This is an excellent first novel about librarians conducting genealogical research based on a mysterious old book. And there is magic, circus performers and even a curse: what’s not to love! Parts of this book remind the reader of The Night Circus, high praise.
Category: magic
Avenue of Mysteries by John Irving
This is one of Irving’s best books, with some familiar themes: a circus lion (Fourth Hand), a transgender character (In One Person) in an inventive story. This book details the life of Juan Diego in Mexico, Iowa and finally in a trip to the Philippines. Much of the back story is related as fractured dreams (which have an interesting and manipulatable cause). And there are magical/mystical elements involving mind reading by several characters, and some religious aspects, especially the competition between Virgin Mary and Our Lady of Guadalupe statues. This is a very entertaining and provocative read, and is highly recommended.
15 Dogs by Andre Alexis
An inventive and imaginative book that is deserving of recent accolades (Governor General’s Award, Giller). Apollo and Hermes make a wager on the consequences of granting human consciousness to 15 dogs. In most cases, there is not much consequence in short lives terminated by violence. But in a few instances, there are very interesting passages about love versus loyalty, the impact of language, and the role of dominance.
Amy note: As seen at the Vancouver Writers Festival, 2015
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 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.
A Year Of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman
This is a delightful and somewhat magical book, set in 1947 in Cornwall, England. The writing is beautiful, just wonderful story telling. Winman previously wrote the delightful When God Was A Rabbit which is brilliant.
(Amy’s note: When God was a Rabbit has one of the funniest descriptions of a Christmas pageant that I’ve ever read)
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
T
his is the best book I have read in the last 6 months. Mitchell creates an epic story, from 1984 to 2043 with intersecting story lines. The first 2/3 sets the stage for the final 1/3, a fantastical story of psychic power, a form of immortality and a cracking conflict between the good guys and the villains. The future turns out to be very dystopian (but not post-apocalyptic). Overall, fantastic story telling. This is my favourite Mitchell book, definitely better than Cloud Atlas which I also loved.
(Amy notes: I’m pretty sure that I’m the one who introduced David to this very fine author!)
The Cure For Death By Lightning by Gail Anderson-Dargatz
This is a remarkable book, told in the voice of 14 year-old Beth who is growing up in rural B.C. in the early 1940s. There is exceptional detail in the writing, ranging from the recipes and remedies in her mother’s scrapbook to farming details like milking cows and separating the milk. There is also a very strong magical/mystical element. But be warned, there is some very unpleasant detail, described in a completely understated manner. So, highly recommended but with a warning.
Note: this book is from the CBC list: 100 novels that make you proud to be a Canadian, a superb reading list.
The Confabulist by Steven Galloway
Galloway uses the story of Harry Houdini to develop the larger theme of life as an illusion, both the present (magic tricks) and the past (memories). This is an excellent read.
What David Read 