“The Blackhouse” by Peter May

 This book was a page turner for me, which is rare. I certainly didn’t expect repressed memories of sexual abuse to be the key to the whole plot. The descriptions of the Hebrides Island and customs were vivid but overly long. Towards the end, I was skimming them.

“Ghostwritten” by David Mitchell

 This is my least favourite of the books I have read by Mitchell. It is overly long, overly wordy, and confusing. It may have helped a bit if I had read the electronic version, because that would have enabled me to hyperlink back to characters who appeared in different “stories” within the novel. I think everything was cleverly linked together, but I eventually lost interest. I skimmed over the last section, which involved a NY DJ, and perhaps I missed a bit of the novel’s structure and meaning because of it. But I don’t really care. That last section was too abstract.

"When You are Engulfed in Flames" by David Sedaris

 As usual, this was an enjoyable set of essays by David Sedaris. I did have to look up his biography to understand the context of a few of the stories. In particular, I found out that he is gay, and lives with a partner who is from Africa.

“Night Gaunts and Other Tales of Suspense” by Joyce Carol Oates

 Another set typical of this author. She certainly does have a “sick” imagination. I enjoy the weirdness of her stories.