David Alexander Robertson -- Night Table Recommendations by Events Winnipeg - Wednesday, Feb 09, 2011 at 1:39pm

Probably the best thing that's ever happened to me is a request to put forth a list of books I love. You see, making "Best Of" lists is one of my favourite things to do. In fact, I'd make a "Best Of" list of my "Best Of" lists. Before things get crazy, however, I'll stop and simply say that it's quite exciting to be able to share a list of favourites with people other than my family and friends, tired as I am of the constant comments dripping with sarcasm that go something like: "Oh, The Truman Show is one of your favourite movies?" or "Let me guess, Pearl Jam is on your list...", jabs that are immediately followed by jokes about Jim Carrey or having to see my children wear "Pearl Jam Sucks" t-shirts.

At the University of Winnipeg I had a Canadian Literature Professor who was also a literary critic and he was gracious enough to read my words, even after I finished his class (with a grade that will remain a mystery). Something he told me has stuck with me for years, dogging me to pick up a book: "If you want to get better at writing: Read." This is going to sound strange coming from a writer but I've never been a huge reader. Why? Well, I'd rather write than read I suppose. But despite this sad reality I have managed to get through my share of books over the years. Hopefully you'll find something you like.

Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce (Oxford University Press)

I've my mom to thank for this book. I read it for the first time when I was quite young and re-read it five or ten times afterwards. For a book I would suggest for teens and older children, this amazing piece of literature contains the emotional punch and complexity I love. The titular Tom has to leave home and stay with his Aunt and Uncle due to his brother's measles. Their flat doesn?t have a garden and, what's worse, Tom's been quarantined because he might be infectious. Sleepless at night due to inactivity, he hears the grandfather clock strike 13. Thus begins a beautiful coming-of-age tale that involves Tom discovering a garden in the backyard where there shouldn't be and a new friend called Hatty, who is the only one that can see him. Even more amazing, Hatty lives in another century entirely and each time Tom visits her it's at different times in Hatty's life. The concept of blending different times, and often out of sequence, to tell a story and create dramatic tension is a plot device I adore and incorporate often in my writing. I rarely see it executed more brilliantly than in this book. The final meeting between Tom and an elderly Hatty is indescribably moving.

In Search of April Raintree by Beatrice Mosionier (Portage & Main Press)

Few, if any books, have hit me as hard emotionally as this one. I love this book so much that one of my upcoming graphic novels, Sugar Falls, has a character named April in it. Beatrice Mosionier?s newest book, Come Walk With Me, serves as a fascinating explanation as to how April Raintree came to be written, and realizing that so much of it was based on her own life only makes it more powerful in my mind. It is a stunning meditation on the challenges Aboriginal youth face growing up in the foster care system: the disconnect from culture and subsequent shame felt toward their heritage, the neglect and abuse they experience, and this is all conveyed through the lives of two sisters, April and Cheryl Raintree. In Search of April Raintree is a challenging and painful story told through a voice that is simple, measured, passionate and direct, and it is with this voice the book finds great beauty in its characters? struggles. In the end, it is about perseverance and strength of spirit. If you have met Beatrice, you come to realize that she is, in every respect, the soul of the book. In Search of April Raintree is a vital piece of Canadian literature.

Green Grass, Running Water (HarperCollins Canada) and Medicine River (Penguin Group Canada) by Thomas King

It?s been over ten years since I read these two novels by Thomas King and I'm going to place them in a firm tie. I have long admired King's gifts as a storyteller and these are two novels that I breezed through, which is a rarity for me (my wife reads a chapter before I'm done a page). Green Grass, Running Water has an eclectic delivery in that it is a hybrid of theme and genre told in different sections by four very old Indians recently escaped from a mental hospital who descend upon a contemporary Blackfoot community. It is a breathless, multifaceted book of myth and satire. Medicine River is more of a simple story but no less entertaining. The story is told in a very real, conversational voice owned by the protagonist, Will Sampson. A homecoming story, where Will returns to Medicine River to bury his mother, Medicine River is an engaging and absorbing tale.

Microserfs, Girlfriend in a Coma (HarperCollins Publishers), and All Families are Psychotic (Random House) by Douglas Coupland

What I admire most about Coupland is his ability to describe life, be it through the way he looks at a room full of Lego blocks or how his characters converse with each other. I love imagery, always have. I challenge myself to take the mundane and make it beautiful. There is poetry in that. Coupland, I believe, is the best at doing that and infusing meditations on our culture into that imagery so seamlessly. You can get lost in most of his books and I've listed my favourite three of his here, the best being Microserfs in my humble opinion. The main characters live in Silicon valley and dream of Bill Gates-like success as they break off from Microsoft and start their own company (Oop!), all the while trying to find a life while they code 16 hours a day. Told via journal entries by the protagonist Dan Underwood, the story is funny, sharp and, mostly, touching as its heart rests within the relationship between Dan and his long dead brother Jed.

Elfquest Books 1-4 by Wendy & Richard Pini

I find it is appropriate as a graphic novelist that I include a graphic novel series in this list. I have read and enjoyed no graphic novel series more than the incredible Elfquest books (#1-4). Originally these four enormous graphic novels were released in smaller issues so they may be difficult to find, but if you can find them the payoff is huge. Elfquest tells the story of the Wolfriders and their journey to find others of their kind and, ultimately, their ancestors, the High Ones. Their journey brings them to distant relatives the Sun Folk, a peaceful community that lives across the desert, the Gliders, who dwell in a place called Blue Mountain, and the Go-Backs, who are pulled by the call of the High Ones and live in the snowy mountains achingly close to their original people. The books detail all the events that occur throughout the Wolfriders' journey in amazing detail, from the interactions between cultures and fully developed characters, perils they face (including a huge, gripping war at the climax of the series), and the longing for meaning that we all have. It is a complex, expansive, thoroughly engaging story that considers difficult issues such as mortality, sexuality and identity. I highly recommend it.

Almost made the cut: The Razor's Edge, The Killing Joke (graphic novel), The Lovely Bones, My Mama Says...(children's book), Outside Over There (children's book), Hearts in Atlantis (and, by the way, avoid the movies based on Bones and Atlantis).

So, there you have it folks. I hope you enjoyed my top five as much as I enjoyed writing it. My New Years Resolution is to read more and I would love to hear some suggestions from you, so feel free to drop me a line. While you?re at it, throw on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and "jam" out to Backspacer. Trust me!

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David Robertson wrote his first book, "The Bestest Poems I Ever Sawed," in grade 3. He received his BA in English from the University of Winnipeg. His realization that education could combat racism and sexism inspired him to write the graphic novel The Life of Helen Betty Osborne, published in 2008. He is the author of the first two volumes in the 7 Generations series (Stone and Scars), both of which are illustrated by Scott B. Henderson. David lives in Winnipeg with his wife and children, and works in the field of Aboriginal employment.

Categories: Reviews, Discussions, Authors, Night Table Recommendations

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