Simply put, this amazing first novel is one of the best books I have read this year. It is unquestionably a “guy book” because all the major characters are male. In 1999 in Edmonton, four remarkably different “boys” meet as cadets; they are not really friends but have a type of camaraderie. Then there is army training and finally deployment to Afghanistan in 2005. Hertwig describes the Army mood and male behaviour perfectly: boredom, a lack of purpose, too much drinking and pornography, and yes, racism and bloodlust. And then there is the senseless violence of war, the chaos of conflict. Finally, there is the brutal aftermath of war, with PTSD. Hertwig’s writing is evocative with brilliant metaphors. Highly recommended, a must read book.
Category: Best of 2025
The Bookbinder – Pip Williams
This is a fine example of historical fiction by the author of The Dictionary Of Lost Words. Once again, the setting is Oxford, but the time is 1914-18. Peggy and Maude are 21-year-old twin sisters working as bookbinders at the Clarendon Press. Peggy is driven by her love of books and a desire to study literature at university; Maude is a special extraordinary woman, vulnerable with an honest simplicity. Their lives are disrupted by the war and an influx of injured Belgian soldiers, and then by the influenza epidemic. This is a story about the love of books, about knowledge that is withheld if you are female, and the formidable barriers experienced by women. Highly recommended.
The God Of The Woods – Liz Moore
This is a superb thriller. In 1975, a teenager (Barbara) disappears from her Adirondack summer camp. Eerily, Barbara’s older brother vanished from the same camp in 1961. This is an extraordinary story of both investigations, and of course complicating secrets abound. The characters are richly described, both well-meaning (but flawed) people and some dastardly villains. Highly recommended – very entertaining.
Landbridge – Y-Dang Troeung
Simply put, this is an exceptional book that is heartbreaking to read. Ms. Troeung was born in a Thailand refugee camp, one of the last Cambodian refugees admitted to Canada in 1980. This is an autobiographical story of her life in Canada and Hong Kong with frequent trips to Cambodia to research the genocidal history. So it is about refugee histories, about refugee survival, to research the lives of the lost during the Cambodian genocide. And it is deeply personal, in part because letters written to her son Kai are included. Tragically, Ms. Troeung died of cancer in 2022. Overall, this is a work of outstanding humanity and honesty, a must-read book.
Three Days In June – Anne Tyler
Gail is a 61-year-old administrator at a girl’s private school who will attend the wedding of her daughter Debbie tomorrow. Then her ex-husband Max shows up unannounced, with a cat. This is a tender relationship book about love and marriage, both the current situation and the past. As always, Ms. Tyler’s writing is sublime: “Gail wonders why she has so many irritating people in her life”. It is the very ordinariness of the story and characters that is so attractive. In short, a delightful mix of pathos and humour, and yes, even empathy.
The In-Between Bookstore – Edward Underhill
Darby left small-town Illinois 12-years-ago to become a trans-masculine individual in NY. But now unemployed, he returns to his home which is unsettling. And when he enters the local bookstore where he used to work, he experiences time travel back to 2009 and he meets … himself! Can his pre-transition self be influenced, and can fraught relationships be altered? At its core, this is a story of love and self-discovery. Highly recommended.
Prairie Edge – Conor Kerr
This gritty story by Mr. Kerr is reminiscent of Katherena Vermette‘s great writing, and so a trigger warning could have been utilized. Isadore (Ezzy) Desjarlais and Grey Ginther are distant Metis cousins living in and around Edmonton, and candidly they are very flawed characters. Bison are stolen from Elk Island Park and released into Edmonton’s river valley, bison representing the past before colonialism. And there are other criminal acts. Powerful writing provides a biting critique of modern activism. The abysmal foster care system and subsequent substance abuse are also key elements. This is a novel that is both triumphant and tragic, so highly recommended (thanks Amy, for this book).
Witchcraft For Wayward Girls – Grady Hendrix
Simply put, this is a powerful book. As always, the context is crucial. In 1970, Wellwood House in Florida is a home for unmarried pregnant women, only these are pregnant children aged 14-15 who have been ostracized by their families and banished. They experience shame and guilt, and profound helplessness. So, what will happen when a librarian offers them a book about witchcraft? Can spells offer an alternative to feelings of being powerless? But power has a price, and every price must be paid. The story contains graphic descriptions of childbirth, so reader be warned. The misogyny and abuse directed to these girls is astonishing – highly recommended.
Intermezzo – Sally Rooney
Ms. Rooney (author of Normal People) has written another superb relationship book. Peter and Ivan are dissimilar brothers, 10 years different in age who are grieving the recent death of their father. The younger brother begins a relationship with an older woman. Meanwhile, the older brother has a complicated relationship with two women. Can you care passionately for an unsuitable person? The prose is exceptional with frequent stream-of-consciousness thinking. And there is a need for honesty, and for forgiveness by others and by oneself. Highly recommended.
What David Read 