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August 25, 2016
Librairie Drawn & Quarterly Books of the Week - August 25, 2016
In the weekly Librairie Drawn & Quarterly Books of the Week, the Montreal bookstore recommends several new works of fiction, art books, periodicals, and comics.
Librairie Drawn & Quarterly is one of Montreal's premiere independent bookstores.
Behold the Dreamers
by Imbolo Imbue
Living in New York when the recession hit hard, Imbolo Mbue seized the opportunity of fresh unemployment to pen her first novel. It chronicles the impact of the financial crisis from the perspective of two Cameroonians, Jende and Neni, a young couple newly immigrated to America. At first dazzled by the sense of freedom in the air, from Obama’s presidency to knock-off designer bags, and Occupy, they soon become disillusioned by the failed promises of the American Dream. An all too real, compelling and tragic tale.
Golden Age
by Joan London
Joan London is one of Australia’s most acclaimed authors, and thanks to Europa Editions (yes, the same publishers who brought Elena Ferrante to North American readers!) her latest novel is available here as well. The story charts the lives of a family of Hungarian refugees who land in Australia during the exodus of WWII. The focal point is Frank, an almost 13 year old boy recovering from polio in a hospital for convalescents, who falls in love with fellow patient Elsa. London also thoroughly fleshes out the surrounding characters in the narrative, weaving a complex, rich portrayal of people struggling with the aftermath of war and displacement.
Lucky Peach #20: Cooks and Chefs III - Fine Dining
The theme of the third installment of quarterly food magazine Lucky Peach’s Cooks and Chefs issue is fine dining. The editors examine this somewhat slippery, ephemeral concept and look at the future of fine dining through interviews from some of the world’s best chefs, including Grant Achatz, Anita Lo, David Kinch, Rene Redzepi, to name but a few. Those who love it explain why it’s their calling, whereas others discuss their reasons for leaving the fine dining scene to pursue other culinary endeavours. All this, plus heaps of the high calibre recipes, cocktails, illustrations, photos and features you’d expect from the always on point Lucky Peach team.
They All Saw a Cat
by Brendan Wenzel
A charming picture book that does a fine job of representing subjectivity and perspective in a kid-accessible way. A housecat walks through the world and is seen by various creatures, while the reader gets to see the cat through the eyes of the beholders. For example, a human child perceives the cat as an adorable pet, whereas to a mouse it appears as a terrifying monster! While the cat itself stays the same, the wild variations in perspective transform it dramatically from page to page. They All Saw a Cat is equal parts philosophically and visually satisfying to read, and will surely be a good conversation starter with children.
Zoothérapie
by Catherine Lepage
From Éditions Somme Toute comes author-illustrator Catherine Lepage’s latest illustrated book: Zoothérapie is a sweet and poignant blend of sage advice and cute animals - a very complementary pairing indeed! What could be more encouraging than a sloth in a tracksuit reminding you to keep working towards positive change in your life? Guaranteed to lift your spirits, this is a self-help book we can get behind. Currently it is available only in French, but English speakers can also check out her recently translated previous book, Thin Slices of Anxiety, which is in a similar vein.
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other Librairie Drawn & Quarterly Books of the Week
Antiheroines (interviews with up and coming female comics artists)
Atomic Books Comics Preview (weekly new comics and graphic novel highlights)
Book Notes (authors create music playlists for their book)
guest book reviews
musician/author interviews
Note Books (musicians discuss literature)
Short Cuts (writers pair a song with their short story or essay)
WORD Bookstores Books of the Week (weekly new book highlights)
