This is a fascinating and intriguing book, the dialog between a woman and the man she has contracted to kill her, essentially an assisted suicide. The book takes place in and around the Palliser Hotel in downtown Calgary, and the conversation includes a treatise on travelling and hotels.
Author: AJ
84, Charing Cross Road – Helene Hanff
A series of letters written over 20 years (1949-1969) between a book buyer in NY and a London book shop is the basis of this short book. Despite the brevity of the letters, much is revealed about the writers and the context is explained wonderfully: love of literature, post-war rationing in England; and most interesting, the evolution of a relationship between people who never meet in person. Thanks Sarah for this recommendation.
The Wife – Meg Wolitzer
Wolitzer is a wonderful writer (The Interestings). This is an insightful book about a woman married to a writer who has become famous. There is a precise description of life in the 1950s for women – confronting boundaries and restrictions; the power of withholding. The slow reveal of the depth of what appears to be a one-sided relationship is enticing. This book reminded me of a Kate Christensen novel, The Great Man, also a great read.
Amy notes: in 2018 this book was released as a movie. The movie is fine, but Glenn Close as the titular wife is excellent.
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
Ishiguro writes impeccable books about life in England: e.g. Remains of the Day and my favourite, Never Let Me Go. This intriguing story takes place in post-Arthur Britain, with Britons and Saxons and a knight (Sir Gawain) and ogres, pixies and a dragon. There is something “off”, a forgetfulness or loss of memory, that drives the story in a fascinating way. Two principal characters, Axl and Beatrice, are delightful; overall, an excellent book.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22522805-the-buried-giant
The Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Sometimes a horror book can provide a cracking good story (think The Stand by Stephen King, but please no other King books). In this story, a malevolent ghost is out for revenge on the living. The main character who suffers this haunting is so remarkably unlikeable that it is interesting that we still hope for his survival in an epic battle between the living and the (un)dead ghost. Violent but still an enjoyable read, the old “and now for something entirely different”.
Salvage The Bones by Jesmyn Ward
The writing in this books reminds me of Toni Morrison, so high praise. There is a strong sense of impending doom for a Mississippi family (poverty, dog-fighting, teen-age pregnancy) while Katrina bores down on them. Excellent descriptive writing.
The Book Of Lost Things by John Connolly
The premise of this book is that the act of reading makes stories come alive, and so a young 12-year-old boy crosses a portal into a world that contains elements of books/stories that he has read. For example, he encounters a new spin on Red Riding Hood and a hilarious version of the Seven Dwarfs. But there is a dark and violent aspect of this new world as well, similar to original Grimm tales and modern Neil Gaiman stories. Excellent and imaginative writing so highly recommended.
Close To Hugh by Marina Endicott
This is a brilliant book about complex relationships of love and friendship. At the core is Hugh, a 50-something man whose life is unravelling for physical and psychological reasons. The story is set in Peterborough and art (painting, installations art, and especially theatre) features prominently. The writing is very fine throughout.
A Spool Of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
Tyler’s 20th novel is, once again, about a Baltimore family, 3 generations. The writing is elegant, with a subtle reveal of strong emotions: love but also bewilderment and surprising strengths in surprising situations. Characters that we initially dismiss as shallow turn out to be stronger than we expected or suspected. Tyler continues to be a literary treasure.
What David Read 