BOOK: In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut

In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut, 180 pages

Booker Challenge: shortlist 2010

If I was reading like Jackie at Farm Lane Books this year, I never would have finished this book. It was just okay, and after the great reads I've had this year so far, it's meh-ness was stark in comparison. (The House at Riverton, Dash and Lily, Case Histories, In the Company of Cheerful Ladies) However, it was only 170 pages, and parts were better than the whole.

First, I have to mention the unorthodox stylings. It's told in the first person, but the first person tells in mostly in the third person, sometimes switching within a single sentence. Most of this information reaches him through Anna's girlfriend, with whom I have long tearful conversations almost every day. p 173
See? It wasn't as confusing as you'd expect, except for the chapter where 'he' was travelling with another man, so the he's got a tad confusing. I was not able to determine why this shift happened. Also, no quotation marks, or question marks. Playing with punctuation seems to make the writing more literary. Ironically, I blasted my high school students today for not using upper case letters to start their sentences or periods to end sentences. (Maybe they are all hidden literary authors?) Their response: it's not English class, you can't penalize us in physics. In the words of Pierre Elliot Trudeau: Watch me.

I guess it's a travel book, a meditative musing for by folks who find ways to spend their days travelling, not working or making a living. A literary version of Eat, Pray, Love, mayhaps? This is Follower, Lover, Guardian as the narrator takes on different roles in his different travels for each chapter. And while parts of each chapter were interesting, there was no overall plot or theme or reason for any of the three chapter that I was able to discern. It's almost three short stories or novellas, but nothing happens in any of them so they couldn't really stand alone, except some people meet, and travel, and have events happen to them. Not enough happens to call these adventures.

Then he sits in the sun, listening to the water, reading. In a strange room you must empty yourself for sleep. And before you are emptied for sleep, what are you. And when you are emptied for sleep, you are not. And when you are filled with sleep, you never were.The words come to him from a long way off.p 46

This is one of those books that gets nominated for awards (shortlisted for the Man Booker last year) that makes you go, huh? I was concerned initially when I read the blurb on the cover - "A major writer worthy to be referred to as a kindred spirit of the great Coetzee" by the Irish Times. I'll never actually read all the Booker winners because I'm not reading anther book by, you guessed it, Coetzee. Can't do it. Galgut doesn't fall on my Never Read Anything Again list like Coetzee; Galgut has an easy style and I did like pieces of the story - the Guardian chapter was the most readable. And I found a lot of reviews of the book by readers who quite enjoyed the book.

also reviewed: gwen at literary license, lizzy at lizzy's literary life, carrie at nomadreader, jackie at farmlanebooks,

BOOK: The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton, 470 pages

 Aussie Author Challenge; Gothic Reading Challenge

I've been submersed in Edwardian England, beginning in 1912 and moving forward, this past week. Between watching Downton Abbey on PBS and reading The House at Riverton, my head is full of World War I, castles needing heirs, servants, and the lower class and women beginning to rebel against their position in society. The parallels between the awesome TV show and this wonderful book are too numberous to mention.

The book: Known as The Shifting Fog in Australia where Morton is from, The House at Riverton title gives it a more Gothic feel in my opinion. Gothic in this book includes romance, castles, secrets, supernatural; maybe this is Gothic-light as the element of horror is not here, but there is still romance, secrets and tragedy. Grace narrates, and Morton uses some interesting techniques to tell the tale of old from different perspectives. Grace was a housemaid, then lady's maid at Riverton estate since she was fourteen and put into service. She was present for the events, largely foreshadowed, that culminate one night in 1924. The secrets that Grace takes a while to figure out are pretty obvious to the reader, but waiting for her to figure them out is the suspense.

Wonderful historical fiction, with the story building and building to its inevitable conclusion. The ride is fun and fast. Thanks to my reading of Maisie Dobbs, I knew the significance of the footman receiving the white feather on the street. I like when information comes from different sources and overlaps. And just as in Downton Abbey where the housemaid is learning shorthand and typing, hoping to have a different life, that plot point shows up in The House at Riverton. My only complaint of the book was that it wrapped up very quickly, but the events were pretty much known by that point, with the heavy foreshadowing throughout.  If you like British historical fiction, set around WWI, with Gothic elements, The House at Riverton is for you.  Now, off to find more of Kate Morton historical fiction. (The Distant Hours, The Forgotten Garden)

also reviewed at: jenny of jenny's books, Wendy at Caribousmom, Tiny Little Reading Room, Eva at A Striped Armchair, jill at The Magic Lasso,  Michelle at 1MoreChapter, Joy at Thoughts of Joy, Rhinoa at Rhinoa’s Ramblings

CHALLENGE: Man Booker Challenge

Laura posted today about the Complete Booker Challenge which reminded me I was planning to make a post about this. Odds are I won't complete this challenge, but I like reading some books from the lists, and I have a few I hope to read. I will be trying for the lowest level possible: the Pick-a-Mix of Six.

The Levels:

I failed miserably at this challenge last year, but if it had been set up this way, I would have completed, so obviously, I'll try again. Lots more information at The Complete Booker Blog.

1. Pick-a-Mix of Six: read 6 winners or nominees from the short- or long-lists
2. A Booker's Dozen: read 12 winners or nominees from the short- or long-lists
3. Booker Devotee: read the 2011 shortlist (6 books)
4. Booker Fanatic: read the 2011 longlist (13 books)

Last year, I read

One Winner:
Vernon God Little, DBC Pierre 2003 02/25

Four Short Listed:
The Bookshop, Penelope Fitzgerald 1978
Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont - Elizabeth Taylor 1971 
Room - Emma Donaghue short list 2010
Unless - Carol Shields 2002

Three Longlisted: 
What Was Lost, Catherine O'Flynn 2007 
February, Lisa Moore 2010 
Trespass, Rose Tremain 2010

The Pool of Books I'd like to read:

The English Patient by Michael Onjadtee 1992
In a Strange Room by Damon Galmut SL 2010
The True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey 2001
The Inheritance of Lost by Kiran Desai 2006
The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst 2004
Carry Me Down by MJ Hyland SL 2006
When We Were Orphans by Kazou Ishiguro SL 2000
St Urbain's Horsemen by Mordecai Richler SL 1971
something from 2011 lists

Bookers Read in 2011

1. In a Strange Room by Damon Galmut SL 2010
2. The Sense of an Ending winner 2011
3.

LIST: Books and Authors I Can't Tell Apart

More books and authors I have trouble telling apart, or even recognizing that they are two separate entities.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau by E Lockhart


The Murder of Bindy MacKenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty


Both are YA, with the titles so similar. I am a Jaclyn Moriarty fan, so I mostly know the difference, but still, that's pretty similar.








Mistress of the Art of Death by Arianna Franklin
The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger

Both of these have been recommended to me, but without knowing either author, those mistresses are mixing me up! (Art of Death is olden times, Nothing is Victorian, I believe)








The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff
The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston



I have both on my wishlist at the library; one is Orange nominated (Groff); one is set in Italy (Florence); both look really good.






What books/authors are mixing you up these days? Do these ones? Have I added to your confusion?

MEME: Crime Fiction Alphabet (review of In the Company of Cheerful Ladies)

Hosted by Kerri at Mysteries in Paradise

By Friday of each week you have to write a blog post about crime fiction related to the letter of the week.
Your post MUST be related to either the first letter of a book's title, the first letter of an author's first name, or the first letter of the author's surname.
So you see you have lots of choice.
You could write a review, or a bio of an author, so long as it fits the rules somehow.

I am going to try to spotlight some mystery books or writers that I am reading, or want to read this year, as Kerri is hosting the Crime Fiction Alphabet again this year.Today, the letter A is brought to you by the prolific mystery writer, Alexander McCall Smith.

Alexander McCall Smith  - In the Company of Cheerful Ladies, 233 pages
book 6 of 12 in the series

Pull up a chair, or find a tree to stand under. Pour the bush tea, and settle your traditionally built body down for a visit. Mma Precious Ramotswe is becoming one of my favorite characters in books. Her thought process, her respect for tradition and elders, her love of Botswana, and her philosophy and manner of dealing with people is so kind, and smart, and practical.

This is book six, so if you've read these books, you know the drill. Quiet, not much of a mystery to solve, but several 'events' that need dealing with. Charlie, the apprentice at Mr J.L.B. Matekoni's garage has run off with an older women; Mma Makutsi is taking dance lessons; Precious' first husband, Note, is back in town;  and who left the pumpkin on the back porch? There is a lot going on, but not much at the same time. It is Mma Ramotswe's view of life and musings that we read these books for, and I hope to take a dip into the Number One Ladies Detective Agency a few more times this year. It's like sitting with an old friend for a cuppa, being in the company of cheerful ladies.

BOOK: 26a by Diana Evans

26a by Diana Evans

Orange January (New Author Prize 2005); What's in a Name 4: number in title

26A is the number outside the attic room in a London suburb where Bessie and Georgia, twins, share a room. They retire there to make decisions (should their parents divorce? how will they make their flap-jack empire? ) and share their twinness. Other interesting characters in this well-written book include younger sister Kemy, obsessed with Michael Jackson, older sister Bel who inherited her mother's Nigerian understanding of the mystical, their English father who battles Mr Hyde with his drinking, and Ida, their Nigerian mother who ran away from her village and ended up in England but still talks to her mother everyday, spirit wise.

They say the youngest child is the strongest child, because she had to make you love her, when you were tired, when you had loved the other first. p 200

This book begins with the marriage of Charles and Diana and ends soon after Diana's death. I thought this was a very good way of anchoring the time, and the feelings in England as the story takes place. Evans also does a very good job of immersing the reader in the world of the twins, who start off as young girls, and end up as young women. Their twinness, along with the Nigerian folklore, introduces a mystical, magical element that gradually becomes the norm in the book. I'm not usually a fan of non-realistic events, but Evans brought me gradually into the girls world, and by the last third, I loved it. The tone of the story changed by that point, but I thought it was really well done as we see the world through Georgia's eyes, and she is going through a very bad time.

Evans won the New Authors Prize in 2005 from the Orange Prize, and she takes risks with her writing, dealing with depression and delving into the mystical, but I think she pulled it off. It's a book I might not like some days, but this day I did. Evans' ability to put the reader in her characters' minds, very different characters and cover an expanse of time was well done.

CHALLENGE: Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge 2011

Hosted again by Book Chick City, the sign up is at this site. I'm hoping to read lots of mysteries this year anyway, so to make this more of a challenge, I'm going to pick a few series that I will try to read my 12 books from. I'm going to keep track of all the mysteries I read here.

Rules:

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011

• Rules: To read TWELVE (12) mystery & suspense novels in 2011 (12 is the minimum but you can read more if you wish!)
• Post reviews of books each month, starting in January here. There is a winner of a book each month chosen from the linked reviews. 

Series I Want to Read From:

The Number One Ladies Detective Agency: In the Company of Cheerful Ladies; Blue Shoes and Happiness; The Good Husband of Zebra Drive, The Miracle at Speedy Motors; Tea Time for the Traditionally Built; The Double Comfort Safari Club; The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party

Inspector Montalbano: Track of Sand, The Potter's Field

Inspector Gaumauche: The Brutal Telling; Bury Your Dead
Dexter: Dearly Devoted Dexter; Dexter in the Dark
Maisie Dobbs: Pardonable Lies; Messenger of Truth; An Inconvenient Revenge; Among the Mad; The Mapping of Love and Death (readalong at book club girl)
Martin Beck: Roseanna; The Man Who Went Up in Smoke
Tattoo Mysteries: Pretty in Ink; Driven to Ink
Phryne Fisher: Cocaine Blues, Murder on the Ballarat Train, Death at Victoria Dock; Blood and Circuses; Ruddy Gore;
Inspector Espinosa: Southwesterly Wind; A Window on Copacabana; Pursuit; Blackout
17/12 in series

The Mysteries I Read:

1. Case Histories - Kate Atkinson
2. Started Early, Took My Dog - Kate Atkinson
3. Death in la Fenice - Donna Leon
4. The Coffin Trail - Martin Edwards
5. Buried Strangers - Leighton Gage
6. The Case of the Missing Servant - Tarquin Hall
7. In the Woods - Tana French
8. The Redbreast - Jo Nesbo
9. Murder in Mesopotamia - Agatha Christie
10. Tigerlily's Orchids - Ruth Rendell
11. The Devil's Whisper - Miyuke Miyabe
12. Outrage - Arnaldur Indridason
13. The Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz
14. Children of the Street - Kwei Quartey
15. The Likeness - Tana French
16. Heads You Lose - Lisa Lutz
17. Trackers - Deon Meyer
18. And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie
19. The Broken Shore - Peter Temple
20. Twelve Drummers Drumming - CC Benison
21.

BOOK: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan, 260 pages

What's in a Name 4? travel or movement category

Aw, such a sweet book. Lily and Dash don't know each other, but both are teens in New York City, leading relatively parental free lives over Christmas. They play a game of adventures passing a red moleskin notebook back and forth. Many adventures follow as they get to know each other through their writing.

Cohn and Levithan have perfected their his-and-her story telling with Dash and Lily. Previous books: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, and Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List. I liked this one the best, maybe because Dash and Lily seem most unworldly of all the couples they've written about. Both characters are wonderfully written, with strong family and friends around them. The back and forth worked perfectly, and it's the kind of book that's really hard to put down (thanks Christmas holidays!) since you don't know any more than the characters where they are headed. There were some very funny scenes, like the Crimson Alert after a bad snowball fight, and I also enjoyed the tours of New York City. The Strand is a real book store, right? I would love to go there. And I don't know if I would have appreciated the whole O.E.D episode without having read this book.

Excellent book to be starting the new year with. If you are looking for a great realistic young adult book, this is the one.

BOOK: Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson, 407 pages

Orange January (longlist 2005)

Actually the first of the Jackson Brodie mysteries (One Good Turn, When Will There Be Good News?) but the third I've read. All have been easy to read, great mysteries, lots of characters who don't appear related, but Atkinson ties them up nicely in the end. Case Histories provides the background to Jackson Brodie that I was missing from the other books, but I don't remember feeling confused without this information - Brodie is just more layered.

Three old mysteries are first explained, (like a Cold Case episode; I loved that show) and then they are introduced as clients of Jackson Brodie. Brodie does some investigating and gets more caught up in his clients' lives than he would want. Except he does, because he's a very caring guy. Just a really well done mystery with good characters, good plots, and easy reading style.

BOOK: The Man on the Balcony by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo

The Man on the Balcony by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo, 180 pages

book 3 of 10 from the Martin Beck Mysteries (read in December)

A mystery set in June 1967 (written in 1967) in a sweltering Stockholm, Sweden. Fans of the old 87th precinct books by Ed McBain will love this series as well. A police procedural told from the detectives point of view, for the most part. It shows the dogged work, the chance effect of some good luck, and the beginnings of profiling, as the police try to find the killer of several young girls before more are killed. Beck is called back from a vacation, and while his name is in the series title, he didn't play a huge role, other police officers seem just as important. However, I liked the back story for all the cops, and look forward to following how they develop.

The writing is sparse and efficient, as you'd expect from the police point of view. There were references made to a previous case of Martin Beck's that I hope to discover in the earlier books. This series appears to have been re-released, and my library has ordered them all, so expect to see more reviews of this series. The authors are a married couple, and this renown Swedish series is called The Story of a Crime.

CHALLENGE: Aussie Author Challenge 2011

Hosted at Booklover Book Reviews again this year, I'll join this one again after reading 4 books last year.

The Rules: 

The Challenge runs all year 2011

You can either be:
TOURIST - Read and review 3 books by 3 different Aussie Authors
TRUE BLUE - Read and review 12 books by Australian authors (at least 9 different authors)

Same as last year - I'll aim for True Blue, but expect I'll be a Tourist.
The host site, has a place for linking reviewed books, and a chat box. That sounds interesting!

Pool of Books: most of these were also on my list from last year, sigh

Kate Morton - The House at Riverton; The Forgotten Garden; The Distant Hours
Geraldine Brooks - Year of Wonders
Peter Carey - The True History of the Kelly Gang
Peter Temple - Broken Shore
Markus Zusak - Bridge of Clay
Jaclyn Moriarty - The Murder of Bindy MacKenzie
Kate Grenville - The Secret River, The Idea of Perfection (New Author)
Kerry Greenwood - Cocaine Blues, Murder on the Ballarat Train, Death at Victoria Dock, Blood and Circuses, Ruddy Gore,

The Books I Actually Read: 

1. The House at Riverton - Kate Morton
2. Cocaine Blues - Kerry Greenwood
3. Murder on the Ballarat Train - Kerry Greenwood
4. Death at Victoria Dock - Kerry Greenwood
5. Year of Wonders - Geraldine Brooks
6. The Distant Hours - Kate Morton
7. The Broken Shore - Peter Temple
8.

LIST: Books Read in 2010

A Few Stats, and the List of the Year
total books read:  123
NF: 12             fiction: 112
library: 64

male: 53          female: 68
male & female team: 2


Countries of Authors:
Canada 31
United States 40
United Kingdom 28


Australia 4
Sweden, Italy 3
Brazil, Iceland, France, Pakistan, South Africa, Ethiopia, New Zealand, Japan, Nigeria, Finland: 1 or 2


My favorites are highlighted:
December

• 123. Unless - Carol Shields
• 122. The Man on the Balcony - Maj Sjowall, Per Wahloo
• 121. Earth, the book - Jon Stewart
• 120. We Need to Talk About Kelvin - Marcus Chown
• 119. King Leary - Paul Quarrington
• 118. A Tiny Bit Marvellous - Dawn French
• 117. Hardboiled & Hard Luck - Banana Yoshimoto
• 116. Bound - Antonya Nelson
• 115. Essex County (vol 1 &2) - Jeff Lemire
• 114. What Child is This? - Caroline B Cooney

November

• 113. Minding Frankie - Maeve Binchy
• 112. Alone in the Crowd - Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza
• 111. What is Stephen Harper Reading? - Yann Martel
• 110. Cranford - Elizabeth Gaskell
• 109. The Mind's Eye - Oliver Sacks
• 108. Shiver - Maggie Stiefvager

October

• 107. Thirteen Hours - Deon Meyer
• 106. Gretzky's Tears - Stephen Brunt
• 105. The Murder Stone - Louise Penny
• 104. Code Orange - Caroline B Cooney
• 103. Fear the Worst - Linwood Barclay
• 102. The Darkest Room - Johan Theorin
• 101. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - Winifred Watson
• 100. You Comma Idiot - Doug Harris
• 99. Room - Emma Donoghue

September

• 98. The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood
• 97. The Blue Castle - LM Montgomery
• 96. Mini Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella
• 95. Barney's Version - Mordecai Richler
• 94. Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay
• 93. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
• 92. The Colony of Unrequited Dreams - Wayne Johnston

August

• 91. The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin
• 90. When You Reach Me - Rebecca Stead
• 89. Feeling Sorry for Celia - Jaclyn Moriarty
• 88. Blockade Billy - Stephen King
• 87. Trespass - Rose Tremain
• 86. Spies of the Balkans - Alan Furst
• 85. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot
• 84. The Wings of the Sphinx - Andrea Camilleri
• 83. The Silence of the Rain - Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza
• 82. Driving Over Lemons - Chris Stewart
• 81. One Day - David Nicholls
• 80. February - Lisa Moore
• 79. Heart of the Matter - Emily Giffin

July

• 78. The Professor and the Madman - Simon Winchester
• 77. What Was Lost - Catherine O'Flynn
• 76. Five Quarters of the Orange - Joanne Harris
• 75. The News Where You Are - Catherine O'Flynn
• 74. Suite Francaise - Irene Nemirovsky
• 73. The Full Cupboard of Life - Alexander McCall Smith
• 72. Burnt Shadows - Kamila Shamsie
• 71. August Heat - Andrea Camilleri
• 70. Death in the Truffle Wood - Pierre Magnan
• 69. Birds of a Feather - Jacqueline Winspear
• 68. The Nobodies Album - Carolyn Parkhurst
• 67. The Girls - Lori Lansens
• 66. A Tangled Web - LM Montgomery
• 65. Invincible Louisa - Cornelia Meggs
• 64. Thimble Summer - Elizabeth Enright

June

• 63. Caddie Woodlawn - Carol Ryrie Brink
• 62. Tainted Blood (Jar City) - Arnaldur Indridason
• 61. The Brontes Went to Woolworths - Rachel Ferguson
• 60. A Little Yellow Dog - Walter Mosley
• 59. The Ask and the Answer - Patrick Ness
• 58. The Cruellest Month - Louise Penny
• 57. Truth - Peter Temple
• 56. Motorcycles & Sweetgrass - Drew Hayden Taylor

May

• 55. The Age of Persuasion - Terry O'Reilly & Mike Tennant
• 54. Out Backward - Ross Raisin
• 53. Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie
• 52. The Tale of Hill Top Farm - Susan Wittig Albert
• 51. Vintage Murder - Ngaio Marsh
• 50. Generation A - Douglas Coupland
• 49. The Rehearsal - Eleanor Catton
• 48. Bethlehem Road - Anne Perry
• 47. Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont - Elizabeth Taylor
• 46. A Kid for Two Farthings - Wolf Mankowitz

April

• 45. Every Last One - Anna Quindlan
• 44. Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear
• 43. Shades of Grey - Jasper Fforde
• 42. Cutting for Stone - Abraham Verghese
• 41. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
• 40. Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List - Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
• 39. The Missing Ink - Karen E. Olson
• 38. The Swimming Pool - Holly LeCraw
• 37. Q's Legacy - Helene Hanff
• 36. Zero - Diane Tullson
• 35. Paper Towns - John Green
• 34. We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson

March

• 33. The Paper Moon - Andrea Camilleri
• 32. The Help - Kathryn Stockett
• 31. The Green Mill Murder - Kerry Greenwood
• 30. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
• 29. The Unnamed - Joshua Ferris
• 28. Through Black Spruce - Joseph Boyden
• 27. La's Orchestra Saves the World - Alexander McCall Smith
• 26. The Book of Negroes - Lawrence Hill
• 25. Blankets - Craig Thompson
• 24. Broken For You - Stephanie Kallos
• 23. Red Mandarin Dress - Qiu Xiaolong
• 22. Foreign Affairs - Alison Lurie

Februrary

• 21. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson
• 20. Vernon God Little - DBC Pierre
• 19. The Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness
• 18. Nikolski - Nicolas Dickner
• 17. Deloume Road - Matthew Hooton
• 16. The Tenth Gift - Jane Johnson
• 15. She Got Up Off the Couch - Haven Kimmel
• 14. Nellie McClung - Charlotte Gray
• 13. Interpreter of Maladies - Jhumpa Lahiri
• 12. Dead Cold - Louise Penny
• 11. Why Shoot a Butler? - Georgette Heyer

 January

• 10. The Bookshop - Penelope Fitzgerald
• 9. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz
• 8. I am Morgan le Fay - Nancy Springer
• 7. The Incident Report - Martha Baillie
• 6. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - Alan Bradley
• Tales from Shakespeare - Marcia Williams
• 5. Snow Angels - James Thompson
• 4. Purple Hibiscus - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• 3. Crossfire - Miyuki Miyabe
• 2. Poppy Shakespeare - Clare Allan
• 1. The Jade Peony - Wayson Choy

BOOKS: Not Finished in 2010

It takes a long time for me to decide to put down a book. I like to hope that it will get better as sometimes books don't pick up until half way through. I also keep reading for a while, analyzing why I'm not liking the book. Generally, once I start thinking that, it does make it hard for the book to pick up.  For different reasons, each of the following did not get finished.

The Lost Highway by David Adams Richards, read 125/380, + last 15 pages

I've liked other books by Richards, (see Hockey Dreams and Mercy Among the Children.) I actually tried to read this one other time, but didn't get past page 25, so I gave this try a much better effort. It really just never worked for me.

Ultimately, this is a tragedy, with the lead character just so awful I didn't care to see his downfall. Alex Chapman is a hypocrite, and possibly deranged; the part I read set up his revenge filled mind by telling his life story. He was easily bullied, and then blamed everyone while teaching an ethics class. His hated uncle has a winning lottery ticket, and Alex hopes to get it for himself. I've read this described as a mystery thriller, but I never got the to mystery part. I know by the time I stopped, my hope was that Alex never got the money. I read the last few pages (thanks Jenny!)  and was glad I didn't read any more.

I recognize some similar themes with Mercy Among the Children, along with characters like the local priest, university types, innocent country girls, plus the Miramichi setting. Fans of tragedies, and moral studies may enjoy this one. I'm still a fan of Adams but not of pathetic tragedies. I didn't like Romeo and Juliet either.

The Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore, read 67/321

New York Times Notable Book of 2009; Long listed for the Orange Prize in 2010

Another book that was taking forever for anything to happen and I just wasn't interested in keeping on. I kept falling asleep, and didn't like any of the characters enough to want to keep reading.

I don't have anything particularly bad to say about this one, there are just too many books I'd rather read.

Candy Girl by Diablo Cody, read about half

Cody wrote Juno, the delightfully quirky movie, and won an Oscar for the screenplay. This was her account as a stripper in Minneapolis before she hit the big time in Hollywood. The whole book felt like she only tried stripping so she'd have material for the book. She seemed scornful of the other strippers, as if it was all beneath her. The chapters were short, and the writing was good and easy to read. I had just read enough of her faux stripping history.

Welcome

I've set this up in order to connect to all the wonderful bloggers that I've been meeting through reading challenges, starting with the Classics Challenge and now, too many challenges to mention. See the novel challenges link on the sidebar.

I enjoy visiting other blogs, from link to link to link, and feel free to comment here. I'd love to read what you thought about a book I read. I'll always come back to visit you. I'm a mom to three kids, wife, and high school teacher who ignores the housework and plays on the computer too much, when I'm not reading. I used to run a lot more, but indoors is more fun these days; however, my waistline is beginning to protest.

This blog is for all things book related: reviews, lists, memes, and anything remotely related to books. There are other things that I muse about at livejournal.

BOOK: Unless by Carol Shields

Unless by Carol Shields, 322 pages

Orange January (shortlist 2003); Canada Reads 2011; 4th Canadian CBC

Linda Holmes, of NPR, wrote a great article in the summer, in the middle of a Franzen fracas, about why chick lit is a bad title. If you recall, Johnathan Franzen's summer release, Freedom, was the darling of all the literati. (Admission: haven't read it, have no plans to read it, even though my Google Reader is full up of fans of his books.) Maureen Johnson also wrote a much linked article about the dearth of attention to woman writers, among other things. I so wish Carol Shields had been around to add her two cents worth, since I believe she had much to say about male/female writers and their books. In fact, she wrote about it in her last published book, Unless. In 2002.

Reta Winters is a forty something writer, with every reason to be happy. Except, her nineteen year old daughter has suddenly dropped out of life, and is on a quest for goodness by begging on a street corner. Reta is given lots of comparisons about why this isn't so bad, but for her, it's everything. Shields starts the book off slowly, and I certainly felt the higher level of reading than I often read, but I felt stretched, in a very good way. With an author as the main character, there is lots of navel-gazing, and Reta even references herself as navel-gazing within the book, mocking herself for being an author and writing about writing. Part of the way Reta deals with her sadness and concern over her daughter, who she believes felt marginalized in a male dominated world, is to write letters pointing out the lack of female writers referenced in articles she's read.

Unless is a big story of identification told in one woman's experience. Hey, isn't that what male writer's do? But when women do it, it's called chick lit or a story for women. When men do, they are describing the life experience and get awards. The best, or rather most infuriating part of the book, is when Reta's editor decides her sequel book should be a big 'literature' book. She'll just have to switch the focus from the female character's search for goodness  to the male character's search for greatness. Yes, Carol Shields goes there. Rock on sister.

Perfect book to start off Orange January a little early. Bonus points for me since Unless is nominated for Canada Reads 2011. I can't wait to hear this book debated in February.

CHALLENGE: NaJuReMoNoMo

 

They're really more suggestions, but here are the guidelines for NaJuReMoNoMo participation:

1. Must Be A Novel. Works of fiction only, please. Memoirs, non-fiction, how-to books, and Garfield collections don't count.

2. Memoirs Aren't Novels. No matter how made up the story, anything ostensibly true isn't a novel. Also known as The James Frey Rule.

3. Start and Finish in January. I guess if you got some cool books for Christmas, Hanukkah or some other gift-giving event and jumped the gun, you can't be blamed. But I only count books I start and finish within the 31 day window.

4. Re-reading Doesn't Count. Try something new. Read something by your favorite author or try an entirely new author or tackle that novel you have always wanted to read.

5. Have Fun. Nobody is grading you or paying you or judging you. Read what you like and like what you read.
Check out the Facebook Page as well. This will be my third year participating. It's the easiest challenge ever!

The Books I Read in January:

1.Case Histories - Kate Atkinson
2. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares -Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
3. 26A - Diana Evans
4. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies - Alexander McCall Smith
5. The House at Riverton - Kate Morton
6. In a Strange Room - Damon Galgut
7. Started Early, Took My Dog - Kate Atkinson
8. The Bone Cage - Angie Andou
9. Cocaine Blues - Kerry Greenwood
10.

CHALLENGE: Graphic Novels

Vasilly is the new host for the 2011 Graphic Novels Challenge, hosted on a dedicated blog. As always, the goal is to read graphic novels.

The level of participation: Beginner (3 comics or graphic novels), Intermediate (3-10 books), or Expert (10+)

There will be no mini-challenges this year, but there will be a monthly spotlight on one book or author every month, along with a guest post every month and with monthly prizes.

For more information, visit the dedicated blog. To sign up, visit the sign up post.

There are still a few graphic novels I'd like to read, so signing up for this will remind me about the books I want to read. 

Here's the list from the library:

Essex County Vol 3: Tales of a Country Nurse - Jeff Lemire
Ghost World - Daniel Clowes
Birth of a Nation - Aaron McGruder
Che - the graphic biography
Tricked - Alex Robinson
The Fate of the Artist - Eddie Campbell
City of Glass - Paul Auster
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl - Barry Lyga

The books I read:

1. Essex County - Jeff Lemire
2. Anya's Ghost - Vera Brosgol
3.

BOOK: King Leary by Paul Quarrington

King Leary by Paul Quarrington, 232 pages

4th Canadian Book Challenge; 2nds Book Challenge (finished!)

King Leary won Canada Reads in 2008, and was previously awarded the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humor in 1988. It is a humorous look back on the life of King Leary, famous hockey player. Leary narrates the hard luck story of his early life, the awesome hockey player he was, and his friendship with two childhood friends. Lots of booze, lots of hockey, lots of old man reminiscing. Loosely based on King Clancy of the Leafs I believe, it was a classic "old man reminiscing book" - back and forth between present and past, present events bring up old happenings, and some weird coincidences keep the story moving.

Leary was fun, and funny - he gets drunk on Canada Dry, and this was a good, Canadian read. I liked how he called the Maple Leafs  'the Leaves' and how he gradually comes to admire the newest hotshot hockey player. Manny Ozkean, his childhood friend, was a sad story of alcoholism, which just shows that there have always been young gifted athletes who waste their talents on addictions. Quarrington has a wonderful way with the turn of the phrase, which elevates this "old man reminiscing book," in my books.

Nowadays they got something called "powerskating." ... it was just hardstepping, which I been doing since I was born. Here's what you do. You puff up your spirit till it won't fit into your body anymore. You get your feet to dance across the icebelly of the world. You get empty except for life and the winter wind. p12

BOOK: We Need to Talk About Kelvin by Marcus Chown

We Need to Talk About Kelvin by Marcus Chown, 268 pages

also titled: The Matchbox That Ate a Forty-Ton Truck: What Everyday Things Tell Us About the Universe

Science Book Challenge (finished!)

The book ends with a great quote by Fermi: "Before I came here I was confused about this subject. Having listened to your lecture I am still confused. But on a higher level." p216

And that about sums up the experience. The book is divided into 3 sections: What the Everyday World is Telling You about Atoms, What the Everyday World is Telling You about Stars, and What the Everyday World is Telling You about the Universe. The idea is that Chown takes an everyday idea -how you see yourself in the window explains why, ultimately, things happen for no reason, and this can explain much about atoms. It's a neat idea, and I liked the first section , about Atoms, a lot, because it built on the knowledge I already have the most. If you were reading this to learn about science from scratch, I think it might be tough. But for someone with a basic science background, this would be a book to start with.

We live in a quantum universe that large looks un-quantum. p157

I teach non quantum physics in high school, and didn't take a lot of quantum physics in my chemistry degree in university, so while I understand quite a bit, it's been a while.Plus it's been twenty years since I was in school! Theories have changed.  Chown does a great job of keeping things simpler; however, there were sections that confused didn't explain everything I needed. The section About Stars was getting a bit beyond me. But I may have been getting tired. The last section, About the Universe, especially the section ending on Extra Terrestrial life, kept things more readable.

This book will enter my classroom library, with a glossary at the back to explain concepts and terms, easy reference to scientists, and lots of notes and references. It is also full of quotes from poetry and scientists, and contains no formulas. Chown starts with a simple idea, explains in easy terms and then builds from there. As a science book goes, it goes very well. I made the effort to order the book wit the We Need to Talk About Kelvin title which wasn't available in Canada. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shiver was such a great read, I needed to have the better title

LIST: Reading Experiences from 2010

Suey posted this end of year meme this week, and I just gakked it from her. Gak away!


Best Book: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson.

Worst Book: The Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Morgan was one of the few books I didn't finish. Nothing offensive, just not interesting enough to keep reading.

Most Disappointing Book: The Swimming Pool by Holly Lecraw didn't seem to match the blurb, so while I was expecting a mystery, I got family angst that wasn't even that angsty.

Most Surprising Book:  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Nonfiction book that reads like fiction, which taught me a lot about biology, genes, and bad moral decisions.

The Book Most Recommended to Others:  Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winnifred Watson. Cutest book, and I really must get the movie to watch.

Best Series Discovered: Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear and Benny Griesel (by Deon Meyer)

Favorite New Authors Discovered:  Catherine O' Flynn  This was the only author I read for the first time, and then read a second book by her (The News Where You Are,  and What Was Lost) immediately. Both were excellent.

Most Hilarious Read: She Got Up Off the Couch by Haven Kimmel; A Tiny Bit Marvellous by Dawn French; Paper Towns by John Green (funny road trip scene)

Most Thrilling, Unputdownable Book: Thirteen Hours by Deon Meyer. Police mystery over 13 frantic hours in South Africa. Looking forward to reading another in this series.

Most Anticipated Book: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. Me and everyone else.

Favorite Cover: Shiver by Maggie Stievgarer. I read the book because I loved the cover of the series. Didn't like the book as much.

Most Memorable Character: Jack, the little boy in Room was very memorable, along with his mother

Most Beautifully-Written Book: hmm, can't really pick one for this, but I'm going to add best re-read, The Blue Castle, by LM Montgomery, because it needs to be somewhere on this list.


Book That Had the Greatest Impact On You: Broken For You by Stephanie Kallos


Book you Can't Believe you Waited Until 2010 to Read: We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. Considering how great "The Lottery" was, which I read in high school, I'm surprised it took me this long to read another Jackson.

New Favorite Book Blog You Discovered: Buried in Print, one of several new Canadian blogs. She writes insightful reviews, and reads such different books than I do.

Favorite Review You Wrote: The Year of the Flood by Atwood. Also gets honorable mention as most beautiful cover.


Best Book Event You Participated in During 2010: The Holiday Book Swap is always fun! I also enjoyed the Detectives Around the World, although now I know so many more mysteries to read.


Best Bookish Discovery of 2010: In 2010, I really got back into mysteries, and I am glad for that. Over the years, before blogging, mysteries were my go to books.


How about you? What books (or blog posts) would you plug into these categories?

BLOGGING: Christmas Events

Merry Christmas to me! I received my Book Blooger Holiday Swap package at the end of last week from Jonita, at the Book Chick Blog. After I met her at her blog, and thanked her, she posted about getting her Book Swap package, from PEI! Those sneaky organizers almost did a true swap, but there are other bloggers on PEI. I know, because I sent my package to PEI. I almost hand delivered it, but thought that might be weird. We are hoping to have a meet-up soon.

One of the things I like about the swap is I generally meet new bloggers, and, of course, the books! Jonita sent me two books that look really good - Just One Look by Harlan Coban, a mystery by an author I've been wanting to read, and Conversations With the Fat Girl, a chick lit book that looks cute. Jonita reads lots of chick lit, so I trust she sent me a good one. She'd know.  She also sent a lovely card with a whole letter written inside, and some chocolate covered peanuts. Not individually covered, but little piles of chocolatey goodness. Now, these peanuts are locally grown in Ontario. Who knew we grew peanuts in Canada? I certainly didn't. I kept the box to photograph, but the inside of the box was polished off that night. I didn't want to share, and almost convinced my 13 year old son that he wouldn't like them. He backed off, then looked again, and asked why wouldn't he like them - they looked good. And he was correct. Picard's Peanuts. Mmm, mmm, good.

Thank you so much Jonita, and Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Some Christmas birds check out my Holiday Swap goodies!

CHALLENGE: 2nds Challenge 2011

This challenge is hosted by katy f at fewmorebages this year after theroyalreviews hosted last year. I liked keeping track last year of the seconds I've read, and I managed 20 last year. Plus, I do like to read series, and getting that second one done helps me really get into a series. Also, since I read over 50 new authors this year, there are plenty of options for a second read.

Guidelines for the challenge:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

2. There are four levels to choose from in this challenge:

• Just a spoonful - Read 3 books that are 2nd in a series or the second time you've read the author.
• A few more bites - Read 6 books that are 2nd in a series or the second time you've read the author.
• A full plate - Read 12 books that are 2nd in a series or the second time you've read the author.
• All you can eat - Read 20 books (or more) that are 2nd in a series or the second time you've read the author.

3. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you. Any genre counts.
4. You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2011. Don't start reading until January.

Some ideas:
Jeff Lindsay  - Dearly Devoted Dexter
Alan Bradley - The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag
Lisa Lutz - The Spellman's Revenge
Qiu Xioalong -
Stieg Larsson - The Girl Who Played With Fire
Peter Temple - The Broken Shore
Lori Lansens - The Wife's Tale
Emma Donaghue -
Georgette Heyer -
Deon Meyer -Trackers
Jasper Fforde's second book in the Chromatica series

The Books I Read:

1. My Most Excellent Year - Steve Kluger (Last Days of Summer)
2. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay (2nd in series)
3. Just in Case - Meg Rosoff (How I Live Now)
4. First Love - Joyce Carol Oates (Zombie)
5. The Night Wanderer - Drew Hayden Taylor (Motorcycles & Sweetgrass)
6. Roseanna - Maj Sjowall, Per Wahloo (The Man on the Balcony)
7. Prep - Curtis Sittenfeld (American Wife)
8. The Wife's Tale - Lori Lansens (The Girls)
9. The Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz (The Spellman Files)
10.Children of the Street - Kwei Quartey (The Wife of the Gods, 2nd in series)
11. The Likeness - Tana French (In the Woods)
12. What Janie Found - Caroline B Cooney (2nd in the Janie quartet books)
13. Trackers - Deon Meyer (Thirteen Hours)
14. Mothers and Sons - Colm Toibin (Brooklyn)
15. Year of Wonders - Geraldine Brooks (People of the Book)
16. The Adventuress - Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveller's Wife)
17. Pretty in Ink - Karen E Olson (2nd in Tattoo Shop Mystery series)
18. The Distant Hours - Kate Morton (The House at Riverton)
19. The Broken Shore - Peter Temple (Truth)
20. Wonderstruck - Brian Selznick (The Invention of Hugo Cabret)
21. The Reinvention of Love - Helen Humphreys (Coventry)
22. An Irish Country Village - Patrick Taylor (An Irish Country Doctor)
23. The Canterbury Trail - Angie Abdou (The Bone Cage)

BOOK: A Tiny Bit Marvellous by Dawn French

A Tiny Bit Marvellous by Dawn French, 322 pages

Typically British Challenge

Three members of the dysfunctional Battle family: child psychologist mother Mo, almost 18 year old cranky Dora, and 16 year old Peter, who prefers to go by Oscar as he is channeling Oscar Wilde, narrate the story. Husband is never named, but is the glue with which the family sticks together. Oscar is hilarious, and I never got tired of hearing his part of the story. A wonderful character who dreams of owning his own smoking jacket.

The main story revolves around the intern at Mo's office, Noel. Oscar develops a crush on Noel, who develops a crush on Mo. Dora narrates a large chunk of the story, and she is a very immature teenager, which a huge attitude and potty mouth, but since I spend my days in a high school, she is much more realistic than many would like to believe. And as selfish as she is, she is very much like Mo, and I'd say it's a family trait. Mo's mother Pamela appeared to be the voice of reason for all the characters, except Mo, who shouldn't be so surprised when her own daughter is so frustrated with her. Mo and Dora repeat practically the same complaints about their mothers.

The book flowed along very nicely with a bit of a story. All the strands came together nicely at the end. There were sections where I laughed out loud in spite of myself. Oscar trying to buy his smoking jacket and Mo realizing how she has aged, were two particularly funny sections. I am not familiar with Dawn French, but I understand she is a British comic actress; this is her first novel. I would certainly read another book by her (her memoir, Dear Fatty).

A very enjoyable book. ( )

 This completes the Typically British Challenge for me. Starting July 24th, I read:

1. The News Where You Are - Catherine O'Flynn
2. What Was Lost - Catherine O'Flynn
3. One Day - David Nicholls
4. Mini Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella
5. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - Winifred Watson
6. Cranford - Elizabeth Gaskell
7. Minding Frankie - Maeve Binchy
8. A Tiny Bit Marvellous - Dawn French

which makes me a Creamed Cracker. Awesome! I had already read 13 British books before I found this challenge. Thanks for hosting Book Chick City.

CHALLENGE: Ireland Reading Challenge

Carrie is again hosting  the Ireland Reading Challenge. I'm so glad she decided to host again since I didn't participate last year, but I wanted to. I would love to read the Irish Country books by Patrick Taylor, plus a whole bunch others.

Details of the Challenge:

1. Any books read for this challenge can also apply to other challenges you are working on.
2. Re-reads are allowed.
3. Any book written by an Irish author, set in Ireland, or involving Irish history or Irish characters, counts for the challenge – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, audiobooks, children’s books – all of these apply.
4. You don’t have to list your books ahead of time – just have fun reading throughout the year.
5. Choose your commitment level:

• Shamrock level: 2 books
• Luck o’ the Irish level: 4 books
• Kiss the Blarney Stone level: 6 books

Everyone who fulfills their challenge level and writes at least one review is eligible for the giveaway prize at the end of the challenge: a copy of Tipperary by Frank Delaney.

Pool of books:

An Irish Country Doctor - Patrick Taylor
Sushi for Beginners - Marion Keyes
In the Woods - Tana French
Pomegranate Soup - Marsha Mehran
Edna O'Brien or Kate O'Brien
Colm Toibin - Mothers and Sons
Teacher Man - Frank McCourt

Books that get read:

1. In the Woods - Tana French
2. An Irish Country Doctor - Patrick Taylor
3. A Star Called Henry - Roddy Doyle
4. Pomegranate Soup - Marsha Mehran
5. The Likeness - Tana French
6. Mothers and Sons - Colm Toibin
7. An Irish Country Village - Patrick Taylor

BOOK: Hardboiled & Hard Luck by Banana Yoshimoto

Hardboiled & Hard Luck by Banana Yoshimoto, 149 pages

I'm still not quite sure what to make of Yoshimoto's writing. It's easy to read, and her female characters are well written, but they don't make me fall in love with the stories. This is similar to Kitchen, in that there are two novellas on a theme of moving on, getting past the past, as it were. 

Hardboiled had a real creepy vibe to me, and I kept expecting something terrible to happen. It never really did, but I still felt there was much more to the main character than was revealed. Too many people dying, and her sense of time was weird; I could never tell when things had happened, and I'm not sure she could either.
Hard Luck was the one I liked much better. A girl's sister is in a coma after a freak incident, and as the sister gradually falls farther and farther away from life, she deals with the impending death, along with her family. Nice look at grief and how different people deal differently.

Physically, I like this book and it felt nice in my hands and was very pretty. I'm going to keep it, and maybe read again to see if the stories need to read again to be appreciated more by me.

CHALLENGE: Criminal Plots Challenge

Hosted by Jen from Jen's Book Thoughts, but it has its own blog here. Runs all year, and you read 6 books from the following categories:

1. A book by a new to you author who's blurbed a book you enjoyed. So check out the cover of a crime fiction book you've enjoyed and see who blurbed that book and is also an author you've never read before.
2. A book that has been made into a movie. It doesn't have to be a movie you've seen but it can be. The book, however, should be one you haven't read before. (Examples: MYSTIC RIVER, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, LONDON BOULEVARD, HOSTAGE, etc.)
3. A book with a protagonist opposite your own gender. So if you're female, the protagonist should be male; if you're male the protagonist should be female.
4. A book set outside the country in which you live.
5. A book that's the first in a new-to-you series.
6. A book by a 2011 debut author.

My list of possibilities: 

1. The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo.
2. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larson
3. Track of Sand by Andrea Camilleri. Inspector Montalbano is male
4. Broken Shore by Peter Temple (Australia)
5. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R King
6. ?

What I read for the challenge:

1. Blurbed Author: Jo Nesbo - The Redbreast (Nesbo wrote the introduction on The Man on the Balcony by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo)
2. Made into a Movie: Case Histories - Kate Atkinson (I found out in retrospect that this was made into a movie, and it's going to be on PBS in October. I watched it and loved it.)
3. Opposite sex protagonist: The Track of Sand by Andrea Camilleri
4. From another country: The Broken Shore by Peter Temple

5. New to You Series: Death in la Fenice - Donna Leon
6. Debut author:

EVENT: Virtual Advent Tour 2010

Welcome! Welcome! Be sure to visit other stops on the tour today:  Tami @ Just One More Thing.. and the lovely Bellezza @ Dolce Bellezza. Also, since you are visiting here on Prince Edward Island, head up the road and visit Colleen @ Lavender Lines.

Christmas Events in PEI
Downtown Charlottetown is decorated with trees on every corner, the streetlights in Old Charlottetown are wreathed and bowed. Plus, Wintertide has huge lighted displays around downtown that are lit up at night, snowflakes and sleighs with horses, the three wisemen. Wintertide lights stay up from the end of November until early January, Old Christmas.

Many people leave their (real) trees up and decorated until Old Christmas, January 5th, the 12th Day of Christmas. One year, the pick up of discarded trees was scheduled for January 3rd, causing letters to the editor and complaints that it was too early for old traditions. Pick up of trees was delayed a week.

In 2001, a shortage of sticky raisins worldwide was a near catastrophe for bakers of plum pudding and special raisin bread, an Island Christmas tradition. There were articles in the paper, and interviews in the stores on the television. (And to make it a real PEI story, the owner quoted in the article lived next door to me in residence in university. There is always a connection.)

Province House, the birthplace of Canadian Confederation has an annual tree lighting ceremony to kick off the season. The stately building is beautiful both summer and winter, and is one of the lucky things we have in our small city and province.

For a long time, we only had Sunday Shopping in the four weeks leading up to Christmas. In the last few years, starting on the Victoria Day weekend in May, Sunday shopping extended then until the last Sunday before Christmas. But then none until May! Last week, the legislature voted, in a tie-breaking vote, to have Sunday shopping all year. I think we are the last place in the world to allow Sunday shopping.

Did you see a reindeer and an elf?

Craft fairs are an annual tradition, and local fundraisers. Several schools host craft fairs almost every weekend in November where you can get anything you could possibly imagine - baked goods, homemade knitted goods, jewellery, tole painted objects, wreaths, photographs, toys, and books.

Another catastrophe was averted this year. Early in November, the news said that bakers who provided baked goods at craft fairs should be baking in kitchens that had been certified as safe by government officials. Common sense prevailed; as as long as the food was low-risk, (no seafood or dairy) then bakers could bring their cookies and fudge to bake sales without fear of reprisal.

My kids at Christmas Brunch last year

 Merry Christmas from Prince Edward Island, and me and my family.







( Please wait for the Intense debate comments - sometimes it takes a few seconds to load.)

BOOK: Essex County Vol 1 &Vol 2 by Jeff Lemire

Canada Reads 2011 novels and defenders have been announced. I've previously read one (The Birth House by Ami MacKay, summer 2008), and had already picked up Essex County by Jeff Lemire from the library before it was announced. I have Unless by Carol Shields from the library now and am 7th in line for Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis. The last nominee, The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou is not at the library yet, but I expect them to get all the books in soon, as the Canada Reads are quite popular.

Essex County Vol 1; Tales from the Farm by Jeff Lemire,

Graphic Novel Challenge; 4th CBC Challenge; Canada Reads 2011 Nominee

Lester is living on the farm with his uncle. He wants to be a superhero. He's dealing with life. Very cute and touching. I actually read this volume after I read volume 2, but I liked knowing who Jimmy LeBeuf was, and all his back story that is explained in Volume 2 as Jimmy befriends young Lester. Lemire included a comic book written by Lester, but was in fact credited at the beginning with a nine year old Lemire. It looked like an actual  child's drawing, so I wondered.

Essex County Vol 2; Ghost Stories by Jeff Lemire, 125 pages

Graphic Novel Challenge; 4th CBC Challenge; Canada Reads 2011 Nominee

Such a great Canadian book! The country kids moving to the big city, the isolation of living in a city among so many people and yet being alone; plus the hockey. Does nearly every Canadian community have someone who played their one game in the NHL? Or someone who could have made the NHL, except. The second volume is much more involved than the first book, with the strained relationships between the brothers who played hockey. It covers a much longer time period and more involved plot.

I never know how to describe the drawings. I am always impressed with how the authors of graphic novels are able to show so much of the characters and the story with their drawings, along with the written word. Lemire is no exception.

I am looking forward to Volume 3, The County Nurse.

CHALLENGE: 2011 Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge

Bev Hankins is trying her hand at hosting her first reading challenge, and it's for mystery readers.

From her blog:

Introducing: The 2011 Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge. A challenge for all you mystery lovers out there who already love mysteries from the years prior to 1960 and also anyone who's ever thought, "I should give Agatha Christie (Dorothy L Sayers...Sir Arthur Conan Doyle...etc) a try."

*Challenge runs from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011. Sign up any time between now and November 30, 2011.

*No matter what level you choose, please try at least two different vintage authors.

*Some suggested authors include: Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, Dorothy L Sayers, Earl Derr Biggers, Georgette Heyer, Edmund Crispin, Cyril Hare, Ellery Queen, Elizabeth Daly, Cyril Hare, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Ngaio Marsh, S. S. Van Dine, Philip MacDonald, Rex Stout, Phoebe Atwood Taylor, Josephine Bell, Josephine Tey, Frances & Richard Lockridge, Michael Innes and Stuart Palmer. (Please remember that some of these authors published after 1960 as well--so keep an eye on the original copyright date.)

Head over to the blog for more information and to sign up. Here's the page for linking any reviews.

Challenge Levels:

In a Murderous Mood: 4-6 Books
Get a Clue: 7-9 Books
Hot on the Trail: 10-12 Books
Capture the Criminal: 13-15 Books
Take 'Em to Trial: 16+ Books

OR
The Golden Age Girls: Read 5-7 books from female authors from the vintage years
Cherchez Le Homme: Read 5-7 books from male authors from the vintage years

I thought I would try In a Murderous Mood, but when I looked at the authors I'd like to read ( Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham or Dorothy Sayer) it appears I'm reading The Golden Age Girls.I especially like the name of that level.

The Golden Age Girls read

1. Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie (pub in 1935)
2. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (pub in 1940)
3. Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie (pub in 1938)
4. The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie (pub in 1960)
5.