Sometimes a horror book can provide a cracking good story (think The Stand by Stephen King, but please no other King books). In this story, a malevolent ghost is out for revenge on the living. The main character who suffers this haunting is so remarkably unlikeable that it is interesting that we still hope for his survival in an epic battle between the living and the (un)dead ghost. Violent but still an enjoyable read, the old “and now for something entirely different”.
Category: Genre
Salvage The Bones by Jesmyn Ward
The writing in this books reminds me of Toni Morrison, so high praise. There is a strong sense of impending doom for a Mississippi family (poverty, dog-fighting, teen-age pregnancy) while Katrina bores down on them. Excellent descriptive writing.
Lila by Marilynne Robinson
This wonderful book is the third in the Gilead trilogy, and is the best, in my opinion. There is almost no sense of place; most of the book takes place in Lila’s mind. The dominant emotion for Lila to learn is trust because she must always fight an impulse to flee what is a good outcome for her. Magnificent story telling.
All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
As an aside, I have a goal of NOT reading any more WWII novels, but this book was recommended highly by a reading buddy in Ottawa, and I am very glad to have read this compelling story. The key feature is that the book is written from the perspective of two children and then young adults. There are two intersecting story lines: Marie-Laure in France and Werner in Germany. Werner’s decision to join the German army produces conflicted emotions. And the chaos of war is accentuated for Marie-Laure because she is blind and thus especially vulnerable. This is a very good read.
And The Birds Rained Down by Jocelyn Saucier
A beautiful and moving story about ageing on your own terms. The novel is set in Northern Ontario where 3 elderly men can hide in the remoteness. But two women join the hideaway and life for all changes. The ending is wistful and transcendent. This was the second funner-up in Canada Reads 2015 (with Martha Wainwright as the proponent), a very well-deserved recognition of exceptional writing.
Powerful storytelling about guilt and, eventually, atonement. The back-story is the aftermath of an environmental disaster. Some First Nations mythology is an attractive feature of this fine novel.
Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes
Beukes wrote the masterful mystery Shining Girls, and her latest mystery is also excellent: crime in the age of social media. This is a gritty story set in Detroit, sort of M. Connelly/H. Bosch meets Stephen King to make for a fascinating story.
The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins
This is a cracking good mystery, with misinterpreted observations, deceit and lies (intentional and unintentional). The writing is reminiscent of Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, et al) with two time lines that precede and follow an apparent crime. The main character in this novel is delightfully flawed, a real train wreck.
The Unspeakable by Meghan Daum
A collection of essays that are introspective, insightful and (apparently) honest appraisals of life in general and the author’s life in specific. Two of the essays on mother-daughter relationships and motherhood are sensational. Overall the writing is breezy and ironic. Note: this title is from Lola’s Literature Lounge, so thanks Chris.
What David Read 