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.
Category: Book themes
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 I Know About You – Eric Chacour
This remarkable first novel is a Giller finalist. The story starts in Cairo in the 1960s, and eventually includes a Montreal sojourn. Plot details are unnecessary. Suffice it to say this is a love story when a chance encounter leads to obsession. The writing is beautiful; a simple action like the lighting of a cigarette becomes poetic, or when describing Cairo’s heady olfactory aura creates a visceral sensation. This is a must-read book, in my opinion.
The Book Of Koli – M.R. Carey
Carey wrote the magnificent The Girl With All The Gifts. This book is the first in a Rampart Trilogy, describing a dystopian future set several centuries after an apocalyptic disaster. A post-apocalyptic fantasy world is described vividly; much was lost including “old tech”. What will happen if Koli accidentally discovers a music/entertainment device? This is an epic fable, not to be missed. Thanks Amy, for this recommendation (via Chris!)
Wandering Stars – Tommy Orange
This is a brilliant follow-up to Orange’s There There with some of the same characters. The first part of the book is historical, the legacies of the Sand Creek massacre of 1864 and the Carlisle Industrial School for Indians. Misguided attempts at assimilation by governments and adoptions are devoted to the eradication of Native history, culture and identity. The next section of the book entitled Aftermath is even better, detailing the brutal reality of contemporary life in Oakland for two grandmothers and their three grandsons. When is life more than surviving?
This book is both shattering and wondrous – highly recommended.
The Husbands – Holly Gramazio
Lauren returns to her London flat to discover her husband Michael but … she is not married! When Michael enters the attic, a different “husband” emerges. Amazingly, her attic is capable of creating an infinite supply of husbands so Lauren recycles them, looking for an ideal (or acceptable) married relationship. This is an original and totally entertaining book.
Julia – Sandra Newman
In Orwell’s classic novel 1984, the protagonist Winston Smith has a brief relationship with Julia Worthing and then betrays her. Ms. Newman now provides an imaginative insight into Julia’s story. The iconic dystopia of Oceania is revealed but with twists, a unique female perspective that is both haunting and provocative.
Before The Coffee Gets Cold – Toshikazu Kawaguchi
A small basement cafe in Tokyo offers time travel, to travel back in time subject to specific rules. For example, nothing that is done in the past can change the present, and the duration of the trip is brief, limited to as long as it takes for a cup of coffee to become cold. Given these profound constraints, what is fascinating is the motivation for time travel as explored in four scenarios. Thanks Amy, for this book.
The One Hundred Years of Lenn and Margot – Marianne Cronin
Full disclosure: this amazing story may result in copious tears! Seventeen-year-old Lenni is on a life-limited (aka terminal) ward in a Glasgow Hospital. She meets 83-year-old Margot in an art therapy class, and they begin an ambitious project: to paint 100 pictures, one for every year they have lived. With the art comes details of their back stories. This compelling story is about friendships, how a found family can surround one with love. Both heartbreaking and uplifting, this is a remarkable book.
What David Read 