September 2022

Hello book buddies,

Today in Canada it is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation where we honour survivors and the children who never made it home from residential schools. The journey toward reconciliation should not end at reading, but it is a good place to start. Here are several links for books by Indigenous authors to better understand current Indigenous issues and residential schools:
- 49th Shelf: Books for Orange Shirt Day
- CBC Books: 48 books by Indigenous authors to read to understand residential schools
- VIRL: National Indigenous History Month

Here’s what I read this month:

A novel for those who want to get spacey:
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
- This book opens with a man on a spaceship waking up from a several-year-long coma. As time progresses we learn about what’s happening on earth and why he’s on this mission. Weir introduced some fairly complex science-y concepts with reasonably simple language, making me feel all smart by the end of it. Overall, this book was superb. I loved every minute of it.

A book for those who are ready to read about a pandemic:
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
- The book opens in the present-day as a major virus sweeps overseas, through America, and virtually shuts down civilization. We encounter several main storylines that are woven together effortlessly about how individuals survive the new ways of the world. This one was TOUGH to put down. But be warned, it was a little triggering to read about a pandemic already.

A book for those that love ambitious characters:
Most Likely by Sarah Watson
- This novel tells the story of four best friends and who of them is most likely to become an American President. Throughout the book, we follow the four girls as they navigate their last year of high school together while Watson drops hints and clues throughout as to which girl it might be in the end. Each character was well-rounded and easy to love. I don’t have any problems with this book, it was lovely.

A novel for those that need an enticing page-turner:
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Reid makes everything she writes about insanely interesting, including professional tennis, as she does in this book. We follow one of the best tennis players in the 80s, Carrie Soto, and how she launches her return from retirement. If you liked any of ther other books (Seven Husbands, Daisy Jones, Malibu Rising, etc.) you’ll adore this one too.

A book for those who want to read something totally different:
Noopiming: A Cure for White Ladies by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
- This novel weaves together poetry and meditations into a narrative about an Indigenous person frozen in a lake and the seven other beings that they are represented through. I found Simpson’s use of space and format completely original, therefore you should seek out a paper copy rather than the audio version. And I found the theme of nature vs. urban very powerful. This certainly wasn’t a simple nor easy read. It took time and concentration and is totally worth it.

A novel for those who need a thick read:
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
- In this book, we follow five individuals’ stories that are joined together by a lost ancient Greek text. Some of the storylines were absolutely fascinating but some were so boring I considered putting down the book several times. There’s no doubt that Doerr is a highly skilled writer and I’m glad to have finished it and be exposed to his work in the end.

A book for those that want something absolutely messed up:
Tender is the Flesh by Augustina Bazterrica
- All the animals have become infected with an unknown virus and are poisonous to eat. And since humanity’s desire for meat is so powerful, humans are farmed and slaughtered to be eaten by others. This book was wildly horrific but I could not put it down.

A graphic novel for literally anyone:
Borders by Thomas King, Illustrations by Natasha Donovan
- Based on his short story, King tells us the story of a Blackfoot boy and his mom hoping to cross the border into the US to visit the boy’s sister. They run into serious complications when the border guards do not accept Blackfoot as their citizenship. I think King’s dedication at the beginning of the book says it all, “For the Blackfoot, who understand that the border is the figment of someone else’s imagination.”

Thank you once again for reading another installment of my Blurbs. Feel free to reply to this email and tell me about what you’re reading!

Carissa (she/her)

I acknowledge that I live, work, and learn on the unceded lands of the Quw’utsun, Stz’uminus, and Halalt Peoples.

Logo made by Courtney Cassels