Barney's Version, Mordecai Richler's last novel and a Giller Prize winner, is among the best by one of Canada's literary legends. Barny Panofsky is crude, rude, and disrespectful. Among the charges hurled at him: he murdered his best friend. Barney does not deny his undesirable traits, but he wants to set the record straight, to refute all of the lies and half-truths. However, his memory has become unreliable and he (and the reader) are not sure what to believe. He lashes out at various individuals and groups with a biting, sarcastic wit, a talent for which Richler is famous. This apologia/confession is well-written, entertaining, and very funny. It is sectioned by Barney's three marriages but, like Barney's mind, it constantly wanders. Many fully-realized, interesting characters (including a former member of the St. James United Church choir) appear and reappear, delighting and tormenting our hero. A really good read.

In 1869, a brutal triple murder in the Scottish highlands village of Culduie leads to the arrest of a seventeen-year-old crofter, Roderick Macrae. There is no question of Macrae's guilt, but it falls to the country's most eminent legal and psychiatric minds to uncover what drove him to his bloody deeds. The story ingeniously unfolds through a series of found documents, including police statements; Macrae's prison memoir; the account of a renowned psychiatrist; and a report of the trial compiled from contemporary newspapers. With its unusual form and fascinating, realistic historical setting, His Bloody Project skillfully explores social, political, and personal themes that blend seamlessly into the criminal investigation. A psychological thriller in the guise of non-fiction, this very fine novel was a Man Booker finalist.

On Beauty by renowned novelist/essayist/short story writer Zadie Smith pays homage to E. M. Forster's Howards End. Two black families, whose patriarchs are rivals, coexist uncomfortably in a predominantly white, liberal American academic community. The novel, which touches on difficult issues of race, class, and politics, was widely praised and honoured. We found a lot to discuss and, although some liked it, most agreed that it didn't hit the mark. Our main problem: most of the characters were selfish and unlikeable, prone to making dubious, self-destructive decisions. It was hard to care.

At an early age, Lucy Barton escaped from her poor, dysfunctional family and is now a successful writer who has married twice and has two daughters. While she is convalescing in hospital, her mother visits her. They chat and gossip, and Lucy silently recalls her lifelong struggle to find acceptance and love. This brief novel got mixed reviews from the club members. Some were deeply moved, others found they did not connect with Lucy. All agreed that there was much food for thought about how a childhood of poverty leaves its mark, family ties and marriage, and the bond between mother and daughter. It is well written and enhances Srout's reputation as a fine novelist.