Staff Reviews

by Max Brooks

If you like Zombies, chances are you'll love this book. This fictitious complilation of stories from before, during and after the zombie wars documents the global reaction to the outbreak of the walking dead. Told from the point of view of feral children, soldiers, scientists and almost any one else you can imagine, this is a book you can really sink your teeth into!

If you enjoy this, you might like The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks.

Reviewed by Anna

by Michael Chabon

This book came to me on the recommendation of a friend. I loved it. It has quickly earned a spot on my "favourite books of all time" list. The story is beautiful, and could appeal to so many people—WWII buffs, comic lovers, and anyone who enjoys a wonderfully written book with engaging plotlines and believable characters. The story follows the friendship of Joe Kavalier and his cousin Sam Clay, who meet when Joe seeks refuge from his Nazi-occupied home of Prague with Sam and his mother in New York City. Sam's love of comics and Joe's extraordinary drawing skills help foster a lifelong partnership between the two.

Reviewed by Beth

by Karen Connelly

The story centers around the daily life of a popular musician named Teza; a political prisoner in a Burmese solitary confinement cell. The setting is the late 1980's, when millions of people in the country protested against the brutality of their military dictatorship. Teza was imprisoned for the truthful lyrics in his songs. Despite his isolation, Teza has a profound influence on the people around him, and the character development is elegant and complex. Connelly is masterful in describing how the human spirit can endure and inspire, even while in the midst of widespread injustice and suffering.

If you enjoy this, you might like The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.

Reviewed by Cathy

by Neil Gaiman

What happens to a people's historic beliefs as they migrate to a new land that already has its own melting pot form of devotion? This is the premise behind Neil Gaiman's epic tale of old vs. new deities in his novel American Gods. Thoughtful, disturbing, hilarious and horrifying all at the same time, Neil weaves an intriguing tale full of adventure and deceit. The lead mortal character, Shadow, finds himself cast into the middle of an eternal battle between old world deities and new world idols. With a surprise ending sure to fool most everyone, American Gods was a good read full of ancient mythology that even hardcore fable seekers would have trouble recognizing.

If you enjoy this, you might like Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman.

Reviewed by Josiah

by Lee Hall

I consider Lee Hall's book a must-read for anyone who considers themselves an animal advocate. In some cases, this book served to justify or reinforce my opinions; in others, my eyes were opened. Lee tackles two major trends in the animal rights movement: animal welfarism and so-called direct action. For the former, Lee clearly explains why a movement based upon making concessions with animal-use industries serves to reinforce the very idea that non-human animals are commodities. For the latter, the book provides many examples of violent action backfiring and making societal evolution even harder to realise. Interesting parallels are also drawn between the two, with flaws shared equally by both. In Lee's book, the overall message is clear: change for the better has to come from a foundation of peace and respect, if not for the sake of our integrity then for the sake of true advancement in social ethics.

Reviewed by Niilo

by Robert Jordan

The Wheel of Time is a must read series for anyone into Science Fiction or Fantasy. The first book, The Eye of the World, opens up a doorway into the world that will span a dozen novels. We get to see the boy that starts to turn into a man in this opening novel. Robert Jordan writes in a clear style that doesn't require interpretation and allows you to be swept away into a world of magic, politics, and adventure.

If you enjoy this, you might like The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.

Reviewed by Meredith

by Vincent Lam

Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures follows the trials, tribulations and exhaustion of four medical students as they make their way through various aspects of the medical community and education. It's a quiet book about the internal struggles present in everyone, and how those struggles manifest themselves differently for different people, and the way people choose to deal (or not deal) with conflict. I would recommend this book, and very much enjoyed it.

If you enjoy this, you might like The Crazed by Ha Jin.

Reviewed by Beth

by Yann Martel

This capturing tale of Pi is a story about so many things, and yet nothing at the same time, resulting in one of the greatest reads I've had this year. Pi's family decides to move to Canada and along the way, the ship sinks, stranding Pi on a lifeboat with a tiger by the name of Richard Parker, and three other zoo animals. As Pi desperately searches for solutions to his situation, he and his feline companion manage to somehow form an uneasy truce, and then proceed to embark on a series of unforgettable adventures. Pi and Richard Parker by some means manage to over come the challenges of thirst and starvation without turning on each other and by the end of Pi's tribulation, his story seems so enthralling that as a reader you will refuse to believe it, so Pi decides to revise the story of his journey accordingly for the story’s much anticipated ending.

Reviewed by Amy

by Cormac McCarthy

In an ashen world cloaked in darkness, The Road tells the story of a man and his son making their way through post-apocalyptic North America. Enduring one horrific encounter after another, the father and son carry on down the road fighting for survival.

If you enjoy this, you might like The Stand by Stephen King.

Reviewed by Anna

by Heather O'Neill

A good friend of mine finished this book, and immediately mailed it to me the next day, because she knew I would love it. The book introduced me to Baby (it's her real name) early on, when she is eleven years old and moving from crummy apartment to crummier apartment with her father. At first I worried this would be another book where unspeakably terrible things happen to a child and she is forced to grow up too fast and endure. And in a sense, it is. But O'Neill's writing is so unusual and so childlike that it really feels as though all of these people, scenes and occurrences are being experienced as a child. There is an optimism and innocence throughout the book, and a sense of play, that really made me remember the secret world of imagination we occupy and childhood (and tend to lose somewhat in adulthood). While this book could have been forgettable as a story that is tragically told all too often, the writing is so strong and beautiful that I know I'll read it again, and watch for more from Heather O'Neill.

Reviewed by Beth

by David S. Platt

A near-essential book for anyone who works in high-tech or relies on software for their work or hobbies. Written to appeal to non-technical readers as well as programmers, this book explores how and why an easy and intuitive customer experience is often missing from software. Developers assume that the 'average user' is like him or her, when of course the average customer wouldn't use 1/100th of the features that a true techie would be interested in. Platt provides lots of great examples of the good, bad and very ugly from common companies such as Apple and Microsoft. And it is funny, which is an unexpected surprise for a computer book.

Reviewed by Hillary

by Nevil Shute

Do you ever wonder what you would do if you learned that you had six months to live? In a world destroyed by nuclear war, the characters in On The Beach live our their final months in Australia, the last surviving continent on Earth. Romance, desperate military missions, car races, this is a real-tear jerker and a classic for those who hold out hope to the bitter end.

If you enjoy this, you might like A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute.

Reviewed by Anna

by Zadie Smith

White Teeth is Zadie Smith's first novel, and that's why I'm recommending it; I think for a first novel it is absolutely tremendous. The characters of Samad and Archie and their families are so vivid and colourful, and occasionally so unlikely in their overlaps, but believable in the bonds of friendship and shared history that unite them. I really loved the book for the most part. My one complaint would be the length of the book. I found it branched off in so many places to so many other characters that in places I had a hard time keeping them all straight, and I think the story would have benefited from a stricter editor. That said, I finished it, and enjoyed it, and missed the characters once they weren’t a daily part of my life anymore. I will look for more Zadie Smith.

Reviewed by Beth

by Irvine Welsh

In this literary gem, Irvine Welsh (author of cult classic Trainspotting) takes the reader on a terrifying introspective journey using the broken colloquial that has become his signature. Chock-full of horrific imagery and symbolism, Welsh creates a disturbing nightmare that won't easily be forgotten.

If you enjoy this, you might like The Acid House by Irvine Welsh.

Reviewed by Anna