I have been a bookworm from an early age; every time there was a Scholastic book order or book fair at school my mom overindulged me. I spent summers devouring book after book. Even now my husband and I have five full bookcases and books squirrelled away elsewhere. When I first thought about doing a blog post about my favourite books I felt a sense of panic…which ones should I choose? How many books are too many for a “short list”? I am not quite sure how I managed this, but I was able to pick four from my extensive collection.
Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie
I am an Agatha Christie superfan. I have ALL of her novels and I watch ALL of the television adaptations of them. This particular novel was the first of her’s that I read; and it got me hooked. The setting which is described in painstaking detail transports you to Iraq. Christie’s meticulous crafting of the character of her Belgian detective will excite and intrigue you. In this 1936 Hercule Poirot mystery, Amy Leatheran realizes that there is something malevolent happening at an archaeological dig to Dr. Leidner’s wife, Louise. Louise has become plagued by awful hallucinations while tensions mount between members of the group. It is up to Poirot to figure it all out and prevent further devastation.
Coppermine by Keith Ross Leckie
This book was recommended to me by a former student of mine who was participating in a book club. She thought it would be right up my alley because it tells the tale of North West Mounted Police officer Creed and his interpreter, a Copper Inuit McAndrew who spend a year traversing the titled Arctic region to investigate the disappearance of two Catholic priests in 1913 and their eventual trip to Edmonton. I fell in love with this novel and couldn’t put it down. This novel has something for everyone: it has adventure, mystery; the twists and turns keep you turning the pages. Coppermine is based on true events and as a former Edmontonian, I couldn’t help but enjoy reading about Edmonton in the 1910s.
On the Map: A Mind Expanding Exploration of the Way the World Looks by Simon Garfield
This is definitely a throwback but I read this book and I LOVED it; so it is always on my list of MUST READS. I saw this novel featured on the Colbert Report years ago and as a Social Studies teacher it really fascinated me and made me think about maps and the world in a different way. The author took me, “on a journey outlining the history of maps from the early explorers’ maps and the awe-inspiring medieval Mappa Mundi to Google Maps and the satellite renderings on our smartphones, [he] explores the unique way that maps relate and realign our history—and reflect the best and worst of what makes us human,” (Garfield, 2013). I look forward to reading some of his other works such as Timekeepers (2016), Our Hidden Lives (2004) and Just My Type (2010).
Sanditon by Jane Austen and Kate Riordan
Jane Austen is one of my favourite authors and I read all of her novels by the time I was in grade 8. Recently on a trip to Indigo I saw this book and I knew that I must have it. I had no idea that there was an unfinished manuscript. And, I am so thrilled that it was finished (and of course turned into a mini-series on Masterpiece). Sanditon is set during the Regency era, the plot follows the young and naive Charlotte as she navigates the new seaside resort of Sanditon.