#AMonthofFavs: Most Unique or Memorable Read

Join hosts  Girlxoxo, Traveling with T and Estella’s Revenge in looking back at the year that was, sharing your favs.  Check out the Event Schedule.

Today, the topic is Most Unique or Memorable Read, for good or bad reasons. Luckily, mine was for good reasons.






A Corner of White - Jaclyn Moriarty
Other authors: Fiona Hardingham (Reader), Andrew Eiden (Reader), Kate Reinders (Reader), Peter McGowan (Reader)

I've read Jaclyn Moriarty before, wonderful young adult fare set in Australia. Some have different titles in different countries which can make it hard to keep track, but The Year of Secret Assignments and Feeling Sorry for Celia, loosely connected books, were very cute. I tried another book, The Spell Book of Listen Taylor, which didn't work for me and I didn't finish. Witches were too weird. Then, this summer, I got A Corner of White from YA Sync, paired with Dracula by Bram Stoker. Short story long, I didn't know which book to expect.

Two parallel stories. Cambridge, England. Maybe Australia (Cello felt like Australia). Parallel worlds. Lots of science. World-building. Family problems. Colours that attack. Yeah, it got weird there.

While it took a while for me to get into this one, I persevered because the individual stories were interesting. There are two worlds, which have to be developed and set up with characters and back stories which was took a while. One in Cambridge and the other the kingdom of Cello. Once the two worlds connected however, I was hooked. Madeline found a note in a parking meter that was from Elliot in Cello. There is a crack in the space-time continuum connecting Madeline and Elliot. It takes a while for Madeline to understand that there is a real, other land, if she ever does. (Elliot already knows about our world - it's part of the history in Cello.) The pen-pals share their problems of being teenagers in difficult families.

And really, that's the strength. The characters of Madeline and Elliot, although young adult, where very real, and facing tough decisions. Their developing friendship and trust was delightful. Madeline and her mother have run away from her father, so are now living in much reduced circumstances. Elliot's father disappeared in a purple attack, but his uncle also died and the beautiful young teacher also went missing, making the death suspicious. Madeline is making new friends and having difficulty with her new life. Elliot is trying to clear his father's name. The letters between the teens were so good.

Cello was a different world, with colours. Now, me just telling you about them is weird, but the development that happened in the book made them make sense. Good world-building, right? The different 'colours' have different effects, and purples are terrorizing the land. (reminded me somewhat of dementors) There is also a Butterfly Child that comes each year and can be caught, bringing good luck, it taken care of properly. 

The middle part, once I got hooked, so a bit slower, but then wow! The last couple of chapters really took off, connecting some seemingly unrelated events, leaving the reader hunting for the second book. Only down side is that this book is the first in trilogy. The second book is released, Cracks in the Kingdom, and I hope to read it from my library next year. (Actually, I'm secretly hoping the second one will be on next year's YA Sync list, but I doubt it.)

I loved the references to Newton and science a lot.  No surprise that I loved the science references (Newton studied optics and colour, besides his gravity insights, his Laws of Motion, and inventing Calculus - I'm ignoring you, Leibniz fans) 

So many great elements tied together for the reader who is willing to trust that the author knows where she is taking you. I'm glad I was patient enough to be bought under the spell.

Also reviewed at The Book Smugglers (with deeper analysis, and more gushing)

#AMonthofFaves: Favourite Things of 2015

What's up today for #AMonthofFaves? Today we are talking about our Favourite Things from 2015.  Favourite things to eat, drink, wear, smell, see, do, enjoy, best thing I bought, most used gift received etc, favorite concert, outdoor activity, place visited, most squee worthy moment of the year, biggest change. I don't imagine I'll do every prompt from the month, but when it catches my eye,....

Join hosts  Girlxoxo, Traveling with T and Estella’s Revenge in looking back at the year that was, sharing your favs.  Check out the Event Schedule.



Activity: I guess 2015 was the year of graduations around here - June involved a grade 12, grade 9, and grade 6 graduation as everyone moved on to a new school for the fall. Proms, semis, and ceremonies over a two week period kept us all hopping.







 Food: My fifteen year old daughter discovered that she liked fish and chips from restaurants. We spend much of the summer eating out and sharing a fish and chips. Keep in mind, we live on the east coast of Canada, so we get lots of fish and chips options. It was delicious and fun!


 

Event: I started looking forward to the 2015 Art in the Open as soon as last year's ended. In 2014, I happened upon this outdoor festival one evening in downtown Charlottetown. Wandering around downtown and discovering art installations of all kinds, plus the Crow Parade, was so cool. [Crow Parade - people dress in their best crow costumes, lots of kids, and walk together, cawing and cawing, from city center to Victoria Park, returning at dusk just like all the crows in Charlottetown return to sleep at the park. Awesome!] I vowed to be more aware this year, and was able to partake in so much more of it. It only runs from 4-midnight so you have to be organized to see all you want to see. I really think the Crow Parade is the highlight for me, but tramping through the woods at Victoria Park at night and finding a blanket tent, or a whole bunch of keyboards playing low, creepy tones, or the car loaded on the crane over the dinner for two, was so much fun.

Wear: I got a new sweater jacket from LL Bean to get me through the fall sport season. Two field hockey players makes for plenty of cool late afternoons. I liked that it was knit, long and had a hood. As the fall has been mild, it is even doing well for those ringette games at the rink, as long as I have mitts, hat and warm boots.

 See: I started watching The Great British Bake-Off on PBS during the winter and then proceeded to watch all the seasons on youtube That lead to me learning to make pastry and try some tarts and pies. No soggy bottoms!






 Visit: A big change around my house was that oldest son went off to university in Cape Breton. On the map, PEI and CB are pretty close, but going from one island to another is actually about a 7 hour drive. We've made two trips to Cape Breton - one to drop him off in the summer, and one in October to watch his basketball team in their Tip Off Tournament. I hadn't been to Cape Breton in years. We didn't get much sight-seeing done, but the fall drive was beautiful. We have 4 more years of visits to Cape Breton - hopefully I'll meet up with Chrisbookarama on one of my trips.




Favourite time: Summer is my most favourite time. As a teacher, I am not working. I slow right down, spend time at the cottage I share with my sister (watching tennis to start and end the summer), going the to pool with my youngest - she swims, I read; just enjoying the sun. Family get togethers (43rd Annual McNally Golf Tournament), soccer games in the early evening, beach days on PEI, living in sandals, shorts, and tanks, Happy hour every night, great bbq food, fresh strawberries and raspberries.

#AMonthofFaves - 5 Books Worth the Hype

I discovered this cool end of year wrap up for the month of December. Join hosts  Girlxoxo, Traveling with T and Estella’s Revenge in looking back at the year that was, sharing your favs.  Check out the Event Schedule.

What are hyped books? I decided to look at librarything.com's Hot This Month's list of books. Of the top ten, I actually read 5 this year so I feel qualified to discuss 5 Hyped books.

2. The Martian by Andy Weir
I am in the middle of reading this novel this week, but it is definitely worth the hype. I didn't let myself see the movie because I wanted to read the book first, natch, and then I waited quite a while for the book from the library. But I am devouring it, and loving it. Mind you, I am a science geek, so I enjoy this stuff, but just the suspense, and the ethical issues of sending people so far in space, makes it a great read. Plus because the movie has already been cast, I get to picture Matt Damon while I read. 

4. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
As a suspense novel, this really worked. I loved the unreliable narrator, unreliable because of her own poor drunken memory. It was hard to watch her make such terrible decisions, but enough possibilities for the murderer were presented, and the events just kept rolling along. I read this on a stormy, stormy March break and it was the perfect unputdownable book.

5. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
I also read this on the March Break last year, and I rated it highly at librarything, but my over arching memory isn't as high, but I know I really liked it as I read it. It was a quiet, family drama of a family getting over a tragedy. The book starts with the line "Lydia is dead." and proceeds to unravel what led to this point. 

9. Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel.
Technically, the last book I read in 201a4 but so close! This is a somewhat optimistic look at a future after a deadly flu wipes out the world. I really liked the Shakespearean troupe that travels the land like something right out of the Elizabethan era. Mandel's world building was fascinating, and how the flu spread, the terror at the beginning was really good. Following people that were associated with an actor who died on stage in a play in Toronto was good perspective. 

10. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, read by Zach Appelman
I keep saying I don't want to read any more WW2 novels, but then another one comes along with hype, and I succumb. Two children, a young blind French girl, and an older orphan German boy are getting through the war in occupied France. There is art history, small town French resistance, evil Nazis, (there are always evil Nazis) and two parallel stories that are hurtling towards each other. 

#AMonthofFaves - My Reading Year

I discovered this cool end of year wrap up for the month of December while over at Chrisbookarama's blog.  Join hosts  Girlxoxo, Traveling with T and Estella’s Revenge in looking back at the year that was, sharing your favs.
 Check out the Event Schedule.

 Tue. | Dec. 1 – #AMonthofFaves {My Reading Year} – 

Some numbers first: 107 books so far
59 audiobooks
Most read author: Agatha Christie, all 12 Miss Marple mysteries on audio
most book month: July, 17
least book month: October, 3
female: 73
non-fiction: 17
5 books from the 2015 Bailey Prize list
15 books that I owned before 2015
library books: 23
bookclub books: 9

Audiobooks have really changed my reading. The last couple of years I've read 83 and 94 books, so numbers are up. (They also contribute to my Candy Crush playing, as I turn on a book when I find myself starting to play. Just the right balance of attention to game and attention to book.)

I read a good number of books in continuing series; Louise Penny's The Nature of the Beast; Mo Hayder's Skin and Gone; Jacqueline Winspear's A Dangerous Place; Rhys Bowen's  Naughty in Nice;
 Alexander McCall Smith's The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe; Deon Meyer's Cobra; Alan Bradley's As Chimney Sweeper's Come to Dust; Andrea Camilleri's Game of Mirrors; Inger Ash Wolf's The Taken. 

Did you check out the number of female authors this year? Two thirds of the books I read were by women. It's not something I actively look for; it's more that my favorite authors are women and that's what I read. Between the library, bookclub, and audiobooks, I don't ever buy too many books. Adding to that I read a good number of books that were bought in other years, and reading any books I bought this year as I got them, my acquiring of books has been very low. 

My twelve year old daughter also had a good reading year, and she discovered the joy of reading series. After finishing last year with Harry Potter, she moved on to the Dear Canada series, a wonderful set of historical Canadian fiction written as young girl's diaries. Each book is written by a different author as well. After she ran out of those, she moved on to the Owls of Ga'hoole books, a fifteen book series about Owls. Her next series was supposed to be Anne of Green Gables, but she stopped after the first one, and decided to reread Harry Potter. I can't fault her on that - Harry Potter will be her generation's great book series. 

It has been a great year of reading, and I'm looking forward to sharing some more favourites throughout the month.

NONFICTION NOVEMBER: Young Adult Non-fiction Echoes of Courage

Two short audiobooks from the summer, courtesy of YA Sync. YA Sync is the most awesome program around - two free audiobooks each week, pairing a classic and a newer young adult book. Just get on their mailing list and you'll get a reminder to download the books each week. That's the only hard part - the books are only available a week at a time. Don't forget - it will hopefully start up again in May 2016.

Courage Has No Color : The True Story of the Triple Nickles: America's First Black Paratroopers - Tanya Lee Stone (3 h 3 min)

Good historic look at integration in the US Army during the second world war with the first black paratroopers. The hypocrisy of the Americans fighting tyranny in Europe and Asia when their own citizens were unable to fight with them is galling.

Courage Has No Color was paired with Under a War-Torn Sky by L. M. Elliott

Echoes of an Angel: The Miraculous True Story of a Boy Who Lost His Eyes but Could Still See- Aquanetta Gordon (7 h 23 min)
 
I remember seeing an episode of 20/20 featuring Ben Underwood, the blind boy who used echolocation to move around and was fascinated. This is the book written by his mother about Ben's life. Her book focuses on her (and Ben's) Christian faith as they deal with the health issues of Ben and the difficulties in their lives. I would have been more interested in the science of his clicking technique to 'see', but that is not the fault of the book. It is heavily Christian, and I mostly enjoyed it, but had more about the mother and her life than I was interested in. Again, not the book's fault - this is her story she wrote. Ben was very inspiring in all that he faced, and he was a very special human, and could make a person wonder about angels on earth.
Echoes of an Angel was paired with Budda Boy by Kathe Koja

NONFICTION NOVEMBER: Nontraditional Nonfiction

 

This week we will be focusing on the nontraditional side of reading nonfiction. Nonfiction comes in many forms. There are the traditional hardcover or paperback print books, of course, but then you also have e-books, audiobooks, illustrated and graphic nonfiction, oversized folios, miniatures, internet publishing, and enhanced books complete with artifacts. So many choices! Do you find yourself drawn to or away from nontraditional nonfiction? Do you enjoy some nontraditional formats, but not others? Perhaps you have recommendations for readers who want to dive into nontraditional formats.  We want to hear all about it this week!  hosted by Rebecca (I’m Lost In Books)


What a perfect topic for me! Looking at my numbers, this year I read 14/15 nonfiction books (so far) that were audiobooks. The only book that wasn't audio was a graphic novel. For me, audiobooks are how I 'read' nonfiction. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but nonfiction books are how I started listening to audiobooks in the first place. Audio isn't my strongest input of information so I didn't know how well I could hold characters in my head. However, nonfiction books are just like listening to CBC radio - little documentaries or stories for 20 minutes to half an hour or more.

Looking back to 2012, the first audiobooks I listened to were If You Ask Me by Betty White and then Bossypants by Tina Fey, reviewed here. Interestingly, I'm still listening to memoirs by comedians this year, including Sarah Silverman, Lena Dunham, and Martin Short.

The next type of audiobooks I listened to that year were science type books - Annoying by Joe Palca and Flora Lichtman, and Quiet by Susan Cain. Science and memoirs are my two biggest categories of nonfiction books and I'm only limited by my library's selection.

Or am I? I've found a loophole in acquiring audiobooks from my library. Since all the interactions are done online, I asked my sister, who lives in a different province in a larger city, for access to her online library. (I gave her my account number as well.) Now we each have two libraries to choose from. Her library has more choices, but often longer waits for books. Digital books are automatically deleted on the due date, so no overdue fines are possible. Of course, automatic deletions leads to my saddest audiobook adventure - a book being deleted when I only had less than one hour left in the book! So, if your library doesn't have a great selection, find a relative or trusted friend in a large city and trade library cards.







Just browsing the nonfiction audiobook section of my library has led me to listen to some books I may not have considered. Reasons why I pick certain audiobooks - they are available, I recognize the author, they are short, they are available, they are short, I've heard of the title, I am cheap and listen only to audiobooks I can get at  my (or my sister's) library. Libraries like requests so always feel free to ask your library to get a book you'd like to listen to.

Some nonfiction books are the perfect blend of topic and narrator, and don't underestimate the effect a good narrator has on an audiobook. I read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot and loved it, but I've heard other bloggers rave about the audio version enough to make me think about listening to it. It's no surprise to see Cassandra Campbell as the narrator of that book - she's always great! Some authors read their own books as well, like Malcolm Gladwell and all the comedians.

Great topic this week! Does anyone else listen to nonfiction audiobooks?

BOOKS: Dancing Barefoot, In the Garden of the Beasts

 

Two reviews from January. That's a long time ago, isn't it? Details are sketchy, but I do have an overall vibe from these books.

In the Garden of the Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin - Erik Larson, 12 h 52 min

I read and really liked Larson's book, Devil in the White City. I also picked up  Thunderstruck at a used book sale, but available audiobook can trump hard copy at times. Part of what I liked about Devil in the White City was how Larson told two stories at once - the crazy serial killer and World Fair being held in Chicago. In the Garden of the Beasts isn't quite two separate stories like that. An American diplomat and his family are sent to Berlin in the 1933, as the Nazi's are taking off. The family, the Dodds, primarily the father,William E and his daughter, Martha were not memorable. Not horrible enough to hate, not virtuous enough to cheer for. Just there in Berlin with horrible people doing horrible things.  It's not fun reading about how the Nazi's came to such power, and the horrible things they were doing as people saw and couldn't or wouldn't do anything to stop it. The facts are true, and looking at it from the Ambassador's family was a on-the-ground unique way of telling the story, but it wasn't quite enough for me. I'll try another Larson, but I don't think this was his best.

Dancing Barefoot - Wil Wheaton, 2 h 11 min

I listened to Wheaton read Ready Player One, and he was adorable as usual. I think these were some stories left over from his other book, Just A Geek: Unflinchingly Honest Tales of the Search for Life, Love, and Fulfillment Beyond the Starship Enterprise, or from his blog. Dancing Barefoot is five essays on Wheaton's life. Easy to listen to, Wheaton is around my age, so we have the same cultural markers. If you are a Wheaton fan, or Trekkie, you'll enjoy this one.

BOOKS: Great Canadian Writers (who happen to be women)

Did I not write about any of these books yet this year? They were all fabulous, each in their own way.  I shouldn't be surprised because they are written by some quality writers, who happen to be Canadian, and who happen to be women.

Rush Home Road - Lori Lansens, 416 pages
Also read: The Girls, The Wife's Tale 

Did I like this better than The Wife's Tale? Maybe, this was very good, and so different from her other books. It's the end of the underground railroad, but in modern day Ontario. A five year old girl Sharla is left with her seventy year old neighbour, Addy. That shouldn't be allowed to happen obviously, but no one has ever been looking out for Sharla, and Addy ends up being the best thing for her. And it turns out Addy needed Sharla too. The introduction of Sharla sends Addy back remembering her life as a child and young girl. Life can be tough for women, what with the lying men all around. I just loved how Lansens framed the story with the back and forth in time, how she incorporated the history of the African community in Canada, and the evolution of the delightful character of Addy.

Next up: Lansens' latest book, The Mountain Story

The Empty Room - Lauren B Davis, 320 pages
already read: Our Daily Bread

How bad is it when an alcoholic reaches rock bottom? Horrifically bad. Colleen is nearly fifty, and in such denial. Most of the novel takes place over one very long, very depressing day in Colleen's life, essentially a country song as she loses nearly everything (job, apartment, friends) and the only coping mechanism she has had, alcohol, is letting her down. She's very close to drinking herself to death. How engrossing the story, how inside Colleen's head we get is a testament to the author.
 Next up: The Stubborn Season, or The Radiant City, or Against a Darkening Sky (which looks really good, it's the latest!)

Republic of Love - Carol Shields, 384 pages
Also read: every other novel Shields wrote

This was the last novel I had left to read by Shields, and I'd been putting it off. What if I don't like it? What if I do, and then there are no more? You can see the dilemma. I did like it, and now there are no more for me. This one ends up being one of my favourites, along side Unless. It's a simple story, about two people, finding love. That's it. There are no big dramatics, everything is watching these two different people, who have not been able to 'settle down' get together. Much of the book is waiting for them to meet. It's delicious waiting to see how their Venn diagram of acquaintances will eventually overlap.
Next up: no more novels :(

BOOKS: Korean Deli and Vanished Smile

I'm going to take advantage of Nonfiction November to review all the nonfiction books I read this year. Two books from November are My Korean Deli and Vanished Smile: The Mysterious Theft of Mona Lisa.

My Korean Deli - Ben Ryder Howe, 8h 47 min 
read by Bronson Pinchot

The author, an editor at The Paris Review with George Plimpton, along with his wife, decide to buy a deli for his mother-in-law, a Korean immigrant. The author suffers from culture shock all around him - at home living with his in-laws and working at the deli in the evening. A self-proclaimed WASP from New England, working in a Brooklyn deli with his hard working mother-in-law showcases all his differences. Pinchot does a great job reading, and the story is easy to listen to. George Plimpton is also a character in the story, because I think he was a character wherever he went. I like reading about life in New York and quite enjoyed this slice of life memoir.

Vanished Smile: The Mysterious Theft of Mona Lisa - R.A. Scotti, 6 h 44 min read by Kathe Mazur (who also read Quiet)

In 1911, Mona Lisa disappeared from the Louvre. She stayed missing for 2 years before reappearing. The mystery is never completely solved, but this book looks at several theories, the facts of the case, and all the related information about Paris, art forgery and theft, and how Mona Lisa went from a painting on the wall to the most famous and loved painting in the world. I quite enjoyed following the trail of clues and the side tracks that make up the whole story. 

NONFICTION NOVEMBER: Book Pairing

This week in Nonfiction November, participants are asked to pair a fiction book with a nonfiction book that you would recommend. I listened to Modern Romance this summer and was pleasantly surprised. I expected a stand up routine type comedy book by actor Aziz Ansari about the dating scene. Instead, I was treated to actual science experiments and results, with statistics and everything. My little science heart beat wildly.
 

Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari, (6 h 14 minutes)
How do people meet now a days? What is texting etiquette in modern dating? Aziz Ansari, comedian and actor from Parks and Recreation, wrote this social science study of modern romance along with Eric Klinenber. They did research, interviewed people in the dating scene now, and older people from previous generations. They analysed data and made statistics - this book is more than just comedy.
Aziz read the audiobook, and his humour is throughout. My over-riding thought as I listened to the audiobook was be so thankful I'm not, and will not be, dating in this age of smart phones, Tinder apps, and sexting.

What better book to pair this look at attempts at romance and looking for love than with the classic chick lit book, the girl who struggled with the dating scene to hilarious results: Bridget Jones!

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

There isn't much for me to say about one of my favourite books of all time. It's funny, has Mark Darcy, and never fails to make me smile. If you really like Bridget, the books continue with The Edge of Reason and Mad About the Boy. Realizing that Bridget Jones is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen made this book even better. How fabulous! And then the whole Colin Firth as Mark Darcy in the movie adds a level of meta that can't be beat.

My second pairing is The Martian by Andy Weir along with Packing for Mars by Mary Roach and An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield. It's a bit of a cheat because I haven't read The Martian yet, but I fully intend to soon! I'm on a list at the library, and my sister promises me I'll love it, and I believe her. I can say with great belief that both of these nonfiction astronaut books are extremely readable and either fun (Packing for Mars) or inspirational (Life on Earth)

 

NONFICTION NOVEMBER: Your Year in Nonfiction

Jumping in to this a week late, but I found myself listening to two nonfiction books in a row this week, so it seems fated. Hosted by several bloggers, [Leslie (Regular Rumination, Katie (Doing Dewey,Rebecca (I’m Lost In Books) and Kim (Sophisticated Dorkness) ]  more information can be found here. Each week there are different prompts, and it ends with a read-a-long discussion of I Am Malala. I just checked my library, and unfortunately, I won't be reading along with Malala. By the length of the waiting list, I may get it for next November!

Week One: Your Year in Nonfiction

Some numbers: 
13 nonfiction reads, and all but one (a graphic novel) were audiobooks. (Nonfiction books are how I got myself listening to audiobooks. It felt more like I was listening to a documentary on CBC that just continued whenever I wanted it to.)  
Four were about comedians (Jon Stewart, Sarah Silverman, Lena Dunham, and Martin Short). Two other books by actors: Wil Wheaton's book of essays and Aziz Ansari"s study into Modern Romance.
I also read 2 books which, while novels, were fictionalized accounts of real people (Malcolm X, and Beryl Markham) where I learned so much that I felt like it was a biography. 

What was your favorite nonfiction read of the year? 
Can I pick two? Cause they were very different? 
Brain on Fire  by Susannah Cahalan was a  look at the author's descent into madness, which turned out to be a brain infection. Very scary. She pieced together, based on her journals and her parents, plus hospital records, what all happened to her during her illness. 


 I Must Say: My Life as Humble Comedy Legend by Martin Short and read by himself. Mostly for making me like him far more than I usually do, this book impressed me. It's still full of full-on Martin, but the famous people he knows, and how they broke into the big time, plus his beautiful marriage and unabashed Canadian-ism made me a fan.

What nonfiction book have you recommended the most? 
Probably Quiet by Susan Cain, a book about and for introverts. I also recommend How I Killed Pluto and Why it had it Coming by Mike Brown often to my high school physics students because it's a pretty good look at how Pluto got demoted.

What is one topic or type of nonfiction you haven’t read enough of yet? 
Um, everything? Nonfiction is about learning; about people, and history, and science, and philosophy and life. I tend to read more memoirs and science related topics and I don't see that changing very much.

What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?
Remembering how much I like nonfiction when I pick it up, thinking about the nonfiction I've read this year, and maybe finding what are some other great nonfiction books books to add to my list.

CHALLENGE: RIP X

 

Practically after the fact, here I am blogging about RIP X, previously hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings, now looked after by Estella's Revenge.

What's not to love about
Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

The only rules of RIP X are
1. Have fun reading (and watching).
2. Share that fun with others. (there's a link up here for reviews)

They make the creepiest, scariest, best reading books around. I feel I've primarily read these books this year, with several great books by Mo Hayder, Karin Slaughter, and all the Miss Marples I devoured earlier this year. I still want to record the books I've read or listened to this fall season that fit the bill.

So far I've read or listened to:

1. The Taken - Inger Ash Wolfe (audbiobook)


Great Canadian mystery series, reviewed here.

 2. Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman (audiobook)

A re-read, but first time on audio. I loved this when I read it in 2007, the perfect mix of mythology and modern London. I enjoyed it just as much this time with the author himself reading his 'preferred text.' Poor old Richard has his life turned upside down when he saves young Door from the street.

Underworld London must make riding the Tube so much more exciting, imagining what is just beyond what we can see.

3. Fractured - Karin Slaughter (2nd in Will Trent series)

This second book, as we get to know Will Trent a bit better, is hitting its stride with characters around Will becoming clearer. Having grown up in foster care, Will keeps running into old 'housemates,' who do not want to recognize their acquaintance. Will and his new partner are investigating the brutal slaying of a rich teenage girl in her home. Next book: Undone.

4. The Nature of the Beast - Louise Penny (audiobook)
 Book 11 of the Inspt Gamauche series, reviewed here.

BOOKS: Canadian mystery series

Couple of Canadian mystery series that are very good. Both on Audio.

The Taken by Inger Ash Wolfe, book 2 (audiobook, 11h 10 min)

This is the second book with Det. Insp. Hazel Micallef of a small Ontario town. Poor Hazel is recovering from her back injury, living with her ex-husband and his new wife, trying to get back to work, but struggling with pain, and pretty much everything else in her life. She has a small loyal team helping her solve a mystery that is being written about in the paper as she attempts to investigate. Meanwhile, there is a live feed on the internet planning to kill someone, and taunting Hazel as she goes.

The characters are done very well, very real with conflicting behaviours. Sixty-two year old Hazel is still battling with her mother.  This was a great mystery, not too convoluted but intriguing and gritty. I'm looking forward to the next, and as of now, last book, A Door in the River.

The Nature of the Beast - Louise Penny, book 11, audiobook (12h 40 min)

First audiobook after the death of the original narrator, Ralph Cosham. Robert Bathurst does an admirable job and embodies Gamauche just as Cosham did. Slight British accent seems odd in Quebec, but c'est la vie!

Gamauche is still retired in Three Pines. The little boy in the village who cries wolf is eventually found murdered. A large weapon is found in the woods, the kind Saddam Hussein might commission in his quest to destroy. So, the police and CSIS are called in. (Slight quibble. In Canada, we say C-sis but Bathurst spelled out the acronym, like you might for FBI, every time. Threw me every time) Although not in charge, Gamauche, the Patron, is still in charge of his former team, and they rely on him.
I like these stories, but I find the reliance on Art and its Significance to be odd. Assuming that an image on a gun holds the same symbolism that an English teacher reads into a short story strains my credibility. Just because there are artists and poets (Clara and Ruth, delightful as always) in the village, doesn't mean everything is a symbol. But here it is, and Gamauche uses them solve the mystery.

BOOKS: Audio Classics

 Classics are classics for a reason. Reading them can sometimes feel like deja vous, because the characters and plots are in the popular culture. And yet, reading them is still new, and adds to your own knowledge bank. Sometimes it feels a bit like taking a vitamin, it's good for you; but some vitamins are good on their own, like Vitamin C! I have mixed results with classics, but I still always appreciate the originality of the 'classic.' Thanks to the YA Sync program for providing all, except Rainbow Valley.

Dracula - Bram Stoker (audiobook)
I have never been a vampire fan, but this was a good original story, the one that started it all. I liked the epistolary style, full of letters and diaries from many different characters. I listened to this in the summer and I know I enjoyed it though it was a tad long. However, details are escaping me. Dr Vanhelsing, the virtuous Victorian women, one of whom was smarter and more capable than the men would acknowledge. Good on Stoker for writing that, and for all the original vampire lore.

 Around the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne (audiobook)

Not exactly what I thought it was, but this was a rollicking good adventure, as Phileas Fogg attempts to win a bet and travel around the world. His poor servant Passepartout is one of the best parts, as are the interactions with the Detective following them who believes Fogg is a thief. Delays, mix-ups, and old-timey travel keep the reader hoping for Fogg to make it back to London.

Lord of the Flies - William Golding (audiobook)
I decided to give Lord of the Flies another chance. The first read was in grade ten English, and I hated it. In retrospect, I thought maybe I hated it because it was a book we studied, so it was analyzed, examined, and broken down. Sometimes that can ruin a book. But, no. I hated it because of the awful characters, the survivalist theme, the belief that man is basically evil, especially if left to their own devices. It is too depressing to think that way. I know there are 'bad' people, but I think they are everywhere, and some situations just allow them to flourish and this was a prime example.

I also may have been put off by the author note at the beginning of the audiobook, where Golding defended not having girls in the story because he didn't know any and had never been a girl. Weak.

Rainbow Valley - LM Montgomery
Another reread, but first time on audiobook. Not all books have been available on audiobook for my rereading this year. Anne disappears a bit in this one with her children and the manse children taking over the story, particularly the manse children. Even children with parents can be orphans as we watch these siblings try to 'raise themselves' as their widowed father is barely hanging on writing his sermons after the death of his wife. Lots of old grudges, sacrifices, and gossip  - lots of fun in a Montgomery early 1900s Canada.

BOOK: Book Club Reviews, Historical Style

Book reviews, book club style.

It's always interesting when books you read independently end up having a connection of sorts. I'm sure it is possible to connect any two books, but our last two book club books have been historical fiction, both set around 1800, and in the same part of the world, across the English Channel from each other. From the story of Josephine at the start of the French Revolution, to the story of Mary Anning at the start of a new era in science/geology, both book were very interesting, well written, and felt educational as well as entertaining. Win for book club choices! (We only pick from books our library has book club sets for, and that are available when Mary goes to get them, so sometimes our choices can be limited!)

The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B - Sandra Gulland, 436 pages

Confession: I knew practically nothing about the French Revolution other than some big names and the whole - Let them eat cake! Didn't finish Les Miserables or ever watch the musical. Couldn't even have given a rough estimate of dates. So, I found this book very educational, and I do want to read more about that time now. I did discover at the end of the book that this was the first of several books about Josephine. In fact, she only meets Napolean Bonaparte at the very end of the book, and he is the one who calls her Josephine. She wasn't Josephine until the last 50 pages! That certainly kept me reading.

This book tells the story up to the point where Rose, a girl from the island of Martinique, marries Napoleon. Before that, she travels to France for an arranged  (crappy) marriage, has two children, makes some important friends, and develops a real sense of responsibility for the people around her. Her husband was important in the French government, part of the revolution as well, but really, as a rich guy, was playing both sides.
Gulland has written a very readable tale, all the more remarkable because it is based on true facts. Gulland became obsessed with Josephine and spent years researching her life, resulting in this trilogy - The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B; Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe; and The Last Great Dance on Earth. I will definitely look into reading the rest of the series.

Remarkable Creatures - Tracy Chevalier, 305 pages

I've always been a big fan of Chevalier and her take on historical fiction. I've just about read all her books now, and have not been disappointed. Best known for The Girl With the Pearl Earring, her book The Lady and the Unicorn is my favourite. Remarkable Creatures will be near the top of my favourites by her.

So, what did I learn about here? Mary Anning, the fossil collector from the very early 1800s. I know I've enjoyed a book when I find myself looking up information about the characters after I've read the book, and find myself wanting to visit the area. Lyme Regis in Dorset, England is a prime location of fossil finding. There is a museum there on the site of Mary's original house that would be very cool to see. The fossils that Mary found changed the view of the history of Earth, and started the classification of dinosaurs.

Good historical fiction for me focuses on the characters and people and the facts become part of the story. Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot were two women leading unconventional lives in 1800. Neither married and with an age difference of twenty years, they became good friends and fossil hunters on the beach in Lyme. Different social stations added to the difficulties, but they managed to become experts, and eventually had men coming to buy their fossils, or learn from them. No easy feat for women who couldn't even vote at that time. The developing scientific thought, the poverty, women's roles, and the social classes provide lots of areas of discussion, and make a very well rounded, readable book.