BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

Where is reading taking you today? I am in high school - my former best friend isn't talking to me after a party in the summer where something happened, my sister has an eating disorder, the weird angry kid at school is somewhat intriguing and there may be more to him than first appears. Typical teenage angsty stuff. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Where is reading taking you today? Leave a comment, write a post, spread the word.

BOOK: December Heat by Luiz Alfredo Garcia- Roza

December Heat by Luiz Alfredo Garcia- Roza, 273 pages

Latin American Challenge: Brazil; Orbis Terrarum Challenge

December in Brazil is hot and the area of Rio de Janeiro called Copacabana is the scene of a murder. A retired cop's hooker girlfriend is found tied up and suffocated in her apartment. The cop, unfortunately, was so drunk he has amnesia and can't remember anything about the night. Inspector Espinoza in his second book, is called in as an old friend of the retired cop to solve the crime. Connected to the crime is a lost wallet, found by a street kid, and the chase to find the missing wallet.

I liked Espinoza as a main character and the local of Brazil was great. I felt I was sitting in a restaurant on the street of Rio at midnight watching the scenery. Espinoza is a educated, literary cop reading Lord Jim to clear his mind. Like most literary cops, he has no family but women are drawn to him despite his dark aura. There are chases and guns and violence and sex - everything a good mystery needs. There are several books in this series, unfortunately I started with the second book. I like to read a series in order, but there was no reference to his first case so it didn't matter that much.

BOOK: Looking for Alaska by John Green

Looking for Alaska by John Green, 221 pages

dewey's books, young adult

Very good book about friendships, and death, and the great beyond, if there is one. Miles goes to boarding school in Alabama and makes his first real friends, falls in love, smokes, drinks, and pulls pranks. This makes is sound like a frat house, and in a way it is but the story is much deeper and tells bigger truths about friendship and guilt.

It always shocked me when I realized that I wasn't the only person in the world who thought and felt such strange and awful things.

If only we could see the endless string of consequences that result from our smallest actions.

It's the kind of book I would have loved, and read and reread as a teenager, with a feel of The Outsiders by SE Hinton. The characters are not the popular kids but they have their own circle and friendships and they are not concerned with doing what is expected or good. Lots of literary references as the characters are smart and read a lot.

CHALLENGE: Once Upon a Time III

It's baaack! Carl is hosting the 'most looked forward to' challenge of the season in the blogosphere. Last year I discovered that this is not my most favorite genre, but I'm sure there are still a few books that will grab my attention in the fantasy, folk, myth, or fairy tale section.

from Carl's site (I had to include the Einstein quote):

“The gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge.”
~Albert Einstein

fan⋅ta⋅sy: a genre that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting.(Wiki)

fairy tale: a fictional story that may feature folkloric characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and talking animals, and usually enchantments, often involving a far-fetched sequence of events. (Wiki)

folk⋅lore: the traditional beliefs, legends, customs, etc., of a people; lore of a people; The traditional beliefs, myths, tales, and practices of a people, transmitted orally. (Dictionary dot com)

my⋅thol⋅o⋅gy: a body of myths, as that of a particular people or that relating to a particular person; a set of stories, traditions, or beliefs associated with a particular group or the history of an event, arising naturally or deliberately fostered. (Dictionary dot com)

I am only going to commit to 'the journey' this year, and then if I read more, it will feel like I've gone about and beyond, instead of stressing that I haven't got my list completed. There are more options or quests to be found on Carl's site and a place to sign up. Thanks for hosting Carl!



This is really as simple as the name implies. It means you are participating, but not committing yourself to any specific number of books. All reading is a journey, perhaps none more so than reading fantastical fiction. By signing up for The Journey you are agreeing to at least read one book within one of the four categories during March 21st to June 20th period. Just one book. If you choose to read more, fantastic! If not, then we have still had the pleasure of your company during this three month reading journey and hopefully you have read a great book, met some interesting people, and enjoyed the various activities that occur during the challenge. It has always been of utmost importance to me that the challenges that I host be all about experiencing enjoyable literature and sharing it with others. I want you to participate. Hence, The Journey.

Possible books:
1. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
2. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
3. Skellig by David Almond

maybe another year:
4. Enna Burning by Shannon Hale
5. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
6. The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde
7. When Twilight Burns by Colleen Gleason

BOOK: The People of Sparks by Jeanne Duprau

The People of Sparks by Jeanne Duprau, 338 pages

young adult, It's the End of the World II, book 2 of a trilogy +1


If you haven't read The City of Ember, much of this review won't make any sense, or it may give away major plot points. Go back and read The City of Ember if you like young Young Adult or like dystopian, post-Apocalyptic fiction, especially if you are looking for titles for It's the End of the World Challenge II.

When Lina and Doon emerged from the City of Ember the adventure was just beginning. This book gives a look at what was going on in the world while they were in Ember. The major theme here is war, and how it starts, and how difficult it can be to avoid. the author sets up a situation where neither side is right, or wrong, just different and it makes it hard for the reader to take sides and allows you to see that each side has their justified reasons for thinking the way they do.

I thought this was a great little book for kids - my 11 year old son liked it, and was enjoyable for me too. It's not an adult book but it was nicely done for young teens and preteens. There is lots of fun for modern readers as the roamers scavenge for artifacts in destroyed towns, finding things like an ancient bird statue, painted pink that appears to be standing on one leg.

The next book in the series, The Prophet of Yonwood, is actually a prequel to the first book that sets up the situation. The last book, The Diamond of Darkwood, continues after The People of Sparks.

BLOGGING EVENT: Midweek Morsels

I've been wanting to participate in Kristina's Midweek Morsels for a while now and finally got my act together. I tried this first last year on St Patrick's Day at my aunt's party, and then made several batches to get through the hot summer evenings. Ymmm!

St. Patrick’s Day Lime Slush

1 12-oz.can frozen lemonade concentrate

1 12-oz. can frozen limeade concentrate

2 cups vodka (or more if you like)

2 cups sugar (I used closer to 1 C on subsequent batches)

7-Up

Mix concentrates, vodka and sugar with 9 cups water in freezer container. Freeze until slushy. Stir soda into each serving. (I used Lime Rickey for a deeper green color for St Patrick's Day party).

BOOK: Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indridason

Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indridason, 344 pages
translated by Bernard Scudder and Victoria Cribb

in the pub '09; Orbis Terrarum: Iceland

continuing mystery series review questions:

Give a brief summary of the book:
A young Thai boy has been found stabbed on the playground. Erlunder, Elinborg and Sigurdur Oli investigate, looking into possible racial motives. Erlunder has another missing person investigation, his personal interest, he is also working on.

Likes?
The mystery was good. We really are a part of the detectives investigation in this book and only get to know what they know, making this a real police procedural. The story moves along pretty quickly as the police follow one clue after another. There was lots of discussion about immigration in Iceland and the attitudes and prejudices that can happen. I think in some ways I can identify with the Icelanders; living on an island really isolates a place and on PEI we deal with some of the same type of issues in terms of culture and 'the Island way of life.' Also, the extreme weather can shape a people. I'm not saying that our weather is as bad but it helps to define culture and people. The weather is lack of sunlight is a real part of the atmosphere in these stories.

I really like the three main characters and their ongoing stories. I can't say much about that, but Erlundur is slowly, oh so slowly, growing and becoming more socially aware of the people around him. There is more development in the possible mystery surrounding his brother's death when they were children.

Dislikes?
Not much to add here. When you get a good mystery series going it's like good times with old friends, so you don't really notice any of their faults.
I dislike that there is only one more book, after Hypothermia which according to Wikipedia, will be published in 2009, left to be translated.

Additional Thoughts:
I noticed the dedication was to Bernard Scudder, the translator who died in 2008, hence the two names for translation. That's really sad, because I would imagine the translator of a series greatly contributes to the atmosphere and tone and overall impression of the books. The fact that Indridason dedicated this newest translation speaks to the respect and appreciation that he must have felt to Scudder for his translations.

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

It's the March Break from school here in my part of the world. The two older kids and I went downhill skiing today. The eleven year old went with school and has been dying to get back. I skied once, when I was sixteen, which is a long, hilarious story that I can tell, but I don't look very good or coordinated. (It involves taking 2 hours to get down one hill mountain) Today was absolutely beautiful; I took lessons with my daughter and then she was free to ski with my son for the afternoon. I stuck to the bunny hill after one trip up the chair lift and can proudly proclaim I am the slowest skier ever. But I had control and fun. I will be sore tomorrow. Before you think I am very brave, remember I live on Prince Edward Island which is barely above sea level and is characterized by gently rolling hills. There is a bit of a hill in the middle of the province that we can ski on.

I am hoping to read lots on this break, and managed to find a lovely spot in the sun in the lodge after I stopped skiing. (People who don't exercise very often should take it easy when attempting new sports.) I am back in Iceland, investigating the death of a ten year old Thai boy found stabbed in a playground. This should bring back even more memories of Erlunder's dead brother from when he was a youngster. (Arctic Chill by Arnulder Indridason)

And Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Old Gaelic Blessing
May those who love us, love us
And those who don't, may God turn their hearts;
and if He doesn't turn their hearts,
may He turn their ankles
so we'll know them by their limping

Where is reading taking you today? Leave a comment, write a post, spread the word.

BOOK: Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively

Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively, 208 pages

Celebrate the Author; Booker Prize Winner; Orbis Terrarum: Egypt

Penelope Lively was born in Egypt on March 17, 1933 and spent her childhood there before moving to England. She uses some of her experiences for this book, a Man Booker winner from 1987, which covers the life of Claudia Hampton as she remembers her life from her hospital bed.

Claudia was a war reporter stationed in Egypt during the second world war. It's hard to recap her life because Claudia herself tells her story in a nonlinear fashion, as important parts come to her. I liked how Lively did this, and the jumping around in time, and perspective, should be more confusing than it was, but I found it enjoyable. The major theme of the book is that history is all about perspective and point of view. This gets extended to the story and some scenes are told from different characters perspective a very effective technique.

I really liked seeing the scene from different perspectives.
Seeing the scenes from different perspectives gives the reader insights into the characters.

Claudia has a daughter but leaves her with the grandmothers to raise as she hasn't a maternal bone in her body. There are two great loves in Claudia's life and they really shape her future life. I believed this love story like I didn't in Love in the Time of Cholera, even though both are unfulfilled love in some sense. I liked the relationship with her brother, the closeness some siblings must feel. And I shouldn't have liked Claudia, because she is independent, rude, and abrupt, but I loved her rude abrupt behavior at a time when women weren't rewarded for that sort of behavior or expected to be that way.

Writing a book as a character's memoir seems to be a common type of book, allowing an author to have their character look back over a lifetime of history and to comment on how they perceived events, leading to the idea of an unreliable narrator and leaving the reader to judge whether what is being told is true or if it has been misremembered. It doesn't always work for me (Gilead) but I liked seeing Claudia's life, or the parts she let us see.

BOOK: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 348 pages

Orbis Terrarum: Colombia; What's in a Name: medical condition; 1% well read; Latin American Challenge

Fiction or non-fiction? Genre?
fiction; it's described as a romance at Sparknotes which I'm not sure I agree with but I'll discuss that later


What led you to pick up this book?
It's a book I've heard of in many contexts: it's an Oprah pick from a few years ago, it makes many book lists of important books, Marquez is a Nobel winning author, and it seemed like a definitive book to read for the Latin American Challenge. Marquez's other book, One Hundred Years of Solitude has more polarizing reviews and I've seen a few reviews for this one that made me think it would be a better fit for me.

Summarize the plot, but don't give away the ending!
Florentino Ariza falls in love with Fermina Daza when they are teenagers. She ends up rejecting him and marrying a doctor and Florentino Ariza swears his undying love. Fifty-one years and 622 affairs later, he gets his chance to proclaim his love to Fermina Daza again.

What did you like most about the book?

I liked the setting and the time period - turn of the last century in some unknown Caribbean location. I was interested in seeing how the two main characters would end up together at the end.
At times the writing was lyrical and would lull me along with the story, but at other times I would read a paragraph twice to understand what was being described.
I liked Fermina Daza as a character. She seemed very strong, and opinionated in a time when women were not treated very well. She survived on her own terms for the most part and the men in her life dominated her only in the ways she let them.

What did you like least?
I didn't like that the chapters had no breaks within them. Fifty to seventy pages written with no pause, changing from character to character and from one back story to another.

I didn't like the details for minor characters that would appear for several paragraphs and then not appear again, mostly in describing Florentino Ariza's lovers.

The theme of love as a plague, a sickness didn't resonate with me. I thought Florentino wasn't really in love with Fermina, rather he saw her as some ideal that he had to possess. He never really knew her and by the time he got to know her, she wasn't the same person at all that he originally fell in love with. He could better be described as a stalker, watching her from a far, waiting and setting up situations for them to meet.

The depiction of aging as the Worst Thing Ever. The first character in the book, a friend of the doctor's kills himself rather than get too old; Fermina's daughter at one point proclaims that seventy year olds making love is 'disgusting.' The description of Fermina naked when she was seventy was not at all flattering and was used to show that women do not age gracefully, where as the male was not so graphically described - he just couldn't get it up after seeing her.

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books?
No, and I think I won't need to.

What did you think of the main character?
Florentino Ariza was a nymphomaniac who justified his use of women as 'being true' to his one true love, Fermina Daza. He treated women as objects and kept a record of his conquests. One of his 'lovers' was fourteen and under his care as her guardian. When Humbert Humbert did that in Lolita he was a pedophile, but Florentino is never judged for it.

Any other particularly interesting characters?
Some of Florentino Ariza's lovers were interesting but they began to run into each other in my mind.
I liked Fermina's cousin, Hildebrande, who had her own love problems and tried to provide opportunities to get Florentina and Fermina together when they were young.

Share a quote from the book:
I seldom notice quotes from a book. Random page opening found this example of the writing:

He had to repress the trembling that was almost as old as he was when he saw the beautiful woman of his dreams on her husband's arm, splendid in her maturity, striding like a queen from another time past the honor guard in parade uniform, under the the shower of paper streamers and flower petals tossed at them from the windows.

Share a favorite scene from the book.
I liked the boat ride near the end of the book for it's discussion about how the environment had been destroyed by the progress of various river enterprises, but this little sermon came out of nowhere and seemed like a big idea to discuss that hadn't been mentioned at all.

What about the ending?

It was okay, but the ending happened at the beginning and then the rest of the book shows how we ended up there. It wasn't my type of love story.

Anything else?
The narration was third person omniscient, but a couple of times there was reference to 'us' or 'our' as a citizen of the country, which really threw me. And at another point, the narrator made mention to his/her being a namesake to a character. But there was never anything else mentioned about that. I kept reading partially to find out what that was about and I checked Sparknotes for some reference, but there was nothing there either. Very weird.

Which of your readers are most likely to enjoy this book? Why?

People who like Oprah recommended books. Readers who enjoy Nobel winning author books. Fans of Latin America writing.

Other reviews around the book blogosphere:
Rhinoa,
bybee,
chris at book-a-rama,
susan b evans at well-mannered frivolity,

CHALLENGE: It's The End of the World II

Name: It's The End Of The World II
Host: Me, Becky (of Becky's Book Reviews)
Dates: March 10, 2009 - October 9, 2009
Books Required: at least four

Read at least four books about "the end of the world." This includes both apocalyptic fiction and post-apocalyptic fiction. There is quite a bit of overlap with dystopic fiction as well. The point being something--be it coming from within or without, natural or unnatural--has changed civilization, society, humanity to such a degree that it radically differs from "life as we now know it."

I'm going to try this challenge again because I really like this genre and I know I'll read some of these books anyway. My problem will be reading them during this particular time frame.

What are the books I'm hoping to read?

Specials by Scott Westerfield April 2
The People of Spark by Jeane Duprau Mar18
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Apr 23
The Children of Men by PD James May 31

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

or maybe:
Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood (I think I'll just put this on every book list I make and I bet I'll never read it)


Here's my little list of recommended books I've already read that were great:
Never Let Me Go by Kazou Ishiguro
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Uglies, Pretties by Scott Westerfield
We by Yvgeny Zamyatin
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

The Orbis Terrarum challenge has begun, and I've been travelling around the world already: Cuba, a quick detour to Tennessee, and now Columbia. The Challenge site is a great spot to find books from around the world, based on author's nationality. It's fun to try and fill in a world map with books from other countries. It's like a list!

I am visiting Columbia and learning about the love and life of two very different people, Love in the Time of Cholera. I wish I knew the name already for a book that reminds you of another book because this book reminds me of Les Miserables, and that might not be a compliment, (I never finished Les Mis.) It's the tangents and details of characters that appear for a millisecond that causes me to compare them. Any suggestions? Suey should have a voting post up tomorrow so get your ideas in today.

Where is reading taking you today? Leave a comment, make a post, spread the word.

BOOK: An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green, 228 pages

Dewey's Books; Young Adult Challenge

I love math, and I love word puzzles. Colin Singleton, former child prodigy and possibly not a future genius, is adept at both. He tries to come up with a Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability after being dumped by his 19th Katherine-named girlfriend.

After the nineteenth Katherine dumping, his best pal Hassan takes him on a road trip to distract him. Hassan is the kind of friend who points out that using the phrase 'pupilliary sphincter' is not the way to make friends or amuse people in high school, since Colin, child prodigy, is not aware of that fact. Hassan is the funniest side kick, who keeps Colin understanding the way of the world and maintains a very humorous bantering while trying to avoid much of anything himself.

The boys meet some girls, do some introspective thinking, grow a bit, make some jokes. Two quite likable nerds on the verge of growing up and getting beyond themselves. Very cute all around. Here's a quote I've seen before and think will become a well known quote: Books are the ultimate Dumpee: put them down and they'll wait for you forever; pay attention to them and they always love you back.


I love the math in the book, including an appendix to further explain the theorem. More math! This version of the cover is so cool with the math symbols that I had to show it. I also wish I could anagram as well as Colin. I'd rock at Scrabble instead of being so horrific.
I've been hearing a lot about John Green and his books so I was pleased to finally read one and I was not disappointed at all. I like footnotes in a book and they were scattered throughout here. The next one I have here to read is Looking for Alaska.

BOOK: Dancing to Almendra by Mayra Montero

Dancing to Almendra by Mayra Montero, 263 pages
translated by Edith Grossman

Latin American Challenge; Orbis Terrarum: Cuba

Cuba before the Castro revolution must have been an exciting time: nightclubs and casinos, money and romance are all depicted in this novel by Cuban author Mayra Montero. A young reporter looks into the death of a hippopotamus at the zoo and discovers it was meant to be a message to a mobster who was killed in New York City. As Joaquin Porrata looks into the mob scene, he gets embroiled in the dark life and the novel takes off as a hard boiled mystery, which reminded me of Hammett's The Maltese Falcon or Chandler's The Big Sleep. Dames, mobs, film stars, double crosses, dead animals, corpses, guns, leprosy, and a circus. There's something here for everyone.

There is a second story going on, as Yolanda, Porrata's new love interest, tells her life story and a very interesting one it was. I didn't enjoy her part quite as much, in that it didn't move the story along but was a parallel story leading her up to the point in her life when she met Porrata.

Can't you just hear Sam Spade narrating this line?

Two Chinese girls were singing in the film, high Chinese tones that can't be heard by the human ear, but that night I discovered they could be heard in your bones, your eye sockets, that's where they resonate.

I like reading those film-noir, detective stories, but I always feel like I am missing something. I like the feel and atmosphere and the phrasing, but the characters are always doing what I never expect them to and I don't usually understand even what they have done. Fans of Hammett and Chandler would like this book. I know lots of people who go to Cuba every year for the spring break (Canadians are allowed to go there) and if I ever got to go, I would love to see Havana and imagine how it has changed from these glory days of the 1950s in this book.

GAME: Bookword Game

So, what do we call a book that you find yourself checking how many more pages, every single page? Well, by the narrowest of margins*, we now call it a CheckBook. Joy at Thoughts of Joy suggested that name and it really fits. Thanks to everyone who voted and made suggestions. The more that play, the more fun the game becomes. Spread the word if you are having fun.

* CheckBook garnered 23% of the vote this week, with Neverending Story a close 20%

Read any CheckBooks lately? or RecommenDuds? Hopefully not on both counts.

Now on to the Third Edition of the Bookword Game:

The next book that needs a word is:
a book that reminds you of another book you have already read, not necessarily in plot but in tone or atmosphere or writing. It might even be a connection that only you can notice.
Any ideas? Let's take suggestions in the comments. Then next week, Suey will have the poll up at her site for voting. If anyone has an idea as well that needs a word, feel free to add that in the comments as well. Suey and I are making a list (ahh, glorious lists!) of ideas.

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

Tomorrow I'll post the results of the latest Bookword Game, so it's your last chance to come by and vote. I'll also throw another situation out there, looking for a new Bookword.

In reading, I am in Cuba, 1957, and there are gangsters, and casinos, and circuses, and it's a crazy, hard-boiled mystery that very much reminds me of Hammett and Chandler. (Dancing to Almendra by Mayra Montero)

Where is reading taking you today? Leave a comment, write a post, spread the word.

BOOK: Remembering the Bones by Frances Itani

Remembering the Bones by Frances Itani, 283 pages

Dewey's Books; 2nd Canadian Book Challenge; What's in a Name: body part

I've just finished reading this sweet book, about Georgie, 88 year old widow, as she recounts her life lying in a ravine after her car rolled on the way to visit the Queen. Since I read this for Dewey's Book Challenge, I decided to head over to Dewey's to read her review, the one I'm sure I read a year ago that first intrigued me to Remembering the Bones. Oh dear. Dewey's review puts the book in a whole new light. Instead of pulling quotes from the book, I'm pulling quotes from Dewey's review:

Georgie is one of those characters that seem so real, you think of them for a long time after you finish reading, like old friends. Much like Dewey shared her life online and made us all feel like we knew her. I'm still having trouble in some ways defining the relationships with online friends, especially since we read about each other, almost like characters in a book.

My favorite thing about her is that when reminiscing, nearly all her thoughts are of the people in her life. Almost nothing else seems to matter at the end, and that’s how I feel every day, that life is about the people we love.

Georgie comes from a family of strong, long lived women, and the reader gets to know them all very well. Her family is small and close-knit and covers some spectacular times in history, the 20th century. It's the kind of book I like, where the families are ordinary and don't have tragic incidents, other than the everyday tragic events of birth, life, and death. I had the same feeling when I finished A Good House by Bonnie Burnard.

The times that loom large in Georgie’s memory, because they’re painful, or full of happiness, or simply unusual for Georgie, matter to the reader, in the same way that our own common griefs or joys matter to us.

Maybe it's too weird to read about a woman at the end of her life, recommended by Dewey who so recently died. It cheers the heart to know that Dewey enjoyed the book and could see the love from the book as reflected from her experience.

CHALLENGE: 1% Well Read, 2009 Version

How much of a glutton for punishment am I? As of February 28, 2009, I didn't complete this challenge from last year. I read 7 out of 10, and one of those was a DNF. Not very impressive. But there are still books on the list I'd like to read, and nothing actually happened when I didn't complete the challenge, so why not give it a try?

Michelle has given us three options for this challenge:

1. Read 10 titles from the original list from March 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009.
2. Read 10 titles from the new list from March 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009.
3. Read 13 titles from the combined list (of almost 1300 titles) from March 1, 2009 through March 31, 2010. In other words, “What were they thinking dropping titles from Dostoevsky and Jane Austen?”

I'll go with option number 2, and begin a list here:

1. Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez (new list)
2. All the Pretty Horses - Cormac McCarthy (new list) - read 50 pages
3. Fugitive Pieces - Anne Michaels April 27 (both lists)
4. Fifth Business - Robertson Davies (new list)
5. The Reader - Bernhard Schlink (both lists)
6. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain dailylit.com (both lists)
7. The Tenent of Wildfell Hall - Anne Bronte
8. Kitchen - Banana Yoshimoto (new list)
9. The Bridal Wreath (book 1 of Kristin Lavransdatter) - Sigrid Unset
10. Cranford - Elizabeth Gaskell (both lists)

3. Vernon God Little - DBC Pierre (new list)
5. How Late it Was, How Late - James Kelman (both lists)
8. The Diviners - Margaret Laurence (new list)

11. The Colour - Rose Tremain (old list)
12. Fingersmith - Sarah Waters (old list)
13. The Yellow Wallpaper - Charlotte Perkins Gilman

BOOK: The Draining Lake by Arnaldur Indridason

The Draining Lake by Arnaldur Indridason, 373 pages
translated by Bernard Scudder

continuing mystery series

Give a brief summary of the book:
A body is found in a draining lake in Iceland with a Soviet radio transmitter wrapped around it. The detectives look into old missing person cases and end up investigating the role of spies in Iceland during the Cold War.

Likes?
Like all good mystery series, the interactions between the detectives and their ongoing personal lives are what make the series so good. The mystery is doled out nicely with enough clues that you think you know, with both the detectives and some old characters' points of view of the story.
I like the personal demons that Erlendur faces, looking for missing people, like his lost brother, and his curmudgeonly ways of dealing with his partners. Elinborg and Sigurdur Oli are interesting in their own right. I'm not sure sometimes if Sigurdur Oli actually likes Erlendur making their interactions all the more amusing.

Dislikes?
I can't think of anything really, it was a good solid mystery with that bleak, dreary Icelandic setting overlaying it. The flashbacks to East Germany in the 1950s showed a nice contrast between socialism as an ideal, and the practice that was implemented in the Warsaw Pact countries, but that part wasn't preachy at all.

Additional Thoughts:
I have the next book in the series here, Arctic Chill, waiting to be read. I usually like to read another couple of books before the next book in a series, but look for me to read it in the next month or so. Erlender is starting to make moves toward joining the human race, and actually caring about someone, so I am anxious to see how he is getting along.

(I am completely copying Samantha's great idea for reviewing series books, thanks Sam)

GAME: Bookword Game

If I could dance like Hugh Jackman and sing like Anne Hathaway, this is where I'd be singing and dancing, as your host for this part of the program. Suey has had the comments open all week, and the nominations are now closed.

I'll leave this poll up for about a week, with the Accounting Firm of Ernst-Waterhouse protecting and keeping all the results secret, unless you hit the secret 'Show Results' button. Then, next Wednesday I'll post the results and give a new Bookword definition as we try to find the right Bookword.

(Are you looking at me? Do. Not. Fall in Love With Me)

Great suggestions this week, I picked the ones that I thought best represented what the suggestions were trying to convey. If I've missed one, or you have suddenly thought of a brilliant idea, use the write-in vote option.

At this point, I should bring out SuziQoregon to provide some inspiration as a former winner of the Bookword Game, to compliment you on your wonderful suggestions, and honour your potential in any future Bookword Games, and hopefully make you cry with her beautiful words. Unless you hyperventilate like Amy Adams almost did.

The nominees:
Page-re-turner serena

bookcrawler bookPsmith

Neverending Story chantele

Page Generating Book suziqoregon

UGHster booklogged

Are We There Yet? Coversgirl

CheckBook joy

Is it over yet? or Can I stop now? Jan

PageYearner tinylittellibrarian

PageCounter booklogged

*lala lala lala* song by Beyonce inserted here * lalalala*

Now on with the voting:

poll by twiigs.com

sorry, poll now closed.
I hope you all watched The Oscars to make sense of my post this week?

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

I am in Iceland, where a body has been found at the body of a draining lake. There seems to be some connection between the body and the cold war activity during the 1960s. (The Draining Lake, Arnaldur Indridason)

Don't forget that we are voting here tomorrow on the latest Bookword in our game after taking suggestions at Sueys.

Where is reading taking you today? Leave a comment, make a post, spread the word.

BOOK: The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, 270 pages

young adult challenge; genre: sci-fi

I haven't seen the movie. From the pictures inside (I have the book published after the movie, including scenes from the movie) the movie looks much more fantastic than the book. The book however, is a great suspenseful read, and doesn't need any jazzing up. Why do we enjoy a suspense in a book that would translate in a movie to not enough suspense?

Lina and Doon, age twelve, are receiving their assignments for jobs in the City of Ember, reminiscent of The Giver. It seems like a more primitive society, with little in the way of supplies, as if this town has been surviving on a fixed amount of materials. Everything is reworked and recycled. Electricity is limited and unreliable. Doon trades jobs with Lina to be able to work underground in the Pipeworks, hoping to be able to make the Generator more dependable, even if no one really knows how electricity works. Lina works as a messenger and gets to see all different places in the city.

Something is not quite right, as there are black market goods - canned peaches! available to some people, while the rest of them are surviving on the few vegetables grown in the greenhouse. Lina discovers some Instructions, that sends her and Doon on a chase to escape from Ember. The book is really a part of a trilogy, as the first book ends, but sets up a whole other story, that I can't wait to read. My son has the next two books, and I'll get to them soon!

It's a book where the reader can guess some things that Lina and Doon have no clue about, and the mystery is in them figuring out where they are, and for the reader, how this all happened. Lina and Doon get some of their questions answered, the reader only somewhat, necessitating the next book to find out why this has all happened.

BOOK: Stargirl/The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

celebrate the author; young adult challenge

Stargirl teaches everyone a lesson on conformity and being yourself. Being a teenager is tough and learning how to fit it with the crowd while still staying true to yourself is difficult. Whose heart is broken more: Leo's after he realizes he tried to change Stargirl, and then she's not the same girl, or Stargirl's, who changes for Leo because he wants her to but it doesn't change anything?

My son liked this so much he made me get the sequel, Love, Stargirl right after he finished this one.

The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli, 154 pages (ages 8-14)

celebrate the author

One magical library card changes the life of four different 11 year olds. The card brings each of them what they need at that point of their life. The four short stories are not connected at all, other than the library card, and there is something for every reader to relate to: the almost juvenile delinquent being pulled by a friend, the television addict, the lonely child moved to a new community, and the child longing for someone to remember his childhood with him. Eleven year olds make the best characters - they are mature enough to be on their own, they are beginning to think about themselves and their place in the world, but still young enough to believe in magic.

I brought this home from the library after my son and I read Maniac Magee. He was having none of it; looked at the cover and said no. Two months later he starts telling me about this great book he was reading at school. Yep, you guessed it: The Library Card. Spinelli is one of my son's favorite authors.

BOOK: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, 254 pages
The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Dewey Decimal Nonfiction: 153.44

Great little pop psychology book for my first Gladwell book. I look forward to his other books, The Tipping Point and Outliers. The premise here is that we make complicated decisions in the 'blink' of an eye, based on complicated brain processing. He examines how we can do that, and uses lots of examples and anecdotes to back this up. He also gives examples where this instant thinking can let us down, with brain theory and psychological studies into the brain.

By writing with lots of anecdotes, Gladwell makes this immensely more readable than a psychology book, but he is more present as an author than in a more scholarly article and I found his opinions and some conclusions a little jarringly appearing out of the blue. For example, when referring to Tom Hanks, being cast in his first major movie Splash, he says "All he had done was the now (justly) forgotten TV show called Bosom Buddies." Why that justly had to be included there surprised me because it doesn't add to the book, it just tells me that Gladwell didn't like that show, and since I did, it was jarring. Little editorial comments like that were sprinkled throughout the book and took me out of the reading periodically.

The descriptions of facial muscles required to produce different emotions was very interesting, especially connecting it to how autism doesn't react to mind reading and face reading of emotions. The descriptions of the actual muscles moving for every emotion got a bit tiring and sometimes if felt like the book couldn't make up its mind as to whether is was a scholarly book, with specific details of the scientific studies, or a lay man's version summarized into real life examples. These two examples are small concerns however, and I really enjoyed the look into how I made up my mind about someone or something, or get a bad feeling, with out perhaps knowing why. My subconscious knows why, it just doesn't always let me know.

BOOK: Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book

Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book

Soup's On Recipe/Reading Challenge

Have you ever had a slight miscommunication result in a plethora of asparagus? That's what happened at our house last weekend. Neither of us realized that the other was picking up the asparagus to have with our scallops on Saturday night. We also ended up with way too much broccoli, but our youngest is a cooked broccoli fiend, so that wasn't such as big an issue. Only the adults appear to like asparagus so far and while we like how we eat it, (baked with a splash of soya and olive oil) this new abundance inspired me to haul out the recipe books.

I've been wanting to try something from the newest Racheal Ray cookbook since I received it. I watched her show last summer in the mornings and enjoyed her breezy way with food, and the fact that she combines interesting flavors but still keeps it simple. I've had several recipes sticky posted for a while, waiting to try. The titles in her book are imaginatively named like Mahimahi Mucho-Gusto Fish Burritos or The Must Have Minestrone or Devilish Sesame with Green Beans and Scallion Rice, plus lots of her Sammies (sandwiches) or Stoup (soup/stew.)

We tried two different asparagus recipes: Jaw-Droppingly Delicious Asparagus Penne and Spring Summer Ziti. Both were very good and didn't require too many special groceries to make. The Asparagus-Penne in particular will be very easy to make in the future, and I'd probably trade the blend in the sauce for plain milk to make it lighter and easier - we don't often have blend on hand, but we would have everything else. Plus, since the kids wouldn't eat it, although I thought it had potential, I wisely took some plain cooked penne out before I mixed the sauce - garlic, flour, blend, vegetable stock, blend, dijon, lemon zest, and tarragon - with the penne and asparagus. It only took as long to make as it took the penne to boil and the frozen fish to cook in the oven. All in all, it will go into the rotation for the adults. It's a keeper!

The second recipe, Spring Summer Ziti, will be not made as often, as it was a bit fancier and had to be baked in the oven for 12 minutes, but it was quite yummy, and my husband thought it tasted 'filling, and even sort of healthy with the asparagus and the peas." I used the rest of the penne we bought as we don't' keep ziti as a matter of course, but I might get a bag to have on had as ziti seems to be a Rachael Ray staple. This recipe tossed the penne and vegetables in a ricotta cheese mixture and then baked it between layers of a sauteed tomato sauce. Again, pretty easy and yummy. We haven't eaten a lot of ricotta and isn't something we keep on hand, so this would have to be a planned meal and not a last minute idea, but we would make it again.

With categories like 30- Minute Meals, Entree Burgers, and Vegetarian Meals I've bookmarked several more recipes to try. I can't see trying as much from Meals for One or Kosher Meals but I still like looking in the book and imagining that my family might ever eat some of these ingredients.

Things I like: lots of pictures, very Italian recipes, a focus on low-fat and healthier recipes, new foods I'd like to try; a big collection of recipes for stuffed eggs; a recipe for fatoush that I've wanted since I had it at a Lebanese restaurant last fall; still to try - salmon burgers, pizza burgers

Things I don't like: not being from an Italian background, many of the ingredients are a little foreign to me or we just don't keep on hand - anchovies, fresh parsley, fennel, ziti, fresh ginger, tuna steaks. I realize these aren't strange foods but not what we usually eat. Nearly every recipe has one ingredient that I wouldn't have on hand. And contrary to what Rachael Ray says, basil pesto is not "kid-yum" at least at my house.
RR likes to mix up a classic recipe while once I get a version I like, I stop. So I'm not interested in another Mac and Cheese recipe because I have the one I like. But other people, like my mother for example, like to try new versions of old recipes.

So, once I get my kids to eat food that is mixed together, that is, with more than one ingredient in the recipe, like tomato soup, plain pasta, shake and bake chicken then I'll have a field day with this book. This is my first Rachael Ray cookbook.

BOOK: The Outlander by Gil Adamson

The Outlander by Gil Adamson, 384 pages

2nd Canadian Book Challenge

The lady on the cover, a widow by her own hand (I love that phrase!) is being chased across the wild west of Canada in 1903 by her (ex) twin brothers in law. There certainly wasn't a lot of support for women in those days for marriage counselling or post-partum depression. Not a lot of options for women.

This is part adventure, part history of mining and the west, and a beautiful love story. The widow, who barely gets a name, spends most of the book learning about herself. An ignored child of her widowed father, married off to the first guy who comes along, and then isolated and treated like a slave, she never really had a moment to be herself, by herself, until she is on the lam and living in the wild. She meets some helpful men along the way.

I could see this done as a movie, with lots of suspense and action and a love story that I really enjoyed. The last sentence was the only part that disappointed me, but I'll read that the way I'd like to, and then it becomes a great book.

GAME: Bookword Game

Read any recommenDUDs lately? Such a great start to the game.

The new word to be determined is at Suey's: What do we call a book that nearly every time you turn the page, you check to see which page you're on?
hmm, I know I've read a few of them, but I'm not sure yet. Head on over to Suey's to offer up suggestions. Take a few days if you need to mull it over, but the game ends by Tuesday next week, don't be left out with your great idea.


I just changed browsers, from IE to Mozilla/FF and I can't believe how much easier it is to make a link! Just highlight the work, and enter the link. Before, I had to go to the word I wanted to link, enter the URL in the pop up window, then to to "edit Html" locate the required coding, and erase half the link, then come back to compose. All right, when I write it down there is doesn't seem like that much work, but it was a bit of a pain, and I didn't know any other way to do that. Maybe I always could have highlighted the word? I'll never know because I am liking Firefox already!

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, where are you?

How is everyone's reading challenges going so far this year? It seemed a lot of people were backing off a bit from challenge overload at the first of the year. Are you pleased with how things have gone? I cut back, but am still reading for quite a few. My goal this year is not to read a book just to finish a challenge. If it happens, great, but I'm not going to go out of my way at the end of a challenge to pick a book I don't really want to read, not when there is a whole pile of books that I really want to read.

Sometimes I am being chased by the brothers of my late husband. I am a widow by my own hand. Life was not easy for women in the early 1900s in rural Alberta. (The Outlander by Gil Adamson)

Sometimes I am amazed at how quickly the brain can make a decision based on so much information in the Blink of an eye. (Blink by Malcolm Gladwell)

Where is reading taking you today? Make a post, leave a comment, spread the word.

BLOGGING: Anniversary Giveaway

Congratulations

to Teddy Rose

who is getting a copy of

Anne of Avonlea!

send me a note, Teddy Rose, with a contact

Thanks to everyone who entered and to everyone who stopped by with good wishes too! And for everyone who isn't getting a copy, you should run to the library and get the next one in the series.

BOOK: No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod

No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod

2nd Canadian Book Challenge; IMPAC Dublin winner 2001

Some places are so ingrained into people, that even when they leave, they consider it home, until the end of their time. The Maritimes are like that, and MacLeod has written his love letter to Cape Breton in this novel.
"Later his body moved inland, but his great heart remained behind." When I think of all the people who have left here to go to Ontario, the Boston states, Fort McMurray, they are all still from Cape Breton or PEI and the goal is to get back here eventually. No matter where they roam, they try to return to where they left their heart.

This idea has been around since the old days, so even though Cape Breton is home, they came from Scotland originally, or from Prince Edward Island via Ireland. And although it has been hundreds of years, that connection to the homeland is still strong and the stories have stayed alive. Alexander MacDonald of Clan Red Calum, the narrator, knows the stories of his family, his clan, back to the battle of Culloden and the Plains of Abraham.

It's funny because this book uses the Clan idea, that they all come from the same person, Calum MacDonald, and they all know the same stories and have a clannish quality. I read a book last year, Mercy by Jodi Picoult that used the same family trait and it just didn't seen quite right to me. I'm not sure why I accepted it this time. It could just be the setting of the 1960s and 1970s made it seem more reasonable, as if the clans were still pretty clannish here in the Maritimes and it wouldn't work in present day Massachusetts.

So much of this book resonated with me. I've heard these stories, I know these people. The phrases, the way of talking, repeating the same phrases and cliches. The repetitive method of always describing someone the same way, that keeps their history attached to them like a barnacle. The way of giving a backhanded compliments. One of my favorite lines from the book was, "He might not be the kind of man you'd invite to sing and dance and do imitations at your party, but he is a good man nonetheless." I can picture that man perfectly.

This book is also about family and that connection. There is tragedy and heartbreak and sticking together because that's what families do - always look after your blood.

"All of us are better when we're loved."

GAME: Bookword Game

Suey has the poll up! Go vote! Go vote! Go vote!

Did I mention you should go vote?

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, where are you?

The Bookword Game is off to a roaring start with some amazing suggestions for a book that other people love but hasn't impressed you. I have a feeling what the favorite might be - some words just perfectly explain the situation. Suey will have a poll up on her site, hopefully tomorrow, for everyone to vote for their favorite. Then, next week, she'll post the winner and another situation that needs a Bookword. I'm very pleased with how many great suggestions and participants in the very first week.

In reading, I am in Toronto recounting the MacDonald family, clan red Calum, who came from Cape Breton by way of the Scottish highlands, full of gaelic words and Celtic music. No Great Mischief, by Alistair MacLeod.

Where is reading taking you today? Make a post, write a comment, spread the word.

MEME: a few of my favorite things

Y. Yikes! She gave me Y. Chris posted this meme where you list the things that you like that begin with an assigned letter. The letter Y could be tricky. Here is a list of my favorite things that begin with the letter Y. If you want to play along, just ask in the comments and I'll give you a letter.





1. Yogi Bear - One of my favorite of the Hanna Barbara cartoons, Yogi and his little buddy, Boo Boo Bear. I few years ago we used to watch the Laff-A-Lympics. The Scooby Doobies, the Yogi Yahooeys, and the Really Rottens, all the villains, competed in an hilarious predictable manner.

2. Yellow beans - best eaten raw, right out of the garden. We plant a garden every year to each fresh raw vegetables.


3. yard - summer is spent in the backyard, with the swing set, the inflatable pool, the basketball net, the barbecue, the deck. Really, a wonderful spot as we watch the trees grow that we planted the first year or two we lived in the house.

4. Yesterday - song by the Beatles, sung by many people.

5. yogurt (raspberry or vanilla) - I'm not a huge yogurt fan, but the new frozen yogurt that tastes just like ice cream is pretty delicious. For regular yogurt, I mostly only eat raspberry or vanilla.

6. "Your Eyes" from Rent - I often put on the Rent soundtrack when I am correcting. I would love to see this musical on stage, I've only seen the movie

7. Yahtzee - I've had the original game for years, and one of the most enjoyable kids games we've bought was Pokemon Yahtzee. It lasts about 5 - 7 minutes to play a game, and is slightly possible to throw, ensuring the kid wins, an important part of playing games with pre-schoolers.

8. yabba dabba doo - One of the best summer playlist I had was during university, and it had the theme to the Flintstones in the middle. Good times, good memories.

9. y-intercept - I love math, and you can always rely on the y- intercept to help graph an equation

10. Yellowknife - pretty good book written by Steve Zipp. He helped me plenty in the A to Zed reading challenge last year, with a tough letter to start a book or author last name, which ever was needed most. This book was so unique and interesting I would recommend it to people who haven't read anything set in the north of Canada. I haven't been there myself, but the capital of the Northwest Territories is the main character of the quirky novel.

BOOK: Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger

Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger, 353 pages

young adult; themed reading challenge: epistolary

I gave this to my 11 year old son for Christmas after reading a great review of it somewhere. I think it came into notice around the time The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie book began making waves as both are epistolary books - told through letters. A librarian was making a display of these types of books, sort of like the Amazon recommended list "If you like this, you may like that" and read Last Days of Summer and gave it a rave review.

My son enjoyed it, but was put off a bit by the 'bad' words, and told me the ending shocked him. So of course I had to read it. Joey, a 12 year old Jewish boy in 1940 Brooklyn begins writing to Giants third baseman Charlie Banks. They don't hit it off, but Charlie continues to write back, which just encourages Joey. Joey is friends with a Japanese American, and they are getting beat up and hoping Charlie can help them. Thus the language - Charlie is a 23 year old professional ball player and Joey is a tough guy without a father around so these guys are a little rough around the edges.

Joey and Charlie form an unusual friendship but it becomes very important for both of them, and they both grow. About the shocking ending? Just the difference between being 11 and 41. I have read a lot more books, especially ones set during wars, so I can predict better what might happen. The reviews I read at librarything called the ending 'predictable,' which it was, but it didn't detract from the book at all. And to me, that's why young adult books can be predictable and still very enjoyable. You have to be shocked for the first time in a lot of ways before endings become predictable. The characters here were very delightful, and the letter writing style between the different characters told the story in a very readable way. I was crying by the end because these characters touched each other, and me, so much.

The story is about so much more than baseball. The Japanese internment during World War Two is also a part of the story. But it was more a story of a young boy who had been abandoned by his father and looked for that guidance from someone and a young man who takes on responsibility for a young kid.

BOOK: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, 246 pages

Pulitzer Winner 2004; themed reading challenge

Old preacher man writes a letter to his young son. Writes about his grandfather - saint and sinner preacher abolitionist who fought in the Civil War and stole random items in his old age. Writes about his father, preacher and pacifist. So much father and son dynamics.

Writes about his sermons, and biblical passages. So much philosophy that puts me to sleep. He actually gets confused in the middle of some passages himself, so I didn't feel so bad.

Writes about his namesake, a preacher friend's troubled son. This part of the story was more interesting as the narrator had to deal with his own jealousies and prejudices. He was very human, less religiously perfect in his dealings with his godson.

Loneliness, prejudice, good, man's relationship with God. I think there are many people who would enjoy this slow, character driven novel. It was well written but not about things that interest me enough. I can see why it was a Pulitzer winner. Prize winning books should make you think, should show an inner conflict, and make for great discussion. Not for me but I can recognize it would be loved by another type of reader. It's too far away from a good murder mystery to entertain me.

also reviewed by Rhinoa (and she gave it 4.5/5, I knew others would like it)