As Long as We Both Shall Live

Finished July 7
As Long as We Both Shall Live by Joann Chaney

In this novel we see inside the mind of various characters. The female protagonist Janice, the other female protagonist Marie, the male protagonist Matt, the female detective Spengler, and the male detective Loren.
Janice knows her husband has been cheating on her, and she decides to get proof, but then what should she do. Marie also knows her husband has been cheating on her, and now the girls have left home, they are increasingly distant from each other. Is the planned outing to the mountains a way forward, a way to reconnect?
Matt keeps a lot of secrets, but he isn't that good at it. Many times, keeping silent is the best way for him to react when he feels cornered. But not always.
Loren has his own past that he has run from, and never talked about again. But now it seems to be coming back to him again. He knows he didn't have a lot of choices back then, but did he make the right one.
Spengler is the new officer in Homicide, and she's getting her fair share of jokes, innuendos, and other crap from her fellow officers. But she has a good home life, and that keeps her going When she's paired up with Loren on this case, she has a few things that she'll learn.
This is a case with more than one unreliable narrator, and a few twists and turns. Some I saw coming, others I didn't. I really enjoyed the read.

Fix Her Up

Finished July 5
Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey

This spicy romance novel is the small town of Port Jefferson, Long Island, New York. Travis Ford is a local boy who became a baseball superstar, playing in the majors. He also got a reputation as a ladies man, never staying with one woman for long enough to have a relationship. But after an injury, his skills weren't what they were, and he was traded around a bit before ending up without a contract. So now he's back home, and feeling sorry for himself. Enter Georgette (Georgie) Castle, the little sister of Travis' best friend Stephen.
Georgie has been in love with Travis for years, but never expressed her feelings. Her family knows, but no one has told Travis. Georgie has been working as a clown, making a living doing parties and other events. Now she's looking to step it up and hire some performers and become a larger entertainment company. Only problem is that no one seems to take her seriously, always treating her like a kid. And she's tired of that.
She's easygoing though, and has enough personality to take on Travis. She challenges his attitude, getting him out of his apartment and among the living again, and then she challenges him again, and just keeps on doing that.
And Travis finds himself seeing her in a different light, and feeling guilty for being so attracted to her. But also feeling like he's not felt about a woman before.
And so the story goes.
There is humour, graphic sex, and a decent plot. A fun, summer read.

Craftfulness

Finished July 4
Craftfulness: Mend Yourself by Making Things by Rosemary Davidson and Arzu Tahsin, read by Joan Walkter

This short book looks at the mental health aspect of simple craft activities. It talks about how doing crafts is becoming more popular as more people realize we all have creativity within us. We need to be open to new experiences, to learning new skills, and failing at first as we do so.
They cite their own experiences, the experiences of friends, and various research that has been done to show how engaging in a creative pursuit helps us be happier and more engaged with the world around us.
Doing crafts has been shown to help with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges, and they give some instances of this research and some programs that use crafting to formally address these issues.
They also go through a number of simple crafts: knitting a scarf, creating a pinch pot, making a booklet, drawing, writing, and weaving, to start the reader off. They emphasize the idea of flow, of finding something that really engages you, of being open to trying a few different activities to see what clicks with you, and being aware of the time it takes to gain the basic skills for the that particular craft.
Personally, I engage in a few crafts, and I've been aware for some time of how they help me deal with stress and other issues in my life, but it was interesting to hear about this more broadly.

August Heat

Finished July 3
August Heat by Andrea Camilleri

I'm gradually working my way through this series featuring Sicilian policeman Inspector Salvo Montalbano. Here, Montalbano has had to cancel his planned vacation when one of his officers has a family issue that takes him away. Montalbano's girlfriend Livia isn't as upset as he expected her to be, but asks him to find a house near the beach for rent for friends of hers, so she can spend time with them while he is working and comes to stay.
He finds a house in a great location and things are looking well, until a few days in, things start to go wrong at the house. As each thing happens, the friends grow more upset, until the finding of a body is the last straw. Livia is livid as well, and leaves with her friends, and the dynamic between Salvo and Livia isn't good.
With the case going back six years, Montalbano and his officers dig into the past, and find many things less than appealing.
Like the previous books, there is always some lovely descriptions of food that arise, both from Montalbano's housekeeper, and from his favourite restaurant, Enzo's. This book has Montalbano doing a few unsavoury things as his feelings get in the way of his good sense. As always, I enjoy the other police characters as well.

Fed Up

Finished July 3
Fed Up: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward by Gemma Hartley

This is a book that will speak to many, if not all, women. In most cultures, it is the woman who does the emotional labour in a relationship, who keeps things up, who organizes things, who makes sure that things get done. It is the mental load of this tasks, noticing what needs doing, what connects to what (if your son has soccer tomorrow, you need to ensure his uniform is clean and ready, dinner is organized to be quick to be done before game time, and any transportation is planned). It isn't just about putting things on the calendar. It's about seeing the connections between things, between people, between tasks, and noting the minutiae in the big picture.
This can be draining, even more than the physical tasks that accompany it are. Gemma looked at this in her own life, and in the lives of many others, doing a lot of research as she wrote this book. Her husband Rob was a man who wanted to do better, but didn't understand emotional labour, and didn't know how to engage more. (Notice that I didn't say "how to help"). They eventually worked out how to share emotional labour more in their relationship, not only because it improved life for both of them, but also to avoid having this dynamic pass on to the next generation.
When Gemma realized that she had to change her own approach and attitude big time, it was an aha moment. They had to figure it out together. If she really wanted this change, and she did, they had to work it out as a team, not as a leader and a helper. She notes that keeping things in balance is an ongoing challenge, but that they both look forward to figuring it out together.
This was an eye-opening and inspiring look at the issue of emotional labour, and offers real solutions to recognizing the value of this work and finding more fulfillment. Highly recommended.

12 Annual Canadian Reading Challenge Wrap-Up

12th Annual Canadian Reading Challenge. This challenge ran from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019

Hosted by Melwyk here

The challenge was to read 13 books, but since I almost made it to 50 in 2017-2018, I'm set that for a goal. I made it to 19.

1. The Tinsmith by Tim Bowling. Finished July 30 (British Columbia)

2. A World of Kindness by the Editors and Illustrators of Pajama Press. Finished August 19

3. Clean Sweep by Michael J. Clark. Finished August 22 (Manitoba)

4. Too Young to Escape by Van Ho and Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch. Finished October 19

5. Giraffe and Bird Together Again by Rebecca Bender. Finished October 26

6. Our New Kittens by Theo Heras, illustrated by Alice Carter. Finished October 27

7. His Whole Life by Elizabeth Hay. Finished November 18

8. Sapphire the Great and the Meaning of Life by Beverley Brenna. Finished November 29

9. Half Spent Was the Night by Ami McKay. Finished January 2

10. Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny. Finished January 15 (Quebec)

11. Come from Away by Genevieve Graham. Finished January 21 (Nova Scotia)

12. Queenie Quail Can't Keep Up by Jane Whittingham, illustrated by Emma Pedersen. Finished February 9

13. Hum If You Don't Know the Words by Bianca Marais. Finished March 16

14. 21 Things You May Not Know about The Indian Act by Bob Joseph. Finished April 3

15. Before You Were Born by Deborah Kerbel, illustrated by Suzanne Del Rizzio. Finished April 30

16. Washing Off the Raccoon Eyes by Margo LaPierre. Finished May 16

17. Land Mammals and Sea Creatures by Jen Neale. Finished May 24

18. Love Letters to Baruch by Margaret Lawrence Greene. Finished June 29

19. A Synopsis of Woman Suffrage in Canada by Hilda Ridley. Finished June 29

Ten Miles Past Normal

Finished July 2
Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell, narrated by Jessica Almasy

This teen novel has 14-year-old Janie Gorman in her first year of high school, and finding that her life on a farm has drawn attention in ways that aren't great, like the goat poo stuck to the bottom of her shoe creating an odor investigation on the bus to school. Up to now, the decision made by her family, at her suggestion, back when she was nine, to move to a farm and raise goats has been a good one. But now, she has a different lunch hour from her group of middle school friends, and has resorted to scarfing down her lunch at her locker and spending the rest of the time in the library.
Of course the fact that her mom writes a blog about their life on the farm doesn't help, either. As Janie chooses a subject for a school project in the one class she does share with her best friend Sarah, and develops a new friendship with another girl hanging in the library, she also finds herself learning new skills, like playing bass guitar, and quilting, and exploring her artistic side in new ways.
This is a novel of growth, of early romance, of families, and of history.
I liked the book a lot and think Janie is a very cool girl.

What Happens Next

Finished July 1
What Happens Next written by Susan Hughes, illustrated by Carey Sookocheff

This children's picture book takes on the subject of bullying. The unnamed narrator doesn't want to go to school because there is a girl there who says mean things and laughs at them. Other people laugh too. No one speaks up against the bully. The narrator doesn't tell their mom about the bully when she asks at first, and instead takes comfort in the love of their dog Sparky. Sparky is always happy to see them, and shows it.
The book talks about how the narrator feels about the bully's actions, and about how this feeling carries over into bad dreams sometimes, and makes them want to do mean things too. Here, the mom notices that something is wrong and spends time with the child, having fun, and eventually the child confides in her about the bully. Mom is really helpful, and coaches the child about how bullying is often a result of fear and wanting to control something. Mom says that she can go to the principal, but first asks the child if they are willing to try something themselves first to see if it might help.
This has the child learn some problem solving skills, and communication skills and gain some confidence as well.
The drawings are simple, but evocative, and you can see the feelings present in the different situations. A good book to bring up the subject of bullying for kids. I also like that the narrator wasn't identified as either a girl or a boy so that the story is more identifiable for all kids.

13th Annual Canadian Book Challenge: July Roundup

Post the reviews for the books you read this month here.
I'll be doing a draw for a prize pack of Canadian books.
Each book read gets you an entry for the prize pack.

How Little Bessie Kept the Wolf From the Door

Finished June 29
How Little Bessie Kept the Wolf From the Door by Eliza Coates

I came across this Religious Tract Society publication when going through my mother-in-law's discards. It has an inscription from December 1891, so was published sometime before then.
It is a pretty sad story of a hard-working man, who copied text for a living, his seamstress wife, and their two young daughters.
They live in a large house that has been converted into flats, in a single room, with the girls sleeping in a closet. They barely make enough to get by, and when the man falls ill, they have no money for a doctor or for better, nutritious meals.
Through the girls going to Sunday school and learning the bible, Pilgrim's Progress, and hymns that they sing to comfort themselves, and the interest of another clerk at the man's office, they get others interested enough in their situation to give some support.
In the end, they do okay, but not without many trials and tribulations. I'm not sure that this is the type of book we'd be giving to children today.