FEATURE: Detectives Around the World

Welcome to my latest edition of Detectives Around the World, hosted by Jen's Book Thoughts. Today, we visit Sicily and enjoy a meal.

Inspector Salvo Montalbano is fictional, as written by Andrea Camilleri, as are Vigata and Montelusa, two locations that figure prominently in the series. But Sicily has begun to capitalize on the interest of tourists to see the places that Camilleri writes about and where Montalbano lives and works. If you are a fan of the Montalbano books and are planning to visit Sicily, you can arrange a tour of towns like Vigata, and you can visit locations from the books. Let them know which is your favorite book, and they will build a tour around it.



(I live on Prince Edward Island, and and somewhat familiar with this phenomena. There is a very famous red-head orphan from PEI that thousands of tourists come to visit, even though she is very fictional. The author, LM Montgomery, was from here, and there are many real locations associated with Montgomery. But there is also a whole tourist industry built around Anne of Green Gables, and while it sometimes seems tacky to the locals, few tourists are disappointed by their time on Prince Edward Island.)

The Church of Vigàta (Cathedral of San Giorgio - Ragusa Ibla)

Here's a tour description:

You'll follow in the steps of Inspector Montalbano and the other members
of his team: his second-in-charge Mimì Augello, the efficient Fazio, the likable Catarella. We make our way into Vigata in the province of Montelusa and stop in front of the police station (Scicli). Few steps away is the Questura or Commissioner's office of Montelusa. Then, we drive to Ragusa Ibla to see the Church of Vigata (Cathedral of San Giorgio) and other locations featured in "The Shape of the Water", "The Voice of the Violin" "The Snack Thief". Stop for lunch at "Trattoria San Calogero", the restaurant that Montalbano goes to.

When I win the lottery.....


Speaking of lunch, let's look at something that Salvo might have for a meal. It has to be fresh, preferably from the sea, with few ingredients. This looks about right.

Scallops with Parsley and Garlic

Ingredients

• 16 large sea scallops (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

Remove muscle from each scallop. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 8 scallops; sauté 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until browned. Set aside, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining 8 scallops. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel.

Add butter to pan; reduce heat, and cook until butter melts. Stir in parsley and garlic, and cook 15 seconds. Return scallops to pan; toss to coat.

(picture and recipe taken from MyRecipes.com)

MEME: It's Tuesday, Where are You?

Bookword update: taking suggestions in the comments at Sueys.

Detectives Around the World: check out the schedule of posts for the week, and don't forget to vote for your favorite detective. I was sure it would be Holmes vs Poirot, but the newer fellas beat the old guys, if Phillip Marlowe can be considered a new fella.

Are the readathon readers recovered yet? I didn't officially join, but I did a bunch of reading on the weekend anyway. By not joining, I saved myself the posting time, but it always looks like everyone is having so much fun. Maybe another time...


In reading:
I am in Ethiopia, in the Missing Hospital, with Dr Stone. (Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese)

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

FEATURE: Detectives Around the World

Welcome to my edition of Detectives Around the World, hosted by Jen's Book Thoughts. Mystery-loving bloggers from around the world are highlighting detectives from settings around the world. I am taking you on a little tour of Sicily, Italy, with Inspector Salvo Montalbano. Today I will have a book review, and on Thursday, I'll have a blog post highlighting Sicily.

The Paper Moon, by Andrea Camilleri, 264 pages
translated by Stephen Sartarelli

This is the ninth in the series. There have been sixteen written in Italian, with fourteen translated into English, three of which will be released in 2010. When reading a Montalbano mystery, you should expect humor, food, politics, slapstick, and a compelling mystery. And then a desire will overtake you to travel to Sicily and have a great Mediterranean meal.

Inspector Montalbano is starting to feel his age, and beginning to wonder about himself, making him more moody than usual. He is called to investigate the point-blank shooting in the face of victim left with his pants down. Two women suspects emerge, leaving Salvo to have meetings and meals with both of them. As he delves further into the case, drugs and gambling and kickbacks complicate things. His investigative methods are generally unorthodox, and often interrupted by meetings with his hated superiors, but he is left to himself a little more this time, much to his relief.

Mimi, Catarella, and Fazio, policemen on his team, are helping to investigate, but in smaller roles, highlighting Salvo's personal issues in this novel as he is more in his head than usual. Livia, Salvo's girlfriend, also never makes a visit to Vigata, but his housekeeper has left him a few great meals, and an old flame, Ingrid, has sent him some salmon and herring from Sweden. My biggest complaint about Montalbano is his relationship with women, as he is not what I would consider loyal to Livia, but he has a code he seems to live by in his head.

The translator, Sartarelli, really makes this series. He provides notes at the back to help provide a context to many of the comments in the book, from Sicilian phrases, to literary allusions, to the political context from Italian history. He also keeps the comedy, the quick comments, and the humorous interactions, the hallmarks of this series.

Inspector Montalbano Series Titles (from Wikipedia)

1. The Shape of Water - 2002 (La forma dell’acqua - 1994)
2. The Terracotta Dog - 2002 (Il cane di terracotta - 1996)
3. The Snack Thief - 2003 (Il ladro di merendine - 1996)
4. The Voice of the Violin - 2003 (La voce del violino - 1997)
5. Excursion to Tindari - 2005 (La gita a Tindari - 2000)
6. The Scent of the Night - 2005 (L’odore della notte - 2001)
7. Rounding the Mark - 2006 (Il giro di boa - 2003)
8. The Patience of the Spider - 2007 (La pazienza del ragno - 2004)
9. The Paper Moon - 2008 (La Luna di Carta - 2005)
10. August Heat - 2009 (La Vampa d'Agosto - 2006)
11. The Sphinx's Wings - 2009 (Le Ali della Sfinge - 2006)
12. The Sand Path - 2010 (La pista di Sabbia - 2007)
13. The Potter's Field - 2010 (Il campo del vasaio - 2008)
14. The Age of Doubt - 2010 (L'età del dubbio - 2008)
15. (Le prime indagini - 2009)
16. (La danza del gabbiano - 2009)

BOOK: Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, 230 pages

Young Adult Challenge; Four Month Challenge: read a book by two authors

How can you spend hours every day trying in small ways to figure out who you are, then have a near-stranger give you a sentence of yourself that says it better than you ever could? p 20


Naomi and Ely are best friends. Ely is gay and Naomi is not, hence they have created the No-Kiss List, people who they aren't allowed to kiss since they both might like him. Ely and Naomi have grown up together in New York City, in the same apartment building and have some shared messy history. They aren't completely likable when they narrate their own chapters and it wasn't until girl-Robyn narrates a chapter (she's a self-proclaimed Velma; get the Scooby-doo reference?) that I was able to see some of the reasons why Naomi is as obnoxious as she is, and was able to like her.

In fact, it took a while to get past the hip, snarky conversations between Naomi and Ely, but eventually, I really liked the book and the lessons learned by our main characters. Greenwich Village teens live a faster, crazier life so expect a little wilder lifestyle than would be found elsewhere. These characters are in college as well, so this is older young adult content.

No. No no no no. It is not easy. Things that matter are not easy . Feeling of happiness are easy. Happiness is not. Flirting is easy. Love is not. Saying you're friends is easy. Being friends is not. p 199

BOOK: The Missing Ink by Karen E. Olson

The Missing Ink by Karen E. Olson, 299 pages

Global Reading Challenge: North America; A - Zed: O author; 20-10 Challenge: bought new in 2010

This is the first book in The Tattoo Shop Mystery series. This type of mystery is somewhat like chick lit for me in the dependable, enjoyable characters, plots, and humour. Olson impressed me with her Annie Seymour series, and this one, with Brett Kavanaugh, the tattoo artist from Las Vegas, is another winner. Fast-paced, lots of action and characters, with the fantastic Las Vegas setting. I am looking forward to Pretty in Ink, the second in the series.

CHALLENGE: Science Book Challenge 2010

The Science Book Challenge 2010 is being hosted here. I've tried to participate every year, and have had various levels of success, in 2008 and 2009. That won't stop me from signing up again, and listing great science books I hope to read. I'm afraid I'm turning into that person that Nick Hornby worries he became: buying books because you'd like to be the person who buys and reads those books, not that those books ever actually get read. After being inspired by Melanie, yet again (she picks the best science books, the ones that send me scurrying to the library looking for her books):

• Cold: Adventures in the world's frozen places by Bill Streever
• The Elegant Universe by Brian Green
• The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
• 
  

There may be a touch of Literary Feline's approach to book challenges for me on this one. These are the books I'd like to read.

The ones I actually read:
1. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
2. The Mind's Eye by Oliver Sacks
3. We Need to Talk About Kelvin - Marcus Chown

BOOK: Q's Legacy by Helene Hanff

Q's Legacy by Helene Hanff, 177 pages

A - Zed Titles Challenge; Bibliophilic Challenge

Lovely little book for fans of Helene Hanff and her other books, 84, Charing Cross Road, and the Duchess of Bloomsbury. This book wouldn't mean much if you haven't read one or both of the other books, as Hanff chronicles, in her breezy, humorous style, her life before, during and after the writing of her two bookish books. (If you haven't read them, particularly 84, Charing Cross Road, get to it. I haven't met a person who didn't find it absolutely charming.) The Q referenced in the title is, Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, a British professor and author of books Hanff read while trying to educate herself after dropping out of college during the Depression. He advised simplicity in writing and Hanff took it to heart. Her delightful writing is a testament to Q, a legacy in fact.

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

The weather has been crazy, and by crazy I mean amazing, here in PEI. The snow is all gone, the socks have disappeared, the bikes are out. Life is not like this usually until May if we are lucky, and here we are at the beginning of April. Unheard of. And no one is complaining.

Bookword Game: With an impressive list of options, Suey as the poll up at It's All About Books for this week. Still lots of time to vote, and then look for results on Wednesday and a new word at her site for the next week.

In reading, I am in between books again, although I have decided to go back and investigate again that woman in white wandering around the English countryside. Eventually I'll get that mystery solved. (The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins)
I expect to take a trip to Vegas pretty soon, where another mystery has occurred. I might even get a tattoo. (The Missing Ink, Karen E Olsen)

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

BOOK: Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns by John Green, 305 pages

Young Adult Challenge

If ever there was a contemporary book that should be studied in high school, Paper Towns would be it. Students on the verge of graduating high school, wondering about their future, about their friends, about truly knowing anyone in the cliquish world of high school would find lots to contemplate. Add in the fact that the characters in the book end up analyzing a Walt Whitman poem for clues to a missing friend, and English teachers in the world will be rejoicing. The hilarious, laugh out-loud road trip at the end is purely a bonus.

John Green writes young adult books that I have enjoyed. I am starting to recognize some characteristics of his books however. Paper Towns seems to be an amalgam of his two other books: Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines. Katherines had the road trip and snarky friends, and Alaska had the 'boy-loving-the-girl-who-is-a-free-spirit' narrator and revenge against the cool kids pranks. All Green's books are rife with literary references, and unstereotypical, outsider teenagers. Plus the humour.

The book was issued with two different covers, representing the different views people have of Margo, the girl who goes missing. Here's a neat discussion John Green has with his former grade eleven self about the cover. A lot of Paper Towns is about perception of people and what we see or need to see. There is also a great use of wikipedia, which is called Omnidictionary, in the book and, in this meta world, exists in real life to discuss the book. Green makes great use of social media and you can find him interacting all over the internet via his blog.

BOOK: We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, 214 pages

"a dark little gothic tale"

I've always love Jackson's short story, "The Lottery" and have wanted to read more of her books. A great review at Whimpulsive this week tweaked my interest just enough to check the school library and then borrow this slim novel for the weekend. This would be a great book for the Read-a-thon, especially if you like creepy books.

As I searched around for who else had reviews up, I found lots! And I realized that apparently, I don't read too carefully reviews of books that I haven't read yet. I've read these reviews in the last six months, and I added the book to my mental list of books I want to read, but I remembered nothing about the book. I much prefer reading reviews of books that I've already read, and seeing what fellow readers thought of the book. Did they have some insight I missed? Did they like the same parts or characters that I did? For reviews of books I haven't read, I skim a review and get a sense of whether the reviewer liked the book (I appreciate ratings!) but I don't often read the plot summary. I don't want to know much, just the overall impression.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle was a delightful, creepy book. The slow, meting out of details made it a delicious read, as parts and scenes came together gradually, and characters revealed themselves more. I started suspecting that Merricat Blackwood was an unreliable narrator, and that makes a book terrific for me. I also liked how there was nothing disgusting or descriptive in the horror, just your own imagination which is worse than anything else, like the Workman's Compensation commercial with the nail. The best part of reading this book is knowing that I still have Jackson's Haunting of Hill House left to read.

Librarything has a recommendation of The Wasp Factory by Iain M Banks for fans of Merricat, although it is more grsily and detailed.


also reviewed: suziqoregon at Whimpulsive
jenny at jennysbooks
joann at lakesidemusings
chris at bookarama
stephanie at Confessions of a bookaholic

MEME: Crime Fiction Alphabet

Mysteries in Paradise hosts a weekly meme on mystery authors and books, highlighting a different letter each week. Beginning March 29, 2010, posts with the letter X, for author first or last name or book title are being collected here.



X is for Xibalba Murders by Lyn Hamilton.

The first of 11 in the Lara McClintoch mystery series. In this book, Lara travels to Mexico from Canada to help an old friend who sends her a cryptic message. By the time she gets to the hotel owned by her old friends, Don Hernan has gone missing. Lara is picking her life up after a sudden divorce, and she throws herself into finding Don Hernan and what it was he wanted her help for.

First novels in a series can be tough because the author has to set up a whole back story to sustain further novels, introduce supporting characters, plus be a compelling mystery on its own. The mystery was good; Lara jumped right in to situations that I thought were a little daring, but she seemed nonplussed about breaking into a museum, or sneaking out of the hotel while under house arrest. There was a touch more historical information than I would have required but it was a fascinating look at the history of the Maya and Mexico that I knew nothing about.

Summary: cute little cosy mystery, but I won't be running out to get another in the series. Recommended for archaeological fans and people interested in Mexico and its history or for readers wanting a book beginning with the letter X.

(originally posted to my blog November 2008)

GAME: The Bookword Game (sticky post)

I've had a few bloggers I've met and then followed because of our taste in books. A long time ago, there was a challenge called Something About Me, and I met a few Bookmates that way. Hey, did you see how I did that and dropped in the new bookword for a person with the same taste in books as yourself? That's how easy this Bookword Game is.

So, Bookmate is the word, suggested by Julie, for the person with the same taste in books as you. Thanks Julie! It's quite a perfect word, because after reading some of Suey's lists of her favorite books, I knew that I had found a Bookmate.

On to the next word. One of our 'fans' suggested this one: There is a particular sort of novel of which I always profess to be passionately fond: the sort with one plotline in the olden days with people doing their olden-day thing, and one in the present with eager scholars researching the very olden-day events in the other plotline. There you go - a book with plots in the olden days, and in the present day, with people looking into the olden days time. I'm pretty sure the book I read called The Tenth Gift is this kind of book. Suggestions in the comments please, and a poll next week at Suey's.


(oh, my. I'm sure someone else could have worded that more elegantly, but it just shows that we need a word for this, instead of letting people like me try to describe it)

CHALLENGE: A to Zed, Titles and Authors

Just doing this on my own - bolded have been read, others are ideas.

Titles: 26/26

A- The Age of Persuasion - Terry O'Reilly & Mike Tennant
B- Broken For You, Stephanie Kallos
C- The Cruellest Month - Louise Penny
D- Deloume Road, Matthew Hooton
E- Every Last One - Anna Quindlen
F- Foreign Affairs, Alison Lurie
G- Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson
H- The Help, Kathryn Stockart
I- Incident Report, Martha Baillie
J- The Jade Peony, Wayson Choi
K- A Kid for Two Farthings - Wolf Mankowitz
L- La's Orchestra Saves the World, Alexander McCall Smith
M- Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, Helen Simonson
N- Nellie McClung, Charlotte Gray
O- Out Backward - Ross Raisin
P- Purple Hibiscus, Chimimanda Ngozi Adichi
Q- Q's Legacy, Helen Hanff
R- The Rehearsal - Eleanor Catton
S- The Spellman Files, Lisa Lutz
T- Through Black Spruce, Joseph Boyden
U- The Unnamed, Joshua Ferris
V- Vernon God Little, DBC Pierre
W- We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson
X- Essex County, Vol 1&2 - Jeff Lemire
Y- Year of the Flood, Margaret Atwood
Z- Zero - Diane Tullson





 Authors: 24/26
A- Allen, Clare- Poppy Shakespeare
B- Bradley, Alan - Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
C- Camilleri, Andrea - Paper Moon
D- Dickner, Nicolas - Nikolski
E- Enright, Elizabeth - Thimble Summer
F- Fitzgerald, Penelope - The Bookshop
G- Greenwood, Kerry - The Green Mill Murder
H- Heyer, Georgette - Why Shoot a Butler?
I- Indridason, Arnaldur - Tainted Blood
J- Johnson, Jane - The Tenth Gift
K- Kimmel, Haven - She Got Up Off the Couch
L- Lahira, Jhumpra - Interpreter of Maladies
M- Miyabe, Miyuke - Crossfire
N- Ness, Patrick - Knife of Never Letting Go
O- Olsen, Karen E - Missing Ink
P- Penny, Louise - Dead Cold
Q- Quarrington, Paul - King Leary
R- Raskin, Ellen - The Westing Game
S- Springer, Nancy - I Am Morgan Lafay
T- Thompson, James - Snow Angels
U- Undset, Sigrid -The Mistress of Hussaby
V- Verghese, Abraham - Cutting For Stone
W- Winspear, Jacqueline - Maisie Dobbs
X - Qiu, Xiaolong - Red Mandarin Dress
Y- Yoshimoto, Banana - Hard Boiled and Hard Luck
Z- Zindel, Paul - The Pigman's Legacy

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where are You?

Still taking suggestions for the Bookword this week. Go over to the comments, and maybe one of the suggestions there will trigger an ever better idea.

In reading, I'm in Sicily. Doesn't that sound nice? Inspector Montalbano is investigating a murder and putting up with his superiors and his team. It must be just about time for a nice, Italian meal on the water. (The Paper Moon, Andrea Camilleri)

I am also starting a journey in Ethiopia, as I've just entered the hospital in Addis Ababa. (Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese)

Where is reading taking you today?

BOOK: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help by Kathryn Stockett, 4451 pages

Orange Longlist 2010

This is a book that lived up to its hype, and the hype will likely continue with its inclusion of the recently released Orange long listed books for 2010.

Setting: Mississippi, early 1960s

Published: 2009

Main characters: Miss Skeeter- daughter of a cotton plantation owner, recently graduated from university, didn't nab a husband at university and may be too tall to find one now,
Minnie and Aibilene - two black maids who work for some of Miss Skeeter's Junior League friends

Other Characters I liked: Stuart- the son of the state senator and blind date of Miss Skeeter was a minor character I liked
Miss Celia and her husband Johnnie - a white couple a little on the outside of the cook kids

Point of View: alternating first person between the three main characters

Title Significance: Minnie and Aibilene are 'the help' to the rich, or wanna be rich, white women of Jackson, Mississiippi

Plot: I knew very little about the book before I started, other than it was about race relations. It's a female dominated book, centering on race relations. That's all you really need to know.

Where I Read It: For a good chunk of the book, I read it through the night, in between helping my daughter throw up every 20 to 30 minutes. It was a high interest, easy read, with well developed characters and a plot that flew along, perfect for a late night

Other Books to Read: Mudbound, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Secret Life of Bees

Connection to Another Book I Read Recently: In The Book of Negroes, the main character didn't eat pork since she was a Muslim when she was kidnapped in Africa. When Skeeter is telling a bit about her family's maid, she mentions that her maid seldom ate pork.


Also Reviewed At:
lesley's book nook
arths at reading on a rainy day
devourer of books
caribou's mom
bellezza at dolcebellezza

BOOK: The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood

The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood, 173 pages

Historical Mysteries Challenge; Colourful Challenge

Late 1920s, Melbourne. Phryne Fisher, a rich, independent, detective lives the flapper life on her own terms. While attending a dance marathon at a local club, one of the dancers falls down dead, killed. Phyrne takes it upon herself to investigate, as her date is one of the prime suspects, and he goes missing.

Her investigations include having her fly to the outback in her Gypsy Moth, in search of a missing shell-shocked soldier, which also lead to my favorite line in the book - One of the goodies she had brought along was her diaphragm. One never knew. Add in a jazz band, with sultry singer and charismatic banjo player, and the atmosphere is set for a great romp.

I love how Phyrne is her own woman, with a staff who adore her, and are not shocked by any of her adventures. She is assertive, and smart, and ahead of her time. The mysteries aren't terribly convoluted, but the characters are fun, and it's a great read every now and then, especially with the 1920s setting and Australia.

A perfect book for a week with parent-teacher interview sessions, when I still want to read, but my brain in fried.

CHALLENGE: It's the End of the World Challenge III

Becky is hosting the third edition of this challenge. Check out this post for more details.

Details:
Dates: March 17, 2010 - October 31, 2010
Books Required: Four

Books I Might Read Since they intrigue me, and for some, I've read the first in the series:

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
The Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeiffer
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
World War Z by Max Brooks

Books I Did Read:
1. Shades of Grey - Jasper Fforde
2. Generation A - Douglas Coupland
3. The Ask and the Answer - Patrick Ness
4. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
5. The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood

GAME: The Bookword Game (sticky post)

It's time for another poll in The Bookword Game. Did you get your suggestions in?

What should we call a person who has the same taste in books as you do?

Come by my blog and have your say and then next week will have the results posted.

poll by twiigs.com

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

didja vote? didja vote? didja vote? Go vote for the Bookword of the week.


In reading, I am in Melbourne, and it's the 1930s, and someone was just murdered at the Green Mill club, while a jazz band was bopping the latest hits, and a dance marathon was going on. Don't worry, Phryne Fisher is on the case. (The Green Mill Murder, Kerry Greenwood)

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

BOOK: Through Black Spruce and The Book of Negroes

Two Canadian Award Winners + a new Canadian book

Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden, 360 pages

Book Awards IV: Giller Prize 2008; Colourful Challenge

Will Bird, famed Cree bush pilot, is telling his nieces the story of his life, from his coma. His niece, to help him recover, tells him the story of looking for her missing sister in Montreal and New York City amidst the glamourous, partying modelling world. The story alternates between these two (very nicely too, as I was never confused as to who was talking) and also between the present and the past.

I mostly liked it. I was intrigued by what had happened and the gradual discovery of how Will ended up in the coma. I was hoping for the characters to be happy. The sense of northern Ontario and how life has changed for the natives of that area was very well done. However, it was a touch long and could have been shorter and told the same story. In some sections, the details were too much, but overall, I liked the book, and would read the author's book, Three Day Road, which has some similar characters - Will Bird's father, during World War One.



The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill, 475 pages

Book Awards IV: Commonwealth Writers Best Book 2008; TBR Lite

Fiction that felt a bit like nonfiction, like a Roots type book. Very brutal violence, so much so that I barely was able to continue after page 80, but people promised me it would get better. It took anther hundred pages, but I guess it improved in some ways, but still horrible, horrible events happened to Aminata Diallo, a slave stolen from Africa at the age of 11. She narrates her life from Africa, to America, and then to a version of freedom. I liked the historical story of the 1700s, but I just wasn't up to the brutal violence inflicted on the slaves by the whites, just because.

While this book won Canada Reads last year, I would much prefer The Outlander or Mercy Among the Children, other choices from that competition.


Deloume Road by Matthew Hooton, 310 pages

Canadian Book Challenge; Countdown Challenge: published in 2010

Set on Vancouver Island, following the residents who live on Deloume Road from several points of view and from several time periods. There is the unnamed narrator who hints at events from twenty years before, the residents from the road in the 1980s, and Gerald Deloume the original settler from 1899. The characters are connected because of of there homes, but living separate lives. Mostly it follows four preteen boys, two brothers, their friend, and the poor neglected kid, but also an immigrant butcher, a young Vietnamese widow, and a Vietnam veteran.

There is a sinister overtone in parts, and it is obvious 'something' happened, and the reader is kept in suspense, but the concern is reconciling what the reader imagines, with what actually happens, and hoping that there isn't too much of a gulf between them. Deloume Road was a slice of a simple Canadian life.

MEME: Crime Fiction Alphabet

Mysteries in Paradise hosts a weekly meme on mystery authors and books, highlighting a different letter each week. Beginning March 22, 2010, posts with the letter W, for author first or last name or book title are being collected here.



My entry this week is the mystery, When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson. 348 pages

Jackson Brodie, previous detective from Case Histories and One Good Turn, is back for Kate Atkinson's newest novel. The title hints at the bad news following some characters that permeates this page turner. There are some desperately sad people in this book, and as several stories overlap and intersect they prove Jackson's line near the end of the book, 'A coincidence is just an explanation waiting to happen.'

This story is more straight forward than One Good Turn. Atkinson takes some time to weave several characters and stories together, and then the twists started that had me rapidly turning the pages to see how it would end. Great characters and plot twists and humor and suspense.

Reggie Chase, sixteen but looks younger, is a nanny for Dr Joanne Hunter's baby. Reggie spends her time avoiding her no good brother, trying to get her high school degree, and being followed by bad luck. I wanted to hug her and cheer her on the whole time.
Dr Hunter's husband is having some business cash flow issues and then Dr Hunter herself goes missing.
Joanne Mason was six years old when her family was butchered by a serial killer, only she and her novelist father survived. The killer, Andrew Decker, is about to be released from prison after thirty years in jail.
Louise Monroe, Detective Chief Inspector in Scotland, has moved on from her attraction to Jackson in the last book, but hasn't stopped thinking about him (who could?) She is still a strong protector of women and the baddest ass cop around.
Jackson Brodie, he used to be a policeman. He always has to look for a missing woman; he can't turn that mystery down.

Once a train wreck is added to this assortment of characters, lives get intertwined and some blood is shed. I liked how so many nursery rhymes were woven into the writing, and pop references are flying everywhere. I'm sure I missed a lot, not being a British native, but I was able to identify many. The ending was a little vague but as hopeful as could be expected for these sad, sad people. Louise and Jackson are terrific characters, full of angst and both are the typical lone-wolf cop with commitment issues. Hopefully, they will be back to another book.

(review originally posted to my blog on October 8, 2008)

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

Tomorrow is the last day to give suggestions for The Bookword Game, over here at Suey's. By late Wednesday, I'll have a poll up to vote on. Head on over and join the fun.

I've seen a few anniversary blog posts lately, like Suey and Florinda's third, both posted today, which reminded me that I guess I missed mine. I started in February 2007, with a Booking Through Thursday post, after some random hello post. Thanks to Jeanne and Paula for the very first comments!



In reading, I am in northern Ontario, near Moose Factory. Will Bird, a Cree bush pilot is in a hospital talking to his nieces, one of whom is missing. (Through Black Spruce, Joseph Boyden)

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

CHALLENGE: Historical Mysteries

Sign up here at Mysteries and My Musings

* In three (3) months read five (5) historical mysteries.

* This reading challenge runs March - June 2010

Suspense, amateur sleuth or police procedures and the entire menagerie under the mystery genre are all available for the challenge.

* Cross overs /overlaps to other challenges are okay and the more you can utilize your TBR stack the better.

Here's a list of books I will pick from:
The Green Mill Murder - Kerry Greenwood
Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear
Murder on the Leviathan - Boris Akunin
A Little Yellow Dog - Walter Mosley
Bethlehem Road - Anne Perry
The Tale of Hill Top Farm - Susan Wittig Albert
The Beekeeper's Apprentice - Laurie R King
The Mistress of the Art of Death - Ariana Franklin
A Conspiracy of Papers - David Liss

The Ones I Read:
1. The Green Mill Murder - Kerry Greenwood 03/26
2. Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear 04/28
3. Bethlehem Road - Anne Perry 05/09
4. The Tale of Hill Top Farm - Susan Wittig Albert 05/23
5. A Little Yellow Dog - Walter Mosley 06/19

MEME: Crime Fiction Alphabet

Mysteries in Paradise hosts a weekly meme on mystery authors and books, highlighting a different letter each week. Beginning March 15, 2010, posts with the letter V, for author first or last name or book title are being collected here.

Here's my review from December 2008:

Voices by Arnaldur Indridason, 344 pages

translated from the Icelandic by Bernard Scudder

genre challenge: detective

My second read in the Reykjavik Thriller series, but definitely not my last. The Draining Lake is next and I think a new one is being released this spring, Arctic Chill.

Detective Erlunder is back investigating the death of a hotel doorman, killed in his Santa suit. As with all good mystery series, the detectives, including Erlunder, Elinborg, and Sigurdur Oli, are as interesting as the mystery itself. Erlunder is the classic cop - alone, miserable, and fighting crime to avoid fighting his own demons. This case brings up more from his past, and his daughter Eva Lind is back, pushing him, and in his face, trying to make him face the decisions he has made with his family. He seems to be on the verge of a break through. The development of the main characters, plus the bleak Icelandic setting make this a great series to read.

Appropriately, and entirely accidentally, I read this at Christmas time. Set the week before Christmas, Erlunder doesn't want to go home and all his detectives are worrying about getting home in time and getting everything done more than finishing the case. There wasn't as much emphasis on Elinborg or Sigurdur Oli in this book, hopefully there will be more in the next one.

ETC: Sunday Musings

Pi Day nearly always occurs during our March Break, so we don't get to have any type of celebration in physics class. I always do a lab at the first of the year where the students measure the diameter and circumference of an assortment of lids from containers and then graph the circumference versus the diameter. The slope is pi! I love that lab.

The I Like and I Don’t Like Meme

Laura from laurasmusings tagged me for this. The rules are simple: fill in the blanks after each bold word and tag 3 friends. Here we go …

I like books
I like chocolate.
I like shoes.
I like scallops and bacon, and scallops wrapped in bacon.
I like playing the Wii.
I like watching TV shows like The Amazing Race, Survivor, and Modern Family.
I like the idea of going to the beach.
I like a glass of red wine with friends.
I like watching curling and basketball.
I like changing into comfortable clothes (fat clothes) when I get home.
I like talking fast.
I like teaching about the wonders of physics.
I love watching my kids grow and learn and become such interesting people.
Today was a day to believe spring is right around the corner.
I hate sand under my fingernails.
I hate nails on a chalkboard.
I hate raisins in muffins, but not in cereal.
I hate cleaning.
I hate a show that is to be continued.
I hate being late.
I hate that I don't get to travel very much.
I hate getting up early in the morning.
I (secretly) like airline food.
I love my family.

And now I will pass this on to three others: tiny librarian at tiny little reading room, chris at bookarama, and kristina at kristina's favorites.

Happy Birthday to Albert Einstein! He was born on Pi Day, a very interesting coincidence, even though he didn't believe in coincidences. How disturbing is this picture? Here's a link to the first book review I posted on this blog, Einstein's Dreams, one of my favorite books of all time. Has anyone else read Einstein's Dreams?

LIST: Fun Friday Facts

Fun things that happened today on Friday:

1. Nikolski won Canada Reads, like I hoped.

2. March Break started at 3:10 pm today, and my student teacher has all the correcting that needs to be done.

3. The sun was shining today and is scheduled to stay shining for the next week.

4. A friend and I picked up Thai food from Leo's Thai Takeout for lunch, a great treat of Basil Chicken and Pad Thai.

5. Johnny Depp was on Spongebob Squarepants tonight.

6. I have a stack of books to read for this week, like La's Orchestra Saves the World, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Through Black Spruce, and Cutting for Stone.

BOOKS: Foreign Affairs and Vernon God Little

Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre, 276 pages

Book Awards IV: Man Booker 2003

The first half of the book was absurd - a teenage boy stuck in a Texas town with no single person looking out for him who is a survivor and friend of the dead shooter in a high school massacre. It was humorous beneath the horrible stuff. I guess it's a comment on American society and values and satirical and it is pretty scathing. The second half of the book was better for me, as Vernon is put on trial as the scapegoat. The narration voice became more lucid and readable. Still absurd, but more satisfying.

Prize winner? It certainly makes a statement, but it's not your usual Booker, and readers who don't like bad language should be warned.




Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie, 290 pages

Book Awards IV: Pulitzer Prize 1985

This felt a little dated, but was a pleasant enough read. Two American English professors from the same university, a young male and a middle-aged female, are off on sabbatical to London. The male is coming off a marriage gone bad and not looking forward to England. The unmarried female loves her time and life in London, she rather lives a different life, can be a different person in London. Each of them find an unlikely love and have an affair. That's about it, but it was a quaint look at different lives and what love can do, for better or for worse.

also reviewed:
kim at page after page

BOOK: Red Mandarin Dress by Qiu Xiaolong

Red Mandarin Dress by Qiu Xiaolong, 306 pages

Colourful Challenge; Global Reading Challenge: Asia, China

Detective Chen is a poet policeman, torn between working on a literature paper, and working on the latest serial killer in Shanghai. Women are turning up dead in nothing but a red mandarin dress. Chen isn't officially on the case, but he begins looking into the historical significance of the mandarin dress.

Great little mystery, with some Chinese history, and a look at modern Shanghai. I liked the progression of the story, the details as the mystery emerged, and great inclusion of the Chinese history of poetry, and folklore.

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where are You?

Still time to vote at Suey's for the latest Bookword. Go over and have your say.



It's time for Canada Reads 2010, and I've actually read all the nominated books this year. I was favoring Good to a Fault originally, but the more I've thought, and then having read this review of Nikolski by August, I am beginning to lean toward this charming little book. I must thank August for that, as the theory he proposed completely changed how I thought of the book, and the issues I had with parts of the book actually improved. Here's a side benefit of Canada Reads - I've found a new blog, with thoughtful, insightful reviews of lots of Canadian literature.

Too many people already love Fall on Your Knees; The Jade Peony was a lovely read that I've already forgotten, and Generation X wasn't my cuppa, but I love Douglas Coupland, and this book evokes such strong emotions, which counts for something. Good to a Fault can be runner-up.


In reading, I am in Africa, mid 1700s. I've just been kidnapped and am about to be sent to North America. (The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill)

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

BOOK: Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos

Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos, 372 pages

TBR Lite; 20-10 Challenge: Charity book

I originally heard of this book at Literary Feline, when she named it one of her favorite books of 2007. I've been planning, and meaning to read this for over 2 years. I wasn't disappointed. It's a wonderfully layered book, with themes of family, and healing, and atonement.

Plot outline:
When Margaret, a reclusive Seattle resident, discovers she has a brain tumor, she takes the opportunity to make some changes. She decides to take boarders into her large mansion, full of stuff. Her first boarder, Wanda, is chasing after her ex-boyfriend. They strike up an unlikely, but lovely friendship. Margaret and Wanda develop and change as their friendship grows, each giving the other what she needs.

The book is filled with many wonderful characters who were a part of, or enter the women's lives. The layers of meaning in the title, broken, culminate with the mosaic works that Wanda makes with smashed pieces of Margaret's china collection, which is beautiful. What else does the book have? Some ghosts, some Holocaust survivor's, some very broken people, some timely coincidences, and people meeting other people who can add to and improve their lives, and then they do.

My only quibble is that I hate reading about dreams in books. The book itself is full of symbols and motifs, why is it necessary to show Margaret's dreams as her illness progresses? Dreams are so random, and you can get any meaning out of them you like. It's not just in books; I never understand why people will tell you all about the dream they had last night. It's either completely random and meaningless, or else they are sharing parts of their psych that I really don't want to see.

Speaking of coincidences and to end on a better note. I was looking in my google reader for some other reviews to link to, and I found a review posted by Dewey of the hidden side of the leaf from November 2007. Her blog isn't available anymore, but her feed is still there and will show up on my occasional searches. It's a bittersweet thing, (Dewey died in 2008) but nice to come across. Like Margaret, Dewey was about building a community around her. Plus, she didn't like the dream sequences either! She had the following quote from the book,

“Look then at the faces and bodies of people you love, the explicit beauty that comes not from smoothness of skin or neutrality of expression, but from the web of experience that has left its mark. Each face, each body is its own living fossilized record. A record of cats, combatants, difficult births; of accidents, cruelties, blessings. Reminders of folly, greed, indiscretion, impatience. A moment of time, of memory, preserved, internalized, and enshrined within and upon the body. You need not be told that these records are what render your beloved beautiful.”


also reviewed at:
carriek at books and movies
small world reads
3m at onemorechapter

GAME: The Bookword Game (sticky post)

Last week,in honor of Valentines Day, Suey suggested finding a word that describes a book you totally fall in love with. A book you want to hug to your chest and cherish forever! We had a lot of suggestions and contributions last week, hurray, and after a vote, Julie's suggestion of Book Crush was the winning word. Congratulations, Julie!

On to the next word. There are several memes around about books that you want to read, that you are looking forward to reading. Sometimes when I get one of those books, I almost delay reading it, because I am so looking forward to it, or I worry that I won't like it as much as I hoped I would. So, here's the task. Come up with a word or phrase to describe:

a book that you are anticipating so much, the anticipation has become part of the excitement of the book.

Put on your thinking caps, and I'll take suggestions in the comments for the next week. I'll keep this post at the top of the page so it is easy to find.

PS - I am trying out a new comment system. Any feedback would be appreciated.

BOOK: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson, 358 pages

being released March 2, 2010 (thanks to Randomhouse Canada for a review copy)
What's in a Name 3: title in the title

I need to quantify for myself what it was about this book that I liked so much, because I really enjoyed this book, and would love to read more like it. I know the British setting is something I like, set in a small village in Sussex. I also liked the characters, warts and all. Characters like the Major, that think their life is one way, and then discover it is another, and have the strength of character to follow through on this change, are fun to read about. And if they make this change because of love, well, I just swoon.

Major Pettigrew is one of those British men who grew up in a different time, of gentile manners, of politeness, of respect for a certain class. And now it's the 21st century and everything has changed on him. He is doing alright with the new age, but his ambitious son seems so selfish and crass, especially in comparison. With the death of his brother, his orderly world is shaken up. While dealing with this tragedy, he meets Mrs Ali, a Pakistani shopkeeper. A lovely little romance ensues, much to the dismay of all involved - family and neighbours. I loved the irony of the fact that Major Pettigrew was born in India, but is the quintessential British man, and Mrs Ali, born and spent her whole life in England, is still the foreigner. The clash of family cultures is a recurring theme in the book.

Major Pettigrew was a wonderful character. In some ways he reminded me of Stevens, the butler in Remains of the Day. He wasn't that extreme, but appearances were important, and manners, and standing in the community. Yet, he was also old enough to begin to be a bit selfish, and do things for himself and to be able to do the right thing, after a lifetime of worrying what other people think. He certainly wasn't perfect, but I was cheering for him from the very beginning, and really enjoyed my time with him and Mrs Ali. Somewhere I read this called a 'wrinkly romance' and I imagine as the baby boomers age, we'll see more romances where the characters are widowed and then find love anew, and deal with their children's reactions.

This book has a lot of stuff going on - some parts are humorous, some farcical, some adventurous, some romance. I could see a criticism being that the book doesn't know what it wants to be, but I liked the variety and change in tone. It was a slice of life, a small story of two very different people looking to be happy.

also reviewed by:
nan at Letters from a Hill Farm

BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where are You?

Definitely in Olympic withdrawl. The Winter Olympics are so much more managable to watch. I think that is why they are so much fun. Less events, less athletes, less medals. It seemed like you could keep track of all the events, be familiar with all the medalists no matter what your country. It allowed you to watch sports you aren't familiar with (Ski Cross?) or to watch a whole game (curling) without feeling like you are missing something somewhere else. Plus, BC with its Pacific time zone made it possible to watch the end of most events, although in the Atlantic, that meant a number of 1:00AM nights, but it was worth it once every four years to see the medalists. All in all, the Olympics were an amazing experience, and everyone I've talked to loved watching them all the time. And everyone is so proud to be Canadian!


Still taking suggestions until tomorrow for the Bookwords Game, then Suey should have some voting. There are a number of suggestions already, keep 'em coming.

In reading, I am in the lovely English village of Edgecombe St Mary, and Major Pettigrew is somewhat smitten with Mrs Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper. How far will he go against local and family opinions to find love? I couldn't decide whether to devour or savour this book; I opted for savour I was having such a great time. (Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, by Helen Simonson)

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

MEME: Crime Fiction Alphabet

Mysteries in Paradise hosts a weekly meme on mystery authors and books, highlighting a different letter each week. Beginning March 2, 2010, posts with the letter T, for author first or last name or book title are being collected here.


T is for Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann

translated from the German by Anthea Bell

genre: mystery fiction

This wasn't too baaad of a mystery. Such a neat idea, to have the flock of sheep investigate the murder of their shepherd. Lots of fodder for the mind. The story does a good job of getting information that only the sheep can hear to the reader, and we can understand a lot more than the sheep, even Miss Maple, quite possibly the cleverest sheep in Ireland. The cast of sheep, includes the requisite black sheep of the flock, Othello, and you can see that there is lots of playful fun with the narrative. The sheep face some of their fears and learn a lot about the world and humans. Some sections got a little confusing and woolly but they were sheep trying to make sense of things and they often got distracted by the need to graze. I can understand that in many ways.

In some ways, the execution of the story wasn't quite as good as the concept, but it was cute, especially if you like sheep. (I've reprinted the review of this book I posted on my blog over a year ago. Once I reread the review, it was kinda cute.)