Tag Archives: books

How damn scary is The Damned?

Posted in books, novels, reading by

What I read

The Damned by Andrew Pyper

What it’s about

To put it simply, The Damned is about a dead girl who haunts her twin brother. But that’s a little too simple, because there’s a lot more depth to this book.

The Damned explores the idea that twins have a special connection that isn’t really experienced in any other type of relationship. But it’s the angle that this relationship is explored that makes it different than other books about sibling relationships. The Damned looks at the destruction that this bond between twins can cause families and individuals.

The story is told from the first-person perspective of Danny Orchard. We get an inside look at Danny’s account of his relationship with his twin sister, Ash, both before and after her death. But, like Danny, the reader isn’t privy to the inner workings of Ash’s mind. We see what Danny sees. We know what he knows. We feel what he feels. And, like Danny, we are trying to figure Ash out.

How I got my hands on it

This was a book club pick. I’m not sure I would have read it otherwise. Pyper had been on my radar for a while, as I’d heard many good things about another one of his books, The Demonologist. But I was hesitant to give him a try because horror isn’t really a genre that appealed to me. I took this as an opportunity to try something out of my comfort zone and picked up a copy at the Toronto Public Library.

You’ll want to read it if…

I haven’t read any of Pyper’s other books, but judging from The Damned, he knows how to write a good horror story. Granted, I might be a bit of a wimp (I think my co-worker, who has read The Demonologist, thought I was joking when I said The Damned frightened me). And even for a wimp like me, it’s not like this book gave me nightmares or anything, but I did find it unsettling. It just gave me the heebie-jeebies.

There are supernatural elements in the book, after Ash has died and haunts Danny from “the After,” but those weren’t the bits that scared me the most. What was most frightening were the parts when Ash was still alive. That’s because it seemed so real, that what happened with this family could happen in any family.

It’s kind of a funny situation: Pyper is such a good writer that I don’t know if I want to read any of his other books—at least not any in the horror genre. But if horror is your thing, add The Damned to your reading list.

Recommended refreshments

Reading this before bed? Maybe make yourself a mug of warm milk or a hot toddy, just in case you need some help falling asleep.

The Lexicographer’s Dilemma shows us English is a beautiful mess

Posted in books, language, speaking, writing by

What I read

The Lexicographer’s Dilemma by Jack Lynch

What it’s about

This book examines how the English-speaking world has arrived at an idea of what “correct” English looks like. Lynch demonstrates that we shouldn’t be so concerned about using English correctly but rather we should be concerned about using English appropriately. And what’s appropriate can change depending on circumstances.

As Lynch takes us through the history of modern English, he provides lots of fascinating information on key figures (Samuel Johnson, Noah Webster, Peter Mark Roget, to name a few). Central to the book is the question of whether dictionaries should be prescriptive or descriptive, and Lynch explains the different views some of these key figures had regarding this.

How I got my hands on it

This Christmas I received some nice books and bookish gifts. This book was one of those gifts, and it was tucked neatly into my stocking. I can’t say for sure who it put it there, but I have a strong suspicion (Santa, of course).

A bit that I really liked

As much as I enjoyed reading about Johnson and the story of how this unlikely character created one of the most famous English dictionaries—I mean, I visited the house in London where he worked on A Dictionary of the English Language, so I’m a bit of a fan—the section on John Dryden stands out just a bit more for me. I’ve finally figured out who I can blame for this nonsense about not ending a sentence with a preposition and this BS about it being wrong to split an infinitive! Dryden was trying to make English follow the rules of Latin, but English isn’t Latin, guys.

Bonus bit: I got a real kick out of Lynch talking about people having issues with abbreviations in texts or social media. Don’t like it when people use “IMHO” or “obvs”? Well, then surely you must never say “AKA” or “fridge” or “exam” or “phone,” right? Thank you, Mr. Lynch, for pointing out this hypocrisy. It made me smile.

You’ll want to read it if…

You’ll probably like this book if you are any kind of word nerd. Proofreaders, editors, writers, people who read the dictionary for fun—you will love this book. But if you’re looking for a book that’s going to back up your rigid views on how the English language should work, you might not enjoy reading this. It will probably show you how silly you are being. I mean, I think it would be good for you to read it, but you might not want to.

Recommended refreshments

Any reading session is more enjoyable with snacks and drinks. For The Lexicographer’s Dilemma, I recommend consuming copious amounts of tea, and not just because tea and books always go well together. Rather, I suggest you drink this tea in honour of Samuel Johnson, as he was known to consume several cups a day. Imagine how many pots he must have gone through working on that dictionary! So, yes, tea is appropriate. And also maybe a bowl of alphabet soup?

 

Back to blogging

Posted in writing by

I haven’t posted anything here in over a year. My last post was published on New Year’s Eve 2014. I wasn’t sure then if I wanted to keep this space alive anymore, and I was more focused on the writing I was doing offline. So, basically, I never made a decision, and this blog has just been sitting here.

But now I’m back. Expect to see some posts about books I’m reading, which I haven’t done very much of in the past. I won’t be writing formal book reviews, but they will be reviews done my way. You’ll see what I mean. I might report on the occasional reading or literary event I attend, too. And I can’t say for sure that there won’t be an odd rant on something that’s bothering me (please don’t get me started on the serial comma debate again).

It’s a new year, and maybe this isn’t a new blog, but there’s a bit of a new direction. I’m looking forward to it.

 

Five of Toronto’s best literary events in 2014

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This post is specifically about Toronto events, but if you’d like to read about the literary aspects of my trip to England earlier this year, visit my posts Lured back to London and Following the path of a poet.

Toronto hosts a lot of literary events. I don’t attend them all, of course, but I do get out to a few. In no particular order, here are five of my favourite literary events that I attended in 2014 in this city.

The Poem/The Song

To me, nothing goes better with a fall evening than listening to poetry being recited. This harkens back to my university days, when I spent some of my evenings inside classrooms studying poetry. One of the friends I attended many of those classes with invited me to The Poem/The Song held in Harbourfront Centre Theatre back in November. I don’t think I would have heard about it if she hadn’t mentioned it, as I hadn’t seen or read anything about it before or after. But I’m so glad we went. It wasn’t solely a literary event. As the title suggests, the evening largely focused on music. The Art of Time Ensemble performed musical works that are inspired by poems or poetry. There were pieces inspired by T. S. Eliot, Leonard Cohen, Walt Whitman and Petrarch. Margaret Atwood was also there to recite some of her own work. It was a unique way to honour two of my favourite art forms.

45 Books in 45 Minutes at Ben McNally Books

Ben McNally and Lynn Thomson host this event twice a year in their store in the financial district. The first for 2014 was held in the summer, and the second was in December, a few weeks before Christmas. During these evenings, Ben and Lynn provide a brief overview of 45 books that are new for the season (they also provide some delicious refreshments). They discuss some titles that are getting a lot of buzz, but one of the best reasons to go is that Ben and Lynn also discuss books you wouldn’t hear about it unless they told you about them. What’s better than partaking in some wine and cheese and hearing your favourite booksellers talk about books?

Tom Rachman reading at IFOA Weekly

This year, I went to many of the readings that were part of IFOA’s Weekly Series at Harbourfront Centre. But I’ve specifically included Tom Rachman in this list because of all of the readings I went to, his stands out the most in my mind. That’s partly because I was in the middle of reading Rachman’s latest book, The Rise and Fall of Great Powers, which he’d be reading from that June evening. Rachman began by talking a bit about his process of writing the book, discussing the various drafts he went through until he finally got the story right. He also inserted a sense of humour into his reading. When he signed my book afterwards, we had a short conversation about our affinity for independent bookstores…and also about the never-ending construction in this city.

It was raining that night. I remember the rain because it had started to fall so heavily by the time I left, that even though I had a bag to put my book in and an umbrella to hold above me, I had to tuck the book under my arm, and hug it close to my body, in an effort to protect it. (The book remained dry, but 85-90% of my body did not.)

Open Book Toronto literary salon: Advice for Myself

On a freezing cold February evening, I headed over to the Spoke Club for Open Book Toronto‘s literary salon, Advice for Myself. A panel of three writers—Stacey May Fowles, Brian Francis and Michael Winter—offered advice for both emerging and established writers, and there was the opportunity to mingle before and after. Becky Toyne moderated the event, but in the spirit of a true literary salon, there was also interaction from the audience. It was interesting to hear the different approaches and opinions that Stacey, Brian and Michael have, and I left feeling encouraged about my writing and with a few ideas that helped me improve my work.

The Word on the Street

This might be the most obvious choice on this list. The Word on the Street book festival happens every year and in cities across Canada, not just Toronto. If you’re reading my blog, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of it or have attended yourself. But I couldn’t leave it out. The Word on the Street is like Christmas for me, and I don’t mean that in the sense that I come home with an armload of books (I’ve scaled it down over the years). But I get pretty excited in the anticipation in the weeks leading up to that last Sunday in September. Sure, there’s the chance to browse some great books, and maybe even score some deals. But there’s also the opportunity to learn more about some wonderful organizations. This year, I had some nice chats with people from PEN Canada and Literature for Life, among others. There was also some interesting programming offered in many of the tents, including the Humber School for Writers‘ Wordshop Marquee, which I spent some time in.

Those are just a few examples of some of the wonderful events I and other Toronto-area readers and writers enjoyed in 2014. Wherever you live (or wherever you visit), there will be more to experience in 2015. I, for one, am looking forward to it.

On The Goldfinch and the value of savouring books

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Every now and then, I’ll hear about a book that’s getting a lot of buzz. I’ll decide to read that book, trying to keep my expectations low for fear that it won’t be what I’d hoped. But Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch exceeded my expectations. It’s not just because Tartt created a great story or wrote beautiful prose. Rather, I liked the book so much because both of these elements were crafted so exquisitely.

The fast-moving plot kept me turning pages when I should have gone to bed. But the language caused me to pause, think and feel, to climb out of myself and into the world of protagonist Theo Decker. I can’t remember the last time a book so strongly made me both want to speed up to find out what happens and slow down to relish in the writing.

My only regret is that I reached the end of The Goldfinch while reading in bed one night, and I had to try to fall asleep when all I really could do (and all I wanted to do) was stay awake and think about the book.

SAMSUNG

It’s been almost a week since I finished reading The Goldfinch. I haven’t started another book yet—which is unusual for me—for no other reason than I am still steeped in it, not ready to let it go, returning several times to the last 20 pages or so to reread and resubmerge myself in it.

It’s when you have a reading experience like I did with The Goldfinch that you realize how powerful literature can be. The characters are seen so clearly. You can feel their presence beside you. You’re not being told someone’s story; you’re there living it with them.

I know many readers have pledged to read 50 books this year, but it’s just not something I can get behind. Maybe I’ll read less than 50; maybe I’ll read more. But I don’t see how the amount of books read should be more important than the experiences we have with them. If your focus is on the quantity of books, or on the speed of getting through them, you risk missing something that might hit you in a way you hadn’t imagined if only you gave it the chance.

It can be tempting to read as much as possible. There are so many books and so little time. But try to take a step back when you’re in the midst of the book. Savour the pages. And try to take a moment to let it all sink in when you’ve finished. Some of the greatest moments that come from a book can occur after you’ve turned the last page.