Finished November 27
A Good War by Patrick Bishop
This is a first novel and very well done. The main character is a Polish fighter pilot, Adam Tomaszewski, flying with the RAF during the Second World War. At various times in the war he encounters an Irish soldier Gerry Cunningham. The story of the pilots is interesting as is the later section on fighting behind the lines in France. Adam's character is well-developed and we see him in various stages throughout the war, as he responds to situations in wartime, including those involving love.
While this involves various events of the war, it really hinges on Adam (or Tommy as some call him) and his reactions to the different situations, and the way those reactions affect his life.
I really liked him, and found myself trusting his judgment of those around him, which definitely had an effect on my take on the story.
Saturday, 29 November 2008
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Great Canadian Read
Finished November 25
Ragged Company by Richard Wagamese
I absolutely loved this book. Wagamese really got inside the head of his main characters and made me feel like I was there too.
Four of the main characters are homeless people, living in a large city: Amelia One Sky (also known as One for the Dead), Timber, Double Dick, and Digger. They have gradually found each other and now move through the major part of their day as a group. As the book begins, they decide to take refuge from the cold by going to a movie. They encounter the fifth main character, Granite, at the movie theatre, and continue to run into him as they keep going to movies.
When Digger finds a cigarette package that still contains some cigarettes as well as money and a lottery ticket, their lives begin to change. The lottery ticket turns out to be a big winner, $13.5 million, but they can't claim the money as none of the four have identification. They bring Granite in to assist them.
As their lives transform, we see how they adjust to their new situation. We also see how they got to be where they now are and how they deal with their pasts now.
Working in a profession where I encounter homeless people on a daily basis, I found this book very moving. How one sees the world is a big part of the plot.
Ragged Company by Richard Wagamese
I absolutely loved this book. Wagamese really got inside the head of his main characters and made me feel like I was there too.
Four of the main characters are homeless people, living in a large city: Amelia One Sky (also known as One for the Dead), Timber, Double Dick, and Digger. They have gradually found each other and now move through the major part of their day as a group. As the book begins, they decide to take refuge from the cold by going to a movie. They encounter the fifth main character, Granite, at the movie theatre, and continue to run into him as they keep going to movies.
When Digger finds a cigarette package that still contains some cigarettes as well as money and a lottery ticket, their lives begin to change. The lottery ticket turns out to be a big winner, $13.5 million, but they can't claim the money as none of the four have identification. They bring Granite in to assist them.
As their lives transform, we see how they adjust to their new situation. We also see how they got to be where they now are and how they deal with their pasts now.
Working in a profession where I encounter homeless people on a daily basis, I found this book very moving. How one sees the world is a big part of the plot.
Monday, 24 November 2008
Great Teen Novel
Finished November 22
Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Miranda is sixteen and living on the outskirts of a small town in Pennsylvania. There is interest in an impending event, an asteroid about to hit the moon. Most of her teachers assign papers around the subject and Miranda, younger brother Jonny and her mother plan to watch the event. They've called her older brother Matt at Cornell and got his permission to use his telescope. Miranda's father and her stepmother Lisa live in Springfield, Massachusetts and have just announced that they will be having a baby.
When the astral body collision takes place, the moon is knocked out of its orbit and closer to the earth. This causes all kinds of issues on the earth, beginning with tidal waves.
Miranda's mother makes frantic preparations, stockpiling supplies and preparing for the worst, which puts their family in a better position than many.
As more events affect them, the family struggles to survive, stay safe and hope for a better future.
The story is very believable and the family interactions read true to me. Miranda is your average sixteen year old at the beginning, interesting in boys and school. As she develops due to the circumstances, her priorities change and her character emerges. The story is told in Miranda's diary and gives a bit of distance to the more horrific of the events. I found the story engrossing and close enough to possible to be very scary.
Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Miranda is sixteen and living on the outskirts of a small town in Pennsylvania. There is interest in an impending event, an asteroid about to hit the moon. Most of her teachers assign papers around the subject and Miranda, younger brother Jonny and her mother plan to watch the event. They've called her older brother Matt at Cornell and got his permission to use his telescope. Miranda's father and her stepmother Lisa live in Springfield, Massachusetts and have just announced that they will be having a baby.
When the astral body collision takes place, the moon is knocked out of its orbit and closer to the earth. This causes all kinds of issues on the earth, beginning with tidal waves.
Miranda's mother makes frantic preparations, stockpiling supplies and preparing for the worst, which puts their family in a better position than many.
As more events affect them, the family struggles to survive, stay safe and hope for a better future.
The story is very believable and the family interactions read true to me. Miranda is your average sixteen year old at the beginning, interesting in boys and school. As she develops due to the circumstances, her priorities change and her character emerges. The story is told in Miranda's diary and gives a bit of distance to the more horrific of the events. I found the story engrossing and close enough to possible to be very scary.
Canadian Mystery
Finished November 21
The Murder Stone by Louise Penny
Inspector Gamache is back, as good as ever. Here, he and his wife are vacationing at the Manoir Bellechasse, one of the best auberges in Quebec. They are there to celebrate their wedding anniversary, a tradition they have held for several years.
The other guests at the Manoir are a family, getting together to honour their dead father. There are lots of rivalries and grievances within the family and the tension is very high.
There is a heat wave and when it breaks, a dead body is found. Gamache finds himself with almost everyone at the auberge a suspect, from the family to the staff. As his team digs deeper to find the truth, the murderer is trapped there and may be getting desperate.
Gamache has great insight and his team works well together. The setting in Quebec is lovely and the other characters are interesting if not always likeable.
A good story with a great finale.
The Murder Stone by Louise Penny
Inspector Gamache is back, as good as ever. Here, he and his wife are vacationing at the Manoir Bellechasse, one of the best auberges in Quebec. They are there to celebrate their wedding anniversary, a tradition they have held for several years.
The other guests at the Manoir are a family, getting together to honour their dead father. There are lots of rivalries and grievances within the family and the tension is very high.
There is a heat wave and when it breaks, a dead body is found. Gamache finds himself with almost everyone at the auberge a suspect, from the family to the staff. As his team digs deeper to find the truth, the murderer is trapped there and may be getting desperate.
Gamache has great insight and his team works well together. The setting in Quebec is lovely and the other characters are interesting if not always likeable.
A good story with a great finale.
Friday, 21 November 2008
Interesting Listen
Finished November 20
Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) by Tom Vanderbilt, read by David Slavin
This was an abridged version, which I don't normally go for as I always wonder what I missed, but the librarian I carpool with and I wanted to listen to this together (and hey as she admitted, she bought this for our collection!) so we did.
We found it very interesting and learned a lot that surprised us about traffic and had some of our suspicions verified (yes women ARE safer drivers). As the author says, traffic isn't just about driving and cars, it is about human nature. There are physical and technical aspects to traffic, but also a lot of psychological ones. I found it interesting enough that I shall try to find time to read the book, and get the stuff I missed.
Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) by Tom Vanderbilt, read by David Slavin
This was an abridged version, which I don't normally go for as I always wonder what I missed, but the librarian I carpool with and I wanted to listen to this together (and hey as she admitted, she bought this for our collection!) so we did.
We found it very interesting and learned a lot that surprised us about traffic and had some of our suspicions verified (yes women ARE safer drivers). As the author says, traffic isn't just about driving and cars, it is about human nature. There are physical and technical aspects to traffic, but also a lot of psychological ones. I found it interesting enough that I shall try to find time to read the book, and get the stuff I missed.
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Great Mystery
Finished November 18
All the Colours of Darkness by Peter Robinson
I can't believe it, but each book is better than the one before.
Here, a group of schoolboys discover a body hanging in the woods, and Detective Inspector Annie Cabot gets the case. The body is identified as Mark Hardcastle, set and costume designer for the local Eastvale Theatre. The situation points to suicide, but other information makes Annie wonder. When a link to higher society is found, Banks is called back from his weekend off to take on the case.
When Annie and Banks keep working on the case after being told it is cut and dried, strange things begin to happen. Someone seems to want the investigation shut down and is willing to play dirty.
The ties to the play Othello that the Eastvale Theatre was presenting are an interesting twist. The plot is gripping and you feel the frustration that Annie and Banks come up against.
All the Colours of Darkness by Peter Robinson
I can't believe it, but each book is better than the one before.
Here, a group of schoolboys discover a body hanging in the woods, and Detective Inspector Annie Cabot gets the case. The body is identified as Mark Hardcastle, set and costume designer for the local Eastvale Theatre. The situation points to suicide, but other information makes Annie wonder. When a link to higher society is found, Banks is called back from his weekend off to take on the case.
When Annie and Banks keep working on the case after being told it is cut and dried, strange things begin to happen. Someone seems to want the investigation shut down and is willing to play dirty.
The ties to the play Othello that the Eastvale Theatre was presenting are an interesting twist. The plot is gripping and you feel the frustration that Annie and Banks come up against.
For the Younger Crowd
Finished November 15
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
Ted and his older sister Kat live with their parents in London. Their dad is a demolition expert. Their aunt Gloria, sister to their mother, is stopping off in London with her son Salim, as they move from England to New York City.
Salim wants to ride the London Eye while in town, and while the kids are waiting in line they get offered a free single ticket. Salim takes it and gets on the ride, but when it comes back down he is not there. After the initial panic, the police are called in and try to figure out what happened.
Ted and Kat work together to try to solve the puzzle as well, and Ted's special way of thinking gives them insight into the mystery.
This is a great story, with an interesting puzzle to solve that also highlights autism. The family relationships are well written and Ted's personality really comes through.
Finished November 16
Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
This is the first in a series of books centred around a group of vampires. As the young vampires go through puberty they transform from humans into their true selves. The novel centres around a group of students at Duchesne School in New York City, a private school with a student body consisting of a large number of "blue bloods" as the vampires define themselves. The main character is Schuyler Van Alen, who is being raised by her maternal grandmother. Schuyler's mother is in a coma and Schuyler visits her at the hospital regularly. As Schuyler copes with the discovery of her true vampire nature and deals with the usual teenage social issues at school, she must also figure out who is murdering young Blue Bloods. Schuyler works with her friend Oliver against the denial of the leaders of the clan over the threat to their future.
Schuyler comes across as a relatively normal teen dealing with an abnormal situation. The explanations for historic events and cultural trends are interesting, and the plot keeps things moving. Teens with an interest in the vampire genre will find another interesting author to read.
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
Ted and his older sister Kat live with their parents in London. Their dad is a demolition expert. Their aunt Gloria, sister to their mother, is stopping off in London with her son Salim, as they move from England to New York City.
Salim wants to ride the London Eye while in town, and while the kids are waiting in line they get offered a free single ticket. Salim takes it and gets on the ride, but when it comes back down he is not there. After the initial panic, the police are called in and try to figure out what happened.
Ted and Kat work together to try to solve the puzzle as well, and Ted's special way of thinking gives them insight into the mystery.
This is a great story, with an interesting puzzle to solve that also highlights autism. The family relationships are well written and Ted's personality really comes through.
Finished November 16
Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
This is the first in a series of books centred around a group of vampires. As the young vampires go through puberty they transform from humans into their true selves. The novel centres around a group of students at Duchesne School in New York City, a private school with a student body consisting of a large number of "blue bloods" as the vampires define themselves. The main character is Schuyler Van Alen, who is being raised by her maternal grandmother. Schuyler's mother is in a coma and Schuyler visits her at the hospital regularly. As Schuyler copes with the discovery of her true vampire nature and deals with the usual teenage social issues at school, she must also figure out who is murdering young Blue Bloods. Schuyler works with her friend Oliver against the denial of the leaders of the clan over the threat to their future.
Schuyler comes across as a relatively normal teen dealing with an abnormal situation. The explanations for historic events and cultural trends are interesting, and the plot keeps things moving. Teens with an interest in the vampire genre will find another interesting author to read.
Saturday, 15 November 2008
Analysis
Finished November 14
How Fiction Works by James Wood
This is a nice not-too-long book about the elements of fiction. Wood covers narrative, detail, character, language, dialogue, realism and style. The information is split into short, very readable sections, and the footnotes are kept to a minimum. Wood includes a bibliography of the fiction he references, and the works about fiction that he refers to.
Wood deals not only with the elements that make up fiction, but also talks about the development of fiction over time. Some techniques are not used anymore, while others remain viable in modern fiction.
This book is very readable and offers insights to both fiction readers and fiction writers on the nature and history of this wonderful material.
How Fiction Works by James Wood
This is a nice not-too-long book about the elements of fiction. Wood covers narrative, detail, character, language, dialogue, realism and style. The information is split into short, very readable sections, and the footnotes are kept to a minimum. Wood includes a bibliography of the fiction he references, and the works about fiction that he refers to.
Wood deals not only with the elements that make up fiction, but also talks about the development of fiction over time. Some techniques are not used anymore, while others remain viable in modern fiction.
This book is very readable and offers insights to both fiction readers and fiction writers on the nature and history of this wonderful material.
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Thriller
Finished November 13
Hit and Run by Lawrence Block
An interesting main character, a likeable hit man who collects stamps. Keller is a hit man who intends to quit after this last job. He's saved enough money to live comfortably and looks forward to retirement.
In Des Moines, waiting for the go ahead for his last job, somewhere else in the city the governor of Ohio is gunned down. Back at his motel, Keller watches the story on television and finds that the killer's face is very familiar. When he calls his associate Dot, who sets up his jobs, there is no answer. He's stranded, his picture is everywhere, his ID and credit cards are no good to him, and he just spent most of his cash on stamps.
As we watch Keller, a surprisingly moral man, make his way back to his home in New York, and find more interesting goings-on there, we sympathize with him. When he continues his wanderings to New Orleans, we find him getting into even more interesting situations.
There is lots going on here, but the character of Keller is the really interesting thing in this novel.
I enjoyed it, and found it hard to put down.
Hit and Run by Lawrence Block
An interesting main character, a likeable hit man who collects stamps. Keller is a hit man who intends to quit after this last job. He's saved enough money to live comfortably and looks forward to retirement.
In Des Moines, waiting for the go ahead for his last job, somewhere else in the city the governor of Ohio is gunned down. Back at his motel, Keller watches the story on television and finds that the killer's face is very familiar. When he calls his associate Dot, who sets up his jobs, there is no answer. He's stranded, his picture is everywhere, his ID and credit cards are no good to him, and he just spent most of his cash on stamps.
As we watch Keller, a surprisingly moral man, make his way back to his home in New York, and find more interesting goings-on there, we sympathize with him. When he continues his wanderings to New Orleans, we find him getting into even more interesting situations.
There is lots going on here, but the character of Keller is the really interesting thing in this novel.
I enjoyed it, and found it hard to put down.
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Murder Mystery
Finished November 12
Too Close to Home by Linwood Barclay
Just as entertaining as I expected, this fast-paced mystery kept me reading.
Set in a small town in upstate New York, this mystery begins with a family, the Langleys, shot to death in their own home. Nearby neighbors Jim and Ellen Cutter and their son Derek become more involved in the crime than they expected at first. Derek was friends with Adam Langley and it turns out he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Past indiscretions are dredged up in the search for the truth about the murders, and Jim isn't sure who he should trust.
From the corrupt mayor to the conniving college president, there are plenty of interesting characters.
Too Close to Home by Linwood Barclay
Just as entertaining as I expected, this fast-paced mystery kept me reading.
Set in a small town in upstate New York, this mystery begins with a family, the Langleys, shot to death in their own home. Nearby neighbors Jim and Ellen Cutter and their son Derek become more involved in the crime than they expected at first. Derek was friends with Adam Langley and it turns out he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Past indiscretions are dredged up in the search for the truth about the murders, and Jim isn't sure who he should trust.
From the corrupt mayor to the conniving college president, there are plenty of interesting characters.
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