Alexi Zentner's Touch Knopf, 2011 It seems like stating the obvious, but Touch is all about storytelling. Sure, all novels are fiction. They all contain stories. But they aren't all about storytelling. However, Alexi Zentner's novel is just that. "I felt like I knew him already. I'd heard so many
You might remember that I've been sampling books from Indie presses that have been shortlisted for this year's ReLit Awards. Not just novels, but short stories, even poetry (which is adventurous for me). For a month of Sundays (at least), I'm Buried in ReLit Print. I Still Don’t Even Know You, Michelle Berry
Hearing the author read at Toronto's Word on the Street festival this year truly highlighted the humour of this novel. (It's hard to find funny novels, isn't it?! Apparently the judges thought so too, and wanted to make sure this one got noticed.) But even straight from the
Alissa York's Fauna Random House, 2010 What is so remarkable about Fauna is that it is all-of-a-piece. (It's exactly the kind of book that makes me proud to be a reader.) From its beautifully crafted outer covers: a soft, earthy brown -- imprinted with a turtle. Underneath its rich burgundy
James Fitzgerald's What Disturbs Our Blood Random House, 2010 At first glance, James' Fitzgerald's might seem like a charmed life. But What Disturbs Our Blood would not have come into being if that had been true. It takes some digging (in the archives) and some prying (from the mouths of
