Staff Review: Thirst

Title/Author: Thirst - Marina Yuszczuk (Translate by Heather Cleary)

Genre(s): Horror, Literary Fiction, LGBTQ+, Historical

This was fantastic. I confess, I wasn't sure what to expect going in. Based on page count, it seemed like it should have felt shorter than it did, but this is a full, rich story of two characters, where their lives existed apart, and there they intersected.

This is probably the most 'literary fiction' title I've read in quite some time. It's ostensibly a genre book, given the vampire, but it's language, it's flow, the contrast between the rather straightforward part one (the vampire's tale in the past) and the sort of purposeful meandering of part two (Alma's tale in the present)...I don't know how properly to explain my thinking on this.

I wanted more of the two of them together. I'm sure it was never going to happen, that's not the type of story the author was writing, but that's fine. This was just great.

Reviewed by: Alex

Staff Review: Mayflies

Title/Author: Mayflies - Andrew O’Hagan

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Coming of Age, Political

The first half is a buildup to four 80s Scots headed to Manchester for a Smiths concert. The second is a look backward from the perch of middle age on what became the iconic time in four young lives. Taken together, Andrew O'Hagan has written a love letter to youth, love, and the regrets and joys that gain clarity with the passage of time. Beautifully crafted sentences are filled with luminous small moments and Mayflies is the work of a pro at the top of his game.

Reviewed by: David

Staff Review: Mistakes Were Made

Title/Author: Mistakes Were Made - Meryl Wilsner

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Rom-Com, LGBTQ+, Spicy

This is, hands down, the spiciest all the queer romances/rom-coms I've come across, at least outside of books actively marketed as erotica. It is not going to be for everyone just how much sex is in this book, essentially from the very start. That caveat out of the way, this is also one of my favourite reads of 2022. 

Looking for a simple one night stand, university senior Cassie meets and hooks-up with a mysterious, gorgeous older woman one night, not realizing that the woman is Erin, the mother of her new best friend, freshman Parker. Cassie and Erin have all the reasons in the world to pretend the affair never happened, just let it be a pleasant memory, but the two keep getting pulled back together, and may need to acknowledge there’s something there besides simple attraction.

This book does a fantastic job exploring an age-gap relationship, both the highs and and lows. It examines the worries about power imbalances, goals in life and work, concerns about body image, and mental illness/trauma. And it does so with heart, caring, and no small amount of humour. You easily fall in love with Cassie and Erin, and can’t help but turn the page to find out what will happen next until before you know it, you’re finished and want to turn around and read it all over again. 

Reviewed by: Alex

Staff Review: Camp Spirit

Title/Author: Camp Spirit - Axelle Lenoir

Genre(s): Graphic Novels, Coming of Age, LGBTQ+, Mythology

Perfect for fans of Heartstopper!

Summer 1994, Elodie has just graduated from high school and now dreams of her future in college. But first, city girl Elodie is being forced by her mother to spend the summer as a camp counselor in northern Quebec, much to her chagrin. And yet, an odd collection of near-feral redheaded girls, a weirdly enthusiastic Camp Chief, not to mention fellow counselor Catherine, might just win her over!

Quebec writer-artist Lenoir infuses this story with an expressive art style that jumps off the page, delightfully quirky characters you can’t get enough of, and a hint of mystery and the supernatural, all culminating in a fantastic summer read. Or any other time of year, for that matter!

Reviewed by: Alex

Staff Review: What We Both Know

Title/Author: What We Both Know - Fawn Parker

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Feminist, Family Life, Psychological

With Hilary's father succumbing to Alzheimer's, she's tasked with completing the notable author's memoir. A struggling writer herself, Hilary now has a chance to right some wrongs she sees in the manuscript and provide a more honest picture of the secrets at the centre of their family as they relate to her late sister Pauline who carries much of the water in the novel. Hilary's choices carry this smart, quietly powerful novel. My kind of stuff, this.

Reviewed by: David

Staff Review: The House in the Cerulean Sea

Title/Author: The House in the Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune

Genre(s): Fantasy, Humour, LGBTQ+, Cozy Reads

Linus Baker is an ordinary man with an extraordinary job: A case worker that oversees the well-being of magical children. When he is given a classified assignment to a mysterious island of dangerous children and their intriguing caretaker, his life becomes fantastical. These wild, outstanding children and their handsome caretaker, Arthur Parnassus, quickly charm their way into Lunus’ brittle heart. With gnomes, sprites, wyverns and more, this right fantasy landscape is full of LGBTQ themes of chosen family. This story is about tearing down the systems of power that try to hide those that are different. It is about examining fear and bias towards the unknown, and embracing messy, life-changing love, even when it comes from unexpected places.

Reviewed by: Rosemary

House In The Cerulean Sea is a story about a mundane life turned upside down, about alienation and facing bigotry, and about love and found family.

Linus is a hard worker who has no life outside of his job. He gets a sort of promotion and ends up on a strange island for a month to determine whether the orphanage there is up to standards. At the orphanage, he meets many *interesting* children, but the head of the orphanage must be the most interesting of them all.

TJ Klune writes to make you feel like you're getting the best hug of your life. Every page of House In The Cerulean Sea made me laugh, cry, or "awww!" out loud. The characters in this story are unique and have such charming personalities, you're sure to fall in love with all of them. This is one of those books that I wish I could experience for the first time once more, and from the first chapter it became my favorite title on the shelf. This story is for anybody who needs to feel loved (read: everybody).

Reviewed by: Nat

Staff Review - Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Title/Author: Last Night at the Telegraph Club - Malinda Lo

Genre(s): YA Fiction, LGBTQ+, Romance, History

Last Night at the Telegraph Club is set in the perspective of an Asian(Chinese)-American teen living in San Francisco during the 1950s. Lily Hu is just beginning to understand her sexuality that has been lingering within her ever since she could remember. Throughout the novel the reader becomes encapsulated by Lily's growth and exploration of herself and her boundaries. This journey is not an easy one for Lily. After all, she is a lesbian in the 1950s. Lily has to tiptoe around her father and the nosey neighbours within Chinatown. This book is thrilling, painful, and heartwarming. A necessary read for Queer youth.

Reviewed by: Madison

Staff Review: Delilah Green Doesn't Care

Title/Author: Delilah Green Doesn’t Care - Ashley Herring Blake

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Romantic Comedy, LGBTQ+

Ashley Herring Blake is an almost preternaturally readable author. I first discovered her through her writing for younger readers, and it never mattered whether she was writing middle grade or YA, you cared for her characters, and felt their intensely human joys and follys. And even when her focus was on kids, the adults were still three dimensional. Now, she’s taken a step into writing adult queer romance, and everything I’ve always loved about her writing is there, as well as cute romance and fun spice. 

Delilah Green is back in her home town of Bright Falls, Oregon, for the first time in years to photograph her step-sister Astrid’s wedding. What she doesn’t expect is to begin a forbidden relationship with Claire Sutherland, part of Astrid’s ‘coven’ of best friends who’s known Delilah since childhood. At first, the flirting starts out as a way to annoy Astrid, with whom Delilah shares a rocky relationship, but before long, and without really meaning to, real feelings enter the relationship for both of them.

The first in what will end up being a trilogy about this group of friends, Delilah Green Doesn’t Care is my favourite of the many (many) queer rom-coms I’ve devoured in the last few years, and I can’t wait for book 3 (I may have already gotten to read an ARC for book 2, coming in November, Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail).

Reviewed by: Alex

Staff Review: Don't Be Evil

Title/Author: Don't Be Evil: The Case Against Big Tech - Rana Foroohar

Genre(s): Business, Economics, Technology, Politics

The age of monetary-based capitalism is over! Now your data is worth more than whatever is in your wallet. Foroohar digs deep into the personalities of Big Tech giants. 'Don't Be Evil' was the first line of Google's Code of Conduct, yet the importance of that principle had diminished over the years. This book demonstrates how the technology behind Big Tech ensures their position as leaders of the online world. As scary as this may seem, it gets worse. Foroohar describes how Big Tech has infiltrated every aspect of our lives, whether we realize it or not.

Reviewed by: Madison

Staff Review: Gods Behaving Badly

Title/Author: Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Magical Realism, Comedy, Mythology

This novel tells the story of the Greek Gods attempting to survive in modern-day London. They're dying and need saving, but they've got nobody to save them - or so they thought. Enter our heroine, a shy and modest cleaning lady. The survival of not only the gods, but the entire world, is at stake when our beloved TV psychic Apollo screws up big time.

Marie Phillips knows how to make her readers giggle. She slams you straight into a love-hate relationship with each and every God and Goddess from page one. This book was genuinely so hard to put down, and quickly became one which I recommend to all my friends. A must-read if you are in need of a laugh!

TLDR; Gods Behaving Badly is witty, fast-paced, and hilarious.

Reviewed by: Nat

Staff Review: Lapvona

Title/Author: Lapvona - Ottessa Moshfegh

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Psychological

Moshfegh has, once again, brilliantly balanced real and organic comfort with otherworldly creepiness. Her problematic and unlikeable yet relatable characters bring you into a medieval world of magic, deception and corruption. Lapvona is 110% worth the read!

Reviewed by: Isabel

Staff Review: Take Your Breath Away

Title/Author: Take Your Breath Away - Linwood Barclay

Genre(s): Mystery, Crime Fiction, Psychological Thrillers

Andrew Mason went through the unthinkable: His wife Brie disappeared, and everyone assumed he’d gotten away with her murder. Now, six years after his world fell apart, Andrew is finally in a position where he’s moving on with his life, until a woman with a striking resemblance to Brie shows up at his door, demanding to know what happened to her house, Andrew if forced to question: Is his wife alive, and if so, where’s she been??

Linwood Barclay is as close to a sure thing in crime fiction as anything you’ve read. No B.S., nothing fancy, just airtight plotting, surprisingly nuanced characters, and lots of moves. A great ‘dram and a hammock’ book!

Reviewed by: David

Staff Review: The Octopus Has Three Hearts

Title/Author: The Octopus Has Three Hearts - Rachel Rose

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Short Stories, Women’s Stories

In this Giller longlisted collection of short stories Rose manages to capture just what it means to be good people subjected to bad situations. This collection functions as a study  on "bad people", people making poor decisions, and those that are affected by them both. Rose's prose is poetic and pungent, with each story offering a new perspective on how people respond to elements of fear, anger, jealousy, and the unknown.

Reviewed by: Shelby

Staff Review: Bullshit Jobs

Title/Author: Bullshit Jobs - David Graeber

Genre(s): Social Science, Anthropology, Workplace Culture

One of the most fun, engaging non-fic books one can find! An unapologetically honest and hilarious critique of the development of employment under 21st century capitalism, the foundations of happiness, and what fulfills humans and communities alike. A provocative debate in psychological economics and organization of the world. Suitable for novices and experts alike!

Reviewed by: Isabel

Staff Review: As You Were

Title/Author: As You Were - Elaine Feeney

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Women’s Stories, Black Humour

Irish author Elaine Feeney truly understands comedy. In her debut novel, she captures the heartbreaking lives of the Irish elderly and ill as they come to terms with their own deaths and who they will have to leave behind. This delightful novel deals with the intensity of fear, deceit, and comradery while remaining absolutely Irish in every way. This novel had me on the edge of tears one moment and laughing my head off another, cannot recommend it enough!

Reviewed by: Shelby

Staff Review: A Little Life

Title/Author: A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Coming of Age, Sagas

Hands down, THE best book I have ever read (but bring your tissues - it's also the saddest book I've ever read). Follow four college classmates throughout their lives, heartbreaks, goals, ambitions, and traumas. Whenever they drift apart, they're pulled back together, to Jude. Living with chronic pain, disability, and trauma, the book looks at how male relationships grow and shift throughout the best and hardest parts of life. A perfect read for New Years!

Reviewed by: Isabel

Staff Review: The Book of Laughter and Forgetting

Title/Author: The Book of Laughter and Forgetting - Milan Kundera

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Short Stories, Modern Classics

In 7 short stories, Kundera talks about the horror of forgotten history. My personal favourite short story is "Lost Letters (Part 4)", in which the protagonist Tamina struggles to remember her deceased husband and her hometown, Prague. The "Lost Letters" were her only connection left  with this place. Readers go through this mental turmoil with her and together with the author, we lament the tragedy of the Czech and the loss of history. "The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against  forgetting."

Reviewed by: Ingrid

Staff Review: Suture

Title/Author: Suture - Nic Brewer

Genre(s): Horror, Literary Fiction, LGBTQ+

Local author Nic Brewer creates the unsettling world of Suture, a place where art is dangerous and involves substantial self-mutilation and self-sabotage. Underneath the blatant metaphor that all art is essentially a piece of ourselves we have cut out and shared with the world is Brewer's graphic look at the excruciating pain that comes from revealing your own pain and trauma and sharing it with others. Through the themes of self-sacrifice in romantic, familial, and self love, Suture itself is a work of art that challenges just how comfortable we are with creating.

Reviewed by: Shelby

Staff Review: The Power of Geography

Title/Author: The Power of Geography - Tim Marshall

Genre(s): Geopolitics, Human Geography, History

Spark a new interest in geography and mapping! This engaging book unlocks the secrets of the relationship between human movement, communication and functioning in the world. See how nations and states are affected by lakes and mountains! How the earth holds the guidebook to the modern world in ways we'll never know!

Reviewed by: Isabel

Staff Review: Compass Rose

Title/Author: Compass Rose - Anna Burke

Genre(s): Sci-fi, Dystopian, Climate Disaster, LGBTQ+

There was a movie in the 90’s called Waterworld. It was widely panned for being a ridiculous premise (as well as being the most expensive movie ever made at the time), however it wasn’t actually the premise, it was the execution. If you take such an idea—a far future dystopia where our climate issues just keep getting worse that the ice caps melt, and humanity is forced to abandon dry land as it’s too toxic to remain and live our their lives on boats and floating islands—and write it with more plausible science and an eye for character, you will get Compass Rose! This is an incredible book full of incredibly nuanced characters where no one is ever 100% good, or 100% bad. Future pirates, exciting adventure, drama to keep you on the edge of your seat...what’s not to love?! The first part of a (as of right now) trilogy, followed by Sea Wolf.

Reviewed by: Alex