Miz Moffatt Recommends...

Regular reader (known to the Blogoverse as A Strange Boy) asked me for some reading recommendations earlier this week -- since I am tackling a stack o' literature at the moment, and since I've left strange posts regarding recent discoveries on Can. lit. scene, it seems I might have a few opinions on books.

Alas, I do not have any recent queer titles under the belt at the moment -- that's a personal (albeit neglected) reading goal all on its own. Queer ladies + local library + books = a fine combination.

Anyhow, I am getting off topic.

Here are a few titles from the archive for keen readers to check out, should the genre strike 'em:

The Stories of Ibis, Hiroshi Yamamoto

(Haikasoru)

The Stories of Ibis offers a sparkling, fresh stance on man vs. machine science fiction, proving that the lines between both camps are not so simple to discern. Quite enjoyed the more heady philosophical debates on the role of machines in human lives and vice versa, how both parties rely on one another for companionship, purpose, and evolution. In particular, the idea of death as discussed between the nameless Storyteller and the android Ibis is a compelling one that will linger long after the book is closed. Also, loved how vital the act of storytelling is to this novel. Hiroshi Yamamoto places the writer in a central role as the preserver of human culture and the bonding link between disparate civilizations. Meta-narrative at its most sci fi - delicious.

Some readers might be turned off by the dense technical writing that accompanies a couple of the short stories. Remember: this is science fiction. Science is a large part of said fiction. Understanding the physics behind the fiction is vital at times and Yamamoto explores it with great depth.

Ideal for: sci fi lovers who need a sharp jolt from the genre; current or former philoso-philes who like a good android debate; amateur or professional writers who love to speculate on their influence over the creation of narratives; physics nerds who like reading technical jargon in their spare time.

Remainder, Tom McCarthy

(Vintage)

Tom McCarthy spins an outlandish, addictive thread to please readers with a penchant for the anti-hero. In his debut novel, Remainder, a nameless survivor of an unnamed accident receives an £8.5 million settlement on the condition that he remains silent on the event. The problem is "fixed" through no fault of his own -- our narrator suffers from memory loss and cannot recall the details of his injury. After stumbling through his initial post-rehab world, the narrator fixates on the idea of rediscovering the fluid, uncalculated movements he once took for granted. With his newfound riches, he enlists the help of a bizarre agency to furnish his fantasy. The narrator invests his time and resources into "re-enacting" real or imagined moments, both mundane and violent. What begins as a bizarre past-time builds toward a tragic end for all those closest to him...

McCarthy is an expert with convincing, first-person narration. This nameless narrator is relatable and has a simple sort of charm to him. For fans of Torchwood out there, all I could picture was Rhys Williams (played by Kai Owen) inhabiting this role. Excellent choice, I should think.

Ideal for: Fans of first-person anti-heroes; Kids who like ample experimentation in their fiction; People who love the smell of liver and the constant repetition of piano music (and also hate cordite).

Where We Have To Go, Lauren Kirshner

(McClelland & Stewart)

Where We Have To Go sparkles in its sad revelations on the life of one young girl stuck in one dysfunctional family. Lauren Kirshner marks her debut with a fine-tuned novel filled with ample quirk, a touch of spunk, and a whole lot of tragic circumstances. As the novel opens, the eleven-year-old Lucy dreams of freedom in the shape of a bicycle. Her vision dissipates when she receives a pair of second-hand roller skates for her birthday, and when she becomes conscious of her parents' marital troubles. Lucy then embarks on an odyssey toward adulthood, an adventure riddled with toxic friendships, anorexia, and anxieties connected to her changing environment. Even as she wades through her own confusion, Lucy maintains her charm and presses on.

Set in Toronto in the nineties, the novel invites young readers to re-live their past through a literary lens. Kirshner adds delightful touches of pop culture to her text, most notably in little Lucy's admiration of ALF. Sweet, complicated, and entirely addictive -- finish the novel in one sitting, then repeat.

Ideal for: Toronto high schoolers needing proof of literature's relevancy; Twenty-somethings needing a hit of nostalgia; Coming-of-age junkies.

** Note: Readers will find an additional shot of queer subtext in this novel, particularly between our protagonist, Lucy, and her friend, Erin. And no, I don't think I've invented the subtext, either. It is for real and is so excellent.

This Cake is for The Party, Sarah Selecky

(Thomas Allen Publishers)

Sarah Selecky dazzles with ten taut, smartly searing stories in her first published collection, This Cake is for The Party. Selecky levels her gaze upon a younger generation whose best intentions unravel in the face of hidden truths, betrayal, and unsettling tensions riding just below the surface.

Stand out pieces include "Go-Manchura," in which a lonesome introvert embroils herself in a health food pyramid scheme, and the heartbreaking "Where Are You Coming From, Sweetheart?", in which a young girl struggles to free herself from her father's religion and finds an unexpected lover on a Greyhound bus. Additional accolades go to "Prognosis," written as a rather biting letter to a dying mother-in-law in which the writer is gifted with a certain aural oddity. Selecky shines in her first-person prose, and creates characters with distinct, relatable voices that are sure to startle and delight.

Ideal for: Short story junkies; Readers in the twenty- to thirty-something age bracket; Commuters prepared to shed a tear or two in public.

***

Now, I turn to you, dear reader -- what are you reading at the moment, and how are you liking it? What's coming up on your reading list? Despite the stacks I have at the moment, I would love some recommendations, too! My library's not going to stack itself, you know.