by Jackie LaPlante –
Hey, Zoey
Sarah Crossan
Sarah Crossan’s funny yet pensive novel explores several pertinent social issues – the foremost being whether and to what degree humans are susceptible to artificial intelligence (AI). Dolores discovers a full-sized, AI-equipped blow-up doll in her garage. Should she confront her husband? Does a dalliance with an inanimate object constitute an affair? Dolores’ self-reflection in the wake of her discovery ponders current cultural values, and cleverly deployed foreshadowing leads the reader quietly to a heart-wrenching discovery.
Ultra-Processed People: Why We Can’t Stop Eating Food That Isn’t Food
Chris van Tulleken
A helpful reminder of the importance of how we nourish ourselves, Chris van Tulleken’s book reminds us of the personal and global costs of consuming ultra-processed foods. From the environmental damage sustained during production of ultra-processed food to its effects on poverty and obesity, Dr. van Tulleken is empathetic in assessing our dependence on processed food, and the categorization of foods into whole foods, processed foods (PF) and ultra-processed foods (UPF) is helpful and realistic.
The Life Impossible
Matt Haig
Matt Haig’s books provide uplifting messages often spiked with a pleasant dose of magical realism. Grace, who has suffered two recent losses, is bequeathed a house – in Ibiza – by a friend from her distant past. Oddly, it comes with a jar of self-replenishing glowing seawater and curious instructions on embracing Ibiza. The details of the friend’s death – or was it a disappearance? – propel Grace to solve the riddle, finding hope and renewal along the way.
Siege
Ben Macintyre
No matter the topic, Ben Macintyre can take a small bite of history and make it a page-turner. The siege of the Embassy of Iran in London on the April 1980 holiday weekend saw 26 hostages taken. It was the earliest occasion of Middle Eastern terrorism in the U.K. A suspense-filled narrative outlines the psychology of captors and captives, and Macintyre explores Operation Nimrod, the first public display of SAS capability, in thorough and thrilling detail.
Moon Road
Sarah Leipciger
Canadian author Sarah Leipciger’s road trip book moves Kathleen and Yannick from Ontario to B.C., chasing new information that may shed light on the disappearance of their daughter 19 years ago. Separated since the tragedy, they reminisce during the long drive, sharing stories of their life with their daughter, from difficult situations to moments of joy. In this tender portrait of love and loss, friendship rekindles and the couple finds healing in each other’s company.
Death at the Sign of the Rook
Kate Atkinson
Jackson Brody is back – older, possibly wiser but still vital and appealing in this fifth installment. Reunited with young DC Reggie Chase, the two embark on a murder investigation in a perfect Agatha Christie setting. A ragtag travelling troupe is performing a murder mystery for eccentric country-weekend guests – during a severe snowstorm. Need one say more? Kate Atkinson, as ever, adds fascinating cultural and literary references to a suspenseful and clever mystery.
Ordinary Monsters
J.M. Miro
Book 1 of The Talents Trilogy is a Victorian tale, rife with fog, sprawling buildings and secret passages. Specially gifted children, known as “talents,” are being identified and moved to the Cairndale Institute for protection. When dark forces arrive, the brave young talents use their gifts against beings who may be talents in their own right. A fierce and action-packed battle between good and evil is a fitting finish to local author J.M. Miro’s enveloping historical fantasy.
