Lori's attempt at the 11 in 11 Challenge - Part 3

Welcome to my Third Quarter SUMMER reading!

Previous threads:
Part 1
Part 2


Winslow Homer (1836-1910) Girl in a Hammock

..... This is how I wish all my summer days can be spent, lounging in a hammock with a good book in hand! Such bliss! **sighs**
Now, onward with the reading....




1. "New to me" Canadian Authors CATEGORY COMPLETED!
2. I Don't Remember THAT From History Class: - Historical Fiction (pre-1945) CATEGORY COMPLETED!
3. Follow Thy Author: - More books by authors I have recently discovered
4. What a Debut!: - Author debut novels CATEGORY COMPLETED!
5. The Envelope Please...: - Prize winners and shortlisted
6. Lost in Translation: - Foreign language novels translated into English CATEGORY COMPLETED!
7. What is Stephen Harper Reading: List found at What is Stephen Harper Reading - explanation found below at message #8.
8. Steampunk
9. Next in Series
10. Off the Shelf
11. Grandma's Amazing Button Jar

1. "New to me" Canadian Authors:
I think I went a little overboard when I came up with my Trans Canada Journey last year. The goal of reading one author from each of the 10 provinces from coast to coast became a bit of a challenge for me so this year the only restriction will be that I haven't read books by any of the 'new to me' authors' before.

1. Unless by Carol Shields
2. Still Life by Louise Penny
3. Snowmen by Mark Sedore
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Completed First Quarter 2011 - see Part 1 thread

4. Letters to Omar by Rachel Wyatt
5. Into That Darkness by Steven Price
6. Kalila by Rosemary Nixon
7. The House of All Sorts by Emily Carr
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Completed Second Quarter 2011 - see Part 2 thread

8. The Legacy by David Suzuki
9. Joyner's Dream by Sylvia Tyson
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Minimum to complete the challenge

CATEGORY COMPLETED!

2. I Don't Remember THAT From History Class: - Historical Fiction (pre-1945)

1. What Alice Knew: A Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper by Paula Marantz Cohen
2. The Maquinna Line: A Family Saga by Norma MacMillan
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Completed First Quarter 2011 - see Part 1 thread

3. Mr. Shakespeare's Bastard by Richard B. Wright
4. The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick
5. Belle by Lesley Pearse
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Completed Second Quarter 2011 - see Part 2 thread

6. Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrochers
7. Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary 'Jacky' Faber, Ship's Boy by L. A. Meyer
8. Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, The Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle by Thea Cooper
9. The Twice Born by Pauline Gedge
__________________________________
Minimum to complete the challenge

CATEGORY COMPLETED!

3. Follow Thy Author: - More books by authors I have recently discovered

1. You Went Away by Timothy Findley
2. The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys
3. Left Neglected by Lisa Genova
__________________________________
Completed First Quarter 2011 - see Part 1 thread

4. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
5. Irma Voth by Miriam Toews
6. Aiding and Abetting by Muriel Spark
7. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
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Completed Second Quarter 2011 - see Part 2 thread

8. Looking for Jake: Stories by China Mieville
9.
__________________________________
Minimum to complete the challenge

4. What a Debut!: - Author debut novels

1. The Sherlockian by Graham Moore
2. The Patterns of Paper Monsters by Emma Rathbone
3. Words by Ginny Yttrup
4. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
5. The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean
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Completed First Quarter 2011 - see Part 1 thread

6. Mr. Chartwell by Rebecca Hunt
7. The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englander
8. The Fates Will Find Their Way by Hannah Pittard
9. When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman
__________________________________
Minimum to complete the challenge

CATEGORY COMPLETED!

5. The Envelope Please...: Prize winners and shortlisted

1. Digging to America by Anne Tyler - 2007 Orange Prize shortlist
2. The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields - 1995 Pulitzer Prize winner and 1993 Governor General Award winner
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Completed First Quarter 2011 - see Part 1 thread

3. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson - 2005 Pulitzer Prize winner for Fiction
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Completed Second Quarter 2011 - see Part 2 thread

4. Small Island by Andrea Levy - 2004 Orange Prize winner for Fiction
5. Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill - 2008 Orange Prize shortlist
6. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett - 2002 Orange Broadband Prize winner for Fiction
7. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt - 2011 Booker Prize shortlist for Fiction
8.
9.
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Minimum to complete the challenge

6. Lost in Translation: Foreign language novels translated into English

1. The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martinez
2. Frida's Bed by Slavenka Drabulic
3. Limassol by Yishai Sarid
4. A Dead Man's Memoir by Mikhail Bulgakov
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Completed First Quarter 2011 - see Part 1 thread

5. Comedy in a Minor Key by Hans Keilson
6. Margherita Dolce Vita by Stefano Benni
7. The Moon Opera by Bi Feiyu
__________________________________
Completed Second Quarter 2011 - see Part 2 thread

8. Liquidation by Imre Kertész
9. Exit by Nelly Arcan
__________________________________
Minimum to complete the challenge

CATEGORY COMPLETED!

7. What is Stephen Harper Reading:
Canadian author Yann Martel (Life of Pi, Beatrice and Virgil) has created a website (What is Stephen Harper Reading) that tracks Martel's vow to send a book, and accompanying letter, to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper every two weeks as of April 16, 2007 and for as long as Stephen Harper is Prime Minister of Canada, to remind Harper of the importance of funding culture and the arts. It is an interesting mixed bag collection of books along with the accompanying letters. Call it the Yann Martel version of the '1001 Books before you die'.

1. Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan
__________________________________
Completed First Quarter 2011 - see Part 1 thread

Nothing read in Second Quarter 2011

2. By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart
3. The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
4. Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
5. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
7. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
8.
9.
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Minimum to complete the challenge

8. Steampunk:
I haven't come up with a catchy title for this one yet. I discovered Steampunk as a genre when I read Elizabeth Bear's New Amsterdam. I am not a big fan of sci-fi or fantasy but as a lover of historical fiction and the mechanical age, I feel as though I have now found something I can completely immerse myself in. This challenge is the test to see if that is true or not.

1. The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook
__________________________________
Completed First Quarter 2011 - see Part 1 thread

2. The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia
3. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
4. The Buntline Special by Mike Resnick
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Completed Second Quarter 2011 - see Part 2 thread

5. Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
6. Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding
7. The Affinity Bridge by George Mann
8.
9.
__________________________________
Minimum to complete the challenge

9. Next in Series:
Self explanatory. The 1010 challenge was great for introducing me to a number of new series so I wanted to make sure I had a category put aside to capture those books.

1. A Murderous Procession by Ariana Franklin
2. Dead Cold a.k.a. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
3. The Bohemian Girl by Kenneth Cameron
__________________________________
Completed First Quarter 2011 - see Part 1 thread

4. A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
5. Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
__________________________________
Completed Second Quarter 2011 - see Part 2 thread

6. Curse of the Blue Tattoo by L. A. Meyer
7. Under the Jolly Roger by L. A. Meyer
8.
9.
__________________________________
Minimum to complete the challenge

10. Off the Shelf: - Books I own TBR

1. A Sin of Colour by Sunetra Gupta
2. French Milk by Lucy Knisley
3. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
4. Building the Pauson House edited and introduced by Allan Wright Green
__________________________________
Completed First Quarter 2011 - see Part 1 thread

5. In the Company of Angels by Thomas E. Kennedy
6. Hotel Angeline by 36 writers
__________________________________
Completed Second Quarter 2011 - see Part 2 thread

7. Concerto by Sandra Miller
8.
9.
__________________________________
Minimum to complete the challenge

11. Grandma's Amazing Button Jar: - Overflow and Everything else.
My Grandma had the most amazing button jar, where she stored every button that ever fell off, was ripped off, taken off or was just found on the floor in passing. To this day, it contains the most amazing surprises and even my teenage nieces have learned when they lose a button off of an item of clothing they ask my Mom, the current keeper of the jar, 'Where is the button jar?" and they always manage to find the perfect replacement button in that huge gallon jar. Books, like buttons, can be the perfect find at the perfect time which is why I have named my catch all category 'Grandma's Amazing Button Jar".

1. The Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri
__________________________________
Completed First Quarter 2011 - see Part 1 thread

2. Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King
3. Box Bottle Bag by Andrew Gibbs
4. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
__________________________________
Completed Second Quarter 2011 - see Part 2 thread

5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
6. Pao by Kerry Young
7.
8.
9.
__________________________________
Minimum to complete the challenge

New thread is now completed and open for postings, discussions, pictures and anything else for sharing!

..... and because, yet again, I miss counted and saved one too many posting slots, I will fill this one to report that I am currently reading Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrouchers on my e-reader and will be reading Andrea Levy's Small Island during periods of time when I need to flip to something different or the e-reader needs charging!

Hi Lori. Lovely new thread - and I adore Winslow Homer - AND that is one of my favorites of his up top :)

I still love your categories. Looks like you are finding plenty of books that haven't crossed Stephen Harper's desk though. ;)

>15 katiekrug: - Hi Katie - I fell in love with that picture the moment I set eyes on it... now if I can only convince my other half that we need a quaint, quiet place in the country to let me recreate that image, my life would be complete!

>16 cammykitty: - Hi Katie - I know, I have been having such a struggle to get myself to commit to that category but don't fret, I have already decided to designate August as the month to deal with my Stephen Harper challenge books! ;-)

I'm sure you'll get through it! Sometimes if I read a not so great book, I get a block on a category, and once I pick up a better one in that category, I realize I was just being silly. Or sometimes the other categories just get ooo shiny!

Hi! I have your summer thread starred! Love the painting!

>18 cammykitty: - You are so right! It is always the shiny ones that keep attracting my attention! My middle name should be 'Magpie'. :-)

>19 tymfos: Hi Terri, great to see you dropped by!

Book #59 - Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrochers
Category: I Don't Remember THAT From History Class!
Alternate categories: "New to me" Canadian Authors and What a Debut!



Desrochers' debut novel takes the reader back in time to what, for me, is a lesser known period of early Canadian history. Starting on the streets of Paris in 1659, the story follows young Laure Beausejour, her life in the Salpêtrière, originally a gunpowder factory that King Louis XIV had converted into a dumping ground for the poor of Paris. Laure, snatched from her parents as a young girl off the streets, works in the basement lace workshops of the Salpêtrière. Laure chaffs at the meager rations and poor conditions she and the others live and work in to produce the new point de France needle lace, to compete with the needle lace being produced in Venice. The following quote by Georges Didi-Huberman at the start of Part One is an apt one to describe the Salpêtrière:

"The Salpêtrière was what it had always been: a kind of feminine inferno, a citta dolorosa confining 4000 incurable or mad women. It was a nightmare in the midst of Paris."

Laure's only salvation is her friend, the quiet and pious Madeleine Fabrecque, a fellow needle lace worker. You see, Laure knows that she wouldn't even be a resident of the Sainte-Claire dormitory at all if it hadn't been for the years she spent being refined in the house of Madame d'Aulnay. It is thanks to Madame d"Aulnay that Laure knows how to read and write. Strong spirited in nature, Laure seals her fate when she writes a letter that comes into the hands of the Superior of the Salpêtrière. It is decided that Laure will join 100 other women, King Louis XVI's filles du roi, chosen to sail to Canada to become wives for fur traders and soldiers already in New France to populate the settlements.

Rich in history and descriptive detail, I found this to be a fascinating story to illustrate what the filles du roi may have experienced, going from one harsh existence to another, without choice. I found Laure's somewhat selfish character to be annoying at times but I still felt an affinity as she struggled to deal with the circumstances that fate had landed her with. A good story to convey the trials, tribulations and harsh life - and winters! - the early settlers faced.

Rating: 4 Stars

Next Up: Continuing to read Small Island by Andrea Levy for Orange July and will now start China Mielville's Perdido Street Station for my Steampunk category.

Another one for the wishlist. Bride of New France. Drat! The list is getting longer than my TBR!

>22 cammykitty: Hi Katie - Sorry for adding to the wishlist ;-) Oh, the risks we all take to visit threads on LT!

Book #60 - Small Island by Andrea Levy
Category: The Envelope Please...



Levy won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2004 for her novel Small Island. Small Island is an interesting, thought provoking theme-laden historical journey told through the voices of four individuals: Bernard Bligh, his wife Queenie, Gilbert Joseph and his new bride Hortense. The story jumps forwards and backwards in time as it shifts from narrator to narrator, creating a collection of 4 stories that all intertwine in post war London - circa 1948 - at number 21 Nevern Street, the Bligh's house. Okay, that is probably an oversimplification of the overall story structure. At 530 pages, Levy takes her time to properly build the setting, the characters and the themes - pretty much everything from social norms, values, belief systems, colonialism, prejudice, racism, love, hate and even the endearing quality of the kindness of strangers is presented to the reader. Pieces to this interconnected puzzle fall into place one by one towards the conclusion.

This wasn't a captivating page turner for me, but I can say that it was at times humorous, at times thought provoking and at other times unsettling. The characters each had their human quirks and faults, providing realism to the story, making - at least for me - the thought provoking moments more poignant. Levy's approach to story-telling, giving each narrator their time on the stage to shift the reader back in time, made it easy for me to put the book down for more mundane tasks. While I wasn't captivated with this one, I am glad that I read it.

Overall, a solid piece of writing that captures the essence of the historical time periods and manages to approach some of the topics (racism, colonialism and social norms) with a refreshing wide-eyed 'how can this be happening?' approach. A good story that I think will stand the test of time.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Next Up: Continuing to read Perdido Street Station by China Mieville - so far, LOVING IT! - and will be also picking up Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill to continue my Orange July reading.

Lori, I'm so pleased that you found Small Island to be a decent read! I really loved it -and I think it's a favourite for me! I'm also pleased to see that you enjoyed Bride of New France. I picked that up on a whim several months ago when it first came out -and I really loved it! So glad you enjoyed it too. Apparently it's been in the top ten Canadian Bestseller's for over a month or so now. Great to see that.

I'm finding the summer weather so distracting that I'm just finishing up my 1st July read for July Orange - Case Histories.

I do have Lullibies for Criminals at the ready - so I'll be fascinated to see if you yet another person who enjoysLullibies for Criminals.

Another great review of Bride of New France, it seems to be a very popular book this year :) I do tend to like those kinds of books so I will have to keep my eyes open for a copy.

Lost track of you for a bit, but I'm here now. Love the Winslow Homer painting. Looks blissful!

Just had to say love your painting marking the opening to your thread, I want to be that girl.

>25 vancouverdeb: - Hi Deb, I know what you mean, when summer weather hits the island distractions abound!

>26 Bcteagirl: - Janice, thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy Bride of New France.

>27 Smiler69: - Thanks Ilana. I have to say, Girl in a Hammock is my favorite Homer painting and completely fits my mood right now for peaceful, tranquil, relaxing scenes.

>28 KiwiNyx: - KiwiNyx - Thanks for stopping by. I wake up every morning the sun is shining wishing I could be that girl too!

I spent the past few days computer free - not by choice! - when the operating system on my new computer decided to have 'issues' with the hard-drive and exacted revenge, for reasons that remain unknown. Having the one month old power supply decide to pack it all in at the same time had me looking at my e-reader uneasily wondering if it was going to turn on me as well. There are days when technology and I do not see eye to eye, but all is better now. ;-)

So far, this has been a good reading month with no clunkers so far. I am about 1/2 way through Lullabies for Little Criminals and 67.5% of the way through Perdido Street Station and really enjoying both of them. They are such different stories! As I am reading Lullabies for Little Criminals as my morning/commuting book and Perdido Street as my evening book, it will be a few days yet before I finish either one.

Sorry you had some computer problems, Lori. I hate it when I have anything go wrong with the computer, I just feel so helpless as I know nothing about the darn things!

Glad to hear you're enjoying Perdido - I'm impressed you can read anything else at the same time as a Miéville-book. For me, I need to totally immerse myself in his writing or I lose my grip.

ETA: Actually, now that I think of it, I rarely read more than one book at a time nowadays. Maybe it's not Miéville, maybe it's me...? :)

>30 DeltaQueen50: - Hi Judy, my problem is I know just enough about computers to be dangerous... thankfully my other half is the techno wizard and I have gotten much better about keeping my paws off of things that I probably shouldn't mess with! ;-) He only has to occasionally question if I have been - as he puts it - 'adjusting things'. This time, it really was the machine, with no human interference on my part and produced much muttering by my other half about the 'crap quality' of the hardware and software on the market these days.

> 31 - Hi Eva, as you have probably noticed, I don't appear to be making much progress in completing the two books I have on the go right now.... work and life in general has interfered with my planned reading this week. I am now looking forward to three days off from work and should get both books finished and reviewed in the next few days.

I have a book of Winslow Home Homer watercolours which is incredibly inspiring. Is this painting a watercolour as well do you know?

Lullabies for Little Criminals has been on my shelves for eons now and I keep meaning to pick it up and then not getting around to it. Maybe your review when you get to it will finally get me going. No pressure or anything. ;-)

eta: damn those typos!

Hi Ilana - I had to investigate the Winslow Homer painting as I really didn't know the answer. Apparently, it is an oil on canvas that sold at Christie's auction house back in 2002 for $1,659,500!

Book #61 - Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill
Category: The Envelope Please...
Alternate category: What a Debut!



A child's mind is like a bird trapped in an attic, looking for any crack of light to fly out of. Children are given vivid imaginations as defense mechanisms, as they usually don't have much means for escape.

Shortlisted for the Orange Prize in 2008, O'Neill's debut novel takes the reader into the world of 12-year old Baby. No, that is not a pseudonym. As Baby will tell you, that is the name on her birth certificate. The product of a teenage pregnancy, Baby lives with her young father Jules, who has been raising Baby on his own since her mother's death shortly after Baby was born. We learn right upfront that their relationship is more brother and sister than father and daughter in nature and that their life is somewhat transient - moving from apartment to apartment, resident hotel to resident hotel. Baby's world in Montreal is connected to the world of prostitutes, drug dealers, addicts and pimps, a neighborhood of strip joints and hot dog shops. No white picket fences, chintz curtains and frilly dresses with bows here. With trips into foster care and the custody of a neighbor when Jules is hospitalized and then does a stint in rehab, Baby's life is anything but stable and secure.

O'Neill does an amazing job bringing to life the world of a troubled adolescent. Baby's life is such a hard one with an unpredictable and at time abusive father, being misunderstood by the system - who the heck places an honor's student into remedial schooling?!?! - and a victim of the vultures that lurk in society and prey on the young and the weak that was heartbreaking to read. O'Neill manages to balance this depressing story of abuse, abandonment, addiction and child prostitution with humor, optimism, naivety and wisdom and in the process produced a novel that is beautifully written and really speaks to the plight of children in need. As Baby says, "Childhood is the most valuable thing that's taken away from you in life, if you think about it."

Rating: 4 Stars

Next Up: Continuing to read Perdido Street Station by China Mieville - should be finished very soon! - and will then decide what will be next after that.

Hi Lori, nice review of Lullabies for Little Criminals. I've had that one on the TBR shelves for a couple of years now. I think it's time to move it up a few notches!

Lori, you need to put that review on the home page so I can thumb it, seriously!

This is going to sound weird, but everything I've read about this book so far, and your review, most recently, reminds me of why it is I keep putting off reading this book which has been sitting on my shelf for at least 2-3 years now; there are too many elements about this story that sound like they'll hit close to home. Not to say that my life has been anything like Babe's, but ... Montreal, troubled adolescence and... yeah. At the beginning of your review, I thought "danmn it, I should just make room for it and read it NOW", but by the end I though "I just don't know that I can handle that right now", which is what I always end up thinking. Sounds like the kind of book I should arrange to finish reading directly before a therapy session, maybe. :-S

Great review. Still, I'll stick to my children's books for this Children's/YA themed month!

Hi Katie and Ilana - Lullabies for Little Criminals was an interesting read for me and I came away with a lot of thoughts about the system and how we tend to ignore the plight of some pockets of society within our urban centers. Basically a good story that evokes examination.

Ilana - I completely understand. I have a friend that is steering clear of this book because of the subject matter as I did warn her that it is portrayed in a very honest manner, making some parts quite an emotional hit. I love your Children's/YA themed month and will continue to lurk on your thread for more of those wonderful illustrations!

Book #62 - Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
Category: Steampunk



This one has already seen so much traffic here on LT that I won't bother with a summary and just dive right into my comments.

What an amazing story-master Miéville is! I approached this one with a little bit of trepidation as I don't usually go for dark, dystopian type novels. It didn't take long for me to see - through Miéville's wonderful descriptive writing - the world of New Crobuzon and its amazing cultural melting pot of citizenry come to life for me. I really loved the scientific descriptions that are weaved into the story - Yes I am a borderline nerd for some science and technology - and was fascinated with how Miéville managed to pull together such divergent technologies - flintlock pistols, blunderbusses and oil lamps alongside Remades and magical chemical, metallic and organic transforming abilities - to exist alongside amazing concepts such as crisis theory.

The characters are great, especially the truly fantasy character-creatures the Weaver, Construct Council, and the slake moths, but for me, it really is Miéville's skill at creating and maintaining an intense, intricate plot with multiple themes of fantasy, dystopian, steampunk, politics, social commentary and crime that kept me fascinated and page turning to see what would happen next.

Overall, a stunning piece of literary excellence and my favorite steampunk read to-date.

Rating: 5 Stars

Next Up: Back to Orange July reading with Ann Patchett's Bel Canto.

I'm glad it was as good for you as it was for me and (mostly) everyone else who's read it.

I'm having the same reaction to Lullabies as Ilana. It sounds like a great book, well done, but not for reading at a time when one isn't feeling emotionally strong. I'll think about reading it.

->39 lkernagh:

So happy that it worked for you - it's quite the masterpiece, isn't it?!

#39 This one's been on my wishlist for quite some time now. I really look forward to discovering Miéville.

Great review on the Melville book, I've had that on my list for a while now but you're making me want to push it to the top.

Thanks everyone! Yup, count me as a card carrying member of the Miéville book fan club!

Book #63 - Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Category: The Envelope Please...



Winner of the Broadband Orange Prize for Fiction in 2002, Patchett's novel starts out with a lavish birthday party held in an unnamed South American country by the country's vice president in honor of a wealthy and powerful international businessman. All efforts have been made to make this a memorable evening, with opera's most revered soprano performing at this private party. This seemingly perfect evening takes on a different meaning when terrorists storm the vice president's residence - the location of the party - and take the party guests hostage.

This is not an action suspense thriller. This is not a Die Hard. This is a languid, mesmerizing story that doesn't focus on action. If anything, it goes to great pains to portray inaction so that the true focus of the story - forging bonds of friendship, love, passion and understanding - can take center stage. Patchett's writing is beautiful and I found myself quite taken with it as the stories of the various characters unfolded and they interacted with one another.

As spell-binding as the story had started out for me, around the two-thirds mark the magic was starting to wear off. By the end of the story, my planned solid 5 star rating had slid to the now 4 star rating I have given it. While it is difficult for me to pin down exactly what caused this shift, and without giving anything away, I would have to say that the story slide too far into the unbelievable realm for me to retain my full, undivided and unwavering attention.

A beautiful story that proves Patchett's skill for creating characters a reader can connect to and care about and has me interested in reading more of Patchett's books.

Rating: 4 Stars

Next Up: Back to my Steampunk category with Chris Wooding's Retribution Falls.

Glad to see that Bel Canto was still a 4 star read for you. I remember you saying that the magic was wearing off partway through the book on another thread. Glad to see it didn't rub off too badly. It's always a disappointment when a book starts out really well but does not hold up through to the end. But - with a 4 star rating - that's still a good read. Great review!

Lori, I picked up Bel Canto on the bargain book aisle of the used bookstore a couple of years ago. I haven't managed to get around to reading it yet, but your review of it makes me want to dig it out soon!

Oh, I love Bel Canto, and I agree with you about the last third or so of the book. It still remains a favorite, though.

Great review of Bel Canto Lori. Another book that's been patiently sitting on my shelves seemingly forever, and a new author for me to discover.

Hi Deb, Lori, Katie and Ilana - Thanks! I really like Patchett's ability to write with such lyrical beauty. A great story and one I don't grudge winning the Prizes that it has!

Fingers crossed, I think summer has finally arrived here on Vancouver Island. This is the first year where the winter wardrobe hasn't been packed away. Almost too late to bother now ;0

I am almost half way through Retribution Falls and while it is not an amazing feat of literary excellence, it is fun!

Hi Lori! Mostly back from vacationing now (will take one short but sweet trip to the Stockholm archipelago only) and catching up on threads. Thanks for sharing Lullabies for little criminals - and hooray for another Miéville fan!

Hi Anders - I hope you have had an enjoyable vacation so far! I see you are already adding to my TBR pile with your review of 2666. If you find the time to read Lullabies for Little Criminals, I will be curious to see what your thoughts are on that one.

Book #64 - Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding
Category: Steampunk



Brief blurb taken from the back cover:

Darian Frey is the roguish captain of the Ketty Jay, and leader of a small and highly dysfunctional group of layabouts. Frey and his gang run contraband, rob airships and generally make a nuisance of themselves, all the while avoiding the Coalition Navy frigates.

After finishing this one, I can see why it was a Guardian 2009 summer must-read. Talk about a fun adventure story, filled with swaggering characters, both male and female, with a love for exchanging sarcastic banter while examining every situation at the drop of a hat with an eye for "what is in it for me'. This story reads like a high seas pirate adventure but takes on a steampunk theme with airships replacing sea ships, and the inclusion of deamonic magickry, monsters and all things to make for an entertaining adventure read. Retribution Falls is the first in Wooding's Tales of the Ketty Jay series, and fittingly, a fair bit of the story is spent introducing the reader to the characters, their sordid pasts and their darkest secrets.

Not a feat of literary excellence - Miéville has raised the bar rather high in that regards - but still a fun adventure read with interesting characters and some fun plot twists. Would I recommend it? Yup, I have already placed a hold at my local library for book two in the series, The Black Lung Captain.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Next Up: I have decided my next/current read is Concerto by Sandra Miller, an e-book I requested through the LT Member Giveaway program.

I've seen Retribution Falls being mentioned a couple of times now and looks like something I'd enjoy. Onto the wishlist it goes and thanks for your review.

Hi Dave - I hope you enjoy Retribution Falls as much as I did - a non-taxing fun beach read!

On the reading front, I came home with a stack of library books today and ready to tackle my up to now ignored category, What is Stephen Harper Reading so I am now set for turning August into a catch up month for my challenge reading.

As per the edit I have made to post #54, I am currently reading Concerto by Sandra Miller, an e-book I requested through the LT Member Giveaway program.

Book #65 - Concerto by Sandra Miller
Category: Off the Shelf



Chrispen 'Chris' Marnett is a violinist that has recently moved to Ohio to join the Newton Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra so that she can work alongside the greatest violinist alive, Alexis Brooks, the symphony's concertmaster. What she gets - in the form of creepy phone calls, harassing written messages, unwanted flowers and frightening nightmares - is enough for Crispen to lose considerable sleep and to start looking over her shoulder constantly. When everyone, including the police, seems to be warning Crispen to stay away from Alexis, she decides that she needs to get to the bottom of not only the business of her current terror, but a murder that occurred 5 years previously.

Told from the point of view of Chrispen, I enjoyed the suspenseful build of fear that was generated as the menacing stalking continues to pierce and invade Chrispen's world with apparently no boundaries or protection. I found the use of the nightmare sequences to be a great way to introduce a further element of suspense - and mystery - to the story. For me, I enjoyed the plot, the character development and the suspense created in the first half of the book. I also enjoyed the glimpse into the music world that Miller provides. The second half of the book didn't continue to capture my attention like the first half did, in part because I started to find Chrispen's character annoying and not someone I was a willing to cheer on the sidelines for, but that is just my personal pet peeve. Other readers may have no problem with Chrispen's motivations and decisions. I also found the plot got rather thin in the last third of the book.

With a sprinkling of romance and relationships to lighten this from being a truly dark suspense thriller - this was what I would consider to be a light suspense thriller - I feel that it would make for an easy summer read.

Rating: 3 Stars

This book was received through the LT Member's Giveaway program.

Next Up: Two books on the go at once - Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L. A. Meyer, to continue my adventure reading and Elizabeth Smart's By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept to start making progress on my "What is Stephen Harper Reading" category.

Book #66 - By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart
Category: What is Stephen Harper Reading



Summary:
This slim story, was originally published in 1945. Quick summary from the back cover: "By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept, Elizabeth Smart's passionate fictional account of her intense love-affair with the poet George Barker, is widely recognized to be a classic." To quote Brigid Brophy, "By Grand Central Station is one of the most shelled, skinned, nerve-exposed books ever written. It is a cry of complete vulnerability."

My Thoughts:
The book is divided into 10 parts. for the first two parts, I have to admit that I was hugely confused as to what to expect, think or even interpret. The forward written by Brigid Brophy wasn't particularly helpful in understanding the story - it was starting to look like a string of running metaphors with no cohesion. Around Part 4 - page 47 of a 112 page book - the story, as a beautiful and painful examination of a single woman's love for a married man, started to make some of the poetic prose the story is written in make sense. It is a story about love, passion and the roller coaster effects 'true love' can have on the soul of one who seeks all, not just a glimpse, of what an all consuming love can offer.

The reason Martel sent a copy of this book to Stephen Harper:
By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept was the 4th book Martel sent to the Canadian Prime Minister. He sent it as an example of the beauty of the language that is portrayed in the book and how the tool that we thought would be a simple tool directly relaying the world to us has become a tool that is its own world, still relying on the outer world, but in a mediated way, whereby the world and the word are two that are enthralled with each other, like lovers. The complete letter sent by Martel to Harper can be viewed here.

As an aside, I agree with Martel - this is a book that should be read aloud. Thankfully, I was at home when I read this aloud and so wasn't subjected to any strange glances from total strangers! That, and I really love the cover art for the book I read..... very fitting for the theme of the story.

Rating: 4 Stars

Next Up: Continuing with two books on the go at once - Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L. A. Meyer, to continue my adventure reading - at the halfway mark and LOVING IT! - and discovered The Legacy by David Suzuki today at the local library, which I look forward to reading, having been a big fan of his "The Nature of Things" TV series years ago.

Good review! Thumb!

The "Bloody Jack" series has long been on my radar. It looks like you are enjoying it, looking forward to reading your thoughts on it.

>59 GingerbreadMan: - Thanks Anders!

>60 DeltaQueen50: - Judy, I highly recommend the 'Bloody Jack" series if book one is anything to go by! Review below......

Book #67 - Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L. A. Meyer
Category: I Don't Remember THAT From History Class



"Life as a ship's boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of eighteenth-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and respected sailor as the crew pursues pirates on the high seas. There's only one problem: Jacky is a girl. And she will have to use every bit of her spirit, wit, and courage to keep the crew from discovering her secret. This could be the adventure of her life--if only she doesn't get caught. . . .

At the start of the story, we meet our young narrator, Mary Faber. Mary thinks she may be 12 years old now, an orphan living on the streets of London for a few years now since the death of her family to the pestilence that sweeps through London. The daughter of a teacher and a deacon's daughter, Mary's father taught her how to read at a young age. When the leader of the gang of orphans she is a part of is killed, Mary decides that she needs to get off the streets of London if she hopes to survive.

Meyer's does a superb job capturing the history of 1790's London, the lead up the the Napoleonic Wars and the literature, religion and social norms of the time period. Mary - I mean Jacky - No, I mean Mary! - takes the reader through a fun, exciting adventure on the high seas, into foreign ports and the British Navy's hunt for pirates, including the elusive fictitious pirate, LeFievre. As much as I loved this story, I couldn't help but notice a number of similarities between Meyer's story and our heroine Mary/"Jacky", and Westerfeld's Leviathan and his heroine Deryn. Not that I am complaining. In fact, it makes it rather easy to recommend Meyer's more straightforward historical fiction to readers that have enjoyed Westerfeld 'steampunked' take on history. The fact that Meyer's story came out first makes me wonder why I never came across this series before now.

Meyer's has written a great adventure story, and the first in a series that I do intend to continue reading! Now, if only books like these had been around when I was young......

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Next Up: The Legacy by the Canadian scientist David Suzuki, which is based on a lecture Suzuki gave in December of 2009. I will then need to check the books I have out from the library to see what needs to be read next.

->58 lkernagh:

Goes on ye ole wishlist as an audiobook, then! :) Great review!

->62 lkernagh:

On the wishlist as well - can't resist pirates. Although, I think I'll wait until I'm done with the Westerfeld series!

Hi Eva! - Audio, provided the reader is a good one, is the way to go with By Grand Central Station. I hope you enjoy the "Bloody Jack" series, when you get around to it. I am still impatiently waiting for Westerfeld's third book to come out. Soon, so soon!

Book #68 - The Legacy by David Suzuki
Category: "New to me" Canadian Authors



Renowned, both within Canada and the international scientific community, geneticist and environmentalist David Suzuki is best known, by me anyways, for his involvement with the CBC TV series The Nature of Things, which he has hosted since 1972. The Legacy is based upon a lecture that Suzuki gave in December 2009 at the University of British Columbia. I did not have the opportunity to hear his lecture in person, so I was quite happy to discover that this book is based upon that lecture and is the culmination of Suzuki's knowledge and wisdom to date - he is only in his 70's so one can only guess what may still be to come!

With forward written by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, The Legacy shows, in the written word, Suzuki's amazing skill at presenting the mysteries of nature and science in succinct, layman's terms. In less than 100 pages, Suzuki manages to summarize the earth's evolutionary process, explain the four elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water and tie these elements into Biodiversity, while still managing a brilliant minor side-step into the discussion of economics - how relentless growth is both a mathematical and an economic impossibility - ecology, borders as a strictly human creation that goes counter to the very laws of nature, and even touches on the whole nature/nurture question - Answer: one cannot exist without the other and on that note, is a completely pointless question.

The take away from this amazing work - that the elders, the ones that have lived the past and seen the changes that now comprise our present remind us that, in the words of Bernard Lown, "We must convince each generation that they are transient passengers on this planet earth. It does not belong to them. They are not free to doom generations yet unborn. They are not at liberty to erase humanity's past nor dim its future."

In a word, brilliant, especially the personalization that the change begins with each of us, then with our families, our communities, our country and the world. Suzuki closes off by listing off some attainable goals based on his childhood memories and attainable dreams: clean drinkable water in any river or lake, logging forests according to the principles of ecosystem-based management, cities built to optimally capture all the natural rhythms of the seasons - maximize sunlight, rooftop gardens, capture waterfall from rain.

In the words of Margaret Atwood: The "legacy" in this lecture is one of truthful words about the hard place we find we're in, but it's also one of hopeful works: our chance - if we will take it - for "opportunity, beauty, wonder, and companionship with the rest of creation."

Rating: 5 Stars

Next Up: ooops.... I forgot to look to see what is next in line!

July Re-Cap

That is me done for the month of July so as good as time as any to post the monthly re-cap:

# books finished this month: 10
# books read so far this challenge: 68
Minimum # book to read to complete challenge: 99

Favorite book for the month: tie between two books, one fiction one non-fiction:
~ ~ Perdido Street Station by China Mieville - 5 Stars
~ ~ The Legacy by David Suzuki - 5 Stars

Least favorite book for the month: Concerto by Sandra Miller - 3 Stars

'New to me' Canadian Authors (8/9 read)
~ ~ The Legacy by David Suzuki - 5 Stars

I Don't Remember THAT From History Class (7/9 read)
~ ~ Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrochers - 4 Stars
~ ~ Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L. A. Meyer - 4.5 Stars

Follow Thy Author (7/9 read)
No books read this month

What a Debut! (9/9 read) - CATEGORY COMPLETED!

The Envelope Please (6/9 read)
~ ~ Small Island by Andrea Levy - 3.5 Stars
~ ~ Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill - 4 Stars
~ ~ Bel Canto by Ann Patchett - 4 Stars

Lost in Translation (7/9 read)
No books read this month

What Stephen Harper is Reading (2/9 read)
~ ~ By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart

Steampunk (7/9 read)
~ ~ Perdido Street Station by China Mieville - 5 Stars
~ ~ Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding - 3.5 Stars

Next in Series (4/9 read)
No books read this month

Off the Shelf (6/9 read)
~ ~ Concerto by Sandra Miller - 3 Stars

Grandma's Amazing Button Jar (4/9 read)
No books read this month

Looks like I am ontrack and will be looking at the end of next month as to whether or not I should extend my challenge from 9 books per category to 10 books.....

Onward with the reading!

I have now decided what is next up for reading: I have started the e-book Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, The Discovery of Insulin and the Making of a Medical Miracle which is proving to be quite fascinating. Will be starting The Death of Ivan Ilyich when I need a break from the e-book and have Looking For Jake: Stories on deck to continue my Miéville reading.

Book #69 - Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, The Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle by Thea Cooper
Category: I Don't Remember THAT From History Class



It is 1919 and Elizabeth Hughes, the eleven-year-old daughter of America's most-distinguished jurist and politician, Charles Evans Hughes, has been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. It is essentially a death sentence. The only accepted form of treatment – starvation – whittles her down to forty-five pounds skin and bones. Miles away, Canadian researchers Frederick Banting and Charles Best manage to identify and purify insulin from animal pancreases – a miracle soon marred by scientific jealousy, intense business competition and fistfights. In a race against time and a ravaging disease, Elizabeth becomes one of the first diabetics to receive insulin injections – all while its discoverers and a little known pharmaceutical company struggle to make it available to the rest of the world.

Medical discovery is a fascinating topic for me so when I came across this book, I had to pick it up to read. Based on extensive research and facts, Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, The Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle brings to life the story of the discovery and development of insulin as a treatment for diabetes. Prior to then, the only treatment available to diabetics, if you can call it a treatment, was to place them on a strict dietary regime. A dietary regime so strict - some ingesting only 400 calories of food a day - it only slightly prolonged a patient's life for an additional couple of years.

The story goes into great detail to present the scientific challenges faced during the intense 3 year period from Banting's 'middle of the night' inspiration in 1920 to the first wave of human patients in 1922-1923. The story captures fits of scientific jealousy, academic red-tape and political maneuvering that makes one wonder in amazement that they were able to accomplish what they did in such a short period of time, and with such limited financial resources in comparison to the huge timelines (14 years from discovery to market) and the dollars invested in drug development today. It also explores the moral dilemma of 'who' to treat when demand far exceeds supply, as well as how treatment was to be distributed. Not an easy decision even today.

While the story could have been just about the discovery of insulin, I felt that it made for more interesting reading with the focus that was also placed on young Elizabeth Hughes, daughter of the then United States Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes. As such, the story provides some interesting glimpses into U.S. politics and international relations from World War I through to the mid-1920's.

One thing I do wish the book had focused on in more detail was the manufacturing and development problems faced by the University of Toronto's Connaught Laboratories and the American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly to scale up production of insulin, how they addressed the issues of reduced potency during mass production, and the problems of determining dosage from patient to patient and insulin batch to insulin batch. The story touches on this but leaves the focus on the characters.

Overall, a great story about the discovery of insulin that I recommend to anyone with an interest in medical discoveries in general or in diabetes in particular.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Next Up: The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Looking for Jake: Stories.

I've added Breakthrough to my library TBR list. Diabetes runs in my dad's side of the family all the way back to the late 19th/early 20th century. My great-grandfather, who was diabetic, died in 1913, before the discovery of insulin.

>68 lkernagh: Although I don't usually read much about medical discoveries (so far have not added even Henrietta Lacks to my wishlist), Breakthrough does intrique me. My great-grandfather, who was diabetic, died in 1909. My grandmother, who was not quite 18 at the time of his death, did not like to talk about it, and I've often wondered how they tried to treat it before insulin.

Breakthrough looks absolutely fascinating and I like your different challenges, I might try this out next year.

>69 cbl_tn: cbl_tn - my heart goes out to families when deaths have occurred close to discoveries of possible/actual treatments. The book does touch on the past as well as providing a summary of the further developments in insulin research. I really appreciated how the author managed to balance the science with a story non-scientific/medical readers can relate to..... I should know, I am one of those readers!

>70 ivyd: ivyd - I get the impression from the book that possible social taboos or other 'public' reasons made discussions of diabetes, and other diseases, a shunned topic during the early 20th century, which is a possible explanation as to why Elizabeth Hughes and her parents chose to distance themselves from any public acknowledgement of Elizabeth's condition, especially after she commenced the insulin injection regime. The same may hold true for your grand mother but that is pure speculation on my part. I haven't read the Henrietta Lacks book yet. I may get to it some time but I am in no hurry as the story of the HeLa cell line isn't new to me, in part because of my previous work in the biotechnology industry. I wasn't a researcher or scientist, but I did learn a lot from my colleagues in R&D about the history of the HeLa cell line and how they were using it in their cancer therapeutic research.

>71 KiwiNyx: KiwiNyx - I see you managed to post while I was composing my post! I love the 11 in 11 challenge and will continue next year with the 12 in 12, just not sure how I will map my challenge out as 144 is too many books for me to handle in one year!

I totally recommend broad and different challenge categories - different enough to get you out of your comfort zone for easy reading, but still broad enough that you can make it work for you!

144 books is way beyond my capacity as well but I guess its the effort that counts. I think if I manage 6 books in 12 challenges I'd be pretty happy with the results.

> 68 I think I'll have to read this, just for the references to Eli Lilly and Company. I live in Indiana, and a large number of the hospitals, museums, and universities around here have received grants or gifts from the Lilly Endowment, which was founded by Eli Lilly's sons from the money earned in production of insulin and penicillin. Plus it's kind of rare to find much mention of my home state in books about things of national or global significance.

>75 casvelyn: casvelyn - Eli Lilly and Company, and the state of Indiana, do shine in the book Breakout. According to the notes, the majority of the documents and references come directly from Eli Lilly's archives, which Eli Lilly and Company had the foresight to save and store. A lot of records don't usually last that duration of time!

Wow, Breakthrough sounds fascinating! I'm adding it to my list.

Hi Terri - I hope you enjoy it!

Book #70 - The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
Category: What is Stephen Harper Reading
Alternative Category: Lost in Translation



Summary:
Taken from the book: On learning of Ivan Ilyich's sudden demise and death, his former colleagues begin vying for promotion; it seems neither in life nor in death has Ivan Ilyich made any lasting impression. And, as Tolstoy takes us back to Ivan Ilyich's early days, it is a life of futility, of emptiness and primarily of spiritual barrenness that is revealed.

My Thoughts:
It has been ages since I have read any Tolstoy so I had forgotten how his stories are written in such beautiful rich textured prose. Tolstoy makes it easy to visualize the setting, the characters, the emotion and the compassion of the story. It is hard to believe that this story would contain compassion, but Ivan Ilyich's examination of his life as he is dying is a compelling read of self examination, humanity and dare I say, unselfish love? The dawning realization that Ivan Ilyich experiences - that maybe he didn't live life as he should have - is an unsettling thought for Ilyich, and Tolstoy holds up his character as an example of how the knowledge of death can lead an individual, through self examination, to a attain a higher level of humanity and may be characterized by the discovery of a capacity for unselfish love.

The reason Martel sent a copy of this book to Stephen Harper:
The Death of Ivan Ilyich is the very first book Martel sent to the Canadian Prime Minister. He sent it as an example of the power and depth of great literature which he felt was so convincingly captured in this slim novella. To quote Martel, 'That is the greatness of literature, and its paradox, that in reading about fictional others we end up reading about ourselves." The complete letter sent by Martel to Harper can be viewed here.

****************

The copy of The Death of Ivan Ilyich that I picked up also contained another Tolstoy novella, The Devil. The Devil is another fine example of Tolstoy's main character, this time Evgeny Irtenyev, facing an internal struggle. The internal struggle here is the continued obsession Evgeny feels for a peasant women he had 'casual' relations with prior to his engagement and marriage to his wife Liza. The copy also provided an alternative ending to The Devil. I preferred the original ending and found the alternate ending darker, harsher tone to it. The alternative ending also left me with a feeling that Tolstoy was trying to convey that there is no true justice in the world. Interesting to be able to compare the two ending.

Both stories are well written and convey Tolstoy's skill at creating realistic characters grappling with their own internal demons. As an aside, it was interesting to see Tolstoy's portrayal of the medical profession of his time period. My favorite example, is found in The Devil:

"The doctor arrived towards dinnertime, and said, of course, that although recurring phenomena might well elicit apprehension, nonetheless there was, strictly speaking, no positive indication, yet since neither was there any contraindication, it might, on the one hand, be supposed, but on the other hand it might also be supposed. And it was therefore necessary to stay in bed, and although I don't like prescribing, nevertheless take this and stay in bed. In addition the doctor gave Varvara Alexeyevna a lecture on the female anatomy as well, during which Vavara Alexeyevna nodded her head meaningfully. Taking his fee, as normal, in to the very bottom part of his palm, the doctor left, and the patient began her week in bed.

Yup, I get the impression Tolstoy did not place the medical profession in very high regard. ;-)

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Next Up: Looking for Jake: Stories by China Mieville and Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Well I was rather behind on your thread :P I am glad that you enjoyed By Grand Central Station I sat Down and Wept much more than I did. Also, I think you may have just added Bel Canto to my wishlist :P

I have been slow on the Stephen Harper challenge these past few weeks, but hoping to read the french play this coming week or next.

I thought I should let you know that Bride of New France is on the longlist for the Giller award. They are asking for nominations from the public, and offering prizes (Trip to TO, Kobo readers, etc) so I thought you might like to drop in a paragraph and enter since your have such a great review written and handy :)

http://www.cbc.ca/books/scotiabankgillerprize/contests/

ps- I love Illych as well :) Hope to see these in the Stephen Harper thread ;)

Book #71 - Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Category: What is Stephen Harper Reading
Alternative Category: Lost in Translation



Summary:
Taken from the book: A spectacular wedding, a sudden scandal, a (perhaps reluctant) murder to which an entire town appears to be an accessory before the fact , the exotic manifestations of guilt ....

My Thoughts:
Once I got a handle on this story, told after the event has long occurred in an attempt to understand the events of the day, I really loved this one as my kind of story. We know who perpetuated the crime early on - it is the reasons behind the crime and the complicity of the town folk that slowly emerges that made this such an interesting page-turner for me. This is a good thing as I have never read any of Marquez's works before now and I have One Hundred Years of Solitude sitting on my bookshelf waiting for me to pick it up. What really hit home for me as I was reading this was how I could see how this string of events could unfold in real life.

The reason Martel sent a copy of this book to Stephen Harper:
Chronicle of a Death Foretold is the 9th book Martel sent to the Canadian Prime Minister. He sent it - well - because of the Prime Minster's at the time recent trip to Latin America and because in Martel's opinion, which I concur with after reading this story, Marquez is a genius. Why Martel chose to write a letter about clichés to the Prime Minister and then closes with his reason for sending this book, I am at a loss to explain. The complete letter sent by Martel to Harper can be viewed here.

I will say this though - I don't get the cover art on the book - the same cover art that Martel starts off his letter complaining about. Oh, I also don't get the 'magical realism' that this book is tagged with here on LT. If someone could explain, that would be great.

Overall, I was really impressed with this story and now look forward to reading more of Marquez's works.

Rating: 4 Stars

Next Up: Yes, I am back to Steampunk as I will now start Looking for Jake: Stories by China Mieville and have just picked up The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man by Mark Hodder at the library. Didn't realize it was book two in a series but my local library doesn't have book one so I think I will be reading this series out of order!

Hi Janice - Thanks for the reminder about the Stephen Harper thread..... I am good about posting my reading here, but beyond that, it starts to get a bit 'hit and miss'. Will do so now ;-)

I will check out the CBC contest - thanks for providing the link!

As my Steampunk reading is taking over my life, I have looked at my categories and have moved Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld out of my Steampunk category and over into the Next in Series Category. Not that that make a huge difference but I am going to get more creative as to where I slot my future Steampunk reading into my challenge categories to help me along.

Just checking in to say hi! I really must try some Steampunk!

Book #72 - Looking for Jake: Stories by China Miéville
Category: Follow Thy Author



After being blown away by Miéville's Perdido Street Station, I thought I would give his short story collection a try to get a feel for the breadth of Miéville's writing style. Looking for Jake is a collection of 12 short stories, one graphic short story (illustrated) and one novella.

The collection is an interesting mix, with a predominately dark theme as the anchor. After reading Perdido Street Station, the dark theme wasn't a surprise. Some of the stories were really quite good - my favorite being The Report of Certain Events in London, followed by The Ball Room, An End to Hunger, and 'Tis the Season. 'Tis the Season wasn't a great piece of writing but a story I enjoyed as Miéville takes a swipe at the ruthless acquisition and enforcement of intellectual property rights by entities with a tale of a world where corporations 'own' the rights to all things related to the celebration of Christmas.

On the negative side, I have to say that I just did not understand the graphic short story, On the Way to the Front and unfortunately by the time I had made it through the short stories to the novella The Tain, I was pretty much done with the collection, so I ended up skimming over The Tain as another dark apocalyptic story.

Overall, some interesting creative writing that captured my interest but outside of The Report of Certain Events in London, nothing stellar to grab and hold me like Perdido did.

Rating: 3 Stars

Next Up: I need a change of pace so I think it is back to books to fill my What is Stephen Harper Reading category with a re-read of a childhood classic, the Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

The story about the feral streets is my favorite also, but I liked almost the lot of them. Shame it didn't quite do it for you. Luckily there's a lot more Miéville out there to delve into!

>87 GingerbreadMan: - I probably should have spreads out my reading of the stories instead of plowing through them uninterrupted like I did. I am looking forward to more of Miéville's works and may pick up another one of his books later this year or early next year.

Book #73 - The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Category: What is Stephen Harper Reading
Alternative Category: Lost in Translation



Summary:
Taken from the book: A pilot stranded in the desert awakes one morning to see, standing before him, the most extraordinary little fellow. "Please," asks the stranger, "draw me a sheep." And the pilot realizes that when life's events are too difficult to understand, there is no choice but to succumb to their mysteries. He pulls out pencil and paper ...

My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this re-read of a children's classic. The English translation I read was the more recent translation by Richard Howard, not the original translation by Katherine Woods that was copyrighted the same year Le Petit Prince originally published. Reading it as an adult, I was able to enjoy the philosophical themes I would have glazed over as a child. The message - teaching the secret of what is really important in life - still rings true, IMO.

The reason Martel sent a copy of this book to Stephen Harper:
The Little Prince is the 14th book Martel sent to the Canadian Prime Minister. Now, I should clarify, Martel sent Le Petit Prince - the original French story, not one of the English translations. He sent it to applaud Harper for making great strides in learning the French language since becoming Prime Minister and more cheekily, as it may help Harper in dealing with the Quebecois as Saint-Exupéry fable is a story about taming, even if it is a fox. The short letter sent by Martel to Harper - also in French - can be viewed here. Martel ends his letter with the following, You'll sigh, "If only Quebecers were as easy to tame as the fox." But we are rather, we Quebecers, like the flower of the Little Prince, with our pride and our four thorns.

Overall, a good re-read of a well written and timeless fable. I wouldn't have thought of it as a possible handbook for diplomacy until after reading Martel's letter, which has left me with some additional food for thought. Humm.....

Rating: 4 Stars

Next Up: Curse of the Blue Tattoo, book two in the Bloody Jack Faber series by L. A. Meyer.

Yeah, shame you didn't enjoy Looking for Jake too much. I did split up the reading of it more than you did and read it in between other books and it worked well for me. I also didn't think much of the graphic short either. I did think that the concluding novella, The Tain, was excellent though.

I'm curious about The Tain, because it's obviously based on the Irish The Tain which I have, but haven't had a chance to read yet.

I have been thinking more and more about Looking for Jake and will pick the book up again, later to read the novella The Tain. It has occurred to me that I skimmed it so quickly I couldn't even provide a basic plot summary. But I will stick to my rating for the short stories for now.

Now, if only Miéville would write a full length novel of the feral streets, my favorite........ ;-)

Book #74 - Curse of the Blue Tattoo by L. A. Meyer
Category: Next in Series



Following the adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, it is 1803, and after being exposed as a girl and forced to leave her ship The Dolphin, Jacky Faber finds herself attending school in Boston, where, instead of learning to be a lady, she battles her snobbish classmates, roams the city in search of adventure and learns to ride a horse.

That is the summary from the book. My take on this book is it is a fun continuation of book one with our impulsive, willful heroine trying to find her footing, now on land, in Boston of the time period. As is to be expected, things don't go as planned - I mean really, how can they when you are a tomboy/sailor landed in a high class all girl's finishing school - and calamity is afoot at every turn. With a nice blending of boarding school novels - think Enid Blyton's Mallory Towers series - a dash of Regency period pomp a la Georgette Heyer, some Upstairs Downstairs and a full dose of 19th century historical fiction, including a relation of Cotton Mather of Salem witch trial fame and the pages pretty much turn on their own.

A great story and I now look forward to reading book three in the series.

Rating: 4 Stars

Next Up: Liquidation a novella by Imre Kertesz, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Great input about Looking for Jake! I have it on my list to read this year and I would have read it cover-to-cover if I hadn't read the discussion here - I'll definitely spread out my reading instead.

Hi Eva - Yes, definitely read Looking for Jake in stages. The stories are good but 'too much of a good thing' at one time can bring your enjoyment of the collection down.... as it did for me!

On my reading front, I am reading Liquidation, which is turning out to be quite a fascinating novella that I have decided will be my commute to work book for the next few days so that I can focus on Kathryn Stockett's The Help. The copy of The Help I have is an e-book through my local library system and I just realized that the holds lists on this book - 515 holds on 61 copies for the e-book and 526 holds on 42 copies of the physical book - means I better read the copy I have now! So it is true, movie releases do increase reader demand for the book the movie is adapted from!

I've just been catching up with your excellent reviews. I especially liked your review of The Death of Ivan Ilych. I'd read this in high school but I think it's definitely time for a reread. Even though I liked it then, I suspect I didn't appreciate it fully as a teenager.

Hi Paulina, thanks for stopping by! I would never have gotten around to reading The Death of Ivan Ilyich if it hadn't been for this challenge and I am glad I did!

On the reading front, I am over the halfway mark (at 58.5%) in The Help and looking forward to diving back into the book this evening after dinner. I usually don't pay much attention when the movie adaptation of a book hits the theaters but I am now discovering that the movie trailers are handy.... last night my other half asked me what book I was reading. It's the e-book so no book cover for him to glance at so I told him the title and suggested he watch the movie trailer. Saved me a five minute explanation and a lot of questions from him as to what the plot was about!

Movie trailers of books are very handy! ;-)

I am going to try to read The Help this month, too, as the movie looks quite good. I've heard good things about the adaptation to the screen from people who loved the book.

The book was great but the movie looks weird. I want to see it but I think I will be really disappointed at the adaption (or maybe pleasantly surprised - who knows?). It just looks like the tone was changed.

>99 katiekrug: & 100 - I am always curious about screen adaptations if I enjoy the book. Watching the trailer after finishing the book I can see where the 'marketers' of the movie would create a trailer that will have the potential to attract a higher number of movie-goers, but I am leaning towards the comments I have heard so far, that the movie is a good adaptation of the book.

Book #75 - The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Category: Grandma's Amazing Button Jar
Alternate category: What a Debut!



I really enjoyed this story set in the early 1960's in Jackson Mississippi in the middle of the African-American civil rights movement. Told from the point of view of three main characters - 20's something Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, recently returned to Jackson after a four year stint of higher education at Old Miss, and two maids, Minny and Aibileen. Having recently enjoyed the southern-based novels Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and with a re-read of To Kill a Mockingbird in the works, I was looking forward to this one.

I don't usually establish strong opinions about characters in the books I read but I have to say I really couldn't stand Hilly, rolled my eyes in frustration at Elizabeth, wanted to hit Stuart over the head with something heavy, felt Johnny and Celia should move far, far away from that crazy place and loved strong-minded Minny and sensible Aibileen. Skeeter and Aibileen are my favorites of the bunch - a balance of youth and wisdom that band together to question the status quo and to try and make a difference. The story is a beautiful blending of civil rights activism, friendship, social norms, family and facing the world, be it good or bad.

On the downside, I was fascinated by Celia's character and her relationship with Minny and felt that Stockett didn't invest enough pages in that story. I know she invested a lot of pages in that story, but I still felt like there was more to be told. Still don't know the story behind the mimosa tree. I also wasn't overly happy with the ending.

Overall, a good story but I found it to be lacking in the substance I found while reading Fried Green Tomatoes. I will be thinking about this one when I do get around to re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird.

Rating: 4 Stars

Next Up: Still reading the novella Liquidation by Imre Kertész, which I have discovered is a rather involved story that is not really conducive as a commuting book that is read is short, intermittent intervals.

Interesting review of The Help, thanks Lori. I just picked up a copy last week, so should get around to reading it in the next month or so.

Hah! Loved your ruthless lining up and slapping of the characters there!

>103 SouthernKiwi: - Hi Alana, I hope you enjoy The Help, it is worth the read and I am now looking forward to seeing the movie.

>104 GingerbreadMan: - Hi Anders, I will give Stockett her due, she does craft some interesting characters - love them or hate them!

Book #76 - Liquidation by Imre Kertész Translated from the Hungarian by Tim Wilkinson
Category: Lost in Translation



Taken from the book front inside cover: A masterly new novel from the 2002 Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature: the story of a Hungarian writer whose death forces his circle of friends to confront their own terrible moment in history..... An intricately layered story of history and humanity - powerful, disturbing, lyrical, achingly suspenseful, brilliantly told.

The story, set in Budapest approximately a decade after the fall of Communism, is narrated by Kingbitter, a literary editor for a state run publishing house. Kingbitter is consumed by his determination to track down a manuscript for a novel written by his writer friend Bee before his death. Kingbetter admits to the irony of his professional position upfront: "No, a person becomes a literary editor, and later a publisher's reader, out of error in the first place. In any event, literature is the trap that captures him. To be more precise, reading: reading as a narcotic which pleasantly blurs the merciless outlines of the life that holds sway over us.

You would think with a quote like that this story would be a page turner of poetic prose. Not.

Okay.... I tried to read this novella as something I could easily jump in and out of. Decided early on that that was not going to be the case as I was spending a lot of time confused about the dialogue and just where the story was going. I saved it for the weekend so I could sit down and give the book my full concentration. The end result: the extra time and effort didn't help me appreciate the story.

I loved how the story started out as the reading of a play, a play written about the characters in the story meeting to discuss the death of their writer friend. I liked the idea of the hunt for the elusive manuscript - did it exist, was it a mere figment of the imagination that Bee had written a novel? - but I have to say that the overall presentation and execution left me confused and for the most part wondering and repeating to myself as I read the 130 pages "and the point is ..... and the point is..... what is the *bleeping* point!"

I am going to wash my hands of this one and chalk it up as a bad experience, for me, where the author either expects the reader to read too much into the twists of language he utilizes or as being something that is way, way over my head.

Rating: 2.5 Stars

Next Up: Time for a change of pace so I will now pick up Joyner's Dream by Syliva Tyson, a book I have been impatiently waiting for my turn in the library queue!

#106 I love the quote, but no, the rest of the set up doesn't sound terribly good. I'm always leery of fiction books about writers, writing and editing. Some of them are good, but some are so self-absorbed or just plain axe-grindingly weird.

Hi Katie - I agree, some are really good which makes it okay when the odd dud shows up!

I have finally decided on my categories for next year - no changes from what I posted over on the planning the 12 in 12 thread after all - and I will leave my commitment to the number of books to be read in each category as something I will establish closer to the start of the 12 in 12.

Following, and pretty much plagiarizing Ander's (GingerBreadMan) brilliant idea, I have decided to let 12 visitors to my thread choose a book that is languishing on my TBR bookshelves for me to read. Books selected will comprise my I can win your love for me TBR category for my 12 in 12 category challenge.

I have a small TBR pile - one overflowing 4 shelf bookshelf to be precise - so, willing participants are asked to name a shelf between 1 and 4, and a book between 1 and 70 (if there are less books on a particular shelf, the count continues on the next shelf). Why 12 books if I haven't decided on the number of books I will aim for in each category? Well, I really need to work on reading the books I own and I am confident that a number of the books sitting on the shelves have the ability of fitting into more than one category.

Exceptions (aka the fine print):
~ If I have already read the book - there are a couple that I have retained after reading - the participant will be asked to play again.
~ If the book is something that I will not read as part of the challenge - I have a couple of dictionaries and a thesaurus mixed in with my books, and as fascinating as those books can be, I have no desire to read them cover to cover! - the participant will be allowed to play again.
~ If the book chosen is part of a series, then the first book in the series will replace the chosen book.

Soooo.... if you would like to choose a book for me, please post the shelf (1-4) and book number (1-70) and I will let you know what book you have chosen for me to read next year.

Shelf 4, book #25 (my lucky birthday numbers). Good luck!

shelf 2, book 4 Hope it's a good one!

Oh goodness. I keep trying to catch up here and just getting more and more behind. But I so much love your review that I'm still marking as "unread" a whole lot higher up so I don't miss anything. Will be back :-)

I want to play! Shelf 1, book 34.

>110 Yells: Danielle - Shelf 4 book 25 is James Patterson's Sundays at Tiffany's. Looking forward to reading this one!

>111 cammykitty: Katie - Shelf 2 book 4 is Fiona Kidman's The House Within, a book I picked up at my favorite booksale in 2009 and which, surprisingly, is listed by only 7 other LT members and has no posted reviews. Now, I am intrigued to read this one!

>113 christina_reads: Christina - Shelf 1 book 34 is Helen Humphrey's The Lost Garden, a book I read and loved earlier this year and held onto until I get around to reading Virginia Woolf's To The Lighthouse, as Woolf's novel is prominently referenced in Humphrey's novel. You get to choose again!

Hi Lori, this sound like fun - How about shelf #3, book number 55. Hope this one works out.

I love this idea and will be borrowing it for my own 12 in 12. I hope book 7 on shelf 3 is a good one for you!

So glad I made it to the party on time! I'm very curious about what shelf 1, book 51 is!

>115 DeltaQueen50: Judy - Shelf 3 book 55 is Catherine Bush's The Rules of Engagement. Only one review posted on LT and not too many ratings so I am curious to read this one.

> 116 Alana - Shelf 3 book 7 is Paulo Coelho's The Witch of Portobello. This will be my first Coelho read and probably long over due as it has sat on my bookshelf for a couple of years now.

>117 GingerbreadMan: Anders - Shelf 1 book 51 actually rolls down to shelf two and John Bemrose's The Island Walkers. This one will fit in three of my categories next year so good pick!

As you may have already guessed, my books are not organized alphabetically by author, it is more of a sort by size, then author, but even that is a bit of hit an miss.

So far I have the following 5 books chosen by LT members for reading next year:

Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson
The House Within by Fiona Kidman
The Rules of Engagement by Catherine Bush
The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho
The Island Walkers by John Bemrose

Am I too late?
How about shelf 2 book 42?

Sorry my first pick didn't work out! My second try is: shelf 2, book 19.

What fun! I got to Anders party too late...

I choose shelf 1, book 33.

Well, I am glad that I picked a Canadian author, and the one review posted doesn't reveal much about the book. Looking forward to reading your thoughts on it.

Such a fun idea! How about book 3 on shelf 1?

I'd like to play too! Shelf 3, book 22. Hope it's a good one.

Very happy with my choice there! Hope it's a good one.

The Island Walkers is buried in mount TBR so I look forward to your review! I may add a category like this next year, we shall see! :)

Shelf 1 book 25?

Oh, can't believe I skipped over your message! I pick shelf 3 book 33. A very non-random random number!

I got inspired by Andres' idea too and decided to do something based on that idea also, though I posted about it on my 75ers thread, because I'm under the impression that nobody must visit my 11 in 11 thread since I post so rarely there. I'd love you to participate in my book picking too Lori (and anyone else who sees this and wants to participate.) Like yourself, I'm happy to have more than 12 books picked out, as I want to read as many books off the shelf as possible next year, and will simply fit the books into other categories. I'll be calling this particular challenge "Picked by LT Friends". I'll go and add that post to my 11 in 11 thread too, for good measure.

I've lost count and may be too late, but just in case....

Shelf 2, Book 24.

Hi Everyone! I came home from a busy day at work and have to say that opening up this thread and heading to the bookcase to find the books requested was better than any Easter egg hunt! Without further adieu......

>120 VictoriaPL: Victoria - Nope, your not too late. Shelf 2 book 42 is Donna Morrissey's What they Wanted, another book with no reviews posted here on LT..... I think we are starting a trend here without even trying to!

>121 christina_reads: Christina - Shelf 2 book 19 is Tana French's The Likeness, book two in a series I haven't started yet, because I don't own book one, In the Woods. That being said, I really want to start this series and your choice is a good one to motivate me!

>122 ivyd: ivyd - Shelf 1 book 33 is Webster's Thesaurus..... I knew I should have removed the dictionaries and this one. Oh well, the good news is You get to choose again!

>123 DeltaQueen50: - you're right about the review for the Rules of Engagement Judy .... that isn't much of a review! ;-)

>124 -Eva-: Eva - Shelf 1 book 3 is Lisa Appignanesi's Unholy Loves, an 1900 murder mystery according to the book so I am surprised I haven't picked this one up before now! Back to that trend of the # of reviews, I noticed that there is currently only one posted review for this one on LT. I am starting to wonder if I should change my category to be books in need of reviews!

>125 paruline: paruline - Shelf 3 book 22 is Joanne Harris' Coastliners. A nice change of pace and a book that has more than one review posted!

>126 GingerbreadMan: - Yup, a good choice Anders, I am looking forward to reading it!

>127 Bcteagirl: Janice - Shelf 1 book 25 is Kent Stetson's The World Above the Sky. This one will fit a couple of different categories as it is an historical adventure story written by a Canadian author set in 1398 with a female YA narrator. Hummm.... another book with only one review posted here on LT. The trend continues....

>128 Smiler69: Ilana - Welcome back! Shelf 3 book 33 is Vincent Lam's Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, another pick that will fit more than one of my categories!

>129 katiekrug: Katie - Nope, you are not too late! Shelf 2 book 24 is John Irving's A Widow for One Year. Nice! I need motivation to pick up some books so this is perfect.

That wraps up the 12 and ivyd's chance to choose again makes a nice baker's dozen!

Here is the list of books everyone helped choose for my 12 in 12 challenge. As mentioned in the post above, and upon closer examination, a number of these books will fit into more than one category.

Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson
The House Within by Fiona Kidman
The Rules of Engagement by Catherine Bush
The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho
The Island Walkers by John Bemrose
What They Wanted by Donna Morrissey
The Likeness by Tana French
Unholy Loves by Lisa Appignanesi
Coastliners by Joanne Harris
The World Above the Sky by Kent Stetson
Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam
Widow for One Year by John Irving
Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwartz

I have to say thanks again to Anders for coming up with this idea in the first place as I would never have picked these books if left to my own devices.....

I will be posting my 12 in 12 thread probably on the weekend now that I can list these books as coming off the shelves.

Fun! I look forward to hearing what you think of The World Above the Sky, I had not heard of that one yet! :)

Fun eh? I think Anders really started a big trend on LT without realizing it. By the way Lori, you'll have to come back and cast the dice once more since the book you chose was on my TRRS Pile...

@ 131 -- So Lori, are you going to read The Likeness next year, or In the Woods since that's the first book? Or both? I have In the Woods on my TBR list as well, and might get to it next year....

>132 Bcteagirl: - Thanks Janice!

>133 Smiler69: - This was a lot of fun. I will pop on over to your thread and choose again....

>134 christina_reads: - Hi Christina, I will read both in proper sequence order which give me latitude to read In the Woods this year if I get around to it (by either pick up a copy or place a hold at the library). If not, I will be reading both next year as I have a series category and can easily slot all three books in the series into my challenge!

Seems like Appignanesi writes a lot on psychology - it'll be interesting to see if you notice that in Unholy Loves or if her fiction is completely separate.

Thanks for the 2nd chance, Lori! How about shelf 2, book 48?

>137 ivyd: - Hi ivyd, second chance is the charm! Shelf 2 book 48 is Christina Schwartz's Drowning Ruth. It is described as a psychological thriller set in the winter of 1919. Looking forward to reading this one!

The list message 130 above has now been updated to capture ivyd's choice.

One the reading front, over the past three days I have read in total 50 pages in Sylvia Tyson's debut novel Joyner's Dream.... love the story so far, just no time to read. Hope to make amends on my reading progress this weekend.

Book #77 - Joyner's Dream by Sylvia Tyson
Category: "New to me" Canadian Author
Alternate category: What a Debut!



It is my father's wish that I should set down these events, as he can neither read nor write, and wishes to leave an account of his life so that some part of him will remain in the world and in the memory of those who follow. Although I have somewhat tempered his rough-spokenness, I have endeavoured to record him faithfully, and to in no way alter his intent. Here, then, are my father's words.

So starts Chapter One of a 420 page, seven chapter family saga. Told in epistolary format, the chapters are the family journal of the Joyner/Fitzhelm clan that has been handed down the generations, with each generation entrusted with the journal to continue the family record by telling their story in their own words, before passing the journal on to the next generation to carry forward.

Now, I will say upfront that it took some dedication of time on my part before I was able to immerse myself in the story. I found this wasn't something that you pick-up and conveniently put down to return to later. The chapters, until you reach Chapter five and George Fitzhelm's story, are written as long, continual letters with no easy breaks to insert the bookmark. This book demands the reader's full attention for longer stretches of time than the usual novel does. What I did enjoy was the author's ability to present the unique voice of each narrator in turn and the detailed descriptions of the time periods the journal passes through. The family legacy is a dubious one as lovers of music, a family violin, genetically gifted with manual dexterity for creating things and the occasional thievery, and at times subject to uncontrollable bouts of mania and depression. Fortunes are made and lost, and blended into an interesting family story that spans over 8 generations, 150 years and two continents.

While the book is predominantly a journal that follows the natural progression of each generation, Tyson has anchored the stories to come full circle by having a prologue and epilogue set in modern day with Leslie Archibald Fitzhelm, the youngest member of this family tree, as narrator. It is Leslie's history, as he tells it, and the discovery of the journal upon his father's death, that gives this story an interesting modern day context. I really enjoyed Chapter Five, George Fitzhelm's story, as it focused on the great music era of the 1920-1930's in North America, particularly Montreal and Toronto but with an eye for what was happening in Chicago, New York, etc. As with any story with multiple narrators, there is some overlap of stories and some information gleaned from the next generation that the previous generation omitted from their story.

Leslie stated it best:

The journal became my map, my focus, my obsession. I grew expert at deciphering Frank Joyner's neat script, Gerry's angular scrawl, Beth's slightly back-slanted and rounded hand, George's precise, almost printed writing, and Gina's careless looping phrases. They were more present to me than poor Teddy, who hovered in the background like a mother hen trying to tempt me to eat. He must have felt as if Gina at her most manic had returned to haunt him.

As I said above, this story took some time and effort for me to settle in, but once I did have the feel for the story, the characters and the tempo, I continued reading it through to the end. Overall, I found this debut novel to be a nice blend of family history, music, musical instruments, books - oh yes, books are mentioned in this one! - and characters that seem to gently leave the pages and sit beside you as they tell their story.

Rating: 4 Stars

Next Up: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and Under the Jolly Roger: Being an Account of the Further Nautical Adventures of Jacky Faber Book Three in L.A. Meyer's Bloody Jack Adventures series.

August Re-Cap

I won't be able to finish another book by this evening so I thought I would post my monthly re-cap now:

# books finished this month: 9
# books read so far this challenge: 77
Minimum # book to read to complete challenge: 99
Favorite book for the month: another tie between
~ ~ Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Cure by Thea Cooper - 4.5 Stars
~ ~ The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy - 4.5 Stars
Least favorite book for the month: Liquidation by Imre Kertész - 2.5 Stars

'New to me' Canadian Authors (9/9 read) (CATEGORY COMPLETED)
~ ~ Joyner's Dream by Sylvia Tyson - 4 Stars

I Don't Remember THAT From History Class (8/9 read)
~ ~ Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Cure by Thea Cooper - 4.5 Stars

Follow Thy Author (8/9 read)
~ ~ Looking for Jake: Stories by China Mieville - 3 Stars

What a Debut! (9/9 read) (CATEGORY COMPLETED)

The Envelope Please (6/9 read)
No books read this month

Lost in Translation (8/9 read)
~ ~ Liquidation by Imre Kertész - 2.5 Stars

What Stephen Harper is Reading (5/9 read)
~ ~ The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy - 4.5 Stars
~ ~ Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - 4 Stars
~ ~ The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - 4 Stars

Steampunk (6/9 read)
No books read this month

Next in Series (6/9 read)
~ ~ Curse of the Blue Tattoo by L.A. Meyer - 4 Stars

Off the Shelf (7/9 read)
No books read this month

Grandma's Amazing Button Jar (5/9 read)
~ ~ The Help by Kathryn Stockett - 4 Stars

Still not comfortable with extending my 11 in 11 beyond the current 99 books but will see how the challenge is looking at the end of September.

Book #78 - Under the Jolly Roger: Being an Account of the Further Nautical Adventures of Jacky Faber by L. A. Meyer
Category: Next in Series
Alternate category: I Don't Remember THAT From History Class



Book 3 in L. A. Meyer's Bloody Jack Adventure series finds our YA heroine in and out of trouble as usual. It is 1804 and hostilities between Britain and France continue, with British war ships establishing a blockage off the coast of France to stop the potential invasion of Britain by Napoleonic forces. Without going into details, Jacky flees Boston, returns to England only to find herself once again aboard a British Navy ship.

I have to say that I did not enjoy this one as much as I did the first two books in the series, which seems to be at odds with the new rating statistics on LT for the series. The nautical theme and descriptions of battle were reminiscent of previous books and it felt like I was revisiting familiar ground that probably could have been glossed over a bit. The story does pick up pace and delves into some interesting plot developments but I felt it lacked the more solid historical fiction grounding of the previous books. I also found Jacky, now 15 years old, to be a simpering female at times, a behavior that was at odds with her take command approach when not simpering. The story did have more of a YA feel to it. While a bit of a letdown, I am curious to continue with the series to see what happens next and I do like the fact that characters from previous books in the series make believable return appearances.

Rating: 3 Stars

Next Up: Finishing To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Book #79 - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Category: What is Stephen Harper Reading
Alternate category: The Envelope Please...



Summary:
Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows three years in the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus--three years punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman. Though her story explores big themes, Harper Lee chooses to tell it through the eyes of a child. The result is a tough and tender novel of race, class, justice, and the pain of growing up.

My Thoughts:
I loved revisiting this classic story, especially as it has been such a long time since I last read it. Even though the story was originally published 50 years ago, it is a timeless piece of literature and contains some choice quotes that had me smiling at Atticus' dry humor - my favourite being the following statement when he instructs Dill to take a bath, "And for goodness' sake, put some of the country back where it belongs, the soil erosion's bad enough as it is." Seeing events and the people of Maycomb through young Scout's eyes is an education in humanity and a reminder that the morally correct position can be a difficult position when it goes against the grain of society.

The reason Martel sent a copy of this book to Stephen Harper:
To Kill a Mockingbird is the 13th book Martel sent to the Canadian Prime Minister. Well, after 8 paragraphs on languages, we finally learn that Martel sent the book for the usage of language as he states that Alabama English of the 1950's as spoken by children is something else. Hummm..... not sure where he got that from as the book is set in the 1930's so maybe he was grasping at straws when he choose language as the reason for sending this book to Harper. The letter sent by Martel to Harper as a dissertation of sorts on languages can be viewed here.

A timeless classic that I expect will continue to captivate and move readers for generations to come.

Rating: 5 Stars

Next Up: Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson.

Great review of To Kill a Mockingbird. That book has been sitting on my shelf ever since my older daughter had to read it for a high-school class. It's one of those books that I feel I really should read. Your review has prompted me to move it higher in my TBR list.

Loved you review of Mockingbird too Lori. I read it in August and absolutely loved it. A 5 star read for me too. I can't wait to the following re-reads and have already gotten the audiobook version narrated by Sissy Spacek for my second pass. :-)

Joyner's Dream sounds really interesting, though maybe for later. These days, I really appreciate short chapter that allow me to stop and bookmark whenever I get a bit weary, or need to get something to drink, or pay attention to my dog or one of the cats or, or get up and stretch my legs, or or... you get the picture.

To Kill A Mockingbird is definitely one of my five top all-time reads. It really is a classic that stands up well and still has some relevance today. I last read it about 5 years ago, so probably not ready for a re-read, but maybe I could do with watching the movie again.

Hi Paulina, Ilana and Judy - Mockingbird was a treat to re-read this weekend. It has been almost 20 years since I last read it and I figure in another 20 years I will appreciate it all over again as if I was reading it for the very first time.

Book #80 - Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
Category: What is Stephen Harper Reading
Alternate category: The Envelope Please...



Summary:
Winner of the Whitbread Prize for best first fiction in 1985, this coming of age story set in North England in the 1960's is the story of Jeanette, adopted by working-class evangelists and brought up to preach the gospel and enter the missionary field. While Jeanette comes to terms with her preference for her own sex, the only family she has known tries to show her the errors of her ways.

My Thoughts:
An interesting mix of autobiographical fiction/fable-telling with a modern twist to it that probably won't appeal to all readers. At its crux, this is a story of two strong female characters bound together in an eternal battle of wills. It is also a story of viewpoints that are not open to examination, a frustrating position for anyone with an open mind, as explained by the following quote from the book:

What could I do? My needlework teacher suffered from a problem of vision. She recognized things according to expectation and environment. If you were in a particular place, you expected to see particular things. Sheep and hills, sea and fish; if there was an elephant in the supermarket, she'd either not see it at all, or call it Mrs Jones and talk about fishcakes. But most likely, she'd do what most people do when confronted with something they don't understand: Panic.

I wouldn't have picked up this book if it hadn't been for this category challenge and I am really glad I did sit down and read it. In the author's own words from the introduction, "Oranges is an experimental novel: its interests are anti-linear. It offers a complicated narrative structure disguised as a simple one, it employs a very large vocabulary and a beguiling straight-forward syntax. This means you can read it in spirals." For me, this means a story that was really easy to follow on the surface and has left me pondering a number of thoughts and nuances. A book with more than one purpose if you will - a book to entertain and to educate.

The reason Martel sent a copy of this book to Stephen Harper:
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is the 15th book Martel sent to the Canadian Prime Minister. Back on more familiar ground this time, Martel easily explains how books make - maybe I should say allow - readers to live the lives of the characters within the pages and that 'novels of education' as this one is, can bring greater understanding to the reader. The book is provided as an example of how instructive it is to learn from someone, even a character in a book, about making hard choices and having to lose oneself so that one might find oneself. The letter sent by Martel to Harper along with this book can be viewed here.

Rating: 4 Stars

Next Up: Back to Steampunk with George Mann's The Affinity Bridge.

I really liked Winterson's early books. Both this one, The passion and Sexing the cherry are memorable reads from my early twenties. But sadly, her later works leave me completely cold. I know many disagree, but for me, Winterson is one of those writers I've let go and stopped hoping for. Good review!

Both interesting reviews. I'm starting to get interested in what Stephen Harper is reading. Does Stephen Harper ever respond? It is also a story of viewpoints that are not open to examination, a frustrating position for anyone with an open mind This makes me really curious. How do you plot a story where the main characters will never agree, but they aren't enemies so one doesn't "win"?

Does Stephen Harper ever respond?

Sadly, of the 101 books and letters that Yann Martel and crew (he had fellow Canadian writers step up and continue the 'book club' - Martel's words, not mine - with Stephen Harper while Martel was on his book tour for Beatrice and Virgil) only 7 letters generated a response. Of the seven responses received, six were general responses provided by individuals in the correspondence section of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and one - sent in response to the first book Martel sent - was sent by the assistant to the PM. The only letter/book that generated more than one response was the letter that accompanied book #51, Shakespeare's Julius Ceasar, but that was because Martel raised a concern in that letter about the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council funding, which meant the letter was lobbed to the then Minister for Industry Tony Clement to respond to the funding question. The PM has never responded, at least not according to the website Martel maintains.

Kind of explains why after sending 101 books, Martel has called it quits.

How do you plot a story where the main characters will never agree, but they aren't enemies so one doesn't "win"?

I would say with difficulty and with the hope of generating discussion and thought as opposed to any plot driven resolution. Oranges was in a number of ways an internal struggle of the main character. I think she hit a resolution of sorts with this quote near the end of the story, another favorite of mine that I failed to mention in the review posted above:

Families, real ones, are chairs and tables and the right number of cups; but I had no means of joining one, and no means of dismissing my own; she had tied a thread around my button, to tug when she pleased.

More of a compromise and a revelation than any win.

>149 GingerbreadMan: - Thanks Anders! I am curious to read more of Winterson's works and will keep your comments in mind... some authors do tend to stray from there stating point and lose what made their writing so attractive in the first place. Drives me nuts when that happens.

Too bad! It would be interesting if Steven Harper had responded. It's sort of discouraging, as though he's sending the message that busy people don't have time for literature.

& your answer about Oranges makes sense. The author had to leave standard ideas about resolution & plot behind and do something else. Very difficult.

I think that is the impression that Steven Harper likes to send - That he's busy - we just can't figure out what it is he's being busy at!

153 and 154 - Yes, our PM likes to give the impression that he is too busy for basic niceties. Martel did try to raise a response out of the PM with letter/book #76 when he informed the PM that Martel had received an envelope from the White House, which enclosed a handwritten note from the US President, commenting on Martel's novel The Life of Pi. It would appear our PM was not moved by this development to correspond to Martel. **sighs**

Book #81 - The Affinity Bridge by George Mann
Category: Steampunk



I love it when two of my favorite genres - Victorian murder mystery and steampunk - come together in a story.

It is November 1901. Sir Maurice Newbury is an experienced anthropologist with the British Museum. He is also an agent of the Queen. He is good friends with Sir Charles Bainbridge, a chief Inspector at Scotland Yard. Sir Maurice also has a new assistant at the Museum, Miss Veronica Hobbes. Newbury and his assistant Hobbes are called to investigate the wreckage of a crashed airship and its missing automaton pilot, and attempt to solve a string of strangulation attributed to a mysterious blue glowing policeman while dealing with the revenant plague - aka zombies- that are ravaging the slums, including Whitechapel, of London.

It is possible that I will not amuse a number of individuals when I state that I feel that this book should be classified as a 'cozy steampunk mystery". It has all the trappings, setting, characters and overall atmosphere of a cozy Victorian set murder mystery series. In particular, It really has all I have come to enjoy in Charles Finch's Charles Lennox murder mystery series with the added accoutrements of the steampunk genre - airships, automatons - and the addition of zombies in the form of plague revenant victims, which thankfully, are keep to a somewhat minor role. The main characters are charming, society class individuals with personalities of their own and the murder mystery is one that is easy to settle into. Not a page turner, and not, IMO, a 'engaging melodrama' as billed, but more of a fun, comfort read. I will say this, you really have to follow the story to its conclusion to see how all the pieces tie together.

I would recommend this book as a good primer for anyone who enjoys Victorian murder mysteries as a launching pad into the world of steampunk, to find out what all the excitement is about, and to test the waters to see if steampunk is something they might want to delve into further.

The Affinity Bridge is book one in what is so far a three book series - my local library only recently acquired book one - and I do look forward to following the further adventures of Newbury and Hobbes.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Next Up: Exit by Nelly Arcan. Sorry, no touchstones. Book page can be found here: http://www.librarything.com/work/book/77944674

@156 So why the 3.5 rating? Was the pacing the issue?

Glad you think that The Affinity Bridge is a good starting point as I have it listed for my initial delvings into steampunk for next year.

>157 cammykitty: - Hi Katie, it was a number of things that led to the final decision of 3.5 rating - and my further belief that I need a decimal rating system for next year's challenge. As much as I love Charles Finch's Charles Lennox series, I have never given it more than a 4 star rating as it is enjoyable but not something that I would stay up late reading. I also felt that the story delved too much into the details of Newbury's case solving antics - the action part of the book -, which might be gripping stuff for some readers but had me skim reading the 'melodrama' of it all. Mann did open the door to further plot and character development with this book one in the series and that is what I am looking forward to in continuing with the series.

> 158 - Hi Dave, it is a fun mystery read, with some interesting steampunk and plot developments. Hope you enjoy it!

154: Busy sending our law proposals to be approved by the US apparently. *snicker*

Affinity Bridge sounds interesting, I may have to check it out! Thanks for the review!

@159 All solid reasoning. :)

Book #82 - Exit by Nelly Arcan, translated into the English by David Scott Hamilton
Category: Lost in Translation
Alternate category: "New to me" Canadian Authors



From the back cover: Somewhere in Montreal, in the not too distant future, an obscure company offers custom-designed suicides for its clients. With one condition: their desire to die must be pure and absolute. Antoinette Beauchamp is a successful candidate but her suicide is not. Now a bedridden paraplegic, hooked up to machines that monitor all her bodily functions, she tells her story, taking the reader into a Kafkaesque world of the company and its bewildering cast of characters.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this one. What I discovered was a well-written, profound examination of an individual's desire to end their life, and the things that make life something to rejoice in and value. The voice of Antoinette is a complex, educated voice that hits the topic with witticism and a clarity of vision. Antoionette takes the reader down a journey of a family history of suicides, her relationships with both her mother and her Uncle Leon, her kindred spirit, with the surreal experience of interviews, etc with Paradis, clef en main, the company that offers custom-designed suicides in this fictional, not to distant future of Montreal.

I cannot stress enough how well written and powerfully executed this story is, a testament to life. It has left me with some interesting points to ponder, and a desire to read more of Arcan's works. I was saddened to learn that Arcan completed writing Exit only days before taking her own life in 2009 at the age of thirty-six. Her first novel, Putain (2001: Whore 2004), a finalist for both the Prix Medicis and the Prix Feminta, drew on Arcan's experience working in the sex trade in Montreal, and is the only other work of hers (she wrote 4 books in total) that is translated in the English Language.

A profound read.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Next Up: Pao by Kerry Young, a LTER book that I need to get read and reviewed.

Great review, had to give it a thumbs up even.

Exit sounds like an interesting book, but just knowing that the author took her own life after completing it, makes an already difficult subject much too heavy for me. Great review though Lori.

>163 KiwiNyx: - Thanks!

>164 Smiler69: - Ilana, I agree. I am still wondering, and will never know, if the book was part autobiographical.

Getting a strong Psychosis 4:48 vibe when I hear you talk about the writer's suicide after writing about suicide. To me, the issue tends to be with marketing. Any production of Sarah Kane's play that makes a big deal out of her killing herself after writing it will immediately put me off. I hope this is not the case with how this book is presented to it's reader. I must say it sounds original and intelligent, and it does make me interested. The cover is gorgeous as well.

Exit does sound like a fascinating read. I have, however, heard some not complimentary words about her style in Putain - looong, run-on sentences. How is the style in this one?

> 166 - Hi Anders, I had to go investigate Psychosis 4:48 as that is a new one for me, and looked into the marketing of Arcan's novel. Arcan's novel came to my attention through my library's new arrivals, so no marketing there. The publisher, Anvil Press, is a smaller independent publisher located in Vancouver BC. Exit is their first foray into translated works, which was released this past spring. They do mention her suicide on the author bio page. On the book page they call it her last novel, so I guess you can say that there is some marketing but that is all I have been able to discover, which isn't a lot but possibly still substantial given they are a smaller publishing house that doesn't have big advertising dollars.

> 167 - Hi Eva, I don't remember any long run-on sentences so I quickly skimmed the book and I didn't appear to notice any. The reason I checked the book is I don't mind long run-on sentences - if I did I would never make it through any of Jose Saramago's books and I do love his stories! ;-)

Definitely if you didn't notice it while you were reading, then no problem! Thanks!

Book #83 - Pao by Kerry Young
Category: Grandma's Amazing Button Jar
Alternate category: What a Debut!



Spanning approximately 50 years, this work of fiction examines Jamaica's more recent cultural, political and economic history as narrated by Pao, a Chinese immigrant that arrives in Jamaica in 1938 from Guangzhou China as a young boy with his mother and older brother. Seen through Pao's eyes, Jamaica is hardly a tropical island paradise. The Jamaica of Pao's world is one of high unemployment, poverty and identity issues. An island where how light, or how dark your skin is determines your lot in life. A Jamaica where organized crime and gangs are the norm and corruption in the police force isn't a surprise. A Jamaica that under British rule was a slave-dependent nation and after gaining independence, was a slave to the foreign investors that came in to make money off the agriculture, mining and tourism industries.

Pao is an interesting choice as narrator for this story. He is rather on the naive side, has had the good fortune to have his future in a way predetermined for him so his observations of the people and events occurring around him are not always accurate or reliable. I found Pao's reliance on quotes from Sun Tzu's The Art of War as a bible to guide his everyday business and personal interactions to be novel at first but by the end of the book I was tired of the quotes. I also felt that the book didn't fully describe the setting and relies too on the reader knowing the background of the historical figures mentioned and the landscape of Jamaica. The opportunity to deliver an in depth, meaningful examination appears to be a missed opportunity here.

That all being said, I did find the story did a good job in providing me with a glimpse into Jamaica's history through the lens of a longtime resident outsider of the community still ingrained in the Chinese ways but with an understanding of what it means to be Jamaican. My favorite quote of the book is this one:

And even though we still struggling to sort ourselves out after the English come here three hundred years ago and set everything up so careful and tidy - Africans on the bottom, the Indians, the Chinese, English on top - I think we doing OK. But I wonder to myself how many other countries there are like Jamaica? How many other countries been through what we been through? How many of them still going through it like us? All because some long time back somebody decide to pick themselves up and sail halfway 'round the world to come colonise us. And it not just about the English and the slaves. It about the Americans and the money.

This book was courtesy of Librarything's Early Reviewer Program.

Rating: 3 Stars

Next Up: The Twice Born first book in The King's Man Trilogy by Pauline Gedge as a perfect fit for the Reading Through Time September theme read Ancient World.

Haiti -- Great review. I'll think about picking this one up.

Hi Katie - Would I be correct that Haiti is your answer to the question posed in my favorite quote from Pao, because I think we could probably start an interesting game examining all the various former colonies, etc and produce quite the list!

On my reading front, I have decided that I will leave my challenge at 9 books per category for a total of 99 books to complete the challenge. I know that means only 17 more books and still three full months with room to spare but I have decided that I am looking forward to treating myself to reading whatever I want once I reach the current mark set here before starting the 12 in 12.

I just *love* Pauline Gedge. I read through The Lord of the Two Lands trilogy (After finding one book through bookmooch) and was very impressed. I have Twice Born buried in mount TBR, so am really looking forward to hearing your thoughts!! :)

Hi Lori, I made sure that my 11/11 had a mix of categories that I was bound to read without trying, more or less, but I know what you mean about needing to to have unplanned reading time. I'll have to give myself a couple of unplanned months too—I don't plan for 11/11, but I've always got a monster list of books I mean to read every month and it's getting a bit tiresome. Hurray for freedom of reading!

@172 Yes, it's my answer. Yes, it could be quite a long list.

& yes, I think leaving some time for reading whatever you want is a good plan. I'm surprised at how reluctant I've been to read something that doesn't fit my challenge, and on the other hand, how creative I've been at stretching categories to include certain books.

>174 Bcteagirl: Hi Janice - It took me a week to read The Twice Born - work has been crazy busy for the past month and I have been coming home too exhausted to read.... not a good sign! Full review will be posted below shortly!

>175 Smiler69: Hi Ilana - Yes, I am looking forward to reading whatever takes my fancy. My categories this year were broad enough that I haven't had too much difficulty in fitting books in but next year's challenge is more restrictive to give me more of a challenge!

>176 cammykitty: Hi Katie - Creativity to make books fit categories is half the fun of the challenge!

Book #84 - The Twice Born by Pauline Gedge
Category: I Don't Remember THAT From History Class!



From the Book: Young Huy is sent away from his farming family to attend a prestigious school for a chance at a better life as a scribe, but a sudden accident renders him unconscious and, to all appearances, dead. When his return to life makes him a pariah, ostracized by his visions of the deaths of those around him, Huy is soon apprenticed to a priest who believes Huy’s power will enable him to interpret the Book of Thoth, and fame attracts the attention of the Pharaoh Amunhotep. Huy begins to realize that his power is not granted to him, but owns him, for he is no longer his own master. He is the King’s Man.

Pauline Gedge is a new to me author and one that a friend of mine has been raving about for the past year. When the Reading Through Time Group decided on a September theme read Ancient World, it seemed like the perfect time to give one of Gedge's books a read. This first book in a trilogy was a little daunting to pick up at 653 pages in length but I found that it was a rather quick reading, engaging story. With highly descriptive settings and ponderous reflective thoughts on the part of our protagonist, young Huy, It was easy to slid into Ancient Egypt and visualize the surroundings and inhabitants. I also enjoyed the mental puzzles Huy found himself tasked with seeking answers to while he tried to comprehend the Book of Thoth. Gedge has created an interesting character in young Huy, and captured a youth struggling to understand and fighting against his apparent destiny.

On the downside, and maybe because it is the first book in a trilogy, the story tends to lack a page-turning plot, focusing instead on setting the scene, leading me to agree with one published reviewer's comment that one is left with the feeling at the end of The Twice Born as having just finished an incredibly long prologue, with the real tale yet to begin. For this reason, and while I did find the story and the characters of great interest, it wasn't a mesmerizing page-turner for me, giving it a solid 4 star rating and not a 5.

Overall, a well researched, well written introduction to Ancient Egypt and a story that I will continue reading with book two in the trilogy, Seer of Egypt.

Rating: 4 Stars

Next Up: The Sisters Brothers as a perfect fit for my prizes category I am still trying to complete and because I want to see what all the buzz is about.

Great review! The trilogy I read was also of longer books, but well worth it :)

I look forward to hearing more about The Sisters Brothers as it seems to be popular right now! :)

Excellent review, looks like a great series to get into.

Oooh, I LOVED Sisters Brothers. Hope you do too. Look forward to your review whatever the case may be.

Book #85 - The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
Category: The Envelope Please...



Ah yes, 1851. The Great California Gold Rush, where many went on a whim and a dream to make their fortunes, risk be damned. Brothers Charlie and Eli Sister are heading from Oregon City to San Francisco and the gold panning rivers near Sacramento with something other than the labour of panning for gold on their minds. Charlie and Eli are mercenaries, hired killers if you will, that work for the Commodore. The man they work for, is sending them to California to deal with a certain matter of thieving for him.

I don't as a general rule lean towards Westerns as a genre of choice but when this one was long-listed for the Canadian Giller Prize and actually made it to the shortlist for the Booker Prize, I decide I need to see what the buzz was about. Our narrator is Eli Sister, the younger, more portly - sorry, more hefty - of the two brothers. Eli is not a killer by choice, more of a profession that he found himself in when defending his brother Charlie from the barrel of a gun. Eli and Charlie are not rough and tumble killers. There is a moral, poetic and even civilized element to their approach to the job at hand, not that that stops it from being gruesome and downright nasty from time to time, because it doesn't.

Charlie and Eli are a captivating duo as brothers and they do encounter the most interesting of folk in their travels. The humor - dry, witty and with more than a dash of sarcasm - makes for fun reading and I did love the moral posturing that rolls through the dialogue between Eli and his brother, but that is where my enjoyment of the book ends. The book is an entertaining read, I will give it that and has all the makings for a very easy transition to a movie adaptation but I have to say it wasn't a page turner or a stellar work of literary brilliance for me. That, and I am not a big fan of the ending, it left me a bit flat.

Overall: Fun and we should see a movie contract in the works soon.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Next Up: EDA: Have now decide my next book will be Helen Humphrey's most recent one, The Reinvention of Love.

>179 Bcteagirl: and 180 - Hi Janice and KiwiNyx - Thanks! I do look forward to reading more of Gedge's works!

> 181 - Hi Ilana - It, meaning The Sisters Brothers was a fun story, I will give it that but that is about as far as I will stretch my love for it. It could be that, being a Western, it just wasn't for me.

Great review, thank you! I had been wondering about that one . :)

Pauline Gedge's Child of the Morning was one of my favorite books when I was younger and I can't even tell you how many times I reread it. Thanks for the reminder - I need to check out Gedge again (hope she is as good as my memory tells me!).

I really do 'need' to get a copy of that one, I don't think I've read a western either.

I respect your different point of view about Sisters Brothers Lori. It's true as a Western it's bound not to please everybody, besides which, any book is bound to get mixed reaction. I'll be curious to see which one takes the Booker Prize in October.

> 184 - Hi Janice, I think you might enjoy The Sisters Brothers..... it is fun...... nudge, nudge.

> 185 - Hi Eva...... Child of the Morning, eh? ..... what was that sound? Darn, another book landing on the TBR pile.... should probably just add everything by Gedge right now and let the pile groan away..... ;-)

> 186 - Hi KiwiNyx, while I call it a western I have bounced through some other published reviews that feel the book is difficult to categorize. They may be right. While we have horses, gun totters and wild towns in The Sisters Brothers, for some reason I still image the main characters wearing black business suits and just cannot seem to shake that image from my mind. Dressed more like Pinkerton cops than cowboys if that makes any sense to anyone that has read the book. If it doesn't, than that is my take away quirk from this one!

> 187 - Hi Ilana, I am with you.... I am more than just a little curious to see which book takes the Booker this year. Usually I don't care but am now starting to think that 'the list' has been designed to generate book sales and is probably accomplishing that quite nicely!

You're welcome. ;D

Hi Lori! I initially came to visit your thread because of the interesting new ER book that you won - something about Typewriters - I can't remember the name! I'll be so interested in your thoughts on that book!

Now I see that there is a discussion re The Sisters Brothers. I just loved it!! 5 star read for me! Interestingly enough, it's not only on the Booker Short List, it's one the Giller Longlist and now on the Roger's Trust prize list . Kind of amazing for one book! That said, I totally respect your views on The Sisters Brothers. You know, I've NEVER read a Western and I never plan to read one -but I thought the Sisters Brothers was really a genre bender. ;) Nudge , Janice. ;)

> 190 Hi Deb it is always great to see you drop by for a visit! I don't blame you for not remembering the title for the ER book, it's a 'tad' long on words.....

Secrets of an Old Typewriter: Stories from a Smart and Sassy Small Town Girl looked like a fun, light read when I saw it and knew it would be something that I would enjoy as a lite read, so I was really happy to discover I had won a copy of the e-book through LTER. Even better, this will be the perfect book when I have some down time from work starting later next week when I spend the week of Thanksgiving visiting family.

I agree, The Sisters Brothers is fun, especially the tongue in cheek dialogue!

September Re-Cap

# books finished this month: 8
# books read so far this challenge: 85
Minimum # books to read to complete challenge: 99
# books left to read for this challenge: 14
Favorite book for the month: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee - 5 Stars
Least favorite book for the month: Tie between Pao by Kerry Young and Under the Jolly Roger by L.A. Meyer - both at 3 Stars

'New to me' Canadian Authors (9/9 read) - CATEGORY COMPLETED

I Don't Remember THAT From History Class (9/9 read) - CATEGORY COMPLETED
~ ~ The Twice Born by Pauline Gedge - 4 Stars

Follow Thy Author (8/9 read)
No books finished this month

What a Debut! (9/9 read) - CATEGORY COMPLETED

The Envelope Please (7/9 read)
~ ~ The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt - 3.5 Stars

Lost in Translation (9/9 read) - CATEGORY COMPLETED
~ ~ Exit by Nelly Arcan - 4.5 Stars

What Stephen Harper is Reading (7/9 read)
~ ~ To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee - 5 Stars
~ ~ Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson - 4 Stars

Steampunk (7/9 read)
~ ~ The Affinity Bridge by George Mann - 3.5 Stars

Next in Series (7/9 read)
~ ~ Under the Jolly Roger by L.A. Meyer - 3 Stars

Off the Shelf (7/9 read)
No books finished this month

Grandma's Amazing Button Jar (6/9 read)
~ ~ Pao by Kerry Young - 3 Stars

With four categories completed and the others near completion I have high hopes that I will be finished by mid November and can look forward to 'free' reading for the rest of 2011! With that in mind, I will have an overflow category here to capture the rest of my 2011 reading.

THIRD QUARTER RECAP

Books Planned to Read for Challenge: 99 (9 per category)
Completed in 3rd Quarter: 27 (on track with books read in 1st and 2nd Quarters)
Balance to Read: 14

Category

1. "New to me" Canadian Authors: 9/9 - CATEGORY COMPLETED!
2. I Don't Remember THAT From History Class: 9/9 - CATEGORY COMPLETED!
3. Following Thy Author: 8/9
4. What a Debut!: 9/9 - CATEGORY COMPLETED!
5. The Envelope Please: 7/9
6. Lost in Translation: 9/9 - CATEGORY COMPLETED!
7. What is Stephen Harper Reading: 7/9
8. Steampunk: 7/9
9. Next in Series: 7/9
10. Off the Shelf: 7/9
11. Grandma's Amazing Button Jar: 6/9

Top 5 Reads of the Third Quarter (in order of preference):

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Legacy: An Elder's Vision for our Sustainable Future by David Suzuki
Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle by Thea Cooper
Exit by Nelly Arcan

Congratulations!!

Wow - love the recap, Lori! You are moving right along!

Great recap, and excellent progress on the challenge, Lori!

I'm pondering The Sisters Brothers. Like you, I generally don't lean toward westerns, but so many people have enjoyed it, and with the award nominations, I am starting to consider adding it to my list. Your review may nudge me over the edge.

Thanks everyone! The Quarter summaries really do help confirm things and it is always great when you can see that the end is in sight.

Hi Terri - The Sisters Brothers is a rather unique book. I know some comparisons have been made to a Cohen Brothers movie and for some reason I kept have Mel Books movies enter my mind as I was reading this one.

As we are officially at the end of the third quarter and Summer has made way for Fall/Autumn, I am closing this thread and invite everyone to join me over on my AUTUMN and OVERFLOW thread here .