Lampedusa - Steven Price (McClelland & Stewart, 2019) Lampedusa is a quiet, contemplative novel about a man close to death. It opens in Sicily, in Palermo, as Giuseppe Tomasi, the last prince of Lampedusa learns that he is dying of emphysema. Giuseppe is an older but not old man, prematurely aged by both his smoking… Continue reading Book Review: Lampedusa by Steven Price
Everything Under - Daisy Johnson (Jonathan Cape, 2018) It's no coincidence that the main character and narrator of Everything Under is named Gretel. The name instantly conjures up a picture of a lost little girl. One stumbling through the forest, abandoned by her parents, in the clutches of a witch. But also the little girl… Continue reading Book Review: Everything Under by Daisy Johnson
Furious Hours - Casey Cep (Alfred A. Knopf, 2019) It's the topic of Harper Lee that will draw most readers to this non-fiction book but it's Casey Cep's strong and even narration and detailed research, as well as the fascinating story of murder, that will keep them reading. I had heard about Furious Hours but… Continue reading Book Review: Furious Hours by Casey Cep
As Many Nows as I Can Get - Shana Youngdahl (Dial Books, 2019) I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book. All opinions are my own. In my last young adult book review I wrote, "I do believe that a great book transcends its target audience and can be enjoyed regardless of age" and… Continue reading Book Review: As Many Nows as I Can Get by Shana Youngdahl
Aria - Nazanine Hozar (Alfred A. Knopf, 2019) This book was a delightful surprise. I picked it up from the library as part of my Writers Fest Challenge, as Nazanine Hozar will be speaking at the Festival as one of the New Voices. I knew very little about the novel so it was quite lovely… Continue reading Book Review: Aria by Nazanine Hozar
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead - Olga Tokarczuk (Riverhead Books, 2019) I received an Advance Readers' Copy of this book. It is now available for sale in North America. It's hard to know how to classify a book like this. It's not a mystery though there is a mystery at the… Continue reading Book Review: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
Moccasin Square Gardens - Richard Van Camp (Douglas & McIntyre, 2019) The words that come to mind when I think about this collection of short stories are "delightfully weird". Aliens, small towns, Indigenous politics, and aliens. I really don't know what to compare this to because I don't think I've ever read a collection quite… Continue reading Book Review: Moccasin Square Gardens by Richard Van Camp
