I've enjoyed Mandel's books in the past, so added this one to my Christmas wish list. Mandel creates complex and memorable characters and unusual situations, and this book is true to that form. Based indirectly (but very closely) on the Bernie Madoff scheme, the unlikely central character is Vincent Smith, a young woman from Northern Vancouver Island... Continue Reading →
Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi. 20th anniversary edition, pub 2023.
Given the ongoing revolution on the streets in Iran, this seemed like a timely read, and one I've been meaning to get to for some years. While graphic novels are not usually my thing, it seemed like an interesting way to engage with the topic, and indeed it was. Persepolis (which is actually two volumes presented... Continue Reading →
Julia, by Sandra Newman. Pub 2023
This is billed as a retelling of George Orwell's 1984, with the imprimatur of approval from the Orwell estate (while the original novel is in the public domain in England, it is still under copyright in the US, and the estate has further protected both the title, the phrase "Big Brother is watching you" and the... Continue Reading →
Departure(s), by Julian Barnes. Pub 2026
First off, I'm pleased to say this book did not disappoint me (like the previous one did). I was delighted to get the UK edition, and a signed copy at that (although the signature was disappointing, such a small scribble). The physical book is a delight, with substantial paper, a cloth binding that invites holding... Continue Reading →
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, by Stephen Graham Jones. Pub 2025
This had been lauded by the New York Times on a year-end book review, in a breathless but brief summary, but turned out to be about something much different than I expected. In the last few years, I've been trying to include some writing by Indigenous North Americans (not always Canadian) in my book choices,... Continue Reading →
Between Two Kingdoms, by Suleika Jaouad. Pub 2021
I bought this book to satisfy the travel category, as the blurb said it was about the author’s 15,000 mile journey around the US following completion of her cancer treatment. However, most of the book is about her cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, a different kind of journey, so it's more memoir than travel. As... Continue Reading →
Be Ready When the Luck Happens, by Ina Garten. Pub 2024
A colleague mentioned this book over coffee early last year. They found it a good leadership lesson book, and its closing message (and title) to be inspirational, a motivation to keep going even when things are hard so you can take advantage of any lucky break from a place of strength. That sounded good to... Continue Reading →
Anything is Possible, by Elizabeth Strout. Pub 2017
This is my fourth Strout book, and I continue to enjoy her every word. I was glad to find this on my bookshelf this weekend, as I had started it back in April and so could finish it in a couple of mornings (and also satisfying the leftover category, one I missed last year). In... Continue Reading →
Killing Stella, by Marlen Haushofer. Pub 1958. Translation by Shaun Whiteside, pub 2025.
I read about this in the NYT, and while I don't usually use that as a guide (they have led me astray often, and they tend to be (in the podcast at least) breathlessly ecstatic about everything), this intrigued me due to its recent rediscovery. The author died in 1970, but her novels have remained... Continue Reading →
Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn. Pub 1992. 25th anniversary edition, with foreword and afterword, pub 2017.
This book was a gift from someone who suggested I read it while or after I finished the bible. It was certainly an interesting counterpoint. While not great literature, its ideas are highly original and thought-provoking. There is not much of a story in the novel, as it consists almost entirely of a conversation between... Continue Reading →
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