Honestly, all I read is smut these days.

The more depraved the better.

This sounds pretty funny.

Eating Bull

Quickie Recap: An overweight teenager becomes the poster boy for obesity in a lawsuit against the food industry while a fat-obsessed serial killer is on the loose and racking up a hefty body count.

Quickie Review: Author Carrie Rubin has a voice that's clear and clever. Her characters are well-drawn and sympathetic. Her real-life background in medicine lends authenticity to the narrative. This is a cause she is clearly passionate about, and compassionate about.

Quickie Recommendation: It's a great medical thriller that'll put you through your paces and leave you gasping at the end. A page-turner that's sure to please any reader...but not to be read while eating dinner. ;)

American readers buy it here: Eating Bull
Canadian readers buy it here: Eating Bull

All are welcome to enter to win a free copy here - now until December 15th.

Room

Quickie Recap: 5 year-old Jack is being held captive with his Ma in a tiny space he calls Room. He has no concept of the outside world as he's never seen it. But when their captor loses his job, putting his ability to support Room in jeopardy, Ma realizes they need to get out, or be killed. She fakes Jack's death and relies on her 5 year old son to escape, and bring help, and unbelievably, he does.

Quickie Review: It feels a little like a spoiler to have written what I already have, but it's not. That's just the basic premise. It's what comes after their escape that makes up the meat of this book, and also what makes it stand out. It's not so much about victimhood as rehabilitation - it's very hard to readapt to the world if you didn't even know the world existed. Emma Donoghue is an excellent writer who miraculously manages to avoid the maudlin sentimentality and comes up with a taut and smart story about survival, and about a unique mother-son bond that will make you feel all the feels.

Quickie Recommendation: A definite favourite, I cannot recommend it enough. And I'm happy also to report nothing but love for the film adaptation starring Brie Larson. Read the book, then watch the movie, then tell a friend.

Generation A

by Douglas Coupland

Quickie Recap: In the not too distant future, the world will have no more bees, and with the bees go lots of our favourite crops. Five years after the extinction, 5 seemingly unconnected individuals are stung all over the world, and in rush the scientists to study them while they blow up all over social media.

Quickie Review: Told from a shifting-frame perspective, each of the group of 5 gets their chance to narrate and bring their own views and unique voice to the novel. This style is supposed to mimic Coupland's most famous novel, Generation X. I liked this book, although I read it warily. As usual, Coupland explores the meet and greet between culture and media\technology. His protagonists are all slackers, all disaffected youth, and all seem to be up for this non-voluntary adventure their bee stings have obligated. They're also living in a time when heroin addiction is null because of course, poppies require bees. A new drug, called Solon, has stepped in to replace it and everyone's attracted to it - except for these five. Released from their experimentation cells, they have a new prison: celebrity. To escape, they are herded by a charismatic scientist named Serge onto a remote Canadian island where they are encouraged to tell stories. These stories end up revealing things about their raconteurs of course, but also about who they are becoming, isolated together on the island. The stories, unfortunately, take the place of plot, and the book kind of falls apart in the second half, and Douglas struggles to regain control so that he may grant us the ending we deserve.

 

Quickie Recommendation: I wish we had learned more about this world without bees. The stories did very little for me. I missed action, I missed movement in the story. I'd still say check it out, but it doesn't stand up to his previous great works.

The Martian

by Andy Weir

Quickie Recap: Astronaut Mark Watney is left behind on a Mars mission and now faces the physical and psychological challenge of bleek, lonely, long-term survival until the next mission, 4 impossible years away, may return to save him.

Quickie Review: This book heavy on technical detail. Watney writes mission logs highlighting the challenges that each day presents, his problem-solving, and the outcome. Although the technology is light-years over my head, I still enjoyed reading these parts, and though I can't verify the sciences, it certainly sounds plausible, like Weir must have spent an exhaustive amount of time on research. His imagination doesn't fail us either, and I particularly enjoyed Watney's brand of wit. Weir does a great job of balancing the desolation with humour.

Quickie Recommendation: One of the more enjoyable reads I've had all year. Although I can see that the science-heavy jargon may not be for everyone, I still find it accessible to a general audience and I'm eagerly awaiting something else from this promising new author.

The Tiger

A True Story of Vengeance and Survival

by John Vaillant

Quickie Recap: A literal man-eating tiger is stalking a village and they've called in the big guns to get rid of it before it can make another meal of human meat. This tiger is not just any man-eating tiger - it has a beef with these people, and it seems pretty intent on making good on its grudge.

Quickie Review: Interesting fact about tigers? Once they eat human flesh, they can't get enough of it. Oh yeah, you'll learn stuff while reading this book. Actual stuff. This book conveys a real sense of hunting and being hunted; the hair on the back of your neck will not get a rest for days.

Quickie Recommendation: Depends on what your gore factor is. If you have the stomach for it, go for it.

Still Reading.

So here I am, reviewing books again.
It's been two and a half years, which probably means over 500 missed titles while I've been gone, some good, some bad, some forgettable.

Actually, looking through some of my old posts I'm surprised at myself - how some of the ones I seem to have loved the most have faded from memory while some of the stinkers are still in my head, taking up space. Interesting how that works out.

I cannot remember a single day of my adult life that I did not read. At the very least, it's how each day ends: whatever book is on my night stand gets as many pages read as possible before my eyes start to flutter. Books are also my companion in my almost-daily baths, a quiet time of luxury and escape into a world of words that I can never get enough of.

I find that I have missed having a record of what I've read, and also missed being able to share the truly good ones with people who might appreciate them. Even more, I've missed my fellow readers helping to shape my shopping list, and passing me THEIR stellar recommendations. There aren't enough book lovers in my circle of friends, there aren't enough in the world, and I suppose I crave having this little niche available to me when I need to rave or rant about something I've lovingly placed on my shelf, or angrily thrown out the window.

The Night Circus

by Erin Morgenstern

Quickie Recap: A mysterious circus that opens only at night enraptures its audience wherever it goes, but for all the amazing acts and sights to see in the circus, it's the people who run the show who are of most interest. As the book unravels, we begin to understand that two powerful and rivalling magicians are pulling more strings than we know, and less than they'd like.

Quickie Review: This is another book I walked by a few times before I finally picked it up. I suppose it reminded me a little of Water for Elephants and since I loved that book, I didn't want some pale comparison mucking it all up for me. But while yes, they are both circus-y, they are different books, and now I could not say which I preferred because this one was definitely the best thing I've read this year, and my favourite thing I've read in quite some time. It's her first novel, which astounds me, because it felt really rich and layered and well-developed. It's the kind of book that leaves you with really strong pictures in your head, and while at times it feels as if the author just has yet another really cool idea and is trying hard to finagle it into the book, I can almost forgive it of her because it IS a cool idea, and it adds to this magical universe she's created where maybe not everything is plot-centric, but rather floats around creating this overall impression. At this point, I'd say Morgenstern was more magic than craft, but for this novel it really worked, it was a wonder, and I look forward to reading more from her.

Quickie Recommendation: Without reservation.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

by Garth Stein.

Quickie Recap: This story is recounted by a dog named Enzo who watches enough television to have formed the belief that when a dog dies, if he is lucky, he will come back as a human in his next life. Enzo wants this very, very much. Of course, this becomes primarily the story of the family that Enzo lives with, and he tells it the way a dog would: with more compassion than is probably deserved, and abounding love and faith and loyalty.

Quickie Review: I remember seeing this book in an airport some time ago and I gave it a miss. It looked a bit silly. But then I read all the other books in the book store (okay, maybe not all, but enough that I could give this book a second look) and so I picked this up, and started reading right in the parking lot and didn't put it down until I was done, about 4 hours later. I was crying on page 5. Okay, so I'm a sap who happens to be lucky enough to have not one but three of the world's most awesome dogs living in my house (and cuddled around me as I read this). So maybe I was predisposed to love this. Whatever the case, I did. It was sweet, but not cloying. It is a bit silly, a bit simple. It's what a dog's book should be. It doesn't feel gimmicky or particularly childish. It's a bit of a reach, I'm not going to lie. The end is a bit cheesy-movie contrived. But on a snowy afternoon, cuddled in front of the fire, it was perfect.

Quickie Recommendation: I'm going to say yes. I'm not sure about the author, he was a little uneven, but he hit on a great little story here and it warmed me right up.

The Cat's Table

by Michael Ondaatje

Quickie Recap: In the 1950s a little boy gets on a big boat destined for England. He makes 3 same-aged friends, and together they come across a whole cast of characters, varying from the benignly mysterious to the criminally dangerous. Now a grown man, Michael looks back to this voyage as a seminal influence that began an even bigger journey.

Quickie Review: First, let me point out that this is perhaps Ondaatje's most readable novel to date. So that's a surprising bonus. While reading it, someone asked me to name the best thing I'd read recently and I really searched my memory before coming up blank. I could name over a dozen titles I'd read in 2012, but none really stood out. This one certainly doesn't. I'm the first to admit I'm just not a huge Ondaatje fan, but always feel compelled to pick up his books because he's one of those Canadian writers that one should read. But they end up feeling like a chore. And this one...it felt kind of meh to me. It goes down easier compared to say, The English Patient, and there are passages that are truly beautiful, almost worth the read. There were some really vibrant characters, and these sketches make Ondaatje's skill strikingly evident. But it wasn't enough. I felt ... unfulfilled, uninspired, and a little bored.

Quickie Recommendation: Not quite.

The Rapture

by Liz Jensen.

Quickie Recap: Bethany has already driven one psychologist crazy: she's a young girl in a high security facility because she stabbed her mother to death with a screw driver. And now she's predicting deadly storms culminating in Armageddon...or is she causing them? Her new therapist, fresh from her own wounds, has to sort out the difference while keeping her sanity.

Quickie Review: Oh man. This was intense. It takes extremes of religion and environmentalism and makes the end of the world sound all too plausible. It's light on psychological fare, surprisingly, and heavier on psychic abilities, so yes, suspension of disbelief is necessary. But fun.

Quickie Recommendation: Pretty okay.

The Unit

by Ninni Holmqvist.

Quickie Recap: On her 50th birthday, Dorrit is declared by her government to be disposable, so she, and others like her, are whisked away to the unit. They have no children, and no fame to redeem them, and so they are used as lab rats until such a time as they can ultimately be used for spare parts and make one big "final donation."

Quickie Review: Destined to be viewed as a great dystopian novel, I was immediately angry, fascinated, repulsed, and drawn the fuck in. Irresistible. Imaginative. Scary as hell.

Quickie Recommendation: Oh yeah, this one is very, very high on my list of loves.

The Answer is Always Yes

A novel by Monica Ferrell

Quickie Recap: Matt is a high school loser with big ambitions for college. Over the summer he's carefully crafted a definition of cool - but despite his painful efforts, he fails. But then he's discovered by the owner of a popular club, and as a new promoter he suddenly has everything he always thought he wanted.

Quickie Review: A professor supposedly researching the socialization of children contributes to the novel via footnotes that are mostly just distraction. The main story is familiar but interesting and would be more readable if it stood on its own. It does an excellent job of portraying cringe-worthy loserdom. Oof.

Quickie Recommendation: Needs editing.

Lullabies for Little Criminals

by Heather O'Neill.

Quickie Recap: Baby is being "raised" by her junkie dad, who had her when he was all of 15. Really, he's barely capable of keeping tabs on her, as evidenced by her constantly falling into the hands of others - foster homes, detention centres, homeless shelters - and all of these better than her fate if the pimp who has his eye on her gets his way.

Quickie Review: Oh, sigh. Big sigh. This has been in my to-read pile for so long that I'm so tickled to have finally gotten to it. It was worth the wait! My friend Luc read it just before me and gave it his seal of approval so of course I couldn't wait to rip into it. But then I stalled. Well, not stalled, exactly. But my enthusiasm paled. Not because the writing wasn't stellar, because it was, but because it's tough. You want to give this little girl a home, even though you know she's not real, but your chest tightens because you know there are actual little girls just like her. It's messy. It makes you emotional. I kept looking up from my book to exclaim things because I needed to interrupt myself, cut the tension. Really, really good read.

Quickie Recommendation:

The Black Book of Canadian Foreign Policy

by Yves Engler.

Quickie Recap: While at a Propaghandi show in Toronto, the band promoted Engler's book and my mates took it upon themselves to order me a copy for my birthday (thanks, boys!). Engler writes to expose the foreign policy myths engineered by the government and believed by the citizens - namely that we are peacekeepers well-respected throughout the world.

Quickie Review: It is important to remember that such subversive material is probably being printed by a small, brave press and so tolerance toward typos and other mistakes needs to be exercised. Engler obviously goes out of his way to do an enormous amount of research and for that reason alone I feel that this is an important book for Canadians to have read. There is a bias in our media and certainly in what our government is telling us, and if Engler sometimes goes too far the other way, at least it helps balance out the perspective we are normally presented with. He takes a look at our dealings in all the various regions and tackles our favourite lies about ourselves as a find, upstanding country. Maybe we are, but not always, and there's a lot that's kept under the radar. Engler is not even afraid to take on Lester B. Pearson, whom you may remember was awarded (perhaps erroneously, according to Engler) the Nobel peace prize. Personally, I especially respected the piece on our Israel\Palestine stance and the tracking of where exactly and how exactly our so-called "foreign aid" is being spent. Yes, it is disappointing to read about so many of our failures, but it also highlights the areas where we can improve as a nation who takes pride in what we do for others.

Quickie Recommendation: For anyone who suspects that there is more to this than what Harper tells us.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

by Michael Chabon.

Quickie Recap: Clay is the lucky boy born and raised in America in the 1930s and has all the big dreams to prove it. His cousin, Kavalier, escapes Prague just in time and arrives with only one ambition: to earn enough money to send for his family. Together they create a comic book featuring The Escapist, and hope it will lead them to fame and fortune.

Quickie Review: I could fall in love with this author based solely on his vocabulary. It's tremendous. It's exciting just to read his words, never mind what they mean when they're all strung together into a story. But what a story! Kavalier & Clay is not new to me, but having recently read the Yiddish Policemen's Union, I got the bug to reread this one, and I'm always glad when I do. It's a tapestry of incredible stories and feels to me what a "great American novel" should be.

Quickie Recommendation: For everyone, yes.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith.

Quickie Recap: Yes, it really is the bones of our favourite Austen story, with Miss Bennett and Mr. Darcy and the whole crew, plus a few undead thrown in for extra fun. And it is! If you've read the "original" as I have, you can't help but delight in Elizabeth sparring verbally with her lover and pausing only to disembowel a zombie. It's genius!

Quickie Review: You'll laugh, I promise. You may also wince in disgust. It'll open your eyes to a whole new side of Austen that she probably never intended but I think is a whole pile of enjoyment nonetheless.

Quickie Recommendation: I liked it. Apparently I like watching a classic be defiled. Actually, that's not generally true. I hate remakes. This is just different. It's cute. It works.

Possible Side Effects

by Augusten Burroughs.

Quickie Recap: Burroughs shows us yet more sides him with awesome stories, my favourite possibly being the one about how he fell in love with an unlovable puppy.

Quickie Review: Not a one-trick pony! Yeah, he wrote that crazy-popular Running With Scissors, but he's not just one of the dozens capitalizing on a crazy childhood. He's a legitimate writer with things to say beyond the "hey, look at me and my eccentric ways" that are dominating the best-seller lists these days. Actually, I thought Dry was even better than Running, and this collection of little essays is yet more proof that he's an author, not just a victim.

Quickie Recommendation: Keep buying Burroughs.

The Yiddish Policemen's Union

by Michael Chabon.

Quickie Recap: This novel features an alternative history to the one we're familiar with: during WW2, Alaska opened its doors to Jewish immigrants, saving the lives of 4 million Jews. Sitka, Alaska, is the town where they were settled, and it boomed for 60 years, but now the treatise is ending and all these nice people have to find somewhere else to go. In the meantime, the town's police force has close all of its open files, which is not easy to do in a town full of close-mouthed people afraid of the Jewish mob boss who makes sure that no one sees anything.

Quickie Review: Whoa. This guy is a genius.I'm always impressed with a writer who can invent a divergent history for us. It takes balls, and a scope of imagination that I know I wouldn't be capable of. As a reader, it fascinates and thrills me - as a fellow writer, it leaves me feeling comparatively vapid. So I don't compare, I just enjoy, and this is a very enjoyable novel. Lucky me. Lucky all of us that Chabon is willing to dive into something so rich and nuanced and finely tuned, and brings us along for the ride. It's a detective story, I suppose, but also a really cool cultural exploration, throwing together Native Americans and Jewish people of varying backgrounds, and a mix of world history and personal history that really present a strong and interesting mosaic.

Quickie Recommendation: So cool.