To me, a hallmark of a good book is one that I get so caught up in that I finish it in a day. Helen Humphreys usually does that for me. In Followed by the Lark, Humphreys novelizes the life of naturalist and philosopher, Henry David Thoreau. Based on his many writings and extensive journal, Humphreys... Continue Reading →
The Memory Police, by Yōko Ogawa. Pub 1994. Translation by Stephen Synder. Pub 2019
This was an impulse purchase in my post-Christmas bookshop binge, chosen from the "we recommend" shelves at my local shop. Having read and enjoyed previous Japanese novels (e.g., There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job) last year, I was interested to explore something more substantial, and this "speculative fiction" appealed. I was not disappointed. SPOILER:... Continue Reading →
The Gunslinger, by Stephen King. Pub 1982
This series is a favourite of my husband's, but I've never ventured into it before. I've only read two other Stephen King books before - Thinner which scared the heck out of me, complete with nightmares, and Different Seasons, a collection of short stories, two of which were the basis for the films Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption.... Continue Reading →
Held, by Anne Michaels. Pub 2023
Anne Michaels is, to me, a favourite and not nearly prolific enough writer. Her Fugitive Pieces remains an all-time favourite novel (might be time for a re-reading). Her second novel, Winter Vault, was not as good, both empirically and by comparison. With Held, she has burst out again as brilliant IMHO. Her writing style is not for everyone. It... Continue Reading →
Four Thousand Weeks, by Oliver Burkeman. Pub 2021
Oliver Burkeman was, for many years, a columnist at The Guardian, wrote "This column will change your life." I recall reading several of his columns, and then in 2020 he stopped. As he expands on in this book, he had a bit of an epiphany: that all his efforts to be more efficient/productive/happy (and the... Continue Reading →
Payback, by Margaret Atwood. Pub 2008
I've owned this book for several years, and thought that I had previously read it. I recall (now) reading at least part of the first chapter, as I remembered the elements of the modern history of mortgages, credit cards, and government loans. However, I realized very quickly that I had stopped reading at about page... Continue Reading →
The Last Devil to Die, by Richard Osman. Pub 2023
I am grateful to my fellow book-clubber for many things, not the least being her generous, thoughtful, and timely sharing of books. I have read the previous three books in this series, all of which were gifts from her, and I have enjoyed every one of them. This most recent one is very special for... Continue Reading →
The Psychology of Money, by Morgan Housel. Pub 2020
This book was a 2021 Christmas gift from a colleague, and I read it in early 2022, but somewhat superficially, looking for the key takeaways. I recall some of the points as being adjacent to areas of management, leadership, and life besides money, so decided to read it again. Through a series of 20 chapters,... Continue Reading →
The Absolution, by Yrsa Sigurdardóttir. Pub 2016. English translation by Victoria Cribb.
This was the third of a trio passed on to me by a friend during a visit in 2023. This series features the detective Huldar and the child social worker Freyja, brought together to investigate and get caught up in various horrific crime sprees in Reykjavik. There is the de rigueur romantic tension between the... Continue Reading →
Item #31: Robyn Mug
In a holiday tidy-up of my desk, I repatriated some mugs from their roles as pen-holders to their proper place in the kitchen cupboard. This one I call the Robyn Mug for obvious reasons. The mug comes from one of those paint-your-own-pottery places called Crankpots (the Vancouver location is no longer operating). As a team... Continue Reading →
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