Finished May 1
Death of a Maid by M.C. Beaton, read by Graeme Malcolm
This is another tale of the wondrous Hamish Macbeth, a village policeman in the highlands of Scotland. Macbeth is self-effacing, eschewing promotion for the life he loves as the anachronous village policeman. This tale starts with the apparent murder of a local cleaning woman, Mrs. Gillespie. She is not much liked and is a snoop. As Macbeth starts to investigate her death, he is led to believe that she is a blackmailer. As he delves into the lives of the people around her, including her employers, he finds much to take his attention. When his old girlfriend Elspeth takes a vacation in the area, he finds her assistance in the case helpful, but is confused by his feelings regarding her. As Macbeth follows the various paths to unbury the secrets Mrs. Gillespie held, he finds his own life in danger.
An amusing tale, with a lively lead character and lots to interest the reader.
Thursday, 1 May 2008
Translated Novel
Finished April 29
By a Slow River by Philippe Claudel, translated from the French by Hoyt Rogers
This novel is a fictional memoir of a time in the narrator's past, during the First World War. In the village he lives in in France, the factory keeps most of the young men out of the war, so the village exists as a sort of island in the midst of the fighting, not that far from the front line. The narrator, who was a young policeman at the time, describes the deaths of three females in the town that affect him in a personal way. As he discusses them you get a sense of the village and how the inhabitants interact. One of the main characters is the prosecutor, who is a widower and lives alone in a large house with grounds. He has two servants who meet his modest needs and he lives a reclusive life outside of his job. The first female to die is a young, pretty schoolteacher, and her death shocks the community. The second is a young girl, very pretty and full of life and the light of her family. The third death is the policeman's own wife, young and pregnant. As he deals with his own feelings around the deaths and the regrets he has around his actions, he gives a intimate picture of life in the village, and his own shortcomings.
By a Slow River by Philippe Claudel, translated from the French by Hoyt Rogers
This novel is a fictional memoir of a time in the narrator's past, during the First World War. In the village he lives in in France, the factory keeps most of the young men out of the war, so the village exists as a sort of island in the midst of the fighting, not that far from the front line. The narrator, who was a young policeman at the time, describes the deaths of three females in the town that affect him in a personal way. As he discusses them you get a sense of the village and how the inhabitants interact. One of the main characters is the prosecutor, who is a widower and lives alone in a large house with grounds. He has two servants who meet his modest needs and he lives a reclusive life outside of his job. The first female to die is a young, pretty schoolteacher, and her death shocks the community. The second is a young girl, very pretty and full of life and the light of her family. The third death is the policeman's own wife, young and pregnant. As he deals with his own feelings around the deaths and the regrets he has around his actions, he gives a intimate picture of life in the village, and his own shortcomings.
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Thriller
Finished April 29
Losing You by Nicci French
This is a book that is hard to put down (of course, the fact that there are no chapters adds to the difficulty). The plot moves along, fast and unforgiving and you move with it. Nina is recently divorced, and today on her fortieth birthday she and her two children are supposed to be leaving for Heathrow and from there to Florida. Her daughter, Charlie, is fifteen and hasn't come home from the sleepover she was at last night. Something about the situation just feels wrong to Nina, and she calls the police. They are wont to dismiss it as a simple runaway situation, but Nina knows there is more to it. As she relentlessly tracks down where Charlie has been and what she has and hasn't done, she must also fight the police tendency to bureaucracy and statistics. Nina is a mother who knows her daughter less than she thought, but more than others believe and she fights against time to find out what has happened.
I spent pretty much all Monday evening engrossed in this book, reluctantly going to bed at a decent hour and finished it this morning. The pace of the plot is quick and left me feeling almost breathless. Nina is a great character as well. A great read.
Losing You by Nicci French
This is a book that is hard to put down (of course, the fact that there are no chapters adds to the difficulty). The plot moves along, fast and unforgiving and you move with it. Nina is recently divorced, and today on her fortieth birthday she and her two children are supposed to be leaving for Heathrow and from there to Florida. Her daughter, Charlie, is fifteen and hasn't come home from the sleepover she was at last night. Something about the situation just feels wrong to Nina, and she calls the police. They are wont to dismiss it as a simple runaway situation, but Nina knows there is more to it. As she relentlessly tracks down where Charlie has been and what she has and hasn't done, she must also fight the police tendency to bureaucracy and statistics. Nina is a mother who knows her daughter less than she thought, but more than others believe and she fights against time to find out what has happened.
I spent pretty much all Monday evening engrossed in this book, reluctantly going to bed at a decent hour and finished it this morning. The pace of the plot is quick and left me feeling almost breathless. Nina is a great character as well. A great read.
Sunday, 27 April 2008
Action-packed teen read
Finished April 27
Gone by Michael Grant
This book starts with a school setting, where everyone fourteen or older has suddenly disappeared. As the students try to come to terms with this, they also discover that cellphones and landlines no longer work, computers work but cannot access the internet, they have no television or radio. Essentially, they have lost contact with the world. A group of three young people, Sam, his best friend Quinn, and advanced student Astrid team up to go to each of their houses to check on their families. Astrid is worrying about her four-year-old autistic brother Peter. They find no adults anywhere. Cars have crashed, children are without parents. As the three explore they find a barrier wall around them that they cannot get through. They are cut off from the outside world.
Sam is a natural leader and begins to take charge, but other alliances also arise. There is a group of bullies that band together to try to control everyone, and then a group of students from the nearby private school arrives and takes charge.
The story also follows a young woman who is driving with her grandfather in the hills outside of town when the disappearing takes place. The truck crashes and she is left hurt, with her dog guarding her.
Other changes also become apparent. Some of the children have powers that appear to defy science, and animals appear that have mutant features. The kids struggle to figure out what is happening and keep each other safe.
This is an engrossing read, and the ending leaves an obvious opening for a sequel.
Gone by Michael Grant
This book starts with a school setting, where everyone fourteen or older has suddenly disappeared. As the students try to come to terms with this, they also discover that cellphones and landlines no longer work, computers work but cannot access the internet, they have no television or radio. Essentially, they have lost contact with the world. A group of three young people, Sam, his best friend Quinn, and advanced student Astrid team up to go to each of their houses to check on their families. Astrid is worrying about her four-year-old autistic brother Peter. They find no adults anywhere. Cars have crashed, children are without parents. As the three explore they find a barrier wall around them that they cannot get through. They are cut off from the outside world.
Sam is a natural leader and begins to take charge, but other alliances also arise. There is a group of bullies that band together to try to control everyone, and then a group of students from the nearby private school arrives and takes charge.
The story also follows a young woman who is driving with her grandfather in the hills outside of town when the disappearing takes place. The truck crashes and she is left hurt, with her dog guarding her.
Other changes also become apparent. Some of the children have powers that appear to defy science, and animals appear that have mutant features. The kids struggle to figure out what is happening and keep each other safe.
This is an engrossing read, and the ending leaves an obvious opening for a sequel.
Thriller with a different point of view
Finished April 27
The Killer's Wife by Bill Floyd
This story has a very different scenario from any I've read before. The main character, Leigh, is the ex-wife of a man who is a convicted serial killer. After she gave him up to the police, she got a divorce, changed her name and moved across the country. Now, a member of one of the victim's families has tracked her down and made her identity known.
As Leigh struggles with her past come back to haunt her, she reflects on life with her husband and the guilt she feels about his deeds.
She must also deal with the reaction of those around her and her son. As she gets drawn into the past, she must also deal with a new killer who is replicating her husband's methods and, it seems, focusing on her.
Lots of suspense, good writing around the emotions of the ex-wife, and a good plot.
The Killer's Wife by Bill Floyd
This story has a very different scenario from any I've read before. The main character, Leigh, is the ex-wife of a man who is a convicted serial killer. After she gave him up to the police, she got a divorce, changed her name and moved across the country. Now, a member of one of the victim's families has tracked her down and made her identity known.
As Leigh struggles with her past come back to haunt her, she reflects on life with her husband and the guilt she feels about his deeds.
She must also deal with the reaction of those around her and her son. As she gets drawn into the past, she must also deal with a new killer who is replicating her husband's methods and, it seems, focusing on her.
Lots of suspense, good writing around the emotions of the ex-wife, and a good plot.
Saturday, 26 April 2008
Humour in the Workplace
Finished April 25
The Levity Effect: Why It Pays to Lighten Up by Adrian Gostick and Scott Christopher
This book promotes having fun and work, and offers up the research to support its platform. The authors show how the right kind of levity can increase productivity, improve communication, foster creativity, increase trust, have a positive effect on health, and better the bottom line. To get you started down the road to fun, the authors also provide some ideas on ideas that have worked. The ideas come from real-life examples and while not all are appropriate for all workplaces, there should be something that you can comfortably try in yours. They help you with arguments in favour of fun, citing the research that has already been done. They also urge you to take this fun attitude home to improve the environment there as well as relations with your family. Some great ideas are given, but the best part is the consolidation of the research on this aspect of the workplace. So get out there and lighten up at work!
The Levity Effect: Why It Pays to Lighten Up by Adrian Gostick and Scott Christopher
This book promotes having fun and work, and offers up the research to support its platform. The authors show how the right kind of levity can increase productivity, improve communication, foster creativity, increase trust, have a positive effect on health, and better the bottom line. To get you started down the road to fun, the authors also provide some ideas on ideas that have worked. The ideas come from real-life examples and while not all are appropriate for all workplaces, there should be something that you can comfortably try in yours. They help you with arguments in favour of fun, citing the research that has already been done. They also urge you to take this fun attitude home to improve the environment there as well as relations with your family. Some great ideas are given, but the best part is the consolidation of the research on this aspect of the workplace. So get out there and lighten up at work!
Latest Nevada Barr
Finished April 25
Winter Study by Nevada Barr
This is the first instance where Barr has revisited a National Park in her Anna Pigeon series. Here, Anna returns to Isle Royale in Lake Superior off the coast of Minnesota. This story is set in winter, around the real-life study of wolves on the island. Anna has accepted this opportunity to be part of the study as she knows that wolves will be a future consideration at her park in the Rockies. This year the study has a couple of government-chosen observers as Homeland Security is moving to open the park in winter as part of their border patrol against terrorism. If the park is opened in winter, the winter study of wolves will be shut down, and the park employees and scientists are fighting to prove that the study is still offering valuable information. However, it would appear this year that the wolves are behaving oddly, showing less fear of humans. As the group tries to figure out what is going on, people's fears began to surface. When a female member of the team is savaged by wolves the danger becomes personal and Anna finds herself fighting to save her own skin.
As usual, lots of action, drama and personal agendas going on. I read it almost nonstop, and enjoyed it thoroughly.
Winter Study by Nevada Barr
This is the first instance where Barr has revisited a National Park in her Anna Pigeon series. Here, Anna returns to Isle Royale in Lake Superior off the coast of Minnesota. This story is set in winter, around the real-life study of wolves on the island. Anna has accepted this opportunity to be part of the study as she knows that wolves will be a future consideration at her park in the Rockies. This year the study has a couple of government-chosen observers as Homeland Security is moving to open the park in winter as part of their border patrol against terrorism. If the park is opened in winter, the winter study of wolves will be shut down, and the park employees and scientists are fighting to prove that the study is still offering valuable information. However, it would appear this year that the wolves are behaving oddly, showing less fear of humans. As the group tries to figure out what is going on, people's fears began to surface. When a female member of the team is savaged by wolves the danger becomes personal and Anna finds herself fighting to save her own skin.
As usual, lots of action, drama and personal agendas going on. I read it almost nonstop, and enjoyed it thoroughly.
Wednesday, 23 April 2008
Prequel
Finished April 23
Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson
I've been a huge Anne of Green Gables fan since I was a kid, visiting the tourist centre in PEI on a summer vacation once and buying all the books, so I was eager to read this.
The book includes references made in LM Montgomery's books to Anne's earlier life, and had a number of interesting episodes. However it just didn't do it for me. That said, the author didn't try to copy Montgomery's style, which is probably good, and yet that may be why it didn't feel a part of the whole to me. Prequels are always difficult anyway, and when written by someone other than the original writer, the difficulty only increases.
The story was interesting, and there were many good characters, although they aren't written as deeply as I would have hoped. I think that fan's of Anne will still find it an enjoyable read, and it offers a interesting idea of how Anne's personality began.
Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson
I've been a huge Anne of Green Gables fan since I was a kid, visiting the tourist centre in PEI on a summer vacation once and buying all the books, so I was eager to read this.
The book includes references made in LM Montgomery's books to Anne's earlier life, and had a number of interesting episodes. However it just didn't do it for me. That said, the author didn't try to copy Montgomery's style, which is probably good, and yet that may be why it didn't feel a part of the whole to me. Prequels are always difficult anyway, and when written by someone other than the original writer, the difficulty only increases.
The story was interesting, and there were many good characters, although they aren't written as deeply as I would have hoped. I think that fan's of Anne will still find it an enjoyable read, and it offers a interesting idea of how Anne's personality began.
Friday, 18 April 2008
Great mystery
Finished April 18
The Calling by Inger Ash Wolfe
This is supposed to be the first in a series of books featuring DI Hazel Micallef, of the Port Dundas, Ontario police. In this book, she has been acting head for a few years as the powers that be have delayed replacing the head for her detachment. She is divorced and her mother, the former mayor, lives with her.
When a elderly woman in the community is found murdered Hazel is faced with the most difficult case she has ever had. When they begin to find links to cases elsewhere in Canada, she faces a decision whether to forge ahead in order to keep from alerting the killer or to involve other police forces. The relationship between her and the other police staff is done very well, as is the relationship between her and her mother, Emily.
Hazel is also suffering from back pain, and that reflects on her ability to function. She has a lot of faults, that make the character more realistic.
The author is writing under a pseudonym and as I write this, we do not know who they are. The publicity states: "a well-known North American writer". I would hazard a guess that he/she is Canadian, and either living in, or familiar with Ontario. It will be interesting to see who it is.
The Calling by Inger Ash Wolfe
This is supposed to be the first in a series of books featuring DI Hazel Micallef, of the Port Dundas, Ontario police. In this book, she has been acting head for a few years as the powers that be have delayed replacing the head for her detachment. She is divorced and her mother, the former mayor, lives with her.
When a elderly woman in the community is found murdered Hazel is faced with the most difficult case she has ever had. When they begin to find links to cases elsewhere in Canada, she faces a decision whether to forge ahead in order to keep from alerting the killer or to involve other police forces. The relationship between her and the other police staff is done very well, as is the relationship between her and her mother, Emily.
Hazel is also suffering from back pain, and that reflects on her ability to function. She has a lot of faults, that make the character more realistic.
The author is writing under a pseudonym and as I write this, we do not know who they are. The publicity states: "a well-known North American writer". I would hazard a guess that he/she is Canadian, and either living in, or familiar with Ontario. It will be interesting to see who it is.
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Orange Prize
The shortlist has been announced:
The Guardian has an article about the choices.
The Outcast by Sadie Jones
Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill
Lottery by Patricia Wood
When We Were Bad by Charlotte Mendelson
The Road Home by Rose Tremain
Fault Lines by Nancy Huston
The Guardian has an article about the choices.
The Outcast by Sadie Jones
Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill
Lottery by Patricia Wood
When We Were Bad by Charlotte Mendelson
The Road Home by Rose Tremain
Fault Lines by Nancy Huston
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