VPL Staff Fiction Picks - February, 2012
Annotation:Dan, a bouncer in a seedy night club, finds himself mixed up in a world of murder kidnapping and corrupt cops when the girl he loves is murdered. This well written, hard-boiled thriller with a touch of humour thrown in would be a great recommendation for those who like Elmore Leonard or Carl Hiaasen.
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Annotation:Fans of Michael Connelly’s popular Hieronymous “Harry” Bosch mystery series, will enjoy this omnibus edition that collects the first three books in the series: The Black Echo, The Black Ice, and The Concrete Blonde.
Annotation:The night Lady Diana, Dodi al Fayed, and Henri Paul died in Paris, a white Fiat Uno was at the scene of the accident. Laurence Cosse imagines the life of the driver, a young woman named Lou, as she evades the police and media spotlights only to find herself increasingly paralyzed by feeling of remorse. A thoughtful psychological suspense novel.
Annotation:Throughout her book, Didion repeats this haunting phrase “When we talk about mortality we are talking about our children.” Didion’s touching meditation on the death of her daughter and growing old alone is presented almost as a seasonal observation – the season in question being the approach and weeks following the summer solstice.
Annotation:In 1871 a country boy became the literary sensation of Paris. His name was Arthur Rimbaud. By the time he was 20, Rimbaud was finished with the literary life, but left behind a sensational, if untidy, legend that continues to fascinate to this day.
Annotation:During WW II, atomic scientist Eliani Hadntz recruits soldier Sam Dance in a project that can reshape time, change the course of events, and promote peace. In War Times offers a combination of domestic fiction and speculation on the quantum aspects of consciousness for those who like a strong dose of science in their Science Fiction. Highly recommended.
Annotation:In 1933, elderly Harriet Baxter begins the memoir of the painter Ned Gillespie – a painter she considers a forgotten genius and who committed suicide at 36 after destroying most of his paintings. Harriet, we soon discover, is not the most reliable of narrators. Her obsession with Ned does little to disguise her loneliness – one of the books central themes. Charming and filled with sly and waspish humour, the book also manages to contrast the role of women in Victorian society versus the modern society of 1933.
Annotation:A lovely book! In the remote coastal town of Ballintra, a young man suffering from an emotional trauma, spends his days helping a cast of eccentric, elderly characters with their day-to-day chores. Christened Philip, he is known locally as Mister Psyche. One of the book’s central metaphors has to do with building a garden wall using stones from an ancient monastery. You might say that this is also Philip’s function in the book as he fits the lives of its characters together acting as an intergenerational go-between. Recommended.
Annotation:This wonderful collection of short stories is by the British poet Ted Hughes. My favourite story was “The Deadfall” which combines the boyhood coming-of-age story with the supernatural story. The story expresses great love and keen observation of the natural world.
Annotation:Spanning the first half of the Twentieth Century, this book tells the story of Serge Carrefax. As a boy, Serge grows up is a school for the deaf run by his father – an experimenter with radio communication. Silence and radio static come to symbolize a world tipping toward the First World War and become central motifs in this fine, historical novel.
Annotation:When 15-year-old Ahmed’s parents discover he is gay, they send him to a residential treatment centre called Serenity Ridge. For 11 months he is drugged, abused and subjected to sexual reorientation therapy. Ahmed eventually escapes and makes his way to a secret “safe” house where he lives with tens in similar circumstances until he reaches legal age. A unique and moving coming-of-age story.
Annotation:Lambda Award nominee Opyr offer a witty take on family relationships in her newest book. Poppy Koslowski is recruited by her family to deal with the imminent death of her grandfather. This, of course, brings our somewhat reluctant heroine back within the family sphere with its attendant feuds, domestic complications and medical crises. As a bonus, Poppy also finds romance. A fun read.
Annotation:This hybrid fantasy western features Doc Holliday as a bounty hunter who augments his already considerable skills as a shootist with the use of science and magic. Resnick is the five time winner of both the Hugo and the Nebula Awards.
Annotation:In his final novel, Saramago establishes the eternal outcast Cain as the narrator of biblical events from the expulsion from Eden to the grounding of Noah’s ark on Mount Ararat. Along the way, he participates in an ongoing debate with God. Cain holds God accountable for the seeming cruelty of His actions. Thoughtful, provocative, and funny – everything you could hope for in a good book.
Annotation:Since the eighth grade, Essie has been writing obituaries for her family’s small-town newspaper. Essie is now 83. When she breaks the story of a missing girl, life suddenly becomes very complicated. Did the missing girl ever exist or is the story a hoax? Perhaps the story is a publicity stunt connected with a teen fantasy novel series? The story snowballs and becomes a national media sensation. A fun read!
Annotation:This is the story of a 19th Century Polish rabbi who, somehow, ends up in the freezer of a suburban Memphis family. When thawed by fifteen-year-old Bernie Karp, the rabbi miraculously comes back to life. In this funny take on the passing down of tradition, the old man’s revitalization has disastrous consequences.
Annotation:Sold into captivity at the beginning of the Civil War, a young woman named Harriet escapes to a life of adventure on the American frontier. With a nod to Cather and Twain, Svobda offers a unique interpretation of the American West. Fans of Gil Adamson and Paulette Jiles will enjoy this novel.
Annotation:Winner of both the Lambda Literary Award and the Gerald Lampert Award, VPL librarian Anna Swanson’s debut poetry collection chronicles illness, sexual identity, and that most Canadian of themes, woman alone in nature. Recommended.
Annotation:Before her acclaimed novel Annabel, Canadian writer Kathleen Winter published a collection of short stories that also reflects her interest in gender relations. This quirky collection is both amusing and touching and fans of East Coast Canadian literature will welcome its portrait of small-town Newfoundland life. BoYs is the 2006 winner of the Metcalf-Rooke Award.
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A list of newer and older fiction and non-fiction titles recommended by staff members of the Vancouver Public Library.
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