Author Archives: John Sloan

Patchett, Ann. Tom Lake. HarperCollins New York, 2023. F;10/23. I read this novel with great pleasure. Some people might find its pleasure a bit superficial because it’s very girly and very American. But the serious grit is snuck in through … Continue reading →

Escoffery, Jonathan. If I Survive You. McClelland and Stewart, Toronto, 2022. This is the last of the six Booker fiction shortlist I’ve read. I think it’s one of the better ones but frankly none of them in my opinion deserve … Continue reading →

Murray, Paul. The Bee Sting. Farrar Straus Giroux, New York, 2023. F;9/23. This long generally quite wonderfully-written book surprised me. It was one of six on the 2023 Booker Prize shortlist, and the last but one I’ve read. I’m not … Continue reading →

October 2023 This is a fine formal restaurant in the Vallegrande Nature Resort hotel, about 15 minutes south of the town of Cefalu on Sicily’s North Coast. The food was varied and beautifully prepared, the staff were charming and courteous … Continue reading →

Harding, Paul. This Other Eden. Goose Lane Additions, Fredericton, 2023. F; 09/23. This semi-historical tale is I think Paul Harding’s second novel, the first (Tinkers) won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. This one is short-listed for the Booker. I was … Continue reading →

Maroo, Chetna. Western Lane. Knopf Canada, Toronto, 2023. 09/23. This short novel is about Gopi, a young East Indian girl growing up in England and excelling at the sport of squash. It’s one of five on the 2023 Booker shortlist. … Continue reading →

Bernstein, Sarah. Study for Obedience. Knopf Canada, Toronto, 2023. F;10/23. This story is another one of the 2023 Booker short-list group. The author is Jewish, originally a Canadian from Montréal now living and teaching in Scotland. The story, which – … Continue reading →

McBride, James. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. Riverhead Penguin New York, 2023.F; 9/23. This is the second novel I’ve read by this author and it’s even better than Deacon King Kong, the first one. Mr. McBride has a Jewish … Continue reading →

September 2023. However debauched the little town of Cefalu we enjoyed in Sicily 14 years ago may have become, there are persisting charming little villages not far away. Castellobueno is one. My practice of identifying Michelin-named restaurants caught our attention … Continue reading →

La Siciliana, Cefalu Sicily, September 2023. This is one of the middle-of-the-road Sicilian eateries in this heavily touristy town. We had lunch here and it satisfied with its brisk cheerful service and a back terra-cotta courtyard nicely decorated and shaded … Continue reading →