Sometimes a fantasy book written in the horror genre is just so appealing and Hill (Stephen King’s son) is a go-to author (previous recommendation for Heart Shaped Box). In this book, the title is from the license plate on a vintage 1938 Rolls Royce Wraith car, and of course stands for Nosferatu (German for vampire). This is an imaginative story with portals between the physical world and the mind, with child abductions and serial killings: the story is violent with many vivid descriptions of pain and quite a few deaths, so be warned. If you like (occasional) horror books, this is a cracking good read.
Category: magic
Slade House – David Mitchell
An imaginative story about soul vampires who lust for immortality. Parts of this book are similar to The Bone Clocks, but the story is much shorter, more like a novella.
Amy notes: David reads so voraciously that I rarely get to say this: I read this book before him!
Gracekeepers – Kirsty Logan
At the end of the book mentioned above
, Swyler is interviewed and gives a list of some favourite books with circus themes, and Logan’s remarkable first novel is from that list. It is some time in the future when rising sea levels have eliminated most land masses. Thus people are divided between the land lockers who live on islands, and the seagoing damplings. A circus troupe travels by boat; the sail becomes the big-top tent. And there is a marked plot change half way through the book that enhances the story – a very satisfying book.
The Book Of Speculation – Erika Swyler
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.
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)
