A long time since my last post… and I continue to struggle with letting myself fall into stories, still am abandoning more than I finish. But a few great finds in the very long time since I last posted… I recently finished Ann Patchett’s book of essays, These Precious Days. A couple of the essays were wonderful, but think that with Patchett (as with Kingsolver), I love their novels most.

August into Winter by Vanderhaeghe was an impressive–and amazing read, but I was relieved to be done with it. Another heavy book, with troubled or even crazy characters.

I’m still enjoying Ann Cleeves, with The Heron’s Cry one of my recent favourites. It’s something about the appeal of ordinary people, and their ordinary working lives, I think, that Cleeves does so well and that pulls me in.Proust and the Squid, Maryanne Wolf

A wonderful discover was Maryanne Wolf‘s Proust and the Squid, full of astonishing details about our reading brains, and our brains, on reading.

A favourite of the fall was New Girl in Little Cove, Damhnait Monaghan: slow and steady, warm and funny, and uplifting. Plus, well, it’s Newfoundland…

I had been excited by Miriam Toews’s Flight Night but then grew disappointed with the single perspective through the eyes of the kid (Swiv). I wasn’t about to give up on Toews,though, and kept reading. I loved the ending, so we glad I stuck with this one.

Firefly, by Philippa Dowding, turned out to be a young adult or kids’ book, and I loved it. Fascinating setting (a costume factory!), and some very cool perspectives from that alone. But Firefly is a lovely central character, and her story unfolds so beautifully. Fun, funny, and uplifting. Just what I needed.

Will finally end my too long post with a short note: em, by Kim Thuy was a slender, beautifully written, and tough read.