Good Reads
November 25, 2008
First published in the Terrace Standard, November 25th, 2008
“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me,” said C.S. Lewis, and oh, how I agree!
It’s that glorious time of the year again—the sky opens up and pours regularly; ever-dropping temperatures chase us inside for warm, comforting mugs of cocoa, tea, and coffee; long dark evenings call us to the couch. It’s also time for my annual book recommendation column.
I have fond childhood memories involving overflowing bowls of popcorn, orange juice and long stories read over the darkest, coldest months of the years. To name a few:
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s famous Little House series (especially Little House in the Big Woods and Farmer Boy).
James Herriot’s All Things Bright and Beautiful featuring often hilarious, occasionally bittersweet, anecdotes from the author’s experiences as a country vet in England (and if you have small children, look for his picture books).
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame is another grand read. Adventure and danger, friendship and betrayal (or perceived betrayal), fast cars and old mansions (I want a huge house I call Toad Hall!), this story has it all. There is nothing cuter (or more pathetic) than Toad in his leg irons. I think there are versions written in “updated” English, but I have to admit, I love the flavour the older language provides.
The Several Lives of Orphan Jack by Sarah Ellis is from my son’s youth, not mine. We’ve devoured it several times. Constant word play and every literary device imaginable make it a read-aloud treat—very fun!).
More currently, I’m excited to report the discovery of three great reads by new-to-me authors. Yay!
The French Executioner by C.C. Humphreys. It’s 1536 and Jean Rombaud, French executioner and expert swordsman, has just been brought to England out of the kindness of King Henry VIII’s heart—a final gift to his soon to be ex-wife, Anne Boleyn. Death by sword was cleaner and quicker, than death by axe. Just prior to her beheading, Anne asks Jean to lop off her six-fingered hand as well, and to take it and bury it at a certain crossroads in France. He accepts the mission and is off and running, literally, as he’s pursued by people who will do anything to get Anne’s legendary hand.
Packed with well-researched history, the invented plot gallops at breakneck speed, carrying characters you adore. Full of the gruesome details of a bloody, treacherous time, Humphreys doesn’t blink at the greed, corruption and cruelty of the Church and other authorities. However, he also celebrates the indomitable power of friendship, loyalty and love, and the importance of staying true to your beliefs, despite personal cost.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. If you told me that I’d speed through a novel about a racecar driver (jammed with racing facts and trivia and how-to’s) written from a dog’s point-of-view, I wouldn’t have believed you. If you added that not only would I enjoy the car stuff, but I would laugh out loud, cry, and spend time thinking through philosophical ponderings put forth by a canine (Enzo wants to be reincarnated as a human), I would’ve shaken my head and said, “Riiiiight.” But you would have been. It’s a fantastic story, wistful and wrenching, but joyful and optimistic too. And if you have a four-legged friend? Well, the book will be that much sweeter.
The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen. I can’t say enough good things about Gerritsen’s grisly thriller. My biggest praise is how well this book worked as a standalone. Usually books from later in a series are at best, okay, when you haven’t read prior novels. With this one, I loved the characters, realized half-way through that little dangled details about their back stories were probably whole novels (yay!), and felt only excitement, no info dump fatigue or out-of-the-loop angst.
I know you have your own ever-growing to-read list; perhaps you’ve even added some of the books I’ve mentioned here to it. Go pour a big mug of tea (add honey and a shot of real lemon to make it a perfect cold weather treat) and settle in for the evening with a good book. Better yet? Get the whole family to do the same. Ahhh…. So many books, so little time. Cheers to a long, cold winter!
