My first book in 2025 is … great! The setting is the Red River Valley in North Dakota, with ordinary people coping as best they can with the impending financial collapse of 2008-09. There is a premature wedding, and an embezzlement with a masquerading bank robber. The people are flawed and decent, lonely and hopeful. There are also dark secrets in the aftermath of a tragic accident. And finally, there is a brilliant understanding of human relationships with the environment. Ms. Erdrich’s writing reminds me of Lionel Shriver, high praise indeed.
Author: AJ
Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby Van Pelt
Tova is a 70-year-old widow grieving the recent death of her husband and the disappearance and presumed death of her son more than 30 years ago. At its core, this is a relationship story, and remarkably, a key relationship is with Marcellus … a giant Pacific octopus living in a Washington State aquarium. The storyline sometimes come perilously close to the plot of a soap opera (there is a happy ending, after all) but remains a charming and witty story.
Tell Me Everything – Elizabeth Strout
Sometimes a new book by a favourite author can only be described as an exquisite pleasure. Ms. Strout’s novel returns to the town of Crosby Maine with a beloved cast of characters: the iconic Olive Kitteridge, lawyer Bob Burgess, and the author Lucy Barton. This is a story of empathy and pathos; the intimacy of shared stories and experiences; the importance of being seen so one’s life is not unrecorded; the paralysis of grief; the relationship between friendship and love; loneliness, sadness and beauty; and finally the significance of the very human desire to leave a mark on the world.
The Circle – Katherena Vermette
This compelling story is a worthy companion to The Break and The Strangers, to complete a trilogy of unforgettable Metis voices. The central event is the release of Phoenix from prison after 6 years confinement for a vicious assault. The implications are profound; stories and memories are revealed from different perspectives so the exquisite writing creates a type of restorative justice circle where both the victimized and accused confront how their lives have been changed. This is masterful writing with an ending that is both heartbreaking and hopeful.
The Eye In The Door – Pat Barker
It is 1918, and the vengeful English public seeks scapegoats; pacifists and homosexuals are targeted for persecution and prosecution. The brutality of trench warfare leads to war neurosis (PTSD). The book title refers to being watched. The social stigma directed to “conchies” (conscientious objectors) is profound. This brilliant antiwar book is a worthy companion to Regeneration.
Death At The Sign Of The Rook – Kate Atkinson
Ms. Atkinson has written a delightful book about Jackson Brodie, her fifth story about the now ex-detective. All the mystery tropes are present: stolen paintings; a murder mystery play at a decrepit estate in a snow storm; and not surprisingly, murders ensue! The writing displays the author’s signature wit: “neither of them could open their mouths without a cliche falling out (p. 14). This is a clever and completely enjoyable read.
Truth Telling – Michelle Good
Ms. Good is an acclaimed author for the novel Five Little Indians (Canada Reads 2022 winner). This book is subtitled: “Seven conversations about Indigenous life in Canada”, and I respectfully submit that her thoughtful essays should be read by non-Indigenous Canadians. She categorically states that “it is not enough to wear an orange shirt or issue/listen to empty land acknowledgements”. Her general concept is that there can be no reconciliation without truth; that the goal of colonialism was to disempower leading to the genocide of Indigenous peoples; and that Residential Schools were an implement in the colonial toolkit to destroy Indigenous identity. Ms. Good’s personal story is particularly compelling as a 60s scoop victim with five years in care. Finally, her essay on cultural pillagers, the pretendians, is a clear expose of identity theft. Provocative writing – highly recommended.
The Trials Of Koli – M.R. Carey
Book Two of the Ramparts Trilogy continues Koli’s search for a lost London. The journey is perilous with toxic nature (choker seeds) and conflicts with other humans. An underlying theme is the relationship with surviving tech, as human nature to want/need dominance and power is a real factor. This is a very imaginative dystopian saga filled with uncertainty and peril.
The Little Village Of Book Lovers – Nina George
Full disclosure: this is an unequivocally sentimental book about love, the love of books and love between people. The context: a little town in the south of France in the 1960s. There are two themes. First, the orphan Marie-Jeanne and her foster-father Francis (a bric-a-brac dealer) start a mobile library; chapter 10 has the provocative title “Books are not for cowards”. Thus literary choices become the basis for self-awareness and friendships. But second, Marie-Jeanne can “see” the marks Love has left on the village people. Can she facilitate the union of soulmates? This is an elegantly crafted examination of the elusive nature of love, and is completely charming.
What David Read 