a few good reads / 2015 edition

for when the weather turns & snow starts falling outside your window... for when you want to get lost in another world for a while, or when you need to be inspired... for the winding down of another year, in between holiday get togethers & taking some much deserved time off... for when you just want to snuggle up inside with a warm drink & a good book...-- the end of the year always ushers in a reading frenzy of sorts for me. something about the colder days, the longer nights. and so, i have a few good ones from this year that i just can't keep to myself. here are some of my most favourite reads from this past year.

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the buried giant by kazou ishiguro. an elderly couple makes a journey through a land covered in mist. it's a thoughtful & melancholy read that explores ideas about memory and forgetting. one of my favourite lines -- 'boatman, i’ve spoken honestly to you, and i hope it doesn’t cast your earlier judgement of us in doubt. for i suppose there’s some would hear my words and think our love flawed and broken. but god will know the slow tread of an old couple’s love for each other, and understand how black shadows make part of its whole.'your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live forever? by dave eggers. be warned, it's challenging, different, provocative, & kind of offensive. i love how it makes you think. i'm also always deeply impressed by books that challenge the typical format of a novel, and this is written in 100% dialogue. opening scene? you're in some kind of abandoned military barracks, and our protagonist has just kidnapped an astronaut.not forgetting the whale by john ironmonger. yes, i admit, sometimes i judge books by their covers. & sometimes i am so right. a man & a whale wash up on a beach in a sleepy british town, and a legend is formed -- if you love a good story, and the end of the world, this is storytelling at its finest. my book of the year.the war of art by steven pressfield. a motivating series of ideas on how to press through your inner battles to make art. i've had this book on my to-read list for years after many recommendations. i have to say that although there were certain parts where he lost me, overall i can see myself coming back to this again & again over the years.the last train to zona verde by paul theroux. the only paul theroux i've read, other than a series of short travel stories, is this one -- his second journey through africa many years after the trip that informed his book dark star safari. i like people who aren't afraid to wonder aloud & not tiptoe over difficult issues that have no clear answers & i loved hearing his honest & comical perspective about traveling solo through africa now as an older man.big magic by elizabeth gilbert. can i just preface this by saying i spent much of eat, pray, love rolling my eyes? i did not love that book, so please know that this review does not come from the mouth of a diehard fan... i loved this one though, & everything liz has to say about how to approach being creative in your life. she is so spot on about so many things. this book was in my hands at the exact right moment & when i needed it most. i'm going to be coming back to it again & again -- another book of the year for me.some honourable mentions : the martian by andy weir (i liked this for its inventiveness and despite its predictability -- yes i know this assessment is paradoxical & probably doesn't make sense) / the vacationers by emma staub (a fun, entertaining & easy read) / slade house by david mitchell (a fun follow up to his previous novel the bone clocks, which i loved) / zen and the art of motorcylce maintenance (not an easy read, but worth it to stick it out to the end)what books are you loving these days? the stacks on our bedside tables are always teetering but nonetheless, we're never not looking to add to our always growing to-read list.happy reading!some of my previous good reads are here -- 2013, 2012, 2010