The Long Mars (Book 3 of the Long Earth series)

by Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter

This, the third book in the ongoing series, expands on the future of humanity.  It's now the mid-21st century, a couple dozen years after Humanity discovers a means to travel to parallel Earths.  All are empty of intelligent life, so humans spread and settle onto thousands of worlds with plenty of space and plenty of resources.  Nations spread their influence over their equivalent lands.  But some worlds are dead, barren of life.  If that's true, is there a Mars that does host life?

Figure out how we got got in the first two books, The Long Earth and The Long War.

Your Voice In My Head

By Emma Forrest 

A beautifully written memoir about mental health and coming to terms with the death of the author’s well-loved psychiatrist (whose voice she still hears in her head). Forrest writes from a unique perspective as a young, successful writer living in New York who has ties to glamorous Hollywood. While sad at times this book is also full of wit and humour. One of my favourite books.

Christine

By Stephen King

A little gem hidden within the stacks.

Yes, I did pick this book because of the fact that my name is the title. I had no idea it was about a possessed car. Christine is the name of the 1958 Plymouth Fury that our lead character, Arnie, buys for a mere $250.00. There is a transformation in Arnie as he restores the car. His confidence increases while his social skills diminish. Christine is quite a sadistic and vengeful car. I didn't know that a car could become horrifying. Stephen King wrote this back in the early 1980’s but the story does not feel dated. I would recommend this title to anyone looking for a good horror title. 

Gluten for Punishment, a Baker’s Treat Mystery

By Nancy J. Parra

Being a celiac I just had to pick this one out of the stacks. Gluten for Punishment is about a woman, Toni, whom moves back to her hometown after her mother’s death.  A local wheat farmer is murdered and the number one suspect is Toni. My favorite character has to be Toni’s eccentric grandmother whom added a touch of levity when needed in this novel. I recommend this one to all the celiac, gluten intolerant and wheat eaters alike!

Historical Atlas of Vancouver and the Lower Fraser Valley

 by Derek Hayes

I have always been fascinated by local history and this book is one of my favorites.  Through old maps, advertisements and other historical publication, Hayes traces the development of the Lower Mainland, the roads, the borders, and even in some cases, the disapperance of lakes and creeks that once found home in our home region.

This is the most locally relevant of Derek Hayes' books, but I also recommend his Historical Atlas of the North American Railroad and America Discovered : a Historical Atlas of North American Exploration or really anything else he does.

Rogues

Rogues

A Short Story Collection
Edited by George R.R. Martin

This book is best summed up by Martin in the forward to this book: "everybody loves a rogue" - it's certainly true here. This collection features stories from a wide range of genres and authors, including some of my favourites: Patrick Rothfuss (The Name of the Wind), Scott Lynch (The Gentleman Bastard Sequence), Neil Gaiman, Matthew Hughes, and of course, George R.R. Martin himself.

My pick from this collection would definitely be Patrick Rothfuss' story, which features the fan-favourite rogue from the Kingkiller Chronicles, Bast. In it, we finally get to see just what Bast gets up to all day. But my other favourite was Gillian Flynn's - not an author I normally read, but her story was tense with some truly creepy twists.  This was perfect summer reading for me - a great variety of short, intriguing tales with an excellent gallery of amusing, clever rogues.