Yes, it’s that time of the year when the wonders of Northern Ontario beckon to all city dwellers, and I am no exception. I’m headed out next week for some cottaging and then some bridesmaiding, but don’t worry, there’ll be plenty of action round these parts while I’m gone.
On Monday, stay tuned for my review of Annabel, and enter yo’self in a draw to win a free copy so you can read it and see how right I am. I also had the pleasure of interviewing Annabel‘s author, Kathleen Winter, and you’ll see that interview the following day.
On Thursday, it’s Books in 140 Seconds time once again, and in this week’s extreme book club we’ll talk about the extreme adventure tale that is Colin Angus’ Beyond the Horizon.
And in the meantime, what will I be doing?
With a glorious lakeside hammock like that, the only thing you need is reading material (and maybe a small table for a frosty beverage). But it can be tough to select vacation books. Is it a time for light-hearted fare or to engage in something more substantial without the distractions of day-to-day affairs? What do you do? I decided to go with a mix. My suitcase will be weighed down by:
Lemon by Cordelia Strube. Aside from great reviews and my general respect for Coach House’s output, this book had me in one line of copy: “She reads Mary Wollstonecraft and gets pissed off that Jane Eyre is such a wimp.” (She totally is.) Looking forward to this zesty novel for sure.
Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong. I’ve been pacing myself on this addictive series, but I think escape + escapism is an irresistible combination.
Late Night in Twisted River by John Irving. I love John Irving. He’s one of my favourite writers. But his books (especially in hardcover) are unmanageably heavy, and impossible subway reading fare (though I still have a pipe dream of spotting Mr. Irving himself on the Bloor-Danforth Line). Anyway, to spare myself the muscle strain, I figure I’ll knock off his latest when the farthest I’ll be walking is from the lake to the deck.
Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth by James Tabor. Yessss! Yessss! Those of you who follow the blog regularly will know how excited I am to have my mitts on this gem after it was recommended at our last KIRBC. No doubt I’ll be reporting back on this one soon.
Toss in the summer reading issue of The Walrus and maybe a Women’s Health and I think I’ve got myself a reading party. I’ll report back on these reads when I return. Until then, enjoy next week’s line-up, and try not to burn the place down.
Enjoy! I love John Irving too, and Last Night in Twisted River is classic Irving.
Lucky duck! And Lemon is awesome, though rather dark for YA. I think you’ll enjoy it.
AHA!! We finally differ! I cannot stand John Irving!! I got through about a quarter of a Widow for One Year and swore I wouldn’t ever waste my time on another of his novels. I may take that back one day, but I just hated it enough that I haven’t even bothered to check anything else out.
I know, eh? Holy moly!!
Now Lemon, on the other hand, sound both delicious and tempting.
Sigh. You bum. That’s such an awesome photo, and I’m so jealous.
Steph, Irving is a particular taste that doesn’t go down well for everyone. But Widow for One Year definitely isn’t the place to start. If you give him a second chance, I’d choose The Cider House Rules, or maybe A Prayer for Owen Meany. And if you’re not loathing it, power through to the end. No one writes an ending like Irving.