Author: Patrick deWitt

I remember this book when it first came out and was winning all sorts of prizes. That isn’t why I borrowed it from the library though. I heard or read that it was coming to Netflix and I wanted to be aware of the story before watching it.

The Sisters brothers, Charlie and Eli, are paid assassins for The Commodore. The setting for the story is 1851 when the brothers are on a job that takes them from Oregon City to California. They are ruthless and almost everyone they meet is gunned down; it is, after all, the wild west. But the story is told in a very humorous way (it won the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour) and you can almost ignore the small bits of violence.

Goodreads Rating: * * * *

Author: Wayson Choy

This book has been on the shelf for a long time. I always avoided reading it; I’m not sure why. It won a couple of awards and was a pick for Canada Reads, although it didn’t win.

This seemed less like a novel than connected short stories revolving around three Chinese-Canadian children and their relationship with other family members and their Vancouver neighbourhood. I found the story of Third Son the most interesting.

Goodreads Rating: * * *

Author: Keith Stuart

Although this is a novel it is based on the real experience of the author and his son. Stuart is a video game reviewer and reporter and he has a son who is on the autism spectrum.

The author noticed how much his son enjoyed watching the video games he was reviewing. When he got to Minecraft he could see how it was allowing for changes in his son’s behaviour.

My grandchildren all played (or maybe they still do play) Minecraft but at that time I had no clue about what they were doing. After reading the book I think I understand the concept of the game much better.

Goodreads Rating: * * *

Author: Diane Schoemperlen

When I pulled this book off the shelf Pat commented that it was recommended through one of his writing groups and he really liked it. I warned him when I was a few chapters in that it wasn’t going to get a high rating from me.

The idea was interesting. Mary, as in the Virgin Mary, arrives in the narrator’s living room and asks to stay with her in her home for a short time. The narrator goes into some detail about Mary – her history, the apparitions of her, her miracles – and, occasionally, Mary adds a little something to to story.

I think the author’s notes clears up a lot – it is an exploration of the fiction/non-fiction continuum. All the accounts of Mary are true but Mary did not actually appear in the author’s living room.

Goodreads Rating: * *