Bedside Table Books

When I last posted, I was remarking just how many great books were being released this Fall and shared a “shortlist” of nine well-known writers launching new works. Amy Mair of Red Fern Book Review podcast and I met recently to discuss another list of books showing up on the book shop shelves this season. Among the five books we discuss on air, you’ll find character-forward novels, a literary psychological mystery, and an intriguing non-fiction work too. Be sure to tune in for our fun rambling chat about the books described below and a few other related (or unrelated) recommendations and topics. 

Carter Bays was a writer on the very entertaining and popular show, “How I Met Your Mother”. His first novel, The Mutual Friend, sports an equally contemporary, youthful, and wide ranging cast of characters, all digitally connected through their devices. The story focuses on a 28 year old woman who is navigating the challenges of moving forward in her life while under the distracting influence of “screen time” – a modern and very real scenario. While she works as a nanny, dreaming of writing her MCAT and going to medical school, she is caught up in the chaos between life through her phone and her real live life. Described as “a comedy of manners in an era of buzzing gadgets” and “a modern epic brimming with charm”, this promises to be a thought provoking story as well. Reviews indicate it’s a refreshing exploration of new territory but one should be prepared to commit to keeping the many intertwined characters straight and to sticking with a longer read. Fine by me if we can just put down our phones and carve out the time for a great story!

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Mike Gayle is a prolific and popular writer based in the UK. I’ve long been meaning to read his work and I’m so pleased this most recent novel is available for us to enjoy here in Canada. While the title may evoke the melancholy tones of a Beatles song (Eleanor Rigby) this story brings the humour while also acknowledging difficult times. Reminiscent of “A Man Called Ove”, the main character, Hubert, is eighty-four years old, and settled into his reclusive ways after a lifetime of hurt and struggle as a Jamaican “Windrush” immigrant, raising a family in a bi-racial marriage in an often unwelcoming environment. On their weekly calls, Hubert convinces his daughter who is living abroad in Australia, that he is thriving and busily engaged in a social and happy life. He makes up wonderfully fun stories to keep her entertained and worry-free. However, when his daughter plans a visit to see him, Hubert realizes he’s going to be caught out unless he quickly creates the life he has fibbed about. Let the games begin! Looking forward to this one.

Another author with past success, Matthew Quick will be familiar to readers of Silver Linings Playbook; those of us who saw the movie may be more familiar with its stars, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. While Quick poignantly dealt with family, friendship and mental illness struggles in Silver Linings, he takes us into the realm of grief and a broken community in We Are the Light. The story that “reminds us that life is full of guardian angels” is epistolary, told in letters to a former Jungian Analyst and features the special relationship between widower Lucas and a grief-stricken eighteen year old, named Eli as they bond together to heal their community and themselves. Hope and Empathy are the two words that appear most often in reviews and while grief may seem a difficult topic for some readers, the message is uplifting and heartwarming. One reviewer wrote that reading Quick’s books was like going to your favourite restaurant, you always know it’s going to be good!

There are loads of readers who crave a good mystery out there. I may be a bit of a wimp when it comes to the thriller genre but I, too, do enjoy a good twisty whodunnit; this compelling mystery is waiting on my bedside table for me now. I was hooked as soon as I saw the Boston Public Library was the setting for the intrigue but the story and its author’s background further convinced me to get aboard the bandwagon. First, picture a table of strangers in the Reading Room, near where a crime occurs, being held by Security as the investigation gets under way. During the long wait, they begin to befriend one another and personal stories are shared. One of them, however, will prove to be the culprit. Described as a psychological mystery within a mystery, The Woman In the Library is a “literary thrill and page turner”. Author Sulari Gentill first studied Astrophysics and then went on to become a corporate lawyer. She started writing historical crime novels in her free time and her intelligent approach to the stories garnered her several awards. She is now a productive full time writer, living on a farm in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia.

This newest book by Susan Cain is on its way to launching an entire movement just like her Quiet book did. In 2012, the world became fascinated by her revelations about introversion and its impact on individuals, workplaces, and families. Her TED talk on the topic became one of the most popular ever produced. Now Susan is using research, storytelling, and memoir to explore the concept of Bittersweet and its impact on creativity, compassion and connection. She considers this state of mind “a superpower” – that there is a hidden power generated in sad songs and rainy days. Beyond the book itself, there is an online quiz, a Ted Talk and a Spotify playlist to help immerse us in the concept of Bittersweet. I, for one, am very curious to know more and really look forward to reading this.

If you do wish to hear more about these book choices along with several other recommendations and to listen to a bit more back story and general bookish chat, tune in to Red Fern Book Review’s, Season 2 episode # 4 here.

Happy Reading!  And Listening!