My bookshelf 21 - the last half dozen: some stellar reading for the changing weather

Staying at home instead of travelling this autumn gave me a chance to enjoy the gorgeous prairie fall weather and to escape through reading; and my last half dozen had some stellar reads, especially one little surprise Canadian novel and a couple of stories that just might become classics. I've purposely interspersed some pretty serious reading with some lighter and less intricate stories. There's certainly several books here to cozy up to as the weather changes to winter (I have finally given a 5/5, but it's all personal choice or maybe it's just what type of book fits us at the moment).

In the order they were read:

My Friends - If you have read and loved books by Fredrik Backman such as A Man Called Ove, Anxious People, or any of the Bear Town trilogy, you might love My Friends. Fredrick Backman’s writing style is quirky and descriptive with rich character development,  twisting plots, plenty of emotion, surprising turns, and an understanding of the human condition. There are so many beautiful lines that just might make you pause and ponder life for awhile. Louisa is an almost 18 year old, large, awkward teenager with no self confidence or self esteem who is always on her guard for the 'worst humans' – and who is a product of the social welfare system.   The book follows her journey into finding the hidden meaning behind her favourite piece of art which she fell in love with years ago. Louisa meets Ted, an anxious, insecure teacher who introduces us to the other characters that make up the backstory to the painting. We’re taken back to a summer  25 years ago when a group of misfit friends were 14 years old, almost 15 – the last summer they’d be together.  They discover each other, the seaside, the value of laughter, the importance of togetherness, their weaknesses, and the need to believe in and stand up for each other. These friends bond in their differences, like outsiders looking in.  They share traumas of different sorts, so this book has a lot of sadness, tragedy, grief, addictions, poverty, mental illness, and violence.   But it also has important lessons about belonging, finding yourself, believing in each other,  strength in darkness, and that one person who can keep you going and maybe even turn your life around. Sometimes we find a kindred spirit in the least expected spaces.  And all of this is with the importance of art as a backdrop. Fredrick Backman can get lengthy but that just seems part of his quirky style. This book might not be for everyone due to the emotion and themes, but I found it compelling – I couldn’t put it down. And, yes, my eyes were a little damp in parts. Rating: 4.75/5

The Sideways Life of Denny Voss - This little Canadian book  might not be well-known right now but it should become a hit and it should be made into a movie. I loved every bit of this novel. I laughed and I cried. Everyone’s life goes a little sideways at times – when problems come up or we make poor decisions or things don’t go as planned; but you could say 30 year old Denny Voss’s life has kind of been sideways since day one.  Being neurodivergent and being number 72 as he puts it (referring to his intellectual ability), Denny definitely sees and processes the world a little differently, and this lead to bullying and abuse in school. But as an adult, he is content with his life,  removing road kill from the highways and  watching  television with Nana-Jo. Ironically when he starts to take responsibility and tries to make  good decisions for himself, things really start to go sideways. This unique story is told through Denny telling his life history in the county jail to a court-appointed therapist and to a lawyer with no experience who is defending him on a murder charge. During the preparation of his trial, Denny’s family history is unravelled, and he comes to some key understandings of life. The secondary characters are a joy. We meet Nana-Jo, the light of Denny’s life who has taught him to be kind and to do the right thing and to be confident and who always has rollers in her hair; Angus, his colorful and rough cousin who has a crass t-shirt for every occasion (which just cracked me up) but who is always there for Denny; Lydia, his self-centred lazy sister; and, of course his best friend,  George, his  old blind and deaf St. Bernard dog. Holly Kennedy writes just how Denny would think and speak  with humour and heartfelt emotion.   She captures the discrimination and stigma of people who are somewhat ‘different’  but also their many strengths; and she also captures the love and support and simple wisdom of a misfit circle of family and friends that others might see as somewhat lesser than themselves. You can read this little story in one or two sittings  – and do read the author’s note that shows Holly Kennedy's attachment and love  for the story.  She knows of what she speaks. And do spend a second or two with that delightful cover. Rating: 5/5 for uniqeness, writing style, emotion, and enjoyment.

Buckeye - Buckeye is accomplished author Patrick Ryan's debut adult novel. Buckeye is a long historical fiction saga with some 440 pages.  The story opens with a significant incident from World War II (an illicit  kiss celebrating Victory day) that changes the entire trajectory of two families in the small fictional town of Bonhomie, Ohio.  As time progresses  through decades and well into the 1970’s  (the story is heavy on the concept of the passing of time), big secrets are held, and of course big lies have to be lived to cover those secrets. This story is rich in character development. Cal is a self-conscious man who is scarred by the fact that his deformed leg prohibited him from serving in the war. His wife Becky is a unique person who has ‘seer,’ or psychic, powers and can communicate with the dead. Margaret is a vivacious red headed woman who is affected by her abandonment as an infant, and her husband, handsome Felix, has some personal identity issues that he has to figure out. But you might not like any of these characters that much.  As the story winds through generations,  I liked the historical themes such as the expectations and taboos for men and women in the mid 1900’s and how that affected personal choices, life in small town America such as the bowling alley and the ice cream parlour, and  the reminders of the controversy and politics of the Vietnam War.   Other themes include loss and grief, trauma, sexual identity, relationship challenges, parent-child relationships, infidelity,  forgiveness, regret - and all that is left unsaid. Buckeye is not a fast read, and it took me a bit to get into it.  It’s not full of action or humour -  it’s more a book to settle in with and maybe contemplate  history and life decisions and things we should have done.  It might be a good book club choice as it is sure to garner a lot of opinions. Rating: 4/5

Run For The Hills - Run For The Hills follows a group of siblings who do not know each other (all have different mothers) as they drive cross-country to find their biological father who abandoned each one of them at some point, each roughly 10 years apart, to move on with his life - and to his next relationship. The story opens with writer Reuben (or 'Rube') showing up unannounced at the food stand of chicken farmer Madeline (or 'Mad') to advise her that they are half-siblings. He persuades her to join him on a cross America road trip to find their other siblings and their long-lost father – in a PT Cruiser.  What kind of man will they find? How has he shaped them despite not being present in their lives? Will they be happy with what they find? What do they learn about each other and about themselves?  I liked the unique premise behind Run For The Hills – siblings getting to know each other while in search of their shared roots.   This is a story line that could be developed in several ways.  While Run For The Hills is written with lightness, I can envision a much more intense and emotional drama or maybe even a downright chaotic and hilarious caper.  You might like this book if you are a Kevin Wilson fan (Nothing To See Here might be his most popular novel) or simply want a fast and light read that touches on family bonds and people in search of their origins or if you want to ponder the concepts of decisions and human weakness and regret and forgiveness  – or the understanding that in the end,  we are each responsible for our own satisfaction.  Rating: 2.5/5

Finding Flora - Finding Flora,  with it’s deceptively pretty cover, packs a lot. It is an easy to read fiction of the history of Central Alberta, Canada,  and  it is also a depiction of the struggles of women who went before us and forged the way for rights  that we might take for granted. Young Flora Craigie, a Scottish woman, takes the desperate measure to jump from a moving train near Calgary, Alberta, in 1905 to escape the vicious clutches of her new husband. Under a government initiative, she is able to lay claim to a homestead in Central Alberta, wholly unprepared for the harshness of  the land and the climate and the social stigmas and all those who try to defeat her.   We meet her neighbours,  the shy but surprisingly  tough Welsh lady Peggy Penrose and her three  children,  the stalwart and introverted Metis lady Jesse McDonald who can handle any situation, and the more cultured Americans Roberta Edgar and Henrietta Greenwood who just want peace and quiet and the freedom to live their life as they choose. This group of dichotomous women bands together out of necessity and mutual respect and complementary strengths. Together, they learn to survive, to fight the elements, to stand up to prejudice,  to fight the government, and to have each other’s back.  There are some memorable secondary characters such as the good doctor and the old grump next door. There is hardship, trauma, some violence, drama, and of course, some requisite romance to keep the story moving along – all the while learning what it took to settle on the prairies in the early 1900’s. This book is a fast read. If you are from the prairies, you'll be able to smell the prairie grasses and see the first crocuses of spring and hear that rock-hard hail pelting down  and feel that cold winter air seep through the cracks.  The author includes a helpful Author’s Note that tells which characters are ‘real’ and which are fictional and a bibliography that supports her writing. There are also handy discussion questions for a book club or simply for self-reflection.  Highly recommend. Rating: 4.5/5

The Busybody Book Club - This book falls squarely into the ‘cozy mystery’ or ‘little old lady’ genres. The story opens with a prologue outlining an emergency meeting of the St. Tredock Community Book Club during which they devise a plan to  investigate a murder. Nova has moved to Cornwall on the British coast to start her life over and to build the relationship with her boyfriend Craig.  She organizes the St. Tredock Community Book Club as part of her new job at the Community Centre, but the book club hasn’t really taken off with only four regular, rather mismatched, attendees.   In addition to Nova, there is Arthur, an old, dishevelled eccentric fellow who secretly loves the romance novels he reads to his blind wife.  Ash is an awkward, introverted teenager who is more into sci-fi  than romance novels - but who does have a secret crush. And there’s elderly Phyllis and her old bulldog Craddock. Phyllis is a devotee of Agatha Christie and Miss Marple.   A fifth member, Michael, joins the group very briefly but he remains a mystery, especially when a dead body turns up at his house, and he disappears. The rest of the book unwinds the murder, along with the mystery of a substantial amount of money missing from the Community Centre.  Each book club member has their own suspicions, often based on what type of literature they like.  Many secondary characters are involved, some quite unlikeable such as boyfriend Craig’s mother, Pamela, for whom appearance is everything. As the story unfolds, there’s identity crises, romance,  secrets, and plenty of twists and turns.  Your favourite character might be the well-developed Phyllis who channels her inner Miss Marple.  There are plenty of references to mystery, romance and sci-fi novels that you might recognize. This book is simplistic and pure diversion - a cozy murder mystery with a leading little old lady. I thought the last half was more engaging than the first. And, of course, the book ends with, fittingly, a book club meeting. Rating: 3/5

So, that is my last half dozen. There are several stellar reads here, and your favourite might just depend on your mood at the time. My current mood says: 1) The Sideways Life of Denny Voss 2) My Friends 3) Finding Flora 4) Buckeye 5) The Busybody Book Club and 6) Run For The Hills

"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body" - Joseph Addison