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Each week, Globe and Mail staffers and readers share what they’re reading now, whether it’s a hot new release or an old book they’re discovering for the first time. Tell me about a book you loved and we might publish your recommendation. Fill out this form, or send your book recommendation to Lara Pingue at [email protected]
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The Tyrnanny of Good Intentions.Amazon/Supplied
The Tyranny of Good Intentions, Jack Stillborn
I recently finished rereading The Tyranny of Good Intentions by Jack Stilborn, my beloved older brother. Fourteen years my elder, he’s always been my hero, and publishing his debut novel at age 77 makes him ever more so. This is a book about politics, drawing on Jack’s rich background in political science, but it’s also about second chances and finding hope in life’s unexpected passages. On the surface it’s essentially about a condo board – and how to get off it, once you’re on. Told with the same wit I recall from decades enjoying Jack’s storytelling around daily life, this is a title that makes me laugh out loud and think deeply about the systems underpinning our social networks. In particular, it makes me ponder my own experiences on committees, always hoping to extricate myself while engaging new members. Though I never actually ate fermented fish as a ploy. (Read the book to figure out what I’m talking about!)
–Globe reader Beverley Brenna, Saskatoon
In the Garden of Beasts, Erik Larson
I just read Eric Larson’s In the Garden of Beasts, a fascinating account of the rise of Hitler’s Germany from 1933 to 1939 as witnessed by the family of the American ambassador to Berlin. The parallels to Trump‘s America of 2025 are frightening: People grabbed from the streets, imprisoned and deported. Hitler’s Brownshirts, the Nazis paramilitary wing known for their brown uniforms, are the ICE of today. This book was published in 2011, but it could’ve been written by a New Yorker of today. It’s a good example of history repeating itself, and the fact that those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it. This book is highly recommended to remind us that we must be ever vigilant against evil.
–Globe reader JEM Young, Dundas, Ont.
Amazon/Supplied
Against the Grain: Defiant Giants Who Changed the World, Terry O’Reilly
It’s a challenge to find books that interest my husband, but after I read Against the Grain: Defiant Giants Who Changed the World, I knew he would enjoy it too. Written by CBC Radio host Terry O’Reilly, it’s a series of short stories about mavericks who went “against the grain” in their work and made breakthroughs. They include Dr. Katalin Kariko, the co-creator of the COVID vaccine, who was humiliated and dismissed her entire career; former mayor of Bogota Antanas Mockus, who used inventive methods to reduce violent crimes and traffic fatalities; and NHL coach Roger Neilson, who sports fans will remember for his various ingenious strategies.
–Globe reader Jeanette Hingst-Aishford, Canmore, Alta.
Amazon/Supplied
The News Was Better Then, Grant Ainsley
The News Was Better Then is a timely and thought-provoking examination of Canadian journalism, politics and media. Author Grant Ainsley, who had 50 years of experience in and around the news business, delivers snapshots of newsrooms and political backrooms. He offers a rare insider’s perspective on how the media has changed and what has been lost along the way. He also shares revealing encounters with figures ranging from Jean Chrétien to Wayne Gretzky to John Candy, connecting personal experiences with broader lessons about the media’s role in Canada.
–Globe reader Terry Jones, St. Albert, Alta.
All June Left Behind by Karen GroseSupplied
All June Left Behind, Karen Grose
Karen Grose’s Ontario-set mystery All June Left Behind tells the story of Ray, a quiet farmer still grieving his wife, who was killed in a botched robbery. But when Ray starts to question the events of that night, small details do not line up. Soon, he’s pulled into old family history, long-held secrets and questions that he’s avoided for years. The novel builds suspense through clever dialogue and uneasy turns. Ray’s determination and dry humour carry him through his quest to uncover the complicated truth about his wife, June. Touching on themes of love, aging and resilience, this novel is a good reminder of the solid Canadian storytelling that is coming from lesser-known writers.
–Globe reader Dave Tos, Toronto
Sons of TecumsehAmazon/Supplied
Sons of Tecumseh, Maurice Switzer
Maurice Switzer’s novel, Sons of Tecumseh, takes you on a historical-fiction journey spanning two centuries of First Nations’ political challenges. The story follows Peshu Butler, a direct descendant of Tecumseh, who has to come to the realization that some elected chiefs are willing to sell out their own people. Switzer does a wonderful job of connecting the past and present, showing that unity of all tribes is as important today as it was in 1812. I was encouraged by Switzer’s voice calling for equality of all First Nations citizens, whether living on or off reserves. His characters feel real and alive, provoking sympathy for their plight, encouraging further research into the many injustices endured by First Nations.
–Globe reader Denise Howe, Chisholm, Ont.
The Body in the ReefAmazon/Supplied
The Body in the Reef, C. Fitton
The Body in the Reef is the newest thriller from author C. Fitton, who also wrote the excellent Her Dead Boyfriend. Fitton’s latest story follows a couple who are intent on celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary on their newly restored boat, Seas the Day. But their plans change when another couple invite themselves along – and one of them has a secret. Fitton weaves together the characters’ flawed pasts. All carry a guilty conscience. None are innocent. And the thing they treasure most is at risk of being lost. The tension builds until the unexpected but fascinating ending. I highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy nail-biting thrillers with plenty of twists and turns.
–Globe reader Angela van Breemen, Loretto, Ont.
Friends of Promise: Cyril Connolly and the World of Horizon, Michael Sheldon
Can a man have a ‘good’ and productive war, even if he never wears a military uniform? This implicit question is answered in the affirmative in Michael Sheldon’s engaging and elegiac biography, Friends of Promise: Cyril Connolly and the World of Horizon. The book tells the story of late literary critic Connolly, who along with a crew of intellectuals including George Orwell, W.H. Auden and Arthur Koestler, produced the literary magazine Horizon amid the challenges of war. This stylish study is a timely reminder that in a dark time, fighting the forces of tyranny takes on many variegated forms and is often fought by the most eccentric of individuals.
–Globe reader Toby Zanin, Toronto
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