Three good ideas for books to put under the tree

Asbestos by Sébastien Dulude, published by La Peuplade

“My big favorite of the literary season which is really the first for me: Amiante by Sébastien Dulude, published by La Peuplade. It takes place in 1986 in a town that really exists, called Thetford Mines. It's a town with asbestos mines. It's a book that takes place in two parts, we will follow two young boys who are around six years old, and who will form a very strong friendship. I'm not going to reveal anything to you, but halfway through the book something happens that is both very serious and very important, which will give full scope to the second part, where we will find one of our main characters at the adolescence. He is in great pain. It's about adolescence. Sébastien Dulude's great strength is that he wrote poetry before, and still writes poetry, and the writing is just masterful. I remember, in my reading, having underlined entire passages because it is just extraordinary. He has a perception of the world that only poets can have, poets and poets of course.“

Howlsby Alma Katsu published by Sonatines

“It's a horror western. It starts from a historical news item, a convoy of pioneers in 1846 who want to reach California and which is led by a gentleman called Richard Donner. It turns out that this gentleman absolutely wants to take a shortcut and something that everyone advises him against. But this shortcut will prove fatal. Alma Katsu uses it so that, when they take this shortcut, very strange things happen since some people during the convoy turn into murderous psychopaths (…). I devoured the book. I can't say that I was afraid but in any case I wanted to know, I wanted to continue with them, I wanted to go to the end and so I really loved the book. I found it rather well written as well. No but it's interesting, a horror western can be offered to lots of people who are a little open to thriller fans for example.“

The Diary of a Shipwrecked Mande Gozz, at Vega-Dupuis (BD)

“It's one of the most original comics of this end of year called The Diary of a Shipwrecked Man. It's drawn by Gozz. If I'm not mistaken, Gozz is Japanese, he has an account on Insta. It's a full page like that, the text of the narrator who is a little guy who is shipwrecked on an island and who doesn't know why he is there, who doesn't know where he is going and that he must survive. And so each time, he tells us about his day, it's his diary. And so we have a whole ecosystem which is cut into pieces and it turns out that on this island there is probably a monster, also a lost civilization but I don't want to say too much so that you can discover that. It's a comic that is completely incredible. I think it's really the most original thing I've read in quite some time..”

More details in the video:

The full transcript of the show:

Hello everyone, welcome to your show 6 minutes flat, the daily meeting of the Lyon Capitale editorial team today. We are going to present to you the three favorites of the Bookseller, three books to put under the tree, to offer, three gift ideas finally for the end of year celebrations. These are the three favorites of Olivier Paulais who is a bookseller at La Virevolte, it is in Lyon 5, it is very close to Saint-Paul station, the address is 4 rue Octavio-Mey. Thank you for coming to our set. Thank you for having me. So first of all, what is your first favorite for these holidays? What do you recommend to us?

There is my very big favorite of the literary season which is really the first for me: Asbestos by Sébastien Dulude, published by La Peuplade. It takes place in 1986 in a town that really exists, called Thetford Mines. It's a town with asbestos mines. It's a book that takes place in two parts, we will follow two young boys who are around six years old, and who will form a very strong friendship. I'm not going to reveal anything to you, but halfway through the book something happens that is both very serious and very important, which will give full scope to the second part, where we will find one of our main characters at the adolescence. He is in great pain. It's about adolescence. Sébastien Dulude's great strength is that he wrote poetry before, and still writes poetry, and the writing is just masterful. I remember, in my reading, having underlined entire passages because it is just extraordinary. He has a perception of the world that only poets can have, poets of course.

Who can we give this to?

I'm thinking of people who are already somewhat interested in literature, who are rather fond of somewhat elaborate writing, with somewhat complex images.

Experienced reader?

We can say that, otherwise, despite everything, I still recommend it to almost everyone at the bookstore, and probably the feedback is still very, very positive.

Very good, it was Amiante by Sébastien Dulude, published by La Peuplade, we move on to the second favorite.

So this is Alma Katsu. Quite honestly, I didn't know it, it's published by Sonatines and it's called Hurlements. The little catchphrase that makes me laugh a lot is: “You’re all going to die…”. It's a horror western. It starts from a historical news item, a convoy of pioneers in 1846 who want to reach California and which is led by a gentleman called Richard Donner. It turns out that this gentleman absolutely wants to take a shortcut and something that everyone advises him against. But this shortcut will prove fatal. Alma Katsu uses this so that when they take this shortcut, very strange things happen since some people during the convoy turn into murderous psychopaths.

Is there anything paranormal?

Yes there is the paranormal. I can't say anything because it happens halfway through the book. That's why I found the book really good because if it had only been horror I think I would have gotten bored quickly. There is also a description of the pioneer community which is extremely well done, as well as Christians. It's 1800 and beyond so they're all at the extreme. The only answer for them is God, even when that is not the right answer. There are also women in these convoys and she gives these women a place which is really very nice.

And is that scary?

In any case, I devoured the book. I can't say that I was afraid but in any case I wanted to know, I wanted to continue with them, I wanted to go to the end and so I really loved the book. I found it rather well written as well. No but it's interesting, a horror western can be offered to lots of people who are a little open to thriller fans for example.

We therefore retain Hurlements in the plural by Alma Katsu published by Sonatine. Absolutely, so the latest favorite is a comic book.

It's one of the most original of this end of year called The Diary of a Castaway. It's drawn by Gozz. If I'm not mistaken, Gozz is Japanese, he has an account on Insta. It's a full page like that, the text of the narrator who is a little guy who is shipwrecked on an island and who doesn't know why he is there, who doesn't know where he is going and that he must survive. And so each time, he tells us about his day, it's his diary. And so we have a whole ecosystem which is cut into pieces and it turns out that on this island there is probably a monster, also a lost civilization but I don't want to say too much so that you can discover that. And at first I thought that, as I told you in my twenties, that it was a documentary for children.

Yes it sounds childish but not at all.

And actually not at all and it's a comic that is completely incredible. In addition, at the end we have around fifteen pages on the entire ecosystem of the island which is extremely well thought out. I think it's really the most original thing I've read in quite some time.

These will therefore be the bookseller’s three favorites, thank you very much Olivier Paulais. We can find you, I remind you, at 4 rue Octavio Mey at the La Virevolte bookstore next to Saint-Paul station. Merry Christmas to everyone and have a good day.