I purchased this book because it is written by a friend-of-a-friend, and because I thought it was something my mom might enjoy. This is the story of Canada's first official executioner, one John Radclive (or Ratley or Ratcliffe or Radcliff as he variously called himself). Drawing heavily on Radclive's own diaries and other historical documents... Continue Reading →
Unnatural Death, by Dorothy L. Sayers. Pub 1927
The third in the Wimsey series, and by far my favourite so far, the eccentric Lord Peter takes on a pseudo-murder investigation, almost on a whim, thus setting in motion a series of additional crimes and murders that ultimately lead to the capture of the killer. Sayers is brave for her time, introducing several characters... Continue Reading →
There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job, by Kikuko Tsumura. Pub 2015. Translation by Polly Barton, pub 2020
When I first got this one (as part of a set of books won in a raffle earlier this year), I thought it was a non-fiction book, a guide to job hunting in the realities of a complicated world. It is not really that, but it is a good fable about the difficulties of finding... Continue Reading →
The Quiet American, by Graham Greene. Pub 1955
I heard an episode of Backlisted (the show that gives new life to old books) discussing various books of Graham Greene, and The Quiet American was the only one I happened to already own and had never read. Greene's story and the story of his many novels was very interesting and well-told (it is a favourite podcast because of... Continue Reading →
Murder Before Evensong, by The Reverend Richard Coles. Pub 2022
Since reading The Madness of Grief a few years back, I've been a quasi-fan of Coles. He retired from parish duties in 2022, and continues his writing, presenting, and social media activities. This book is his first work of fiction, creating a new accidental-detective-in-an-English-village character for a series of murder mysteries. In Murder Before Evensong, we meet... Continue Reading →
The Light of No Other Hour, by Joseph Massey. Pub 2023
This is my third book of poems by Massey, an independent and prolific poet. This book is self-published, and he also publishes regularly on his blog and other online places. Like most best poems, these are wonderful when read aloud, evoking the grit and chill and calm of days after storms, when the light is... Continue Reading →
Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver. Pub 2022
After reading Kingsolver's previous novel Unsheltered, and really not enjoying it, I was tempted to this one given its premise: a transcribing of David Copperfield into the Appalachia. This would have been less appealing were it not for my having recently completed the audiobook of the Dickens novel, and loving it. I was at last familiar with those... Continue Reading →
Olga Dies Dreaming, by Xochitl Gonzalez. Pub 2021
Another from the Christmas bounty from my sister, I chose this book based on a recommendation from a friend. While the setting and story elements are different, the tone and style (and even the cover art) are reminiscent of Lessons in Chemistry, and like that book, this was also a fun, unchallenging read. Olga Avecedo... Continue Reading →
This Tender Land, by William Kent Krueger. Pub 2019
This is not a book I would have picked for myself, but came as part of a bounty that I won in a prize draw at my local bookstore. There are a few from that set that are on my to-read list, and some others that will eventually go right to charity. This one was... Continue Reading →
Fates and Furies, by Lauren Groff. Pub 2015
The impetus for this book was twofold - my fellow book-clubber's excellent review of Groff's Matrix last year, and the title's suggestion of a linkage to Greek mythology. I'm a fan of the retellings of mythology (see Circe and The Children of Jocasta), so I was anticipating some element of that in this novel. I was not disappointed with either... Continue Reading →
