BLOGGING: It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

I am in the time after the Waterless Flood, trying to survive. It's pretty bleak here, and the Gardeners, who honor the earth are battling against Corps which control the media and nearly everything else. (The Year of the Flood, Margaret Atwood)

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

BOOK: Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella, 418 pages

Typically British Challenge;
released September 21, 2010 in Canada, thanks to Random House Canada for the review copy

Becky Branford, nee Bloomwood drives me crazy in so many ways! Does she never learn? Wouldn't it be easier in to just tell the truth? But, if Becky ever learned, then these enjoyable romps wouldn't be nearly so much fun. It's silly fluff, but well written; the characters are true to form, and Becky, while flighty, has a good heart and just doesn't want to disappoint anyone.

Minnie is now a willful two year old, as obsessed with shopping as Becky is, screaming "Miine, dolly!" in the store and getting banned from Santa's Grotto at the mall. The financial crisis has hit London, and all must do their part. (Becky and her mother discover the joy of the Pound Shop, and 'save' a pile of money with all the deals they discover.) The main story is that Becky is planning a surprise birthday party for the long suffering Luke. All our favorite characters, Suze, sister Jess, Becky's parents, and Luke's estranged mother Elinor, are back to help Becky get the party organized, with several disasters along the way, natch. Kinsella makes great use of the new technology to further the plot (high powered Luke never lets go of his Blackberry, for example) and the fashion names are still being dropped like crazy, even if Becky has to go to the outlet mall to get her discounts.

Kinsella writes this type of story as well as anyone. I wouldn't start with this book, but fans of the series will not be disappointed. While I prefer her stand alone books (Twenties Girl was one of my favorite books from last year), checking in with Becky now and then provides for a weekend of amusing, fun reading. This story left the possibility of another escapade with Becky, Luke and Minnie, and I look forward to it.

my Shopaholic and Baby review from March 2008

also reviewed:
wendy and her sister Paula at caribousmom;

BOOK: Barney's Version by Mordecai Richler

Barney's Version by Mordecai Richler, 417 pages

4th CBC Challenge; Giller Prize Winner 1997; 2nds Challenge

As another Barney might say, "This is legend-wait for it-ary". Barney Panofsky, English speaking, Jewish Montrealer is telling his life story, since that bastard Terry McIver wrote a book about Barney's life and Barney wants to set the record straight. Barney is pretty honest about his life - living in Paris in the 1950s, his three wives - one buried, and two divorced, his career in television, his three children. Oh, yeah, and the murder charge of his best friend he was acquitted on.

Richler has the amazing ability to write characters who are awful, with few redeeming characteristics, and yet I still like them. He first did this with Duddy Kravitz, who makes some wonderful cameos in Barney's Version, and now with Barney Panofsky. Fans of the unreliable narrator will have much to chew on here, as Barney is a bit forgetful now that he is sixty-eight, plus, how honest can he be about some of the shitty things he's done? The mystery of the murder hangs over the whole story - what happened to Boogie that night at the cottage? Did Barney kill him?

My only complaint is the length. I wish it had been a hundred pages less. Richler packs the pages with so many literary allusions and references that it slowed me down, and I'm sure I only caught a small percentage. The memoirs have footnotes, as one of Barney's children has gone through and made the corrections of known facts, which adds to the references. I liked the footnotes as it helped reference what Barney was really able to remember or not. For example, even in his muddled state, he remembers all the Montreal Canadiens' games and goal scorers, a nice touch. Also, the Second Mrs Panofsky, as she is always called, is a nonstop talker, and when I'd hit a page with one of her conversations with her mother on the phone, I'd practically groan. It's a credit to Richler that I'd still read it because I was scared I would miss some important part of the narrative within her rambling nattering. What was Barney's perspective of her perspective of him?

In other good news, this has just been made into a movie, with Paul Giamatti as Barney. I think it had its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival and I am looking forward to seeing it.

BOOK: Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, 284 pages

RIV V; Suspense and Thriller Challenge

I've never watched Dexter, but I think maybe I should start. This was a really fun book, perfect for the Readers Imbibing Peril V Challenge. The best person to catch serial killers would be a person who understands their mind - a serial killer himself! That's what Dexter Morgan does - crime scene investigator, blood-splatter expert by day, serial killer by night, but only killing the bad people. He is detached, as any good sociopath/psychopath should be, not able to relate to normal people, but is smart enough to recognize the steps he needs to go through (girlfriend, nothing flashy lifestyle, wave to neighbours) to not draw attention to himself. The word play and quick repartee are very well done. I can't wait to read the next in the series, Dearly Devoted Dexter, and I've bookmarked the season 1 DVD at the library.

BOOK: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, 389 pages

It's the End of the World as We Know It; RIP V; Young Adult Challenge

So, who thought she was being smart, pre-ordering Mockingjay in July? Who didn't realize that Chapters would not even begin to mail it to them until the evening of the day it was released after I had already complained that I didn't have it yet? And who is never going to pre-order a book from Chapters again? Who placed her next little book order from Amazon? Yeah, I was bitter before I started this book.

It was good, a quick read with everything that should have happened. I liked how Collins wrapped up the story although lots of violence and death with the war and all. I read it as fast as I could, with the twelve year old son pushing me along. I have not much to add to this. I eventually went back to read some reviews, but everyone has been very careful about not giving anything away. So nothing interesting from me.

BOOK: The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston

The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston, 562 pages

4th Canadian Book Challenge; Giller Shortlist 1998

Newfoundland joined Canada in 1948 after a referendum. Joey Smallwood was the first premier of Newfoundland, which made him a Father of Confederation. He died in 1991. That about sums up my knowledge of Newfoundland history, in relation to Canada, at least until I read this book. Johnston has written a book for Newfoundland that covers the life of Joey Smallwood, born in 1900.

It's epic, as is Newfoundland.

On the other hand, I was an islander. I wondered, if like [my father], I would be so bewildered by the sheer unknowable, unencompassable size of the world that I would have to come back home. How could you say for certain where you were, where home left off and away began, if the earth that you were standing on went on forever, as it must have seemed to him, in all directions? For an islander, there had to be natural limits, gaps, demarcations, not just artificial ones on a map. p 132

I, living on an island, completely understand this passage. Johnston has a way of letting the reader see Newfoundland, along the railway, in the outports, or in St.John's. And Joey Smallwood was a Newfoundlander to the core. Based on the wikipedia article, he described his character and all the conflicts in Smallwood very well. I had to read the article to get an idea of what was real and what wasn't. 

Here's what I was surprised wasn't real. The main conflict for Smallwood, other than wanting to be remembered for something, was his obsession with a local reporter, Sheilagh Fielding. They had gone to school together and an incident, reminiscent of Robertson Davis' Fifth Business, haunts them. Smallwood was from the wrong side of the tracks but was given a chance to attend a tony prep school and always wanted to be famous, to show 'them' he was worth something. The incident with Prowse (the rich guy), Fielding, and Smallwood makes up a bit of a mystery that stitches its way through the novel. But Fielding wasn't a real person. I didn't like that. She was an obsession for Smallwood. He was almost portrayed as asexual, except for his dealings with Fielding. This seemed to go against his character and if I was a family member, this would bother me. His real wife, Clara, is barely mentioned in the story.

The Fielding character provides the humour for sure. Her articles were dry and biting.  She was also writing a concise history of Newfoundland, and I'd love to read her take on the history of any province, or Canada. It certainly could have livened up Canadian history in high school if it had been written by Fielding.

I liked how the author managed to include a lot of Smallwood's real life, and it was his interactions with the people of Newfoundland that I liked best. The real history, not the made up stuff. The made up stuff was well written, with a mystery that I didn't suspect but was rationally explained, with fascinating characters. I just didn't think it belonged in the book. Once I realized Fielding was a made up character, I questioned everything, which defeats the point of a historical novel for me. I would encourage any one interested in Newfoundland history to have a look at this epic novel, but to be aware that not all is true. (And I know, it's fiction, but historical fiction should not make up major parts.)

CHALLENGE: RIP V

Hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings
runs now until October 31, 2010

All my favorite types of books:
Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

Peril the First - read 4 books

Pool of possible reads:
Broken Shore by Peter Temple
Room by Emma Donaghue
The Darkest Room by Johan Theorin
The Murder Stone by Louise Penny
Thirteen Hours by Deon Myer
Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
When Twilight Burns by Colleen Gleason
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
The Black Echo by Michael Connolly
Angelology by Danielle Trussoni
20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill

Any you think I really need to read?

The ones I read:

1. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins 09/06
2. Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay 09/10
3. Room - Emma Donoghue 10/02
4. The Darkest Room - Johan Theorin 10/13
5. Fear the Worst - Linwood Barclay 10/16
6. The Murder Stone - Louise Penny 10/23
7. Thirteen Hours - Deon Meyer 10/30

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,