Victory City

By Salman Rushdie,

Book cover of Victory City

Book description

She will whisper an empire into existence - but all stories have a way of getting away from their creators . . .

'A total pleasure'
SUNDAY TIMES

'Shows once again why his work will always matter'
NEW YORK TIMES

'Rushdie still has the gift of alchemy'
FINANCIAL TIMES

In…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Victory City as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I rarely re-read books, but Salman Rushdie’s Victory City will be the exception. It is a feast of magic, humor, exotic locations, goddesses, dynastic conflict, and wars of conquest.

Love and betrayal, tolerance, and bigotry compete as the story travels through two and a half centuries of the life of one woman. Favored by a goddess, she becomes the creator of a great kingdom, speaks with the goddess’s voice, and carries her magic through her long life.

In recounting the rise and fall of Victory City, its heroes, and destroyers, Rushdie lays out a magic carpet ride for his readers.…

I’m embarrassed to admit that, despite all the accolades heaped upon him over the years, I’d never read anything by Salmon Rushdie, but reading Victory City made it clear that all those accolades were well-earned.

It’s a spellbinding mix of history and fantasy, emotional reality, and Indian mythology, written by an author who is a born storyteller, a sorcerer of the printed page.

This book touched me, delighted me, and awed me. A masterful, magical novel.

Empire in the Sand

By Shane Joseph,

Book cover of Empire in the Sand

Shane Joseph Author Of Empire in the Sand

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a writer for more than twenty years and have favored pursuing “truth in fiction” rather than “money in formula.” I also spent over thirty years in the corporate world and was exposed to many situations reminiscent of those described in my fiction and in these recommended books. While I support enterprise, “enlightened capitalism” is preferable to the bare-knuckle type we have today, and which seems to resurface whenever regulation weakens. I also find writing novels closer to my lived experience connects me intimately with readers who are looking for socio-political, realist literature.

Shane's book list on exposing corporate, political, and personal corruption

What is my book about?

Avery Mann, a retired pharmaceuticals executive, is in crisis.

His wife dies of cancer, his son’s marriage is on the rocks, his grandson is having a meltdown, and his good friend is a victim of the robocalls scandal that invades the Canadian federal election. Throw in a reckless fling with a former colleague, a fire that destroys his retirement property, and a rumour emerging that the drug he helped bring to market years ago may have been responsible for the death of his wife, and Avery’s life goes into freefall.

Does an octogenarian beekeeper living on Vancouver Island hold the key to Avery’s recovery, a man holding secrets that put lives in jeopardy? Avery races across the country to find out, with crooked bosses, politicians, and assassins on his tail. Joseph spins a cautionary tale of corporate and political greed that is endemic to our times.

Empire in the Sand

By Shane Joseph,

What is this book about?

Avery Mann, a retired pharmaceuticals executive, is in crisis. His wife dies of cancer, his son’s marriage is on the rocks, his grandson is having a meltdown, and his good friend is a victim of the robocalls scandal that invades the Canadian federal election.

Throw in a reckless fling with a former colleague, a fire that destroys his retirement property, and a rumour emerging that the drug he helped bring to market years ago may have been responsible for the death of his wife, and Avery’s life goes into freefall.

Does an octogenarian bee keeper living on Vancouver Island hold…


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