Rima Hammoudi

Follow your plot. Stick to your puns.

[trustyoureditor]

My latest trip to London left me with this beautiful stack of paperbacks. The city is pegged with some of the most incredible books stores, both old and new, dusty and primed. What stood out most was how so very in love the book sellers were with literature and books and the overall grind of being a public service. That’s not to say that book sellers here in Canada don’t have the same thumpity thump in their hearts, but I gotta say, there is something so different about London. Somehow their selection of books, the layout even, was unlike anything I’d ever seen. Maybe in a city with so much rain means they’ve mastered the art of staying indoors. 

#londonbookhaul 

[trustyoureditor]

In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway, 1924.

[trustyoureditor]

The love I have for this man is on tap, bottomless. 

[trustyoureditor]

I came across this Baker title at a used book sale at school yesterday. I already own a copy of the book (which I hadn’t even gotten around to reading yet) but I loved this cover edition so much that I opted to spring the $3. I’m only 10 pages in (the excessive footnotes make for a super slow (but very fun) read) and am already totally smitten with the way this dude writes. The story is great so far, but what’s really incredible is the way Baker nails description. The tiniest details are so well written that you kind of can’t help but re-read certain lines in total awe of his craft. For any writers looking to get schooled, this here is the perfect joint to start with. Top shelf.

[trustyoureditor]

Me and my buddy started a two-person book club focused on detective/hard case crime/mystery novels, a genre I haven't really delved into. We sat down over coffee, eggs, and a list of about 100 books that we hodgepodged from a bunch of “Must Read” compilations. It turns out a list of 100 books would make even the keenest bookworm jump off a cliff, so we shaved it down to a feasible 5, the perfect single-digit number for any starter project. 

Neither of us have read any of these books, some of which I’m kind of skeptical about, but still mostly excited to dive in to: 1. The Killer Inside Me, Jim Thompson 2. Eight Million Ways to Die by Lawrence Block 3. The Galton Case by Ross MacDonald 4. No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy 5. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John Le Carré I’ve already finished the Thompson joint, which was actually a little creepy but overall a pretty fun read. The narrator, Lou Ford, lives in his own world, so following a sequence of events from his deranged perspective is a bit of a thrill. Not sure I would pick up another one of his books though, and I’m hoping the other 4 dish out more of a ride. 

I never would've pegged myself as the book club type, let alone a hard case crime one. But here I am, and there you have it. Also, this book club is totally inclusive, so anyone who wants to join can hop on. No initiation fees! No administrative costs! And we won't ask you how you acquired your books (by thievery or purchase is up to you!) If you want to share thoughts or criticisms, please do. We'd love to hear what you all think. 

[trustyoureditor]

A lot of the people who come over to my place, even friends who've known me since we were up-to-no-good kids, make some sort of comment about the amount of books I own. Something like, "Have you actually read all of these?" or "Where do I put my coffee?" are typical questions, which in turn are usually met with earnest responses like, "Not all, but most" and "On your lap." My buddy Gino (@rideordiesmokenfly) is no exception to this, so when we were on a train a few weeks back chatting up books he was stunned to learn that I hadn't read To Kill a Mockingbird, and happily smug that he'd read something I hadn't. There's no reason for not having read Lee's classic yet other than it wasn't mandatory reading in the super sketchy public high school that I went to (and I'm sticking to that same alibi for Lord of the Flies and Nineteen Eighty Four). I just figured I'll get to it eventually, along with the other hundred books slotted in my mental tbr list. But Gino upped the ante yesterday when he came over to help paint my apartment (what a champ) and gifted me this perfect paperback copy (this guy, man). I have a trip coming up soon and this definitely just won top spot for my airplane reading. Classics in the air. Plus, I'll bring the Rima-Gino reading ratio back to where it should be. I'm actually really excited to dig into it. I've only ever heard great things.

Top cover illustration by Kristiina Seppä.

Bottom cover illustration by Dominic Chung.

[trustyoureditor]

[trustyoureditor]

Mega love for all three editions of Heather O’Neill’s latest collection of short stories. Also, Daydreams of Angels is a killer title. 

[trustyoureditor]

[trustyoureditor]

[trustyoureditor]

[trustyoureditor]

[trustyoureditor]

“Sometimes I see something so moving I know I’m not supposed to linger. See it and leave. If you stay too long, you wear out the wordless shock. Love it and trust it and leave.” -Don DeLillo

[trustyoureditor]

[trustyoureditor]

[trustyoureditor]

[trustyoureditor]

Likely one of the best books of the millennium, an adventure so exciting you get transported into the minds and bodies of those two boys, thrilled by the prospect of what could be. 

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon - book design by Jasmine Corrie.