VPL Staff Fiction Picks - September 2009
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Hanff, Helene A charming little book, about the twenty-year correspondence between New Yorker, Helene Hanff and Frank Doel, chief buyer of Marks & Co, antiquarian booksellers in London.
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Nakazawa, Keiji The Day After is part 2 of a 10 part manga series about the bombing of Hiroshima. This semi-autobiographical story presents a mother and her two children, one of whom is Gen, forced to endure the suffering and guilt of survivors. The imagery is horrific and deeply moving at the same time. This will especially appeal to fans of Art Spiegelman’s Maus series.
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Moriarty, Laura Set in Kansas, the story documents the coming of age of Evelyn Bucknow, a young girl being raised in a trailer home by a single mother. Caught between conflicting authority figures who dictate their versions of moral order, the maturing Evelyn finds her own unique truth. A lovely book.
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Jiles, Paulette During the final years of the American Civil War, former slave Britt Johnson moves West with his family. They settle in Texas only to find themselves embroiled in territorial warfare with the Comanche and Kiowa tribes. Based on oral histories, Jiles documents the ensuing tragedy that unfolds. Fans of historical fiction will also enjoy Jiles’ other treatment of the American Civil War, Enemy Women.
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Lanchester, John Tarquin Winot exercises superb taste and discernment in this satiric, food-based memoir. The novel provides hilarious send-ups of the living-well / eating-well philosophy as each chapter builds-up to what can only be described as a dying-well episode. As in all aspect’s of his life, Winot’s prose is a triumph of style over dark intent. A great read.
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Larsson, Stieg The first book of the Millennium Trilogy by the late Swedish author Larsson. After respected journalist Blomkvist is convicted of libel he receives an unusual offer from an octogenarian industrialist – solve the 40 year old disappearance of his beloved great neice.
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Grenville, Kate This lovely story is about two fish-out-of-water characters - Harley Savage and Douglas Cheeseman - overcoming their differences and (possibly) living happily ever after. Richly deserving its Commonwealth and Orange Prize win, the book offers the small Outback community of Karakarook as a stand-in for every small town in the world suddenly discovering pride of place and self-respect for its culture and heritage. The title refers to an Amish quilting tradition where one panel is deliberately left imperfect, because only God can create perfection. Highly recommended.
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Chaudhuri, Amit Calcutta based writer Chaudhuri has written a wonderful book about the place of music in modern India. Themes of art, commerce and social expectations are woven through the interconnected stories of the three main characters: Shyamji, Mallika and Nirmalya. A fine book written in beautiful, poetic prose.
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Moore, Brian When the IRA orders Dillon to park his car at a Belfast hotel, he knows he's planting a bomb that will kill and maim dozens. He also knows his wife will be killed if he disobeys.
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Christie, Agatha Agatha Christie outraged mystery-writers and critics alike when The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was published – the twist, they said, was not only unconventional but a cheat. But the book put Agatha Christie on the map and is considered to be one of her best.
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Kantner, Seth Caught between two cultures, neither of which will fully accept him, Cutuk Hawcly realizes “something is missing in [him] – that feels like being born a wolf and choosing a dog’s life.” This beautifully written book captures the stark beauty of the Alaskan tundra and the drama of living “in” not “off” the land. The book will appeal to fans of Barbara Kingsolver, Annie Proulx and Jack London or the movie Into the Wild.
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Cleave, Chris After two years spent in a refugee detention centre, Little Bee sets off to rejoin a British couple she encountered in her home country, Nigeria. Weaving the past and present, Little Bee muses on the complexities of the Queen’s English and whether the future tense actually belongs in her vocabulary. The book is a beautiful document that illustrates the plight of political refugees in today’s world and introduces us to one of the most beguiling narrators to appear in modern literature. Highly recommended.
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Suskind, Patrick A terrifying examination of what happens when one man's indulgence in his greatest passion — his sense of smell — leads to murder.
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Tremblay, Michel It’s 1967 and in Montreal it seems a new age is dawning. Expo 67 is about to open and General De Gaulle has done his bit to bolster nationalist sentiment. Waitress Celine Pouline, in what may or may not be seen as political allegory, is about to escape the unhappiness of her home life for the company of “the girls” of Le Boudoir club. As always, Tremblay offers a moving fable brimming with wit and compassion.
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Before Freud, there was Nathaniel Hawthorne. Written in 1850, this book about a Puritan woman caught in adultery explores the psychological consequences of unconfessed sin. I loved it for its amazing insights into human nature.
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Ruiz Zafon, Carlos When Daniel discovers a strange, forgotten novel called The Shadow of the Wind, he becomes consumed with investigating the bizarre story behind the author and his writing.
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Biting satire from bad-boy author Brookmyre who considers this the best book he’s written. Meet Simon Darcourt, serial killer and internet sensation who posts real-time coverage of his killings. Angelique de Xavia is the police officer on his trail. This sly tale will appeal to fans of Carl Hiaasen, Bret Easton Ellis and Colin Bateman.
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Dasgupta, Rana This inventive blend of realism and surrealism chronicles the armchair musings of Ulrich, a 100-year-old, blind Bulgarian as he ponders the past century of his country’s history. Fans of Rushdie and magic realism will appreciate this fine novel – especially the allegory Ulrich recalls of a lost civilization whose language has been preserved by a company of parrots.
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Van De Ruit, John If you’ve read the first volume in this hilarious diary / novel, you will know what to expect. John “Spud” Milton, now 14, weathers the indignities of puberty, boarding school bullies, first love and family embarrassment. One of the highlights of the story is Spud’s disastrous holiday tour of England with his parents and his grandmother (a.k.a. the Wombat). Enjoy!
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Gunraj, Andrea This first novel from Guyana-born Gunraj, is an intriguing story of family rivalry and reconciliation. Forced to flee a dangerous situation at an eco-resort run by her brutal husband, Jaroon, Neela must reunite with her estranged brother in hopes of saving her daughter, Seetha. Complex and engaging.
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Cantrell, Rebecca This is a historical novel is set in Berlin in 1931. Reporter Hannah Vogel is shocked to learn of her brother’s mysterious death. As a female impersonator, her brother Ernst worked in a variety of seedy nightclubs. As her investigation progresses, Hannah uncovers links to the top ranks of the National Socialist Party. A great read that should appeal to fans of Christopher Isherwood’s Berlin stories or Sylvia Fraser’s wonderful Berlin Solstice.
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Hurwitz, Gregg Andrew Wow - I loved this thriller! After the murder of his step-father, Nick was forced to break all contact with his family and friends. Then one night, 17 years later, a SWAT team bursts into his apartment and drags him to a nuclear power plant that is about to be blown up by a man who will only talk to him. And so begins Nick's race to uncover an old truth when he finds his life and that of his loved ones at risk yet again.
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Welch, Denton Excellent, though largely forgotten, final novel from Welch detailing the harrowing, true life trauma he suffered in the aftermath of an automobile accident. Welch’s narrator keeps a firm grip on his emotions and distances himself from his pain in beautifully detailled descriptions of people and objects he observes during his recovery. Would appeal to fans of Jean-Dominique Bauby’s the Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
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