The hunt for the great literary thriller of my summer 2017 continues. This one was gifted to me by K. (thanks, K.) and held great promise: well reviewed by all the right people, and delivered. I had more substantive things to say about it when I was reading it, but I read it at the cottage and now things are a bit of a blur of campfires, wine and games of hearts. (It’s a sign of my changing life that I read this one at the cottage and 419 and that was it. Such is the life of an auntie with four nephews under three. I don’t suppose any of you will hold it against me. Continue reading
419: A gripping exploration of economic inequality (without it feeling like a book about economic inequality)
I continued my summer of reading literary thrillers with Will Fergusen’s 419. I was late to the party on this one, with folks suggesting I read it for years. Something about it made me resistant to reading, and it wasn’t until it was the *only* book to have come in to the library from my list of requests that I gave in and picked it up. That 419 is terrific only (once again) proves that I am ridiculous for following my arbitrary whims when it comes to book covers and gut feelings. Continue reading
Filed under Bestseller, Canadian Literature, Giller prize, Prize Winner, Uncategorized
Black Lands: How to find a ‘literary’ thriller
It’s summertime and I’m in the mood for mysteries and thrillers. (What’s the correlations or causation?! between summer and mystery/thrillers? That my attention span is shorter because I’m whisked away by beach and dock and sun? Or that I want some mental candy to accompany the literal candy I seem to inhale between the may long weekend and labour day?). Anyway. I began a quest for mysteries and thrillers to read that weren’t terribly written. I’m not a librarian. Nor an avid user of things like Goodreads, so my quests usually begin (and end) with internet searches. (Apologies to my librarian readers; I really ought to have begun my search with you). Continue reading
Filed under Fiction
Of Mice and Men: Meh; Or, How to Rate a Classic
Okay, okay, I’m not doing well at vacationing. Whatever. More guest posts to come and I’m not reading anything but magazines right now (!), so this is really and truly the last post from me for a few weeks. Plus Of Mice and Men is a novella and takes a couple of hours to read, so there. Continue reading
Filed under American literature, Book Club, Book I'll Forget I Read, Fiction
Literary Vice 