Heather O'Neill

So since I'm in my Canadian book era, I decided to, I was just browsing the Canadian fiction section of the second bookstore I went to.

And I decided to finally pick up Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill.

This is a book that I have seen so many times.

It's one of those books that's everywhere.

So I know it's been out for a little while now.

And yeah, I don't know too much about this.

I just know that the main character is a 13 year old girl who is kind of like living on the streets almost, or she's kind of like facing the mean streets of whatever city she's in because her mom has passed away and her dad is a drug addict so that's kind of the vibe of this book it's like a hard-hitting um kind of spooky book but like a coming of age that i you think will ultimately probably hopefully be happy maybe um but yeah i've i've heard nothing but good things about this book and heather o'neill has written lots of books now so every time i see one i'm like oh i wonder if i would like her so i'm just excited to have one of her books finally so i can see what that's all about and then the last book i got is totally different from those other ones i've been talking about the har by david sodergren very very scary looking cover so i apologize it's a very spooky looking cover this is a horror book um by scottish author david sodergren so i don't know too much about this but i read the first like page of it at the bookstore and just knew I had to get it, so I'll read it to you now as well, just quickly.

Muriel Margaret Macaulay was 84 years old the first time she saw a man turned inside out by a sea monster.

I just talked to her last week.

Also Heather O'Neill, beloved, her mom, beloved Canadian writer.

So this is her debut and it's a graphic novel.

So can you tell us a little bit about what part of her life she's talking about here?

So what book was that?

So that was the Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill.

I can't believe I did not read this book when we were in university, like, when we were doing our MA or even when I was doing my honors because it came out, I believe it was 2006, 2007, somewhere around that time.

And I just was like, "How did I not read this before?" [laughs] Like, how is it that it's, like, in the year of our Lord, 2026, and I'm only just reading this book now? So unique.

I've never read anything like it before.

There are definitely parts of that book that will stick in my mind probably forever.

But w- what an amazing and singular voice that is Heather O'Neill.

And so really, really glad that I read that must read, and I would agree with you, Melissa.