My bookshelf 20 - The last half dozen: there are some GOOD reads here - some mystery, lots of drama, and an 'unhinged' comedy
- debbiemanderson1
- Sep 6
- 9 min read

Summer is fast wearing away and I've had my first pre-fall pumpkin dessert; but before we bring out the sweaters and cozy blankets here on the Canadian prairies, you might like to peruse the last half dozen books of my summer reading. Sometimes my last half dozen doesn't contain any books that really stand out but sometimes, like now, there's some good reading. Here's some mystery, a lot of drama, and one 'unhinged' comedy. Maybe you'll find one for your fall reading list.
In the order they were read:

I was totally drawn into the emotion of The River Is Waiting, but there is nothing funny about this story. Right from the start, it graphically portrays child loss, addictions, mental health, suicide, violence, and sexual abuse. It’s difficult to read at times. Corby is married to Emily, and they have delightful toddler twins, a boy and a girl. Emily is a teacher but Corby finds himself as an unemployed artist who becomes a stay at home father and takes to daily alcohol and drug use to smother his feelings of inadequacy. The book opens on April 27, 2017, when a parent's worst nightmare occurs, tearing the family apart. We then learn about Corby’s and Emily’s relationship history before the rest of the book focuses on Corby’s three year incarceration in the Yates Correctional Institution. Corby, who has never been in jail before, has to learn to survive in that environment while managing his emotions surrounding his offense and the big question, will his marriage survive? Corby is a much-flawed, self-centered character who struggles with taking responsibility. And the messy ending just might be a good symbol of the convoluted nature of trauma and addictions and really bad decisions. Despite the difficult topics, I really liked how this book depicted the emotional trauma of being responsible for a reprehensible act while at the same time showing the addict’s way of thinking, of minimizing, of being self-centred, and of making excuses despite the fact that he or she has damaged so many lives. It depicts the harshness and sadness and maybe the inequality and weaknesses of the American judicial and prison system. But it also shows moments of brightness and strength where you least expect it. No one is all bad and no one is all good; and in the darkest moments of life, hopefully someone like psychologist Mrs. Patel or librarian Mrs. Millman will be there to pick you up. This gritty book isn't for everyone. If you do choose to wade in, you might be left with a lot to ponder. Can a marriage survive trauma? Can we forgive ourselves when we commit an unspeakable act? To what extent will others forgive us? How would we act? What would we learn? It is heavy, indeed. Rating: 4.5/5

Detective Aunty - This little Canadian novel is a rather quick, cozy read which is surprising given the murder, grief, marital infidelity, and family dysfunction involved. Kausar Khan left Toronto for North Bay almost two decades ago after suffering the tragic and somewhat suspicious death of her teenage son and has never returned. Now, she is reeling from the death of her husband in the past year. But when her daughter, Sana, is accused of the murder of the landlord of her store in Toronto, Kausar rushes to provide support – but also to do her own investigation into the murder because Kausar is known to have strong intuition and to be able to read people really well and to ask just the right questions that make people open up to her easily. Kausar arrives in the fictional Golden Crescent neighbourhood to find Sana's life to be messy in many ways and realizes that she does not know much about her daughter’s life in Toronto. She meets a slate of characters who just might be capable of murder. She also arrives to face her own demons of grief and loss and inadequacy. As the story unravels, we meet Sana’s husband and their two daughters, business people, lawyers, investors, old friends, police officers - and everyone seems to have a story. The heart of this novel is Golden Crescent, an ethnically rich neighbourhood which has changed substantially since Kausar raised her children there, and where the author paints a picture of social issues such as cost of living, inequality, crime, racism, and the risk of losing culture and connectedness and traditions to business and development. Here we learn a little about Muslim traditions - of ‘aunty’s’, of ceremonies, of family ties, and of copious amounts of really good food. I liked the focus on Kausar Khan, a middle aged woman who reflects on her arranged marriage and the social mores of her time and who now, in her 50’s, has the chance to become just who she wants to become. Detective Aunty is an easy read in which you can escape into a mystery with lots of twists and turns but with plenty of real life social issues and a bit of romance. It might best be served with a cup of chai tea and biscuits. Rating: 3.5/5

Spectacular Things - Spectacular Things opens in 2028 when Mia is giving birth to her first child, and her sister Cricket is a soccer goal keeper in the gold medal match at the 2028 Olympics. We are soon presented with a huge dilemma for Cricket and with one of the underlying themes of the book - how far would you go and what would you give up for family at the expense of your own future? The story then untangles the Lowe family history beginning with mother Lisa as a child falling in love with soccer and learning the mantra about being the hardest worker and never giving up. The story then delves into the relationship between Mia and Cricket and their mother. Lisa Lowe is a young single mother with a flamboyant, energetic, and somewhat scattered nature but also possessing a belief that if you do your very best, success (and even fame) will come your way. Cricket shines early on the soccer field, and all efforts and sacrifices, firstly by Lisa and then by scholarly Mia, are put into helping Cricket rise to the highest levels of the sport, hopefully the Olympics and the National Team. There is a lot of soccer in this story – from harsh training to competition to jealousy, and you will probably recognize many famous names. There is love woven in as the sisters learn of their mother’s colorful past while Mia might or might not follow in her footsteps, and Cricket might find love on and off the soccer field. As I said, the main theme of this book is what would you sacrifice for family and is there an expectation of reciprocity? It says much about the binding, but sometimes convoluted, nature of sister relationships and of the mother/daughter relationship; and it portrays the sacrifices and devotion needed to teach the top level of sport - but also the risk of too much ambition. Spectacular Things is an easy book to read. It’s not complicated in writing or story. It would be a good book for a book club pick as it raises plenty of emotional issues that will garner lots of opinions. Rating: 4/5

Broken Country - It might be the sign of a good story when I was quite mesmerized and could not put this book down. What held me was the emotion, the suspense, the eloquent writing, and the explicit descriptions of rural British farm life. But be forewarned, there is no humour to this story, it is graphic in places, and it deals with loss and grief in many forms. It is 1968, and we are immediately informed that the death of a farmer has occurred before we meet three main characters - the protagonist Beth, her stalwart husband Frank, and Frank’s brother Jimmy who live together on the family farm in the beautiful Dorset countryside in England. Beth and Frank live a comfortable life where Beth is quite happy managing the affairs of the house and helping with the farm labour, despite her childhood dream of being a successful poet. We are then taken to the back story in 1955 when teenager Beth meets the love of her life, the talented and beautiful teenager Gabriel. The story returns to 1968 when Jimmy shoots a dog that just happens to belong to Gabriel who has returned to live on the neighbouring farm with his son, Leo. This sets off the drama which is unraveled in alternating chapters between what the author refers to as ‘before’ and the present 1968. And, yes, a love triangle forms, but that is only part of the story. Woven in are emotional dilemmas, decisions, consequences, dishonesty, grief, big secrets, class differences, privilege, and topics unspoken. Broken Country is a fast read. You might not like any of the main characters that much – they are certainly flawed human beings (but aren‘t we all?). I think a strength of the book is that you are well into the story before some, but not all, questions are answered. And do pay attention because there are little things you might let pass by that crop up later as having a huge impact. And you might be left with lots of emotions and thoughts about true love, forgiveness, and what decisions we made as teenagers that altered the trajectory of our lives. As Reese says, this would make a good book club novel (maybe for readers that like gritty and emotional stories?), and there are some nice discussion questions on line if you are interested. And I would not be surprised if this book is made into a movie. Rating: 4.5/5

On Isabella Street - On Isabella Street is an historical fiction that takes place in 1967 in Toronto. There are several story lines or themes that might be attractive to many different readers: Canada’s role in the Vietnam War and all the controversy and disagreement attached; the deinstitutionalizing of mental health patients including soldiers who fought in the war and are forced to assimilate into a sometimes unwelcome society; the friendship bond of two women, rather conservative psychiatrist Dr. Marion Hart and young hippy Sassy Rankin who just wants to make music and rebel against the establishment, two polar opposite women who influence each other to expand their world view; Daniel, a mental hospital patient, and Tom, a real-estate businessman, two men who also play a role in Dr.Hart and Sassy becoming versions of themselves that they never imagined; family dynamics and some romance; and, of course, seeing it is 1967, it’s the time of peace and love, of a generation gap, of emerging women’s rights, of energy and challenging the status quo. As a famous singer said, “times are a changin”. I think the strength of On Isabella Street is the historical research about Canada’s surprising role in the Vietnam War and the shift from institutionalization to the community. The author used many secondary characters to portray the lasting effects of trauma. She attaches a very helpful and must-read author’s note as well as a bibliography that explain and support her writing. There is also a list of discussion questions at the end for you to ponder or which make it an easy book club choice. On Isabella Street is a simple read that does contain quite a lot of convenient coincidences to make the story come together and that are maybe a bit implausible. Depending on your age, you might like (or possibly not like so much) all the 1960’s slang and the many song references that take you back to another place and time that was maybe both more complicated and more simple in some ways. This book is worth a read. Rating: 4/5

The Retirement Plan - After all that serious reading, I needed some diversion comedy. The Retirement Plan certainly fit that bill. This book is ridiculously unhinged as an acquaintance of mine likes to say and has so many twists and turns and plots and morally weak characters to the point that your favourite just might be that scruffy but observant dog Elmer. And be forewarned, the author uses one swear word repeatedly so that might be off-putting to some. Pam and Nancy and Shalisa are three dysfunctional friends who want to kill their equally dysfunctional husbands Hank, Larry, and Andre in order to cash in on their life insurance policies so they can fulfill their dreams of a glorious retirement. They’ve held this simmering anger since the husbands lost their financial savings in an ill-fated investment scheme years ago. It’s the little wrong-doings that add fuel to their fire - like not cutting down a tree or eating the left over pad thai . . . But unknown to these women, their husbands also have a few things of their own on the go. You might be left wondering who is the smartest and just who is going to kill whom? The lesser characters are a strength of this book, especially Hector the barber who just does “whatever needs doin’”, his wife Brenda whose career choices, at least on the surface, seem somewhat at odds with her husband’s, and young Padma, the new casino manager who has a whole lot of other crises going on in her life, not the least of which is her marital status. As I was reading this book, I thought it would be a good slapstick comedy movie and was pleased to read that the rights have been sold to a production company. So, if you are looking for an escape, or need solice that your life really isn’t all that messed up, this might be the book for you. But do look elsewhere for good retirement planning advice. Rating: 3/5
That's my last half dozen. In order of preference (remember, it's all just opinion): 1) Broken Country 2) The River Is Waiting 3) On Isabella Street 4) Spectacular Things 5) Detective Aunty and 6) The Retirement Plan
"Reading makes all other learning possible. We have to get books into our childrens' hands early and often" - Barack Obama
Comments