Finished July 3
Out of a Clear Sky by Sally Hinchcliffe
Manda is a computer programmer and help desk operator at the local university and has a passion for birdwatching. She has recently been dumped by her long-term boyfriend Gareth, and is still upset by that situation. They own a house together and need to figure out what to do with it before they can completely move on.
Manda finds that she is suddenly noticing a man that she has seen at birdwatching events everywhere she goes. She begins to get fearful about him and, as other strange things happen with her computers and house, scared to even be home. As she also reflects on her own childhood and its unhappiness, she also finds similarities in her current life.
Manda is a victim, but she is one who can't seem to help herself properly and makes mistake after mistake as she gets herself into deeper trouble.
Saturday, 3 July 2010
War Story
Finished June 28
The True Story of Hansel and Gretel: a novel of war and survival by Louise Murphy
Two young children, brother and sister are left in the woods by their father and stepmother who are fleeing from the Germans in the last months of World War II. To hide their identity as Jews, the two are told their names are now Hansel and Gretel.
On their travels through the woods, the two eventually encounter a house lived in by Magda, an eccentric old woman known to local villagers as the witch. Despite the urging of others, Magda takes in the two children as her grandchildren. She receives help from family members in hiding the real identity of the children, and trying to give them a normal life. When a new German General comes to town with his own agenda for some of the children, things become even more difficult for the villagers.
With a close look at the difficult lives of villagers during this time period, history comes to life. But the added element of the Hansel and Gretel story adds another dimension to the story.
A fascinating and engrossing novel. This book was a San Francisco Chroncile Best Book of the Year.
The True Story of Hansel and Gretel: a novel of war and survival by Louise Murphy
Two young children, brother and sister are left in the woods by their father and stepmother who are fleeing from the Germans in the last months of World War II. To hide their identity as Jews, the two are told their names are now Hansel and Gretel.
On their travels through the woods, the two eventually encounter a house lived in by Magda, an eccentric old woman known to local villagers as the witch. Despite the urging of others, Magda takes in the two children as her grandchildren. She receives help from family members in hiding the real identity of the children, and trying to give them a normal life. When a new German General comes to town with his own agenda for some of the children, things become even more difficult for the villagers.
With a close look at the difficult lives of villagers during this time period, history comes to life. But the added element of the Hansel and Gretel story adds another dimension to the story.
A fascinating and engrossing novel. This book was a San Francisco Chroncile Best Book of the Year.
Character Novel
Finished June 27
Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow
This is a story about two brother. The younger, Homer, went blind as a teenager while his older brother was off fighting in World War I. After their parents were killed in an accident the two live on in the family mansion across from Central Park, living an increasingly reclusive life.
Due to Homer's blindness, Langley tends to make most of the decisions, and begins hoarding a variety of items, especially newspapers. As they become more and more cut off from their neighbours, they also lose access to more and more services. Homer is a bit of a victim of his brother's paranoia and persecution complex and, as the story is told from his point of view, he is the more sympathetic character.
A very interesting novel.
Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow
This is a story about two brother. The younger, Homer, went blind as a teenager while his older brother was off fighting in World War I. After their parents were killed in an accident the two live on in the family mansion across from Central Park, living an increasingly reclusive life.
Due to Homer's blindness, Langley tends to make most of the decisions, and begins hoarding a variety of items, especially newspapers. As they become more and more cut off from their neighbours, they also lose access to more and more services. Homer is a bit of a victim of his brother's paranoia and persecution complex and, as the story is told from his point of view, he is the more sympathetic character.
A very interesting novel.
Historical Fiction
Finished June 26
The Rebellion of Jane Clarke by Sally Gunning
In the town of Satucket Jane Clarke lives with her father, stepmother and younger siblings. Her father runs one of the two mills in town and there is a longstanding rivalry between the two mill families, the Clarkes and the Winslows. Jane's big rebellion is to turn down a marriage proposal that her father had expected her to accept. She feels that she wants to know the man better before entering into the marriage, but as punishment she is sent to Boston to be companion to her father's sickly Aunt Gill.
Taking place just before the Revolution, there is considerable uneasiness in Boston between the people and the soldiers. Jane tries hard to observe what is happening rather than taking others' words for incidents, especially after she becomes involved in a situation that is reported inaccurately. She feels that she helps her aunt some, and keeps an eye on the servants, Prince and Martha, who sometimes seem to be taking advantage of Aunt Gill. She also tries to meet more often with her brother who is working in the law office of John Adams, on of the top lawyers in Boston at the time. In running errands for her aunt, she becomes acquainted with Henry Knox, the manager of a local bookseller and stationer, who both visits her at her aunts and escorts her to local events.
Jane sometimes misses her home and her family, and finds herself growing closer through letters to both her stepmother Mehitable and her sister Bethiah. She also finds comfort with her stepmother's parents who have a house in Boston. By vistiing with her family and friends, she also encounters her spurned suitor Phinnie Paine and learns more about him.
This has a wealth of history and great insight into this young woman's thoughts and feelings as she learns to think and act for herself.
The Rebellion of Jane Clarke by Sally Gunning
In the town of Satucket Jane Clarke lives with her father, stepmother and younger siblings. Her father runs one of the two mills in town and there is a longstanding rivalry between the two mill families, the Clarkes and the Winslows. Jane's big rebellion is to turn down a marriage proposal that her father had expected her to accept. She feels that she wants to know the man better before entering into the marriage, but as punishment she is sent to Boston to be companion to her father's sickly Aunt Gill.
Taking place just before the Revolution, there is considerable uneasiness in Boston between the people and the soldiers. Jane tries hard to observe what is happening rather than taking others' words for incidents, especially after she becomes involved in a situation that is reported inaccurately. She feels that she helps her aunt some, and keeps an eye on the servants, Prince and Martha, who sometimes seem to be taking advantage of Aunt Gill. She also tries to meet more often with her brother who is working in the law office of John Adams, on of the top lawyers in Boston at the time. In running errands for her aunt, she becomes acquainted with Henry Knox, the manager of a local bookseller and stationer, who both visits her at her aunts and escorts her to local events.
Jane sometimes misses her home and her family, and finds herself growing closer through letters to both her stepmother Mehitable and her sister Bethiah. She also finds comfort with her stepmother's parents who have a house in Boston. By vistiing with her family and friends, she also encounters her spurned suitor Phinnie Paine and learns more about him.
This has a wealth of history and great insight into this young woman's thoughts and feelings as she learns to think and act for herself.
Adventure Fiction
Finished June 24
The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin
Ashley Knox, an athletic writer/columnist on the verge of marriage, and Ben Payne, an emergency pediatric sports orthopedic surgeon, meet at the airport in Salt Lake City. They are booked on the same flight and share a bit of their backgrounds as they wait. When their flight is cancelled, they are both disappointed.
Ben notices a private flight operator and makes arrangements for a flight out before the approaching storm, and invites Ashley to join him. Private pilot Grover has years of experience, and has no qualms about the flight. He also has his dog on board.
However, the unthinkable happens and the plane crashes badly in the High Uintas Wilderness of Utah, miles from any settlement. With Ashley's broken leg and Ben's broken ribs, they must think carefully about every move they make towards their goal of survival. Ben travels always with a digital recorder, on which he records messages to his wife, to give her later. He has been doing this for his travels their entire marriage. Ashley is entranced by this practice and tries to draw him out about his wife Rachel and their life together.
A story of adventure, courage, and love, this is a book that will keep you reading. I loved it.
The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin
Ashley Knox, an athletic writer/columnist on the verge of marriage, and Ben Payne, an emergency pediatric sports orthopedic surgeon, meet at the airport in Salt Lake City. They are booked on the same flight and share a bit of their backgrounds as they wait. When their flight is cancelled, they are both disappointed.
Ben notices a private flight operator and makes arrangements for a flight out before the approaching storm, and invites Ashley to join him. Private pilot Grover has years of experience, and has no qualms about the flight. He also has his dog on board.
However, the unthinkable happens and the plane crashes badly in the High Uintas Wilderness of Utah, miles from any settlement. With Ashley's broken leg and Ben's broken ribs, they must think carefully about every move they make towards their goal of survival. Ben travels always with a digital recorder, on which he records messages to his wife, to give her later. He has been doing this for his travels their entire marriage. Ashley is entranced by this practice and tries to draw him out about his wife Rachel and their life together.
A story of adventure, courage, and love, this is a book that will keep you reading. I loved it.
Chinese Adoptions
Finished June 23
The Red Thread by Ann Hood
Maya has been getting over a tragedy in her life for some time. One thing she has done towards this is open an adoption agency to help people adopt babies from China. This book takes place a few years after her agency started up and is focused on a group of couples who came to the same orientation and are due to adopt their babies at the same time. We get to know the various couples and see the situations in their lives that brought them to the point of adoption. The dynamics between each couple are interesting and the situations are varied. As expected, it is mostly the women driving the process, but the men react in interesting and varied ways.
We also gradually see into Maya's past and watch as she finally comes to terms with it herself.
An interesting book, and an engaging story.
The Red Thread by Ann Hood
Maya has been getting over a tragedy in her life for some time. One thing she has done towards this is open an adoption agency to help people adopt babies from China. This book takes place a few years after her agency started up and is focused on a group of couples who came to the same orientation and are due to adopt their babies at the same time. We get to know the various couples and see the situations in their lives that brought them to the point of adoption. The dynamics between each couple are interesting and the situations are varied. As expected, it is mostly the women driving the process, but the men react in interesting and varied ways.
We also gradually see into Maya's past and watch as she finally comes to terms with it herself.
An interesting book, and an engaging story.
Friday, 2 July 2010
Billed as Hot Read for the Summer
Finished June 23
The Passage by Justin Cronin (Advance Readers' Edition)
Billed as the read for Summer 2010, this chunky (766 page) novel is gripping and has not only an interesting plot, but also interesting characters.
It begins by looking at a young single mother and her daughter Amy, struggling to survive and at a US Army project called NOAH, a secret project designed to weaponize the human body. The first twelve test subjects for this project turn into something other than human: deadly, hungry for blood and hard to kill.
The thirteenth test subject is the six-year-old girl named Amy and when the first twelve escape, an FBI agent named Wolgast rescues her.
We then jump ahead several decades to a small community in California, living mostly in a lighted compound and starting to encounter technical problems to their existence. Existing her are both First Families (the founders of the community, all of whom came as children) and Walkers (those that showed up at the community later looking for safe haven).
As the community begins to disintegrate we follow a group of young people looking for another haven: Peter, whose brother Theo was attacked and taken by the virals; Alicia a young woman raised by a Walker; Sara and Michael, brother and sister, engineer and nurse; Caleb, a young man eager to prove himself; and others.
Watching as the characters follow a faint lead, and grow into their adult selves keeps you glued to the page.
For a large book, I read this amazingly fast and enjoyed it thoroughly. Will have to keep an eye open for the next two in the trilogy.
The Passage by Justin Cronin (Advance Readers' Edition)
Billed as the read for Summer 2010, this chunky (766 page) novel is gripping and has not only an interesting plot, but also interesting characters.
It begins by looking at a young single mother and her daughter Amy, struggling to survive and at a US Army project called NOAH, a secret project designed to weaponize the human body. The first twelve test subjects for this project turn into something other than human: deadly, hungry for blood and hard to kill.
The thirteenth test subject is the six-year-old girl named Amy and when the first twelve escape, an FBI agent named Wolgast rescues her.
We then jump ahead several decades to a small community in California, living mostly in a lighted compound and starting to encounter technical problems to their existence. Existing her are both First Families (the founders of the community, all of whom came as children) and Walkers (those that showed up at the community later looking for safe haven).
As the community begins to disintegrate we follow a group of young people looking for another haven: Peter, whose brother Theo was attacked and taken by the virals; Alicia a young woman raised by a Walker; Sara and Michael, brother and sister, engineer and nurse; Caleb, a young man eager to prove himself; and others.
Watching as the characters follow a faint lead, and grow into their adult selves keeps you glued to the page.
For a large book, I read this amazingly fast and enjoyed it thoroughly. Will have to keep an eye open for the next two in the trilogy.
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