A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

Books To Move You, Amuse You, Bend Your Brain, And Leave You Craving More

Find-Me

Read This details book selections by local authorities, luminaries, institutions, and locals that share deep affections for the written word. This week, we asked Cristina Melo, Arielle Spence, and Clea Young of the Vancouver Writers Fest to give us four titles that would sweeten our summer…

1. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer (Southern Reach Trilogy #1), HarperCollins Canada
Recommended by Arielle Spence

“In a word, Annihilation is weird. More specifically, it’s a mind-bending novel about a group of female scientists on an expedition into Area X, an untouched wilderness where the supernatural is the norm and grotesque creatures run amok. For years the government has been funding these expeditions, struggling to understand Area X—but Area X doesn’t want to be understood. Like a ghost story told late at night, Annihilation draws you in and makes you wonder, and fear, what’s hiding just out of sight. If you haven’t had enough after Annihilation (and trust us, you’ll want more), books two and three (Authority and Acceptance) of the trilogy are already on shelves.”

2. Find Me by Laura van den Berg, published by Farrar, Strauss and Guroux
Recommended by Arielle Spence

“As a mysterious disease takes the lives of half a million people in America, Joy Jones is quarantined in a hospital with others who are (or, at least seem to be) immune. Thus begins Find Me, a moving contemplation on how individuals and societies make sense of disaster: ‘What caused the sickness?’ the characters ask. ‘Was it done to us or have we done this to ourselves?’ Filled with whimsical characters and melancholic meditations during a cross-country road trip, Find Me is reminiscent of an indie film, and, ultimately, leaves most of the questions it poses open. Overall, a beautiful, eerie novel that challenges the typical apocalypse narrative.”

3. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, Penguin Random House
Recommended by Cristina Melo

“Jojo Moyes’s Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common. Louis Clark is an ordinary woman living an ordinary life in her tiny village when she accepts a position as a “helper” for Will Traynor. Before the accident that left him wheelchair bound, Will lived a life of big deals, extreme sports and worldwide travel. Now, he is harsh, moody and bossy—but Louisa refuses to treat him with kid gloves. The development of their relationship is marked by hilarious, touching and heartbreaking moments as Louisa sets out to show Will that life is still worth living.”

4. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, Europa Editions
Recommended by Clea Young

“What if upon finishing the book you wished would never end, you discovered there was more to the story, that in fact the characters were still alive? Such relief, joy, anticipation. Italian novelist Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend is this book, and it also happens to be the first in her Neapolitan series, a “quasi-feminist bildungsroman” that tracks the intense friendship of Elena and Lila as their paths diverge and converge from girlhood through adulthood. Ferrante’s writing is rich, honest and addictive. Get started now and you’ll be ready when the fourth and final book, The Story of the Lost Child, is released in September. Ferrante fever. It’s a thing. #ferrantefever”

———————————————————————————————————–

VIWF_logo-red-(1)The Vancouver Writers Fest is a celebration of story, told by authors, poets, spoken word performers, and graphic novelists. Each October we present 6 days of events on Granville Island for readers of all interests – readings, interviews, discussions and performances –with 100+ acclaimed and emerging writers from around the world.

Scout Book Club, Vol. 10

We like consuming words on the page almost as much as we like consuming food on the plate. Welcome to the Scout Book Club: a brief and regular rundown of what we're reading, what's staring at us from the bookshelf begging to be read next, and what we've already read and recommend.

Scout Book Club, Vol. 9

We like consuming words on the page almost as much as we like consuming food on the plate. Welcome to the Scout Book Club: a brief and regular rundown of what we're reading, what's staring at us from the bookshelf begging to be read next, and what we've already read and recommend.

Scout Book Club, Vol. 8

We like consuming words on the page almost as much as we like consuming food on the plate. Welcome to the Scout Book Club: a brief and regular rundown of what we're reading, what's staring at us from the bookshelf begging to be read next, and what we've already read and recommend.

Scout Book Club, Vol. 7

We like consuming words on the page almost as much as we like consuming food on the plate. Welcome to the Scout Book Club: a brief and regular rundown of what we're reading, what's staring at us from the bookshelf begging to be read next, and what we've already read and recommend.