My new authors in chronological
order are:
1.) Billy Strobe by John Martel;
2.) The Devil’s Making by Seán Haldane;
3.) Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H.
Balson;
4.) The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout;
5.) The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach;
6.) The Collini Case by Ferdinand Von
Schirach; and,
7.) Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom
Franklin.
Of the group there were 3 books
featuring lawyers – Billy Strobe, Once We Were Brothers and The Collini Case - mainly because I was
reading the shortlist for the 2014 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction.
The Devil’s Making was
the winner of the 2014 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Canadian Mystery Novel.
What made the quarter special were
the last three books I read. Each was a great book and excellent in a different
way which makes my choice for the best of the quarter difficult.
The Art of Fielding
explored the human psyche and relationships through the experiences of a young baseball
shortstop, Henry Skrimshander, at a small American university in Wisconsin.
The Collini Case dealt
with the issues behind a brutal murder in contemporary Germany that took the
reader back to WW II and the consequences of the war.
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter was an evocative look at rural Mississippi. It delved deep
into the relationship between police officer, Silas “32” Jones, and garage
owner, Larry Ott. It set out how lives can be defined by community assumptions
and prejudices.
After reflection I choose The Art of Fielding. I expect I am
influenced by my love of the baseball. I do expect the book to be known as a
modern baseball classic. It is a powerful, almost mythic, book using baseball
to frame the plot.
Bill - You have had some good experiences with new-to-you authors this quarter. I'm glad of that. I'm honestly not surprised that the Harbach was your choice this time; there's something about baseball, and when you combine that with good writing and a solid story, well, the result can be fabulous. And I agree with you about the Franklin; I think it's an excellent novel.
ReplyDeleteMargot: There are a lot of good authors to read. I struggle each month to get to most of the books I want to read.
ReplyDeleteBill, I agree, these are all quality books by quality authors. I'm interested in reading "The Collini Case."
ReplyDeletePrashant: Thanks for the comment. I hope you get to read The Collini Case.
DeleteA nice and varied list there, Bill. The most interesting to me is Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. I am not sure I am going to enjoy reading about rural Mississippi, but I will do it anyway.
ReplyDeleteTracyK: Thanks for the comment. As I read the book I thought of you. I expect you will have a special perspective as it covers a time in the American South you have personally experienced.
ReplyDelete