- Details
- Category: Ron
A page turning look at 21st century loneliness as seen through the eyes of a young freelance writer trying to navigate the gig economy, prescription drugs, dating apps, casual sex and loneliness.
Gritty, honest, horrifying and laugh out loud funny at times while being all too believable. Smith’s first work of fiction in ten years is more than a return to form: it’s a masterclass.
Adult Fiction pr8084627
One of Canada’s most beloved novelists pens her first memoir, one that flouts convention by not employing a linear storyline with the usual progression from childhood through becoming a writer and all that followed.
Instead, Toews give us constant flashbacks, musings, snatches of correspondence quotes from literature, along with her thoughts and feelings about why she writes, a question she’s meant to answer onstage at a forthcoming conference. This will surely disappoint as many people as it thrills (put me in the latter camp) but it’s a short read and contains much to enjoy if approached with an open mind. It reads more like coffee with a friend than as part of a university course’s assigned reading. I’d meet Ms Toews for coffee any time.
Adult Non-Fiction pr7976291
- Details
- Category: Ron
Homework: A Memoir by Geoff Dyer
A coming of age in post war England memoir by the author of Zona and Out of Sheer Rage.
While the timeline stretches from first memories and a working class childhood all the way to acceptance into, and the start of his life at, Oxford, this is primarily a look at boyhood. Born and raised in Cheltenham in 1958, a nostalgic look back could easily be overly sweet, but Dyer is far too sharp and incisive to fall into that trap.
Kirkus Review sums it up well: “An enfant terrible reflects on his not-so-terrible enfance.” Dyer’s writing has always inspired fierce devotion; while those readers will enjoy this, it will also please those unfamiliar with his work that enjoy memoirs, coming of age stories, and have an interest in post-war Britain.
Adult Non-Fiction pr8021946
- Details
- Category: Ron
A remarkably calm and non-judgmental look by Anglican priest, author and activist Maggie Helwig, about the homeless encampment in her Toronto churchyard in 2022.
Helwig brings a massive amount of compassion to the subject, whether she’s talking about those camped in her yard or her neighbors in Kensington Market. A quietly devastating look at the lives of people society would rather not see.
Adult Non-Fiction pr7916230
The Wolf Wants Answers by Joshua Mohr
The second installment in Joshua Mohr’s “Viking Punk Saga” (following Saint the Terrifying).
While touring with his band All the Fuss, Saint encounters a past love interest and runs afoul of a drug cartel. Norse gods meet crime noir with a punk rock arc-angel who’s a cross between Henry Rollins and Ragnar Lothbrok.
Adult Fiction pr7937905