Five books for the week
November 19th-25th, 2023
I came home from Toronto on Wednesday and I still haven’t recovered - not from the travel, but from the having to come home. Spending the better part of the last two weeks on the road reminded me how much I love to travel and be on the move. I haven’t booked my next trip yet, but I have a few ideas and for the sake of my mental health, I need to make something happen soon.
While I was in Toronto, the Giller Prize was awarded to Study For Obedience by Sarah Bernstein. This was by no means my first choice. I read it a few months ago and I liked it enough to finish it, but it wasn’t really my jam. It’s a bizarre little novel that offered its high points in uncomfortable moments and awkward scenarios. The gift I got from reading it was the opportunity to listen to people who loved it explain how different their reading experience was from mine. That kind of contrast is exactly why I love talking about books.
Before I arrived in Toronto, I spent some time in Brantford, Six Nations, and London as well. I took the train from London to Union Station and it was such a fun experience. I wish I had planned a longer train ride! Once in Toronto, I got to spend some time with a couple of dear friends and have lengthy catch up sessions over delicious dinners. I also got to spend my days wandering aimlessly around the city and visiting the Royal Ontario Museum one day and the Art Gallery of Ontario another.
Throughout it all, I continued to do more reading than I had anticipated. I only finished one of my five books, but I also read a significant part of two others. Those two will be carried over into this week’s list, but the two that I didn’t touch will have to be put to the side while I focus on other, more pressing endeavours.
The book I finished was Skid Dogs by Emelia Symington-Fedy which is a memoir of growing up in the small town of Armstrong, BC and having family ties that remain there throughout adulthood. It examines the relationships between mothers and daughters, young women and their friends, the men and boys in their lives, their bodies, and themselves. I was really excited to finish this one when the week began and it became my top priority.
I’ve been out of the office for two weeks so I’m not sure what I’ll be walking into tomorrow morning. My reading might be limited if I’m too overloaded at work, but here are the five books I’ve chosen for the coming week:
Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin - I loved loved loved Austin’s debut novel, Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead. When I heard back in July that she would be publishing a new novel in 2024, I immediately preordered a copy. At the same time, I started looking for some way to miraculously get my hands on an advanced copy. On Friday, my prayers were answered. I shared openly and shamefully/shamelessly that I held off for a few hours, fully intending to put off reading it until this week, but was overcome by my compulsive mood reading tendency later in the day. (My full confession here.) One paragraph led to a chapter which led to another chapter and it became my primary read pretty quickly. I’m try to slow down and savour it, but I’m telling you now THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD.
The Witches of New York by Ami McKay - We’re coming up on the holiday season and one of my faovurite books to read during that time is Half-Spent Was the Night which is also by McKay and is actually a follow-up to The Witches of New York. It’s a brilliant stand alone book, but I’ve always wanted to get to know the witches better so before I do my annual reread, I thought I’d familiarize myself with their backstory. I have a physical copy, but also an audio version so I’m going to experience it as a hybrid of both formats.
The Adversary by Michael Crummey - Michael Crummey wrote my favourite ever Giller Prize finalist book and his newest novel, The Adversary, was one of my most anticipated books of the year. It was so anticipated, in fact, that I preordered it…TWICE. Thankfully, many people were also excited for this release and I was able to find a welcome home for it. (Thanks, Serena!) After my multiple preorders, I was also given a digital advanced copy so I started to read it while I was in Portugal in September. I was so into it, but then I got distracted by travel and sightseeing and my severe preference for actual books I can hold in my hands. Now that I have a physical copy, I’m excited to pick up where I left off.
The Forbidden Territory of a Terrifying Woman by Molly Lynch - I’m about 65% of the way through this novel and it is reminding my so much of 2021 Gille Prize finalist The Listeners by Jordan Tannahill. I’m not entirely sure what is happening or where it’s going, but I’m on board to find out.
Her Body Among Animals by Paola Ferrante - I’m trying to read one short story a day, but am running into some lengthier ones at the end of this book. These stories are wild and imaginative and intensely immersive. When I’m reading them, I feel like I’m on the edge of my emotional seat and I am here for it.
What will you be reading this week?