The First Read

I was going to suggest something, but being a Canadian I am very supportive of the authors from this region, so I am supporting the nomination of The Other Side of the Bridge. I actually adore Mary Lawson. Her first novel was Crow Lake. It came out a few years ago and my friend impulse bought it and loved it. Not being much for borrowing books from my friends, I have too many of my own to read, she insisted, so I sat down with this debut from a fellow Canadian. I enjoyed it so much that I went out and bought my own copy so I can reread it in the future.

Then, last year The Other Side of the Bridge came out, and both me and my friend were very excited to see what Mary Lawson had to offer for her second book. When an author comes out with a first book that is so good, you are always a bit worried about the second. Will it be better? Will it be worse? These thoughts were running through my head, but I read the book very soon after I received it in the mail and I quite enjoyed it. At the time, I probably had a clear idea of which book I liked better by her, but as I look back they were both wonderful reads.

Here is what I had to say about The Other Side of the Bridge when I read it last year: My review. Crow Lake was pre-blogging days.