Perusings and Musings

2010-12-22T10:37:00.000-08:00

Robert J. Wiersema's latest novel, Bedtime Story, is a story within a story within a story. After novelist Christopher Knox begins reading a lost fantasy book by one of his favourite childhood authors to his eleven year old son David, the boy suffers a seizure and enters into a trance-like state. Like Wiersema's first release, Before I Wake, the author writes about the lives of an unresponsive child (his first protagonist is in a coma due to a hit-and-run accident) and the unknown world where lost souls dwell.

Christopher, despite opposition from his estranged wife, deduces it is the story of the book itself, To The Four Directions by Laurence Took, which has caused David's condition; Chris attempts to battle the magic embedded in the book. Bedtime Story intertwines Christopher's mission, the fantasy novel itself, and David's story while trapped in the novel, where he meets other lost readers. They layering of stories builds up into a climax worthy of classic fantasy and horror novels!

2010-12-15T10:59:00.000-08:00

Despite its depressing and gloomy plot, I completely understand the accolades and award nominations (and wins!) for Emma Donoghue's latest novel, the thoroughly gripping Room.

This dark story, similar to real life ones heard recently in the news, is told from the perspective of six year old Jack, who lives in Room,and only in Room, with his mother. Occasionally, there are visited by Old Nick, who abducted Jack's mother several years ago. Other than that, Jack has not had contact with the outside world. Television shows him stories and the news, but he cannot fathom the reality behind them, that there is a huge world outside this eleven-by-eleven foot enclosure. His only friends are the inanimate items he sees on a daily basis; Plant, Wardrobe, Snake (made from empty eggshells)... While trying her best to survive in this stunted environment, and keep Jack as healthy as possible, his mother is also working on a plan of escape.

As well as a compelling read, Room is an eye-opener; Donoghue touches on so many simple things that we on the 'outside world' can take for granted. Jack has never seen the sun, felt the air, run in a straight line rather than the circles around Rug. His mother, limited in basic needs by Old Nick, must prioritise what foods and essentials she asks for, thus depriving Jack of toys, sufficient clothing, and, perhaps most shattering, only five books (shudder).

Room is a novel that not only thrills, it had an underlying message for me that, with love and strong emotional support, you can survive. Sure, Jack and his mother did not enter this situation willingly, but it speaks that material things, to achieve bigger and better, means nothing without someone who can get you through the worst. Throughout the novel, Jack, as narrator, provided an innocent perspective, one without hate, or envy, or regret, which gives a hopeful twist to this terrible tale.

2010-11-19T15:33:00.000-08:00

Since I first saw a reproduction of Dante Gabriel Rossetti's Annunciation in my teens, I was besotted with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. So, when the DVD Desperate Romantics, a BBC production of the PBR's lives and loves, made its way into our collection, I was intrigued.

I admit, I was hesitant once starting it. This was not what I expected. This was no documentary of intellectual, talented gentlemen. Although set in mid-19th century England, Desperate Romanticshas a very modern feeling about it, from the artists walking abreast down the street, almost strutting in their high-fashioned, Bohemian influenced wardrobe, the music-video inspired camera angles, to the 20th century influence in the soundtrack, this is an historical tale told with a contemporary twist.

The story centres around the three founders of the PBR, Rossetti, William Holman Hunt, and John Everett Millais, the youngest painter ever accepted by The Royal Academy. "The Boys," as they are often called in this production, are three very disparate personalities: Millais, the prodigy, is timid, proper, somewhat frightened of authority, but the most virtuous. Hunt is intense, earnest, and, frankly, annoying. And Rossetti is passionate, flirtatious, immoral, at first charming, but later, also annoying. And infuriating. Not that this is bad; it makes great viewing.

The story opens with Fred Walters, a fictional character who is a conglomeration of several PBR friends and associates, running madly to find The Boys after he has laid eyes on the exquisite Elizabeth Siddal, a hat-shop girl who fits the criteria of what the PBR is looking for in a model. Lizzie is wanted by all three artists (in multiple ways Rossetti), but it is while she is sitting (or soaking) for Millais as Ophelia, she is taken with an illness and nearly dies. Hunt finds a new model in the "grubby" Annie Miller, here portrayed as a prostitute. Annie is a character who, despite her low-bred birth and upbringing, is smart, cunning, honest in a way Hunt cannot be, and utterly charming and delightful. Millais, meanwhile, is commissioned by the highly influential art critic John Ruskin to paint his wife, Effie. The sordid (or not so sordid) details of their five year marriage come to light, in which Millais finds himself entwined, so to speak.

One of the reasons I love the works of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood is the purity of the subjects, true love, sacrifice, spirituality; you wouldn't think these were subjects that came easily to this lot. Hunt and especially Rossetti are portrayed as lustful, raunchy, and appalling in their behaviours with women, but then would be tender, poetic and seemingly genuine in their feelings for the women they scorned. This dichotomy of spirit, portrayed by wonderful young actors, makes for a wonderful, escapist six hours.

Bloody entertaining

2010-10-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

I always find it makes a book more interesting to read it at the same time of year that the story is set. So, when British author S.J. Bolton's latest thriller, Blood Harvest, came into our collection, it struck me that it takes place in a small English town in autumn, particularly around Halloween, and I grabbed it.

Blood Harvest is set in Heptonclough, a farming community which continues to hold onto its ancient and medieval traditions, specifically the local fall animal slaughter. This is when Harry Laycock, the new vicar, arrives and opens the old church, closed for almost ten years. Harry hears strange noises coming from the church, and witnesses some terrifying occurrences. Concurrently, the Fletcher family, also new to the area, has moved into their recently built house on the border of the graveyard. The three children, ten year old Tom, five year old Joe and toddler Millie are all aware of an unusual figure who moves stealthily through the graveyard, a figure with a penchant for imitating others' voices and giving Tom the willies by constantly watching him. Can this mysterious figure somehow be involved with the rash of deaths and disappearances of young girls in the last ten years? Are the disappearances one of the ongoing rituals of the community? And how does the abduction of one of the Fletcher children tie in with what's happening?

This is a spine-tingling, suspenseful novel that gripped me with its assortment of both intelligent and odd characters, chilling settings, and terrifying moments. It's a book I recommend you read with the blinds closed.

A worthy witchy read

2010-10-08T11:06:00.000-07:00

Alys is a young woman in 16th century England who is at the centre of Philippa Gregory's The Wise Woman. The story opens with Alys awakening in the abbey where she has been living in comfort since her childhood. When the abbey becomes the nocturnal target of arson by supporters of Henry VIII, Alys flees back to Morach, the wise woman who helped raise her. Because of her training with Morach, Alys is called to the castle of the elderly Lord Hugh, who has been ill and presumed dying by his physicians. When Alys heals him, he insists she stay as one of the ladies to his daughter-in-law, Catherine. While in residence, Alys begins an affair with Catherine's husband, the young Hugh, which starts a tale of obsession, magic, and betrayal.

Actually, lots of betrayal. Alys is a master at it. She is quick to alter her allegiances if it means comfort, warmth, food and attention. She first betrays Morach, who gave her a home. Okay, a hovel, but she was fed by Morach, and taught herb-lore and midwifery, which helped Alys get to Lord Hugh. She quickly left Morach for the abbey, and Mother Hildebrande, for whom Alys appeared to have a deep and genuine love, but who she left to burn in her bed in order to quicken her own escape. She then betrays Morach again when she lets her take the blame for certain events that happen to Lady Catherine, who, after years of barrenness, finally appears pregnant, with Alys's help. She waffles with her affection for the young Hugh, sometimes believing herself in love with him, sometimes that she is using him for her own advancements. And when she has a chance to redeem herself regarding her faith and her abbey, she turns away from that too.

Alys is one of the most conniving, hideous and morally deprived characters I have ever come across in literature. She definitely earns the book's title, as her wisdom comes in two forms: herb-wisdom and the knowledge to think quickly on her feet to save her own skin. There were times I had pity for her; I'm not sure I wouldn't try to do the same things (well, not all of the same things) if I were filthy and cold and had had a taste of the good life. But deep down, I was revolted by Alys and her actions. Does this make for a bad book? No. And, when she has a chance to clean her conscience, I was interested in how Gregory would end the book. Was it an ending I found satisfying? I know my opinion, but try it out for yourself.

2010-09-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

I often re-read my old favourite books, but it's never happened that I was ready to re-read a book I had just finished, until I read Kate Morton's The Forgotten Garden. The book is an intriguing and fascinating interweaving of several voices, several experiences, and several generations.

It opens with Nell, a four year old girl left on a boat bound for Australia by a beautiful young woman she know only as "The Authoress." Nell is told to hide and not come out until The Authoress returns for her. After several hours, the ship sets sail and Nell is still alone. Adopted by an at the time childless couple, Nell is told at her twenty first birthday party that she is not who she thinks she is. It is a statement that dramatically alters her personality and her life.

Seventy years later, Nell's granddaughter, Cassandra, takes up the search for Nell's biological family. Using her grandmother's diaries, and an old illustrated book of fairy tales by the mysterious Eliza Makepeace, Cassandra travels to England and the cottage she has inherited from Nell.

Interspersed between Nell's and Cassandra's stories are that of Eliza, her meager childhood which served for the basis of her vivid imagination, and subsequent move to an estate by the ocean. There, she is subject to her unloving and judgmental aunt, her unusual and disturbing uncle, and her frail cousin Rose. Despite her strict new upbringing, Eliza is too much of a free spirit to be hampered by her new living arrangement.

The storyline of The Forgotten Garden is itself like a fairytale, and its characters can follow the traditional 'good versus evil,' 'beauty versus ugliness' plots, but Morton offers enough insight their lives to keep them from becoming caricatures. And yes, sometimes I found the coincidences of chance meetings between characters a little too convenient, but because of the book's fae elements, they didn't bother me; I just accepted that unseen beings hiding in the forgotten garden were at play.

2010-07-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

A group of friends are gathered for a relaxing afternoon barbeque at the suburban home of Hektor and Aisha. At some point, one of the guests slaps the young child of another couple. The party quickly ends, but the repercussions of that action continue into the near future in the aptly named The Slap by Australian author Christos Tsiolkas. Although the party is attended by an extensive group of people (almost too extensive to introduce in the opening pages), Tsiolkas narrows the personal stories to eight characters, some directly involved in the incident, and some only secondarily affected.

I found The Slap to be a gripping, compelling book, although I can't say I like the writer's crudeness (some parts I found uncomfortably so, particularly when he was speaking for the female characters). I also found the characters' personal morals almost non-existent; while many wear the sheen of being good, going beneath the surface reveals that they are far from it. I think I would have liked the book better if the characters' storylines had been intertwined rather than told in blocks of chapters.

What I did like was the result in their personal lives of this one quick act: everyone has an opinion about it. Some couples are able to support each other, some are violently opposed in opinion. Some are able to forgive and move on; others are mired in bitterness and revenge. Some agree that the child required discipline which his parents were not providing; others feel that an adult hitting a child is unjustified in all circumstances.

It was also interesting to find where my sympathies were directed in regards to the incident. In that respect, the book was an eye-opener. In other respects, it's a good, quick read with a meatier topic than my usual summer choices.

Delicious Fromage!

2010-06-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

When I pulled it out of the box of newly delivered DVDs, I had never heard of the 2008 BBC series Bonekickers. From the writers of Life on Mars, Bonekickers, set at the fictional Wessex University, is a little bit Kathy Reichs, a little bit Indiana Jones, and a little bit Dan Brown.

Dr. Gillian Magwilde is the spitfire team leader who is afraid of nothing: risking poisonous gases, deep wells, and dark tunnels, she breaks the rules to get her answers. Her cockiness is balanced by the down-to-earth Ben Ergha, who challenges Gillian's quests for stupendous results and attempts to keep her focused and out of danger. Gregory Parton is a loquacious walking encyclopedia with a taste for women and spirits. Their team has newly added Vivian, a young intern who is the target for Gregory's attentions and Gillian's wrath, who has a quest of her own.

The episodes deal with disparate periods of history and characters: the Knights Templar, U.S. slaves, the Roman occupation of Britain, ancient Iraq, Joan of Arc and King Arthur, yet all the stories feature a common thread, an artifact that Gillian's mother spent her life looking for, and which led to her mental demise. The acting is excellent, and the plot lines intriguing. Unfortunately, the script, along with the editing, are bordering on dreadful. Does this make for a bad show? I will argue that it is quite the contrary.

While there are aspects of the show I didn't like (the shaky camera and unusual filming angles, the egotistical attitudes of some of the characters in their introductory scenes, the inconsistencies in Gillian's point of view from the importance non-traditional thinking in one episode to rejecting the same sentiment in Ben's theories in another, some totally cheesy lines and outlandish, convoluted storylines), curiously, as a whole, I liked it. While I prefer a slower character development, once I got over the initial shock of being thrown right into the series, I enjoyed the historic backgrounds of the show, the 'flashbacks,' and the settings. I was interested in the personal dynamics between the characters, and I even laughed at some of those cheesy lines, such as Gregory yelling at a gang of murderous thugs "Don't mess with me; I'm an archaeologist!"

Due to low ratings, the show only lasted the one season, about which I feel rather disappointed. While I felt Bonekickers took itself a bit too seriously sometimes, it was a good ride. I would have delighted in seeing them tackle and solve more long-standing archaeological mysteries, take on more baddies, and deliver, with a straight face, lines like "Right, bras off" (you'll just have to watch to find out).

Goodman = good writer!

2010-06-02T16:24:00.000-07:00

I've written about Carol Goodman before. Perhaps it's obvious that I am a major fan of hers. I have become even more of one with her latest release, Arcadia Falls.

After setting her last two suspense novels in Europe, Goodman has returned to the northeast United States. Like The Seduction of Water and The Lake of Dead Languages, Arcadia Falls takes place in a boarding school, with a teacher finding her place in the world after tragedy strikes her life. Meg Rosenthal, a young widow, moves from the Southern U.S. with her teenage daughter, Sally, to teach folklore and english at Arcadia Falls, a former artists' colony. During an end of summer ritual, a student, Isabel, plunges to her death. Meg discovers how this parallels the death of a young woman artist several decades earlier, and the connection to Isabel's death. Meg embarks on a mystery of how the dean, Ivy St. Clare, ties into the two stories.

Filled with descriptions of dark, gloomy woods, eerie old houses, creepy fairy tales and eccentric characters, Arcadia Falls is a suspenseful romp that will keep readers up during the night. Just make sure you close the blinds and don't peek out the window!

House Rules rules

2010-05-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

Virtually every spring, I can rely on several things: trees will bud, flowers will sprout, days will get longer and warmer, and a new Jodi Picoult novel will be released. I welcome them all.

Picoult's latest is House Rules, the story of single mum Emma Hunt raising two teenage sons. Jacob, the eldest, has Asperger's Syndrome, and an obsession with forensic science and crime scenes, while Theo has to try to survive and thrive in his older brother's shadow and always be second for Emma's attention. Disaster strikes when the death of someone close to the family lands Jacob under arrest for murder.

After over a dozen books, Picoult has developped a somewhat predictable format for her books: a woman, generally single, or with a second husband/boyfriend, has teen or pre-teen child(ren). One child has an often life threatening disease, and his/her siblings end up being marginalised, insecure, and often envious of the ill child. Throw in a father figure who, according to mum, does not and cannot fully understand and commit to the situation, and climax it all with a court scene dealing somehow with the situation. It's a formula that, with snappy dialogue, some sympathetic characters, some you want to punch in the face (figuratively, of course), and medical information on the affliction-in-question for the beginner, manages to continue to satisfy this reader.

And even more satisfying was the conclusion of House Rules. Not to give anything away, but it has a pleasing difference from many of Picoult's other books. Read it to find out.

Who needs a yacht?

2010-04-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

Morgan Llywelyn is an author with whom I have never been disappointed. Her weaving of fact and fiction is so well done and intriguing that for the last twenty years I always anticipate her upcoming releases. When I discovered she was writing about St. Brendan the Navigator, I was doubly excited, as it is a story which has always fascinated me. Brendan was the 6th century Irish monk who, rather than choose serene and isolated contemplation like most of his colleagues, traveled to the ends of the earth. Using the ninth century document Voyage of St Brendan the Navigator, Llywelyn retells the story of the monk who, in his quest to find the The Islands of the Blessed, the eternal paradise, ends up crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

Brendan tells the story of the monk from his early days, living in a quiet community, learning under the instruction of Ita, a gentle, patient nun. As his body and wisdom mature, he comes under the tutelage of Erc, a powerful Bishop and former Druid. In Brendan, Erc sees someone with great potential and leadership qualities, but is often frustrated by the younger man's questioning mind and adventurous spirit.

The novel shifts between time periods, a device which adds a dreamy quality to the novel. We read of Brendan's childhood, youth, adulthood (where he accomplished most of his adventures), through to his old age, where he records his memories in his journal. It is in the writing of the journal that Brendan recalls his greatest adventure of traveling with several other monks in a small boat called a curragh, where they see living islands, volcanoes, icebergs, all sorts of unusual people, as well as tragedy. It is speculated that Brendan was the first European to reach the shores of North America, a scene Llywelen describes beautifully in the final scenes.

Although Brendan is written about a Christian saint, it is not an overtly religious book. Brendan lived at a time when the Celtic church varied greatly from its Roman counterparts. Christianity was interwoven with pagan beliefs, marriages between church leaders was normal and encouraged, and even Brendan feels romantic love. It is more a story of a restless spirit, who happens to be a monk, the daring escapades he faced, and his relationship with his god which can only grow given the wondrous things he sees and experiences.

Worth the wait?

2010-04-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

I remember several incidents when a new title in Stephen King's Dark Tower series would be released where library patrons would amiable complain that King needed to write the next book faster, as they were impatiently waiting for more! I would question them on whether they thought it would be worth it; perhaps the books were so compelling and left you wanting more because the author took his time writing them. If they were whipped off quicker, would it be as satisfactory?

Several times I've found myself in the same position with my favourite authors, thinking 'come on already, it's been two years! You must have SOMETHING to release!!!' With mystery author Erin Hart, I've been biding my patience for six, yes six, years for her next entry in the Cormac Maguire/Nora Gavin series. The first two titles, Haunted Ground and Lake of Sorrows, focused on Nora's fleeing to Ireland after her sister Triona's murder, seemingly committed by Triona's husband Peter. There, Nora stumbles upon two local mysteries, which she and Cormac help to solve. Hart's new release, False Mermaid finds Nora returning to the U.S. to finally confront her demons, namely, Peter.

The plot focuses on Nora's investigation in the States, where she discovers Peter is engaged to the younger sister of Nora's ex-fiance. She fears that Peter will do to Miranda what he did to Triona: slip her drugs which make her black out, make her suspicious of her own family, manipulate her into otherwise uncharacteristic actions. Nora also worries on how to approach her young niece, Elizabeth, who is unaware of the details of her mother's death,and must adjust to her new step-mother.

The storyline shifts to Co. Donegal, Ireland, where Cormac is trying to bond with his ailing father. There he finds one of his colleagues, a folklorist interested in the history of a missing local woman from the 19th century believed to be a selkie, living with Joseph Maguire in his isolated homestead. The story of the selkie plays a pivotal role in False Mermaid, as Elizabeth, like her mother in her youth, is also intrigued in this 'fairy tale.' So, like Hart's first two mysteries, False Mermaid ties in a current crime investigation with an older one, while examining rituals, traditions, and superstitions of a past people.

So, is False Mermaid worth a six year wait? Uhm, somewhat yes, somewhat no. It's a great book, and very gripping. The tiny details, the intriguing primary and secondary characters, the family relationships, the myth of the selkie tying in with the role of the modern day woman and her freedom and identity, the fast paced storyline, are all fascinating. As a stand alone book, it's excellent; but as part of a series I really enjoy combined with a six year wait, it's a bit of a disappointment. I think this largely stems from the fact that I prefer the Irish setting of the first two books, and the prehistoric subplot, albeit I enjoyed the selkie storyline most in this book. Perhaps if the book had been released in a more timely manner, or Erin Hart was a new author to me and I read the three books in quick succession, then my anticipation would not have reached the almost unbearable stage, and my expectations may have been better satisfied.

That said, however, nothing could have prepared me for the somewhat, I felt, rushed ending, which truly had me scratching my head in confusion regarding certain elements, but also leaving me feeling dread at its sense of finality! I want more! And hopefully before 2016!

A swift, fulfilling read

2010-03-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

Being a teenager is a potentially trying time for almost anyone. For Shell Talent, the focus of Siobhan Dowd's A Swift, Pure Cry, it's even more difficult, given she is still mourning the loss of her vivacious, beautiful mother a year earlier. Her father is caught in a deep depression, volunteering to raise money for the church, while drinking away a portion of it, and it's left to Shell to help raise her two younger siblings. Add to that that it is 1984 in an Ireland still under the strong hold of the Catholic Church and its strict rules.

Shell has a small circle of 'friends' to help her through things: Bridie is her best friend and schoolmate, until the charismatic Declan destroys their relationship; when he departs for New York, Father Rose, a young curate at Shell's local church, becomes her closest friend. But rumours are being spread about Shell's relationship with Father Rose, and when people of the village notice, despite Shell's best efforts to camouflage it, her pregnancy, suspicion grows.

While A Swift, Pure Cry is aimed at a young adult audience, which may account for the melodramatic plot twist at the end of the book, the characters are real and well-rounded. Shell is a quiet, well-behaved young woman who manages to stay strong and true to herself despite the tragic circumstances of her life. She sacrifices her youth largely for that of her brother and sister, thrust into the role of mother well before facing the truth that she will become an actual one soon. She is loyal to Bridie, who turns her back on Shell seemingly due to jealousy, to Declan's memory, despite his leaving her in a difficult position, and to her father, who, in effect, has destroyed his family's life with his inability to deal with being a widower. She bravely faces the town gossip regarding her and Father Rose and their friendship, and also a circumstance which leads to the plot twist in the latter part of the book which truly adds upheaval to her life.

Sadly, Siobhan Dowd's personal story adds a greater sense of tragedy to the story. The author died of breast cancer in 2007, when her career as a young adult author was blossoming. It makes reading her existing writings more poignant for what the reading audience has lost.

Just who are the animals here?

2010-03-09T11:13:00.000-08:00

For years, I'd been hearing from people how excellent the novel Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen is. And, for years, the idea of reading the book totally put me off. Why? Because the setting of the book is one I personally abhor: a travelling circus. However, I had no real choice in the matter when one of the members of our library book club chose it for our selection for March. And I loved it.

The book is from the point of view of Jacob Jankowski, now in a nursing home, looking back seventy years to the Great Depression, when he was a budding veterinarian. On the verge of taking his final exams and graduating, Jacob's parents are killed in an automobile accident. He discovers that his father, also a veterinarian, would rather treat another person's ill animals and be paid in beans and corn than let the animal suffer. Thus Jacob, an only child, is left alone, homeless and destitute, and, while dazed and stupefied as a result of recent events, runs off and hops aboard a passing train.

There, he meets and becomes part of a dysfunctional 'family' of circus folk. The definition of family in this context is that of loyalty, among some, but also jealousy, favouritism, and hatred. Uncle Al, the owner, and August, the animal trainer, are two incredibly repulsive, abusive, and opportunistic men. Neither people and animals are immune from their anger and manipulations, including Marlena, August's wife, and Rosie, the elephant which Uncle Al acquires at the expense of his workers, both of whom are subject to August's outbursts of violence, then treated like queens when they 'behave.' The prologue of the book hints at August's fate, and I found myself compelled to get read quickly so I could have the satisfaction of the culmination of the scene.

And when I got there, it was even better than I had originally anticipated!

A promising first novel

2010-03-02T09:57:00.000-08:00

In 1920s New Orleans, Raziela Nolan is young, rich, beautiful, and vivacious, as well as independant, educated, and prone to slipping pamphlets on birth control in books at the public library. She is torn between accepting an engagement to her boyfriend Andrew or starting her education to become a doctor, until fate denies her a decision when she slips and hits her head at Andrew's pool and drowns. Thus starts her journey into the afterlife, making friends with others who are as yet unwilling or unable to pass into 'heaven,' in Ronlyn Domingue's The Mercy of Thin Air.

Eighty years later, Amy and Scott buy Andrew's old bookcase (which he had given to the son of Emmaline, his parents' former maid) at an estate sale. Razi's attachment to the bookcase causes her to follow the young married couple; she discovers that Amy is granddaughter to the recently deceased Sunny, who was the younger sister of Twolly, Razi's best friend in life. After her grandmother's death, Amy is distraught with her Grandpa Fin for destroying Sunny's photos and many sentimental belongings, and then who dies before she can forgive him. This act of destruction causes Amy to gather and compile to disc the family's remaining family photos, with the help of Great Aunt Twolly, now in her eighties, but at the expense of her relationship with Scott. As Razi continues to shadow Amy, while reminiscing about her own life, she observes parallels in Amy and Scott's lives to hers and Andrew's.

In some ways, The Mercy of Thin Air resembles Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones. Both are first person narratives of the deceased character, both young women denied a long life, both full of regret for what is lost. The book also serves as a lesson to live life to the fullest, as Nel, one of Razi's friends in the afterlife, states after 'teaching' himself the cello in his spirit form: "that's what I wanted... I did the wrong thing... what I thought I should do, not what I wanted. And I can't take it back," a statement which causes Razi to look back to her own decision regarding her life with Andrew. The two titles also touch on how the living mourn the dead differently, and how some people cope and some cannot. And on how love continues, despite the pain. As Emmaline sagely notes, "that's how you know you love someone with all your heart, when the world get (sic) so cold without them."

May we all learn these lessons ourselves.

Keyes' Brightest?

2010-02-23T10:02:00.000-08:00

Marian Keyes has been one of my favorite authors since one of her early books, Last Chance Saloon, caught my attention over a decade ago. Its plot consists of Tara, Fintan and Katherine, friends since the days of "legwarmers, pink stretch jeans and Duran Duran." Sure, it, like most of Keyes' novels, had it's serious moments, like dead-end relationships, broken hearts, characters' negative self esteem in regards to their bodies, drug addiction, and later on physical abuse, and tragic death, but it also had lots of laugh out loud funny scenes, witty and a bit over the top, that tended to overshadow the 'tragedy' of everyday life.

In her latest release, The Brightest Star in the Sky, Keyes' introduces an unseen, unnamed, 'magical' character who is able to infiltrate the daily lives of the numerous residents of 66 Star Street, Dublin, a la her fellow Irish author, Cecelia Ahern. Almost a dozen main characters and even more secondary ones flit through the narrative. My personal favorite, although I am reluctant to admit it, is the tiny but tough (okay, bitchy) Lydia, who mysteriously moves from a comfortable flat with her best friend into a cramped apartment with two Polish male students who cringe in fear from her. There is also Katie, a 40 year old 'babysitter' to artistes, who is on the rebound from her workaholic boyfriend Conall with the young and sexy Fionn; Matt and Maeve, a young couple whose early married life was horrifically marred seemingly beyond repair, and Jemima, Fionn's foster mother, a holder of great wisdom surrounded by despair and confusion, round out the residents.

While I did enjoy The Brightest Star in the Sky, and how the characters' lives would intertwine, I did however find that there was a bit too much going on, a few too many characters, to have this book replace Keyes' others as my favorites. And the magical element didn't quite do it for me. Now, to qualify my statement, I'm not saying this is a bad book: Keyes' style has grown to be more than light-hearted 'chick-lit,' her characters more developed, her situations less wacky. It is, in my opinion a good book, but lacks the levity of her previous writings. If you are considering embarking on a relationship with Keyes, I strongly recommend her earlier titles if you're looking for laughs, then grow with her into her later fiction.

Knowledge is but a clicker box away

2010-02-16T12:41:00.000-08:00

Ah, winter. Darkness, warm clothes and cuddly blanket, hot chocolate. All things that make me feel cozy, and physically lazy (especially after a few hours of cross country skiing or walks in the snow). Ironically, it is the time I feel most intellectually stimulated, and I seek out non-fiction as much as 'deep' fiction.

However, when life deems that reading time is allotted but in small chunks, non-fiction, full of dates, facts and figures, is not the optimum choice. What's a reader to do?

Turn on the TV!

I don't do it often, but now and then I rise early in the morning, taking my cuddly paraphernalia in the basement where my TV is, and indulge in some great documentaries. I just finished discs 1-4 of the BBC's The Private Life of a Masterpiece. They contain thirteen 'biographies' of some of history's most celebrated works of art. Starting with magnificent La Primavera by Sandro Botticelli, the series examines works from Italian Renaissance, Dutch and Spanish Baroque, and early Romanticism, a classic Japanese print, and ending with the birth of modern art.

Despite having studied art history pretty much all my adult life, I have yet to see most of these works, so it adds some dimension to seeing the works' settings, rather than just the image head on. There is a greater impact seeing Leonardo's Last Supper as it is meant to be, as part of a monastery's refectory, and imagine the impact of sitting and dining under this powerful painting! Also, some of the musings from the interviewees makes me stop and realise "hey, I never thought about it that way." My particular favorite episodes thus far are Edvard Munch's The Scream and James McNeill Whistler's Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1 - Portrait of the Artist's Mother, oddly enough, since I've never been much of a modernist. Perhaps now I'm ready to learn about that which used to turn me off.

Ah, the power of television.

A parent's worst nightmare: Part 2

2010-02-02T09:46:00.000-08:00

John Hart's suspense novel, The Last Child, is a book for which readers need to be prepared: not by brushing up on historic events, not by reading prequels, but to psychologically be immersed in a dirty, squalid, evil world of missing children, drugs, alcohol, and abuse. Also, be prepared to set aside a few hours to become lost in the storyline.

The Last Child centres around 13 year old Johnny Merrimon, one year after the disappearance of his twin sister Alyssa. During that year, the Merrimon family went from middle class, happy, secure and loving to broken, poverty stricken, and distraught. Johnny's mum, Katherine, blames her husband for not fulfilling his promise to pick Alyssa up from the library, and guilt causes him to quickly leave his remaining family. Meanwhile, Katherine moves herself and Johnny into the slums of town, and only gets through the day by taking a wild assortment of pills, supplied by the town's richest citizen and her husband's former boss, Ken Holloway, who also physically abuses her.

Johnny's only friend, Jack, has his own issues: his arm is deformed from a childhood accident, his brother is a bully about to embark on a promising sports career, his father, a police detective, only has eyes for the older son, and Jack's mother, a fervently religious woman, prays for her youngest, who has taken to skipping school and numbing his emotional pain through alcohol. He is the only witness to Alyssa's abduction as she was pulled into a white van. Jack also is the only one to support Johnny in his obsession to find Alyssa, which leads them into incredibly dangerous situations tracking the scummiest characters in the area: child molesters.

Hart's book is not an easy read; it is cluttered and complicated, with many twists and turn, some which appear too coincidental to be conceivable. There's almost too much tragedy to make it believable, but it does show that 'ordinary' people can have their lives turned around quickly. It is difficult to read not only because of the disappearance of Alyssa, but the various family dynamics. Not only are Johnny's and Jack's families messed up, the lead detective in the case, Clyde Hunt, has lost his wife and is losing his only son because of his compulsion to solve Alyssa's disappearance. Throw in convict Levi Freemantle, with his own slew of problems, and you have some of the sorriest group of people you'll ever meet in literature.

Despite these 'flaws,' the book is compelling and difficult to put down. I may not have liked any of the characters, but I wanted to know the outcome. Hart manages to make the book's climax even more of a page turner by shortening his last few chapters, increasing tension and quickening the pace of the action.

I've read several books about missing children, some with 'happy' resolutions, some sad, and some with no resolution at all. The Last Child lacks the emotion and fullness of characterisation of some of the others, but it is a satisfying thriller that will keep you up late into the night.

Great Gamache

2010-01-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

Quebec author Louise Penny's latest installment of her Three Pines series, like her previous titles, does not disappoint. The Brutal Telling again features the brilliantly conceived Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, an intelligent, well-read, calm and highly respected murder investigator, his right-hand man Inspector Beauvior, quick tempered and narrow minded, and a bevy of local characters, including the horrendously mannered award winning poet Ruth Zardo and her pet duck, competing husband and wife artists Peter and Clara Morrow, and larger than life Gabri who runs a bistro with his partner Oliver, the latter of whom is at the centre of the book's investigation.

When a dead body is found in Oliver's bistro, a bizarre set of circumstances unfolds. Was the man local? Why does no one recognise him? Where does he live? How old is he? And how did he acquire the priceless items eventually found at his residence? Penny reveals the answers to these questions with an old-time mystery appeal. The plot is intriguing, and twists and turns from what seems to obvious answer. It is vivid in its imagery and description, and the balance of characters and their interplay is realistic and engaging. For example, Beauvoir, a bit lacking in romanticism and imagination, is amazed that Gamache can take the time to admire a stunning sunset in the middle of a murder investigation, or 'marvel' in the perfection of an autumn leaf.

The dry sense of humour is also delightful. A mother responds to her son's incredulousness about his father being alive after years of supposing he was dead with "I might have exaggerated." As a former Montreal Anglophone, I particularly like Beauvoir's observations on long-standing cultural prejudices, such as "the English he knew to be all the same. Nuts."

The town of Three Pines itself is a major character in Penny's books. Nestled in Quebec's Eastern Townships, amidst maple trees and gently rolling hills, many of the characters are former Montrealers who gave up the fast paced lifestyle and stressful city lifestyle for a quieter life in the country. In fact, Penny's descriptions of Three Pines has helped to increase tourism to that region. The combination of location and characters makes all of Penny's books sensational reading.

http://www.manoirhovey.com/presse/Globe%20and%20Mail%2009%2012%2018.pdf

Also see Penny's website for titles in the series, pronunciation guides, and photos of the Eastern Townships.

http://www.louisepenny.com/

Examination of a marriage

2010-01-19T10:20:00.001-08:00

My relationship with author Anita Shreve's books is hit and miss. I either absolutely love her novels, or just don't see the point and regret spending my time waiting for 'something' to happen (yes, I give her the benefit of the doubt and read to the end). It's rarely in between. Her latest novel, A Change in Altitude, was, for me, another hit (phew).

The plot centres around photographer Margaret and Peter in the 1970s, a young newlywed couple from Boston who relocate to Kenya to concentrate on Peter's medical career. There, they meet Arthur and Diana, both British, but Diana Kenyan born, with two school age children. The older couple welcome Margaret and Peter into their lives, albeit with some reserve, renting a cottage out to them, and then letting them live in their home when the cottage's plumbing breaks down.

It's taken for granted that Margaret and Peter will join Diana and Arthur and another couple on a climb of Mount Kenya, despite Margaret not being consulted or at all enthusiastic about it. While on the climb, an accident claims a life, and the repercussions of events leading up to it introduce cracks in Peter and Margaret's new marriage, especially when she begins to work with Rafiq, a local journalist.

A Change in Altitude is about more than just a look at a marriage. Surrounding it are hints of personal and political stories of Kenya in the 1970s; women's rights, tribal affiliations, corrupt governments, tourism, nature, riches and poverty and class structure, and colonialism. Shreve somehow successfully combines all this into just 307 pages without becoming preachy or didactic. While I admit that with the exception of Rafiq, I didn't care for any of the main characters, I was intrigued by the story, interested in how or if the couple would confront their marital problems, and how their relocation to a foreign country with a vastly different history would affect them.

Thumbs up!

A tribute

2010-01-12T09:36:00.000-08:00

Next time you walk into the Creston Library, take a look around. Enjoy the space, the bright airiness, the huge windows, the grand view. Then take a silent moment to thank Lawrence Lavender.

For anyone who did not have the pleasure of meeting Lawrence, he was the library board's chair for several years. His tenure saw three librarians, a handful of mayors, a referendum, a portable addition to our old location, and, finally, the securing of this new beautiful location and a big move! Sadly, Lawrence passed away last week, and his loss will be strongly felt within these walls.

If not for Lawrence's tenacity, we may still be in our cramped, moldy, dark, unhealthy former location. Yes, a lost referendum ten years ago meant we did not have a building to our specifications, but despite disappointment, Lawrence kept our spirits up and was determined that Creston would have a proper library. His voice meant that when this building became available upon the relocation of the Health Unit, the words 'new library' couldn't help but be at forefront.

When I think of Lawrence, a few outstanding characteristics come to mind: fair, respectful, focused, generous, and possessor of decency, and of a great chuckle.

My most esteemed thanks to Lawrence for all he did for us, as a library, a town, and individuals.

New year, 'new' author

2010-01-05T09:42:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I wrote about my favourite books which combine past and present lives. Here is an addition to that list!

A new 'discovery' for me, author M.J. Rose's The Reincarnationist focuses on Josh Ryder, a photographer who, while enraptured with a confrontation between a police officer and a woman pushing a stroller, has a near death experience. Afterwards, he has visions of Julius, a 4th century pagan priest in Rome. Julius watches as Emperor Theodosius outlaws paganism, disbands the Vestal Virgins, and authorises the destruction of non-Christian places of worship.

In present day Rome, Josh becomes involved with Professor Gabriella Chase, an historian interested in a 4th century tomb of the last Vestal Virgin, who's mummimified body clasps a collection of precious gems. The gems are believed to be The Memory Stones, which are crucial to people being able to remember past lives. When they are stolen, Josh and Gabriella become entwined with numerous questions, threats and dangers.

The Reincarnationist is a great thriller, a la Da Vinci Code, albeit a bit of a slower pace, and with substantially less information (which is not a negative characteristic!). There were certain sections, which while interesting, I think could have been left out without detracting from the story. Also like The Da Vinci Code, the book is more than just a thriller: it is a commentary on religion, politics and leaders, particularly the subject of reincarnation in Christian culture. As the characters of the book point out, if a soul is reborn and humans in charge of their fate and afterlife, it would detract power from the Church and its leaders as the sole method of absolution on earth.

A good way to start off a new year of reading.

Glad I gave in!

2009-12-22T09:36:00.000-08:00

It's a story that is all too prevalent in society: the sudden and total disappearance of an individual. We hear, read and see stories in the news, of the missing person, the search parties, the neighborhood coming together in support, the person found, sometimes alive, sadly, more often not, and sometimes gone forever. Time passes, the story fades away, another is unfortunately always ready to takes its place, and people forget that those close to the missing person still must continue to exist without their loved one.

Because of these disturbing real life stories, I admit, for years I have been reluctant to read Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones. For the few people unfamiliar with this modern classic novel, the plot focuses on Suzie Salmon ("like the fish"), who is brutally murdered by a neighbor at the age of fourteen. However, unlike in the media, her personal story does not end there: the book is told in first person narrative by Suzie herself. She watches the members of her family (parents, younger siblings and grandmother) and her friends cope with her disappearance, through the initial shock, their suspicions, and their ability, or disability, to let go and move on. We see them break apart from one another, and within themselves, trying to heal in their own ways. Some reach out for help, while others find solitude easier, even if it means hurting other survivors.

What struck me about The Lovely Bones is how Sebold manages to write such a heartbreaking story and infuse it with hope, perseverance and, yes, even some levity. Suzie's grandmother Lynn, an impeccably dressed, alcohol dependent, tell-it-like-it-is woman, particularly adds lightness, despite her harsh manner and words, as does Ruth, the schoolmate who swears she saw Suzie's ghost near where she was murdered.

The film version of The Lovely Bones is due out early next year. I don't know how the book will transfer to film, how Suzie's version of heaven will be achieved, but hopefully it will do this wonderful book justice.

Past lives makes great present entertainment

2009-12-01T09:57:00.001-08:00

I love books about past lives. I love the fact that if I can't make my mind up if I want to read something contemporary or historic, I can have both in one cover! Whether it's a book on reincarnation, or a modern character researching past events, a good author will bring you into and hold your interest in both worlds, frustrating you when you leave one storyline, but immediately hooking you back into the other.

Here are a few of my favourites:

Possession by A.S. Byatt.
Two contemporary historic scholars join forces through their respective research of two Victorian poets, whose various writings reveal their torrid extramarital affair.

Marianna by Susanna Kearsley
When Julia Beckett first saw Greywethers as a child, it was a poignant moment which would one day lead her to purchase it. Once in residence, she finds herself daydreaming about Mariana, a woman who lived in the house four hundred years earlier, and Richard de Mornay, the man Mariana loves. When and how did their love end?

Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine
Matilda de Braose was put to death by King John in the 12th century. Centuries later, journalist Jo Clifford undergoes hypnosis while researching Matilda's story, becoming increasingly obsessed as she realises that Matilda is in fact Jo herself in a previous existence.

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
Recovering from a horrific car crash that left him burnt beyond recognition, the book's narrator meets manic artist Marian Engel, who tries to get him to remember their former life together in medieval Germany.

The Haunted Ground by Erin Hart
The discovery of a well-preserved woman's head in a peat bog brings together Irish archaeologist Cormac and American pathologist Nora to determine how long ago she died. Concurrently, local authorities investigate the recent disappearance of the wife and child of a local landowner.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Yes, fine, the ubiquitous Da Vinci Code, but it's a fun read about secret religious societies, ancient coverups and vengeance. When the Louvre's chief curator is murdered, his body is symbolically laid out before the Mona Lisa. When his granddaughter, Sophie Neveu, a police cryptologist, joins forces with Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, their investigation leads to the legendary Priory of Sion, a nearly 1,000-year-old secret society whose members have included Botticelli and Isaac Newton, and the conservative Catholic organization Opus Dei.

The Sinner's Tale by Will Davenport
When a tawdry scandal threatens to destroy Beth Battock's political career, she is forced to return to the provincial hometown and the relatives she’s kept secret. There, she discovers the tale of Sir Guy de Bryan, whose sweeping epic of the havoc wrought by war serves as an example for the present day.

The Drowning Tree by Carol Goodman
After the suspicious death of her oldest friend, stained glass restorer Juno Mackay delves into Christine's past and her obsession with Pre-Raphealite artist Arthur Penrose, his wife and sister-in-law, and the stained-glass portrait he commissioned a century ago.

She Walks These Hills by Sharon McCrumb
The ghost of 18 year old Katie Wyler, captured by the Shawnee in North Carolinain 1789, haunts the Appalachian wilderness. The story of her escape inspires ethno-historian Jeremy Cobb to retrace her return journey. Meanwhile, 63-year-old convicted murderer Hiram Sorley, who has no recent memory, escapes from a nearby prison.

The Mask of the Night by Mary Ryan
Okay, the beginning was a bit slow, and there were far too many exclamation marks, but once it got going, I zipped through it! A mysterious mask and signet ring, tied to an inquisitor from medieval Venice, and brought to early 20th century Ireland, curses the life of the recipient: Theo becomes 'possessed' by the original owner's spirit, and the desire to find his lady love, an independent woman accused of witchcraft. Theo believes he sees her in his wife's best friend, Jenny. Fifty years later, Dee finds these items in the ruins of Kilashane, Theo's now abandonned and decrepit manor house, and she becomes personally caught up in the intrigue of their past.

A new twist on an old history

2009-11-17T09:51:00.000-08:00

In 1692, cunning woman Deliverance Dane was one of the victims of the Salem Witch Hunts, accused for the death of a young girl by her father. Years after Deliverance's death by hanging, her daughter Mercy attempts to clear Livvy's name, something which had been granted to the other condemned men and women. However, the presiding judge states that Deliverance was not and cannot be cleared as she actually was guilty of witchcraft.

Flash forward to 1991: Connie Goodwin is about to embark on the final stages of her graduate studies at Harvard. However, first she must deal with her deceased grandmother's old, decrepit house. Connie, for years submerged in academia, get distracted her discoveries in the house, including the mystery of an old key in a Bible, wrapped in a delicate paper with the name Deliverance Dane written on it. She uses her research skills to track down Dane's story, at the encouragement of her advisor, Manning Chilton, who may have alterior motives. During her investigation, Connie ends up not only learning about Deliverance's story, but her own.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane is Katherine Howe's first fiction release, and mirrors aspects of the author's life: both have ancestors involved with the Salem Witch trials, both are dog lovers, both were/are graduate students at Harvard. But Howe's writing style is not bogged down in multisyllabic, academic, incomprehensible language. Rather, it is an intelligent but fluid text, its imagery often sublimely beautiful (Connie "was always puzzled that people say that darkness falls. To her it seemed instead to rise, massing under trees and shrubs, pouring out from under furniture, only reaching the sky when the spaces near the ground were full"). Howe successfully portrays Massachusetts in time periods separated by three centuries, with empathy, pathos, and humour (my favourite scenes being the comical portrayal of strict librarians, and of someone's shouting entering Connie's sleeping subconscious in Sans Serif script, not to mention Connie's new age mother). Without giving anything away, the unconventional ending may throw some readers off, but I found it to be a different, and who knows, perhaps plausible conclusion. And I look forward to more of Howe's work.

Fiction that goes beyond its target

2009-11-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

As a teen, I devoured the classics, such as A Tale of Two Cities, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Phantom of the Opera, Wuthering Heights, and practically all of Agatha Christie's mysteries. I wasn't into 'teen' fiction.

Looking back, I'm not sure if this was due to a lack of books that caught my interest, or a lack of Young Adult authors at the time. During university, I found myself turning to YA fiction as a break from academia, because of my notion that it was fluffy, therefore easier and lighter to read than 'adult' fiction; it wouldn't distract me from my studies through its plots or writing styles (no more "just one more chapter"!).

During this time, I came across multiple YA titles that challenged and changed my thinking, and rank them to be 'as good' as those classics I once voraciously read.

O.R. Melling's The Chronicles of Faerie
A series of four books taking place in Canada and Ireland, of crossings between the worlds of faerie and humans.

An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L'Engle
During a summer spent with her maternal grandparents in Conneticut, Polly O'Keefe and her friend Zachary Grey become involved with ancient hieroglyphs which attract druids who lived some three thousand years ealier.

The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Yes, a romantic story with a happy ending, but a bit of a different path getting there. 'Old maid' Valancy Stirling is diagnosed with a heart defect, and decides that it's time to get out of her mother's house. She proposes to local bachelor Barney Snaith, saying she will die soon, and just wants to live out her remaining days in peace and quiet. But of course, something changes, because it wouldn't be a happy ending if we left it there, would it?

Laura Whitcomb's A Certain Slant of Light
Helen Lamb spends her days with Mr. Brown, an English teacher in a public high school, and her nights in his house, with him and Mrs. Brown. But they don't know it, as Helen has been dead and lost for 130 years. One day, she gets a jolt as she sees one of the students watching her. When he speaks to her, he explains that he, too, is one of 'the Light' inhabiting the body of a lost boy. After finding her own host body, Helen and James start a most unusual and intense love affair, as they adjust to their new lives without their hosts' memories.

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
In 1895, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely and guilt-ridden after her mother's suicide, Gemma is prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true. To make things worse, she’s been followed by a mysterious young Indian man sent to watch her and warn Gemma and her friends about using their powers to enter spiritual realms.

A modern Gothic delight

2009-11-03T09:44:00.000-08:00

I love overly romanticised, dark, sinister stories. These include Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, "Dragonwyck by Anya Seton, Louise May Alcott's A Long and Fatal Love Chase, anything by Mary Stewart and Barbara Michaels, and my frequently re-read favourites, Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I would now add a new title to the list: Sleep, Pale Sister.

Sleep, Pale Sister was originally published in 1993 by Joanne Harris, and reissued in 2004. One of its main characters is painter Henry Chester, whose works are influenced by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and whose reputation is growing. His subjects are mainly young girls in scenes from Shakespeare or classic tragedies, and feature his favourite model, pale, unearthly Effie. When Effie turns seventeen, Henry, twenty years her senior, marries her. However, his vision of Effie as pure and untouched changes when she welcomes his sexual advances early in the marriage, and disgust and hate replace love and adoration. Henry vows to destroy Effie.

But Henry is not the only one plotting; Moses Harper is not only a rival to Henry in painting, but for Effie's attention. With information and help from Fanny, a brothel owner who has her own vendetta against Henry, Effie and Mose join together to ruin him.

This novel is full of what you would expect in Gothic fiction: a mad wife, a secretive husband, drugs and liquor galore, not to mention prostitutes, nightmares, large spooky houses, and the inevitable graveyard and ghost. Harris uses the device of a different character's point of view for each chapter, which adds to the book's almost frenetic pace and tumultuousness. It's a wild and bumpy ride, perfect reading for dark, chilly, windy nights.

He wrote, she wrote

2009-10-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, I completely enjoyed reading Ami McKay's first novel, The Birth House. Set in early 20th century rural Nova Scotia, the book centres around the young Dora Rare, the only female descendant in the Rare family. Through her friendship with the elderly Marie Babineau, Dora learns the trade of midwifery, eventually turning her own home into a 'birth house.' McKay balances stories of tragedy, not unexpected given the time and place, discontent, including Dora's own unhappy marriage to a handsome but scheming con artist, and riotously funny scenes, such as those featuring Dora's Swedish massager.

Contrast this with Christopher Ransom's debut, The Birthing House. Conrad and Joanna Harrison move from California to Black Earth, Wisconsin, to a four bedroom Victorian mansion. Conrad purchases it on a whim, although it turns out that unseen forces may have 'encouraged' his decision. While Jo is away in Chicago for several weeks, Conrad is given an old scrapbook of the house's history by its previous owner, where he sees his own wife's face eerily staring back at him from a hundred year old photograph. If that's not enough to give Conrad the creeps, walking dolls, bloody floors, disembodied newborns' wails, and unusual shadows and reflections will do it. This is not a story of camaraderie and female support as in McKay's book. Here, the act of giving birth is one of supernatural power, one that gives life to the house itself. In its desire to feel the life force of new births, the house, or a presence therein, makes sure that the trend continues.

The contrast between the two books is fascinating. Does it stem from gender issues? Childhood events? Being a parent? Or just simply different interests and imagination? How does the same premise, the story of a birth house, lay the foundations of two vastly different stories, one filled with both joy and not uncommon pain of having children, and one of complete horror and terror? The one similarity is the birth house itself, and the fact that both authors came to live in former birth houses.

Perhaps the answer lies in the spirit of the house itself! If so, don't accept any dinner invitations to the Ransom household.

2009-10-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun portrays a short, violent, but often uplifting period in African history: the struggle by Biafra to lay the foundations of its own independent republic, free from Nigerian rule, during the 1960s.

Adichie, a Nigerian native, whose grandfathers did not survive the Biafran-Nigerian war, focuses her story on five main characters from different classes and races: there is the university professor Odenigbo, a revolutionary, his mistress Olanna, a teacher who is rebellious to her parents' wealth and snobbishness, Olanna's twin sister, Kainene, who, because of her parents' lack of a son, is taking over the family business, her timid English lover, Richard, and Odenigbo's fifteen-year-old houseboy, Ugwu, whose interest in Biafran independence is born listening to his 'master's' dialogues with other intellectuals.

Half of a Yellow Sun is a disturbing story, one where former friends become enemies because of their tribal background, where wealth breeds comtempt for the poor, but also where lack of wealth does not mean an unhappy life. It is a story of clashing ideologies in a time and place which leads to ethnic and sexual violence, murder, hatred, disease, and poverty. But in all the turmoil, there is joy found in what we consider simple things, such as eating an orange, or a shared joke, that shows the rise of the human spirit despite tragedy. And it serves as an excellent reminder to appreciate what we have in life, while we have it.

Remarkable Russell

2009-09-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

After an agonising four years, mystery author Laurie R. King brings Mary Russell and her husband, the great Sherlock Holmes, back in The Language of Bees. King's dynamic duo not only returns in print, but after seven harrowing months abroad, home to Sussex. Immediately, Holmes is immersed in a domestic mystery of the 'death' of one of his beehives. What the two don't realise is that soon, a bigger mystery will overtake their lives, tracking down Holmes' son Damian Adler. Adler is accused in a number of murders and disappearances, including that of his own wife and daughter. The violent episodes appear to centre around celestial events and ancient monuments such as Stonehenge.

The characteristic I enjoy most about King's Mary Russell series is its old-fashioned quality. In this day and age of fax machines, emails, digital cameras, television and mobile phones, it would be relatively easy to inform the public about the roaming of a dangerous predator. Not so for poor Russell; in order to try to apprehend her suspect, she hires the (supposedly) quickest form of transportation, a single engine airplane, which still takes her a matter of days and a great deal of frustration to travel eleven hundred kilometres. I also enjoy Holmes' classic keen sense of observation, and deduction of an item's appearance at a crime scene. Clever language and fine detail are key components; these are not fast paced books, but they offer suspense and intrigue, all the while encouraging readers to take their time and relish it all.

Ghosts and giggles

2009-09-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

Sophie Kinsella's Twenties Girl Sadie Lancaster is spirited, courageous, slim, stylish, and beautiful. She's also dead. But she's not ready to let go of this world yet, even though she had 105 years in it. That's because she can't rest without her precious dragonfly necklace, a symbol of the happiest years of her life, those of her twenties. Sadie therefore enlists the aid of her great-niece, Lara Lington, who has failed in romance, business, and truthfulness with her family. Lara is the only one who can see and (creatively) communicate with Sadie, and together, they take on Lara's Uncle Bill to get the necklace back.

At first, Sadie and Lara clash. Sadie is a stiff upper lip, get on with it and have fun, personality type (she describes the Second World War as "cold and dreary and one's friends got killed, and I'd rather not think about it"), while Lara is one who likes to get in touch with one's feelings and over-analyse. Along the way, Sadie influences Lara to unwind, and even gets her to agree to asking Ed, an attractive stranger with whom Sadie wants to dance, on a date. However, while her mantra for living may be admirable, Sadie's taste in clothing and make-up are not quite in agreement with either Lara or Ed.

There were many instances in Twenties Girl that had me laughing out loud, and even a couple that got me teary. By the end, I was reluctant to let Sadie and Lara go; I had enjoyed hanging out with them. It's not often you find a feel-good ghost story, but this is one of them.

An untimely passing

2009-09-15T11:24:00.001-07:00

A while ago, I listed a number of my favourite mysteries. Included on the list was the Lara McClintoch Archeaological Series by Lyn Hamilton. It was with regret that I read about Hamilton's death from cancer over the weekend.

Lara, a Toronto based antiques dealer, came to being late in Hamilton's life. After working in communications, and being responsible for archeological and heritage conservation projects as director of Ontario's Cultural Programs Branch, the author published The Xibalba Murders in 1997. The title earned her a nomination for the Arthur Ellis Award for best first crime novel in Canada. Her 2003 book, The Celtic Riddle, served as the basis for a Murder She Wrote television movie, with Jessica Fletcher taking over from Lara as sleuth. With eleven adventures under Lara's belt, Hamilton wrapped up the series in 2007 with The Chinese Alchemist, in order to focus on helping new writers, and with a vague promise that she may return to writing. A private person, she was likely already fighting her cancer.

The elements I enjoy about the Lara McClintoch series, in addition to Lara's unenviable talent to stumble upon a murder virtually everywhere she went, are Hamilton's interests in the archaeology and history of different geographical regions and cultures. I always felt like I was taking a mini-vacation, albeit a bloody and violent one, while learning bits and pieces of said regions and cultures. And Lara is a likable, feisty, and intelligent heroine. And a pretty good sport, considering her outings inevitably end up far from relaxing.

For anyone who has not indulged themselves in one of Lyn Hamilton's mystery, I think it would be a wonderful homage to the author to pick one up and feel some regret that her talent was lost too soon.

For a complete list of Hamilton's Lara McClintoch series and more information, visit her website at www.lynhamilton.com.

Genius or just lucky?

2009-09-08T11:00:00.001-07:00

About twenty years ago, I wrote an undergrad essay on the great Dutch artist Jan Vermeer. During my research, I stumbled across a man named Han Van Meegeren, a somewhat talented but unoriginal painter who has the dubious reputation of fooling both the art world and Nazi leaders during the Second World War. After being ridiculed and dismissed by leading art critics, Van Meegeren became obsessed with showing them for the 'fools' they were by 'creating' a masterpiece by Vermeer, then announcing that it was in fact his own creation.

Since I first saw these works, my thoughts were "how could anyone with eyes, nevermind the most respected art historians in the world, have fallen for this tripe?" Well, author Edward Dolnick succeeds in telling readers just how. The Forger's Spell: A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century" in part explains the collection of events that turned Van Meegeren's The Supper at Emmaus from overly-sentimental, insipid rubbish to a Masterpiece. While Dolnick's research is detail oriented, it is not bogged down with too much information, never to the point of inducing boredom. The author presents his information in short, catchy chapters, each a story in themselves. These include the politics of the era, input from past and contemporary art and forgery experts, mini-biographies of the persons involved, Van Meegeren's insightful forging techniques, his success and his fallout.

The Forger's Spell often feels more like fiction than fact, which makes it appealing to art- and history-lovers, as well as readers of fast-paced, psychological thrillers.

A great afternoon escape

2009-09-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

Mags Grimsdale is a 40-something ex-Goth (okay, not entirely ex) married for over twenty years to Bill, a former Punk and the love of her life. Together, they have raised four straight laced children. Mags' boss, Julie Sultana, is her exact opposite, a cool blonde, play-the-field wedding planner who has little faith in happily-ever-after. While Julie juggles her time between her devoted fiance and her secret young lover, Mags must organise the upcoming wedding of a famous rock star, complete with bats, vampire attire, a haunted house wedding cake, and skull-patterned tuxedo. Plus take care of her depressed oldest son, his anorexia suffering girlfriend, her father's funeral (complete with bizarre relatives), her daughter's emigration to Australia, and potential financial disaster.

Sharon Owens' Revenge of the Wedding Planner is a light, entertaining story with fun and frustrating characters, quick moving scenes, lots of turmoil, and a woman trying to make keep her head amongst the chaos. It's a great read for one sitting, so try it for a late summer lollygag in the garden, or save it for a chilly autumn evening, or a snowy winter afternoon. It will lighten up your day regardless (mostly because you will be thankful you are not Mags Grimsdale!)

A rather charming read...

2009-08-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

Penny Nichols (yes, she is aware of the absurdity of her name) is coasting through life: her research job for historical accuracy in made-for-TV films pays the bills, but it's not entirely fulfilling; she's had serious romantic relationships (with her boss, none the less!) but never been really in love; she's been to exciting international locales, but has been too busy working to really enjoy them. But that all changes with one phone call...

Penny's mum informs her that Penny must represent the family in London at the reading of the last will and testament of Great Aunt Penelope, who is represented by Penny's dashing cousin Jeremy. It is revealed that in addition to Aunt P's London apartment, Penny shares inheritance of a French Villa with Jeremy and their dastardly older cousin, Rollo. However, Rollo is not overly fond of the results, and intends to get all of Penelope's French property, by any means. Rollo's actions set into play a whirlwind of activity through three countries, as well as helps Penny makes personal discoveries of her great aunt, that turns Penelope from a lonely, drab old spinster to a woman who loved and lost, and then found a treasure greater than any material item.

C.A. Belmond's A Rather Lovely Inheritance is an entertaining combination of romance, laughs, history, exciting locations, and a mysterious twist. Most of the characters are light and enjoyable (I particularly enjoy Penny's fun-loving parents; what other kind of people would name their child Penny Nichols?), balanced by the greedy Rollo and his ancient mum. Yes, it's rather predictable, and has a happy ending, but it makes you feel warm and fuzzy and comfortable, like having your favourite cup of tea overlooking the Thames.

Intellectual Thrills

2009-08-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, that heading sounds a bit snobby, but I believe in its accuracy.

The intellectual thrills I refer too are books written by Long Island resident Carol Goodman. Since her first book, written at the age of nine (the crayon-illustrated “Adventures of the Magical Herd” in which a girl named Carol lives with a herd of magical horses), Goodman knew she would be a writer.

Thank goodness for that! Goodman's books all revolve around the relationships between older women in roles of authority and younger girls, history, the arts, and, yes, death. Her first novel, The Lake of Dead Languages, focuses on a Latin teacher in an all girls' school; the next, The Seduction of Water, on literature; The Drowning Tree examines stained glass and The Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood of artists; five artists-in-residence reside in the Bosco estate in The Ghost Orchid; Shakespeare's poetry is key in The Sonnet Lover; and the ruins of Herculaneum, destroyed with Pompeii by Mount Vesuvius, is at the core of The Night Villa (which features a particularly thrilling scene involving underground tunnels!).

Goodman excels at both creating gripping, tantalizing plots that can have readers page-turning all night, and also provide good backgrounds to her books historic elements, without being bogged down in too many details to interrupt the flow of the scene. Her characters are real, and flawed (otherwise they wouldn't get themselves into these fixes!), vulnerable yet fearless when they need to be (and with some of the situations they find themselves in, they need to be!). They all flow with beauty and chills, culminating in the climax and satisfying, surprising conclusions.

If you're looking for something for a day at the beach, a long airplane ride, a rainy afternoon, grad some Goodman!

She's ba-a-a-ack!

2009-08-04T11:36:00.000-07:00

There are certain things we can rely on every year: we will partake of some combination of birthdays, anniversaries, festive holidays, vacations, not to forget car insurance renewals, taxes, and dental appointments... and, for some of us, a new Stephanie Plum mystery! Lately, unfortunately, Stephanie hasn't been involved in quite as amusing predicaments as she used to be, thereby being more like, although not entirely, a literary annual physical with your doctor. Thank goodness, Janet Evanovich's Finger Lickin' Fifteen is like Halloween: fluffy yet entirely delicious and satisfying, something you want to devour in an afternoon, leaving your stomach aching, but this time from hearty belly laughs.

This time around, Stephanie, recently on a hiatus from all men, finds herself helping best friend Lula enter a barbeque competition for the best hot sauce, as well as protecting her from the killers of celebrity chef Stanley Chipotle, who's murder via meat cleaver Lula unfortunately witnessed. At the same time, Stephanie finds herself tracking down infiltrators to Rangeman Security, run by the mysterious and sexy Ranger, who's enjoying having Stephanie share his bed, although he wishes they were in it at the same time. Throw in the ever attractive Grandma Mazur, who's lending a helping hand to Lula's barbeque endeavor, a handful of shady characters who've jumped bail, and Mrs. Plum's idea of great blind dates for her unmarried daughter, not to mention the inevitable vehicular destruction, and you've got laugh out loud scenarios (including my favourite, Lula squeezing out of the car window).

This is summer reading at its best and most entertaining!

A powerful first novel

2009-07-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

Towner Whitney is from a long line of women who can see the future in pieces of lace. Her first words in The Lace Reader are "never believe me. I lie all the time."

This premise makes for interesting reading in Brunonia Barry's first novel. It is set in Salem in the mid-1990s, where Towner has returned after the disappearance of her great-aunt Eva, who helped raise her after Towner's estrangement from her own mother, May (who now runs a women's shelter on the isolated Yellow Dog Island) and her twin sister Lyndley's suicide. With the help of police investigator John Rafferty, Towner attempts to discover Eva's fate while remembering and reliving her tumultuous youth.

The reader is taken on a journey which is part reality, part fantasy, part history, and part terror. But it's not until the last few pages that the reality versus fantasy is cleared. Always bear in mind Towner's opening words, and keep close attention to her following ones, or you may find yourself flipping back several chapters to re-read a scene. In fact, a re-reading of the whole book probably wouldn't hurt!

A delightful summer adventure

2009-07-03T14:45:00.001-07:00

I recently took a trip to Kenya, where I learned a great deal about the local fauna, and a small bit about its politics, and I never had to leave my backyard. This feat was accomplished via Nicholas Drayson's A Guide to the Birds of East Africa.

The plot centres around mild-mannered widower Mr. Malik, who has a good old-fashioned 'crush' on the widow Rose Mbikwa, organiser of the local bird watching society. When the outgoing Harry Khan returns to Kenya for a visit, Mr. Malik finds an adversary for Rose's attentions. Unbeknownst to Rose, this rivalry starts a wager stating that whichever man can spot the most number of birds over the next week will have the honour of asking Rose to the Nairobi Hunt Club Ball. The novel follows the mainly comical trials and tribulations of the competitors with vivid and often beautiful descriptions.

Not only did I thoroughly enjoy this wonderful, humourous, gentle story, so did my visiting in-laws. We practically did battle ourselves over who got to have the book. So don't tell anyone how enjoyable it is until AFTER you've finished.

The Art of Literature

2009-06-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

I have three great lifetime loves: music, books and art. It's always a great pleasure when I can combine two or three of these precious things. Here are a few of such titles:

The Portrait - Iain Pears
In addition to his irreverant Art History Mystery series, Pears penned this dark, dense story of a painter seeking revenge on his nemesis.

Loving Frank - Nancy Horan
Okay, it's architecture, not art, but still... the story of Frank Lloyd Wright and the woman said to have wrecked his first marriage, Mamah Borthwick Cheney.

Music and Silence - Rose Tremain
In the 17th centure, King Christian IV of Denmark struggles with his wife's infidelity, the fall of his country, and a fear for his life. His one consolation is listening to his Royal Orchestra. His wife, Kirsten, however, detests music.

The Songcatcher - Sharyn McCrumb
Folksinger Lark McCourry is haunted by the memory of a song she heard as a child in North Carolina. It comes from her ancestor, Malcolm MacQuarry, who was kidnapped from the Scottish island of Islay. The song was passed down through the generations, though now the memory dimmed; Lark's only hope of preserving her family legacy lies in Nora Bonesteel, who talks to both the living and the dead.

The Golden Tulip - Rosalind Laker
Francesca and Aletta, the two eldest daughter of the painter Hendrik Visser, are talented artists in their own rights, while the youngest, Sybella, is far more interested in marrying well. Hendrik is successful, but his drinking and gambling keep the family in penury. Once the girls' mother dies, Francesca has new responsibilities, which she must soon balance with an apprenticeship to a little-known Vermeer, and suitors Pieter van Doorne, a tulip grower, and wealthy ship owner Ludolf van Deventer.

Girl with a Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier
Griet, the young daughter of a tilemaker in seventeeth century Holland, obtains her first job, as a servant in Vermeer's household, and experiences the complicated family, the society of the small town of Delft, and life with an obsessive genius. Griet loves being drawn into his artistic life, and leaving her former drudgery, but the cost to her own survival may be high.

The Forest Lover - Susan Vreeland
Canadian painter Emily Carr travels through native villages and wilderness of British Columbia in the early 1900s, often alone, on a quest to paint totem poles and other artifacts before the indigenous traditions died out and the poles were destroyed or sold.

Bel Canto - Ann Patchett
Latin terrorists storm an international gathering hosted by an underprivileged country. Among the hostages are a world class opera singer and her biggest fan, a Japanese tycoon who has been persuaded to attend the party on the understanding that she will perform half a dozen arias after dinner.

The Girl with the Botticelli Eyes - Herbert H. Lieberman
In New York City, Mark Manship, curator at the Met, is staging the most exhaustive Botticelli exhibit in history, and hoping to convince Isobel Cattaneo, the only direct descendant of Botticelli's chief model, to help promote the show. In Italy, crazed nationalist Ludovico Borghini is terrorizing the art world, slashing priceless canvases and staging his own grotesque "exhibits"--using the human body parts of innocent victims as props. Now, as Borghini has Isobel in his clutches, Manship must summon every fiber of his being to stop a madman bent on destroying everything he holds dear.

The Forgery of Venus - Michael Gruber
Chaz Wilmot is a painter who possesses a virtuosic command of the techniques of the old masters, but his style of painting is no longer popular, and he refuses to shape his talent to fit the fashion of the day. A break comes when with a commission to restore a Venetian palace fresco by the eighteenth-century master Tiepolo, for a disreputable Italian businessman. Once there, Wilmot discovers that it is not a restoration but a re-creation, indeed a forgery.

I Am Madame X - Gioia Diliberto
A fictional memoir of the legendary American-born beauty Virginie Gautreau, the subject of John Singer Sargent's famous 1884 painting, Portrait of Madame X, Gioia Diliberto's I Am Madame X risks dashing cold water on one of the loveliest and most persistent mysteries in Western art history: what the model is thinking.

A parent's worst nightmare

2009-06-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

Photographer Abby Mason has it all: a growing career, a loving fiance, Jake, and a wonderful relationship with six-year-old Emma, her future stepdaughter, all in beautiful San Fransisco. But a few seconds of inattention on a foggy beach causes her to lose it all. Emma disappears without a trace. Author Michelle Richmond follows Abby through a year of self torture for her mistake: is Emma alive or dead? Is she suffering? Does Abby still deserve Jake's love? How can she go back to work and try to live a normal life when no questions have been answered? How can she reach into her memory to find a clue to Emma's disappearance?

This is a heartbreaking story of a woman wracked with guilt, terror and regret for a simple act thousands of caregivers do every day: simply look away from a child for a short period of time. It echoes themes in titles such as Ian McEwan's The Child in Time, Red Leaves by Thomas Cook, Beth Gutcheon's Still Missing, and Angels Crest by Lesley Schwartz.

Not a happy subject, but worth the read.

Could you love this man?

2009-04-29T14:25:00.000-07:00

The book Les Liaisons Dangereuses, originally written by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos in 1780s France, has been translated into numerous languages, as well as for stage, radio, television, and screen.

The story centers around the Marquise De Merteuil's request to her former lover, Valmont, to seduce Cecile, a young aristocrat who is set to marry another of her lovers. Valmont declines, stating it is too easy, and that he has set his sights on a real challenge: get the honourable Madame de Tourveil to break her marriage vows during her husband's absence. Merteuil bets a night with herself that he will fail. Things get more complicated when Valmont changes his mind regarding Cecile after her mother warns de Tourveil of his reputation, while Merteuil takes on the young girl's love interest as her own. Once Valmont manages to win their bet, Merteuil reneges on her promise, the two become enemies, and plot one another's downfall.

The late 1980s saw not one, but two English versions of Les Liaisons Dangereuses hit the big screen; the first, Dangerous Liaisons, was based on a theatre version by Chris Hampton, directed by Stephen Frears and starring John Malkovich, Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeiffer. The second was directed by Milos Forman and starred Colin Firth, Annette Bening and Meg Tilly. Interestingly, the two versions, while sharing the same plot line differ drastically.

Valmont is selfish and childish, but utterly charming, at least played by Firth; Malkovich's portrayal is much more sinister, cold and calculated, a man who only really smiles with the conquering of a human spirit. Likewise, Close, as the Marquise De Merteuil, is cunning, cruel, and takes great delight watching the distress of others. Bening's portrayal of the Marquise, while vengeful and vindictive, is also witty, high-spirited, and affable; she appears to ensure trust and friendship to her 'victims.' Tilly and Pfeiffer both play Madame de Tourveil; Tilly's characterisation is vulnerable, innocent, and naive, while Pfeiffer's is more articulate, astute and stronger-willed.

I admit to loving both versions, and have watched them repeatedly. Dangerous Liaisons comes across as more structured, with a clearer motive and plot, but the sets are darker and the characterisations are less multidimensional that Valmont. Valmont is lush, colourful, playful, and much more joyful; I understand why Madame de Tourveil ruins her marriage because of Valmont, and why Cecile takes the Marquise as her confidante. They are real people who are flawed, and weak. Does it mean I prefer Valmont? Not necessarily; the two films are equal, but different.

Next time a rainy day threatens to keep you inside, try one, or both, films, and make your own decisions!

Pat

Books that make you think

2009-03-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

One of authours who's books I eagerly await is Jodi Picoult. Her books are thought provoking and often deal with weighty issues (ie: school shootings, mercy killings, rape, etc.). Picoult's books tend to stick in your mind, making you rethink issues and question your own ideals. Last night I sat down to read her latest book, Handle With Care. This book takes a look at wrongfull birth lawsuits and the lengths a mother would go to, to ensure the finacial security for a sick child. Of course. It was a rivoting story. My other favorite Jodi Picoult books are Nineteen Minutes, My Sister's Keeper and Second Glance.

If you like Jodi Picoult, you may like these books too:

1) Blue Diary - Alice Hoffman

2) The Memory Keepers Daughter - Kim Edwards

3) This Much I know is True - Wally Lamb

4) The Breakdown Lane - Jacquelyn Mitchard

5) Lost in the Forest - Sue Miller

6) The Girls - Lori Lansens

7) Crow Lake - Mary Lawson

Happy reading!!

Posted by Narelle

Urban Fantasy at it's best

2009-02-25T08:55:00.000-08:00

Every once and a while an authour manages to create a character that is so belivable I find myself wanting to know them personally. One of my very favorite characters was created by Patricia Briggs. She has a wonderful urban fantasy series set in the tri-cities area of Washington state. The first book in the series Moon Called introduces us to Mercedes Thompson. Mercy is a wonderful heroine who not only is a strong, smart woman who makes her living as a VW mechanic, but also is a skin walker (coyote shape shifter). Mercy's world is mostly like the world we know but with some fae, vampires, and good looking werewolves mixed in. Mercy has friends to help, mysteries to solve and a love life to sort out. So far there are four books in the series: Moon Called, Blood Bound, Iron Kissed and Bone Crossed. I warn you though, these books are dangerous. It is extremely hard to put down one once you have started.

Posted by Narelle

To re-read or not to re-read

2009-02-10T16:43:00.001-08:00

Too many books, too little time. It's a motto that pretty much all voracious readers live by. Working in the library is a kind of beautiful agony; surrounded by so much magnificent reading, I am aware that I will never, ever be able to read all the glorious titles that I see. I almost sigh with relief when a new book order arrives, and nothing tickles my fancy; I will not be distracted from the books I already have at home by some new hard-covered interloper.

Therefore, with so much literary temptation, I pose the question: should a book one truly loved and enjoyed be reread? Why take up something with which you're familiar? Well, I think good reads are like good friends; you get to know them, grow with them, find new significance with them; you don't just hang out with them once, you go back to them again, and again, and again...

Here's a list of some of the good friends I've made over the years:

Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley - The story of King Arthur from his half-sister Morgan Le Fay's point of view. And no, she's not an evil, conniving, power hungry you-know-what.

Marianna; Named of the Dragon; The Shadowy Horses - Susanna Kearsley - Kearsley combines past and present, either through reincarnation or ghostly visitors, in these eerie, romantic titles.

ANYTHING by Barbara Erskine - Like Kearsley, Erskine using themes of past lives, either those of the main characters, or through spirits possessing them, but is much, much, much more frightening!

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden - Two young girls are sold by their impoverished parents in 20th century Japan. Memoirs focuses on Sayuri, who becomes one of the most popular and sought after geishas of the time.

Morgan Llywelyn's Irish Century (1916, 1921, 1949, 1972, 1999) - The series follows the family and friends of Ned Halloran during Ireland's tumultuous struggle for political and religious freedom from Britain.

Last Chance Saloon by Marian Keyes - Three friends from Knockavoy, Ireland, lean on each other while trying to get through their (often hilarious) trials and tribulations.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - The enduring 'love' story of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff which is so bizarre it carries on into their children's lives.

The Drowning Tree by Carol Goodman - Art, history, murder, suicide, mystery, love, suspense all rolled into 300+ pages! The kind of book that makes you (wish you could) take a sick day from work.

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier - A retelling of an ancient Celtic tale: in order to free her older brothers from a curse which has turned them into swans, Sorcha must face years of silence as she knits them shirts made of nettles.

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding - Get into the head and emotions of London's Bridget Jones as she looks for true love, and an outfit that fits just right.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult - What lengths would a mother go through to save one of her children from illness and death, and is it fair to expect others to go along with her?

Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund - Una, wife of Moby Dick's Captain Ahab, tells her story of unconventional life on the New England coast.

Possession by A.S. Byatt - Two modern day academics' lives become intertwined as they research two Victorian day poets and the truth about their past before it is discovered by rival colleagues.

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier - A young girl inspires the Dutch painter Vermeer with one of his most famous works.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier - What happened to the first Mrs. DeWinter, the beautiful, vivacious Rebecca, and why does her memory continue to haunt her former friends and family, and particularly the new Mrs. DeWinter?

The Passion of Artemesia by Susan Vreeland - Based on the life of Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the few female painters of the Italian Baroque period.

Unputtdownable!!!

2009-02-06T15:45:00.000-08:00

Twenty years ago, Adam Ryan and his two best friends walked In The Woods to play, but only Adam came out. Now known as Rob, he is a detective in Dublin with his partner, Cassie Maddox, who is one of the few people to know his secret. When the murder investigation of a young girl takes them to the same woods, Rob deals with disturbing memories, trying to see if it ties in with his horrible past.

The Likeness follows Cassie in an undercover investigation, trying to find out who murdered a young Trinity College grad student who not only looks exactly like Cassie, but whose name is Lexie Madison, the same name Cassie used years earlier while posing as a student to infiltrate a drug ring. Under the pretense that Lexie survived her attack, Cassie poses as the dead woman. While getting close to Lexie's small circle of friends and housemates in her search for the murderer, Cassie finds herself a bit too comfortable in her new living arrangements.

Tana French writes gripping and gritty psychological police dramas that had me ignoring my promise to myself to 'just read one more chapter.' Her use of language is superlative, her characters flawed and human, her situations frustrating and disturbing. Combined, these traits make some of the best reading I've experienced in several years.

The Island

2009-01-22T07:52:00.000-08:00

I fully admit to choosing books by their cover. When I spotted the library's copy of Victoria Hislop's book, The Island, I was intrigued enough to give it a try. What a splendid suprise. I was hooked from the beginning.

The story begins with Alexis traveling to the small town of Plaka, on the Cretan coast, in hopes of finding out about her mother's secretive past. There she meets up with an old woman who tells her the story of her great grandmother, grandmother and mother. Alexis learns of her family's connection to Greece's leper colony on the small island of Spinalonga. This novel is a tale of friendship, family and secrets. I couldn't put it down and think that it would make a great book club book. The only bad thing about this book is that now I really think I need to go to Greece and eat crusty bread and drink wine sitting at a little table overlooking the ocean!

Happy reading - N

Posted by Narelle

My Favourite Mystery Series

2009-01-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

Gunshots and blood spots
And mayhem abounded.
Who dunnit, I dunno, I am confounded.
Killers and victims, their sordid hist’ries…
These are a few of my fav’rite myst’ries.

Erin Hart Haunted Ground, Lake of Sorrows
Death and destiny, myth and mystery,forensics, history, archaeology, suspense, in Ireland past and present.

Laurie King Mary Russell series: The Beekeeper's Apprentice; A Monstrous Regiment of Women; A Letter of Mary; The Moor; O Jerusalem; Justice Hall; The Game; Locked Rooms
Young Mary Russell lost her family in a tragedy, but fate lends a hand when she meets and matches the brilliant Sherlock Holmes, who becomes a major player in her life.

Iain Pears Art History Mysteries: The Raphael Affair; The Titian Committee; The Bernini Bust; Giotto's Hand; Death and Restoration; The Immaculate Deception
The adventures of British art historian Jonathan Argyll and two members of the (fictitious) Art Squad of the Italian police: researcher Flavia di Stefano and the head of the squad, General Bottando.

Peter Tremayne Sister Fidelma Mysteries: Absolution by Murder; The Monk who Vanished; Badger's Moon; Act of Mercy; Suffer Little Children; Shroud for the Archbishop; The Subtle Serpent; Valley of the Shadow; The Spider's Web; The Haunted Abbot; Master of Souls; A Prayer for the Damned.
Sister Fidelma is not simply a 7th century Irish religieuse, a former member of the community of St Brigid of Kildare. She is also a qualified dalaigh, or advocate of the ancient law courts. With her companion, Brother Eadulf, Fidelma travels through Ireland, the British Isles, and as far as Rome using her knowledge to find the guilty party.

Sharyn McCrumb The Ballad Novels: If I Ever Return, My Pretty Peggy-O; The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter; She Walks These Hills; The Rosewood Casket; The Ballad of Frankie Silver; The Songcatcher; Ghost Riders.
In the mountains of Appalachia, seer Nora Bonesteel could tell Sheriff Spencer Arrowood and his small staff a thing or two in advance while they try to maintain their town's law and order.

Margaret Coel Wind River series: Eagle Catcher; Dream Stalker; Story Teller; Lost Bird; Spirit Woman; Thunder Keeper; Shadow Dancer; Killing Raven; Wife of Moon; Eye of the Wolf; Drowning Man
Father John O'Malley and attorney Vicki Holden work together to help the people of the Arapaho Wind River Reservation.

Lyn Hamilton Lara McClintoch Archeaological Series: Moche Warrior; Celtic Riddle; African Quest; Magyar Venus; Orkney Scroll.
Antique dealer Lara McClintoch just can't seem to avoid trouble, or involvement in murders (solving them, at least)!

Hailey Lind Art Lover's Mysteries: Feint of Art; Brush with Death; Shooting Gallery
After being discovered working with her grandfather, a master art forger, Annie Kincaid is relegated to opening a faux finishing design company. Unfortunately, the dead bodies that Annie keeps stumbling across are far from faux.

The Gargoyle : a novel

2009-01-06T16:20:00.000-08:00

As a lover of medieval architecture, the title of this book caught my attention immediately. Unfortunately, upon reading the synopsis, it lost me; but only temporarily. It's the type of book where I really have to think, do I want to invest my time in this? Thankfully, I did. The Gargoyle, Winnipeg native Andrew Davidson's first novel, delivered on so many levels. And, surprisingly, given the brutal nature of certain parts of the story, presents some of the best examples of tender, true, unconditional love.

The narrator begins his life unwanted, unloved, and neglected after his mother died in childbirth. Handsome, intelligent, an avid gatherer of information, he enters the world of drugs and pornography, until an accident causes severe burns on his body and face. Enter Marianne Engel, sculptor of 'grotesques,' to his hospital bed; she comments on how this is the third time he's been burned, which gets the crux of the story going. Marianne takes the narrator into her home, where she cares for him while often feverishly working on her next grotesque, and tells him of their first meeting seven hundred years ago. Their history is interspersed with stories of 'friends' of hers from the past who personify exemplary love and unselfishness and play a role in the narrator's recovery.

The graphic details of the narrator's accident and physical rehabilitation early in the book does not (thankfully) set the tone for the remainder of the novel, although is it an important element in helping him on the road to redemption. The language and acts of caring and love between the characters are, I found, inspirational without feeling trite or exaggerated. The author does an excellent job of intertwining of medieval history with the present. His characters, although unusual, did not seem unreal or exaggerated.

Andrew Davidson put seven years of research into writing The Gargoyle. I hope he does not take that long to release his next work.

Pat

Sad Reading

2008-12-31T17:56:00.000-08:00

Every once and a while a person, okay me, needs a good cry. So today lets talk tear jerker books. I know there is a huge list of books that me weep but just a few of my favorites are:

1) Nineteen Minutes - Jodi Picoult
2) Anybody Out There - Marian Keyes
3) The River King - Alice Hoffman
4) The Posionwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
5) I Know This Much is True - Wally Lamb
6) Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
7) The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
8) PS I Love you - Cecelia Ahern
9) Fall On Your Knees - Ann-Marie MacDonald
10) The Birth House - Ami McKay

...and the list goes on. Happy reading, or perhaps in this case, sad reading. -N

Posted by Narelle

Literature and libations

2008-12-30T15:30:00.000-08:00

I have a number of hobbies, of which I would safely say reading is my most indulged. It's more of a hobby, though; it's a necessity, and, on certain days or with certain books, a compulsion. And while it seems that these days I don't have the luxury of controlling my reading environment, when I can, I like things a certain way.

First, a hot drink, a luxury in summer as well as winter. Tea is my number one choice, Orange Pekoe or Irish Breakfast in the mornings, Earl Grey in the afternoons, although coffee is preferred if it's required that I sneak in a little reading at 5:00 a.m. And piping hot in both cases. At night, herbal tea in spring and summer, a hot cider in the fall, hot chocolate in winter, with a mini candy cane melting away in it during the holidays, although my favourite this yuletide season has been eggnog instead of milk in my morning coffee. Yum.

Next, I must have a variety of squishy pillows to prop myself up, and if it's chilly, a big fleece blanket. Pull the coffee table close to me, so I can grab my beverage without having to actually take my eyes from the page to find it, turn the light towards me, and I'm ready to indulge, hoping I can lose myself in the pages for awhile.

Ah, perfection.

Pat

Yuletide Selections

2008-12-16T09:57:00.000-08:00

I admit, this is my favourite time of year. I love the early darkness, the glistening lights, the snow, the cold, the layers and layers of clothes you need to wear to keep warm, the gluttony (talk about layers to keep you warm!) and I love sitting under a thick blanket with a cup of cocoa or gingerbread tea and a book full of seasonal festivity . If you like to do the same, come and check out some of the library's yuletide titles, some heart warming and other spine chilling!

To Every Thing There is a Season: A Cape Breton Christmas Story - Alistair MacLeod
Family Games - Jean Stubbs
Silent Night and The Christmas Thief- Mary Higgins Clark
Hard Christmas - Barbara D'Amato
Mr. Ives' Christmas - Oscar Hijuelos
Winter Solstice - Rosamunde Pilcher
Visions of Sugar Plums - Janet Evanovich
A Christmas Journey and A Christmas Visitor - Anne Perry
The Gift of Christmas Present - Melody Carlson
Silver Bells: A Holiday Tale - Luanne Rice
A Redbird Christmas - Fanny Flagg
When Christmas Comes - Debbie Macomber
Hot Flash Holidays - Nancy Thayer
The Christmas Quilt - Jennifer Chiaverini
Comfort and Joy - Kristin Hannah
A Season of Miracles - Heather Graham
Finding Noel - Richard Paul Evans
The Stupidest Angel: A heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror - Christopher Moore
The Gift - Nora Roberts
A Covington Christmas - Joan Medlicott
Kissing Christmas Goodbye - M.C. Beaton
Santa Baby - Jennifer Crusie, Lori Foster and Carly Phillips
His Mistletoe Bride - Cara Colter

And finally, my favourite: Christmas at Fontaine's - William Kotzwinkle

Enjoy the holiday season!

"Literature" versus "Entertainment"?

2008-12-10T18:39:00.000-08:00

An interesting question has been recurring between patrons and staff members this past week: what motivates people to read? Why do some readers seek out what many have dubbed as 'serious' authors, whose focus is on characters, where every sentence is so well crafted that it is near perfection? Why do others prefer more plot-driven titles, where the action grips the reader into a fast-paced, stay-up-all-night-with-a-book-on-your-knees-biting-
your-fingernails journey, just waiting to reach the riveting conclusion?

Would you rather bask in the grandeur of the language in Helen Humphreys' Afterimage, where an Irish born/English bred housemaid's influence aids in the disintegration of a couple in a now loveless marriage ("Annie imagines Tess cutting her fingers as she forced the sprigs of holly into a clumsy circle. The sharpness of the leaves sticking like the fine points of loss into her skin. Holy.") or be swept up in the bordering-on-insane lifestyle of Janet Evanovich's bounty hunter Stephanie Plum in Seven Up ("Lula launched herself at Joyce, and the two of them went down to the floor, scratching and clawing. Bob stayed firmly under the desk. Vinnie hid in his office. And Connie moseyed over, waited for her opportunity, and buzzed Joyce on the ass with the stun gun. Joyce let out a squeak and went inert.")

Personally, I'm a fan of both styles as many of us are. Sometimes we are reflective and need a soul-enriching book, featuring realistic characters with realistic flaws in realistic situations, with flowing, beautifully written, thought provoking descriptions and dialogue that make us stop and savour what we'd just read. Other times we need to escape with something 'lighter,' some quixotic and capricious title that makes us laugh out loud, and helps us transcend and forget daily life for awhile.

Is one style better or more admirable than the other? Does one take more talent to produce than the other? I don't think so; whether the author's talent is character or plot oriented, if it gets readers to immerse themselves in someone else's world, whether for minutes or hours, it's a winner.

Vampires

2008-12-10T15:22:00.000-08:00

The whole world has gone "Twilight" crazy. I admit I really like Vampires but I think that there are other series that are far better. Katie Macalister writes one of the funniest vampire/romance books that I have read. Her characters are interesting and the situations they get into are hilarious. (titles include: The Last of the Red Hot Vampires, Even Vampires get the Blues, and Sex, Lies and Vampires, etc.) Lynsay Sands has a great vampire series that revolves around the Argeneau family. These books are also fairly light and humourous. (Titles include: A Bite To Remember, Love Bites, Single White Vampire, etc.) The queen of serious vampire romance is Christine Feehan. (Titles include: Dark Desire, Dark Gold, Dark Fire, etc.) Nora Roberts has a vampire trilogy too (Morrigan' s Cross, Dance of the Gods and Valley of Silence) Lastly, the library just got in most of the books in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. These books are what the HBO "True Blood" show is based on. (Titles include: Dead as a Doornail, Dead Until Dark, All Together Dead, etc.) Happy Reading - N.

Posted by Narelle

More gut-splitting and -spilling titles

2008-12-10T15:01:00.000-08:00

If you want other mystery titles that will tickle your funny bone, try Hailey Lind's Art Lover's series. Annie Kincaid, a talented, perhaps too talented artist, is resigned to starting up a faux finishing interior decorating firm after being caught working with her equally talented grandfather as an art forger. Although distancing herself from her grandfather, it seems crime continues to follow in her wake, although now she's on the right side of the law... well, most of the time. Enjoy the titles Brush with Death and Shooting Gallery. Murder has never been so amusing...

The Fairy Godmother

2008-12-10T14:56:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite books is "The Fairy Godmother" by Mercedes Lackey. This romantic fantasy is a new approach to the classic cinderella story. The heroine, Elena, is smart and funny. Although she starts off in the cinderella role she quickly apprenctices as a fairy godmother. The book is a great read for anyone who knows fairy tales. "The Fairy Godmother" is the first book in the Five Hundred Kingdom Series. (Book 2: One Good Knight, Book 3: Fortune's Fool and Book 4: The Snow Queen)

If you liked "The Fairy Godmother" you may also like Jim Butcher's Dresden File series, "Eragon" by Christopher Paolini, or the Mercy Thompson books written by Patricia Briggs. Happy Reading - N.

Posted by Narelle

Funny Stuff

2008-11-15T06:55:00.000-08:00

Janet Evanovich has one of the funniest book series in print. Her Stephanie Plum books start with One For the Dough and continue to the latest book; Fearless Fourteen. These books are light and funny, full of bizarre characters and zany situations. The books follow Stephanie Plum, a not so talented bounty hunter, and her attempts to apprehend fugitives.

If you have read and like Janet Evanovich's books you may also want to try: Jennifer Crusie - Faking It, Agnes and the Hitman, Katie MacAlister - A Hard Day's Knight, The Corset Diaries, Sandra Hill - Pink Jinx, Red Hot Cajun, and Carl Hiaasen - Skinny Dip, Lucky You.

Posted by Narelle