’s a bad idea”! Highly recommended.