Dairy Queen

Finished July 7
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

This novel is the first in the series featuring D.J. Schwenk. D.J. is almost sixteen as the novel begins and has been taking on the majority of work on her familiy's dairy farm for the last five months. Her older brothers are off at a football camp, her father has hip trouble, her mom is busy working two jobs, and she stepped in and did what needed to be done. But it has gone on longer than she thought it would and things are starting to get to her. Her younger brother Curtis is the quiet one in the family, and he doesn't seem to be talking to her much either. Then Brian Nelson shows up at the farm. He is quarterback at the rival school and a bit of a jerk, and D.J. can't figure out why he is there, until he tell them his coach is making him.
But what starts out as a hassle turns into something else. And D.J. starts wondering about what makes her happy, and what would happen if she really tried to do it. And so she thinks about trying out for the football team herself.
This is a story about a young woman finding her way. About responsibility and life choices. About love and families, and communication. It sure has me wanting to read the next book.

Never Fall Down

Finished July 5
Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick

This is a novel, but it is based on a real life story. Based on the real boy Arn Chorn, this story is set in Cambodia from 1975 through 1979, with some follow-up to Arn following his move to the United States. Arn is eleven as the story begins. He has four sisters (3 older, 1 younger) and a younger brother. His parents were singers and ran an opera house and company until the illness and death of his father. At that point, his mother left the children with their aunt as she went elsewhere in the country for work. Arn helps the family out by selling whatever he can find on the street, gambling, and dancing for tourists. His family can't afford school for him. When the Khmer Rouge revolution starts, everyone is forced to leave the city, leaving most of their belongings aside. Much of what they do take is lost during the many days march to labour camps. Arn is separated from his family at this point, but remembers his aunt's words to "Do whatever they say. Be like the grass. Bend low, bend low, then bend lower. The wind blow one way, you bow that way. It blow the other way, you do, too. That is the way to survive".
At first Arn works in the rice fields, but later he is made to become a musician and his skill here helps him to survive. As the country nears liberation, Arn is forced to become a soldier. His experiences of loss, violence and inhumanity are difficult to read about let alone experience, and Arn has a lot of mental anguish from his experience. Following his freedom and his adoption into an American family, he learns to deal with his past, and becomes a man of peace.
This book is based on many interviews with Arn and other survivors that he knew as well as historical research on the Cambodian tragedy.
I found it interesting to compare it with the novel In the Shadow of the Banyan, also based on a child's experiences surviving the Killing Fields of Cambodia. The children came from different classes, but had much similar experiences, both losing most of the their family members and being separated from those they loved as they struggled to survive.

An Ignoble Profession

Finished July 4
An Ignoble Profession by Louis Sanders, translated by Michael Woosnam-Mills

This novel, set in the Dordogne region of France, involves British ex-pats with secrets.In the local bookstore, Richard Carter finds a novel that shocks him. He recognizes himself as one of the characters, and some things he wouldn't want made public are there. He also recognizes two other men in the community, and approaches them about the book. Lord Michael Bollington has a few secrets exposed in the novel, some of them potentially criminal. Johnny McGuire has found some underhanded ways to get the money to support his lifestyle. These two involve a fourth man that they recognize, Mark Olson, a man with a past in animal rights activism. All four men put their heads together to try to figure out who is behind the novel. When they think they have it figured out and take action that they believe will prevent any further disclosure, a second novel appears, exposing them further. As they begin to suspect each other, things go out of control.
An interesting look at human nature and an ex-pat community.

Chanda's Secrets

Finished July 4
Chanda's Secrets by Allan Stratton

This children's novel comes before the story continued in Chanda's Wars. Chanda is sixteen, and as the book begins her youngest sister, Sara, eighteen months, has died. Chanda's mother is grieving and her step-father is drunk, so she begins the process of organizing the funeral. With her mother lost in grief, Chanda has taken on   most of the household chores as well as going to school. Her step-father hardly comes home and when he finally does, he appears to be dying, but disappears soon after. Chanda's mother's headaches grow worse and she decides to go back to their home village for a visit on the advice of a traditional healer.
Meanwhile, Chanda's friend Esther struggles to make a life for herself, trying to earn enough to bring her family back together. Rumors start and Chanda is told to spend less time with her friend lest her reputation suffer as well. But Chanda values her friendship first and stands beside her friend no matter what. She also finds herself strong enough to reveal her own secret and be open about the illness that has become so common in their community.
A story about families, friendship, truth, and never giving up on your dreams.

The Blood-Dimmed Tide

Finished July 3
The Blood-Dimmed Tide by Rennie Airth

This novel is part of the John Madden mystery series. I have read her earlier book River of Darkness. Madden has left Scotland Yard to live the life of a farmer, and his wife Helen guards him from police work as much as she can. The year is 1932, and coming home one day, John and Helen drive through a nearby village where they can see something is happening. They stop to see if they can be of assistance, and find the village is searching for a missing girl. John joins in the search and is the one to discover the body. When another body is found, Scotland Yard is called in, and Madden is drawn into the case despite Helen's protection.
Evidence leads to the discovery of similar cases on the Continent and the search is on for a cold-blooded man fixated on young girls. This story involves many elements. The lives of tramps, on the road for a variety of reasons. Economic straits of the Great Depression causing many to lose their homes and scramble to find work to support their families. Men who survived the war, but never really recovered from it, living with what we would now call PTSD. The trend by those in charge to protect their own, and believe the end justifies the means. The growing political situation in Europe with the rise of the Nazis. All this makes for a great story that is more than just a good mystery.

The 7th Canadian Book Challenge

Another year of the Canadian Book Challenge begins. Nice theme of 7 for the logo this year too.

I am entering this challenge for the third time. For last year, the 6th, I read 37 books. The previous year, I hit 100. I think I will try for 50 this year. We'll see how it goes.

The Lullaby of Polish Girls

Finished July 2
The Lullaby of Polish Girls by Dagmara Dominczyk

This novel follows three young Polish women through their adolescence and young womanhood. Anna emigrated to the United States with her family when she was seven, refugees due to her father's involvement with the Solidarity movement. She first returns to Poland at the age of thirteen, and befriends Justyna, a girl her own age, whose mother was friends with her own mother. Another young girl Kamila, also friends with Justyna begins to write her, and for several years after Anna returns to Poland for the summer, a time of year where she is the envied one, stylish and well-off. The rest of the year she wears her mother's hand-me-downs and works part-time jobs to raise money for her summer holidays, definitely not the cool girl at school, Justyna is promiscuous and uninterested in school, dropping out early to work, marrying young and having a child soon after. Kamila is, early on, the fat friend, but soon overcomes that. She never regains the confidence she should have however and falls in love early with another friend, a boy himself conflicted about his sexuality. The three young women connect, grow apart and reconnect repeatedly due to their personalities and the summer only link to Anna. The story moves back and forth over the years, so their stories are revealed in excerpts, with background getting revealed after following events, and links between events coming to light later. The story reveals the lives of young people in Poland as it emerges from the Iron Curtain, showing both the uncertainty of these characters lives, and the strong links between them. A fascinating tale.

The Village

Finished June 29
The Village by Nikita Lalwani

This novel is set in southern India, in a unique prison, an open village. All the prisoners have been found guilty of murder and have exhibited good behaviour in traditional prisons, allowing them the opportunity to come here for the remainder of their sentence. Their families live here with them (a requirement), and they learn skills that are transferable to their future life. They may work outside the Village, even start their own businesses. The local governor is behind the project, having come up with the idea. Ray is the main character here, and she is a BBC journalist who has come here to direct a documentary about the prison. She and two others from the BBC, Serena and Nathan will live in the village for several weeks, getting to know the people who live there and tell their story. But the three have different ideas about how to go about this, and different motivations. For Ray, it is the first project that she has brought forward the idea for, and despite her experience on other projects, she lacks confidence. Ray is also of Indian heritage herself, and the only one of the three who can speak the language. Because of the cultural knowledge and language ability, she is able to get to know people there in a different way than the others. Serena is a few years older than Ray, with more experience, a woman who just wants to get a good story and get on with things. She can be very focussed, but tends to treat the inmates as characters rather than real people. Nathan has his own experience with prison, for a lesser crime, and is a bit of a handsome rafe. As Ray begins to make connections with the people and finds out their stories, she also finds herself torn between compassion and getting a good story. She finds herself pressured to press upon those in the village to take actions that aren't necessarily in their best interests. It is an interesting story that shows the common theme of westerners coming in and taking advantage of people of another culture. It also shows the mixed emotions of the prisoners themselves, who feel compelled to participate in this life for the benefits it gives them despite the true wishes of their families. It shows the ego of both the journalists and the governor in their sense of knowing what is best without asking those involved. Some of the stories too show the conflicted nature of the crimes, many of which were committed in self-defense. An interesting look at a difficult issue.

Killing Floor

Finished June 27
Killing Floor by Lee Child

I love the Jack Reacher novels, but missed a few at the beginning, so going back now and catching those ones. This is the very first in the series. On a whim, Reacher decides to get off a bus on the highway near Margrave, Georgia. His brother had mentioned a long-dead jazz musician, Blind Blake, who had supposedly died in Margrave, and Reacher decided to see if there were any old folks who had known the man. It takes him few hours to walk towards the town and he stops on the outskirts to eat in a cafe. Before he can finish his breakfast, he is arrested for murder. As he tries to figure out what is going on and why the finger was pointed at him, he finds himself in a town with a secret, a secret some will go to any lengths to keep. A prominent family has build a facility there recently and offered a number of grants to the townspeople, but it isn't clear how they are profitable. A local man with a history in the banking industry seems to be tied to the intrigue, but he is afraid to talk to Reacher, even after Reacher saves his life in prison. The chief of detectives, a man relatively new to town, Finlay, believes in Reacher, and asks for his assistance. Without knowing who to trust, a small group of people chip away at the facade, looking for the truth. When Reacher discovers a personal connection to the case, he is on the case to the end.
A great beginning to the series, with lots of nice twists and turns, a bit of a romance with a local police officer, and a compelling story. I especially liked the tie-in to the musician; that seemed to draw everything to a close nicely.

6th Canadian Book Challenge Wrap-Up

This is my wrap-up post for this challenge, which started July 1, 2012 and ended June 30, 2013.

I've read 37 Canadian books over that time period.
Below is my list.

1. Cities of Refuge by Michael Helm, fiction set in Toronto
2. Thirst by Shree Ghatage, fiction set in England
3. Just the Rules by Tosca Reno, about healthy eating
4. The Accidental Captives by Carolyn Gossage, history from World War II
5. Guardians of Being by Eckhart Tolle, about happiness
6. Trust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay, thriller set in the United States
7. Forgotten Highways by Nicky Brink and Stephen R Bown, about walking in the Rockies
8. The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny, mystery set in Quebec
9. A Door in the River by Inger Ash Wolfe, mystery set in Ontario
10. The Emperor of Paris by C.S. Richardson, fiction set in Paris
11. Watching the Dark by Peter Robinson, mystery set in England and Estonia
12. Choose It and Lose It by Rose Reisman, about healthy eating
13. Whirl Away by Russell Wangersky, short stories set in various Canadian places
14. The Honey Locust by Jeffrey Round, fiction set in Ontario, Sarajevo, and Mexico
15. Chanda's Wars by Allan Stratton, children's fiction set in Africa
16. The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King, about natives in North America
17. Death by Prescription by Terence H. Young, about the dangers of prescription drugs
18. The Next One to Fall by Hilary Davidson, mystery set in Peru
19. Anna from Away by D.R. MacDonald, fiction set in Cape Breton
20. Dear Lila compiled by Robert H. Blackburn, historical letters from Alberta
21. Burma Effect by Michael E. Rose, thriller set in Thailand and Burma
22. Letters from the Lost by Helen Waldstein Wilkes, letters from occupied Europe
23. Everybody Has Everything by Katrina Onstad set in Toronto
24. Deep Leadership by Joe MacInnis, about leadership
25. Bow Grip by Ivan E. Coyote, fiction set in Alberta
26. Queen of Hearts by Martha Brooks, teen fiction set in Manitoba in the 1940s
27. Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley mystery fiction set in England in the 1950s
28. Word from New France, selected letters from the 1600s, from one of Canada's first nuns.
29. Counting Back from Nine by Valerie Sherrard, a teen novel written in poetry.
30. Testify by Valerie Sherrard, a teen novel about the nature of truth.
31. Authentic Letters from Upper Canada, letters from the 1830s back to Ireland
32. The Lion Seeker by Kenneth Bonert, historical fiction set around World War II in Jewish South Africa
33. The Wild Beasts of Wuhan by Ian Hamilton, 3rd in the Ava Lee thriller series
34. Train I Ride by Kit Robinson, a chapbook of poetry
35. The Underwater Welder by Jeff Lemire, a graphic novel.
36. Mount Pleasant by Don Gillmor, a novel of a man and money.
37. Travelling Light by Peter Behrens, a collection of short stories