So I have covered my favourite photos for 2020: scenic, flowers, animals, insects etc, and I even covered baking. So what’s left? The jewel of life experience — reading! So, let me tell you about my favourite books.
I can hardly start without mentioning my favourite authors; Peter May, Linwood Barclay, Jeffrey Deaver, Lisa Gardner, Donna Leon, Lousie Penny, Phillip Margolin to name a few.
My favourite books from my recent past …
After finishing the Lewis Trilogy by Peter May as was recommended, I went looking for more books by Peter May. As we were about to venture out on our 3rd Cross-Canada trip hoping to include Magdalen Islands, I was thrilled to see that Peter May had a book called ‘Entry Island’ (which is part of the islands)! As it turned out, that was the extend of our experience on Magdalen Islands since we didn’t make it there after all.
I was thrilled, once again, early last year to find Peter May’s book ‘Lockdown’. How on earth did he get a book out about the pandemic so quickly? He had written it fifteen years ago but had been deemed unrealistic. What was even more amazing, was how accurately it mirrored the current day pandemic. What insight!
I read The Wedding Gift by Marlen Suyapa Bodden followed by Sycamore Row by John Grisham and Worthy Brown’s Daughter by Phillip Margolin. Each brought to light the realities of what perils black people face in a racist society.
The ‘Chief Inspector Armand Gamache’ series by Louise Penny provides hours of excitement. The setting is in Quebec, and while the town of Three Pines is fictitious, some of the places mentioned are real. Therefore, when we set out on our 2nd Cross-Canada trip, we found as many of the places as we could that had been mentioned in the books — following in Chief Inspector Armand Gamache’s footsteps, if you will.
I am not sure if my Scottish/Chinese heritage inspires my reading choices but Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See has come to be one of my favourite books. It is a heart-warming depiction of a friendship during extreme hardship.
Lincoln Rimes series and the Kathryn Dance series by Jeffrey Deaver are favourites not only because of the excellent writing but also because Deaver provides a so much information on a myriad of topics.
Although I have read various other excellent books and great authors, I only mention these that were off the top of my head. But, I should not leave without mentioning Inspector Rebus series by Ian Rankin. But I am sure all readers have already finished the series.
I leave you now with this picture of the most unique outhouses we have seen on any of our many trips and where, undoubtedly, much reading was done.
Next up … my favourite books from my distant past.