Bedside Table Books

Red Fern Book Review podcast tie-in. Tune in to hear the chat!

Dusk, Night, Dawn by Anne Lamott – I have had Anne Lamott’s book, Bird by Bird, on my shelf for more than 25 years. It is well-thumbed, extensively highlighted and treasured. Anne’s voice is uniquely wise, honest, hilarious, self-deprecating and hits all the hard topics with a gentle touch. Recently, I heard Anne interviewed on a podcast and had to stop in my tracks to write down a fresh aha! gem. A few steps later, more gems to note. Slow walk that day! She is simply enchanting and her optimistic, yet realistic, view is most welcome when things seem gloomy out there. This latest writing is part of a series focused on coming to terms with Life’s essential truths and has been called “an ode to relishing small things.” While some categorize her writing under “Religion”, I would argue that she is universally appealing to the Human faith. Can’t wait to read her newest words and will surely have the highlighter handy!

When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain – If you’ve been flipping pages in the historical fiction genre anytime in the last decade, you will surely know of Paula McLain. She has beautifully reimagined the lives of Hemingway’s wives, Hadley Richardson in The Paris Wife and Martha Gelhorn in Love & Ruin. Both were hugely popular reads with book clubs. My particular favourite among her books, so far, is Circling the Sun, which explores the exciting and unusual life of Beryl Markham. McLain’s newest story goes in a different direction and emerges in the realm of mystery and suspense. A Missing Persons Detective returns to her hometown for some much needed respite and becomes enmeshed in two intense new cases, each involving a young woman. Paula McLain has written honestly in essays about her own difficult childhood and one can imagine that When the Stars Go Dark may draw on some of this traumatic experience as inspiration. (See Real Simple essay called A Lesson In Motherhood and find others on Paula’s website) By all accounts it’s as beautifully written as her earlier works and grips the heartstrings all the way.

Brat: An 80’s Story by Andrew McCarthy – Brat as in Brat Pack. With us now? If you were coming of age in the 1980s, you may well have been living in a director John-Hughes-infused world of movies, soundtracks and fashions featuring stars known as the Brat Pack. Andrew McCarthy was the tall, quiet observer, angsty, best friend … Fast forward many years and I found myself noting the by-line of a remarkably well-written travel essay. “Would that be the one and same?”, I wondered. Sure enough! Turns out Andrew McCarthy had traveled widely in his adult life and recorded his thoughts and experiences in the most respected travel publications. Read some of his essays here. He’d also written a well-reviewed memoir called The Longest Way Home as well as the YA book, Just Fly Away. Both were NYT best sellers. Which is all only to say, I look forward to reading Brat for the writing. He’s also featured in the credits as a Director for many episodes of top popular television series. There are a few tetchy interviews on record in which McCarthy made it clear he was a reluctant member of the so-called band of Brats. This may lead one to believe that some conflict lies within the story behind the story. Good writing and perhaps some intriguing celebrity revelations ahead.

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi – I really enjoyed reading The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi and know I wasn’t alone; it was a global best seller and a Reese’s Book Club favourite. In its pages we were introduced to the precocious little helper, “Malik”. Well, Joshi’s new book, The Secret Keeper of Jaipur, follows along with Malik’s story. He’s back, 12 years later and working as an apprentice at the pink palace and enmeshed in tangled webs of love, lies and class struggles. Lakshmi is back too, providing connections and unraveling more of her own story. I love when a book lingers long in one’s memory and I expect The Secret Keeper of Jaipur will do so just as The Henna Artist did.

How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue – A very striking cover on this one! You may recognize the author’s name from her wildly successful book, Behold the Dreamers, published in 2016. That one has gone on to become an opera, a stage play and is now slated to become a television mini-series. I still have it on my must read list. Meanwhile, How Beautiful We Were, seems primed to achieve a level of greatness all its own. A young African woman returns to her fictional village following studies abroad and takes up the battle to defend her ancestral land and the dignity of her people in the shadow of an American oil company’s reckless and crushing endeavours: oil spills, tainted drinking water, the greed of profit seekers… Reviewers almost unanimously celebrate the main character, Thula, as a heroine to remember though the story reflects the perspectives of many.

The Elephant of Belfast by S. Kirk Walsh – Here is a debut novel from an accomplished essay writer who has thoroughly researched a little known true story from wartime Belfast. There are so many layers: The Belfast Blitz, British Loyalist/Irish political tension, Belfast’s first woman Zookeeper, the bond between a heartbroken young woman and an orphaned elephant (named Violet) and some suspenseful hide and seek. Oodles of stars being allocated in the reviews of this one! WWII themed historical fiction is so popular at the moment and this story offers a uniquely compelling take on wartime challenges. I love a good foray into a different time and place and early readers assure that this read will transport us and engage us dramatically. “A gripping and uplifting tribute.” (Hachette) A little bonus trivia … Published as The Zookeeper of Belfast in some regions while titled The Elephant of Belfast here in Canada – Zookeeper and elephant share equal billing in the story it seems. Also, beloved author Michael Morpurgo, discovered this story as well and wrote his version for children called “An Elephant in the Garden“. Bit of a spoiler there I guess!

More Spring book releases in the next Post!