blue_lotus13 | What I've been reading lately

1. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss- I thought this book was pretty good, but not amazing. I found the structure a bit confusing, but liked the characters and the details about story.

2.What was lost by Catherine O'Flynn- The characters were what made this book work for me. It was a story about disappearance and mystery. Again, not amazing, but pretty good.

3. One Native Life by Richard Wagamese- I loved this book, which was a collection of essays about notable people and things that had influenced Wagamese's life. Wagamese was a transracial adoptee who grew up in a white foster home. He had a lot of pain in his life. This book was about the things that empowered him and it was really difficult not to be moved by his thoughts and experiences.

4. The Outlander by Gil Adamson- One of the books for Canada Reads! I loved this book. It was basically a character study, written with very little dialogue and a lot of rich, meaty description. The main character was a woman named Mary Boulton, who is on the lam for killing her husband. The narrative follows her on her voyage. Recommended.

5. Fruit by Brian Francis- Another book for Canada Reads. This was a re-read, but I really liked it. Great narrative voice and I love the Sarnia setting.

6. The beautiful things that Heaven Bears- by Dinaw Mengetsu- My mom gave me this book and I absolutely loved it. It's a story about a man who immigrated from Ethiopia 17 years ago, during the time of conflict. It's a story about love, friendship, race and gentrification. The main character's voice is well developed and it's told through a series of flashbacks interspersed with present day narrative. It's a very believable story. Recommended.