BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where are You?

I just returned to Newfoundland from NY city, and I expect there will be big things in my future as I am Joey Smallwood. (The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, by Wayne Johnston)

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

BOOK: Feeling Sorry When You Reach the Westing Game by assorted authors

Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty, 276 pages

Aussie Authors; Young Adult Challenge; 2nds Reading Challenge

Moriarty has the epistolary novel down pat. I previously enjoyed The Year of Secret Assignments. (The two books are part of a loose series, in the same town with connected characters, but not a linear series.) Here, Elizabeth writes letters to her penpal at a nearby school, notes on the fridge with her mother, the odd postcard from her missing best friend Celia, and the hilarious notes from Lizzy's brain from groups like the Best Friends Society, the Association of Teenagers, and the Cold Hard Truth Association. This was written in 2000, so not as much texting or emailing as a more modern book. Fun, easy book with a likable narrator.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, 193 pages

Young Adult Challenge; Newbery Prize Winner 2010

I didn't even realize this won the Newbery this year - much less hype then when Neil Gaiman won last year. Very much related and in homage to A Wrinkle in Time, Miranda's favorite book. Twelve year old Miranda is helping her mother prepare to be on $20,000 Pyramid in 1979 New York City. She is dealing with being poor with a single mother, the shifting sands of friendship in middle school, and suddenly, mysterious notes appearing in her belongings. I loved the setting, and really felt the city as a character and what it might be like to be growing up in NY. Nice use of relativity in a children's book, and if you've ever loved A Wrinkle in Time, I'd recommend this book.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, 185 pages

Newbery Prize Winner 1979; R author, A - Zed Challenge

So many people list this as an influence of their childhood, plus it's a Newbery Winner, I was inspired to read it. Probably one of those books it's best to read first as a young child, then it stays gold. As an adult, it was a cute book, a bit scattered in view points  and abrupt in places, but overall a nice little mystery. The clues are given, and it's a gateway book to Agatha Christie novels, with the locked library whodunnit. Six pairs of heirs are given apartments near the Westing House, and then given clues to decipher. First to figure it who killed Sam Westing gets the money. A colourful cast of characters to keep track of.

A bit unusual, but good intro for kids to a well-written, solvable  mystery.

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

I'm in New York City, circa 1979 with a young girl named Miranda. Her mother is studying to be on the $20,000 Pyramid, and there is some hint of time travel. (When You Reach Me, Rebecca Stead)

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

BOOK: Spies of the Balkans by Alan Furst

Spies of the Balkans by Alan Furst, 268 pages

thanks to RandomHouse Canada for the review copy

Historical spy novels are not my usual type of fiction, but something about this one, probably the setting of Greece and the Balkans, made me pick this up. Apparently, Furst is well known for his historical spy books, and Spies of the Balkans is the 11th in his Night Soldiers series. (not a series per se, but a series of historical spy novels set in Europe that take place in the years prior to, and in the early part of, World War II.)

Costas Zannis is a special cop in Salonika, Greece, dealing with sensitive situations. He meets up with a woman from Germany helping Jews escape, and ends up helping her, and the refugees, on their path through the Balkans on the way to Turkey. At this point in the war, Greece is not involved, but is definitely a British ally. The plot wasn't as complicated as I feared, as spy thrillers usually leave me wondering who was who. There was just the right amount of suspense and intrigue and I liked Costas as a character. He lived a bit of a playboy life, with women falling all over him, sort of a dream life for guys, so maybe I'm not completely the target audience. It wasn't distracting, but it seemed a little too much for a regular guy to have fall in his lap.

If this is representative of Furst's other novels, I would certainly read another one. Stand-up characters, spy intrigue, world war two, and European settings are all well done.

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

I am with Costa Zannis, a Greek policeman, and he is secreting Jews out of Berlin by a Balkan escape route. We just went to France to remove an English scientist, after the English Intelligence network discovered what Zannis was up to. Exciting spy novel set in World War Two Greece. (Spies of the Balkans, Alan Furst)

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

BOOK: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, 358 pages

Nonfiction Five 2010; Science Book Challenge

This was supposed to be my nonfiction read for August. The kind of book where I leave it in the living room and read a chapter everyday, or two if they are short like this book. And then I read it all in one day, which should give you an idea of how great a book this is. It helped to have the perfect day to lay out on the (lido) deck and have drinks served by my cabana boy, while watching the sheets dry on the line and reading a book. It was a pretty wonderful day.

I first heard of this book on The Daily Show when the delightful Rebecca Skloot charmed the pants off Jon Stewart. I had never heard of the HeLa cells, extensively used in science and cancer research. And many people using the HeLa cells had never heard of Henrietta Lacks, the woman who died of cervical cancer in 1951 whose cells were 'donated' and then lived on. Skloot ties together several stories - Henrietta Lacks and her life, her family, the history of cell and tissue study, and how she helped the family learn about their mother. Skloot writes about the science in easy to understand language, gradually building up the information. She writes as balanced a story as is possible, recognizing that while a great wrong was done, the motives of most of the people were not evil.

A great read about a woman whose contribution to science needed to be recognized. Skloot spend many years researching the book and became very close to the Lacks family. Henrietta's daughter, Deborah, at one point tried to talk to a scientist about her mother. Deborah was not well educated, and for her, the idea that her mother's cells were alive was very difficult to comprehend, not knowing what exactly a cell was. The scientist brushed her off, gave her his textbook to read and autographed it for her. Deborah was shocked to see a picture of her mother she had never seen before. It was a very sad moment to read, as the gulf between the family and the scientists was never really breached.

If you are looking for a nonfiction book, with a touch of science, well written and compelling, you can look no further - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.



also reviewed:
laura at musings,  devourer of books,
kailana at the written world, maggie at maggie reads,
jill at fizzy thoughts,

BOOK: The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri

The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri, 227 pages
translated by Stephen Sartarelli

Suspense and Thriller Challenge; Four Month Challenge: a book and the next in the series (August Heat and The Wings of the Sphinx)

I'm impressed that book number eleven in the series is still on par with the earlier books. This book had all the great elements - Mimi, Gallo, and Fazio, plus lots of Catarello; still having issues with Livia; dealing with his commissionaire; and of course, lots of wonderful food and drink to distract Salvo. His midlife crisis is still going on as he deals with aging, the historical and literary allusions are a plenty, and the dealings with suspects was even more slapstick than usual - Montalbano is in his prime, even while dealing philosophically with Montalbano One and Two, sort of a Thing One and Two in his brain.  I thought this was a lighter way to tackle his aging and it worked well. The mystery wasn't too complicated and was easily solved. Now I am up to date on this series, and just need to wait for the next three to be translated.

BOOK: The Silence of the Rain by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza

The Silence of the Rain by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza, 261 pages

Global Mystery Challenge; Mystery and Suspense Challenge

I first read an Inspector Espinosa mystery last year, December Heat (second in the series) and I quite enjoyed it. I marked this one at the library and finally got around to requesting it. Reading this out of order doesn't seem to have affected my experience at all.

I quite enjoy Inspector Espinosa. He is a bit of a philosopher, spends his spare time reading and haunting used book stores, his house is a mess and his family has left him. Working in Rio de Janeiro, Espinosa complains about the lack of resources which leads him to solve his crimes by thinking of motives and opportunities for the crime. He's a bit like Poirot - making his theory fit the facts and what he knows about suspect's character.

The first part of the book was in third person, and then jumped from several perspectives, showing what exactly happened in the crime, after the fact, but before Espinosa figures it out. Then the middle section is from Espinosa's narrative as he questions the suspects and thinks. The last section is again third person as the mystery plays out, with a great ending. I liked this changing perspective to see different aspects of the characters and crime, and to get to know Espinosa better. Brazil is a place that I don't imagine I'll ever visit, so spending time in these books is a vicarious vacation in Copacabana and Impanema Beach.

I wish my library had more than these two books, and then the seventh in the series. Who orders books 1, 2 and 7 in a series? That makes no sense at all!

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where are You?

I am in Rio de Janeiro with Inspector Espinosa, investigating a death of a business man. (The Silence of the Rain, by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza)

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

BOOK: Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin, 368 pages

Four Month Challenge: Chick Lit; Early Reviewer Book from Librarything

Who's fault is it when there is an affair in a marriage? The other woman? The husband? The wife? Heart of the Matter takes a very balanced look at an affair and shows how messy and hurtful it is for everyone involved.

Alternating chapters between the wife, Tessa and the other woman, Valerie give both sides of the story so neither is the wrong one although poor husband Nick doesn't get to give his side of the story. I found this aspect interesting (and somewhat confusing) because Tessa gets to tell her story in first person, but Valerie is relegated to third person, even though both were written with the same level of insight into their thoughts. I thought they should have been either both first person, which it essentially was, or stay a little further from Valerie's viewpoint, a little less omniscient. If I am supposed to know Valerie's thought process, let me hear it from her first person. I really got distracted by this point of view issue, as it kept jarring me as the chapter would change, and I was wondering what the purpose between the different viewpoints was. It kept taking me out of the story, which was too bad, because Giffin writes a great book

I didn't realize until after that two of the characters, Tessa's brother Dex and his wife Rachel are from Giffin's first books, Something Borrowed and Something Blue. It's been a long time since I've read those books, but I remember Giffin writing an affair story that makes the reader again question whose fault is it in an affair. Those books also played with point of view as Something Blue retells Something Borrowed from the other character's point of view. Maybe affairs and point of view are Giffin's trademark storytelling style, and I shouldn't be bothered; I should just go with it and know to expect that from now on.

My other concern in the story was that the characters are all quite perfect in their reactions. They all seem to be straight out of a therapist's chair, with mature dealings, for the most part, and good analysis of their actions. However, I am nitpicking here, because I read this book quickly, quite absorbed in the story. The characters were real, yet flawed, doing the best they can in an awful situation. It's like watching a train-wreck because people are definitely going to get hurt, but since I watch Big Brother, I am a train-wreck kind of girl. It's a chick lit type of book, but I never really like that label - how about 'great read with women as characters dealing with real life since books about emotions and women (who read a lot of books) are just as important as war might be'?

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

Summer is rolling along very nicely here in PEI. Lots of lazing around, a bit of visiting, watching soccer and baseball, fun family get-togethers, amazing weather, and plenty of time for reading. It gets hard to go back to work in the fall after settling into a very slow-paced life.

I just bought a farm in Spain! I'm giving up my life in England and moving to Spain.(If only this were true, and not just the nonfiction book I started reading) (Driving Over Lemons, by Chris Stewart)

I'm also back in Newfoundland in the 1980s as the Ocean Ranger went down. Does anyone else remember this disaster? (February, Lisa Moore)

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

BOOK: The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester, 242 pages
also known as The Surgeon of Crowthorne

Nonfiction Five 2010; Our Mutual Read; Bibliophilic Challenge

Imagine how the first dictionary was written. How do they find all the words without leaving any out? I mean, all the words. It turns out to have been a many decade-long (seventy) process, to produce the Oxford English Dictionary. In this book, Winchester documents an interesting aspect of the making of this famous dictionary - Dr William Minor, one of the most consistent and prolific contributors, who lived in an asylum in England for the criminally insane for most of his adult life.

The book covers several stories - Dr Minor, his years in the American civil war, Professor James Murray and his role as main editor, the history of dictionary writing before the OED, life in an asylum, mental illness, the murder of George Merrett, and the dictionary itself. I liked the Victorian times, and how Winchester included so much information, without feeling like overload. Each chapter begins with a pertinent word's listing from the OED, giving people like me, who have never read from the OED, an idea of what it was like.  My only complaint is that by including so much extra information, Winchester sometimes inserted a random fact that just seems out of place, and inserted his views or biases of people or ideas. Nymeth discussed this in detail this week as well. My example was this one, in discussing Murray's friendships.

One was a Trinity College, Cambridge, mathematician named Alexander Ellis, and the other a notoriously pig-headed, colossally rude phonetician named Henry Sweet - the figure on whom Bernard Shaw would later base his character Professor Henry Higgins in Pygmalion, which was transmuted later into the eternally popular My Fair Lady (in which Higgins was played, in the film, by the similarly rude and pigheaded actor Rex Harrison). p37

Bam! Rex Harrison never saw that sucker-punch coming! Was he rude and pigheaded? I never knew that was common knowledge but I don't think it added to the story Winchester was originally telling. That sentence stopped me in my tracks for all the information in it and the judgments. But, that was a small aside in an otherwise interesting book that tries to give some honour to the murdered, wrong place wrong time George Merrett and his role in the making of the dictionary. (Without this murder, Minor would never have been in an asylum with no treatment and so much time on his hands to be able to contribute like he did.)

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also reviewed: nymeth at things mean a lot, lori at she treads softly,

BOOK: The News Where You Are by Catherine O'Flynn

The News Where You Are by Catherine O'Flynn, 250 pages

Typically British challenge; review copy from Random House

Poor Frank Allcroft. He's a news show anchor with little social awareness and not much of a sense of humour. He's still mourning the death of the anchor he has replaced. Phil was a legend, and Frank's mentor. He's also 43 and verging on a midlife crisis. He begins to look into Phil's hit and run death a little more closely. Frank actually 'deals' with the news stories he covers belatedly. Deaths of people with no next of kin particularly bother Frank. Frank was a great character, never wanting to hurt anyone's feelings, but ends up being put upon. It makes him seem like a pushover, but he really isn't.

The story moves along nicely, with a slight mystery. I wouldn't call this book a mystery from the genre, but there is an overarching mystery to be solved, along with Frank settling issues in his life. O'Flynn writes wonderfully rich characters like Frank and his wife and daughter, who are also very real. The overlying themes in this book are about appearances. Frank's father was an architect involved in the rebuilding after the war. His buildings are now being torn down after valuing function over appearance. His town planning idea shows that you can't always plan for things to turn out the way you want them to. Frank does a lot of reminiscing about his childhood and his parents, and how they led him to be the way he is. The book isn't long, but as I try to write about it, there are so many ideas and layers that it is hard to describe.

So, O'Flynn - terrific writing, lots of humour, rich characters, a mystery or two that keep you turning the page, great surprising ending, along with some social commentary. I think I've found a new author to watch.

also reviewed: Jill at the magic lasso, 

 What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn, 242 pages
Orange Longlist 2007; Booker Longlist 2007; Typically British Challenge

I enjoyed The News Where You Are so much that I checked the library and was able to pick O'Flynn's debut novel. Then, accidentally arriving to a girls' night out dinner an hour early with only this book in hand, I got a great start on it. It was also great! The first part of the book, in 1984, we follow Kate Meaney, nine year old detective in the making. She reminded me of Flavia de Luce but with a kinder heart. Smart but equally lonely. Then the book jumps forward twenty years, and we meet Kurt and Lisa, two disenfranchised twenty somethings, working dead end jobs at the local mall. Both have a slight connection to Kate from twenty years before. Then the third section wrapped up the slight mystery with some great twists I did not see coming. Well, maybe I saw them coming a little bit, but I still enjoyed them.

I like O'Flynn's writing style. She has sad themes of loneliness and finding your place in society, but includes humorous lines and comments -

Lisa imagined one day setting a valve on the door that let the customers in but not out, and then when the department was full, pouring in pectin and setting the customers in a kind of rich jam. p191

Her setting of Birmingham is gritty and looks at England during a time when the failing industrial business changed the landscape. Her characters felt so real, making decisions good and bad. And she has a wit and humorous way of writing. There are a few rifts on customers that only people who have worked in retail can appreciate. She reminds me a bit of Douglas Coupland with the rich characters, humourous writing and engaging plots that subtlely make social comments on a few layers. Yep, I still have O'Flynn on my author watch.

also reviewed: sam at sam's book blog,  jackie at farm lane books, nan at letters from a hill farm, dovegreyreader at scribbles,

MIDWEEK MORSELS: Raspberry Custard Kuchen

Kristina used to host Midweek Morsels every Wednesday, then she stopped. But I've noticed she started posting recipes every now and then, so I'm going to join back in occasionally.

I went raspberry picking this week and had a most wonderful time - the weather was hot and sunny, and you get to stand up while picking. Much more comfortable than strawberry picking. While fun to pick, I don't have many recipes that call for fresh raspberries. Raspberry jam is my favorite, but it's a lot of work and Kraft jam tastes great. Then I found this recipe from an old Taste of Home magazine. It's so easy and tasty, I'll be making this every year with fresh picked raspberries.

Raspberry Custard Kuchen
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups fresh raspberries
TOPPING:
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour>
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine 1 cup flour and salt; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream; pat into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Combine the sugar and remaining flour; sprinkle over crust. Arrange raspberries over crust. 

For topping, combine sugar and flour. Stir in eggs, cream and vanilla; pour over berries. Bake at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or chilled. Store in refrigerator.

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

My time for Paris in July, and Orange July is wrapping up nicely in my final book for both. I couldn't have planned better if  I'd tried, which I didn't.

I'm still in France, the Germans are still occupying my village, but I'm in a new book. (Five Quarters of the Orange, by Joanne Harris)

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

CHALLENGE: Typically British

 Hosted by Book Chick City

Timeline: 1st Jan 2010~ 31st Dec 2010.
Only books started on January 1st count towards this challenge.
You may already have read some eligible books

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

2. There are four levels:

• "Put The Kettle On" – Read 2 Typically British novels.
• "Gordon Bennett" – Read 4 Typically British novels.
• "Bob's Your Uncle" – Read 6 Typically British novels.
• "Cream Crackered" – Read 8 Typically British novels.

3. Any book format counts. Must be fiction not non-fiction.
4. You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront then you can change them, nothing is set in stone!
5. The books you choose can crossover into other challenges.

May have already read some? A quick perusal of my books read shows I have read 15 13 already!

Novels:
1. Poppy Shakespeare by Clare Allen
2. The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
3. La's Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall Smith
4. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
5. Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor
6. Two Farthings for a Kid by Wolf Mankowitz
7. Out Backward by Ross Raisin
8. The Brontes Went to Woolworths by Rachel Ferguson

 Mysteries:
1. Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley  he's Canadian, but this sure felt British
2. Why Shoot a Butler? by Georgette Heyer
3. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
4. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
5. Bethlehem Road by Anne Perry
6. The Tale from Hill Top Farm by Susan Wittig Albert she's American, but this sure felt British
7. Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear


This obviously isn't much of a challenge for me to read typically British books. But since I love them, I am still going to try to complete the challenge. How many can I read starting now, as of July 24th?
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.

BOOK: Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky, 368 pages, plus appendices

Summer in Paris;  1001 Books to Read Before You Die

Part of what makes this novel of wartime France so compelling is knowing that Nemirovsky wrote of what she knew, and sadly, that she never survived the German invasion of  France. Nemirovsky was sent to a concentration camp and died before the war ended. Her daughters, hidden in homes during the war, carried her manuscripts with them and eventually had them published. Suite Francaise, which is composed of two section of a proposed five part novel was put together from Nemirovsky's notes. We can never know how she might have edited or changed what this book ended up becoming. Amazingly, it is still a great read and a wonderful, if incomplete story.

Storm in June covers the exodus from Paris after France fell. Alternating chapters show the many perspectives and experiences different classes of people had. Dolce is a smaller story, focusing on one small village under occupation by the Germans. Both give a view of what life would be like during a war and an uncomfortable occupation. Nemirovsky keeps the focus on the individual person, and the fact that she wrote this while the war was going on, with no idea of the eventual outcome, and kept such an impartial view impressed me.

The writing was fluid and poetic, in some parts more than others. I wondered if some of her asides in brackets were meant to be there or just notes to herself about character that she wanted to make sure to include later. All in all, her insight into human behaviour and feelings combined with the wonderful writing was what made this an engrossing book. And a very sad story - both hers and the novel.


also reviewed: lizzysidal at Lizzy's Literary Life, joanna from lost in a good story, caribousmom, jill at fizzythoughts,

Paris in July is being co-hosted by Karen from Book Bath and Tamara from Thyme for Tea.

BOOK: The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst

The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst, 311 pages

review book from RandomHouse Canada; Countdown Challenge

You are supposed to write about what you know, and Carolyn Parkhurst has written about an author, Octavia Frost. On her way to deliver her latest manuscript, Octavia reads on a newspaper that her estranged rock star son has been accused of murdering his girlfriend. This leads Octavia to to some remembering about her past and what lead to their estrangement.

An interesting technique in this novel was to include excerpts from Octavia's books within the novel. The idea of her latest novel is that she has rewritten the endings of all her novels and they are included. In the beginning, it felt too disruptive to the main plot, but as the book went on, these endings became more a part of the story, as the reader begins to see how much of Octavia is in all her own novels and why she wanted to change her endings.

The plot involving Octavia and her son Milo, and the murder of his girlfriend was the right amount of suspense. It wasn't quite enough of a mystery to be in that genre, but it was nicely played out, with enough characters with motive and clues to keep the pages turning. When I read The Swimming Pool, I thought the mystery of the death would play out more like this book did, so I was pleased as I do like a mystery.

The characters were all a little spoiled - famous author, big rock star, famous aging musician. Octavia narrates the novel in the first person, and she writes her story like a novel, and lives events in her life imagining how it would play out in a book - a little self-absorbed but also self-aware about her faults. As the book went on, I liked her a bit better as she came to grips with some of her past actions and she worked on getting along with Milo. How far would you go to defend your child?

Overall, a good read, with damaged characters, author insight, a touch of a mystery. 4/5

also reviewed: jen at devourer of books, jenclair at the book garden,wendy at musings of a bookish kitty ,

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

In reading, I am trying to leave Paris as the Germans have arrived in 1941 France. (Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky)

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

SHORT STORY MONDAY: Summer in Paris

The Death of Olivier Becaille by Emil Zola for Summer in Paris

Emil Zola (1840- 1902)

One time in university, I woke up in the night, sort of. It felt like only my brain woke up, but my body was still asleep. I couldn't move, or talk, and it really freaked me out. I ended up just falling back asleep cause what else could I do? Eventually I discovered it is called sleep paralysis and it isn't that uncommon, although no one I explained it to recognized it and it only happened that one time.

The short story, The Death of Olivier Becaille (read on here on dailylit) might be an example of sleep paralysis, or something more serious.The narrator is the guy who died, but why can he still be thinking? It's quite a creepy little story as my introduction to Zola. Olivier describes all the events of his death - his wife's reaction, the doctor coming, the funeral, even his internment. The reader is left wondering - is he really dead and this is his journey into the beyond, or is he being buried alive? Either way, it's a great short story that has the reader hanging on to find out what is going on. I'm off to find another short story by Zola to read for Summer in Paris.