Silas Marner

Finished December 31
Silas Marner: the weaver of Raveloe by George Eliot

This is a classic that I missed, and I had it on my list for the TBR challenge this year. Carried it around in my purse for the last little while, reading in snatches. I think I have an older edition of this packed away, but got this one free at some point and it was handy.
So the book was first published in 1861, but is set in a time earlier in the 1800s. Silas has had a rude awakening about human nature and friendship and moved to Raveloe as a result. He leads a solitary life, concentrating on amassing money for money`s sake, spending little on himself and not interacting with his neighbours. When his fortune is stolen, he is devastated, and appeals to the community in a panic for help. It is this that first gets his neighbours taking an interest in him. When another set of circumstances lead to a small child being orphaned on Silas` doorstep, he finds himself compelled to take her in and make her a loving home. This move brings him further into the community and we see how it is this action that drives the community opinion of him.
The leading family in Raveloe is the Cass family, and while the oldest son Godfrey is a good-natured man, generally well-meaning, the second son Dunstan is one who would sell him own mother, if she wasn`t already dead. Dunstan has drawn Godfrey into an ill-conceived relationship and is now using that as a hold over him. But he is always on the lookout for opportunities for money, and this leads him to criminal actions and bad outcomes.
The action takes place in two time periods, one with the plot threads described above and another sixteen years later, when we see the results of these actions. There is definitely a morality tale aspect to the plot, but the characters are what really bring the book to life. I really enjoyed it.

1001 Books to Read Before You Die Challenge

This challenge came out of the book 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, with various updates.

I didn't do well last year, so set a lower target of 6-10 books for 2012, but didn't meet that either.
I read the following.

1. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

2. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

3. Silas Marner by George Eliot

I have so many classics on my shelf, I shall have to do better next year.

Chanda's Wars

Finished December 30

Chanda's Wars by Allan Stratton

This novel is for older children and younger teens. It is set in a fictional African country and covers many issues from child soldiers to AIDs to cultural change. Chanda is a young woman forced to become the mother to her two younger siblings due to her mother`s death from AIDs. She resents the way the rest of her family back in the village treated her mother, but a series of recurring nightmares and the advice of those she trusts lead her to make up the rift and take the children back to the village for a visit and to meet the rest of the family. But the family has plans she hadn`t expected and when the rebel army comes closer than expected, Chanda must use all her knowledge to team up with a friend and try to rescue the children from their kidnappers. 

Inspired by the wars in Africa, and child soldiers, along with the spread of AIDS on that continent, this book would be a good book club choice with lots of discussion points. 

Excursion to Tindari

Finished December 30
Excursion to Tindari by Andrea Camilleri, translated by Stephen Sartarelli

I started reading this series a few years ago and then got away from them, but recently decided to seek them out again, continuing where I left off. This is the fifth book in the series featuring Inspector Salvo Montalbano out of Vigàta, Sicily. Montalbano struggles against corruption, government bureaucracy and the mafia. His team provides many interesting characters, as do the non-police members of his circle.
In this mystery, a young man is discovered murdered at his front door. Shortly thereafter another man asks the police for assistance regarding his missing parents, who resided at the same address as the murdered man. The police can`t see any other relation between the two, but can`t help but wonder. As the cases develop, Montalbano finds inspiration in both the sea outside his door, and a particular olive tree, and is led to a very disturbing discovery.
With an odd request from a local mafia lord, strange behaviour on the part of the missing couple, and worry over his team`s future, this novel continues to entertain.
Montalbano`s love of food is present again, with mouthwatering descriptions of local Italian dishes. These books immerse one in Sicily.

Perla

Finished December 28 
Perla by Carolina de Robertis

This is a fascinating novel, set in Argentina, mostly in early 2001. Perla is a young woman studying at university to be a psychologist. She grew up as the only child in a well-off family, and her rather is an officer in the Navy. When she was still in grade school, the abuses perpetrated by the deposed military dictatorship began to come to light, and Perla began to hide her family background. She realized that her parents were part of the group suspect in the crimes committed, but she felt love for them, particularly for her father. She is one of the few people her father is openly emotional with. 
As the novel begins, her parents are away on a vacation, and Perla is alone at home, agonizing over a recent rift in the relationship with her boyfriend. She becomes suddenly aware of a presence in the house and discovers a naked, wet man on the living room carpet. As she interacts with the man over the next few days, she is forced to face the truth of her own past and make a decision regarding her future.
This is a coming of age story based on the true story of the thousands of disappeared Argentinian people and the hundreds of babies born in secret, torn from their mothers, and given up for adoption to those in positions of power. Gradually those children have been discovering the truth about their origins and the group Madres de la Plaza de Mayo has played a central role.
This book is moving and will capture you from the first page. I always find fascinating those books that can bring historical situations like these to life.

TBR Pile Challenge for 2013

I'm joining the TBR Pile Challenge again hosted by Roof Beam Reader, despite not completing it the last couple years.

The rules are that you have to choose books that have been on your shelf for more than a year. Choose twelve books, with two alternates in case you can't finish any of the ten. I give the books here, and add the dates and a link to the review once I've read them.

1. Clown Girl by Monica Drake
2. Matterhorn by Karl Malantes
3. A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz
4. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
5. Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun
6. Carpentaria by Alexis Wright
7. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
8. Barnacle Love by Anthony De Sa [Finished October 11]
9. Educating Alice by Alice Steinbach
10. Still Alice by Lisa Genova [Finished December 26]
11. The Stuff of Thought by Steven Pinker
12. A Walk along the Wall by Hunter Davies [Finished December 20]

Alternates
1. The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun by Sebastien Japrisot
2. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

Usually I try to find some that fit other challenges, but this year I just scanned the shelves, looking for a variety of books. They are mostly fiction, but a few nonfiction are thrown in and the genres vary widely. Hopefully that will keep me reading.

Juliet

Finished December 24
Juliet by Anne Fortier

I had a copy of this on my shelf and my niece asked for it for Christmas, so I told everyone to hold off as I'd just pass on my copy (not as part of her present). But I had to read it first, so I squeaked in under the wire.
Julia is a young woman who discovers that her past is different than she's been told. When her Aunt Rose dies, she goes off to Italy to discover what her mother's legacy really was.
She is befriended by a woman she meets on the plane, and helped to find her way around Sienna. When she meets the woman's godson, things don't go as smoothly, and she isn't sure what to think of Alessandro. Danger seems to be stalking her, and she isn't sure who to trust.
What she finds is a link back to the original Romeo and Juliet, a story she's been fascinated with all her life. In the papers she finds, she reads about the original lovers back in 1340, and is intrigued. As she follows the clues, others seem to be following her.
A story with intrigue, danger and mystery, and romance. Will Romeo and Juliet's story end better this time round, or will the curse continue.

The Jewels of Paradise

Finished December 21
The Jewels of Paradise by Donna Leon, read by Cassandra Campbell

This is the first of her books I've read that isn't part of the Commissario Brunetti series, and I enjoyed it. Food wasn't as prevalent here as in the Brunetti books, but it still gets a mention every now and then.
Here we have musicologist Caterina Pellegrini, as the main character. Caterina has a love for song, but knew she wasn't of the caliber to go far in a singing career. She tried law, and was unsatisfied so decided to go into the study of music, specializing in baroque opera. Unfortunately for her, jobs were not in abundance and she ended up in a university in England. Thanks to a contact there, she has found a short-term contract position back in her home town of Venice, going through the papers in two trunks belonging to a 17th century composer, right in her time period.
The men that hired her are after a treasure they believe was hidden by the composer, and the lawyer serving as intermediary may have his own agenda. Caterina is an interesting woman, passionate about her chosen field, and a good researcher, fluent in many languages. She has a good relationship with her family and maintains contact with them despite the distance sometimes between them. The composer was also a bishop and Caterina finds herself thinking about religion a bit more than usual.
This book has intrique, humour, and a good story. I'd sure love to see Caterina again. The reader for the audiobook did an amazing job, using a lovely Italian accent throughout, making me feel like I was there in Venice. Like all her books, this one really brings Venice to life. Really loved the ending.

Blood of the Wicked

Finished December 19
Blood of the Wicked by Leighton Gage

This mystery novel set in Brazil features Chief Inspector Mario Silva, and is the first in the series. We get introduced to Mario's past, seeing how he began with the police, the horrible event that drove him to it, and learn about his sense of justice. That was back in 1978. It is now the 21st century and Mario is now Chief Inspector for Criminal Matters of the Federal Police of Brazil. When the bishop is killed very publicly as he arrives in the remote town of Cascatas do Pontal to consecrate a new church, Mario is sent out to find the killer. Mario finds himself in a community with an ongoing and escalating situation between the landless peasants and wealthy landowners who hold uncultivated land.
The state police leader is corrupt and complicit in some of the illegal actions. As the murders begin to pile up, Mario and his team are always one step behind the killers, and he finds that he isn't the only one to take action into his own hands.
With social commentary, a sense of the role of religion in the community, and a feel of the wild west, this mystery has lots of violence and action. An interesting beginning to the series. I found myself asking about the nature of violence and revenge, about the ineffectiveness of standard police methods, and about the ongoing social unrest. Lots to think about.

What's In a Name 6 Challenge for 2013

So just finished the 2012 Challenge, and now looking forward to the one for 2013.

The challenge this year is as follows.
Between January 1 and December 31, 2013, read one book in each of the following categories:

1. A book with up or down (or equivalent) in the title: Deep down True, The Girl Below, The Diva Digs up the Dirt
2. A book with something you'd find in your kitchen in the title: Loose Lips Sink Ships, The Knife of Never Letting Go, Breadcrumbs
3. A book with a party or celebration in the title: A Feast for Crows, A Wedding in Haiti, Cocktail Hour under the Tree of Forgetfulness
4. A book with fire (or equivalent) in the title: Burning for Revenge, Fireworks over Toccoa, Catching Fire
5. A book with an emotion in the title: Baltimore Blues, Say You're Sorry, Dreams of Joy
6. A book with lost or found (or equivalent) in the title: The Book of Lost Fragrances, The World We Found, A Discovery of Witches

The book titles are just suggestions, you can read whatever book you want to fit the category.

Other Things to Know

• Books may be any form (audio, print, e-book).
• Books may overlap other challenges.
• Books may not overlap categories; you need a different book for each category.
• Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed but encouraged.
• You do not have to make a list of books before hand.
• You do not have to read through the categories in any particular order.

There look to be some interesting ideas here, and I'll have to scan my shelves to see what I've got that fits.