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Bread of Angels by Patti Smith
The author of the National Book Award winning Just Kids takes us all the way back to her childhood, through her development as an artist through to the present day.
Smith’s childhood was one of frequent moves, near Dickensian levels of poverty and a blossoming imagination. Fans will enjoy reading about the years filled in here, not covered in her other writings, but this is also a great read for anyone that enjoys memoirs of interesting and unusual lives, particularly those of an artist. But this isn’t just the story of an artist, but that of a daughter, wife and mother.
Smith’s writing is so accessible that it’s easy to imagine her telling the story from your kitchen table or in a dank and cozy bar somewhere. This is a gift, from a 79 year old still writing with full command of her craft.
Adult Non-Fiction pr8096324
The Killing Stones by Ann Cleeves
Cleeves launches a new series with a familiar character, Detective Jimmy Perez, who has left Shetland for a new posting in the Orkney Islands.
Why he was hired is beyond me, given the trail of murders that invariably follow in his wake, no matter how windswept, bare and sparsely populated the location. This time, it’s the body of Jimmy’s friend Archie Stout, found in the wake of a violent storm, whose head has been bashed in with a rune covered Neolithic story stone.
Fresh series or not, there is nothing new here, but that’s a large part of the charm of Cleeves’ writing and her legion of fans are sure to be happy that Perez is back on the page.
Adult Fiction pr7958559
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A page turning look at 21st century loneliness as seen through the eyes of a young freelance writer trying to navigate the gig economy, prescription drugs, dating apps, casual sex and loneliness.
Gritty, honest, horrifying and laugh out loud funny at times while being all too believable. Smith’s first work of fiction in ten years is more than a return to form: it’s a masterclass.
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One of Canada’s most beloved novelists pens her first memoir, one that flouts convention by not employing a linear storyline with the usual progression from childhood through becoming a writer and all that followed.
Instead, Toews give us constant flashbacks, musings, snatches of correspondence quotes from literature, along with her thoughts and feelings about why she writes, a question she’s meant to answer onstage at a forthcoming conference. This will surely disappoint as many people as it thrills (put me in the latter camp) but it’s a short read and contains much to enjoy if approached with an open mind. It reads more like coffee with a friend than as part of a university course’s assigned reading. I’d meet Ms Toews for coffee any time.
Adult Non-Fiction pr7976291
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Homework: A Memoir by Geoff Dyer
A coming of age in post war England memoir by the author of Zona and Out of Sheer Rage.
While the timeline stretches from first memories and a working class childhood all the way to acceptance into, and the start of his life at, Oxford, this is primarily a look at boyhood. Born and raised in Cheltenham in 1958, a nostalgic look back could easily be overly sweet, but Dyer is far too sharp and incisive to fall into that trap.
Kirkus Review sums it up well: “An enfant terrible reflects on his not-so-terrible enfance.” Dyer’s writing has always inspired fierce devotion; while those readers will enjoy this, it will also please those unfamiliar with his work that enjoy memoirs, coming of age stories, and have an interest in post-war Britain.
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