THE SUNDAY REVIEW | A LITTLE LIFE - HANYA YANAGIHARA

Brace yourself for the most astonishing, challenging, upsetting, and profoundly moving book in many a season. An epic about love and friendship in the twenty-first century that goes into some of the darkest places fiction has ever traveled and yet somehow improbably breaks through into the light. Truly an amazement—and a great gift for its publisher.

When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they're broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their center of gravity. Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he’ll not only be unable to overcome—but that will define his life forever.

In rich and resplendent prose, Yanagihara has fashioned a tragic and transcendent hymn to brotherly love, a masterful depiction of heartbreak, and a dark examination of the tyranny of memory and the limits of human endurance. - Goodreads

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The first thing I need to say is that no matter what I write, my review will not do this book justice. The second thing I need to say is that this book will destroy you. And you will be grateful.

A Little Life is a story of friendship, of loyalty and of finding the strength to face the unimaginable - both good and bad. It begins with four friends, Willem, Jude, Malcolm and JB, who are college grads trying to make their way in New York. The story follows these four (mainly Jude and Willem) through nearly 40 years of their lives - but the story will spend as much time in the past as it does moving forward. Which it must in order for us to understand the gravity of decisions made and trust forged and broken. 

At the centre of this story is Jude St. Francis, a young man whose incredible intellect is housed in person who is so deeply damaged (physically, mentally and emotionally) that even his friends don't know the horrors his past contains.  

Jude is not easy to get to know. It isn't until about halfway through the book that you begin to see him take shape. Yanagihara took her time, she teased out his story one small thread at a time, just enough to keep the story moving and not a millimeter more. But despite her slow, deliberate and purposeful pace, I found that she addressed my questions almost as soon as I'd formed them in my mind. I'd wonder about a particular aspect of a character or the plot, and within half a chapter, she would have started providing answers (or at least discussed the lack thereof). The information she holds back she holds back because there's a better time and place in the story to reveal it, and I learned to trust that she knows what she's doing. 

Next to Jude, the most important character in the book is Willem. In contrast to Jude, who is aggressively private, Willem is open - sunny, even. Though he is promiscuous with women, he is fiercely loyal to his friends - above all to Jude. He is Jude's friend, roommate and protector. The book is formed around these two characters, and their steadfast friendship will serve as a beautiful counterpoint to the immense pain you will discover between the covers of this book.

Though the premise sounds simple - the story of four college friends growing up - it is anything but. This book tackles every shade of human experience and emotion you can imagine, along with a few you probably can't. So don't let the description fool you; this book will shock you. And I suspect that no matter who you are, there is a line, a page, a chapter (maybe even more than one) in this book that will stop you in your tracks and make you feel like Yanagihara wandered into your head and stole your innermost thoughts. As Alan Bennett put it:

“The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours.” - Alan Bennett, The History Boys

This is an intensely personal book - not only because it deals in the secrets and personal lives of its characters, but because it will become personal to everyone who reads it. If you are human, this book will affect you.

It's also a very long book, and what makes it even more challenging is that, while the writing is a flowing style that would normally have you reading all night, the content won't allow for marathon reading. I found that I couldn't read more than 50 pages (100 tops but that was really hard) at a time. The emotional impact was such that it became physically uncomfortable to keep reading and I had to step out of the book and give myself some respite.

Which leads me into a very important piece of advice: Do not start this book when you're feeling vulnerable or have PMS. It is not that kind of book. It is beautiful and terrifying and you will feel, at times, like you can't take anymore. It will shake you to the core. It will tear out your heart and tap-dance on it with stilettos.  But it will be worth it. Every tear you shed, every desperate attempt to abandon these characters, every time you go back to them because you just have to know what happens - in the end this book is worth it. These characters are worth it. Because they come alive on the page, and you will be as invested in their lives as if they were part of your own family.

I read this book as a buddy read with Julianne from Outlandish Lit, and honestly I don't know if I could have handled it without her! I know it affected her deeply as well. She talks a little bit about her experience with the book in this post. 

A further word of warning: While I don't want to go into specifics as it's important to let Yanagihara unfold the story as she sees fit, this book tackles deeply upsetting and disturbing topics, and does so in great detail. If you find it difficult to read graphic content, or if you are triggered by the topic of abuse (and its considerable psychological aftermath), proceed with extreme caution!

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Book Title: A Little Life
Author: Hanya Yanagihara
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Doubleday
Released: March 10, 2015
Genre: Fiction, Character-Driven
Pages: 720

Date Read: March 26 - April 18, 2015
Rating: 10/10

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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP - NINA GEORGE

“There are books that are suitable for a million people, others for only a hundred. There are even remedies—I mean books—that were written for one person only…A book is both medic and medicine at once. It makes a diagnosis as well as offering therapy. Putting the right novels to the appropriate ailments: that’s how I sell books.”

Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can't seem to heal through literature is himself; he's still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.

After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Joined by a bestselling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along the country’s rivers, dispensing his wisdom and his books, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.

Internationally bestselling and filled with warmth and adventure, The Little Paris Bookshop is a love letter to books, meant for anyone who believes in the power of stories to shape people's lives. - Goodreads

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If I'm completely honest, I mostly requested this book because it has the words "Paris" and "bookshop" in the title. I've been on a major armchair travel kick lately, and France is top of my vicarious visiting list. Plus, I always want to read books about books. Win-win.

But I also hoped that the book would fit into the "summer read" category of books, and that it might have some quirky whimsy mixed in (like my favourite French film, Amélie). It delivered on both counts, though with more depth than I had expected.

The book is set against some of the most iconic French backgrounds: the Seine, Paris and Provence. Our main character, Jean, is the proprietor of a book barge docked on the Seine, a floating bookshop that goes by the name The Literary Apothecary. Jean himself is the Apothecary, boasting an amazing ability to diagnose a reader's particular ailment of the soul and prescribe the book that will give them what they need. Not necessarily the book they want to read, but the book that will fill whatever void in their life needs filling.

Though Jean's career centres around his expertise at providing literary cures to all kinds of spiritual ailments, in the end his own are in need of the most repair. A sequence of events culminates in a rash decision to cast off in search of an old lover and an ability to feel alive again.

This is not an easy journey, and takes him in directions he does not expect. He is accompanied on his quest by two cats and an overwrought young author with a nervous temperament and an urgent wish to escape the pressure of writing a follow-up to his bestselling debut novel. Along the way they acquire two more passengers, both on their own searches, both destined to find more than they even knew to ask for.

In addition to being an engrossing plot full of characters who will win your heart, this book is chock full of lines and passages that will jump from the page, cause you to pause and savour them. I flagged every such line I came across, with the end result of a book pasted with nearly a hundred colourful flags.

There were parts to this story that were less interesting or flat out irritating (I did not enjoy Manon's journal entries - I found them dull and self-engrossed, though they may be more enjoyable to a different reader), but these usually didn't last long and were a worthwhile price of admission.

The Little Paris Bookshop is about nothing more or less than the emotional experience of being human - and the necessity of feeling. It's also a book that will appeal in different ways to different readers, and that will provide plenty of scope for considered discussion.

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**Thanks to Random House Canada for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

Book Title: The Little Paris Bookshop
Author: Nina George
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Crown
Released: June 23, 2015
Genre: Fiction, Character-Driven, About Books
Pages: 400

Date Read: June 29-July 9, 2015
Rating: 7/10

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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE SHORE - SARA TAYLOR

Welcome to The Shore: a collection of small islands sticking out from the coast of Virginia into the Atlantic Ocean. Where clumps of evergreens meet wild ponies, oyster-shell roads, tumble-down houses, unwanted pregnancies, murder, storm-making and dark magic in the marshes. . .
 
     Situated off the coast of Virginia's Chesapeake Bay, the group of islands known as the Shore has been home to generations of fierce and resilient women. Sanctuary to some but nightmare to others, it's a place they've inhabited, fled, and returned to for hundreds of years. From a half-Shawnee Indian's bold choice to flee an abusive home only to find herself with a man who will one day try to kill her to a brave young girl's determination to protect her younger sister as methamphetamine ravages their family, to a lesson in summoning storm clouds to help end a drought, these women struggle against domestic violence, savage wilderness, and the corrosive effects of poverty and addiction to secure a sense of well-being for themselves and for those they love.

     Together their stories form a deeply affecting legacy of two barrier island families, illuminating 150 years of their many freedoms and constraints, heartbreaks, and pleasures. Conjuring a wisdom and beauty all its own, The Shore is a richly unique, stunning novel that will resonate with readers long after turning its final pages, establishing Sara Taylor as a promising new voice in fiction. - Goodreads

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I'm going to be the voice of dissent on this novel. If you look at the chatter in the blogosphere or check out ratings on Goodreads, you'll see that this book has been a hugely successful breakout debut, well-loved by critics and readers alike.

And I can see why, I really can. It has a lot going for it. The writing is excellent (particularly taking into account the young age of its author). The characters are well-conceived. The setting is flawless and you will squirm as you read about the abuse and humiliation some of the characters suffer.

I like the concept behind this book, too. It's almost a selection of short stories, except that they're loosely connected by blood and ties to the shore - a marshy, secluded area on the Virginia coast that, despite its economic limitations, manages to hook and hold onto generation after generation of inhabitants.

Despite the many positive things this book has going for it, I still found I had trouble reading it. For a few reasons - some of which weren't the fault of the book, but still affected my reaction to it.

First, the family tree. It's poorly drawn and missing people, which makes it hard to figure out who's who - particularly when the book jumps around through time and characters. And nearly every chapter is written about a different character, which makes it confusing and compromises emotional connection.

Second, the sheer amount of abuse (not to mention unfortunate circumstances and poor decision-making) is a bit much. This book spans nearly 200 years, but nearly everyone in this book is in an unhappy or abusive relationship. After a while this starts to feel like being hit over the head with a mallet. Not the most subtle of approaches, and it further deadened the emotional impact for me. Eventually there were a few story lines that weren't quite as dismal, but if this hadn't been a review book, I probably would have given up before getting to them.

Finally, I really didn't like the two chapters set in the future. The first one seemed to veer dramatically sideways into the realm of science fiction, and the apocalyptic plot felt like a story I've been reading and watching a lot in the past couple of years. There's nothing wrong with that of course, if it's done well, but this book didn't need it. And the final story was the one that I struggled with the most. It's set about a hundred and thirty years in the future, so things have changed a lot. The shore has protected its inhabitants by isolating them, cutting them off from modern conveniences and outside contact. The scene was evocatively set and felt true to a culture forced to return to subsistence survival for over a century. But what really threw me was the language. 

Somehow this tiny community on an island off the coast of Virginia had evolved linguistically to take on a mixture of Olde English and Scottish vernacular (or maybe Irish? I’m not sure, but one of those). While I understand that Taylor was trying to set the tone of this story apart from the rest of the book, this linguistic evolution just doesn’t make sense. Language evolves based on cultural changes and advancements combined with how groups in close geographic proximity intermingle. But this was an isolated community in America. Unless a ship of Scottish refugees (from a bygone era) washed up on the shore, how did terms like "twixt," "kenned," "babbies," "afore," and "mam and da" enter into common usage when they were absent in present-day representations of the area?

I think I would have liked this book more if it was less tied to bloodlines and more focused on the land - and if it had been chronological so I didn't have to spend so much time trying to figure out where in the family tree each story fit. I also could have done without both stories set in the future - the penultimate story would have provided a more than satisfying ending.
 
I know I'm in the minority with my opinion of this book. Add to that the fact that family sagas aren't my thing, and yet I've somehow ended up reading a lot of them lately. So I'm a bit burned out on complex family trees and stories that take place over generations, jumping back and forth through time and between characters. None of this is the fault of this book, but it made me much less patient with deciphering the familial connections between the characters and having to get to know new ones each chapter. I wanted fewer stories with more depth. Or just a straight up book of short stories only loosely tied together.

That said, this wasn't a bad book. It wasn't for me, but the writing cut like a knife, while at times being incredibly beautiful. I think this book will be loved by those who are into complex family sagas and who have more patience for victims who don't always get revenge or a better future, and can forgive an overabundance of the negative and some inconsistencies. I also think that this book shows incredible potential on the part of its author, and though it isn't in my favourites, I will definitely give her another shot.

Because I want you guys to have the benefit of perspectives that weren't informed by the things that bothered me specifically, here are some more favourable (or just different) reviews you might want to check out if this is a book you're curious about and considering reading:

• Katie at Bookish Tendencies
• Julianne at Outlandish Lit
• Shannon at River City Reading

Have you read The Shore? What did you think of it? I'd love to hear about it in the comments - this was a particularly difficult review to write, and I've been editing and re-editing for days!

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**Thanks to Random House Canada for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

Book Title: The Shore
Author: Sara Taylor
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Bond Street Books
Released: May 26, 2015
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Family
Pages: 320

Date Read: May 24-June 3, 2015
Rating: 5/10

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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | LIFE AFTER LIFE - KATE ATKINSON

 

"Is there Life After Life, chance after chance to rewrite one's destiny? That is the question posed by Atkinson's tale and brought to life by the miracle of her talent." --Toronto Star

What if you had the chance to live your life again and again, until you finally got it right? 

During a snowstorm in England in 1910, a baby is born and dies before she can take her first breath. 

During a snowstorm in England in 1910, the same baby is born and lives to tell the tale.

What if there were second chances? And third chances? In fact an infinite number of chances to live your life? Would you eventually be able to save the world from its own inevitable destiny? And would you even want to?

Life After Life follows Ursula Todd as she lives through the turbulent events of the last century again and again. With wit and compassion, she finds warmth even in life's bleakest moments, and shows an extraordinary ability to evoke the past. Here is Kate Atkinson at her most profound and inventive, in a novel that celebrates the best and worst of ourselves. - Goodreads

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This book has been on my radar for a very long time, but every time I've picked it up, I've had to put it back down to finish another book first, and that just seemed to keep happening. When A God In Ruins appeared on the horizon, I figured this was the perfect kick in the butt I needed to finally pull this one off the shelf and finally find out what all the fuss was about. Very glad I did.

Now, if you've been around my blog for a while, you'll know that I don't normally do a whole log of historical fiction. I don't normally do science fiction (even sci fi lite), either. So this book, in terms of its premise, was a complete departure for me. But. There are a few things that saved it and made it very much my kind of thing.

First of all, the historical period that forms the background to this memorable set of stories (that particular choice of words will be explained further into this review) is England from just prior to the first world war up until the 1960s. This is one of the few historical periods (and locations - the location is important) I have a genuine interest in.

Going into the book I was also very nervous about the time travel aspect of the book. The main character, Ursula, experiences a strange phenomenon whereby if she dies she goes back in time and gets a do-over. I'm usually pretty suspicious of books with any kind of time travel, because there's nearly always some glaring inconsistency created by the time travel that distracts me from the plot early on and by the end has me hating the whole experience. I just can't suspend disbelief to the level of ignoring plot holes so large you could drive a Mack truck through them. Fortunately, the time travel aspect in this book was dealt with perfectly. Atkinson uses it as a way to rewind the story and tell a similar but different one, so at any point in the book you're only reading one linear plot.

What I enjoyed most was that because of the do-overs built into the story, if you don't really like how her life is going, all you have to do is wait. In a few chapters, she'll be a different person in a different life - maybe even in a different place.Which was good, because I didn't get along with every incarnation of Ursula. Some I actively disliked, and others I just felt so terrible for that it was nearly impossible to keep reading. The story, in addition to rewinding and being written over, also jumps between time periods and characters, which helps us connect to and understand other members of Ursula's family and community.

The only problem I had with this book was that by the end it was getting a little bit difficult to keep track of the details that still applied to the current version from the past two or three. I wasn't too confused to be able to follow and enjoy the book, but I did feel like the size of Ursula's family and the addition of friends and community members meant that keeping track of what was the same and what had changed whenever her story rewound was difficult. That said, it's very likely this was more a result of my advanced age and failing faculties than of the book itself, and you probably won't have any trouble with it at all.

On a personal note, this book fascinated me because of my not-too-distant British roots. I feel a connection to England during the wars - particularly since some of my extended family lived through them. I've heard stories of how my paternal grandmother's love of reading was born during the blitz when she passed long hours in bunkers by reading books. Though reading about the horrors of the war isn't exactly fun, it does fill me with awe and respect for those who "kept calm and carried on."

I think that this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys richly character-driven plots, historical fiction, and likes the idea of jumping between stories, time periods and perspectives. It's masterfully conceived and executed, and even the unlikable characters become interesting as you learn more about their inner workings in various permutations. It takes a little while to get into, but is well worth the effort.

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Book Title: Life After Life
Author: Kate Atkinson
Series: Yes
Edition: Paperback
Published By: Anchor Canada
Released: January 1, 2013
Genre: Fiction, Paranormal, Historical Fiction
Pages: 480

Date Read: April 30-May 12, 2015
Rating: 7/10

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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE - ANN PACKER

From the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of The Dive From Clausen's Pier, a sweeping, masterful new novel that explores the secrets and desires, the remnant wounds and saving graces of one California family, over the course of five decades.

Bill Blair finds the land by accident, three wooded acres in a rustic community south of San Francisco. The year is 1954, long before anyone will call this area Silicon Valley. Struck by a vision of the family he has yet to create, Bill buys the property on a whim. In Penny Greenway he finds a suitable wife, a woman whose yearning attitude toward life seems compelling and answerable, and they marry and have four children. Yet Penny is a mercurial housewife, at a time when women chafed at the conventions imposed on them. She finds salvation in art, but the cost is high.

Thirty years later, the three oldest Blair children, adults now and still living near the family home, are disrupted by the return of the youngest, whose sudden presence and all-too-familiar troubles force a reckoning with who they are, separately and together, and set off a struggle over the family's future. One by one, the siblings take turns telling the story--Robert, a doctor like their father; Rebecca, a psychiatrist; Ryan, a schoolteacher; and James, the malcontent, the problem child, the only one who hasn't settled down-their narratives interwoven with portraits of the family at crucial points in their history. - Goodreads

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First things first, let's just take a moment to admire that cover, shall we? Okay, now, on to my thoughts. 

This book begins with Bill Blair. Fresh from military service, he is looking for a new start at life in California. He finds a tract of land where he can picture a house under the shade of a huge oak tree. He falls in love with the land, and with the life he can imagine there. His imagined life soon comes to include Penny, a young woman he meets by chance. 

Cut to several years and four children later. The house is built, Bill is a pediatrician with a thriving practice and Penny is struggling to handle four children and still find time for her artistic passions. Our first real introduction to the Blairs is when the children are still quite young. Robert is the oldest, serious and prone to nervous stomachaches. Then comes Rebecca, observant and smart as a whip. Next is Ryan, a soft-hearted, affectionate boy - and the only of the four children to attend an alternative school. The youngest, James, is a ball of energy. He's the most demanding of attention, often causing mischief and upsetting Penny. 

It's hard to describe this family without giving away any of the details of the adults they will become. Because the details are the entire point of this story. I found it fascinating to see how the personalities and characteristics each had as children translated into the life choices they made as adults - often leading them to their careers and partners. Each sibling is unique, yet their communal upbringing has shaped each life and created a shared history that affects every interaction the siblings have.

I loved how this book was structured. The perspective of the book shifts seamlessly between family members, and shows us the inner workings of each. This allows us to really get to know and care for every character. None of them are perfect - nor is their family (but what family is?), and yet they balance one another well, and each has one aspect of their personality that sets them apart from the others. 

As an only child, I found this insider's view of a lively brood of siblings riveting. The ways their roles reflect their relationships with one another, and how they can never quite manage to change them - no matter how many years or life changes intervene. 

This was undeniably a great read. I'm not big on family sagas - I don't know what it is, but they often lose me. Something about the pacing and focus that can drag for me, even when it's well done. That said, this was one of the best I've read, and I found that I was more drawn into the story and more attached to the characters than I expected to be. If you are a fan of family sagas (or if you haven't been in the past but want to try again), this is one you will definitely want to pick up ASAP. 

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**Thanks to Scribner on Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

Book Title: The Children's Crusade
Author: Ann Packer
Series: No
Edition: Electronic
Published By: Scribner
Released: April 7, 2015
Genre: Fiction, Family, Character-Driven
Pages: 448

Date Read: April 6-May 4, 2015
Rating: 8/10

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BOOK REVIEW | NOTHING LIKE LOVE - SABRINA RAMNANAN

A sparkling, witty and confident debut from a rising Canadian star whose Trinidadian roots and riotous storytelling heritage inform her completely delightful novel.

It is 1974 in the town of Chance, Trinidad--home to a colourful cast of cane farmers, rum-drinkers, scandal-mongers . . . and a bright 18-year-old schoolgirl named Vimla Narine. After passing her A-levels with extraordinary results and accepting the coveted teaching post at Saraswati Hindu school, Vimla is caught with the village pundit's son, Krishna Govind. At night. Holding hands. By morning, even the village vagrant has heard the news and the Govinds and Narines find themselves at the heart of Chance's most delicious disgrace since a woman chased her cheating husband from the district with a rolling pin.

Very quickly, Vimla's teaching post is rescinded, her mother goes on strike from everything, her father seeks solace in the rum shop and Vimla is confined to her home. While Vimla waits for Krishna to rescue her, Krishna's father exiles his boy to Tobago with a suitcase of Hindu scriptures and a command: Krishna will become a man of God. It is his duty.

Just when Vimla thinks her fate couldn't be worse, her best friend, Minty, brings word that Krishna has become betrothed to the beautiful Chalisa Shankar. And Chalisa wants to meet Vimla. Together, Vimla and Minty devise a scheme to win Krishna back that involves blackmailing a neighbour, conspiring with Chalisa, secret trysts in cane fields--and unearthing surprising truths that could change Vimla's, Krishna's and Chalisa's lives forever. - Goodreads

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Set in Trinidad in the 1970s, Nothing Like Love seamlessly layers place and time to create a dynamic setting for a passionate love story. The story centres on two young lovers, Vimla and Krishna, who are the very definition of star-crossed.

After the couple are caught sneaking out to the cane fields in the middle of the night, Vimla's reputation is destroyed and Krishna's family set up an arranged marriage for him with a rich, beautiful young woman called Chalisa from a nearby town.

Neither Chalisa nor Krishna want to be married, but as soon as the marriage is set, Krishna is sent to stay with his aunt in Tobago until the details of the wedding can be arranged. Vimla is left behind, not knowing whether Krishna is still in love with her or whether he intends to comply with his family's wishes and marry Chalisa.

As she waits, the town around her (a town called Chance) hums with rumours - not only about her, but about her parents, her neighbours and about Krishna's new fiancee. Chance is a town that runs on gossip, and everyone has secrets. We become privy to all of them, and get to watch in fascination as scandals brew and break on all sides.

Meanwhile Chalisa is straining against her prescribed role and trying to find a way out of the arranged marriage. What she really wants is to pursue her dream of becoming a famous singer and dancer - and maybe even get to be with the man she really cares for.

Though love stories aren't typically my favourite, I really enjoyed this one. I loved how the characters were so colourful. Even the most unlikeable of this cast cannot be faulted for being boring.

I also couldn't get enough of Ramnanan's Trinidad. Her descriptions of the country - its flora and culture - were so lively that at times I could almost smell the flowers and feel the sun on my face. If you're one for literary tourism, this is a book you'll want to pick up and save for a rainy day.

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**Thanks to Random House Canada for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

Book Title: Nothing Like Love
Author: Sabrina Ramnanan
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Doubleday Canada
Released: April 21, 2015
Genre: Fiction, Character-Driven
Pages: 424

Date Read: April 12-25, 2015
Rating: 7/10

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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD - JENNIFER EGAN

Bennie is an aging former punk rocker and record executive. Sasha is the passionate, troubled young woman he employs. Here Jennifer Egan brilliantly reveals their pasts, along with the inner lives of a host of other characters whose paths intersect with theirs. With music pulsing on every page, A Visit from the Goon Squad is a startling, exhilarating novel of self-destruction and redemption. - Goodreads

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This book has been on my TBR list for longer than I'd care to admit. In January, I decided it was time to try and get through some of my backlist reads, and this is where I chose to start. And I went into it with high hopes. It's also a Pulitzer Prize winner, which further raised my expectations.

It's really difficult to sum up what this book is about, because it's kind of about everything. Each chapter is like its own story. The stories all overlap with one another and have characters in common with each other - and they all have a connection to either Bernie the record exec or his secretary Sasha. The chapters are interwoven, but they're not in any kind of linear pattern. It's difficult to keep track, particularly since the stories jump around between different characters as well as different time periods.

This means that you have to read with close attention (maybe even make a list) and whatever you do, don't put the book down and try to come back to it later. Which is what I did, and man, did it complicate things!

Despite my difficulty keeping track of some of the characters, I have to admit that this book showcases some incredibly poignant writing. It's easy to see why it received such a prestigious award, and why it stands out. There really aren't any other books I can think of that bear any similarity to this book - either in terms of scope or structure.

It is perhaps because of this poignancy that I found myself needing to put the book down. The stories reveal the inner lives of characters dealing with a whole range of situations and events, and many of them aren't particularly happy. It's difficult to read at times, and will evoke an emotional response that can be a bit overwhelming, but also makes the book feel authentic. It shows the split between the persona each character projects to the people in their lives, and the hidden parts of themselves they don't let anyone see. It can be hard to look at the brutal truth, and even harder to witness one brutal truth after another.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys complex characters, fantastic writing and who isn't turned off by some abrasive and difficult personalities.

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Book Title: A Visit from the Goon Squad
Author: Jennifer Egan
Series: No
Edition: Paperback
Published By: Anchor Books
Released: September 2011 (first published 2010)
Genre: Fiction, Character-Driven, Experimental
Pages: 386

Date Read: January 8-March 17, 2015
Rating: 7/10

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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | SWAMPLANDIA! - KAREN RUSSELL

The Bigtree alligator wrestling dynasty is in decline — think Buddenbrooks set in the Florida Everglades — and Swamplandia!, their island home and gator-wrestling theme park, is swiftly being encroached upon by a sophisticated competitor known as the World of Darkness.

Ava, a resourceful but terrified twelve year old, must manage seventy gators and the vast, inscrutable landscape of her own grief. Her mother, Swamplandia!’s legendary headliner, has just died; her sister is having an affair with a ghost called the Dredgeman; her brother has secretly defected to the World of Darkness in a last-ditch effort to keep their sinking family afloat; and her father, Chief Bigtree, is AWOL. To save her family, Ava must journey on her own to a perilous part of the swamp called the Underworld, a harrowing odyssey from which she emerges a true heroine. - Goodreads

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You're not exactly going to have a normal childhood if you grow up wrestling alligators in a Florida swamp. But even by these standards, the Bigtree family is anything but ordinary. The story starts as Swamplandia!, an alligator-wrestling family's theme park, is in its decline. The park is located on an island off the Florida coast and houses up to 100 alligators (along with various other animals) at a given time. The park boasts a champion alligator-wrestler - Hilola Bigtree, wife to Chief Bigtree and mother to our main characters, Ava, Osceola and Kiwi Bigtree.

It sounds like a rich, exciting setting, doesn't it? But within the first hundred pages they've lost their champion alligator wrestler, Hilola Bigtree to cancer, and the park's founder (and the children's grandfather) Sawtooth Bigtree to the mental labyrinth of old age. Not only that, but another amusement park has opened up on the mainland that steals their audience away. It's a confluence of unfortunate circumstances that creates a variety of negative effects on Hilola's husband, Chief Bigtree, and their three children. It's not long before the audience begins to falter, the park is temporarily closed, Chief Bigtree disappears to the mainland in search of "investors," and the oldest sibling, Kiwi, has run away in search of more viable economic prospects to support the family.

The book started strong. I loved learning about alligators (particularly after playing with a baby gator named Elvis when I was in Louisiana - go here if you missed my pic) and imagining what it would be like to grow up watching your mother dive into a pit of live gators night after night. The potential of this fictional landscape is immense. I expected a sense of the magical, even if it wasn't magical realism. With such an overstated setting, how could there not be?

Unfortunately the magic I got wasn't the kind I was hoping for. Ossie, the middle child, becomes obsessed with the occult - going to far as to begin "dating" a series of ghosts. At first it seems this is just a socially isolated teen's imagination running riot. Until it isn't, and soon her fantasies have taken over, and whether they're real or not, they're creating real-life problems for her and her sister.

But I think the biggest difficulty I had with this book was that it opened on such a down note, and every time you think things are looking up, something else goes wrong. Which isn't to say stories have to be happy to be good - they don't. But I think it would have really helped if the story had opened earlier so we could have experienced the park's heyday and seen Hilola as an gator wrestler and mother before her death. This would have helped the reader become more invested in her family and home. But because she is gone, with Grandpa Bigtree and the park following, it's hard to want to stick with the story to find out what happens. It's just a real downer.

Based on the description of this book, I expected: Quirky kids. A setting fraught with contained threat (dangerous alligators handled as part of a show). A bit of magical realism and probably some overcoming of obstacles - real or imagined. Such potential for a thoroughly enjoyable literary romp.

What I got: a book that, while beautifully written, started on a down note and continued to descend from there. Neglected children. A depressing set of characters handling everything from mental instability to social awkwardness to dementia to assault to bankruptcy. Does that sound like fun?

I think this is a book that will appeal to a certain type of reader. If you are one who has the stamina for a story that twists and turns through dark territory but has passages of beautiful writing and does an amazing job of setting the scene, this is a book for you. Likewise if you are fascinated by the Florida swamplands and/or paranormal stories, there's a lot here that will appeal to you. But if you like more entertaining books that have bright, shiny magic, this may turn out to be a bit disappointing. Many people I've talked to have loved this book, so if you feel like this is a story you'll enjoy, don't be deterred. I feel like it's one you'll either love or hate - but either way, it'll leave a strong impression!

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Book Title: Swamplandia!
Author: Karen Russell
Series: No
Edition: Paperback
Published By: Vintage Books
Released: July 26, 2011
Genre: Fiction, Family, Character-Driven
Pages: 400

Date Read: March 2-9, 2015
Rating: 5 or 6/10

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RELEASE DAY REVIEW | HAUSFRAU - JILL ALEXANDER ESSBAUM

Anna Benz, an American in her late thirties, lives with her Swiss husband Bruno and their three young children in a postcard-perfect suburb of Zürich. Though she leads a comfortable, well-appointed life, Anna is falling apart inside. Adrift and increasingly unable to connect with the emotionally unavailable Bruno or even with her own thoughts and feelings, Anna tries to rouse herself with new experiences: German language classes, Jungian analysis, and a series of sexual affairs she enters into with an ease that surprises even her. Tensions escalate, and her lies start to spin out of control. Having crossed a moral threshold, Anna will discover where a woman goes when there’s no going back. - Goodreads

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Hausfrau is the story of Anna Benz, an American woman living in Switzerland and married to a Swiss man. Anna has three young children, and she spends her time taking care of them. As a result of being a homemaker in a country where she doesn't speak the language, Anna is an unhappy, unfulfilled and socially isolated woman who finds solace in extra-marital affairs.

Now, that might turn you off. It very nearly turned me off (you know how I feel about cheating). But what saves this book is that it is incredibly well written. I frequently found myself pausing to re-read a particularly affecting paragraph, or just to imagine the scenery. The story takes place in a small town just outside Zurich, called Dietlikon. Essbaum's description of the Swiss setting is masterful - I felt like I was there, walking beside Anna as she took one of her walks through the lush countryside or rode the tram or enjoyed a cup of coffee in a Swiss cafe.

In addition to her ability to turn a phrase, Essbaum employs some clever literary tricks that help create a balanced view of the first person narrator, and tie in different aspects of the book. The first trick she employs is to weave Anna's sessions with her psychotherapist into the plot. This allows us to hear the therapist's assessments of Anna's behaviour and character, which balances out the narrative perspective nicely, and allows some of the readers' misgivings about Anna's choices to be voiced in the text. The other is her use of the rules of German language (as Anna is taking German lessons) to mirror Swiss-German culture and, at times, Anna's reflections on her own character. Both of these tricks served to enrich the novel and create added depth.

This can't have been an easy book to write. Essbaum set herself up with a very difficult character, one whose behaviour makes her even less sympathetic. But it is a perfect example of a book that, while featuring a cast of unlikeable or difficult characters, is so well written as to draw you in and keep your attention, in spite of how the characters make you feel. This is rare - at least, it's rare for me. Usually if I don't like a main character or a set of characters, I don't like the book. It's very difficult to impress me so much with writing ability that I am able to come away from the story feeling that it's one I'd recommend, even if I didn't pull for the protagonist. But Essbaum did this, and then some. This is a new release worthy of the hype. Just make sure you're able to handle some emotional hits when you decide to read it!

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**Thanks to Random House Canada for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

Book Title: Hausfrau
Author: Jill Alexander Essbaum
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Random House
Released: March 17, 2015
Genre: Fiction, Character-Driven, Self-Exploration
Pages: 336

Date Read: March 9-15, 2015
Rating: 9/10

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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE HALF BROTHER - HOLLY LECRAW

A passionate, provocative story of  complex family bonds and the search for identity set within the ivy-covered walls of a New England boarding school

When Charlie Garrett arrives as a young teacher at the shabby-yet-genteel Abbott School, he finds a world steeped in privilege and tradition. Fresh out of college and barely older than the students he teaches, Charlie longs to leave his complicated southern childhood behind and find his place in the rarefied world of Abbottsford. Before long he is drawn to May Bankhead, the daughter of the legendary school chaplain, but when he discovers he cannot be with her, he forces himself to break her heart, and she leaves Abbott—he believes forever. He hunkers down in his house in the foothills of Massachusetts, thinking his sacrifice has contained the damage and controlled their fates.

Nearly a decade later, his peace is shattered when his golden-boy half brother, Nick, comes to Abbott to teach, and May returns as a teacher as well. Students and teachers alike are drawn by Nick’s magnetism, and even May falls under his spell. When Charlie pushes his brother and his first love together, with what he believes are the best of intentions, a love triangle ensues that is haunted by desire, regret, and a long-buried mystery.

With wisdom and emotional generosity, LeCraw takes us through a year that transforms both the teachers and students of Abbott forever. Page-turning, lyrical, and ambitious, The Half Brother is a powerful examination of family, loyalty, and love. - Goodreads

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This is going to be a difficult review to write. I had high hopes for this book - and I really, really wanted to love it. It started off well enough, and I was with it right up until the first major plot twist (which I guessed and was kind of disappointed to have gotten right). But after that it started to lose me - particularly since I guessed the second major plot twist nearly as soon as the first happened. I spent the entire middle of the book just waiting for it to happen, and by the time it did, I was just bored.

But let me back up a minute, and start with what did work. First of all, the setting. The majority of the story takes place in a small town outside of Boston, where our protagonist works at an exclusive prep school. I particularly loved the initial descriptions of the homes and scenery. I felt like I could see the rippling lake and smell crisp bite of snow in the air. LeCraw's deliberately-paced writing style lends itself perfectly to drawing a vibrant scene.

She also does a great job of capturing the complexities of family relationships, and the often conflicting emotions that go along with it. Her characters all have strong and yet challenging family ties (both biological and acquired), and they are at the very core of this novel. It's also a story about the damage secrets too long kept can do out in the open.

Unfortunately the descriptive writing style meant that between major plot points, there was a lot of down time. Much of this was spent wearing a path through the same territory - a lot of the main character's daily routine (school, home, friend's house, home, school....) and his musings on the people around him. His thought patterns quickly become familiar, and start to feel repetitive by mid-novel. Even some of the wording is re-iterated frequently (for example the half brother being described as "glowing").

I think the main problem I had with the writing style, though, was how flowery and overly descriptive it was. There's a time and place for waxing poetic about scenery and weather, but if it's every second page, it's too much. Here's an example:

"The dining hall, the most modern building on campus, held its usual brightness, from the clerestory windows high in the roof ridge. It was a boon on a day like this, gray and wet with the last of the storm that had finally moved in for real on Sunday, blowing branches bare, plastering the leaves to the brick paths on the quad. The light was flat, full spectrum, honest. It shone without mercy or comment on Nick's eye. I could see the shadings of color, from blue black to the healing greenish yellow at the edges." - p. 134

This is the style of most of the book, and the heavy prose creates a feeling of distance between the reader and the character, like screen comprised of words that blurs the emotional impact of the story. I had trouble connecting with the main character, and since it's a first person narrative, I therefore had trouble connecting to any of the secondary characters as seen through his eyes.

I think this is a book that will appeal to those who enjoy ruminating over dense prose and who enjoy stepping into the mind of an intensely introspective character. My frustration with this book was, I think, largely subjective. It's not the type of writing I enjoy, and I found myself craving more in the way of plot development. Had the language been stripped down and simplified, I think I would have enjoyed the story more. If, like me, you find heavy description wearing, this may not be the book for you. However, if you're excited for this book or if the style of the quoted paragraph above appeals to you, by all means, give it a try!

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**Thanks to Random House Canada for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

Book Title: The Half Brother
Author: Holly LeCraw
Series: No
Edition: Paperback
Published By: Doubleday Canada
Released: February 17, 2015
Genre: Fiction, Family, Character-Driven
Pages: 288

Date Read: February 21-March 1, 2015
Rating: 4/10

THE SUNDAY REVIEW | A SPOOL OF BLUE THREAD - ANNE TYLER

From the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning author--now in the fiftieth year of her remarkable career--a brilliantly observed, joyful and wrenching, funny and true new novel that reveals, as only she can, the very nature of a family's life.
     "It was a beautiful, breezy, yellow-and-green afternoon." This is the way Abby Whitshank always begins the story of how she fell in love with Red that day in July 1959. The whole family--their two daughters and two sons, their grandchildren, even their faithful old dog--is on the porch, listening contentedly as Abby tells the tale they have heard so many times before. And yet this gathering is different too: Abby and Red are growing older, and decisions must be made about how best to look after them, and the fate of the house so lovingly built by Red's father. Brimming with the luminous insight, humor, and compassion that are Anne Tyler's hallmarks, this capacious novel takes us across three generations of the Whitshanks, their shared stories and long-held secrets, all the unguarded and richly lived moments that combine to define who and what they are as a family. - Goodreads
 

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There's no denying that Anne Tyler can string words and sentences together beautifully. In this, her 20th (and final) novel, Tyler delicately unfurls the story of the Whitshank family - all three generations of it - who inhabited the beautiful house built by the family patriarch, Junior Whitshank.

Though not told chronologically, the book catalogues the daily lives of Junior and his wife, Linnie Mae, their son Red and his wife Abby (who take over the house) and finally their children, Stem, Denny, Amanda and Jeannie. We learn about how Junior and his wife Linnie came to Baltimore and how Junior built, fell in love with and eventually purchased the Whitshank house. We get to know Red and Abby (especially Abby) as they settle into retirement and try to maintain their relationships with their now-grown children. And we learn the secrets that each is hiding from one another, and the toll these secrets take.

I'd never read any of Tyler's books before this, so I don't know if this detailed character development is her particular writing signature or if this book was unique. I can tell you that I've rarely come across a book quite like this. Tyler's writing shows her experience as a writer and a particular attention to detail that make it objectively flawless.

From a personal perspective, however, I have to admit that I struggled a bit with this book. It moved so slowly that even when major plot events occurred, it still felt like not much was happening. By itself, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I have read and loved many books that focus on the mundane to create a compelling, character-based story (Barbara Pym's books come to mind). I think the problem for me was that while it was fascinating to delve into the Whitshanks' lives to such an extent, I can't say I enjoyed these particular characters. Which makes all the difference when the characters are the focus of the book. Even in the more likable characters, unpleasant or annoying character traits were revealed as the book progressed. They turned out to be by turns selfish, snobby, oblivious, unreliable and critical. As much as these ugly aspects are part of every person, and a realistic part of any family, it made for difficult reading at times.

As I said before, this isn't an action-packed book. It's a book best suited to readers who are fascinated by the opportunity to peek into other people's lives, see what it's like behind their closed doors and figure out what makes them tick. It's a study in the unerring fact that people are never exactly what you imagine them to be - even your own family. And Tyler's writing will cause you to pause at times to re-read a particularly insightful or well-written passage, like this one:

But still, you know how it is when you're missing a loved one. You try to turn every stranger into the person you were hoping for. You hear a certain piece of music and right away you tell yourself that he could have changed his clothing style, could have gained a ton of weight, could have acquired a car and then parked that car in front of another family's house. "It's him!" you say. "He came! We knew he would; we always..." But then you hear how pathetic you sound, and your words trail off into silence, and your heart breaks. - p. 39

If you're a fan of Tyler or enjoy learning the details (for better and worse) of a family tree, you'll find this book to be right up your alley.

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**Thanks to Random House Canada for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

Book Title: A Spool of Blue Thread
Author: Anne Tyler
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Bond Street Books
Released: February 10, 2015
Genre: Fiction, Character-Driven, Family
Pages: 368

Date Read: February 4-14, 2015
Rating: 6/10

RELEASE DAY REVIEW | IF I FALL, IF I DIE - MICHAEL CHRISTIE

A heartfelt and wondrous debut, by a supremely gifted and exciting new voice in fiction.

Will has never been to the outside, at least not since he can remember. And he has certainly never gotten to know anyone other than his mother, a fiercely loving yet wildly eccentric agoraphobe who drowns in panic at the thought of opening the front door. Their little world comprises only the rooms in their home, each named for various exotic locales and filled with Will's art projects. Soon the confines of his world close in on Will. Despite his mother's protestations, Will ventures outside clad in a protective helmet and braces himself for danger. He eventually meets and befriends Jonah, a quiet boy who introduces Will to skateboarding. Will welcomes his new world with enthusiasm, his fears fading and his body hardening with each new bump, scrape, and fall. But life quickly gets complicated. When a local boy goes missing, Will and Jonah want to uncover what happened. They embark on an extraordinary adventure that pulls Will far from the confines of his closed-off world and into the throes of early adulthood and the dangers that everyday life offers. If I Fall, if I Die is a remarkable debut full of dazzling prose, unforgettable characters, and a poignant and heartfelt depiction of coming of age.  - Goodreads

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If I Fall, If I Die is the story of Will Cardiel. When we first encounter Will, he has been inside his house without leaving it for as long as he can remember. Born in Toronto, Will's life was fairly normal for a few years, until one day a near-accident on a subway platform sends his mother into a years-long and ever-worsening tailspin. She begins experiencing panic attacks whenever she's in a situation she perceives to be dangerous - and she starts seeing danger everywhere. 

First she moves herself and Will out of the city, retreating to her childhood home of Thunder Bay. Thinking this will be enough to quell her attacks, she sets to work settling into a new routine in the smaller town. But it isn't long before she starts experiencing symptoms in new situations - driving on the highway, driving at night, turning across traffic, leaving her house, going down to the basement, answering the door, using the stove, changing a light-bulb. 

By the time we meet Diane Cardiel, she is no longer of the world; she's done her best to insulate herself and her son from it. They exist in self-imposed prison. A comfortable prison with deliveries of food, necessities and library books, but a prison nonetheless. Until one day Will is drawn outside by a loud noise emanating from his bushes. The next thing he knows, he's made a "friend" and started down a path that will not only take him further and further from home, but from the mother who is doing all she can to disappear into herself. 

Despite his upbringing, Will is a courageous boy. Though he has learned to take care of his mother, to serve as her nurse-maid and only human contact, he is built for adventure. It's amazing to read of his entrance into the world, while trying to imagine what it would have been like to grow up in an environment so full of fear that showers are outlawed along with any solid food that could constitute a choking hazard. As anyone who has had to battle the conditioning of their childhood to seek the life they yearn for knows, escaping our upbringings is no easy feat. 

This is a book full of heart. Its characters are complex, riddled with demons and yet beautiful in their vulnerability. I felt acutely connected to the characters in this book. I empathized with both Diane's doomed struggle against the uncontrollable waves of anxiety that stole her freedom, and with Will's need to both protect and escape her. 

His forays into the world, and the respite he finds in his friendships are fraught with longing, discovery and the pain of potential loss. There's Angela, a young girl who has already accepted her untimely demise from cystic fibrosis by grabbing every opportunity to live, and Jonah, whose talents range from beautiful drawings to effortlessly graceful skateboarding to a keen mind worthy of his dream to become a doctor. Both are limited by the circumstances of their birth, as Will is by his own, and both will teach him that the world is not as dangerous a place as he was raised to believe, but also that the inevitability of death is not worth giving up life to escape. 

This book is one of the most beautiful and emotionally evocative books I've read. I was deeply moved by Christie's ability to find the perfect words to express feelings I didn't even realize I had. Underpinning a deeply personal story is a larger view of a community's social construct, which comprises complex issues of poverty, race, disenfranchisement, abuse and disability that serve to constrict the lives of each character in turn.

There are layers upon layers in this book - and it is written with generous measures of both insight and beauty. Whatever it is you look for in a book, you will find it here. This is a book whose characters will accompany you as you go about your day-to-day life for quite some time after you read the final paragraph (which was so beautiful I read it three times and then sat there, just wallowing in it). If I Fall, If I Die is most definitely top of the 2015 must-read list.

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**Thanks to Random House Canada for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Book Title: If I Fall, If I Die
Author: Michael Christie
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: McClelland & Stewart
Released: January 20, 2015
Genre: Fiction, Canadian, Character-Driven
Pages: 326

Date Read: January 17-20, 2015
Rating: 10/10

THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE WOMAN WHO WENT TO BED FOR A YEAR - SUE TOWNSEND

 
The day her children leave home, Eva climbs into bed and stays there.

She's had enough - of her kids' carelessness, her husband's thoughtlessness and of the world's general indifference.

Brian can't believe his wife is doing this. Who is going to make dinner? Taking it badly, he rings Eva's mother - but she's busy having her hair done. So he rings his mother - she isn't surprised. Eva, she says, is probably drunk. Let her sleep it off.

But Eva won't budge.

She makes new friends - Mark the window cleaner and Alexander, a very sexy handyman. She discovers Brian's been having an affair. And Eva realizes to her horror that everyone has been taking her for granted - including herself.

Though Eva's refusal to behave like a dutiful wife and mother soon upsets everyone from medical authorities to her neighbours she insists on staying in bed. And from this odd but comforting place she begins to see both the world and herself very, very differently. . .

The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year is a funny and touching novel about what happens when someone refuses to be the person everyone expects them to be. Sue Townsend, Britain's funniest writer for over three decades, has written a brilliant novel that hilariously deconstructs modern family life. - Goodreads

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This time of year is pretty drab. There's rain, early darkness, and an overall lack of sun. Pretty much from the end of September to early May, I wish I could make like a bear and hibernate. Which is part of what drew me to pick up this book. I've had it sitting around forever (I've got most of Sue Townsend's books on my shelf and have read nearly all of them - I love her writing). 

The other reason is, of course, that Sue Townsend passed away earlier this year. I've always felt a kinship with her, since she and I both have had to deal with ongoing medical issues. Her death at just 68 years old came as a bit of a shock - and has been lingering with me ever since. It's led me to think a lot about her, and about what her Adrian Mole series brought me as a young reader. And while part of me wanted to save up this book, in the end I decided the best way to honour her was to read one of her books I hadn't yet enjoyed.

The Woman Who Went to Bed For a Year has a unique concept, and is a testament to Townsend's brilliance as a storyteller. Not many writers can take a story of a woman who literally stays in her bed for a year and make it entertaining, interesting and full of vibrant characters. But she pulled it off. 

Not all of the story (nor its characters) are pleasant. Some of them are incredibly unlikeable and behave terribly. The relative economic status of the characters and their gender roles also cause some problems. I think Eva's decision to take to her bed is, in part, a rebellion against the strains of her dual roles of wife and mother, both of which she has felt trapped by for most of her adult life. 

Like all her books, Townsend imbibes intrinsically tragic and disturbing circumstances with a slanted, dark humour. It won't amuse everyone, but if you get it, it's hilarious.

I admired the way she twisted her characters around, often making a character sympathetic at the start and then slowly revealing other aspects of their personality until you either dislike or flat out loathe them. And vice versa. By the end of the book the character development made me feel like I knew both the best and worst in her main characters - and that I could really see who they were because of it. 

This book was definitely darker than Townsend's other books (particularly the end, which I wasn't crazy about and didn't really get), but no less skilled. It definitely made me want to re-visit Adrian Mole!

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Book Title: The Woman Who Went to Bed For a Year
Author: Sue Townsend
Series: No
Edition: Paperback
Published By: Penguin Books
Released: 2012
Genre: Fiction, Character-Driven
Pages: 437

Date Read: September 20-October 10, 2014
Rating: 7/10

THE SUNDAY REVIEW | STATION ELEVEN - EMILY ST. JOHN MANDEL

An audacious, darkly glittering novel about art, fame and ambition set in the eerie days of civilization's collapse, from the author of three highly acclaimed previous novels.

One snowy night a famous Hollywood actor slumps over and dies onstage during a production of King Lear. Hours later, the world as we know it begins to dissolve. Moving back and forth in time-from the actor's early days as a film star to fifteen years in the future, when a theatre troupe known as the Travelling Symphony roams the wasteland of what remains-this suspenseful, elegiac, spellbinding novel charts the strange twists of fate that connect five people: the actor, the man who tried to save him, the actor's first wife, his oldest friend, and a young actress with the Traveling Symphony, caught in the crosshairs of a dangerous self-proclaimed prophet. Sometimes terrifying, sometimes tender, Station Eleven tells a story about the relationships that sustain us, the ephemeral nature of fame and the beauty of the world as we know it. - Goodreads
 

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This book... this book. Where do I even start? I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into when I picked this beauty up. I idly flipped it open, thinking I'd read a few pages and probably not be that into it. I mean, how many dystopian books do we really need, anyway? But let me tell you, we need this one. This one kicks all the other post-apocalyptic stories directly in the posterior.

For starters, the first chapter is completely addictive. There is no putting this book down once you start reading, so don't do it (like I did) on your lunch break. Because it will make you very, very late. The suspense, even when you know what's coming, is so intense that the words won't pile into your brain fast enough.You'll be left wishing you could suck them up with a straw.

Which in itself would be enough to make anyone keep reading. I mean, you'd have to, because you literally cannot stop. But that's not enough for St. John Mandel. She has to bring the deep, meaningful, realistic characters. She has to introduce you to them, draw you into their lives and make you care about them. She has to get you invested.

And you will be. Even though you know what's coming. Even though you know how it ends (or even worse, keeps going) for them. You'll be right there with them for every twist and turn.

This, my friends, is masterful writing. Creating characters that walk right off the page and bare their souls to you is not easy. Creating a plot - particularly one that bounces back and forth on a 20+ year timeline seamlessly without losing any of its thrust or momentum - is not easy. Finding hope in a destroyed world (they call it post-apocalytic and dystopian for a reason) is not easy. This book does it all - and does it all spectacularly. It's rare to find a book that you want never to end, but whose ending is simultaneously so satisfying. There was very little in this book that didn't deserve the highest praise.

Not to oversell it or anything.

PS: If you love The Walking Dead, give this one a try. Scenes from the show kept popping into my mind as I was reading and I found so much similarity in terms of both plot and character development. This does have a bit more background for characters and the action isn't as intense (or gory), but the feel of it and the way it drew me in reminded me of the best parts of the show.

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Book Title: Station Eleven
Author: Emily St. John Mandel
Series: No
Edition: Paperback
Published By: HarperCollins Canada
Released: September 9, 2014
Genre: Fiction, Dystopia, Sci Fi
Pages: 352

Date Read: September 27-October 2, 2014
Rating: 10/10