I didn't see a November thread so I thought I would take the plunge and start one.

I started November off by reading When You Reach Me Sunday afternoon - what a great YA book, and one that I highly recommend!

In the meantime I have picked up People of the Book for a LT group read and Zeitoun. Almost finished Zeitoun after one day, it is such a quick read!

edited for typos!

Message edited by its author, Nov 2, 2009, 9:53pm.

I'm reading Kappa Child by Hiromi Goto. It's rather odd.

I've had to set aside my current pile of books to start reading my August ER win that just arrived - The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens. On the eve of her 25th wedding anniversary, a morbidly obese woman reflects on her life while waiting - in vain - for her husband to come home. Not bad so far...

I'm working on The Wife's Tale as well.

I have started The Guinea Pig Diaries by AJ Jacobs. It is hilarious and makes me wonder how his wife Julie puts up with him. My favorite so far is how he outsourced his personal chores to a company in India.

The Wife's Tale is on my TBR shelves.

The Guinea Pig Diaries is on my wish list.

I'm reading Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama

Message edited by its author, Nov 7, 2009, 3:55pm.

Finished Zeitoun earlier this week... thought it was quite good.
Still reading People of the Book with the group read.... I am really liking it when I grab time to read it.
So I don't get to far ahead of the group read, I am now reading Leaving Tangier as my 'second book'.
#6 and #7: The Guinea Pig Diaries sounds like a great book.... I have added it to by TBR pile!

I've read A. J. Jacobs's other two books: The Know-it-all where he spent a year reading the encyclopedia from A to Z, and The Year of Living Biblically where he followed the bible as literally as possible for a year (8 months on the old testament and 4 on the new). Life with him would certainly be interesting!

I am in the middle of Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro- excellent short stories!

Standing Stones by John Metcalf, one of Canada's least-appreciated (but arguably most important) short story writers.

I finished The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls this week; it was a good read although I wanted to reach into the book and shake her parents for being such self absorbed children. I'm now working on Last Night in Twisted River, John Irving's latest. Another Irving masterpiece, or another A Son of the Circus? Time will tell...

I'm just starting The Disappeared, by Kim Echlin, which is a nominee for this year's Giller.

I'm reading The Revenge of Gaia by James Lovelock for a book club.

Gaia was a quick read (159 pages) and I'm on to Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller.

I just finished Talk to the Hand by Lynne Truss and found it disappointing. While her last book Eats, Shoots, and Leaves was funny and objective, this was just whiny and self righteous. As she doesn't think talking loudly on a cell phone in public is rude or inconsiderate, she lost all credibility with me. I think I'll read Northanger Abbey next - it's the second story in my Jane Austen compendium that I received last Christmas, and I'm hoping I'll like it as much as I did the first story, Pride and Prejudice.

I am reading Advice for Italian Boys by Vancouverite Anne Giardini. I love her use of language, descriptive, precise interspersed with Italian proverbi. The plot however needs tightening - I'm not sure where the story is leading and what the characters are all about.

I have also started Poached Eggs on Toast by Ottawan Frances Itani. It is a collection of short stories. Not at all what I expected - much more subtle with poetic undertones. It might take me a while to get used to it, but so far I've enjoyed what I have read.

What Boys Like (short stories) by Amy Jones and Track and Trace by Zach Wells.

Touchstone for the latter is not working; it's a poetry collection with design and illustration by Seth. The design is absolutely gorgeous.

I'm also reading Rest on the Flight Into Egypt by A.F. Moritz.

The thing about poetry and short stories is that you can read a lot of books simultaneously.

I'm reading 100 Photos That Changed Canada, edited by Mark Reid. Yes, I'm looking at the pictures, but the accompanying essays by various authors make the collection even more compelling.

#17 Cecilturtle - I have added both of your books to the list I am compiling for my 1010 Challenge - Itani's book will be perfect for my short stories category and Giardini would be a nice fit for my A Trans Canada Journey category - I plan to read a current or near current novel written by a Canadian author from each of the 10 provinces the Trans Canada Highway passes through.

Would anyone happen to have any suggestions for an author from P.E.I.? I seem to be drawing a blank for a representative from that province.

As for my current reading, I finished The Year That Follows - not something that I would recommend, both the characters and the plot were lacking.....

I am continuing with The People of the Book for the group read and plan to start the 2009 Orange Prize shortlist for Fiction Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre Madden this afternoon.

#20 - Ikernagh - Hi. I'm from P.E.I. and there really aren't many novelists from here, other than L.M. Montgomery, of course. Lori Derby Bingley has written several mystery books - I only read one and it wasn't to my taste, but she's the only one I know of. There are lots of writers here but they write non-fiction - history, biography, children's books, cookbooks,etc.
If you haven't read some of the other Montgomery books, such as the Blue Castle, you might consider them. Also, Budge Wilson from Nova Scotia has written Before Green Gables and it's a marvellous book - on a par with the original book and beautifully done. I know I've really only given you more Green Gables, but Wilson's book is well worth a read. Even the doubters and prequel haters loved her work on this book.
I'd love to give you a long list to chose from but it's very difficult to come up with any, as you no doubt have discovered.

Zach Wells, who I mentioned above, is originally from PEI. But he's a poet, not a novelist, and nowadays he lives in Halifax.

I'm reading Help Me, Jacques Cousteau by Gil Adamson. It's been re-released because of the popularity of her second novel, The Outlander.

arcona and ajsomerset - Thank you so much for the responses you provided. I am open to making my challenge category a broad interpretation of what defines the author choice from P.E.I - worst case I can add an extra author from the maritime provinces to balance off my challenge. Who knows, I have until Dec 31, 2010 to complete the challenge so, anything can happen between now and then... maybe a new author? :-)

If you want PEI and can define "novel" as anything fiction, both Deirdre Kessler and David Weale have written lovely children's books that I think are fairly widely available, at least through libraries.

I just started The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger-the GG fiction award winner. My first impressions- it is good, but is it better than Galore? Hmm-I'll see.

I'm reading Hoodwinked: the Spy who didn't Die by Lowell Green.

I just finished The Bishop's Man which of course was the Giller winner and now I am reading the collected short stories of Alistair MacLeod.

Dancing Nightly in the Tavern by Mark Anthony Jarman. The reprint of Jarman's first story collection.

Touchstone not working.

I have finished Les joies de la maternité by illustrator Élise Gravel and blogger Caroline Allard (both Canadian) - a hilarious, if somewhat cynical, look at motherhood and its modern extremes (the Jag stroller was one of my favourites.
I'm continuing the humour vein with Eats, Shoots, and Leaves Lynn Truss's now famous book on punctuation. Much laughter although her abuse on "stupid people" can be over the top.

Message edited by its author, Nov 22, 2009, 3:10pm.

arcona - Many thanks! I am keeping my definition of 'novel' very loose so your suggestions by authors Deirdre Kessler and David Weale will most likely fit the bill!

torontoc - I have Mistress of Nothing on my TBR pile but would be curious to learn your thoughts on both it and Galore - it may help me decide which one I might consider picking up first!

I have finished People of the Book with the group read - overall it was quite good and I look forward to picking up another of Brooks' books - and Molly Fox's Birthday which was an all right read, written as one would expect with the rambling thoughts and events of an individual over the course of their day being presented as a bit of a jumbled mess in my opinion (no chapters to the book, just the odd extra spacing here and there to designate a change in focus/thought process of the main character).

Currently reading Something Missing. I am 182 pages in and I have to say this is such a fun, quirky novel. Martin is such a unique character you cannot help but roll your eyes at what he gets himself into while cheering for him at the same time. I will probably finish Something Missing later tonight so next up is When I Forgot by Elina Hirvonen.

The Mistress of Nothing is a good book- you should read it. I am half way into it. However, I was more entranced with Galore. and Crummey's storytelling. The characters in Galore are wonderful although one very interesting one seems to ''wander off" at the end of the story- I wanted more.
So- I would start with Galore first.

Message edited by its author, Nov 22, 2009, 10:36pm.

I'm reading The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb.

#32 - Excellent! I will plan to add both to my 1010 challenge as that will be starting in just 6 weeks - good grief, I need to start thing about the coming holiday season!

I finished When I Forgot this afternoon - I found this to be quite a stunning, potent novel that I am still musing over. Next up is Broken by Daniel Clay.

edited to fix typo and touchstone

Message edited by its author, Nov 24, 2009, 11:45pm.

I'm reading La Caverne by José Saramago. It's a tough read because very dense but it really draws the reader into the characters' world (an old potter, his daughter and her husband). The description of the pottery process itself is fascinating as is the change from a traditional world to a modern one.

I'm reading The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas

I picked up Push by Sapphire at the library yesterday and finished it this morning. Great book!

I slogged through The Shack by Wm Paul Young earlier this month. I found the message in there very convoluted at times.

And I've read Tempted by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast the 6th in the House of Night of series. I think these books are great! Better than the Twilight series.

I'm reading The Blythes are Quoted, the newly published L.M. Montgomery.

How is The Slap, Lynn? I've looked at it so many times, but it is a massive book!

LynnB - I second Cait86's question regarding The Slap - I have been thinking about picking this one up and would appreciate your thoughts on the book.

I finished Broken by Daniel Clay this afternoon - I found it to be quite a compelling read. Next up is The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin.

I'm less than 1/4 thru, but am enjoying it so far. Different chapters feature different characters, but the POV remains in the 3rd person. The story moves forward as each character is featured. So far, it is thought-provoking about the issue of corporal punishment, and especially about loyalty.

I'll say more when I've finished, but so far, so good.