Category: From My Bookshelf – Lynn Willoughby

By Lynn Willoughby Days Without End – Sebastian Barry An orphan of the the Irish potato famine, Thomas McNulty finds himself alone and penniless in the US.  He meets John Cole, another orphan, neither of whom really know their own age, but they are not yet 20.  Together, in the 1850s, they sign up to…

By Lynn Willoughby Sleeping Beauties – Stephen and Owen King I really like Stephen King’s writing. His way with words, the tension he is able to create building to utter suspense keep me thinking of how the book could possibly end – even while I am doing chores or driving somewhere. This book does all…

By Lynn Willoughby Forty Words for Sorrow ~ Giles Blunt Another Canadian author who delivers.  In the northern Ontario town of Algonquin Bay there have been three young teenagers tortured and murdered.  Three that the police know of!  The bodies were found at different sites, all in winter, which compromised forensic evidence. Detective John Cardinal…

By Lynn Willoughby The Shoe on the Roof ~ Will Ferguson I have enjoyed everything I have ever read by Ferguson, so when this new book appeared on my reading list, I ordered it.  What a surprise to me that it is not his usual style of humour, but dark humour, laced with schizophrenia, religion,…

By Lynn Willoughby The Lawdog Files: African Adventures ~ D. Lawdog The first book I read by this author was fun and full of humour.  This one is laugh out loud ’til tears run down your face funny.  I was reading it on a trip with friends and was laughing so hard they all wanted…

By Lynn Willoughby The Best of Adam Sharp ~ Graeme Simson When I saw the author of “The Rosie Effect” had published a new novel I couldn’t wait to start reading.  But while this author’s first two books were a joy to read, this one was not. Adam is almost fifty, has been with his partner…

By Lynn Willoughby Goodnight From London ~ Jennifer Robson Historical fiction, my favourite, with a slightly different angle.  Ruby Sutton is an American journalist who moves to England in 1940 to report on the war. We see London, and especially the London blitz through Ruby’s eyes.  Her articles range from a Christmas party at an…

By Lynn Willoughby Almost a Great Escape ~ Tyler Trafford What to say about this book?  It is not a memoir as it is more his mother’s story, but because the writer writes in his own voice and his mother’s voice, there was some confusion for me.  I had trouble with this writing style and…

By Lynn Willoughby The Orphan’s Tale ~ Pam Jenoff This novel is set during WWII in Germany and in France. We find ourselves in a travelling circus and meet two extraordinary women who are aerialists in this circus. Noa is Dutch, but when she becomes pregnant at 16, by a German officer, her father forces…

 By Lynn Willoughby The Bridge Ladies ~ Betsy Lerner If you are a bridge player, as I am, this title alone will appeal to you.  It is not great literature, but it does have its own uniqueness. This is a memoir of a fifty year Bridge game,  The author is brutality honest when describing herself…

By Lynn Willoughby One Brother Shy ~ Terry Fallis When I read “The Best Laid Plans” for Canada Reads, I just didn’t get what the hype was about.  Now, reading this newest book by Fallis I am on board with his quirky wit and humour.  Although there are some devastating and disturbing parts to this…

By Lynn Willoughby The Liar’s Club: A Memoir – Mary Karr This is a very disturbing book and what is most disturbing is that it is a memoir.  Karr’s working definition of a dysfunctional family is “Any family with more than one person in it.”  This memoir brings dysfunctional to a new level. Growing up in…