Tuesday, May 12, 2009

I Now Have Time to Recommend Books!



It's rare for me to go and buy a brand new book. Usually I'll borrow from my parents' bookshelves, go to the library on a recommendation, or periodically browse my favourite used book shops. (She Said Boom on College St. often has new releases in excellent condition, at used prices!) But when I read an excerpt from Stacey May Fowles' Fear of Fighting this winter, I knew I had to have it.

Fowles, born in Scarborough, and currently living in Toronto, hones in on the nuances of relationships in an absolutely convincing and endearing way. Fear of Fighting brings up boyfriend-related scenarios and encounters that are utterly familiar, but her dialogue and descriptions are so hilarious, original and absurdly truthful:

'Before you know it, you go out for Chinese food and he’s ordering jelly fish salad and preserved pork just to piss you off. He asks you if you want green beans even though he knows you don’t like green beans, and when you remind him he says, “What kind of fucking person doesn’t like green beans?”'

The novel is packed with witty gems like these, some so true to life that it's astonishing - a collective Canadian female experience?? I invited a friend over for some wine, and the two of us read out loud to each other from this book. It was Saturday night, and the two of us were nearly in tears laughing at the genius of this author. Reading aloud...Canadian author...Saturday night....move over, Atwood!

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