"spill simmer falter wither"

What a brilliant debut novel. It's not only beautifully written, it's a subtly woven story that takes its time to unfold. There's very little action and plot development, just a quiet story about a middle age man who adopts a misfit dog. The narrator's father has died and left his house to him. When his one-eyed dog bites a young boy, the two of them flee in his car. As they adventure around the country (presumably Ireland), he tells us about the long dead mother he never knew, and stories about his abusive father. About 3/4ths of the way through, the book takes a dark and unexpected turn. While I wasn't wild about the ending, I thoroughly enjoyed Ms Baume's wonderful prose. 

"Two Across"

Just a darn good read. I was looking for something a little bit different, and this was it. It's a story about two high school brains who meet at a spelling bee. The two of them end up tying, for the first time in the contest's history. It follows them in their lives, both together, and on their own. Vera, a mathematical genius decides to pursue an education while Stanley decides a life of deception is the right way to go for him. I thought the book was very well written and was refreshingly unpredictable. The only qualms I have about the book is the ending.While satisfactory, I found it to be a bit rushed. As if the author decided, enough is enough, time to wrap things up! Still, a very enjoyable read.