Finished September 24
Natural Order by Brian Francis
This is a touching novel that explores a woman's feelings around motherhood, acceptance and regret. Joyce is in her eighties and living in a seniors' care facility. The appearance of a young man as a volunteer causes her to dig into her memories and think about the past. She thinks about the young man she had a crush on as a teenager and the sad end to his life she was told. She thinks about her own son, who died years ago, and her relationship with him. She thinks of the various times in their relationship that she had the opportunity to treat him differently than she did, and she struggles with the guilt she has over her relationship with him.
Through these memories and talking to the young volunteer, she finally admits the truth of her son's life and death, a truth she has denied even to herself for years.
This book reaches inward as Joyce sees how she failed her son even as she loved him and tried to do what she thought was best. Touching, honest and heartrending, this novel fills a void in Canadian literature.
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Neverwhere
Finished September 23
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, read by Neil Gaiman
Of course I loved it, it is Neil Gaiman. Every one of his books amazes me, but all in different ways. He has such an imagination that I am in awe.
Here, the main character is Richard Mayhew, a young man living in London and living a quiet ordinary life, a meek man. His life is changed completely when he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on the street, as he and his fiance are on their way to an important dinner. His act of human kindness takes him to a side of London he never knew existed and causes him to disappear from his ordinary life.
The London he now exists in is a difficult place, full of shadows and hidden meanings, full of creatures that are unpredictable or horribly predictable, full of creatures with special talents and amazing histories. Richard struggles against this world at first, until he realizes that he must deal with it.
Richard is everyman, who has been leading an ordinary life until he finds himself in this situation. This book asks the question: what does a man really want from life? and finds that the answer isn't as easy as one thinks. Taking someone completely outside of reality as they know it and challenging them to be all that they can be is a life-changer.
I loved it.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, read by Neil Gaiman
Of course I loved it, it is Neil Gaiman. Every one of his books amazes me, but all in different ways. He has such an imagination that I am in awe.
Here, the main character is Richard Mayhew, a young man living in London and living a quiet ordinary life, a meek man. His life is changed completely when he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on the street, as he and his fiance are on their way to an important dinner. His act of human kindness takes him to a side of London he never knew existed and causes him to disappear from his ordinary life.
The London he now exists in is a difficult place, full of shadows and hidden meanings, full of creatures that are unpredictable or horribly predictable, full of creatures with special talents and amazing histories. Richard struggles against this world at first, until he realizes that he must deal with it.
Richard is everyman, who has been leading an ordinary life until he finds himself in this situation. This book asks the question: what does a man really want from life? and finds that the answer isn't as easy as one thinks. Taking someone completely outside of reality as they know it and challenging them to be all that they can be is a life-changer.
I loved it.
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Lethal Rage
Finished September 21
Lethal Rage by Brent Pilkey
This is not your average police mystery book. It is definitely not police procedural, and shows the dark side of police work.
Set in 51 Division in Toronto, the main character is a recent arrival to the Division, but has been a cop in Toronto fox 6 years. 51 Division is the grittier part of the city though, and Jack takes to it like a duck to water. He feels he is making a difference there.
His wife Karen isn't as happy with the move. She worries about him more and says she doesn't like the change in him that she sees. Her parents aren't happy either. They are well-off and move in influential circles. They haven't liked Jack from the beginning, and he thinks they never will.
As the pressure on Jack to help solve a drug crime increases, he is quicker to anger and takes on guilt over an incident he was involved in.
Gripping, with a willingness to show the darker side, Pilkey's police background shows here.
Lethal Rage by Brent Pilkey
This is not your average police mystery book. It is definitely not police procedural, and shows the dark side of police work.
Set in 51 Division in Toronto, the main character is a recent arrival to the Division, but has been a cop in Toronto fox 6 years. 51 Division is the grittier part of the city though, and Jack takes to it like a duck to water. He feels he is making a difference there.
His wife Karen isn't as happy with the move. She worries about him more and says she doesn't like the change in him that she sees. Her parents aren't happy either. They are well-off and move in influential circles. They haven't liked Jack from the beginning, and he thinks they never will.
As the pressure on Jack to help solve a drug crime increases, he is quicker to anger and takes on guilt over an incident he was involved in.
Gripping, with a willingness to show the darker side, Pilkey's police background shows here.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
The Antagonist
Finished September 20
The Antagonist by Lynn Coady
This book is told in a series of emails from one man to another. Gordon Rankin (Rank) is nearly 40 and is led to begin these emails by coming across a book written by a man who he considered his closest friend 20 years earlier. Rank feels the book betrays that friendship, exposing Rank's inner thoughts and yet still portraying him as a caricature.
Rank is a big man and beginning with his father has been cast in a role that he doesn't want. The role is enforcer, bouncer, goon. His father, his university hockey coach, his friends, all consider him as a man who is defined by his size and not what goes on inside his head.
He is haunted by a dual tragedy that occurred when he was a young man and has lived his life in fear of such a tragedy occurring again.
This is a book to shake you out of your assumptions, to open your eyes to how we see each other. Particularly in light of recent tragedies related to those hockey players defined as enforcers, this is a book for the times. The novel shows insight, character growth, and shows our society in a new light. A wonderful read that I could barely put down.
The Antagonist by Lynn Coady
This book is told in a series of emails from one man to another. Gordon Rankin (Rank) is nearly 40 and is led to begin these emails by coming across a book written by a man who he considered his closest friend 20 years earlier. Rank feels the book betrays that friendship, exposing Rank's inner thoughts and yet still portraying him as a caricature.
Rank is a big man and beginning with his father has been cast in a role that he doesn't want. The role is enforcer, bouncer, goon. His father, his university hockey coach, his friends, all consider him as a man who is defined by his size and not what goes on inside his head.
He is haunted by a dual tragedy that occurred when he was a young man and has lived his life in fear of such a tragedy occurring again.
This is a book to shake you out of your assumptions, to open your eyes to how we see each other. Particularly in light of recent tragedies related to those hockey players defined as enforcers, this is a book for the times. The novel shows insight, character growth, and shows our society in a new light. A wonderful read that I could barely put down.
Monday, 19 September 2011
River City
Finished September 19
River City by John Farrow
This wide-ranging novel was a little long for me. At first I found it tough going, but a little more than halfway through it started to flow for me. It helped that it told you what time period you were in. I think once I saw the connection directly between the different time periods that helped.
Taking the reader from the time of Cartier until the early 1970s, this book covers a great deal of Quebec history. The author mixes real history with fiction in a seamless way that makes me interested in reading some straight-up history to figure out which parts are real. I feel like I learned a lot of history, but am unsure which parts are real.
He takes us through many explorers of New France, and through many leaders. Particularly prominent characters include Houde, Duplessis, and Trudeau. These historical figures and the fictional ones alongside them come to life here.
This book is history, social commentary, and a mystery all rolled into one. We have the struggle of French-English that still exists in Quebec. We have the corruption that still apparently exists. We have real history of riots, FLQ, and discovery. We have the role of the Catholic Church. And we have passion throughout.
All the main characters throughout time were passionate about what they were doing. That really comes through here and makes the book.
A good, if rather long, read.
River City by John Farrow
This wide-ranging novel was a little long for me. At first I found it tough going, but a little more than halfway through it started to flow for me. It helped that it told you what time period you were in. I think once I saw the connection directly between the different time periods that helped.
Taking the reader from the time of Cartier until the early 1970s, this book covers a great deal of Quebec history. The author mixes real history with fiction in a seamless way that makes me interested in reading some straight-up history to figure out which parts are real. I feel like I learned a lot of history, but am unsure which parts are real.
He takes us through many explorers of New France, and through many leaders. Particularly prominent characters include Houde, Duplessis, and Trudeau. These historical figures and the fictional ones alongside them come to life here.
This book is history, social commentary, and a mystery all rolled into one. We have the struggle of French-English that still exists in Quebec. We have the corruption that still apparently exists. We have real history of riots, FLQ, and discovery. We have the role of the Catholic Church. And we have passion throughout.
All the main characters throughout time were passionate about what they were doing. That really comes through here and makes the book.
A good, if rather long, read.
Saturday, 17 September 2011
Buried Secrets
Finished September 15
Buried Secrets by Joseph Finder
This fast-paced thriller is set around Boston. Alexa Marcus, daughter of a billionaire, appears to have been kidnapped. Instead of the police, her father turns to a family friend, Nick Heller, who does detective work.
The father is sent a link to a live stream of Alexa pleading for her life. She gives clues that lead them to believe she has been buried alive.
Nick is ex-army Special Forces, and has many skills at his command. He also has contacts and friends in many places, including an ex-girlfriend who works for the local FBI. He doesn't believe in following rules.
Nick also thinks of Alexa as a little sister and is committed to finding her, whatever it takes.
He must work his way through lies and false trails by both sides, and find the truth.
The scenes with Alexa were compelling, and the action kept things moving throughout.
A good read.
Buried Secrets by Joseph Finder
This fast-paced thriller is set around Boston. Alexa Marcus, daughter of a billionaire, appears to have been kidnapped. Instead of the police, her father turns to a family friend, Nick Heller, who does detective work.
The father is sent a link to a live stream of Alexa pleading for her life. She gives clues that lead them to believe she has been buried alive.
Nick is ex-army Special Forces, and has many skills at his command. He also has contacts and friends in many places, including an ex-girlfriend who works for the local FBI. He doesn't believe in following rules.
Nick also thinks of Alexa as a little sister and is committed to finding her, whatever it takes.
He must work his way through lies and false trails by both sides, and find the truth.
The scenes with Alexa were compelling, and the action kept things moving throughout.
A good read.
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
On Being Born and Other Difficulties
Finished September 14
On Being Born and Other Difficulties by F. González-Crussi
Not sure how this got on my list (too long ago), but I finally got around to reading it and am glad I did.
It is an interesting book composed of a series of reflections on birth, sexuality and related body-focused topics. The author (at the time the book was written, 2004) was Professor Emeritus of Pathology at Northwestern University Medical School. His writing is surprisingly literary for the topic, and the accompanying black and white medical illustrations add to his text nicely.
He mentions a variety of sources in his writing from the science fields to the literary and philosophical. This shows the broad base of education that used to be so much more common than it is today. Writing with insight, humour, and knowledge, this book will cause the reader to reflect as well.
A very interesting book
On Being Born and Other Difficulties by F. González-Crussi
Not sure how this got on my list (too long ago), but I finally got around to reading it and am glad I did.
It is an interesting book composed of a series of reflections on birth, sexuality and related body-focused topics. The author (at the time the book was written, 2004) was Professor Emeritus of Pathology at Northwestern University Medical School. His writing is surprisingly literary for the topic, and the accompanying black and white medical illustrations add to his text nicely.
He mentions a variety of sources in his writing from the science fields to the literary and philosophical. This shows the broad base of education that used to be so much more common than it is today. Writing with insight, humour, and knowledge, this book will cause the reader to reflect as well.
A very interesting book
Monday, 12 September 2011
One Bloody Thing After Another
Finished September 11
One Bloody Thing After Another by Joey Comeau
This is a short odd horror novel. It is funny, spooky, stomach-churning, and makes you care.
Jackie keeps track of trees that are important in her life. There is one for her first kiss, one for a car accident, etc. When one is cut down Jackie reacts in a distant, yet logical to her way. My favourite line in the book occurs when the police arrive: "That's embarrassing," Jackie says to him. "You both wore the same outfit today." It is Jackie's dead mother who assists in her escape.
Jackie's best friend is Ann. Ann and her sister Margaret have their own issues. Their mother is chained up in the basement and won't eat anything that already dead. The two girls struggle to find food for her.
Then there is Charlie. Charlie is an old man who doesn't particularly enjoy social interactions. He walks his elderly, none-too-bright dog Mitchie every day, putting up with the frequent stops and the attentions of children. As he returns to his apartment each day he is greeted by the ghost who leads him to another apartment where he has a conversation with Mrs. Richards.
There is much going on here, and sometimes its hard to grasp, but it all works out.
Horror isn't my usual genre of choice, but this was an interesting and enjoyable read.
One Bloody Thing After Another by Joey Comeau
This is a short odd horror novel. It is funny, spooky, stomach-churning, and makes you care.
Jackie keeps track of trees that are important in her life. There is one for her first kiss, one for a car accident, etc. When one is cut down Jackie reacts in a distant, yet logical to her way. My favourite line in the book occurs when the police arrive: "That's embarrassing," Jackie says to him. "You both wore the same outfit today." It is Jackie's dead mother who assists in her escape.
Jackie's best friend is Ann. Ann and her sister Margaret have their own issues. Their mother is chained up in the basement and won't eat anything that already dead. The two girls struggle to find food for her.
Then there is Charlie. Charlie is an old man who doesn't particularly enjoy social interactions. He walks his elderly, none-too-bright dog Mitchie every day, putting up with the frequent stops and the attentions of children. As he returns to his apartment each day he is greeted by the ghost who leads him to another apartment where he has a conversation with Mrs. Richards.
There is much going on here, and sometimes its hard to grasp, but it all works out.
Horror isn't my usual genre of choice, but this was an interesting and enjoyable read.
Victim Rights
Finished September 11
Victim Rights by Norah McClintock
This teen novel is part of the series featuring Ryan Dooley. Ryan is trying to get his act together after a crime he committed a few years before. He lives with his "uncle", who is a retired police officer, and he is back in high school.
He has a girlfriend, Beth, who is from a well-off family that don't like that he is part of her life. They tolerate him. In this book, Beth is going away to do a work project with her school friends, building homes for a charity. She has hidden from Ryan that a boys school will be going as well until the last minute. He is a bit resentful of this and makes that clear to her. She promises to phone him every day, but she doesn't.
When he hears that she has been flirting with a rich boy and perhaps more, he is upset. He must fight his emotions to find out what is really going on, and who is telling the truth.
This is a good teen novel, with lots of issues around relationships, truth, and perceptions. It also deals with the issue of power and class.
As usual McClintock does a great job of being in the head of a young man and expressing his inner thoughts.
Victim Rights by Norah McClintock
This teen novel is part of the series featuring Ryan Dooley. Ryan is trying to get his act together after a crime he committed a few years before. He lives with his "uncle", who is a retired police officer, and he is back in high school.
He has a girlfriend, Beth, who is from a well-off family that don't like that he is part of her life. They tolerate him. In this book, Beth is going away to do a work project with her school friends, building homes for a charity. She has hidden from Ryan that a boys school will be going as well until the last minute. He is a bit resentful of this and makes that clear to her. She promises to phone him every day, but she doesn't.
When he hears that she has been flirting with a rich boy and perhaps more, he is upset. He must fight his emotions to find out what is really going on, and who is telling the truth.
This is a good teen novel, with lots of issues around relationships, truth, and perceptions. It also deals with the issue of power and class.
As usual McClintock does a great job of being in the head of a young man and expressing his inner thoughts.
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Black Alley
Finished September 11
Black Alley by Mauricio Segura, translated from the French by Dawn M. Cornelio
This is a short intense novel set in the Côte-des-Neiges area of Montreal. Marcelo is the son of Chilean refugees and a quiet boy. Cleo is the new boy at school and is from Haiti. It is grade five for the two boys and they both run track. A bond is formed as they both make the top relay team for the school.
Years later there is a rivalry between two gangs, Latino Power and the Bad Boys with events and revenge escalating between the groups. The leaders of the two groups must decide whether the old childhood friendship will influence what happens next or race ties will triumph.
Set in a diverse multicultural community in a poor neighbourhood, this novel moves back and forth seamlessly between the two time periods, adding to the feeling of intensity. The use of language adds to the reality of the scenes. The way dialogue is used here is interesting with conversations moving in and out of each other.
This is an interesting novel, showing an environment unfamiliar to me, but relevant today to society as a whole. We see the struggle for acceptance that the youth have and how the different relationships influence them.
This is a good book to show the issues that are relevant on our streets today.
Black Alley by Mauricio Segura, translated from the French by Dawn M. Cornelio
This is a short intense novel set in the Côte-des-Neiges area of Montreal. Marcelo is the son of Chilean refugees and a quiet boy. Cleo is the new boy at school and is from Haiti. It is grade five for the two boys and they both run track. A bond is formed as they both make the top relay team for the school.
Years later there is a rivalry between two gangs, Latino Power and the Bad Boys with events and revenge escalating between the groups. The leaders of the two groups must decide whether the old childhood friendship will influence what happens next or race ties will triumph.
Set in a diverse multicultural community in a poor neighbourhood, this novel moves back and forth seamlessly between the two time periods, adding to the feeling of intensity. The use of language adds to the reality of the scenes. The way dialogue is used here is interesting with conversations moving in and out of each other.
This is an interesting novel, showing an environment unfamiliar to me, but relevant today to society as a whole. We see the struggle for acceptance that the youth have and how the different relationships influence them.
This is a good book to show the issues that are relevant on our streets today.
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