Tag Archives: books

Kelly Luce’s Pull Me Under: a hypnotic debut novel

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20170322_200754What I read

Pull Me Under by Kelly Luce

What it’s about

Chizuru Akitani is 12 years old, living in Japan with her American mother and her Japanese father. Shortly after the sudden death of her mother, Chizuru stabs a classmate, killing him. The rest of her youth is spent in a detention centre, and it’s while she’s there that she becomes estranged from her father. When Chizuru gets out, she is eager to start over, to begin a new life in a new place. She moves to America and changes her name to Rio.

In America, no one knows about Chizuru–not even Rio’s husband or daughter. But when Rio gets a package in the mail after her father passes away, she returns to Japan, where she has to face her former self and her secrets.

This is a story about identity, about how while we may reinvent ourselves, we can’t run away from the past. It’s about learning how to move forward. It’s also about the journeys we take–physical, mental and emotional–to get to where we need to be.

Why I picked it up

When I first heard about this book, I was drawn in by the premise of a child killer. I was interested in reading about the motivation behind the stabbing but also in how that action taken as a child would affect the life of an adult. I placed a copy of this book on hold from the Toronto Public Library.

What I liked about it

One of my favourite aspects of this book is its structure. There were dips into the past so that motivations and events were slowly revealed. While this structure creates suspense, it also helps to illustrate a protagonist who has been suppressing memories and how she must face them in order to move forward.

You’ll want to read it if…

This book is for fans of literary fiction who enjoy elements of suspense and adventure stories. At the core of the novel is Rio coming to terms with her past, and her return to Japan to find answers makes this a sort of quest narrative as well.

Recommended refreshments

One word: onigiri. This Japanese snack is a rice ball, often wrapped in seaweed, that can contain a variety of fillings (pork, tuna, etc.). Luce’s descriptions of this food had me salivating. I have never been to Japan, but I have eaten onigiri that a Japanese friend made for me, and this book reminded me of how delicious they were.

One way to celebrate Freedom to Read Week

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A few challenged books I found on my bookshelves.

Today kicks off Freedom to Read Week, a project of Canada’s Book and Periodical Council. From February 26 to March 4, the council’s Freedom of Expression Committee invites Canadians to reflect on our right to intellectual freedom.

The Freedom to Read website has several great suggestions on ways to get involved, but my favourite is freeing a challenged book.

How to free a challenged book

  1. Browse this list of challenged books for a title that you care about and own.
  2. Tag the book with the Free a Challenged Book label.
  3. Register the book on BookCrossing.com.
  4. Release the book for someone to find.
  5. Follow the book’s journey by heading to BookCrossing.com.

This initiative raises awareness about books that have been challenged in Canadian schools, libraries and bookstores. But freeing one of these titles is also an awesome way to share them with other people. It’s a way to connect with readers you may never meet, and with people who might not have easy access to these books.

I’m going to free a challenged book this week, and I hope you will, too. It can be difficult to part with a book that means a lot to you, but it’s time to release your edition into the world. It will do more good than it will sitting on your bookshelf, and it’s the perfect way to celebrate our freedom to read.

Literary cocktail classes at Toronto’s Famous Last Words

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If you’re a fan of the recommended refreshments section in my book reviews, you will like Famous Last Words, a newish bar in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood.

This book-themed bar is cozy and adorable and has a full menu of cocktails made with a literary twist. It’s the perfect place to read or write. But my recent trip there wasn’t to do either of these things. I was there to take a literary cocktail class.

A couple of friends and I signed up for a class called The Roaring ’20s. We learned how to make cocktails that appear in The Great Gatsby (Gin Rickey, Mint Julep) as well as a couple of others from the era (The Last Word, Between the Sheets).

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A Between the Sheets sitting on the Scrabble-tiled bar.

The class wasn’t all about the cocktails, though. We talked about the connection the drinks have to The Great Gatsby and about the characters in the book. We also talked about prohibition–an interesting discussion about history.

Sometimes the recommended refreshments in my book reviews are simply what I think would create a nice reading experience for a particular book. But, where it’s suitable, I try to connect the refreshments to food or drink that appears in the stories. So I absolutely love that Famous Last Words does this by serving drinks that are featured in books. They aren’t limited to this, though. They also create drinks that are inspired by stories and authors.

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Can you spot the copy of Timothy Findley’s Famous Last Words amongst all these bottles?

There are still three classes left in this series of literary cocktail classes. Check out Famous Last Words’ event page to see what’s coming up. And even if you don’t feel like taking a class (but it really is a lot of fun), you can always head over to the bar with a book. You’ll definitely find a refreshment to complement whatever it is you’re reading.

Teddy Wayne’s Loner: a gripping and disturbing read

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20170125_214130What I read

Loner by Teddy Wayne

What it’s about

Loner opens with narrator David Federman arriving to study at Harvard. While David spent high school getting good grades, he doesn’t have any friends to show for those years. He has basically been invisible. But now David has the opportunity for a fresh start, a chance to reinvent himself.

When David meets Veronica, he is convinced she will be his ticket into the new world he dreams of, and he is determined to get to know her. But Veronica doesn’t end up being quite who David thinks she is.

This novel explores the troubled and troubling minds of young adults, and it’s a frightening place.

Why I picked it up

I heard about Loner near the end of 2016, when I saw it in a Kirkus Reviews “best of” list. I like stories that take place in school and/or coming-of-age tales, so the genre appealed to me, and I also like protagonists who are outsiders. I bought a copy while browsing in Book City on the Danforth one wintry afternoon.

What I liked about it

I loved the way this story builds and transforms as you read. It starts off as being funny, and while humourous moments appear as the novel progresses, the story becomes more disturbing. It’s a powerful psychological portrait of the narrator in his formative years.

On a technical level, I liked the perspective Loner is written in. Wayne chose to write using the second-person perspective. Second-person perspective is less common than first or third because it can be awkward. But I love second-person perspective when the author gets it right, and Wayne has done just that.

You’ll want to read it if…

Pick up Loner if you like books that get you inside the minds of characters and books that have you thinking about them for a while after you’ve turned the last page. But you’ll have to be okay with reading disturbing subject matter. I finished this book right before I went to bed, and I wouldn’t recommend that. I imagine it would be better to finish reading it in the daytime.

Recommended refreshments

These kids have gone away to school and are living away from home for the first time. There is plenty of drinking in dorm rooms going on. I recommend mixing some vodka and club soda, as a few of the characters do during a blackout, or just grab some cheap beer.

How to create the coziest winter reading experience

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20170119_213409Winter can be a bit of a downer. Even when it’s not freezing and snowy, January and February are just, well, blah. But instead of waiting for the seasons to change, embrace the opportunity to stay inside and hunker down with a good book. Here are some tips for creating the ultimate, coziest reading experience.

Slip into something more comfortable

If you’re not the type of person who puts on your comfy pants as soon as you get home, you’ll want to change into your coziest gear. Whether it’s pyjamas, a hoodie and stretchy pants or some sweats, just make sure it’s something you feel relaxed in.

Choose the right setting

Set yourself down in a comfy armchair, or maybe you prefer to curl up on the couch. Wherever your favourite reading spot is, keep a blanket close by in case you get chilly and consider whether you’d like some pillows to prop you up or to lean against.

If you live with other people, make sure you have some privacy or–better yet–get them to join you in your cozy reading experience. Just make sure no one can interrupt you with questions or by watching something on Netflix. Don’t like reading in silence? Try putting on some soft background music or use Noisli to create your preferred ambience.

Know your optimal reading time

Your optimal reading time will be when you’re fully awake, so you can read without drifting off, but not when you are so energized that you can’t sit still. My personal favourite times are first thing in the morning and in the evening after dinner, but maybe a weekend afternoon works best for you.

Also consider how much time you can dedicate to your reading experience. If you’ll need to be out the door soon and have to watch the clock (or check your phone), it will be hard to stay in the moment.

Have treats nearby…

Treats are always a good idea, especially when they accompany a good book. Make sure those treats are close by. You won’t want to interrupt your reading to head to the kitchen if your tummy starts to rumble (or if you are just craving something delicious). I love a good pastry, but other baked goods (sweet or savoury), chocolates or toast with butter and/or jam are also great choices.

…and something hot to drink

No cozy winter reading experience is complete without something to sip. My favourite is a nice cup of tea, but coffee, hot chocolate or apple cider will all work wonderfully. Just keep  in mind the amount you are drinking; the urgent need for a bathroom break doesn’t feel very cozy.

Ignore everything else

Do not feel guilty for not vacuuming. Do not think about what’s on tomorrow’s to-do list. Put your phone on silent or leave it in the other room. Allow yourself to be immersed in whatever you are reading.

So don’t be sad that it’s winter. Grab a pastry and a book and curl up under a blanket. It’s time to get cozy.