torontoc's books read in 2012

Just setting up my new thread- I have many big books that I want to read- the 700 page variety- I will try to incorporate them into my reading this year.

Welcome back! I'm looking at starting the George R. R. Martin series to go along with the HBO season 1 dvds, so I'm with you on the tomes!

Yea, Cyrel is back for 2012!

Oh how nice Jim and Cyrel reading George R.R. Martin too!
I just finished the first book of A Song of Ice and Fire and got the second book from the library today.

I'm 2/3 of the way through A Dance with Dragons, and I can easily say that you're all in for a treat!

Cyrel look forward to keeping up more in 2012. Happy new year!

Happy New Year, Cyrel!

Happy New Year!

Thank you all- I am just making a pavlova for a friend's annual New Year's Day Party- I almost finished my first book and will report later.

My favourite books from 2011 in no particular order

Fiction

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Annabel by Kathleen Winter
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
The Balkan Trilogy by Olivia Manning
The Better Mother by Jen Sookfong Lee
Netherland by Joseph O'Neill
The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje

Non- fiction

The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund De Waal
Cleopatra : a life by Stacy Schiff
Mordecai-the Life and Times by Charles Foran
Shadow Maker-the Life of Gwendolyn MacEwan by Rosemary Sullivan
The Boy in the Moon-a Father's Search for his Disabled Son by Ian Brown.

Loved A Visit from the Goon Squad, The Balkan Trilogy, and Netherland, although I didn't read them last year, and just bought Cleopatra today.

1. When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka. This novel was on the longlist for the Orange Prize. Otsuka is a writer of " spartan" prose. She compresses a lot of emotion in her account of a Japanese-American family forced from their home in California into an internment camp in Utah during World War II. Each chapter has a different member of the family narrating the story of leaving their home, the journey and the life in the camp. The reader doesn't not learn names and sometimes what is not told or left out in the story is as telling as the related details. This is a very powerful story about what has been called a " shameful episode" in American history. The Canadian experience is similar and there have been novels about the expulsion of Japanese Canadians from coastal provinces as well.

Cyrel interesting book and good review to start the new year on. Is already on my hitlist but I am going to have to read faster than I buy this year for charity so don't know when I'll get around to adding it to my shelves.
Have you read Snow Falling on Cedars which would appear to share some of the theme of the Otsuka?

I have Snow Falling on Cedars in one of my book towers. ( lately transferred to a plastic bin) I will get to it sometime !

Found and starred!

I see one of your faves was The Tigers Wife, glad to see it was good as I just started it! :)

I really liked The Tiger's Wife

2. The Reconstruction by Claudia Casper The main character in this novel is a sculptor who specializes in reconstructing animals and modals for museums. During the course of the novel , Margaret reconstructs a detailed statue of Lucy, a famous link in the development of man. The reader also learns of Margaret's failed marriage, her suicidal mother, her dental problems and her inability to deal with her world. There is a positive change in Margaret's life as she finishes her model. The reader is treated to a very detailed analysis of the internal structures of the Lucy model. An interesting novel but the amount of detailed anatomical information on model construction does get in the way of the plot for me.

Cyrel, since you enjoyed WHen the Emperor was Divine be sure to pick up The Buddha in the Attic. I liked both of them and found the poetic prose in Buddha to be exquisite.

I read an excerpt in Granta- it was great writing and have the book on my TBR list.

I enjoyed When the Emperor Was Divine too, Cyrel. I thought Otsuka's matter-of-fact voice throughout worked well for the book. I am glad to see you enjoyed it.

3. The Beauty of Humanity Movement by Camilla Gibb. The author has written a really good novel about contemporary Vietnam and the ghosts of the past. Three key characters provide the story of past and present. Hung cooks the Vietnamese soup pho in his battered cart that he moves to different places in Hanoi. His customers have to find him as he avoids the authorities. A young man, Tu and his father, Binh, keep an eye for Hung who used to have a store and was friends with Binh's late father, Dao, a dissident writer. Maggie is a young American-Vietnamese woman who , with her mother, escaped from Saigon as the Americans left Vietnam. Her father, an artist was left behind and disappeared. All three interact in a search for information on Maggie's father. The struggles of the families to survive and the hardships are described in the memories of Hung. The author explains in an afterward, that journals published and suppressed by the government in the novel were in fact real. Gibb combines a history of survival with the qualities that are important to the families described- loyalty and respect.

#20: Oh, another one to add to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Cyrel!

ETA: I went to add the book to BlackHole only to find it already there. *sigh*

4. Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen. Before I started my next Orange read, I decided to pick up this novel that has been on my TBR pile for ages. Set in Florida, this story of wierd and wonderful characters caught on a small island is funny and somewhat supernatural. Hiaasen has created some very quirky people who are hunted and hunting as thye hide and try to get off Dismal Key. A lot of fun to read.

Dismal Key is it! Must check this one out.

I have read a couple of Hiassen's books, but not that one. Thanks for the recommendation. Off to see if my local library has a copy. . .

Cyrel impressive reading start to the year with four books down in as many days.

Thanks!

5. Two Rings: a story of love and war by Millie Werber and Eve Keller. This memoir of a holocaust survivor has been written by Millie Werber , a survivor and Eve Keller, a professor who interviewed Werber at the request of her family.Werber finally told the story of her life as a munitions factory worker and as a survivor of Auschwitz. Werber was very young when her uncle insisted that she take a job in the factory near the Radom ghetto where her family lived. Her mother was taken to a concentration camp and killed but Werber and some of her other family members were saved by their work. Werber attracted the attention of a Jewish policeman who got her easier work in the factory. She did fall in love with him and married him. Heniek, Millie's husband, was transferred out of the factory and to certain death very soon after the marriage. Werber relates stories of executions, near misses at discovery and death and betrayals.( she hid under floorboards at the factory and was covered with rats at one point). She also was saved by kindness from complete strangers and the protection of her aunt and uncle who were with her in Auschwitz and the factory. The stories of how women hid jewellery and photos to avoid discovery in Auschwitz are astounding and sad. Werber adds to the list of horrors inflicted on concentration camp inhabitants and slave labour workers. Her account of meeting the man who became her second husband, Jack, just after the war their travels to find family, and their treatment by Jack's sister-in-law in the US, read as truthful and blunt. Werber does not sugercoat her opinions on the role of the Jewish policemen, the kapos in the concentration camp and her meeting with some of them after the war. She gives credit to those who helped her, both Jew and Gentile. She expresses her feelings on the treatment of Jews, for no other reason than their religion, by the Nazis. But I sense that Werber finally tells the story of her first love and how much she was affected by his love and loss. A very worthy addition to the memoirs of holocaust survivors- this book is important as many of these people are now dying and their voices must be remembered.

#26: Into the BlackHole it goes! Thanks, Cyrel.

This was one of the Early Reviewer books- it will be published in March.

That explains why I cannot find it anywhere!

Stopping by as I work my way through the threads to say that I really enjoy reading the reviews you have posted. I look forward to seeing what's next!

Thank you- I am trying to read books from my TBR tower as well as newer books!

6. MetaMaus by Art Spiegelman. This book is really a source book for the work of Art Spiegelman and his books Maus and Maus 2. The author is interviewed by Hilary Chute about his life, and his relationship with his family. This memoir covers the artist's way of working, his inspiration for his work-particularly his technique in creating Maus- and his sources for style. The book package contains a DVD with the whole Maus and archive of interviews. What i really liked was the inclusion of preliminary drawings and plans for Maus. Spiegelman discusses the comic book style and the importance of some of his mentors. Of course every aspect is accompanied with visual examples. One stunning piece is the family tree of Spiegleman's father depicted twice- once with all the family members listed and the one with the survivors.Out of 75 or so, only 13 survived the Holocaust. This memoir is a good resource for artists and those looking to understand Spiegelman's process.

Metamaus sounds fascinating. Onto my wishlist, it just jumped!

I loved Maus and Maus 2, so I will definitely be on the lookout for MetaMaus. Thanks for bringing the book to my attention, Cyrel!

7. Scenes from Village Life by Amos Oz. This slim volume contains a number of linked short stories about the small village of Tel Ilan in northern Israel. Each story is about one or two inhabitants- the aged former politician and his patient daughter, the mayor whose wife disappears, the couple who had a son who committed suicide and more. Characters who are a focus in one story show up a minor players in other stories. The last story is more puzzling- a dark unknown place that might be the beginnings of this same village years ago or not. The mood that Oz creates is tense, somewhat sad and a little mysterious.This farming village seems to be turning into a fashionable destination although Oz focuses on the lives of quiet people with secrets.
A very well written book by one of my favourite authors.

#34: Amos Oz is another author I need to get to one of these days.

Just for laughs: I went out to the B&N website last night to look for the Art Spiegelman book and could not figure out why it would not come up. Turns out I was looking for MegaMaus instead of MetaMaus.

oops! I have been reading Amos Oz for a number of years- one of his books either Black Box or My Michael really seemed to fortell the situation with the growing power of the Orthodox community in Israel.

8. The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt. This imagined biography of scientist Nikola Tesla combines a description of his last years living in New York with a story of a young woman and her father. Louisa and her father Walter work as a maid in a hotel and a night watchman respectively. Walter is a believer in the inventions of his friend Azor, including a time travel machine. Louisa befriends Tesla and learns the story of his collaborations with Edison and Westinghouse. Tesla made bad business dicisions as he was always thinking of the next invention. The story of belief and invention is fanciful in some ways and wonderful to read. The author recreates a life of the neglected scientist and new characters who believe in the promise of the future. A well crafted book and an Orange Prize nominee

9. The Woman Who Walked to Russia by Cassandra Pybus. The writer heard about a woman who had emerged out of the British Columbia wilderness in 1927, and said that she was walking to Siberia. Her name was Lillian Alling. She was said to be an immigrant from New York City. All traces of her seemed to disappear. The author, an Australian writer, was intrigued by this story and tried to track down the illusive woman . Scouring data bases of immigrants and ship's listings led nowhere. Pybus then decided to take a road trip through the areas of British Columbia, Alaska and the Yukon to see if she could find any traces of this mysterious woman. In a sense this book is really a travel diary as the writer really found very little about this particular story . ( spoiler- in the last pages she did find a satisfactory explanation) Pybus was travelling with a friend who she had not seen in many years and this decision proved to be a bad one. The book is a travelogue and compendium of stories and survival. The story sounded so familiar that I checked the sources for Amy Bloom's book Away. Bloom did use this book as a source for her novel.

Cyrel - v impressed that you are 9 books in already and I haven't read any of them yet!

I looked at MetaMaus a week or two ago and almost bought it; probably will the next time I'm in the bookstore. It's probably been 20 years since I read Maus and Maus 2; do you think I should reread them before I read MetaMaus?

I have been on a book reading binge- but at the moment just picked up Antony Beevor's Siege of Stalingrad so it might be a while before the next book review.
I am also reading Swamplandia.

I would look at Maus briefly but the interview format in the book MetaMaus really gives the reader a sense of the process of writing and the author's influences.

> 34

The last story is more puzzling

I really liked most of Scenes from Village Life but hated that last story. I have no idea why Oz included that weird, dark story at the end. It is too bizarre and different from the rest of that collection. If I were the editor of that book, I'd have taken it out. Do you have any idea of why it was there or what is was supposed to mean?

The only thing that I could think of was perhaps it was about the early history of the village-although the scene was so horrible. I should look up some reviews and see what others thought-or maybe Oz has done some interviews about the book. I'll let you know what I find.

Madeline, some of the reviews that I found were also mystified about the last story.

10. Stalingrad The Fateful Siege 1942-1943 by Antony Beevor. This detailed account of the siege of Stalingrad by Hitler's Sixth army and the subsequent encirclement by the Russian forces makes for fascinating reading. I hadn't realized that both Stalin and Hitler were so closely involved with the day to day decision making. The treatment of prisoners by both sides is tragic. The incredible loss of life on both sides and the suffering is hard to comprehend. Beevor's narrative follows the actions almost day to day. A very well written account of an important battle in World War II

> 43

I'd think he'd do well if he tossed that last story when his publisher goes to run a second printing!

Look what I found out about it. This is what Oz says:

"It's a nightmare that I had some six or seven years ago," Oz says. "I wrote it just as I had it. It's not an allegorical story, nor is it a disguised statement about anything. It's just a rendering of a nightmare."

He should have saved this story for a different book then...is my thought! :)

Here's more from Laura Kart Noell of The Washington Independent Review of Books:

"...while the last story, “In a Faraway Place at Another Time,” is pure allegory.

So..who's right? The author or the critic? ;)

Here are more of my thoughts...

The following is from an interview on PRI's The World. Oz is talking about the story called "Heirs" which was about land ownership.

I didn’t even intend (to) address the issue of Israelis and Palestinians and their two contradicting claims over the land. I didn’t write the book about Israelis and Palestinians. When I want to make a statement about Israelis and Palestinians, I write an angry article usually telling my government to go to hell. When I tell stories, they are stories about people, and most of them are stories about small time people - not about Israelis and Palestinians.

I don't know why people always insist that Oz's stories are allegorical. He was one of the first Israeli authors that I liked to read simply because his themes were universal.

good quotes- thanks!
I agree with your assessment of Oz- also one of my favourites authors!

Nice review of Scenes from Village Life, Cyrel. I loved it, but was equally as mystified by that last story. Thanks to you and Madeline for those helpful quotes and comments about that story; I watched the recent interview of Oz by Charlie Rose on his PBS show, but that last story wasn't discussed by either of them.

BTW, I plan to make Oz one of my featured authors in the 3rd quarter Reading Globally challenge on the Middle East, and I plan to read My Michael, The Same Sea, and Black Box, all of which I already own. I've read A Tale of Love and Darkness, How to Cure a Fanatic and Rhyming Life and Death, in addition to Scenes from Village Life; are there other books of his that you (or Madeline, or anyone else) would recommend?

You've hit my two favorite (Black Box, A Tale of Love and Darkness), Darryl, although now I'd probably add Scenes from Village Life to that mix (minus the last story, of course!).

The others I read too long ago to remember the details so I'm hesitant to give them a blank recommendation. Looking back on my notes about some of those books, though, I see that I wasn't too crazy about Panther in the Basment, but I did like The Same Sea very much.

P.S. I love when Israeli authors have universal appeal in their writing.

P.P.S. Cyrel & Darryl, have you read any books by Sayed Kashua, an Israeli Arab? If not, you should. They're terrific.

Ooh, thanks for that reminder about Sayed Kashua, Madeline! I have two of his books, Let It Be Morning and Dancing Arabs, but I haven't read either one yet. I'll read those for the Reading Globally 3rd quarter challenge as well. Are there other books of his that you would recommend?

Are there other books of his that you would recommend?

There are no more books by Sayed Kashua, or I'd read them right away!

ETA: Wait!! I just discovered a new bookof his called Second Person Singular (publishing date in 2012) and I just wishlisted it! Thanks for helping me learn about this new book, Darryl.

Darryl, what I really like about Kahua's books are that they express the difficulty of an Arab's situation in Israel without simply bashing all Jewish Israelis. It's the same way, I guess, that you and I felt after reading that tragic but marvelous autobiography of Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish.

Cyrel, if you have not yet read I Shall Not Hate by Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, move it way up higher on your TBR list immediately.

Great! I've added Second Person Singular to my wish list.

ETA: I second Madeline's recommendation of I Shall Not Hate.

thanks for the recommendations!

11. Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James. This is the second of any " sequel" books that I have read that covers the characters of Pride and Prejudice. The tone of the book is curiously cool and detached. We see little of Elizabeth and really hear only from Darcy. The story is somewhat plausible and the solution to the mystery does seems a little farfetched. I am glad that I read it -considering the publicity but.. give me Jane Austen anytime.

12. The Pity of It All: A Portrait of the German-Jewish Epoch 1743-1933 by Amos Elon. This history of Jewish life in Germany over about two centuries was very well written and informative to me. Jews certainly struggled over the years to have full participation in German society. Elon explains the desire to be completely identified with German culture . In fact he recounts the successes and ultimately the failures of Jews to integrate into a country that they saw as their own. One telling example that Elon writes about-" A few weeks in spring 1933 sufficed to reduce the University of Gottingen, a world renowned center of advanced physics and mathematics, to the level of a provincial college. More than fifty professors were expelled among them the Nobel laureate James Franck and the future laureate Max Born." The note at the bottom of the page recounts how the Nazi minister of education asked a famous mathematician David Hilbert, if the institute had suffered from the expulsion of the "Jews and their friends". Hilbert replied: Suffered?It hasn't suffered, it no longer exists."
Elon covers the participation of German Jews in politics and literature. Highly recommended.

13. A Corpse at St. Andrew's Chapel by Mel Starr. I have enjoyed this new series about Hugh de Singleton, a surgeon and bailiff for Lord Gilbert Talbot in 1365. This is the second book and the author has used the politics and social habits of the time to create a believable small town. Hugh has to solve the murder of the local beadle and later attempts on his own life. An enjoyable mystery to read.

I have seen several good reviews of the Starr books. I am hoping that my local library gets the books in eventually.

They are fun to read. The other series set in medieval times that I like are those written by Michael Jecks.

I do not think I have read any of Jecks' books either. I need to check the local library for them as well.

Of course, I am waiting for the C.J. Sansom's next book about Tudor lawyer and detective , Matthew Shardlake!

14. The Big Why by Michael Winter. I usually like books written by Newfoundland authors and settings on this very unique island. I have real mixed feelings about this novel about the American artist Rockwell Kent, who really did live in Newfoundland for a while. Winter portrays the tragedy of the lives of the fishermen and dangers of sailing in the north very well. His characterization of the outspoken Kent as a driven artist with no regard for his treatment of his wife, his infidelities, and disregard for local feelings is good. Kent's friendships with the men in the small village of Brigus and the US (including the real explorer Bob Barlett) are probably more important to him than those of his wife Kathleen and his previous mistress, Jenny. The description of the cold and inhospitable weather struck a very real note. ( especially since I was reading the book during a very cold snap at home). I can admire Winter's writing style. I just didn't like the main character and everything he stood for in terms of relationships and behaviour.

>58 torontoc:: me too! re the Shardlake

Cyrel you are reading some wonderfully quirky books and reading your reviews of these secret gems is an absolute treat. Books 12-14 would all be of interest!

Thank you!
15. The Reinvention of Love by Helen Humphreys. Humphreys's latest book is wonderful. She writes about the love affair between Charles Saint-Beuve, a journalist and poet, and Adele Hugo, the wife of Victor Hugo. This historical fiction novel covers most of the 19th century in terms of the French history and literature. The author has both Charles and Adele narrate the chapters of the books so that the reader has a real sense of distinct personalities and points of view. In fact some of the opinions and thoughts seem very contemporary. I cannot say more in that there is an interesting secret that Charles reveals that plays a part in the narrative. One chapter is narrated by Victor and Adele Hugo's unfortunate daughter, Dede. During the story of the love affair and it's aftermath, the reader learns about the lives of the three characters and their feelings. The book is well written and gives life to an interesting slice of history. Highly Recommended. Like all of Humpheys's books this one has great typography, and cover design.

16. Hot Breakfast for My Life with Harold Town by Iris Nowell. I have been looking for this memoir by Nowell for a while. It has been out of print. Nowell has written a very good biography of the Canadian painter, Joyce Weiland, and more recently a history of the Painters Eleven. However, her " infamous " past was as the "hidden"girlfriend of the Canadian painter, Harold Town. This was during a time when a married man( Town) would hide his mistress from his colleagues and friends. Nowell writes about this long term relationship and the development of Town's artistic career from the late 1950's to the 1980's. She describes the emotional ups and downs of catering to and assisting a man who was considered a talented but difficult artist. Her memoir reveals the strengths and weaknesses of this artist whose present influence is not really been assessed yet( in my opinion) .

#61: The Reinvention of Love sounds very good, Cyrel. I will have to see if my local library has it yet. Thanks for the recommendation!

Humphreys is one of my favorite authors. I really enjoyed The Reinvention of Love when I read it last year. Humphreys has a way of making you think more deeply about her stories than you thought you would going in. Great to see you highly recommend it!

Humphreys does choose interesting topics to write about- I really like to look at her books as well- haven't checked to see if she uses the same designer for all her books.

17.Kaaterskill Falls by Allegra Goodman. I started this book about a number of Orthodox Jews who summered in a small village in the Catskills and thought- there is no drama. Although all the families and tensions were expertly presented, there were very few big plot lines. The family of the disciples of Rav Kirshner were divided by very different brothers and the Rabbi's relationship to his sons. Elizabeth Shulman's big decision was to start a small grocery store in the summer town. A young girl rebelled against her mother's plans for her. But while I read about the developments of each family unit and the thoughts about belief and practice, I found myself appreciating the thoughtfulness of the writing. Goodman describes the lives and changing traditions of a variety of Orthodox Jews with respect and clarity of vision.

18. Ashenden by Somerset Maugham. This was the first ebook that I read on my new Kobo. It was an interesting experience trying to turn the pages and getting the movement of the fingers right. I read an excerpt of this book last year and it is accomplished and great to read. Maugham indicated in his introduction that some of the details may have come from his own experiences. The story of the British writer, Ashenden, and his work as a spy in Europe was both tragic and comical. His work was at times boring and methodical and sometimes dangerous. A well written book that I enjoyed.

Cyrel I am a huge Maugham fan and Ashenden is very enjoyable fare as I recall. If you haven't read anything else of his I would recommend The Moon and Sixpence or The Magician. 18 books so far this year is an impressive haul!

I did read The Moon and Sixpence many years ago- I just got The Magician for my Kobo.
The number of books read in a month depends on what I feel like reading- I have some real long books that I am looking at for Feb. ( maybe Life and Fate or A Suitable Boy.)

19. Witches on the Road Tonight by Sheri Holman. Sheri Holman is a writer who cannot be pigeon-holed into one " kind" of writing. I loved The Mammoth Cheese and her first book,A Stolen Tongue. The Dress Lodger is one that I put down for no apparent reason and have to pick up again some time. Historical Fiction or contemporary dramas, Holman writes about some very unusual characters. In this semi-gothic ghost story, a young boy. Eddie , lives in primitive conditions in 1940s Appalachia with his mother, Cora, who is a witch. A writer and his photographer wife almost run Eddie over and in the course of helping him, introduce the boy to film. The man also is bewitched by Cora and his history becomes part of the mystery that Wallis, Eddie's daughter helps solve many years later. The narrative is carried by many of the characters.-Eddie , when he is about to die, Wallis as a 12 year old livng with her parents and an orphan, Jasper adapted by her family, an older Wallis recounting her history, and Tucker, the writer who disappears. Holman's imagination gives the reader Cora, a witch who sheds her skin, Eddie a performer who presents horror movies, Jasper, an angry boy who discovers Eddie'secret.and and unstable Wallis, a reporter who lives in danger. I liked the book but thought that several story lines were cut short and could have used more detail. Recommended.

Nice review of the Witches on the Road Tonight. I am on a gothic kick right now - no idea why but hey, run with what works. The only Holman I have read so far is The Dress Lodger, which I did find to be a fascinating historical fiction. If you do pick it up again I will be curious to see what you think of it.

I have a number of half read books that I want to finish this year-The Dress Lodger is one of them.

20. Dilbert: The Way of the Weasel by Scott Adams. O.K. this was a very silly book that I got at a Bookmooch meeting. My brother is a fan of Adams and swears that some of the situations are really true in the business world.When I was working , I also saw some of the same people(" weasels") and scenarios. The cartoons are funny but the commentary gets repetitious at about half way through the book. My advice- Look at the cartoons- it is enough!

21. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Two mysterious men, one a magician and the other, a man in grey, arrange a competition. The players are the young daughter of the magician and a young orphan,the protege of the man in grey. Throughout the book, the reader sees both young people grow up, and learn how to create incredible illusions in a night circus. Both Celia and Marco do not know who they are " playing against" in this game without any rules. The author has created an intricate plot that introduces the reader to a number of intriguing people, and beautiful descriptive images of new worlds set into the circus that opens only at night. The only fault that I have with the book is that sometimes each character in the novel does not have a different " voice".i.e. Isabel could be Celia.Some of the incidents that take place in the book also have no sense of morality- no retribution for some innocent people who are killed .The book itself is designed well with an elegant script and distinctive page separations. Highly recommended.

22. Eye of the Red Tsar by Sam Eastland. This is the second ebook that I read on my Kobo. There are two parallel stories about an Inspector who was the personal police agent of the last Tzar of Russia. The back story relates how the inspector knew the Tsar, his rise and then his capture by the communists, his torture and then exile to Siberia. The second and major plot line is about his release and mission to find out who really killed the royal family and to find the Tzar's hidden gold. Parts of the book were good in the mystery section but most was just..not. I knew a lot about the details of the Tsar's family and their massacre. The book used some of the real material but the solving of the crime was a little far fetched.

Another fan of The Night Circus!
I give in and will request it at my library :-)

23. The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova. This very long ( 564 pages) novel about painters and obsession has good points and some bad. The author really knows how to describe the work of artists and how they paint. This asset drives the story about a psychiatrist treating a very silent artist who has attacked a painting in the National Gallery in Washington. The doctor, Andrew Marlow, interviews the artist-Robert Oliver-his ex-wife Kate, and his last girlfriend, Mary. They provide the story of Oliver's life with them and his interest in an unknown woman who is the constant subject of his art. Oliver, had in his possession a series of letters from 19th century France from a young woman artist, and her mentor, an older artist who is her husband's uncle. Marlow tracks down the tangled story of their lives through the letters and paintings that he discovers. He feels that solving the mystery of these artists will help his patient move on with his life. The so called surprise ending is a little convoluted with a plot device that is totally unexpected and unbelievable. The story ends happily for the modern characters.I think that the resolution is a little too complicated. Interesting read for the material on painting.

24.Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper by Harriet Scott Chessman. After reading the last book about an imaginary artist, I decided to read one about Mary Cassatt. The author has written a very lovely and sensitive novel about Cassatt's sister, who was ill. Lydia lived with Mary in Paris with their parents and was the subject of a number of her paintings. Each chapter covers the one painting-thoughtfully provided along with the text. The author gives a very good description of the painting process. although from the point of view of the sitter. The reader learns about Cassatt's family, Lydia's lost love, and the relationship between Degas and Mary Cassatt. I enjoyed this novel although I thought that Mary Cassatt was probably a lot tougher in nature in real life from the research that I did.

25. The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art by Don Thompson.This book by a professor of economics is really a primer on the art and auction world. Thompson explains the role of art dealers, auction houses and collectors in the art world. He explores how money and prestige or branding make a contemporary artist saleable. The material is enlightening in understanding the power structure of art collecting.

26. The Red Coffin by Sam Eastland. Oh, did I read this because it is on my Kobo? Or because I was curious to see what adventures the main character would be involved in? Whatever my reason, I made a mistake- this was a bad story of murder, Soviet tanks, a somewhat cartoonish version of Stalin and a lame ending. Sigh- on to better reading.

27. A Trail of Ink by Mel Starr. I liked this medieval mystery series with the bailiff and surgeon, Hugh de Singleton. In this story, Hugh goes to Oxford in order to court Kate the daughter of the stationer, Robert Caxton and help his mentor, John Wyclif, find his stolen books. Starr tells a good story with details of the time expertly woven into the text. A good mystery read.

28. A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel. Wow! I have been reading this book ( a mere 874 pages ) for about two weeks now. Mantel had done an excellent job of combining real quotes and recreating of the lives of Robespierre, Danton, and Desmoulins. Mantel gives so many people who participated in the French Revolution distinct personalities. Sometimes the relationships between these men and their wives and lovers seem bizarre. The author says in her introduction that "a rough guide:anything that seems particularlyunlikely is probably true". The novel starts from the early lives of the three men and ends at the execution of Danton and Desmoulins. The thoughts and actions of the women and men who played an active role in the revolution are complex and the examination of their philosophy is thorough. I highly recommend this novel to those who are interesed in history. I did use my copy of Simon Schama's Citizens to see what happened to some of the players.

Cyrel - Wolf Hall has its plaudits but for me A Place of Greater Safety is her best work by far. Read it 15 years ago and loved every page of it.

I found out that Mantel's next book comes out in Canada on May 15th. In A Place of Greater Safety , I really enjoyed the creation of such interesting characters- especially Desmoulins.

29. Unhallowed Ground by Mel Starr. The fourth book in the series about bailiff and surgeon Hugh de Singleton continues in the same vein as the first three books. The author links all his books by continuing the story as if all the murders and robberies are part of one continuous novel. Hugh has wed Kate, the daughter of Robert Caxton and they are back in the town of Bampton in their own house. A not particularly liked man, Thomas atte Bridge has been found hanged. Hugh thinks that Thomas was murdered but finds that there are many people in the town who had motive to do this deed. He travels to see a disgraced monk who may have had reason to kill. The circle of suspects get bigger. At this point there is an event that may or may not have a link to the murder. Starr brings back some of the villains from the previous novel and at the end of the story provides links that will let some of the more interesting " bad' characters return in later novels. The details of life and the use of the descriptive words of the time ( there is a glossary) make this mystery very interesting. The disparity between punishment for monks and knights and the common people is an important plot device and will provide the author with some good possibilities for later novels.

If the new Mantel book is coming out that soon, I may have to reread Wolf Hall first. Unfortunately, I have a hardcover edition, so it's quite a tome.

In Canada, Mantel's Wolf Hall came out as a very big trade paperback- the same is happening for the new book.

The new Mantel book, Bring Up the Bodies, will be released in the US on May 22.

30. Slave by Mende Nazer. I read this for my book club. I found the writing not very sophisticated but a horrific tale none the less as the author relates her early life in the Sudan, her capture by Arab raiders and sale as a household slave to a woman in Khartoum. Nazer was lucky to have a journalist help her write this book. The details of her early life are interesting and do read like a young adult book. I must admit that the story was not as compelling as another memoir of life in The Translator A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur by Daoud Hari..

31. The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco. I feel that sometimes I can appreciate good writing but not like the story- I am finding this in my read of this book. Eco's main character, Simonini is terrible. He complains about and hates everyone- Jesuits, Catholics, Masons, various political groups and most of all against Jews. The premise- that all the minor characters were based on real people doesn't make the story less distasteful. The protaganist is a forger and creates mischief in Italy and France in the mid to late nineteenth century. He seems to be one of the first authors of the infamous Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
Eco is also contemptuous of his reader- he includes a plot outline at the back of the book for anyone who gets confused. He includes some latin phrases that are not translated ( thank goodness for my high school latin class). There are lists of French dishes that are eaten at various points during the story. Is the book a warning against individuals who plot against and poison the plans of various nations? There is no morality in this novel- people are killed and disposed of with no remorse. I think that the reader will understand what Eco is trying to do but I don't think that it is necessary.

You know, Cyrel, I think I'm going to give this one a pass. I've been a faithful Eco reader lo all these years but this one just sounds unpleasant. Thanks for taking one for the team! hehe

You are welcome! I am now reading a wonderful book by Modris Eksteins- Walking Since Daybreak: A story of Eastern Europe, World War II and the Heart of Our Century.

32.Walking since Daybreak: A Story of Eastern Europe, World War II and The Heart of Our Century by Modris Eksteins. I really enjoyed reading this history of the Baltic States that concentrates on the time period of the two world wars and the author's own personal history. Eksteins traces his roots back to his maternal great grandmother in what is now Latvia. The chapters on the history of the politics of Germany and Russia regarding the Baltic land alternate with the author's own story of immigrating to Canada. The battles, the changing of sides between Russian and German influence and the terrible destruction in Latvia and Germany are described in this history. I do believe that this book certainly fills in the gaps in my knowledge of Baltic area. However, in order to get an understanding of the whole picture of World War II, the reader should also read works by Antony Beevor.

33. The Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet by Arturo Perez-Reverte. I follow a few historical fiction series and this one about the adventures of Spanish soldier, Captain Diego Alatriste, is fun to read. The author describes the politics of seventeenth century Spain and the plots against the King, Philip IV. The captain seems to be involved with the actress who the king is interested in and there are further plots to incriminate Alatriste with crimes against the monarchy. The adventures are swashbuckling and still the reader gets a sense of the life of the rich and the poor.

34. Tides of War by Stella Tillyard The author has written some great historical biographies -Aristocrats and Citizen Lord to name two, and I believe that this is her first novel. Tillyard's subject is the Peninsular War. Her wide range of characters explore both the history of the struggle between Napoleon and Wellington and the personal stories of both fictional and real people of that time. The reader learns about Wellington's wife , Kitty and her independence from a husband who really does not care about her, the role of Nathan Rothschild and his bank in supporting the war as well as the fictional characters who represent some of the issues of that time. A good read for those who like historical fiction.

35. Hugo Movie Companion by Brian Selznick. I borrowed this book from a friend. I read the original book and saw the movie. This book about the background of the making of the film was really interesting. The drawings and plans of the sets, the research on the filmmaker George Melies and the explanations about the jobs of the many people who worked on the film were informative. I found out that a former student had a key role in the 3D process. I was also surprised to learn that the real George Melies really did have a toy store in a French railway station. Lovely read if you have seen the film( and in 3D).

36. The Night Manager by John Le Carre. I became interested in Le Carre's work after seeing the movie based on Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. The story of a British hotel worker with a background in cooking and the army, Jonathan Pine, and his minders in the secret service is fascinating. I am not sure whether I was more interested in the story of the plots and fights in the government services or the way Pine went undercover to trap an arms dealer. A good gripping read with lots of suspense.

37. The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillips. The author has written a very unusual story. He writes as if the book was the introduction to a newly discovered play by William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Arthur. And indeed the name of the character is Arthur Phillips, novelist, brother to a slightly disfuctional twin sister ,Dana, and son to a man who spends most of his life in jail. Whether the play has been written by his father is one of the themes as well as the " unreliable narrator' motif. In addition, Phillips produces the Shakespearean play, complete with footnotes. Who or what is the truth?. Like the narrator in Julian Barnes who " doesn't get it", the reader really is left with many questions about the reality of this family, the details lifted from the novelist's life or not, and the nature of revenge and repentance. A very interesting read.

38. The Quiet American by Graham Greene. Greene is one of those writers that you pick up and wonder why you haven't read his work sooner. I read Greene years ago and am now filling in the gaps in my read of all his books. This is a masterful story of a British reporter in Vietnam in the early fifties. He meets a young American who is working as an economic attache but is really involved in the politics. This young man seems very innocent in his opinions and actions but events prove him to be dangerous. He also takes the British reporter's girlfriends from him. The story of the relationships and the outcomes of the conflicts between the French and the various warring factions in Vietnam are strangely prophetic. An excellent book.

Nice review of The Quiet American, Cyrel. I'm planning to read my first Graham Greene novel, The Comedians, later this month.

When I read Greene's work I was reminded how good a writer he is- I really have to read more of his work. ( Notwithstanding the towers of unread books that I have!)
39.In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield This is another reread of an author that I read many years ago. The short stories are about various inhabitants of a small German spa town, I believe in the early 1900's-the English woman there without her husband, the visitors from Germany,and the pension owners. The author is a keen observer of personality and makes very critical comments about the role of women and the assumptions of the men of the time.
A very good reread.

40. The Master of Bruges by Terence Morgan. I really like historical fiction based on artists but this one was not my favourite. Hans Memling must have led an interesting life- working with Rogier VanderWeyden, and later on his own in Bruges. His interactions with the Duke of Burgundy, his daughter and later the King of England, Richard III, must have been fascinating but I didn't get enough from this book or the style of writing

41. Bloodhounds by Peter Lovesey. This murder mystery set in Bath was a lot of fun to read.It paid hommage to some of the earlier mystery writers in this subject matter. A valuable postage stamp is stolen after a mysterious but puzzling note is sent to the police and the press. Inspector Peter Diamond is assigned to the case after a member of a crime fiction group is killed in a locked room. The details of the case refer to seemingly unsolvable crimes written by famous mystery novelists. The members of this group are the only suspects until the Inspector finds out the true motive. A good read.

42. Poison by Sara Poole This was a fun read- really an adventure story more than a historical fiction novel. A young woman becomes the official poisoner to Cardinal Rodigro Borgia. She wants to avenge the death of her father by mysterious forces. The adventure that she takes part in involves the death of the present pope, the intrigue behind the next papal election,a plot to banish the Jews from all of Europe and more. There is a lot of tracking the villain through hidden passages in St. Peters and interesting poisonings.

I really enjoyed Poison when I read it. Glad to see the positive comments from you. Apparently there is a sequel...

sorry.... correction, there is a sequel already out - The Borgia Betrayal - and a third book - The Borgia Mistress - to come out later this spring (May).

I saw that both sequels are out- I will have to look for them! I like the fact the author made the heroine adventurous and smart but not stupid- a common fault with some historical novels that I have read.

43. The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst. I think that this is one of my favourite books that I have read this year. The only problem with reading it on my Kobo is that it is hard to go back and reread chapters ( I am gadget-challenged). Hollinghurst tells the story of a charismatic young poet who dies in the First World War. The memories of his relationships with men and women, the legacy of his writing, the unreliable narrator problem, and the problems of biography are the main themes. The story starts before the war and continues to 2008. The reader meets various people who have a relationship with the family introduced in the first chapter. There are questions of reliability- who is telling the truth? A wonderful read!

Somewhere recently (the Guardian?) I read a positive review of The Stranger's Child so will keep an eye out for it. And what a job--professional poisoner!

Hi Cyrel

Congratulations on reading 43 books thus far this year. I've added The Stranger's Child to the tbr list. It sounds fascinating.

Thanks, Linda. I was reading some of the reviews of The Stranger's Child here on LT and people seem to love it or hate it- interesting!

44. Field Gray by Philip Kerr. This is the latest installment of the saga of private detective/ spy/soldier Bernie Gunther. Kerr takes the reader from 1954 Germany where a variety of spy services are using Gunther ( French, American) to find war criminals to 1940 and 41 Germany and Russia. The stories of Gunther's time in Russian work camps- alluded to other books- are described here. The lies and deceptions on all sides are exposed and the reader is left with an unease at the betrayals and deals. Kerr uses the details of real war criminals and places in the story. I look forward to the next book Prague Fatale

45. Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier. I was disappointed in this book. Although the poet and artist William Blake plays a major role in this novel, the story is more of a young adult account of London in 1792. The author uses the real Astley's Circus and the character of the owner, Philip Astley. The story revolves around three young people in Lambeth, a brother and sister whose family have moved to London from the country and a street wise girl who is their neighbour. The author uses Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience in the plot but I wanted more.

It's interesting that William Blake's poetry is used in the plot of Burning Bright. I recently read Kenzaburo Oe's Rouse Up O Young Men of the New Age! in which the narrator quotes and discusses Blake extensively, describing the book as a “…chronicle of William Blake superimposed on my life with my son…”. An unusual and challenging novel that might interest you if you want more Blake. It's also worth reading as autobiographical fiction based on Oe and his severely disabled son.

Thank you- I will put the book on my wishlist of books to look out for!

Stopping by to say that I'm now reading Unorthodox; The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots. It's fascinating! I thought you might enjoy it as well. The author is Deborah Feldman, and this is her first book.

O.K. another book to put on my list! thanks!

Any time! :)

46. Better Living Through Plastic Explosives by Zsuzsi Gartner. This book of short stories was nominated for the Giller Prize last year. The stories are quirky, funny and in some cases quite horrific. Gartner knows how to pack a punch as she targets the film industry in Vancouver, international adoption, real estate and terrorism. Sometimes the prose seems a little convoluted and the plots meander through a dense series of actions. Gartner does make her point. An interesting and sometimes uncomfortable read.

Simply stopping by and waving hi

Hi Linda!

47. Pirates of the Levant by Arturo Perez-Reverte. This is the latest in the series about seventeenth century Spanish soldier, Captain Alatriste. Previous books have been set in Madrid. This story has Alatriste and his seventeen year old charge, Inigo , serving aboard a ship on the Mediterranean looking for pirates and protecting Spanish outposts in North Africa. In fact this book really doesn't have much of a specific plot as much as the description of a series of battles. What was pivotal was the description of the treatment of the Moors and other unfortunate captives in the galleys. The author describes the very brutal fate of peoples caught in the wars between the Muslims in the Levant and Spain. This was the key feature of this particular novel. As well, the reader learns of the fate of ordinary soldiers who fought in the name of the king and got very little in return.

WOW! 47 books already this year!

48. Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz. Horwitz writes well about his physical and intellectual journey throughout the southern states in search of the American Civil War sites. There are amusing stories about travelling and joining a group of " hardcore" civil war reenactors who recreate the conditions of the civil war soldier- bad food, exhaustion and no hygiene. Horwitz visits historians, civil war battlefields and monuments and the present day towns and people who live near them. He is really looking into the reasons southerners still have strong feelings about the Confederate nation and past battles today. He finds a great divide in the south that encompasses attitudes towards big government, integration and style of life. I found this book very revealing in the description of feelings by both black and white Americans towards the civil war and civil rights. Horwitz writes well about the difficult and sometimes troubling ideas found in the veneration of southern civil war leaders and events.

49. The Paper Garden :An Artist Begins Her Life's Work at 72 by Molly Peacock. This is a wonderful book! Molly Peacock not only described the life of Mary Granville Pendarves Delany-she integrated the stories of her own life in this biography. Peacock used the beautiful papercuts that Delany started to created at age 72 to intrioduce various themes into the narrative. The fact that each of the book's chapters began with photos of the art helped enormously understand the artistry that Delany developed. Mary Delany was brought up to be a member of the royal household of England in the 1700's. That really didn't happen until she was in her 70's with a friendship with King George III and Queen Charlotte. Delany's uncle arranged for her first marriage at age 17 to a much older friend of his. This horrendous match to a drunkard ended with his death and left Mary in a much better position as a widow. She was able to live more or less independently ( as much as a woman could in the eighteenth century) until her second marriage in her forties to a clergyman from Ireland. This was a love match and thye lived very happily until his death when she was 72. The art of recreating flowers began when Mary lived with her good friend, the Duchess of Portland. Encourgement and the time to devote to this " craft" led to the most extraordinary work. Peacock describes her own life as a poet and her rediscovery of her first love who she marries. The encouragement by either Mary's friend, the Duchess or the husband of her first biographer ( a distant relation of Mary's) is a constant theme in this memoir of discovery of talent. Well written and inspirational.

50. Twelve Days in Persia: Account of a Journey Across the Bakhtiari Mountains of South-western Persia by Vita Sackville-West This book was first published in 1928 and is an account of the author's trek into the Bakhtiari mountains with her husband and a few other Englishmen. The descriptions of the countryside are precise. This book is also a record of the life of a remote tribe in present day Iran. Sackville-West's observations on the oil fields of the time and the hope for a better life for the people that she saw are very much coloured by the prejudices of the time. The modern day reader might wince at the opinions of this English writer but I think that Vita-Sackville just expresses the thoughts of most western visitors to this region. This was an interesting exploration of the past and might help explain some present day problems with outsiders to a Middle east region.

Have a lovely Passover, Cyrel!

Thank you!
51. The Frumkiss Family Business by Michael Wex. I did not like this book. I read it because it was supposed to be a satire on Toronto and Yiddish culture. The author didn't give the reader enough information about and plot to the most interesting character, Faktor. The street names and places in Toronto could have been replaced by any other town. Sigh- enough said.

52. A Mountain of Crumbs :a Memoir by Elena Gorokhova. This memoir about the author's early years growing up in the Soviet union is well written. Gorokhova's descriptions of her schooling, family and her assumptions about Russian society provide a glimpse into the lives of ordinary Russians during the 1960's and 70's. Eventually the author left the Soviet Union having married an American citizen. This memoir is really an intense introduction to Soviet life. Some of the descriptions of dreams could have been omitted but overall an interesting book.

53. The Cost of Living: Early and Uncollected Stories by Mavis Gallant.This is a great collection of short stories by Mavis Gallant. I enjoyed the perceptive introduction by Jhumpa Lahiri and then the stories about a variety of lost souls and awkward young people affected by bad parenting. The tensions between men and women caught in world of the 1950's were well described. This is a collection by a master of the short story.

54.Gillespie and I by Jane Harris. The memoirs of a woman who may have destroyed the family of a young painter in Glasgow is a plot that sneaks up on the reader. At first the descriptions of the International Exhibition in 1888 and the family befriended by an Englishwoman of means seems to be quite normal. Later as the narrator describes her present day life in 1933 and her attempts to recall and write about a momentous time in her life, clues lead the reader to a difficult conclusion. Who is telling the truth? This is a book that I want to go back to again to see if I can spot more of the inconsistencies in the story earlier than I did the first time reading. Excellent novel.

55. The Wandering Jews by Joseph Roth. and translated by Michael Hofmann This little book- really a reporting about the life of "Eastern Jews" according to Roth- written in the late 1930's seems very dated now. Roth explores the differences between Jews living in "Western Europe" ( assimilated German, Austrian and French Jews) and those who come from Poland and Russia. In a way the book is somewhat patronizing of the customs of these religious Jews who are most conspicuous in their poverty and beliefs. The vexing question of what will become of them is not answered although the reader knows the end of the story. An interesting report by a perceptive writer and observer of the tensions in Europe between the two world wars.

56. Kolyma Tales by Varlam Shalamov. A friend of mine who has similar tastes in reading recommended this book. Shalamov spent about 17 years in total in the Soviet prison system in Kolyma in Siberia and his short stories reflect his experiences. The reader learns of the breaking down of the spirit of the so-called political prisoners and the brutality of the guards and convict prisoners. In fact the real convicts seem to be encouraged to degrade and steal from those who have been charged with being on the wrong side of the system. The list of former heads of Russian institutions who end up in the labour camps seems strange to the reader but becomes understandable after reading the book. The power of these stories is great. They add to the horror of the more recent non-fiction accounts of life and death in the Gulag.

*waving* at Cyrel

Adding Kolyma Tales to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation!

You are welcome! Glad to hear you in between college sessions!

Thanks, it is nice to be around for a change!

57. Embers by Sandor Marai. Marai is one of those rediscovered authors now translated from Hungarian and then German by Carol Brown Janeway. The book was originally published in 1942. The author recreates the world of the Austrian- Hungarian Empire. An aged General who has lived a solitary life in his castle for many years prepared to entertain a friend who he has not seen for over forty years. He narrates most of the story of his life and then tells of the incident that involved this his late wife and this former friend. The General was wealthy, smart and was married to a beautiful woman. His friend was not as well off but was treated as a trusted family member by the general's late father and mother. When the friend turns up at his home after living in the Far East and later England, the General feels as if he has waited for this occasion. The book becomes not only a recounting of the important incident that changed the General's life, but a meditation on the meaning of relationships. The reader finds out why the event was so important and what happened to the people involved. A really interesting and beautifully translated story.

58. Stalin The Court of the Red Tsar by Simon Sebag Montefiore The author has done meticulous research on this book, using recently opened Russian archives and interviews with some of the survivors. In a way, the story of Stalin's time in power in Russia from the early 1930's to his death in the 1950's reads like a surreal novel. While mililons of people were tortured, shot or sent to the Gulag, Stalin used his band of cronies and their families to entertain him in never ending dinners. At the same time the close circle of rulers of Russia changed constantly with ministers and or their wives arrested and exiled or shot. Life went on when one's family disappeared. The reasons were trumped up- usually based on rivalries or jealousy. The battles during the Second World War were successful because of the millions of Russian soldiers available. Casualties were not important. The subservience of the rulers surrounding Stalin and their role in the deaths of so many Russians is astounding. The depravity of the ruling party is astonishing. Only now are memoirs telling part of the story. This book really must be read with Gulag by Anne Applebaum.

59. All That I Am by Anna Funder The author takes the lives of real people and creates a novel that is part historical fiction. She says in her notes that some of the situations are imagined yet there is a sense that it is real.One reviewer said that the real story was so compelling that perhaps the author should have written it as a non-fiction story. Yet, we the reader are left with characters who were real people with extraordinary lives. Ernst Toller, writer and political exile from Germany, tells his story from a New York hotel room in 1939. Ruth Becker, living in Australia and at the end of her life in the present relates her involvement with Dora Fabian, her cousin, and her husband Hans Wesemann in 1930's Germany and later 1935 England. Alternating between the narration of Ernst and Ruth, the story of political attempts to oppose Hitler and the rise of the Nazis, the exile and threat of assassination and eventually the betrayals is a thrilling plot. However the reader knows that most of the events did happen. A really interesting book.

Nice review of All That I Am, Cyrel; it does sound interesting.

#127: I have owned Embers for several years now. I really need to get it read!

#128/129: Adding both of those to the BlackHole.

After reading All That I Am, I would really like to read some of Funder's source material-the biographies of the real people.

60.Hark A Vagrant by Kate Beaton. And now for some comedy relief. Beaton has a nice take on history, and some authors through her cartoons. I liked her view of the Bronte sisters and their attraction to unsuitable men for their heros. This books was fun to read and view although I wish that some of Beaton's captions were clearer.

61. The Arrogant Years One Girl's Search for Her Lost Youth, from Cairo to Brooklyn by Lucette Lagnado. I read the author's last book that centered on her father's history and life. This book follows the family to Brooklyn but the focus is on Lagnado's mother and really the author herself. Edith Lagnado has the beginning of a promising career in Egypt as a teacher , and a second role as a librarian-advisor to a Pasha's wife. When she married Leon, this all ended. In fact the story of the family's situation in Brooklyn contrasts greatly with their life in Egypt. Lucette is the hope of the mother in the United States. However, Lucette developed cancer. After she is treated, Lucette searches for her own satisfaction in career and lifestyle. Her mother does get a job in the library system. The story relates how Lucette and her mother adapted to the US while her father seemed to be invisible in this account. The suffering of Edith as she ages and Lucette's role in helping her end the memoir. I felt that the first book had a more colourful story about the history of the father's family. This book does skip some of what could have been interesting sections ( the story of her grandmother's life and the relationships with her sister and brothers) but it is possible that the author is saving them for another book. An interesting read about self discovery.

62. Five Bells by Gail Jones. The author tells the stories of four people who in one day have to be on the site or around the Sydney Opera House .Ellie and James are schoolmates and former lovers who are meeting for the first time in years. Pei Hing is on her way to visit someone and we learn of her story and her imprisonment in China during the Cultural Revolution. Catherine is Irish and has come to work in Sydney. She also carries the memory of her dead brother. The author describes the area of the harbour and how each character moves through it engaged in their own thoughts. A beautifully written book with good characterizations and excellent descriptions.

Reading along but not a thing to say.

Glad to read you though! i have been spending the last week seeing films from the Hot Documentary Film Festival- good films- I'm glad that some of them are being shown in the cinemas.

I've just caught up on 3 months of your reading Cyrel and will be adding several books to my wishlist. I had All that I Am out of the library but didn't get to it in time, and the Stalin biography is waiting patiently on the bedside table.

I loved The Stranger's Child too!

I got The Stranger's Child as an ebook and wish that I had the paper version- there were so many passages that I wanted to back to!
The Stalin book was a tough read-

63. The Phoenix Land by Miklos Banffy I read this memoir about Banffy's life as a diplomat in the service of Hungary just after World War 1. He wrote it in 1945 and certainly Banffy's knowledge of history, politics and diplomacy is impressive. The reader learns of the backroom negotiations behind treaties at conferences, and the history of various failed and successful revolutions. The one fault of this book is the detour that the author makes more than once to explain theory or thoughts on events. The style is not straightforward. Banffy still provides interesting information on a part of the world and a time that I did not know.

64. The Free World by David Bezmozgis. The author has written a novel about a family of Latvian Jews who are waiting in Rome for papers to immigrate to the West. The time is 1978 and we view the past and present situations facing Samuil- a Red army veteran, his sons Karl and Alec and their families. Samuil has emigrated unwillingly- he had a good life as the head of a factory in Riga but suffers the indignities of leaving the Soviet Union for his family's sake. I wish that the reader learned more about his past which is described briefly. The novel has more of a focus on Alec-the younger son who has a job with the immigration society in Rome and his wife Polina. The story of the infidelities of Alec and the not so legal pursuits of his brother and some of his friends becomes messy. I am not sure whether I liked the plot or tone- I have to think about it for a while.

I read and really enjoyed Bezmozgis' short story collection Natasha; and other stories but I have been somewhat wary of picking up The Free World.... don't know have an explanation for why.... I can only guess that the premise just didn't grab me. Your comments have left me with continuing to sit on the fence on this one.

I, too, really liked Natasha and Other Stories and I know that incidents in The Free World ring true to others who have had a similar upbringing ( a book reviewer at a book club that I attended who loved the book and was a reader of a first draft). I am still thinking about what I liked and didn't like in that book.

65. Suddenly A Knock On the Door by Etgar Keret I really like the writing of Etgar Keret. This new book of his does not disappoint me. It is funny, surreal at times and bizarre in the unlikely combinations of events. I found that these stories have more of a focus on human nature.My favourite stories were "What , of this Goldfish, Would you Wish? and the lead story "Suddenly, A Knock on the Door."They combined whimsy, black humour, and the bizarre combinations of events that make up Keret's style. Some stories are dark and some are uplifting. Definitely worth reading.

66. The Birth House by Ami McKay. This novel is so rich in it's use of issues about women controlling childbirth, their own sexuality, and more. Set in a small town in Nova Scotia just during the first World War, Dora Rare is the youngest in her family of all boys. She eventually befriends and becomes the apprentice to the midwife,, Miss Babineau. A new doctor in the area tries to get all the women to come to his clinic for their deliveries.. The clash of " modern methods" using forceps and ether, and old fashioned herbs leads to conflict and trouble for Dora. McKay writes about the use of vibratory treatments for hysteria, the aftermath of the Halifax explosion and the effects of the Spanish influenza epidemic.This is a very good and compelling story.

67. Boychiks in the Hood Travels in the Hasidic Underground by Robert Eisenberg. A friend was cleaning out her books and gave me this one to pass on to another reading group. I read it before passing it on. Actually, outside of the"cute" title, it was not bad. The author travels to various places in the world ( Brooklyn, Iowa, Antwerp, Ukraine, Poland and Israel) to interview members of different Hasidic groups. The book explains the differences between the sects in a clear way and is very informative. A quick read.

68. The Same Sea by Amos Oz. This is a lovely book that was written in 1999. Oz has combined both poetry and prose to tell the story or rather a slice of the lives of Albert, a grieving widower whose son Rico is travelling in Tibet, the ghost of his wife Nadia, his new friend Bettine, his son's maybe girlfriend Dita and her other male friends and the Narrator. We are not sure if the narrator is Oz himself although certain biographical details are similar. Oz also uses allusions to Biblical verses in the poetry and prose segments. A very satisfying read.

I'm planning to read The Same Sea for the Reading Globally third quarter theme of Middle Eastern literature, sonI'm glad that you enjoyed it, Cyrel.

I also liked The Same Sea. I see that I read it in 2007! That was quite a while back. Have I been here that long?

At one point in the book, the author made a cameo appearance as a character. I thought that was fun!

69. The Liberated Bride by A.B. Yehoshua. The storylines in this very long book revolve around the main character, a very irritating professor of Near Eastern Studies at Haifa University. Controlling in a very underhanded way, Yochanan Rivlin is stuck in his work on a new book and he is obsessed by the divorce of his older son, Ofer, from Galya. Ofer has not said a word about why he and his wife split after a year old marriage and in fact has exiled himself to Paris. Rivlin uses the death of Galya's father to see the family and try to find out what happened from Galya, her mother, and a trusted family employee Fu'ad. Rivlin's wife, Hagit, wants him to stop asking questions and accept his son's actions. At the same time, Rivlin is in contact with his mentor, a brilliant hypochodriac professor, Carlo Tedeschi, who wants him to look at the research of a recently murdered scholar. The papers in the form of poems and stories from old Algerian newspapers lead Rivlin to ask his MA student who has been absent from class for a year,Samaher, to translate them into Hebrew. There are many trips to weddings, lectures and cultural events where Rivlin tries to find out about things that are not necessarily his business. In fact, in the middle of the book, the reader learns from unsent letters from Ofer to Galya and his mother, Hagit, what terrible event led to the divorce. The reader is in the position of knowing what Rivlin doesn't know. This fact leads the reader to wish along with Hagit that Rivlin would just leave things alone. However then the plot would not be as interesting as the relationships between Arab and Jew are explored along with the foibles of academia. Yehoshua creates very interesting characters and writes about very strong females- Hagit the district judge who is married to Rivlin, Samahar the student who has everyone helping her, and Galya who never lets Rivlin know what happened. I read some of the reviews of this book and some readers took exception with the translation and the length. This is a long book and there could have been more editing. But I did like it and find that Yehoshua is one of those writers whose style is different in each book.

Nice review of The Liberated Bride, Cyrel. I'm planning to read Friendly Fire for the Reading Globally third quarter theme on Middle Eastern literature; have you read it? What other books by Yehoshua would you recommend?

Hmm- I read A Journey to the End of the Millennium a novel of the middle ages and years ago Mr. Mani. I saw the film that was made of Mr. Mani as well. I liked both and have to reread Mr. Mani soon. I have another of Yehoshua's books sin my book pile and have to get to i.
I haven't read Friendly Fire but will have to put it on my TBR list!

70. Stray Bullets by Robert Rotenberg. Lawyer and writer Robert Rotenberg has written the third in his series of legal mysteries that take place in contemporary Toronto. He uses the same cast of characters giving some major roles and others minor ones in each of the three books. The pace is fast and the plot believable. A little boy is killed outside a Tim Horton's donut shop when three young maen confront each other. No one knows the complete story and the reader follows the detectives, the lawyers and the witnesses during the trial. A good and fast paced read.

71. The Tick of Death by Peter Lovesey. I felt like reading a mystery and sped through this "Sargeant Cribb" one. A member of Scotland Yard during the reign of Queen Victoria and Prime Minister Gladstone, Cribb is asked to take a course on explosives and then do some undercover work A group of Irish dissidents has been setting off dynamite at various palce in London. Cribb not only finds them,he infiltrates the organization and prevents an assassination. Lots of fun for a quick read.

72. Consider, This Senora by Harriet Doerr. This novel was pleasant to read. Each chapter focused on a different American who lived in a small town and new development in northern Mexico. This was not the dangerous world of today but a sleepy part where not much happened . The author describes failed romances and a little scandal. The writing is evocative of a place where the beauty of the landscape is marred by nature with drought and floods.

73. Upon a Dark Night by Peter Lovesey I think that summer brings on an urge to read mystery novels ( or maybe it is the 25 C plus weather ) and I found a new author to me, Peter Lovesey. This is the second of the Peter Diamond books that I have read. A number of murders and a missing person all turn out to be related in an intricate plot. I like the not perfect characters and the location in Bath, England. A good read for the summer.

I've wondered how the Peter Lovesey novels are. I discovered my public library has the first in series in large print as well as audio and e-book, so I've added it to my library TBR list. When I'll get to it, I don't know, but at least it's on a list now!

74. Prague Fatale by Philip Kerr This latest novel in the story of Bernie Gunther is set in 1941. Bernie is working for the police in Berlin and is trying to find out who killed two men with the same knife. He becomes involved with a woman who is connected to one of the murders. The story then shifts to Prague where Bernie is asked ( or told) to solve another murder of one of Reinhold Heydrich's adjutants. The story weaves together the murders, espionage and the plot to assassinate Heydrich. I enjoyed the twists in the story and wait for another chapter in the continuing story by Kerr.

75. The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva. This spy novel is another instalment in the series featuring spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon. The story about a stolen Rembrandt portrait, Nazi war loot, arms dealers and multinational companies moves fast. Silva sometimes writes plots that have similar formulas but I found this story interesting and with convincing twists. A good summer read and my 75th book this year.

Congrats on 75, Cyrel!!

Wow, 75 already! Congratulations! And such a nice variety of books, too.

Congrats! And a thoroughly enjoyable one, too!

Congrats on hitting 75!

Thank you!

76.The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. What can I say about this newly appointed Orange Prize winner. I found the beginning not as engrossing but the last half was amazing. The story of the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus and the struggles between the Greek forces and the Trojans are handled expertly. Characterization is excellent with the mortals and Gods not only written about but given distinct personalities. An excellent book to read.

That is very odd: I posted a congrats up around 158 and it disappeared! Well done, Cyrel! And I agree about the start of Achilles not being as interesting as the last half. It was a good read.

Thank you!

77. Zoo Station by David Downing. This spy/historical fiction novel is the first in a series about John Russell, a journalist living in 1939 Berlin. He has lived there for a number of years and has an actress girlfriend and a son living with his ex-wife. Russell gets involved with the secret services of a number of countries and helps a Jewish family to get out of Germany. I liked the book enough to plan to read the whole series. There are no adventures as there are in Alan Furst's books. There is a delicate playing of wits as Russell follows his conscience in doing what he believes to be right.

78. The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. This novel of the lives of two women in India, one the middle class housewife and the other the servant began very well. Sera Dubash survived a husband who beat her and now lives comfortably with her daughter and son-in-law. Her servant , Bhima is a survivor, living through desertion by her husband and the death by AIDS of her daughter and son-in-law. Umrigar used flashbacks to describe the early lives of both women who have been together for over 20 years. However the story becomes a melodrama at the end with a very unbelievable turn of events. Umrigar makes all her main male characters villains. The end is supposed to show the strength of Bhima. It didn't register with me because of last action that was totally out of character with the rest of the novel. Too bad - I really liked Umrigar's memoir but not this book.

79. Divorce Islamic Style by Amara Lakhous. I discovered this author when I heard him read at the International Authors' Festival in Toronto a few years ago,. I looked forward to this second book. The narrative is told by two very engaging characters. Christian is an Italian of Turkish descent who speaks perfect Arabic. He is asked to impersonate a new immigrant, Issa. in Rome and find a terrorist cell. Sofia is a spunky Egyptian woman living with her husband and daughter in the area that Issa is living in-the Viale Marconi neighbourhood. The novel explores the attitudes towards the relationships between Muslim men and women, living in a foreign environment and different views of religion. I really liked the way Lakhous created his plot but was not happy with the last few pages- what is it with a number of good novels that fail to sum well or give satisfactory ending. Recommended with a warning about the end.

80. They Were Counted by Miklos Banffy. This novel is the first in a trilogy about Hungary in the first part of the 20th century. The author was involved in the government and a diplomat representing Hungary. His novel does focus on the politics and the upper class.He uses his two main characters Balint,a member of parliament and a landowner in Transylvania and Lazslo, a noble who becomes a gambler, as his lens to view Hungarian society. To a modern reader the customs seem quaint, restricting and very old fashioned. Both men have unhappy love affairs that seem to end badly. However the picture of the Hungarian world that Banffy portrays is fascinating- the complicated politics of a dual monarchy, the gulf between classes the helpless role of women and the very romantic view of relationships The story doesn't end- there is a sense of an intermission. I will have to continue with the next two novels.

81. Silesian Station by David Downing. This book is the second in the series about newspaperman and spy John Russell in just before the war Berlin. Russell investigates the disappearance of a young Jewish girl at a Berlin railway station, gets involved with spying for the Americans, Germans and Soviets and plans escapes for a number of people. The pace is not as fast or action filled as in other spy novels but is probably more truthful in the plodding work of investigation. I am looking forward to the next in the series.

82. Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel. This book as just as good as I hoped it would be. I couldn't put it down. In this story, the reader sees the downfall of Anne Boleyn and four of her suitors. Mantel creates very distinctive characters for Jane Seymour and her brothers, and the arrogance of the men surrounding Henry. Cromwell is depicted as colder and more chilling as he methodically goes about bringing down the Queen as Henry has tired of her and wants Jane. Cromwell is doing the King's dirty work. His methods of befriending and then getting what he wants from courtiers and ambassadors and his uneasy friendship with other men who assist him give the reader a taste of what will happen next -hopefully in the third book that Mantel is ( will be) writing.Excellent book

83. Stettin Station by David Downing. The third volume of the story of John Russell in wartime Berlin is a little more exciting as he conducts spy missions on behalf of the Americans and Admiral Canaris. I enjoy this series and look forward to the next in the series.

Cyrel, I'm doing the happy dance here because you loved BUtB too!

84. The Mastersinger from Minsk by Morley Torgov. I do know the author and had a fun time reading the second adventure of Inspector Hermann Preiss. This time the musician featured is Richard Wagner and his opera Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg. A lot of murders in this plot!

85. They Were Found Wanting by Miklos Banffy. This is the second book in the trilogy about Hungary in the 1900's and the lives of two cousins. Balint is still trying to get Adrienne, his beloved to leave her husband. He is also an observer of the complicated politics of Hungary and the relationship to Austria. The real politics of the time mark the end of the Austro-Hungarian empire, However, Banffy makes the observation that the Hungarian politicians ignore what is going on in the rest of Europe. Banffy through the eyes of Balint describes the beautiful lands of Transylvania. In a way these books are a love story and tribute to the world that Banffy lived in for a good part of his life.

86. They Were Divided by Miklos Banffy. The final novel in the trilogy about Hungary from about 1905-1914 is really a farewell and maybe an elegy by the author to Transylvania. Banffy continues the story of the love affair between Adrienne and Balint. He also concentrates on telling the frustrating story of Hungarian politics that really paralyse the government. The descriptions of the landscape are precise and create a vision of an almost wonderland of rural life. Banffy also describes the customs of the society balls and entertainments, the duals and the lifestyle of the rich. This tribute to a lost society has been a learning experience for me although the politics were frustrating to follow. An excellent but in some cases an old fashioned book to read.

87. Potsdam Station by David Downing. The fourth in the series on the adventures of John Russell- spy and journalist - is the most exciting. Russell is trying to get into Berlin at the end of the war in order to find his girlfriend, Effie and his son Paul. He makes a deal to be parachuted into the city by the Soviets just before they capture it. Three strands follow the lives of the characters as they make their way in a city about to be captured. Effie is hiding and changing her identity as she had been helping Jews escape. Paul is with a unit of the German army trying to fight the Russians as they enter the city. John Russell is looking for his family as he is working with the Russians. The descriptions of the situation -the fighting, the casualties and the cruelty- ring true.

88.Kraken by China Mieville. Every one of Mieville's books that I have read has such a different style- from the young adult Un Lun Dun to the "Balkanish" feel to the mystery The City and the City. Kraken a fantasy-science fiction- mystery-thriller does not disappoint. Mieville has created a London where all kinds of occult beings exist. The story revolves around the disappearance of a giant-squid corpse from the Museum of Natural History. The curator who discovers the missing squid, Billy Harrow, is drawn into a search by the most amazing characters ever created- a disgraced member of a church that worships the squid, a being that flits from statute to statue and organizes union animals,police who work with the occult, a tatoo that lives on the back of a captive, the sea as a real being, and a being that may or may not be dead. Two of the most chiiling villains. Goss and Subby are working with the "Tatoo" to terrorize anyone who might know fo the squid or " Kraken's" wearabouts. There are rumours that there will be massive destruction of London by fire by an unknown group. Billy and Dane-the former church of the squid adherent- are on the run as they try to avoid capture and to find the Kraken. This is a great thriller.

89. Prophecy by S.J. Parris. I have discovered another mystery/thriller/historical ficton writer. S.J. Parris has written books about a former monk Bruno Giordano, a spy for Sir Francis Walsingham in London during Elizabeth's reign. Giordano lives at the French ambassador residence and is supported by the French king. His job is to keep an eye on conspirators plotting to put Mary Stuart on the throne, while working as a scholar. Two murders of the Queen's maids of honour lead to inquiries about sinister plots and eleborate schemes to replace Elizabeth on the English throne. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

90. Painter of Silence by Georgina Harding. What a beautiful book! I agree with Deborah- this should have won the Orange Prize. Harding writes sensitively about a sick deaf mute who travels to a city in post war Romania. He is looking for the woman whose family his mother worked for before the war. He is actually found by Safta, the young woman who is now a nurse. Augustin, the man, draws and constructs figures out of paper. His story is told through his art. The memories of Safta and Augustin reveal the stories of their lives and the changes that the war brought. A well constructed book about memory and loss. Highly recommended.

I want to add pretty much your whole list to my wishlist! So many of these books look fantastic.

I loved Kraken too, Cyrel!

91. Heresy by S.J. Parris. What is it about the summer and warm weather that brings out the urge to read mysteries? I discovered S.J. Parris and have just finished her first historical fiction novel ( I read the second first) that follows the adventures of Giordano Bruno. Modelled after a real person, the fugitive monk -who did flee Italy, write many books, was indeed a favourite of the French king and did spend time in Elizabethan England-is portrayed as a spy for Sir Francis Walsingham. He is sent with Sir Phillip Sidney to Oxford to see if he can find a hidden Catholic network. Bruno encounters three very symbolic murders at the college where he is staying. He also becomes involved with the Rector's daughter, uncovers a number of Catholic plots and escapes death a few times.
A good series to follow

My library doesn't have that one - at least yet. They are sometimes late in getting mysteries. I'll check back later. Maybe they'll have it in print or an e-version by then.

Oh this looks good! I get in a mystery mood in the dog days of summer too. Maybe the folds in our grey matter melt out a bit?

maybe!

92. Afterwards by Rachel Seiffert I know that this is a very skillfully written novel about the trauma that soldiers suffer. However, I found myself not very engaged and struggling to finish it. Alice is a physiotherapist in London who meets Joseph, a former soldier. The story of their awkward relationship with it's unexplained stops and starts forms the basis of the plot. Joseph does some house repairs for Alice's grandfather, David, who was an airman in Kenya with the British forces during the Mau Mau rebellion. Both men struggle with the memories of actions that they had to take as soldiers. Alice does not know Joseph's story as he deals with his past behaviour and his struggles to understand what he did. The reader is taken through the events of both their lives as they go on holiday together and deal with everyday life and family relationships. Sigh - I wish that I could like this book better but I don't.

Sorry for the overuse of the word struggle in the last review- you can see that I did " struggle" to finish that book and could not get that word out of my mind while I wrote.

93. The Dream Life of Sukhanov by Olga Grushin. This book and the wonderful use of language and the so very interesting plot made this work a joy to read. Grushin was nominated for the Orange Prize for New Writers in 2006 for this book. A very comfortable bureaucrat in a key role in the official Soviet culture scene in 1985, Skuhanov, attends the private showing of his father-in-law's art show. As his wife has left early, he starts to walk to the subway and meets an old friend and former fellow artist who he doesn't recognize at first. This encounter sets off a set of memories about Sukhanov's past life as a struggling artist and his relationships with his family. The novel is constructed so that the reader at first does not know what is past reality or dream and what is present. Sukhanov seems to forget the names of people who were close to him as well as the obligations that he has as an editor. As the book progresses, the reader learns of the choices that Sukhanov made for love and eventually comfort. Unfortunately his carefully chosen world seems to fall apart with his children and wife making choices that alienate him. The descriptions of official art and the forbidden works of Chagall and Kandinsky, Dali and Picasso emphasize the restrictions that the Soviet Union put on originality and creativity. I found this novel to be a dazzling wrok of art about boundaries and consequences.

How are you coping with the heat? It is definitely lie low and read weather. Only 2 hours northeast of you and we are baking up here. Please rain!

As long as I am in air-conditioning- I am fine-but I am teaching this summer in a building that does not have any air-conditioning and am relying on fans- since we start at 8 am- and finish at 1:30 -it has not been bad for most of the month-this is the last week so I am happy!

94. We Had It So Good by Linda Grant. I liked the previous two novels by this author but found her current book disappointing. Grant writes about an American man, Stephen, who goes to study at Oxford during the 1970's, stays in England, marries, and about his family in later years. There is an interlude of sorts with chapters about the life of Grace, a friend of Andrea , Stephen's wife. Grant writes about the values of the 1970's and the effect on the lives of Stephen and his friends or the changes in their situations as they mature. I really didn't see this book as representative of the 1970's generation. ( Being one myself) On to the next book.

Oh Cyrel, how is it I'm so darn far behind on your thread. Real life gets in the way of things I want and enjoy.

Congratulations on reading 94 books thus far!

Back up to post 168--Bring Up The Bodies is indeed a wonderful book!

Yes it is- and I am anxiously awaiting the next and last one-

Do you know when the next one will be published?

No- I heard ( maybe here on LT) that Mantel was working on it.

Cyrel.

How are you feeling? how is your health?

Hi Linda
I am fine! Just have to get used to getting up later in the morning from 5:30 am ( when I was teaching) to 7 am- and staying up past 9:30 pm!

95. Family Romance by John Lanchester Lanchester has written a memoir/biography about his parents. He found out that his mother had kept some secrets about her early life as a nun. Only when she died and he contacted her sister did Lanchester find out how old she really was, her true name and the details of her life as a nun. The author also traces his father's family and his father's story as well. Lanchester writes with a lot of empathy about his parents, understanding why they took certain actions that directed their lives. Lanchester's own life is part of the story and he writes extensively about his own problems and solutions. A very interesting book although I found some of the writing about causes of the actions that his parents chose a little too long.

96. Portrait of a Spy by Daniel Silva. Summer readng- a good spy story about undercover spies, spy agencies, betrayals and redemption- what else can I ask for in the summer!

My husband loves reading Daniel Silva books, Cyrel. I think he's read them all!

Silva's a local author to me although I've never read a single one of his books.

I find that some spy authors follow the same plot pattern- for some reason, Silva's plots work for me.

97. Jasmine Nights by Julia Gregson. This Early Reviewer novel is perfect for a summer read. The plot is interesting and based on the stories of female entertainers who worked for ENSA ( Entertainments National Service Association) , and were sent to war zones to perform for British troops in the Second World War. Saba Tarcan , a singer with a Turkish background and Dom Benson, a pilot who was wounded and then returned to his unit, are the two key characters that this historical fiction story is built around in Egypt in 1942. Sara is a naive singer who is beginning her career as she joins ENSA and starts to sing in shows in Cairo and Alexandria. Her ability to speak a little Turkish and Arabic leads a member of Britain's spy services to ask her to do some work for them. She does not tell Dom who she meets first in a hospital in England and later in Egypt. They begin a romance and passionate affair. The adventures of both Saba and Dom are told against the real events of war in North Africa. There are some events that seem unlikely but the book is a romance story that works not on a deep level but on a pleasant one of adventure.

98. Foreign Bodies by Cynthia Ozick. Sometimes when I read a book that I really like, I feel like shouting" What a great book!!!". What a great book! Foreign Bodies was a terrific read for me. I think that the book would have been a worthy recipient of the Orange Prize ( it was on the shortlist) Ozick tells the story through letters and narrative from the point of view of many of the characters- shifting time in a way that does make sense to me. Her language and sentence structure is brilliant.In 1952, Bea Nightingale has been asked -or bullied - by her brother ( who never kept in touch with her and seemingly asks her out of the blue) to find his son who is in Paris. Bea then embarks on a number of journeys to find first her nephew, and then her niece and persuade them to return to California. Bea, ends up, setting up a number of events that change the lives of her relatives and former husband. Highly recommended

Foreign Bodies sounds like a great book!

Foreign Bodies sounds like a good book for my book club. Nice review!

#197: Woot! My local library actually has that one. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Cyrel.

>197 torontoc:: that one zinged right on to the wishlist! Thanks, Cyrel.

You are all welcome!

99.Leo the African by Amin Maalouf. I found out about this book on LT and it was very intriguing. The author writes ( this is a novel) as if the main character is relating his memoir. Hasan al-Wazzan was a real traveller and writer in the 16th century. He lived in Muslim Granada at the time of the city's fall to the rulers of Christian Castile and moved with his family to Fez, Morocco. Hasan became not only a traveller and merchant but an emissary of the rulers to various African countries. He finds himself exiled to Cairo and then carrying a message to Constantinople. He marries a number of times. On his way to Tunis to rejoin his family, Hasan is kidnapped and taken to Rome to become a " servant" to the Pope. He converts to Christianity, endures the wars between the Pope, the French and the Emperor and finally makes his way back to Tunis. The adventures and for me, the history of the places and times are fascinating. A very interesting read.

well, this is my 100th book read this year
100. Crusoe's Daughter by Jane Gardam. I must admit that this book grew on me. At first, the story of a young girl-her mother dead and her father soon lost at sea- who was taken to live with her two aunts in an isolated house in the North East of England , did not seem that interesting. Polly Flint grows up without any schooling except for German lessons from a grim lady living at the house. She also embarks on a reading odessey in her grandfather's library. Her favourite book is Robinson Crusoe. Polly refuses to be confirmed- a choice that her church going aunts do not understand. She does meet a family living nearby and makes the acquaintance of brother and sister Theo and Rebecca Zeit- Gerrman Jews who have lived in England for many years and whose lives will make an impact on Polly later in life. After a seemingly sudden turn of events- her nice Aunt Frances marries the vicar and goes off to India with him and her Aunt Mary decides to go into a retreat at the nunnery nearby-Polly is invited by another family friend, Mr. Thwaite, to spend some time at a country house. This house has a number of artists as guests and Polly meets a young poet. Her very brief relationships do make an impact on her , but Polly always chooses to return to the house of her aunts and she does live there through the two world wars. She does change and the book deals with betrayals and choices that she make and did not make. Polly finally does have an impact on several people and throughout her life she relies on the lessons learned from Robinson Crusoe- a really interesting and well written book.

101. Stasiland Stories From Behind the Berlin Wall by Anna Funder. This memoir is about the author's stay in Berlin after the fall of the wall, Funder decided to find those former Stasi or secret service members of East Germany who would talk to her. She also records the heartbreaking stories of a number of people whose lives were ruined by the illogical and intrusive power of the Stasi in East Germany. Seemingly innocent activities as well as abortive escapes led to prison and no jobs and lack of educational opportunities. Blackmail and threats could derail the lives of a whole family. The stories of the Stasi members were banal and most seemed unaware of the total damage that they inflicted on innocent people. A very interesting account

102. What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander. This book left me with an uncomfortable feeling. I can appreciate the style and the structure of these very good short stories. Englander seems to tap the unthinkable and fashion the fears of his characters into the stories that we do not want to face or consider.The night mare becomes real. There is certainly variety and skill in this work. I just feel queasy when I think of the situations that the author has written about.

I know I can't read this one, Cyrel.

>205 torontoc: Nope. That's definitely not for me.

I liked his novel and earlier book of short stories better.

103. Iris a Memoir of Iris Murdoch by John Bayley This memoir by Iris Murdoch's husband, John Bayley has been called a " love letter.. I agree. Bayley tells the story of their meeting, courtship and marriage. He recounts how they live with her Alzheimer's disease that changed their lives. The stories of their writing patterns, their friends, travels and house are done in such a loving way. Bayley does not sugarcoat the difficulty of dealing with some one who does not remember much of the past. A beautiful book about compassion and love.

104. The Messenger by Daniel Silva. Hmmm- Here I am- in the mood for a summer mystery and after I started the book- I realized that I had read it before! I don't understnad how this one didn't get entered in my LT library when I read it a few years back. Oh, well, on second reading, the book was not very good- adventure yes but not a very plausible plot. How many people know of an unknown Van Gogh hding some where and an owner willing to part with it for a spy plot?

105. The Fallen Angel by Daniel Silva. Well, this is the last of the mystery/spy/thriller reading for me. What is it about hot summers that leads to a craving for spies, lots of nefarious plots and adventure? I am done in and am on the lookout through my book piles or bins for something more substantial to read now. Oh, the story-murders, explosions, plots discovered and major emergencies prevented.

106. Sleeping With the Enemy Coco Chanel's Secret War by Hal Vaughan. Vaughan has written a comprehensive study of Coco Chanels' involvement with the Nazi military intelligence service during Germany's occupation of Paris. The author does set the scene by outlining a brief biography of Gabrielle Chanel- her life and her lovers and her work. Vaughan also explains the basis of her views on Jews and anit-semitism, detailing her affair and ties to the Duke of Westminister. It is ironic that a lot of her fortune was linked to the Wertheimer family who ran and owned most of the famed Chanel perfume business. They also helped Chanel after the war with a lucrative financial deal . The stories of her collaboration with the Nazis and her love affair with the spy Baron Dincklage are based on documents that the author researched. It seems that Chanel was protected from charges after the war by Churchill. The author feels that a trial would have led to damaging information on the Duke of Windsor being revealed. The people and characters who were spies and their histories make for a fascinating read.

107. The Fall of Berlin 1945 by Antony Beevor. I think that anytime I read one of Beevor's history books , I want to read more. The author outlines precisely the movements and activities of the Russian and German armies in Berlin in 1945. He takes the time to look at the attitudes of the people on both sides and does make editorial comments on the futility of the battles that resulted in senseless deaths and destruction. German generals followed the commands of Hitler even when it was clear that the war was lost. Russians could withstand the enormous loss of life by their soldiers as there were many replacements. Beevor also documents the use of rape by the Russians. He writes about the negotiations over who was to occupy Berlin first and the lack of understanding by the Americans of Russian plans for central Europe in the post war era. An excellent history of the times

108. Farewell My Queen by Chantal Thomas. This is a reread of a very good book. I saw the French movie made from this book and had to read it again. I found that the film was fairly faithful to the book and visually had the impact of the author's descriptions. Thomas wrote about the almost total lack of understanding that the inhabitants of Versailles had about the real world of poverty and rebellion in France. The fall of the Bastille sets off a series of events that the main character, a reader to the Queen, sees. The depiction of the eccentric minor nobility, from the courtier who never bathes to the foolish suitor for the Queen's affections takes the reader to a world that doesn't understand the current society of France. The very mean back corridors of the palace contrast with the claustrophobic and richly appointed rooms of the Queen. I recmmend both the book and the film.

109. The House Sitter by Peter Lovesey.
This mystery set in Bath and surroundings was the perfect book to read on the subway as I was travelling to the film festival. A criminal profiler is found murdered on a beach. The detectives on the case have to solve the mystery of this crime as well as look at the case that the profiler was working on. Both cases may be linked and Detective Peter Diamond has to prevent a further murder by a serial killer.

110. Wellington by Elizabeth Longford. I really liked this biography of Lord Wellington. The author had written a two volume series that she combined and shortened for this book. Wellington's early career and exploits in India and his Peninsular war activities were emphasized over the post war period when he was in politics. However there is still a good outline of Wellington's work as a parliamentarian and Prime Minister. I was also fascinated with the description of his relationships with his wife Kitty and his other many female friends. I enjoyed this biography.

111. Christened with Crosses by Eduard Kochergin. This memoir reads like a modern day Charles Dickens drama. The author's father and mother were arrested by the authorities in Leningrad just before World War Two. Eduard was placed in a special orphanage for children of political prisoners in Siberia. His recollections of the bizarre and cruel treatment that he received there are followed by his incredible resourcefulness in escaping and travelling for six years to reach Leningrad. Kochergin hopped on trains. learned survival skills and stopped at orphanages on his way home. He turned out to be a skillful artist and used that ability to trade for food. The kindness and help that he received contrasted with the cruel behaviour of the orphanage staff.
A fascinating book!

109, 110 and 111 all sound like really good reads, especially the Kochergin book. Will keep my eye open for them.

112. Metrostop Paris History From the City's Heart by Gregor Dallas I really enjoyed this book about French history and more. The author framed each chapter on a Metro stop in Pris. He would start by describing the architecture and city plan past and present and then segue to a related reference- be it Oscar Wilde and Alfred Drefus to Debussy, Zola, Montgommery, and Sartre. Dallas writes about the 20th century as well as the 16th. A very interesting study of istory.

#213: Anthony Beevor is an author I have not managed to read yet and I really need to! One of these days. . .

Beevor is really good- and I also now like the following-

113. 1776 by David McCullough I really enjoyed this history of the year 1776 and Gerorge Washington's actions during a number of battles during the American Revolution. I found that McCullough is a very easy historian to follow and that his descriptions of battles and personalities on both sides- British and American to be thorough. His discussion about tactics and judgements by the British and the Americans were very interesting. I have to read more of his work.

114. Murder in Clichy by Cara Black. I hadn't read any of the Aimee Leduc mysteries before. This story is very action filled. There are certainly a lot of bodies, murders, plots and conspiracies to keep a mystery lover busy. I don't find this series as thoughtful as some of the other ones that I am following. However, I think that if I want a very fast moving story, I will go back to this series.

115. Blooms of Darkness by Aharon Appelfeld. I haven't read anything by Appelfeld in a long time.. This novel is about a 10 year old Jewish boy who is hidden in a cupboard from the Nazis by a prostitute,Mariana. She was a classmate of the young boy- Hugo's mother. Hugo is saved by Mariana who is very moody and keeps him ignorant at first of where he is. The plot is very simple - most of the story is taken up by Hugo's memories of his previous life and his parents and later his discussions and travels with Mariana. After the Germans are driven out of the town by the Russians, the two go on a sort of odyssey-trying to avoid any authorities. The book could have been edited into a novella in my opinion. The story of displacement and loss is very sad and well written.

116. The Artificial Silk Girl by Irmgard Keun. The history of this book is as interesting as the story itself. Keun wrote the book in 1932- it was a best seller but the Nazis blacklisted it in 1933. The author left Germany but eventually had to return and hide during the war. The story is written as a diary by a young woman who is amoral. poor and scrambling to get by- she has a brief career in a theatre, ends up stealing a coat and moving to Berlin. Doris exists by living with those who are as desperate as she is with very little in possessions or a job. Doris has been described as similar to the heroines in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. However, the reality of Doris is one of brief encounters with men who she stays with and many spells of homelessness. Her only touching relationship is with a blind veteran of the First World War. Keun is a relevant voice of Germany between the wars.

117. Why Men Lie by Linden MacIntyre. This novel is sort of a sequel to the author's previous book-The Bishop's Man. MacIntyre looks at Effie- the sister of the priest Duncan, the central figure in The Bishop's Man. Effie has a very complicated emotional life with two ex-husbands and a new lover, JC, who knew her brother and former husbands in Cape Breton. Effie has also not resolved her own abused background. A professor of Celtic at a university in Toronto, she now adds to her life the very mysterious affairs of JC, a man who works in television. JC's behaviour leads him to injury in number of events.The plot is a little hard to figure out at first with so many issues that are raised. I did enjoy MacIntyre's prose and liked the novel although not as much as his previous one.

118. The Blondes by Emily Schultz. This is the second novel that I have read by this author. This story, like her first novel, mixes quirky humour with some macabre imaginings. A young woman, Hazel has travelled to New York to work on her PHD thesis. However , she finds herself in the midst of a new epidemic. Blonde women are now susceptible to a virus that makes them attack and kill randomly. Hazel finds that she is pregnant after an affair with her thesis supervisor, Karl. She tries to go back to Toronto in the midst of the Blondes scare, attacks and responses by the US and Canadian governments to this crisis. The many levels of this story point to a number of targets- the stereotype of the blonde, the role of women and discrimination.An interesting read!

119. Memories from the Abyss But I Had a Happy Childhood by William Tannenzapf and Renate Krakauer This memoir by Holocaust survivors is one of many published by the Azrieli Foundation. This particular book is interesting in that the story is by the father and the daughter. William Tanennezapf relates his story about surviving in the Stanilawow ghetto along with his wife , Charlotte and their daughter, Renate, born in 1941. Eventually the Tannenzapf family had to hide their daughter with a friendly woman as they went into hiding in the forest and in the out buildings in a small village. The memoir follows that family with a description of life in post war Poland and later a DP camp in Germany. The family emigrated to Canada and the daughter's story describes her early school experiences in Montreal. The voice and experiences of father and daughter are quite different.

120. Doc by Mary Doria Russell. Mary Doria Russell is one of those writers that I have started to follow. Her books are all different in style and subject matter. In this historical fiction story, the author follows and dramatizes the life of "Doc Holliday"- the consumptive dentist and gambler who will become famous in the story/legend of O.K. Corral. The reader learns not only about the early life of Doc Holliday, but also about Wyatt Earp and his brothers, and Bat Masterson. All these names that I remember from bad and sanitized television shows of the past are given a more truthful edge in this novel. The role of women is interesting as well. The author describes the prostitutes in Dodge City and the southern women relatives who Doc remembers. The plot centres on Doc and Wyatt Earp's activities in Dodge City and has a lively account of the politicians, gamblers, murder conspiracies and the life of the old west. A great read.

121. There but for the by Ali Smith. It is hard to know what to make of this book- is it brilliant or confusing? The story is primarily about a man, Miles, who goes to a dinner party in Greenwich, England, goes up to the spare bedroom upstairs, locks the door and won't come out or talk. He in fact stays for a number of months. Chapters in the book focus on a woman who knew the man briefly when they were teenagers on a trip, the man who brought the Miles to the dinner party, a vicious retelling of the conversation at the dinner party ( my favourite part) before Miles excused himself and the thoughts and talks of a particularly precocious 10 year old girl who is a witness to most of the actions. I have read books with a stream of consciousness style of writing. Sometimes it is terrific and sometimes it is very iritating as , you the reader, think- get on with the plot or what has this got do with the story? An interesting read because of the characters.

122. Embassytown by China MievilleI find it interesting that the author plunges the reader right into a new world where the concepts and surroundings are truly foreign. Avice Benner Cho lives in a world on the edge of known civilization. Embassytown is an enclave on a world inhabited by the Ariekei , a live force that communicated with the Ambassadors- humans altered in way that they can communicate with this life form. Avice , however, is considered a part of the Ariekei language as a living simile. The explanations of how this language works and almost destroyed is part of the fascinating story and adventure. As good as Mieville's previous book, Kraken, this story is both science fiction and adventure at its best.

123. Going Ashore stories by Mavis Gallant. I really like the stories of Mavis Gallant. This book was supposed to publish stories that are considered " missing" or from books now out of print. Unfortunately outside of some very brief stories, I have read most of the work in another book published in the same year. Very disappointing. The book has a good introduction by Alberto Manguel

124. Regeneration by Pat Barker. This novel is the first i n the author's trilogy about World War 1. Barker writes about a true incident- the real life meeting of psychologist W. H. Rivers and poet Siegfried Sassoon at am army hospital. Craiglockhart, in 1917. Sassoon had written a declaration condemning the war after leading his men during some trying battles. He has also received an award for bravery. . One of his friends gets him sent to the hospital and a second chance as it were, to find out what troubles him and avoid a court martial. The story is really about many of the encounters that Rivers had with injured soldiers and his treatment of them. Today we would call the nightmares and physical ailments Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Rivers has been described by the author as a very empathetic doctor. Very Interesting and I have to read the second in the series.

125. Catherine the Great Portrait of a Woman by Robert Massie. I really enjoyed this biography of the Empress of Russia-Catherine the Second- as she styled herself. Massie has a very readable style. I thought that the information of Catherine's early life as the wife of the heir to the throne , Peter, and the relationship with the Empress Elizabeth, was the best part of the book. Massie writes about the history of Catherine's lovers and fathers of her children to her success in the wars with Turkey and relationships with Prussia, Austria, England and France. I wished that Massie would have written more about Catherine as an art collector and builder of palaces.The account of her interest in French intellectuals and the way she thought she could adapt some of the ideas to Russian life was interesting. He has created a very informative and engrossing book about Catherine's life. Highly Recommended.

I have been eyeing that last one, Cyrel. Hope you made out ok as Sandy-the-not-so-nice went through. Ok up here.

I enjoyed Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman too, although I did wonder a little how Massie knew what he knew.

Sandy just meant heavy winds here- no damage although I saw downed trees on some streets.
The best part of Massie's book came from Catherine's own memoirs that finished early in her life!

126. Ru by Kim Thuy This very brief novel of a privileged life in Vietnam, a refugee experience in a Malaysian camp and then life in Quebec is very poetic. Translated into English by Sheila Fischman, this book won the Governor General's Literary Award in French and the English version was on the Giller Prize shortlist this year. The passages are really set in a kaliedoscope fashion- with memories of relatives in Saigon turning into incidents taking place in Quebec, and Hanoi where the lead character worked for three years.This book reads like a memoir and I believe that it mirrors a little of the author's experiences. Beautifully written.

127. Almost Dead by Assaf Gavron. This is a very clever novel that takes place during the second Intifida in Israel. A young man employed by a high tech firm in Tel Aviv - his nickname is the "Croc"-avoids death three times when he escapes two suicide bombings on a small bus in Tel Aviv and a cafe in Jerusalem. His car is damaged and a hitchhiker that his just picked up is killed when the Croc is ambushed on the road to Jerusalem. He is interviewed on Israeli television and unknowingly becomes the next target. Half of the chapters in the book are narrated by a Palestinian bomb-maker, Fahmi, who is in a coma. The reader learns how the two eventually meet and the resulting actions. The author creates realistic characters in the Croc and Fahmi and writes about their individual dilemmas and lives. Highly recommended.

128. Love and the Mess We're In by Stephen Marche. I have to mention the designer and type setter of this novel- Andrew Steeves. Steeves and Marche collaborated on the look of this book which is story and unusual design at the same time. The blocks of print float like waves, and looks like a movie script at times where the reader can choose to read either of the thoughts of the two talking. The print takes on a variety of forms throughout the book. Viv and Clive are meeting in Buenos Aires for a week. Viv's husband, Tim is Clive's good friend. But Tim is living in a modern asylum in Newmarket and Clive is a journalist researching a story in the South American city. The novel relates how they all met and Tim's descent into madness. Most of the book is given over to the conversation and later lovemaking of Viv and Clive on the night of Viv's arrival in Buenos Ares. The language is poetic and sometimes the reader is considering prose or poetry as the book progresses. I like the idea of the structure although the actual story is surprisingly brief.

I was very intrigued by your comments of Love and the Mess We're In, in particular about the design and typeset of the story. I placed a hold at my library for when the copies they have ordered arrive.

I like the work of Stephen Marche- his work is very different and interesting.

129. Ivan's War Life and Death in the Red Army 1939-45 by Catherine Merridale. The author interviewed many veterans of the Red army who fought in World War Two in addition to reading many letters and diaries. Her work really shows how Stalin and his advisors used the army with no regard for loss of life. The conditions in the Russian army initially were very grim with no real uniforms, and a shortage of weapons. The expectations and the punishments for surrendering were horrendous. In fact, in one incident, soldiers were expected push forward through a mine field although there would be many casualties. The conditions did get better for the soldiers after 1943. Merridale discusses the roll of the veteran after the war as well. This is one of the many histories that realistically looks at the cost of the war on the Russian people.
Excellent history.

130. Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman. I found this memoir of the author's life as a Satmar Hasidic woman fascinating. Feldman had an unusual background. Her mother left the Satmars and her father was mentally ill. She was raised by her grandparents and aunts. The author describes the life of a Hasidic family although she herself was a bit of a rebel, reading English books and finally escaping and leaving the Satmars. She has a lot of courage in describing the most intimate details of her life as a married woman. However, the author has a sense of how she wanted to live and entered college. Very interesting memoir of a life in a specific Orthodox Jewish extreme group.

131.Joseph Anton by Salman Rushdie. I think that one of the reasons that I like to read memoirs is that the reader is allowed to eavesdrop without guilt on the lives of famous people. This account of the author's time hiding " in plain sight" from any assassins from Iran answers the question- how did Rushdie hide for so many years? The story of the author's attempt to live a normal life -with his British secret service protectors, his inability to be seen in public without government permission, the difficulties in getting his books published - seems a little surreal as Rushdie was in a kind of protective custody as long as the fatwa against him was in force. However the book is terrific- a compendium of imaginary and real letters that he wrote to friends and government officials as well as the story of his everyday life with his family, ( the books talks about his four wives,two come off well-the other two-not really) loyal friends and not so supportive publishers, politicians and authors. Rushdie does seem to be able to forgive and make amends well with those who he was in conflict with during his time in hiding. Great read.

> 238

She has a lot of courage

Re: Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman

I, too, felt this author was brave in the open way she communicated her feelings in her memoir after her break with the Satmar Chasidic community. In fact, I did make a few comments on her Facebook page about just that after I finished reading her book. I'm curious to see where life takes her now - if she will uphold any Jewish values or if she will get taken up with the dizzying whirlwind of fame as author. We shall see.

Madeline, If you get a chance- try finding the film " Divan" to see- it is an account of the filmmaker , her search for an important piece of furniture, and her relationship with her Hasidic family ( she left as well ) but it is very different.

132.Skippy Dies by Paul Murray. The more that I think about this book- the more I like it. It is tragic and funny and satiric. Murray writes about an exclusive boys' school in Ireland. One very smart boy, Ruprecht, is always involving his friends at school in very unorthodox experiments that fail. Skippy , his friend, is on the swim team, and his family is very troubled. Skippy is in love with Lori from the next door girls school- who is hooked on pills and loves Carl, described as the school's resident psychopath. Howard is a history teacher, with a crush on the new temporary geography teacher and cursed from an incident that happened when he was in school. The acting head of school , Greg is looking to take the place of the father who was the headmaster but is now in hospital. From a story of foolish pranks, the author takes the reader to some darker places with drug dealing, sexual abuse and coverup, anorexia and death. Really well written.

I'll look for the film, Cyrel.

133. Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire. This story is the last in Maguire's alternate tale of the Wizard of Oz - Wicked the story of Elphaba- the so-called Wicked Witch of the West, Son of a Witch -the story of Elphaba's son , Liir, and A Lion among Men -the story of the Cowardly Lion, Brr. Maguire takes the reader on a series of journeys with Rain, Liir's daughter who has been hidden for many years as a servant with Glinda. We see Rain reuniting with her hidden parents, and meet Brr again, who has travelled with the important book of magic.The return and characterization of Dorothy as a jarring and ungainly personality in uneasy situations is really fun to read. The book reminds me of Stephen Sondheim's musical Into the Woods. Fairy tales are not necessarily happy and bad things do happen. Marriages fail and bad decisions are made. Everything is not wrapped up nicely., But Maguire has given the reader a very satisfying alternate world of fantasy.

134. Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch. I really was impressed by the way the author described some very unusual events- the hunting and capture of a Komodo dragon and life at sea in the 1850's. Some of the events were taken from history. The collector of exotic animals for sale, Mr. Jamrach was a real person. The event that forms the climax of the book and story did happen. Birch has a wonderful way of creating the atmosphere of the docks of 1857 London. Her descriptions of the whaling ship and subsequent capture of a whale and later the " dragon" are detailed and to me the reader ( with not much knowledge of sailing or fishing) are fascinating. The story of Jaffy Brown and the terrible thing that he had to do is very good and worth reading.

135. The Imposter Bride by Nancy Richler.This book was shortlisted for the Giller Prize. I thought that it was a good story but not a great one. ( definition of great- see Nicole Krauss's Great House) Lily Azerov has survived the Holocaust and has arrived in Montreal to be married to Sol Kramer. He rejects her when they meet but she does marry his brother , Nathan. Lily has secrets- an uncut diamond, a diary belonging to a young women who died in Europe and the story of her life that is revealed slowly in this novel. Lily leaves her three month old daughter and her husband and disappears. She sends her daughter, Ruth, rock specimens. The story is told by Ruth as she grows up and tries to discover who her mother is , by Lily ,and by the grandmother, Bella. I found the mystery of changed identities really interesting although I thought that the ending was a little weak.

136. The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy. This novel about a Canadian-Chinese family pre-war Vancouver is beautifully written. The authors has three out of four children of a family narrate their own story about growing up in an immigrant family with ties to both the old and new countries.. The stories that the children tell are about changing cultures and their awareness of who and what they are. Recommended.

137. One Good Hustle by Billie Livingston. I heard an interview with the author this fall. Livingston did come from a family of - as she put it-hustlers and used this background in her latest novel. Sammie is a teenager who is living with her girlfriend's family in Burnaby, B.C. Her mother, Marlene has tried to commit suicide and her father , Sam is living in Toronto and not in touch. Sammie describes the " hustles" or petty crimes that her family has committed. Her values are very different than those of her mother and father. The story describes the summer after Sammie's grade 11 year in high school, and her very mixed feelings towards the lives of her parents and the family that has really adopted her. A very good read.

138. Restoration by Rose Tremain. I have had this book on my wish list for a while. I did see the film based on this novel of England in the time of King Charles II. The novel is really good. I like the way the author portrays the main character , Robert Merivel. Merivel is originally a physician who comes to the attention of the King because of his father, glove maker to the royal house. Merivel is seduced by the good life at the court. He is asked or commanded to marry to mistress of the king. Given a royal residence in the4 courtry, Merivel leads an indulgent life until he makes a fatal mistake- that of loving and wanting a relationship with his wife. Abandoned by the king and sent out of his home, Merivel embarks on a second career,living and working at a home in the country for madmen with a group of Quakers , led by his college friend, Pearce, Merivel's change of character is charted by the author. The reader can see Merivel's eventual salvation, journey to maturity and understanding of a worthwhile life. I understand that Tremain has written a sequel and I look forward to reading that book.

Nice review of Restoration, Cyrel. You're right; the sequel is entitled Merivel: A Man of His Time. I bought both books this summer in London, but I haven't read either one yet.

Thanks, Darryl. Rose Tremain is one of those writers who creates a distinctive voice for her narrator in each of her books.

139. Siege 13 by Tamas Dobozy This well crafted book of short stories won the Writers' Trust Award this year. The stories are all connected in some way with the history of the siege that place in Hungary at the end of World War II. The story of Soviet Troops fighting their way into Budapest, the defence by Fascist Hungarian and German troops and the atrocities thatr both sides committed haunt and define the many of the stories. Dobozy sets his stories in Canada and Hungary but the characters are marked by their history. Well written and intriguing. I certainly learned much about Hungarian history.

140. Granta 80 The Group Pictures from Previous Lives edited by Ian Jack. I really don't know why I have stopped reading Granta. For many years, this quarterly magazine ( really a book) gave me insights into many themes and new authors. I still have some of the early editions with wonderful interviews, memoirs and excerpts of fiction. i think that maybe I didn't like the selections and themes of the newest editor or maybe I found out about new authors by going to the International Book Festival and being part of Librarything. This issue is from 2002 and was in my book pile. Everything in this book reminds me of the good memories I have when thinking of Granta. The theme- authors taking old photographs and writing about memories and people and lives attached to them is very good. Maybe I will check out the latest issue.

141. Limassol by Yishai Sarid and translated by Barbara Harshav. This novel is written in a brutalist spy life is hell way- the only comparison I have is watching the BBC spy series " Spooks". ( renamed MI-5 in North America) This Europa edition is also notable for having erroneous information about the plot ( wrong name of one of the characters) on the end page.- I haven't seen that before) The prose seemingly skips the brutality of some of the actions taken by the main character- an interrogator for the Israeli secret service.The reader realizes that things have taken place that are ugly after they happen. The main character ( unnamed) has been relieved of his duties after his treatment of two prisoners and has been given the task of befriending and gaining the confidence of a woman ,Daphna, who has a relationship with a dying Palestinian poet. Hani , The poet has a son who is a main terrorist leader. Before Daphna will help the interrogator, she want her own druggie son, Yotam, rescued from a drug dealer. The interrogator deals with his estranged wife and son, the self destructive Yotam, the very fragile and dying Hani and his own conscience. The ending is surprising. This story is worth reading and very compelling.

I'm hoping to read Restoration in January; I haven't read any Tremain for a few years now and really enjoy her books. Thanks for the review.

Impressive reading as always Cyrel. Happy new year!

Thank you, Paul! Happy New Year!

This is my last book of the year.

142. The Art of Living according to Joe Beef a Cookbook of Sorts by Frederic Morin, David McMillan and Meredith Erickson. I ate at Joe Beef in Montreal last year. If anything this place proved to me beyond a doubt of the very different culture of Montreal and Quebec.( from the point of view of a Torontonian!) The food was terrific and there was lots of it. In fact if any readers do go- my advice- share!!! There was enough on my plate for 3 or 4 people to eat. This is more than a cookbook- it is about the philosophy of food and wine by the owners, Morin and McMillan. I would only make some of the salads and desserts- the other recipes have a lot of bacon, butter and whipping cream in the ingredients. The photos are wonderful, and the history of Montreal food and restaurants and wine choices very informative. I also like the proposed 2 day foodie tour of Montreal. A fun read!

Here is my list of my mostnotable reads for 2012
It was a good reading year- I like several genres

Mystery/Spy
This year I read most of David Downing's books about a journalist/spy living in Berlin before and then after the World War II- I liked the first one that I read ,Zoo Station and the last one Potsdam Station. Potsdam Station was a real thriller tracking several characters as they tried to find each other in Berlin as the Soviets were advancing on the city.
I also have followed Philip Kerr's detective who lives through the war and has adventures in post war Argentina and Cuba.
I also read Ashenden= a wonderful series of spy stories by Somerset Maugham.

Historical Fiction
One of my favourite genres of writing- The best has to be Hilary Mantel and her second volume on Cromwell-Bring Up the Bodies. I like the fact that ther reader can trace the coming betrayals. I also read her story of the French Revolution A Place of Greater Safety.
Helen Humphreys is another favourite writer. I thought that her story about the affair that Victor Hugo's wife had with a poet was excellent.The Reinvention of Love
I also reread Farewell My Queen by Chantal Thomas after seeing the excellent film about the last days of Versailles before the Revolution.

Unreliable Narrators-

I loved The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst and Gillespie and I by Jane Harris.

Memoirs and Biographies
a guilty pleasure sometimes
Hot Breakfast for Sparrows My Life with Harold Town by Iris Nowell-the mistress of a famour Canadian painter tells all.
The Paper Garden: Mrs Delany Begins Her Life's Work at 72 by Molly Peacock. -not only an interesting life but photos of the wonderful paper collages as well.
Catherine the Great Portrait of a Woman by Robert Massie
Joseph Anton by Salman Rushdie.

Interesting Canadian Authors

One Good Hustle by Billie Livingston
Siege 13 by Tamas Dobozy- won the Writers' Trust Award
Ru by Kim Thuy- French version won last year's Governor General's Award
Love and the Mess We' re In by Stephen Marche-great design
The Blondes by Emily Schultz- quirky book that also fits into the Science Fiction category
The Birth House by Ami McKay- why didn't I reas this earlier?

Science Fiction or maybe just interesting fantasy.
The Blondes- see above
Kraken by China Mieville- great imagination!
Suddenly a Knock on the Door by Etgar Keret.

Books that I liked a lot for great plots and writing and point of view- i am sure to forget some.

Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
Foreign Bodies by Cynthia Ozick.
Painter of Silence by Georgina Harding
The Dream Life of Sukhanov by Olga Grushin
Five Bells by Gail Jones
The Liberated Bride by A.B Yehoshua

Histories
anything by Antony Beevor- The Fall of Berlin, Stalingrad-the fateful Siege and
Simon Sebag Montifiore -Stalin The Court of the Red Tsar