Library Loot

Once again Eva's weekly library loot post draws me in... she always finds so many great reads it is inspiring. Here are my finds this week:

The Earth hums in B Flat / Mari Strachan

Recommended by a number of bloggers, this first novel by Welsh writer Strachan takes place in Wales, and features a young girl as narrator. Gwennie is a bit odd; she's certain she flies at night, and she sees things she doesn't understand. Her innocence is not cutesy, rather her lack of knowledge of the adult world results in a plot in which she slowly chips away at the secrets her family holds. It sounds intriguing, and is set in a place I haven't read much about.

The Art of Salvage / Leona Theis

My first read for the Canadian Book Challenge, this one takes place in Saskatoon -- might as well start in my home province. :) It tells the story of Delorie, new to Saskatoon from a small town, and all that occurs after she becomes pregnant then gives the baby to her own mother to raise. According to the dictates of the day, she maintains an emotional distance from baby Amber. It's told in alternating sections from Delorie's and Amber's perspectives (though not in first person).

Spiderweb / Penelope Lively

Another book to feed my recent Penelope Lively fixation! This one features Stella Brentwood, retired anthropologist who retires to a small cottage in Somerset, only to discover that her new neighbourhood may be more difficult to understand than any of the societies she's studied over the years.

The Storyteller's Daughter / Cameron Dokey

An entry in the "Once Upon a Time" series, this YA retelling of the story of Sheherezad looks appealing. Out of all the authors who write for this series, Dokey is my favourite, and she always has something to say about the act of storytelling itself.

And, not a library book, but a book I purchased off the library's sale cart -- something I am very excited about as I didn't even know it existed -- Elizabeth Goudge's autobiography, The Joy of the Snow!! I love Elizabeth Goudge even is she is a bit "old fashioned" and I'm thrilled by this find. On first flip through there does look to be a chapter or two about her religious views but also a fair amount on the writing life so it should balance out. Plus she talks about all the houses she's lived in, something I find strangely fascinating.