Turn the page to 2022 with these reads

“The Corpse Flower” by Anne Mette Hancock. A journalist targeted by a fugitive killer, but why? Engaging storyline with a despicable character who gets his due. Hancock keeps you guessing throughout.

 

“Fight Night” by Miriam Toews. The author draws on her Mennonite upbringing in this story told by a young girl about her fiercely independent, determined and loving grandmother. A bit slow to get the rhythm going at first but builds to a rollicking story with a satisfying end.

 

“Quiet in Her Bones” by Nalini Singh. A young man in New Zealand pledges to discover why his mother left him as a child when her body is found in a nearby ravine years later. The characters in an upscale cul-de-sac are self-centered and entitled so you wish them ill.

 

“That Old Country Music” by Kevin Barry. A collection of short stories by a master of Irish fiction. Somewhat melancholy, but beautifully crafted prose.

 

“A Town Called Solace” by Mary Lawson. Listed for the Booker Prize, this is a quietly remarkable book. I was wary that it was going to be too precious, but it is an honest, believable, and thoughtful story set in small town Canada. Highly recommend this.

 

“An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed” by Helene Tursten. Do not dismiss your elders. They are smarter and more capable than you imagine and they will seek justice on principle. A short, funny read that follows Maud, an 88-year-old Swedish woman from Tursten’s first book, “An Elderly Woman is Up to No Good.”

 

“The Listening House” by Mabel Seeley. This author’s work has been reissued from 1938. This mystery takes place during the Depression when the main character has to move into a rooming house where murders occur shortly after her arrival. Atmospheric depiction of the times and a confident, savvy, and tenacious heroine.

 

“Skinship” by Yoon Choi. A short story collection about the Korean immigrant experience. Good writing, but no one exhibits any joy in this work. Why are they all so depressed? That said, it is enlightening for the cultural portrayal.

 

“True Crime Story” by Joseph Knox. This is labeled as a best seller but I found it slow. Perhaps it is satire? I do not recommend the Audible version as the accents were very difficult to understand. 

 

“These Silent Woods” by Kimi Cunningham Grant. Really enjoyed this book about a man and his 8-year-old daughter living in a remote Appalachian cabin. The reason for their isolation is reeled out steadily and there are lessons to be learned about choices and judgements. Excellent for a book club. 

 

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