My Recommended Books

Beating Ana by Shannon Cutts

2009-02-03T17:55:00.000-08:00

With the kick ass name, Beating Ana: How to Outsmart Your Eating Disorder and Take Your Life Back, it’s no surprise that the book is equally as kick ass. Shannon Cutts delves into her own experience with both anorexia and bulimia and gives hope to those who are struggling with their own battles.

I was extremely impressed with Shannon's Beating Ana. Her positive encouragement is infectious and I have no doubt her words will propel those hesitating about recovery into getting help. Most importantly, Shannon gets to the core of eating disorders and deconstructs them for both those in the midst of them and those who don't understand them.

I love her reiteration that "recovery is not an option" and her conviction that recovery is possible. This tenderly written, expertly executed and breakthrough concept of mentoring is a refreshing new outlook on recovery and takes those beginning their journey step by step into a new way of living.

Wide Open by Nicola Barker

2009-01-31T12:02:00.000-08:00

Gorgeously precise writing and imaginative happenings are what this lovely book is about. Author Nicola Barker weaves loosely connected stories until they intertwine with devilish results.

The offbeat humour, moving characters and innovative ideas make this novel completely endearing.

Ronny is introduced as a weed killer in a small seaside New England town. He becomes almost obsessed with a man who he sees waving from a bridge each day, finding out that they share some eerily common things.

Nathan struggles with being the son of a pedophile, while Sara and Lily are, well, boar farmers. Sounds like fun, no? It is.

The Happy Isles of Oceana, by Paul Theroux

2008-11-09T16:07:00.000-08:00

I don’t think Paul Theroux will ever lie to readers, and in this book, he definitely tells it like it is. Well, not entirely, but he tells it like it was for him. He is quite honest about his personal life from the beginning and the fact that he’s going through a separation from his wife. So the rest of the book really looks at the Oceanic islands through that lens of sadness and loneliness.

Regardless, the writing is beautiful, his opinions succinct and his stories funny. He takes a collapsible kayak and travels to 51 islands. The journey is an admirable one and it made me hunker for the bravery to do something like that.

From the large and well-known islands like New Zealand, Australia and Hawaii, he also puts up camp in lesser-known places like the Solomans, Trobriands and Vanuatu. Many of the places he visits are unpopulated, with only animals to share the space.

For armchair travellers, adventurers and the curious, this is a great book to whet the appetite for exciting travels. Just know that Theroux writes with honesty and can sometimes come off as a bit harsh. I think it’s a refreshing treat from other travel writers who only write positive fluff.

Stardust, by Neil Gaiman

2008-08-06T14:39:00.001-07:00

I actually didn’t know Neil Gaiman’s work until I rented the movie Stardust, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, Sienna Miller, Ricky Gervais and Robert DeNiro. It was great.

Then a friend of mine introduced me to Gaiman’s books and lent me Stardust the novel. It was quite different from the movie, although I liked both a lot. The novel was filled with a lot more magical substance, which brought it to life more, and the playful voice of Gaiman was clear.

When Tristran Thorne decides to cross a magical wall (he lives in a town called “Wall”) in a quest to find a fallen star for his true love, he discovers where he came from and who he is. The tale is full of wondrous sparkle and charming language- definitely a fairy tale for adults.

The Night Listener by Armistead Maupin

2008-07-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

I had no background info on this book before I picked it up. It looked interesting, had an intriguing cover, and just piqued my interest in general. A few pages in and I knew it would hold my attention: the story of a famous writer/radio storyteller who befriends a young boy dying from AIDS over the phone.

The story progresses as their relationship thrives, each getting deeper into the other’s life. Gabriels Noone, the writer, begins getting doubts from his partner, who is in the middle of moving out (maybe forever?), which turns his and the boy’s relationship on its head.

About three-quarters of the way through I thought I had it all figured out and couldn’t imagine what the rest of the novel would be about, but a turn of events kept me spellbound until the end.

I also learned that the book is actually based on a true story that happened to the author. The young boy has an autobiography about his horrendous past published, so I’ll be getting my hands on a copy soon. Miramax also made a film out of it, starring Robin Williams and Toni Collette.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

2008-07-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

I hadn’t heard of this book when it was a #1 bestseller in 2002, but read it last week to much delight. Maybe delight’s not the right word. It’s about a young girl who is raped and murdered in her hometown. Her body is never recovered, only an elbow is found by a local dog.

Uniquely, the narrative is told by the dead young woman from up in heaven. This adds a particularly haunting quality and made the book intriguing from beginning to end. It also gets into the mind of the dead and allows readers to experience how it felt to be a young girl fallen victim to a sick man.

Peter Jackson will be directing the film version, coming out next year. Young Saoirse Ronan (Atonement) plays the main character, and Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz play her parents. Also in the cast are Susan Sarandon and Stanley Tucci.

Treble by Evelyn Lau

2008-07-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

I first read Runaway: Diary of a street kid when I was in high school. It was Evelyn Lau’s first book, an autobiography about her escape from traditional Chinese parents into life on the streets of Vancouver.

Years after this book was published, and many other novels, short stories and poems later, Treble was born. This full collection of poetry is exquisite, moving and hit me again and again in those most private moments.

Still revealing her curt and clear-cut narrative, the poems in Treble are somehow gentler. They don’t lose their power, only add another layer to her fast moving verse.

I keep this book near at hand and read pages from it at random now, always struck again by how they affect me.

The Nature of Monsters by Clare Clark

2008-06-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

This haunting novel still stays with me months after reading it. Beginning with The Great Fire of London in 1666, the story is set around the birth of girl after that atrocious event.

She comes into this world disfigured and must make her way as a maid for an apothecary. The people that inhabit the house don’t ask questions about her pregnant state but strange things are happening: she’s not allowed to look the master in the eyes, there’s a half-wit, Mary, who also lives there for some puzzling reason, and she begins having intense dreams about dogs.

Clare Clark does a magnificent job of writing from the style of the time and immersing readers in the goings-on on of the odd house. Although 400 pages, this treasure was hard to put down for me as I got more and more entangled in the complete darkness and evil of Clark’s world.

Dragon Bones by Lisa See

2008-06-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

The last book so far in the mystery series, Dragon Bones meets up with David and Lui a few years after The Interior ends. Although this is my least favourite of all her books, it’s still far above most novels being published today. This one takes Lui into a scary cult that leads to murder. David rushes to intervene as both try desperately to save their own lives.

Read an excerpt from my review of the book:
“Taking place along the intriguing Yangzi River, artefacts are unearthed that connect to the death of a foreigner. When the two heroes are assigned to separate cases in the same small village, the crimes merge for a murderous puzzle of ancient history and modern society.”

The Interior by Lisa See

2008-06-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

Next in the trilogy is The Interior. I couldn’t wait to get back into the intriguing lives of Liu Hulan and David Stark as they solve mysteries and traverse across China. This story takes Liu into the depths of a rural village in Da Shui. She must sacrifice her life, the life of her unborn child, and her future with David in order to uncover the unexplained death of a factory girl who comes from Lui’s past.

Read an excerpt from my review of the book:
“Family values are tested, nothing is what it seems and Lisa See seamlessly weaves complicated Chinese traditions into a simple dramatic tale.”

Flower Net by Lisa See

2008-06-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

A huge departure from her last novels, Flower Net begins a trilogy of mystery around two characters: Chinese detective Liu Hulan and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Stark. Their lives intertwine and cross the line between personal and business as the death of a Red Prince is discovered.

Read an excerpt from my review of the book:
“Flower Net is the story of American David Stark and Chinese Liu Hulan as they get deeper into an investigation that starts with the deaths of prominent young men.
Crossing countries, customs and family deceit, the police forces on both sides of the ocean are given a ride through corruption as the time ticks by.”

On Gold Mountain by Lisa See

2008-06-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

Lisa See’s first book, On Gold Mountain, is an epic journey through the author’s own family tree. The captivating history of her ancestor’s lives as they eventually made their way to North America is both a personal story and a cultural mirror of the time.

Here’s an excerpt from my review of the book:
"Although her red hair make her an unusual guide through the remarkable history of each family member who came to America in search of a better life, her research is thorough and this isn’t just the tale of an ordinary family. Lisa See captures the ambitious spirit of her Chinese relatives on their search for freedom.”

Peony in Love by Lisa See

2008-06-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Another delicately written novel by Lisa See. This one centres around a young woman who learns what love is in Chinese society where your parents choose your husband. A unique twist turns Chinese superstition on its head and follows Peony into a fascinating world beyond her dreams.

Here’s an excerpt from my review of the book:
“Set around the opera The Peony Pavilion, See, once again, fleshes out the lives of women that have often been left unheard. Peony grows from a naïve girl to a wise woman, learning the hard way at every lily-footed step. This is another exquisite novel about the age-old complexities of love and the need for ‘women to be heard.’”

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

2008-06-28T18:38:00.000-07:00

I was delighted with this novel by Lisa See. Following the lives of women in China as they fight to live with tradition, family and friendship.

Here's an excerpt from my review of the book:
"This was a time when daughters were worthless, women communicated through the secret language of Nu Shu, bound their daughters feet in hopes of marrying them off to a wealthy family, and their greatest goal was to give birth to a son."

See's writing is delicate, powerful and melds together ancient traditions and issues a modern society faces.