Stormy Weather Reading
November 8, 2024
Hello out there! Hope everyone is cozied up and braving the wet and wild weather of late. We talk a lot about summer and beach reading but there may be some truth to getting more pages flipped when the lamplight is on longer and the storms are keeping us cozily inside. I’m popping up here to share a few of the books on my radar lately. Amy Tyler of Red Fern Book Review podcast recorded a little chat we had about the choices – tune in over here to eavesdrop!
One of my favourite books of all time is Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann. McCann threaded the lives of a seemingly unrelated characters into a stunning tapestry. Apeirogan, published in 2020 is another creatively presented novel by McCann, this time focused on two men who have each suffered the tragic loss of a child during war time. The catch, one man is Israeli while the other is Palestinian. Though they represent opposing sides, they come together in their shared grief to work on a path to peace. McCann’s writing was inspired by a true story and through the braiding of 1001 entries, some as simple as a photo or quote, others several pages, he captures the perspectives and suffering and desire for resolution. Apeirogon, incidentally, is an infinitely sided polygon that can be looked at in any number of ways. I’ve had this on my shelf since it first published in paperback and I’m feeling it’s even more timely now to delve into. I imagine this one will lead to great book club discussions.
The Trade Off by Samantha Greene Woodruff is a recent release in our favoured Historical Fiction category. 1920’s New York City and a focus on a young woman with a particular skill with numbers and patterns finding her way into Wall Street – I’m thoroughly intrigued! Something that’s a little different. Due to the times and the woman’s religious affiliation she needs the cover of her charming brother to be involved in the traditional men’s world of finance. Money, family, romance and the Stock Market Crash … lots to entertain in this story.
Alice McDermott is a multi award winning literary writer and this is her ninth novel. Published in the fall of 2023, Absolution has recently hit the shelves in paperback. Kristin Hannah’s The Women took us to the front lines in Vietnam in 1965. Absolution also looks to women’s roles in Vietnam in the early 60’s, before the feminist movement, but this time the focus is on two trailing spouses “doing good” to support their ambitious husbands within the local community in Saigon. Their complicated relationship and the consequences of their privilege and flaws are reflected upon some 60 years later by one of the women and the daughter of the other. Ann Patchett calls this novel “A Moral Masterpiece” Absolution might be another slightly uncomfortable read that prompts excellent discussion.
Niall Williams is another writer I’m counting as an all time favourite. His book This Is Happiness is on the keeper shelf right beside Colum McCann’s Let the Great World Spin. Is it coincidence that they are both Irish writers? Time of the Child returns the reader to the small Irish town of Faha where This Is Happiness held our attention in its pages. The cast of characters return to this seasonal stand-alone read but focus is on the local doctor and his unmarried daughter. Slightly distanced from the community due to their professional status, the walls come down when father and daughter discover an infant left on their doorstep and their lives are changed forever. A heartwarming tale that unfolds over the month of December as a community gathers to help one another in extraordinary ways. The writing by Williams will have you stopping to savour descriptions and word choices again and again. A lovely giftable book.
For the non-fiction readers, Roland Allen delivers a deep dive into the simple notebook but takes it to a whole other level as he discovers notebooks represent a vast history of ideas rather than mere stationery. In The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper, we learn the first notebooks were bound and used in Florence, Italy in the year 1300 as ledgers for shopkeepers. Cooks, kings, sailors, fishermen, musicians, engineers, politicians, adventurers, mathematicians and artists all adopted their own versions of notebooks that carry over into modern day. This study entertainingly tells the stories of famous notebook users like Leonardo daVinci, Newton, Henry James, Darwin, Agatha Christie and a number of modern authors too. Bruce Chatwin’s Moleskine gets a good look. The relatively new concept of Bullet Journaling in notebooks is also discussed. I keep “commonplace” notebooks – notes and quotes gathered from a variety of sources compiled in a “common place”, the prettier the cover the better. I also keep smaller notebooks for those ideas and thoughts and recommendations that vanish into thin air not long after their first appearance. Some people keep Notes in their phones (does that count I wonder?) A good, trivia packed read into creativity with a thorough and engaging researcher.
And finally, something a bit more whimsical perhaps. Big in Sweden was released this past July and was a widely recommended summer read. I think you’ll find the humour, travel, charm, and poignancy perfect for any time of year. We follow a tall, 35 year old American woman after she successfully submits an application to participate in a Swedish reality show in which Americans of Swedish descent participate in a variety of Survivor-esque endeavours to discover more about their cultural roots. In so doing, she learns a lot about what friendship and family mean to her and about her own place in the world. “A fish-out-of-water tale filled with warmth, optimism, and wit, Big in Sweden is at its heart a love story: love for family, friends, country, and–most importantly–oneself.” As an interesting aside, Meg Ryan narrates the audio book and has exuberantly sung the praises of the tale. Sally Franson herself competed in a similar show and was inspired by her experience to set her novel in the same world.
What have you found to read lately?
An Autumn Edit
October 6, 2023
Autumnal greetings! It’s a big book season and there are soooo many new titles to consider. I narrowed down a lengthy list to the following six for a podcast chat with Amy Mair, host of Red Fern Book Review. If you’re familiar with our past posts and discussions, you’ll know the drill. If not, read here and hear there! Tune in to our conversation at redfernbookreview.com
The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok
Previous novels by Jean Kwok include Searching for Sylvie Lee and Girl in Translation. Each of these, along with this new novel, feature elements of the immigrant experience and are written with remarkable emotional depth. I guarantee you will remember scenes from her books for years to come. In a good way! The Leftover Woman, releasing on October 10, 2023, is a family drama featuring two mothers of an adopted daughter. The birth mother was forced to surrender her child due to China’s One Child policy while the adoptive mother has raised the child in her extraordinarily privileged New York City environment. When the birth mother bravely makes her way from China with little to no means of support, leaving a controlling husband behind, she is on a collision course with the adoptive mother who is enmired within crises of her own. Words like “atmospheric” and “profound” and “suspenseful” describe the mystery that unfolds. Jean Kwok moved to Brooklyn, NY as a young immigrant herself and went on to study at Harvard and Columbia universities.
The Class – Memoir of a Place, a Time and Us by Ken Dryden
Ken Dryden is a name familiar to most Canadians; he is in the history books both for his Stanley Cup successes in goal for the Montreal Canadiens and for his time in politics as an MP and Cabinet Minister. He has also written hockey history books: The Game, Home Game and four others. As a young student, he joined a cohort of 35 in a “Selected Class” who remained very closely together throughout their studies. It was the post-war era and a time considered to be of “boundless possibilities” There was little contact among the students following graduation and Dryden takes us along as he connects with his former classmates and discovers what those possibilities turned into. A great glimpse into a period of history and a reflection on the different opportunities and choices made by the individuals in the group. I’m really looking forward to this one.
T’is the season for a new novel from Terry Fallis! The Best Laid Plans launched his writing career and we’re all grateful he’s continued with a variety of warm and humorous tales. This particular story may have a bit more pathos within but I’m certain the funny bits will still be there too. It is the tale of a fellow, recently widowed, who has lost his emotional footing. He has a supportive gang of fellow ball hockey teammates and a loving son but it’s a bit of “gumption”, mystery, and serendipity in Paris that brings him back. “…sometimes, making a change in your life can save your life.”
So here we have a debut novel … but not a debut writer. Amy Chua is author of the wildly successful, iconic even, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother which dominated headlines for months in 2011. But today we’re talking about her new novel which is gaining traction for its merit as an historical thriller. The scene is set at a spooky landmark setting (Berkeley’s Claremont Hotel) when a homicide detective is perchance on the scene while a Presidential Candidate is murdered upstairs on hotel premises. As our officer digs into this crime and the political enemies around the deceased, he discovers there is a history of unfortunate events at the hotel, with ties to a privileged local family. From the publisher: “Chua’s page-turning debut brings to life a historical era rife with turbulent social forces and groundbreaking forensic advances, when race and class defined the very essence of power, sex, and justice, and introduces a fascinating character in Detective Sullivan, a mixed race former Army officer who is still reckoning with his own history.”
(Bonus) Crossings: How Road Ecology is shaping the future of our planet by Ben Goldfarb
I’ve posted before about the publishing phenomenon of synchronistic releases – two (or more) books on the same topic published very near to one another in the calendar. This latest example is focused on the topic of Road Ecology. A topic which may seem dry to some of you but fascinating when you delve a little way in. There are 40 million miles of roadways on our planet, reflecting growth and prosperity of communities. And yet, these paved ways have an enormous impact on our planet’s surface, waterways, plants, and the wildlife with whom we share it. Perhaps you’ve heard of the Tunnels of Love in Australia which allow animals to pass under the roads? Or the overpasses in the Rockies providing the same service? These explorations of an important global topic will appeal to the non-fiction readers among us but will also intrigue anyone wishing to understand more about Earth’s well-being and how we can become more mindful of development’s effect. Both of these books are rating extremely generously among reviewers.
Talking at Night by Claire Daverley
And now for romance. A debut UK author receiving great acclaim, Claire Daverley’s writing has been described as evocative of Sally Rooney’s. High praise for Sally fans. I’ve just begun the story and have to say there is a quiet tender tone to the writing that easily draws the reader in and creates space to absorb and appreciate the dialogue and characters as they reveal their stories. Will and Rosie are utter opposites in the high school pecking order and yet establish an unexpectedly deep interest and bond with one another. Tragic circumstances prevent them from being together and, as the decades pass, they come close to reuniting, again and again. However, missed opportunities abound. It’s an emotional see-saw, poignant and hopeful. “It’s the story of the many loves we have in a lifetime.” and “It’s about the people we meet who change us irrevocably and who we always carry with us.”
As always, dig in and let us know what you enjoy most. Happy reading!
