Foe reads very much like a Black Mirror or Twilight Zone episode or maybe a Philip K Dick short story. If you’ve read a lot of speculative fiction or watched a lot of classic science fiction, the ending may not be a huge shock to you, but the story is no less powerful for that. Reid writes beautifully, and his spare style works very well for this reflective, quietly disquieting tale.

Junior and Hen are having a quiet evening in their remote farmhouse when a stranger comes up to the door and tells Junior he’s been selected by random lottery to travel to space. The stranger, Terrance, will help prepare Junior for the journey, and will also make arrangements so his wife won’t feel so alone while he’s gone. As Terrance begins recording every aspect of Junior’s physical appearance and everyday habits, Junior begins to fear that arrangements are being made to take over his life. Worse, Hen seems to be drawing further away from him, and more welcoming of whatever it is Terrance is doing than Junior feels comfortable with.

I loved this novel. It does raise the usual science fiction / speculative fiction questions about personhood and identity: who are we really? What makes us human? Is the essence of our humanity something that we can eventually manufacture? What if something happens that throws doubt on everything we know is true?

But for me, the power of this story is in the questions it raises about love and relationships. The story is told through Junior’s perspective, and his storyline is certainly thought-provoking and emotionally resonant in many ways, but Hen’s story also really stood out for me. I love the subtlety in which Reid explores the complex gamut of her emotions, from the little niggling things that dissatisfy her about the current state of her life and her relationship with Junior to the flashes of affection when she realizes — seemingly to her surprise — how much she loves her husband. I absolutely love the way her story turns out, and the ending of the book made me so incredibly happy for her.

Equally masterful to me is the promotional letter that accompanied my copy of this book, which is probably the most intriguing letter from a publisher I’ve ever received as a book blogger. The excerpt that hooked me is as follows:

Foe is a master class in writerly tightrope walking. Iain places realistic characters in hyperreal situations and then increases the pressure higher and higher, while at the same time taking away all conventions, tricks, and devices a reader recognizes from the literary world.

• How does a writer make an engrossing thriller with no thrills, a horror story with no violence, science fiction with no science?
• How is a book about outer space paradoxically about confinement?
• How can a writer give readers exactly what they want but simultaneously take away everything familiar from them?

Foe is a literary high dive. It’s a book about alienation and belonging, outer space and inner space, individuality and conformity. It’s about whether you or I or all of us could ever be replaced.

[Letter to reviewers from Nita Pronovost, Vice President, Editorial Director, Simon & Schuster Canada. Dated May 1, 2018.]

The letter raised my expectations for Foe sky-high, and the book didn’t disappoint.

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Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Lucy hits her head after slipping on a patch of ice, she wakes up in the hospital with a condition known as “honest lying.” Unlike amnesia, where you completely forget portions of your past, honest lying means you remember everything. The only problem is, you have no way of knowing which of your memories are real, and which aren’t — even the false memories feel absolutely real.

So when Lucy wakes up and sees Matt at her bedside, she remembers him only as a work colleague, even though he and her family claim he’s been her boyfriend for years. She also learns that Daniel, the man she believes is her husband, is actually someone she broke up with right before their wedding — for reasons none of her friends and family know — and hasn’t spoken to since.

The Life Lucy Knew is a moving, heartbreaking tale, about a woman trying to return to a life she doesn’t remember, and forget about a life she never really had. I love that Brown explores not just the impact of the accident on Lucy, but also on the people around her.I absolutely fell in love with Matt, and his steadfast, gentle love. My heart broke for him each time he tried to get Lucy to remember their love for each other, and yet I could also sympathize with the reasons Lucy recoils from his touch. There’s a particularly heartbreaking moment where Matt goes to great lengths to recreate a romantic moment, only for Lucy to realize that she remembers every detail, but in her memory, it had all happened with Daniel. I was so in love with their love story, and I love how Brown shows all the nuance and emotions and tenderness that comes with a relationship that’s stood the test of time.

There’s a bit of a quasi-love triangle, as Lucy gets the chance to reconnect with Daniel, and also a minor subplot around Lucy’s return to work, but for me, it was Matt and Lucy’s story that kept me turning the page. The one minor snag for me is that I felt the ending cut to black right before the most dramatic moment, and while we eventually find out what happens, I would have loved to see that play out in real time.

Overall, it’s a beautiful story. I’m so glad I met the author at a Harper Collins Canada event, and learned about this book. I’m also going to be extra careful in walking around in winter, because seriously, this honest lying thing sounds terrifying.

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Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After reading Bella Figura, I prepared myself a dinner of pasta with olive oil and fresh basil. Kamin Mohammadi’s book will make you want to drop everything, move to Florence and live life la bella figura, just as she had. She paints such an absolutely breathtaking picture of the city and the lifestyle she had while living there that you simply can’t help but wish you were living this life right along with her.

According to Luigo, the bartender Kamin befriends in Florence, ‘bella figura’ simply means making everything look as nice as possible. So even if you’re making dinner only for yourself, treat yourself to some linen napkins and a glass of quality wine. Even if you’re only going to the grocery store, put on a beautiful dress and some lipstick. Even if you live alone, surround yourself with beautiful furniture and keep your apartment tidy. Living with a ‘bella figura’ mindset means living beautifully for no one else but yourself.

Mohammadi sets the stage for her book by talking about her lifestyle in London, which sounds pretty dreary and feels depressingly familiar. Work, walk fast to get to where you need to be, get coffee on the go, and so on. Mohammadi writes about how she goes on one fad diet and workout plan after another, and yet still manages to gain weight and get acne.

When she loses her job, she decides to move to Florence for a year to work on a book. I’m sure the reality of having to live off savings for so long isn’t as idyllic as this book makes it sound, but overall, I think she receives some really good advice that we’d do well to keep in mind even while in our real lives. Some examples include:

• Walk slow. Why be always in a hurry?
• Don’t take your coffee to go. Actually sit down in the cafe and enjoy your cup.
• Buy best quality olive oil, even if that means you can only afford a smaller bottle.

Mohammadi closes her book with a list of such advice, and oddly enough, the list feels a bit reductive. I think so much of the experience of reading this book comes from taking the journey along with Mohammadi, and cannot be distilled into a bullet point list.

Mohammadi also talks about the men she dates in Italy. I love the man she eventually ends up with, and while some of the men she dated broke her heart, they still made for interesting stories, and all added to her experiences of the place.

Bella Figura is such a beautiful, wonderful book. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a break from the bustle of urban professional life. Mohammadi also includes some truly delicious sounding recipes in the book, so I’d recommend trying them out for yourself.

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Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.