I am going to try to describe these books to you. It’s going to be difficult because they had me wondering “What is happening?” on every other page. Despite that, these atmospheric and deeply human stories gave me some of the most haunting reading experiences I have ever had, making me forget to eat lunch, or even forget to get off the bus.
The unnamed narrator in Iain Reid’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things is on her way to meet her boyfriend’s parents for the first time. It is probably not the wisest move, since she is thinking of ending their relationship, a thought that makes her sad, seeing how much she enjoys talking to him. The end, however, is inevitable. There are things she is never going to be able to share with him, like the mysterious phone calls coming from inside the house every night. I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a profound exploration of human loneliness and a book that you will be compelled to re-read right after you finish.
After reading The Hike by Drew Magary, you may hesitate the next time you want to go for a walk. Ben is early for his business meeting so he takes a hike in the surrounding woods. A short excursion turns into a neverending nightmare when Ben comes upon two people wearing Rottweiler masks who may have just committed a murder. He tries to outrun them and becomes lost. The world around him is decidedly not the world he is from. Talking crabs, fighting crickets, creatures made of smoke, battles royale with giants and other horrors await Ben. All he wants is to go home and see his family, and to do that, he must follow the Path and find the Producer. The ending will stop your heart.
Jeremy works at a video store and he has been getting complaints from his regulars. They say the tapes have things spliced onto the original movies. Sure enough, he and owner Sarah Jane find what appear to be clips of someone’s home videos: hooded figures, writhing sacks, people running or just a few minutes of nothing except breathing noises. When Sarah Jane recognizes a barn in one of these unsettling clips, she decides to investigate. Universal Harvester by John Darnielle will engulf readers in the story’s underlying dread and the characters’ painful memories, and all you can do is curl up into a ball for days after finishing it.
The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley centres around a small community’s belief that one day, a miracle will occur. Every year, Hanny’s family, along with a small group of parishioners, visits the shrine at the Loney so Hanny can drink its water. As long as their faith is strong, they believe Hanny, who is mute and has a learning disability, will be cured. Their annual pilgrimage is jeopardized, however, when their longtime priest dies unexpectedly. Father Bernard, his replacement, is not getting it right. Then there’s the place itself, masterfully conjured in our minds by the author’s simple yet impeccable prose. Hanny’s brother describes it best: it has “too much time”. You helplessly watch as the Loney’s tides slowly wash away all the hopes and dreams of those who visit, and you will be left questioning what truth really is.
Looking for more books that will grab hold of you and refuse to let go? Visit your library.
A Good Read is a column by Tri-City librarians that is published on Wednesdays. Virginia McCreedy works at Port Moody Public Library.
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A little writing, a little reading
Coquitlam Public Library (CPL) is holding a Tiny Story Contest through July 14.
The story must be 420 characters or fewer — approximately one paragraph —with every letter, space and punctuation mark counted. The first 420-character stories were written by author Lou Beach as social networking site status updates. These stories were collected and published in a book called 420 Characters, which serves as inspiration for the Coquitlam library contest.
In the CPL contest, which is sponsored by The Tri-City News and open to residents of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore, or Belcarra, each entrant can submit up to three stories (entries already published, accepted or submitted elsewhere are ineligible).
Winners will be invited to read their stories on stage at the Kaleidoscope festival at Town Centre Park on Aug. 12 and winning stories will also appear on the library’s website, Facebook page and in The Tri-City News.
The Tiny Story Contest is free to enter and there are prizes to be won. For story samples and full contest rules, go to www.coqlibrary.ca/home/tiny-stories-contest.
