by Richard Yates
"Frank and April Wheeler, a bright young couple, are bored by the banalities of suburban life and long to be extraordinary. Frank and April's decision to change their lives for the better leads to betrayal and tragedy."An interesting and vivid snapshot of a suburban American couple that reminded me of The Great Gatsby. To start with their relationship sounds mundane, then uncomfortable, and finally immensely sad. It's testament to the quality of the writing that while I warmed to none of the characters I was still invested in their fate.
A Carnival of Snackery
by David Sedaris
"These diaries remind you that you once really hated George W. Bush, and that not too long ago, Donald Trump was just a harmless laughing stock, at least on French TV. Time marches on, and Sedaris, at his desk or on planes, in hotel dining rooms and odd Japanese inns, records it."Sister D gave me my first book by David Sedaris long ago, and I didn't like it - I thought he was cruel and made fun of people. I suppose he still is and does, but maybe I'm more in tune with his motivation, which is more to question than to cause harm. I like that he has a house in the UK and that he picks up litter as a hobby and hates Trump and loves his husband and family; I don't like his conspicuous and unnecessary consumption. He's earned the money though - his writing is good and entertaining and sometimes very funny.
A Clockwork Orange
by Anthony Burgess
"In this nightmare vision of the future where ultra-violent criminals take over after dark, the story is told by the central character, Alex, who talks in a brutal invented slang that brilliantly renders his and his friends' social pathology."Shockingly violent, this really wasn't the right choice for reading during a retreat. I got away with it because of the writer's device of using 'nadsat', a made-up language that serves to distance the reader from the reality of the action being described. I can't say I enjoyed the book, but I did admire the concept, and it was mercifully short.
Chocolat
by Joanne Harris
"In tiny Lansquenet, where nothing much has changed in a hundred years, beautiful newcomer Vianne Rocher and her exquisite chocolate shop arrive and instantly begin to play havoc with Lenten vows."This is one of those books that evokes the magic of food through all the senses, and in this case the food is chocolate. The story running alongside is also interesting, and slightly magical, and I enjoyed the experience despite having tasted so little chocolate for the last three months.
The Stand
by Stephen King
"First came the plague. Civilisation devastated by the death-dealing pestilence. Cities choked with rotting corpses. Stunned survivors emerged, immune to the plague. Then came the dreams. Dark dreams that warned of the coming of the dark man."Another book that isn't the right sort of leisure reading for a retreat, but I read it there anyway, and unlike A Clockwork Orange there was quite a bit to ponder in an existential way. But it's a long, long book and it could have told the story in fewer pages - I had higher expectations than I should, and while it was OK it wasn't exceptional.
How to Stop Time
by Matt Haig
"Tom Hazard has a dangerous secret. He may look like an ordinary 41-year-old, but owing to a rare condition, he's been alive for centuries. Tom has seen a lot, and now craves an ordinary life. The only thing Tom must not do is fall in love."I just didn't get into this book. Of course I finished it; I'll always finish a book unless it's too horrifying or impossibly badly written. But I never looked forward to finding out what happened next, and didn't care about the main character, and it's a shame because the premise had great potential.
Blackbeard: Buccaneer
by Ralph Delahaye Paine
narrated by B. J. Harrison
"The thrilling escapades of young Jack Cockrell, a spirited lad swept away by the allure of piracy during the early 18th century when notorious pirates like Blackbeard roamed the seas."It was OK. Probably not as good as Treasure Island or Robinson Crusoe, but it passed the time.