February, 2013, Reads

I'm about to start John Irving's latest book, In One Person, which I got for Christmas.

I've been dipping in and out of books today. Currently the pile features A Bridge Too Far, by Cornelius Ryan, and The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

I just finished Broken by Karin Fossum, a book which is quite a departure from her Inspector Sejer series. I quite enjoyed it, though.

Almost finished the most excellent Eating Dirt by Charlotte Gill. Might be a must read for any 18-24 yr old Canadians, and interesting for the rest of us.

Just starting Vanderhaeghe's The Englishman's Boy. I read this trilogy out of order, so I've already read and LOVED The Last Crossing and A Good Man. Hope this one is equally worthwhile!

Finished Eating Dirt and I'm not ready to leave the forests of BC yet, so I'm reading The Forest Lover, by Susan Vreeland. I haven't liked her books in the past, but I'm hoping this one about Emily Carr will be better. The opening paragraph was lovely, so I have high hopes. . .

I have Eating Dirt on my TBR shelf. As my daughter-in-law tree-planted for a while she borrowed it and her opinion was that "tree-planting isn't like that". A typical remark. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Finished The Secret River by Kate Grenville. A very powerful and grim read, reviewed on the main page if you wish.

@6 and 7 - one of my brother's worked as tree planter in between university summers and I'll have to ask him if he has read Eating Dirt.

I have been devouring Carlos Ruiz Zafon's Cemetery of Forgotten Books trilogy and just picked up the 3rd book this morning, The Prisoner of Heaven. Over the past few years, I have been much more finicky about fiction, sometimes picking up a book only to drop it within a few dozen pages in favour of a non-fiction title on my To Read shelves. That certainly hasn't been a problem with these books.

#7 - Vivienne - that's funny!

Anyway, I've put aside The Forest Lover before even starting it and reading Girlfriend in a Coma instead.

I wish I could laugh at it, or even come up with an equally withering one-liner. My reaction is usually open-mouth or eye-roll, depending on whether or not I'm being observed :-)

#11 - Yikes! Or back out of the room quietly? Anyway, I hope you get to read the book one day and get out of it more than she did.

I am mid way through Small Island and find myself wanting to get back to the current time 1948 and out of all the 'before' stuff.

Nickelini: The Forest Lover is the first book I got my hands on to read after I found out I would be moving to BC. I quite enjoyed it but have found better BC based books over the last few years.

I quite enjoyed it but have found better BC based books over the last few years.

I'm sure there are many! I could even suggest some. I don't have high hopes for The Forest Lover, based on the other two Vreeland books I've read. I'll try to finish it, but if it's a stinker I'm not going to force it.

Currently reading Invisible Murder by Lene Kaaberbol

Storm day yesterday - everything shut down for snow and high winds. Hunkered down with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in the morning and read all 800+ pages, finishing at 11:30 last night. Excellent easy read with fantastic characters - loved it.

I"m reading Treacherous: How the RCMP Alllowed a Hells Angel to Kill by Paul Derry.

Lynn - I want to hear about that one.

I finished Douglas Coupland's Girlfriend in a Coma, which was not his best. However, a "meh" Coupland is still better than most books in the bookstore, so I'm glad I read it. He captures time and place better than anyone.

Oops, forgot the second part of my message. Now I'll start The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis, as it's my bookclub selection for February. Didn't this win Canada Reads a few years ago?

#19 Yes, I think so.

#19: I remember reading somewhere that The Best Laid Plans was rejected so many times that Fallis self-published and it soon after won the Leacock award for humour (and other awards). There must have been a number of sorry publishers.

#21 - It even talks about that on the back cover blurb.

Today I finished The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen, a "Nordic Noir", which I thoroughly enjoyed; I will be looking forward to the rest of the series being published in North America.

Another super storm day - where are they all coming from? Everything is shut down again.

Just finished Vimy yesterday. Not exceptional reading but fantastic from an historical point of view. Now I know what they mean about that battle being a defining moment for Canadian nationalism. I just added going to France to see the Vimy Memorial to my travel bucket list.

Last storm I read The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo but I don't think I'll get through my current book, Two Solitudes in one sitting. The writing is so small and the book is so large.

Details on where to watch Canada Reads: http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/2013/02/canada-reads-turf-wars-begins-februa...

I've read a couple of books : Une journée avec Monsieur Jules by Dutch writer Diane Broekoven, a charming story about a wife's last day with her hudband.
The second is the delightful In Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford - perfect for a snowy day.

The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright. The epilogue is in a sealed envelope!

@18: Nickelini, I've just finished Treacherous. It provides a glimpse into a world that I (luckily) know very little about. The author, now living under the witness protection program, talks honestly about his time as a criminal and police informant. It is written in a simple, conversational style, and he has both praise and criticism for the police he worked with.

I'm reading a young adult book, A Week with Fiona Wonder, which is an absolute page turner. I'm thinking I should be reading more of these which are so good at addressing tough issues with which teens (and let's face it, adults) are confronted!

I've just started Vinegar Hill by A. Manette Ansay.

Just finished The Englishman's Boy. Didn't like it as well as The Last Crossing or A Good Man, but it was still a good read. Starting Helen Humphreys' Coventry.

@23 - I've really enjoyed the first two of Jussi Adler-Olsen Nordic Noir. He has another book being translated into English this spring A Conspiracy of Faith, which I am really looking forward too!

Just finished a different Nordic Noir/ Scandi crime Invisible Murder which I very much enjoyed, and have started on a humourous British " slice of life " sort of memoir The Public Confessions Of A Middle-aged Woman by Sue Townsend.

I am thoroughly enjoying The Stockholm Octavo.

#32: I enjoyed The Keeper of lost causes so much that I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Absent One - which hasn't happened yet. Now you say another Jussi Adler-Olsen is on the way! No matter how much I read, the TBR and wish lists get longer.

I'm reading Spice: The History of a Temptation by Jack Turner

I finally finished Two Solitudes this afternoon, several hours after the debate ended. I was ambivalent about who should win: February was hard to start and Two Solitudes was hard to finish reading. Both were good in their own way and picking the best was like comparing apples and oranges. I loved the debates and agree with whoever posted that it was the best panel ever. Too bad it only happens once a year.

I just finished another Flavia De Luce novel, Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley. Lovely, light reading as usual.

32-I just picked up The Absent One from the library, so I'm looking forward to that. I also had just requested Invisible Murder, so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed that one too. Your posts always end up with my TBR list expanding yet again!

@38 - Glad you got The Absent One and that you've requested Invisible Murder. I'm so glad that we enjoy many of the same books! I really enjoyedSpeaking from the Bones a little earlier this year! :)

Surprised Indian Horse got knocked out of the running of Canada Reads so early but glad February won. Having just read it last month, it is still echoing vividly in my brain. Helen is grief personified and timeless too. I can't help thinking it's a more accessible book to many readers than Two Solitudes. Better for Canadian reading? I agree, the debates were good this year, arcona.

Two Solitudes was on my wishlist, but I have to say this debate made me less interested in reading it. Maybe when I'm old or something. I have lots to say, but I don't want to double post so I'm going to comment over at the Canada reads group . . . http://www.librarything.com/topic/145249

Just had a wonderful few days of reading. I finished Small Island and my first swedish mystery with Henning Mankell's The Dogs of Riga. I am now working on The Mystery of the Blue Train and All Quiet on the Western Front.

>42 fmgee:: Whoa, we must be on the same wavelength, because I am ALSO reading The Mystery of the Blue Train and have All Quiet on the Western Front on deck! :)

I'm catching up on my classics with Love in a Cold Climate (weather appropriate) and For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Just enjoyed The Beautiful Mystery and going to the library today to pick up Indian Horse.

@ 42 and 43 - I must say that I thought that All Quiet on Western Front was one my most powerful reads ever.

I'm part way through The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle

I'm reading Underground Time by Delphine de Vigan, which is enjoyable, but a little light.

I'll echo Deb's thoughts on All Quiet on the Western Front. I've just started Beatric MacNeil's new novel, Box of the Dead. Her last novel, Where White Horses Gallop was a 5* read for me, and one of my all-time favourites.

I just finished All Quiet on the Western Front as well and gave it a well-earned 5*. It really does pack a punch.

I'm only two chapters into All Quiet on the Western Front and I've already cried once. Such a waste of youth!

I tried so hard to resist, but the minute I finished The Girl Who Played with Fire, I immediately started The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. Indian Horse is just going to have to wait another day to be read.

Reading The Age of Hope by David Bergen.

@50 - Isn't that the truth!

I'm reading The Hair of Harold Roux by Thomas Williams, which I'm enjoying so far.

So far this month I have read:

Elephant Winter by Canadian Kim Echlin which I loved!
My review is here:
http://www.librarything.com/work/599445/reviews/93695248

The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy which was enjoyable. I listened to this one on myMP3 and the reader was very good.
Review is here:
http://www.librarything.com/work/828677/reviews/92675610

Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
Review here:
http://www.librarything.com/work/9347622/reviews/93236622

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling
Liked this very much and will post review soon

One of these days I'm going to have to read the Harry Potter novels as they always get such good reviews. I resisted the Dragon Tattoo novels as well but turns out they were also every bit as good a read as everyone says. I don't know why I fight reading these blockbuster novels; perhaps I need to rethink my prejudices.

Just read Available Dark by Elizabeth Hand and I don't really know why I bothered finishing it. I didn't like it right from the beginning and it didn't get any better as it went along.

> 56
too bad, Ted. I have read books like that.

I'm reading Madame Zee by Pearl Luke

I am currently reading The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I can understand why this book is considered a classic. This will certainly be going on my best reads for 2013.

I am downsizing with the idea of moving sometime later this year and so am going through books. It is so hard to get rid of books!

I read these tonight before planning to release them.

The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Review is here

Bicycle Bear by Michaela Muntean
Review is here

I Don’t Want to Go by Justine Korman
Review is here

The Midsummer Banquet – Tales from Fern Hollow by John Patience
Review is here

Pigs in the House by Steven Kroll
Review is here

Finished Beatrice MacNeil's The Box of the Dead. Excellent! I love our maritime writers.

#60 How can you possibly get rid of a book called I don't want to go?

I finished The Age of Hope, which I really enjoyed! Review on the main page, if interested.

Currently reading Poisoned Pawn, the second crime novel by new Canadian author Peggy Blair.

>62 VivienneR:
*chuckle*

I have re-read prior to releasing via freecycle:

The Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore
Review is here

>62 VivienneR:: Ha!

Currently visiting 1950s Montreal with The Body on Mount Royal, by David Montrose

Glad that you liked Eating Dirt. It was a fav. of mine last year!

Starting Sarum - it's soooo thick but it's been on my TBR list for so long and I'm trying to clean out my book shelves.

Arcona - I read that about 12 years ago, and I still remember it very well. I even based a trip to England on it (I didn't really know where I wanted to go with only 5 days, so I headed to the Salisbury area). I hope you enjoy it too.

I'd decided to forego short stories, except for Alice Munro's. However, I found a collection on the TBR shelves, so am about to start Talking at the Woodpile by David Thompson.

I Loved The Age of Hope, it definitely goes on the re-read shelf.
short stories next for me, too, but after just the first one I'm thinking I might abandon this book, This is How You Lose Her. Too 'young' for me maybe? Well I'll try one more story anyways...

@72 - Loosha, so glad you enjoyed The Age of Hope. We must have fairly similar taste. So far This is how you Lose Her has not appealed to me yet. Let me know! :)

I will have to try The Age of Hope! I thought Diaz's book of short stories was amazing This is How You Lose Her. He is a pretty unique writer and the subject is so different (immigrant experience). I can see how he is "cleaning up" in the awards department!