lit_chick's 2013 Reading (2)

Welcome again, everyone! I have thoroughly enjoyed the start to my 2013 reading year, and I hope yours has been as enchanting. Happy reading!




March

19. The Innocents, Francesca Segal
18. The Keeper of Lost Causes, Jussi Adler-Olsen
17. The Imposter Bride, Nancy Richler
16. Where'd You Go, Bernadette, Maria Semple
15. Doc, Mary Doria Russell
14. 419, Will Ferguson
13. Phineas Finn, Anthony Trollope
12. The Purchase, Linda Spalding
11. The Secret River, Kate Grenville

February

10. The Box of the Dead, Beatrice MacNeil
9. Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
8. Coventry, Helen Humphreys
7. The Englishman's Boy, Guy Vanderhaeghe
6. Broken Wings, Clarissa Smith

January

5. The Lighthouse, Alison Moore
4. Philida, Andre Brink
3. Small Wars, Sadie Jones
2. Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry
1. Can You Forgive Her, Anthony Trollope

10.
The Box of the Dead, Beatrice MacNeil



Rating: 4/5

“At ninety-two years of age, she is a riot of blue veins and stains. Strands of loose white hair scatter as if in a wind fire and fly off in every direction from a shrunken skull that has summoned a broken cherub for protection. Her round eyes, a fading day’s blue, widen slowly under a pair of cat’s-eye framed glasses. Thin limbs clamp her into a stooped sphere as she opens the door holding her broom in one hand. She’s not about to be scared off now. Her joints speak to her in a stiff voice as rusty as her own.” (9)

Ivadoile Spears is as feisty and cantankerous as ever she was. Childless and widowed much earlier in life, she sits in her grand old Cape Breton home, Tides Inn, sifting through photographs she has taken from a small cedar box. The images recall to her the people who have passed through her life: casual acquaintances, intimate friends, and loves discovered and lost. Ivadoile muses, and we muse with her, over the eclectic assortment of Tides Inn guests come and gone: Bowzer, a travelling salesman, and his companion an African Grey, Humphrey; Esther Neuland, a lovely woman but pitifully abused; Violet Summers, wealthy, well-travelled, and dying; Ambrose Kane, a southern seaman and lover; Angelo Pinotti, a charming Italian physician from Montreal.

But it is Margaret LaMae, Ivadoile’s long-time employee and neighbour, who remains with the aged proprietor when time has had its way with so many others. Time will shortly have its way with Ivadoile, too, of course. But first, senility will so alter her character that she is at once the woman Margaret always knew and a complete stranger. Ivadoile will disclose the roots of her difficult, quarrelsome self, which have kept her isolated for so many decades. And Margaret will come to realize how fine are the workings of the human heart. “There is everything and nothing in Ivadoile Spears’ eyes. Everything that she remembers and nothing that she can forget.” (201)

The Box of the Dead is beautifully written. In MacNeil’s signature style, the Cape Breton landscape is woven seamlessly into the lives of the characters. Endorsed by such legends as Alistair MacLeod, MacNeil became a favourite when I read Where White Horses Gallop some years ago. This new novel does not disappoint. Highly recommended.

“Dementia is not arrogance. It is life going backwards and colliding with its past self.” (272)

Oh, your latest read sounds wonderful. I'm trying to add it to the tbr pile, but LT isn't working properly in cooperation.

Great review. Thumbs up!

#3 Thanks, Linda! The Box of the Dead was a lovely read. I adore our maritime storytellers. Hope LT cooperates to you can add it to your pile!

Insightful quotes - and review - to open your new thread, Nancy. Thumb. Another Canadian writer I haven't heard of, but her writing is so beautiful. Memories...sometimes I think they are both a curse and a blessing, at least they seem to be in this novel.

Happy New Thread

#5 Thanks, Carsten : ). MacNeil's writing is beautiful, isn't it? I think you are absolutely right about memories.

MacNeil's previous novel, Where White Horses Gallop is an all-time favourite about three young men who go to WWII and the effect their fates have on their families. It is, of course, also set in Cape Breton.

Really enjoyed your review of a book which I haven't got but will certainly try to seek out consequent upon your appreciation of it.

Have a lovely weekend dear lady and congratulations on your new thread. Nice to see you enthused in the group as I was accustomed to! x

Lovely review, Nancy! As you know, I have a copy of the book too - was able to search one up! I'll get to it sooner than later by the sounds of your review. Thumb up! 4/5 - sounds like a solid read!

Nancy, it sounds like both of MacNeil's books are very good. One thumb for your latest review and two for the wish list. I guess step #3 is to see if my library has the books. Have a great week end!

#7 Hi Paul, I know that you enjoy Canadian literature from time to time, and MacNeil is a writer I think you'd appreciate. Hope your weekend is fab!

#8 Thanks, Deb. The Box of the Dead is indeed a solid read. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. Have to thank you again for sending it to me. You're the best! Now, for my "persuasiveness": read it! read it soon!

#9 Thanks, Donna. I think you would enjoy MacNeil's Where White Horses Gallop and The Box of the Dead. I would be curious to know what you think of her, actually. That said, I don't know that she's in wide circulation, so fingers crossed that your library has her work.

Oh I am so excited to see that your review is " hot" and thus The Box of The Dead is famous now! I'll read it soon! I have in mind to read The Poisoned Pawn, the second book from Peggy Blair. Her first book The Beggar's Opera was her debut novel and it was shortlisted for the CWA award - crime writers award? and took the CBC Bookie award for mystery 2012. Lately her 1st book was an ER here on LT. Of course, being The Patron of Canada Books, my title, if you wish to use it, I felt that I had to purchase it and read her second book. I tell you Nancy, Margaret Atwood , David Bergen, et al eat out of my hand, to use a literary term.

After that I'll get to The Box of the Dead.

Oh, today is nice and sunny - out to enjoy a little spring weather. I hope you are having a wonderful day!

Hi Nancy- Ive not read anything of Beatrice MacNeil's. But you make me want to look our for her! Sounds like a great read for you. I love books that I can recommend whole-heartedly.

#11 Hi Deb, I'm happy to endorse your position as The Patron of Canadian Books : ). I didn't know about the CWA, so thanks for that. Sounds like Peggy Blair might be a new Canadian author for me to watch for. Will await your assessment of The Poisoned Pawn.

#12 Hi Megan, I'm not sure how widely MacNeil's work is available, but I can certainly recommend her wholeheartedly.

Here to make my place :) Happy weekend!

#14 Thanks, Bonnie, I think you would LOVE The Box of the Dead, too! The short quote about dementia hit me right between the eyes.

#15 Hi Chelle, happy weekend back to you : ).

No luck with the MacNeil books in our library, Nancy. I need to make a separate list of these Canadian writers in case I ever get up your way! Happy Sunday to you.

#17 Oh, darn. I'm sorry, but not surprised, to hear that you couldn't find MacNeil locally, Donna.

eta: My copy of The Box of the Dead was a gift from Deb (vancouverdeb). If anyone would like to read it, PM me with your mailing address, and I'll happily send it along. I think it would be lovely to keep the gift moving forward.

On the bright side, the Halifax library system has 5 copies of The Box of the Dead , all checked out! here - http://discover.halifaxpubliclibraries.ca/?q=title:%22box%20of%20the%20dead%22 plus 8 holds on the copies. I'll have to look at see if my Vancouver area library has it!

#19 Hi Deb, I'm not surprised that MacNeil's work gets more attention on the east coast. I expect she'd done book signings and such. We are doing our bit to bring attention to her work on this coast!

Nancy, you hottie! I own a copy of *White Horses* - probably from your earlier recs - even though I haven't read it yet, and now *Box* is firmly on my list. VERY good reivew!
So what are you reading now?

Yes we are, Nancy! It was so lucky that I got the brochure on new Canadian books in my mail - whom from I don't know - maybe an independent bookstore that I shop at? Otherwise I would have never heard of Box of the Dead , but as soon as I recognized the author, I knew that I had to have it, given how much I loved Where White Horses Gallop. It's so handy that I am so disorganized that I purchased two copies by mistake! :) I'm rather good at that.. :) But we have to boost the sales of our Can Lit authors , don't we. I take that straight to heart - sort of ... :)

Found your new thread Nancy, although I think it is a little unfair to be hit with a book bullet on the second post! Just saying. :-P

On the future reading list MacNeill's book goes.

#21 LOL, thanks Peggy! I'm delighted that you will read Where White Horses Gallop and have added The Box of the Dead to your burgeoning WL. I will be curious to know what you think of MacNeil. I'm presently reading The Secret River, another fabulous book.

#22 Hi Deb, I'm also delighted that you are so disorganized that I purchased two copies of The Box of the Dead! Otherwise, it would have been some time before it came to my attention.

#23 Hi Lori, delighted you found my new thread! Sorry (not really, just sayin') about the bullet, LOL. That is definitely a hazard here at LT.

Okay, I noticed a day or two ago that you are reading The Secret River. I hope that you are enjoying it! It does have elements of the wild wild west , in a way, at least I thought so. Good read for you? :)

The Secret River has been on my TBR pile since 2009. I hope to get to it soon.

#25-26 Hi Deb and Linda, The Secret River is excellent! It's been on my list for a while, too, but Deb's recent stellar review moved it to the top of the pile.

Last year my online book group read the sequel to The Secret River, Sarah Thornhill. Sadly it is not as enjoyable or as well written, perhaps the storyline is less credible My favourite of her books is The Lieutenant.

#28 Hi Helen, good to know about Sarah Thornhill. I'll pass on that one, but The Lieutenant sounds like one for the WL. I'm really enjoying Grenville's writing in The Secret River.

LT tells me I would definitely like The Secret River. Right now I have between 15-20 library books to read, but I'm not adverse to trolling on the library site to see if they have this book and then going to the library after work.

So glad that you are enjoying my ' rec" The Secret River. I had a feeling that you would enjoy it. It's so much nicer when a rec works out than if you'd disliked it. I kind of thought that you enjoy , since I did and I also felt that there was a feel of the wild wild west, even though it takes place in colonial Australia - not that much different , in some ways. You are having a very good reading year so far! Glad to see that!

#30 Hi Linda, I'm not adverse to trolling on the library site to see if they have this book and then going to the library after work. A reader after my own heart! I can't tell you how many times I've done that, Linda! And now, my city's brand new library is right behind the school I work at ... out my back door and into the library's front door in under a minute! Love love!

#31 Hi Deb, I am finding The Secret River very thought provoking in terms of "owning"versus "belonging." Yes, my reading year thus far has been stellar : ).

Excellent commentary re The Secret River. I do envy your proximity to your library! Our main library is only a 10 - 15 minute drive from me -but the parking is a nightmare. I could easily spend just as long hoping for a parking space. We have several libraries in my part of the city - but the one where I do my grocery shopping has fewer and fewer books. It seems to be taken over by DVD's - a machine, no less , but it's free, music CD's and of course all of our libraries cater equally to English speaking patrons as well as Cantonese/ Mandarin speakers and also Hindi and I don't know what all. I was speaking with one of the librarians and he said that they definitely need more space and hope to have another library in the next oh... 4 years!sigh!

On the bright side - sort of - I read the our library system here is the busiest in Canada as far as books taken out per person in the city. That has it's pluses and it's minuses.

ETA - I've read that The Lieutenant and Sarah Thornhill don't compare well with The Secret River but that is just what I've read here in the review section of LT for those books.

#33 I do love my proximity to the library, Deb : ). I know that you frequent yours often as well, albeit it not quite as handy as running out the back door of work! Our library is also well used, and it's lovely to see it busy with readers when I'm there. But when I'm on a l-o-n-g waiting list for a book, it's not so lovely, LOL. I'm selfish that way!

Hi Nancy! I think this is my first visit to your new thread. I am lucky enough to have one branch of the library just across the road from work, and I do look things up when I read about them on a certain book site, and then impulse-borrow. I am going over at lunchtime to return something and *not take any more out*. I think if I write it down then I might stick to it :-)

#35 Hi Susan, I love your expression impulse-borrow. Perfect! I hope your plan to *not take any more out* stuck! Doubtful that would work for me!

Nancy, I triumphed! I also said the same thing to my office roomie who queried why, in that case, I had a plastic bag in my hand, in a "just-in-case" sort of manner.

I was nearly swayed by Shooting Victoria - Madness, Mayhem and the Rebirth of the British Monarchy (touchstone won't work) but I resisted. It was brand new and clean (my main consideration) but also 600 pages.

#37 Well done, Susan! Shooting Victoria sounds like an interesting read also, and, no surprise, I happen to love new, clean books, too! (Not sure why the touchstone has decided to work, but it has, at least for now).

11.
The Secret River, Kate Grenville



Rating: 4.5/5

“That man, in his red coat and his gold braid, was as irrelevant to what was happening on the Hawkesbury as was the King, or even God Himself.” (261)

In early nineteenth century London, William Thornhill, once a young waterman with promise, and his wife, Sal, fall on hard times. When Thornhill is caught stealing to feed his family, he is spared the gallows on condition of exile to New South Wales, Australia. He, along with his family, is transported to Sydney; but their new home is a harsh and foreign land which they struggle to understand. Eight years in, Thornhill is pardoned, and he sails up the Hawkesbury River to make claim to one hundred acres of land in hope of building a new life for himself and his young family.

But the land along the river is inhabited by aboriginals who see it as their own. Thornhill, quick to temper and feeling entitled to some good fortune given years of hard luck and hard labour, refuses to let go the dream of his own place, Thornhill’s Place. His doggedness will force him to make decisions from which there will be no turning back. And an impenetrable silence settles between him and Sal, who is imprisoned by the very dream that frees her husband.

“Whatever the shadow was that lived with them, it did not belong just to him, but to her as well: it was a space they both inhabited. But it seemed there was no way to speak into that silent place. Their lives had slowly grown around it, the way the roots of a river-fig grew around a rock.” (325)

The Secret River is a fabulous read. I confess I did not know that Australia was settled, at least in part, by England’s exiled convicts. Grenville use of Thornhill’s story to depict early nineteenth century colonialism is brilliant. Her writing is brawny, and her attitude unembellished, and I think both strike an effective note, given that we know what was the fate of Australia’s aborigines:

“He could hear the great machinery of London, the wheel of justice chewing up felons and spitting them out here, boatload after boatload, spreading out from the Government Wharf in Sydney, acre by acre, slowed but not stopped by rivers, mountains, swamps. / The thought made him gentle. There won’t be no stopping us, he said. Pretty soon there won’t be nowhere left for you black buggers.” (215)

This is my first novel by Grenville, but I will be back for more. Highly recommended.

Excellent review, Nancy! Thumb from me! It was really a fabulous read, and as you say, I little idea prior to reading The Secret River as to how Australia was settled. So glad you enjoyed the book - I thought you would. It does have a bit of the " wild west " to it, do you think so?

#40 Thanks, Deb! The Secret River was a superb read! The southern hemisphere's answer to our "wild west"? Anyway, appreciate the rec, my friend!

And another thumb from me Nancy. The Secret River was my first Grenville too. Her writing is brawny, and her attitude unembellished, How true.

Lovely Review, Nancy. I have *SR* but have yet to read it. I'm interested to see how Grenville writes brawny since I don't think she did in The Idea of Perfection. A versatile writer - how wondrous!

#42 Thanks, Bonnie. Have you gone on to read more Grenville, or not yet?

#43 Thanks, Peggy. I've added The Idea of Perfection to my WL; looks interesting, and I see it won the Orange Prize, too. As to Grenville being a versatile writer, how wondrous, indeed!

The Idea of Perfection sounds like one for the wish list for me too, Nancy! I see your current read! :) I hope you enjoy it!

I have got to read The Secret River. It almost made it to the top of my pile for the trip I'm currently on, but then I changed my mind. It just keeps getting such positive reviews and comments!

#45 Hi Deb, glad you have also wishlisted The Idea of Perfection. I am thoroughly enjoying The Purchase about sixty or seventy pages in.

#46 Ellen, you are right that you must read The Secret River. Such a fabulous read! You'll just need to take another trip very soon, so it makes the top of that pile!

A thumb from me also, Nancy - now both you and Deborah have song its praise and I feel compelled at least to consider it :) An interesting part of history in that part of the world. A great quote!!

#48 Thanks, Carsten. I think you would enjoy The Secret River. As you say, it is an interesting part of history. I will go on to read more of Grenville's work.

So glad that you are enjoying The Purchase. It's dark book, but I really enjoyed it. I was out at the bookstore earlier today and I looked at Lonesome Dove. Wow! That's a big chunkster of a book. Maybe one day I'll be brave enough to give it a try!

#50 Hi Deb, yes The Purchase is excellent! You're right that Lonesome Dove is a door-stopper, but it is SO worth the effort.

Looks like the Grenville was a winner for you, Nancy! Great review!

The Idea of Perfection is one of my desert isle books Nancy. Completely different from The Secret River, not historical fiction at all, but oh so good:-)

#52 Thanks, Lori. Yes, Grenville is a winner with me. I'm going to read more of her work.

#53 Thanks, Bonnie. I've requested The Idea of Perfection from my library : ).

I cant read your latest review Nancy- I simply cannot have any more books cutting in on my queue! :)
It does look appealing though.......
*employing all powers of resistance*

I'm #5 thumbs up for your excellent review! I wish the students I supervise could write like you do.

I have so many books in my current queue, that like Megan , though I've wishlisted The Idea of Perfection I'm going to wait awhile til I request it from my library.

Nancy, I wish I could write reviews like you do!

#55 LOL, Megan. I do understand about the queue!

#56 Thanks, Linda! Thumb and writing compliment are appreciated. I'm always pleased when someone enjoys a review.

#57 Thanks, Deb! I always enjoy your reviews, too : ). I've requested The Idea of Perfection from my library. I don't think there were any holds on it, so hopefully I will be able to renew it if I need to. So many books lined up, LOL.

12.
The Purchase, Linda Spalding



Rating: 4/5

“There were other wagons leaving Pennsylvania and going south and west, but none were so laden with woe as the one that carried the five children and the widower and his new bride.” (4)

The Purchase opens in 1798 Pennsylvania where Daniel Dickinson has been shunned from his Quaker community by Elders for his hasty marriage to a fifteen year old orphan. The recently widowed father of five has married his young house servant, Ruth Boyd, who came to the Dickinsons from an almshouse. Ruth, a child herself, will now mother Daniel’s own orphaned children. So it is that he, his new wife, and his five children, are moving west, headed for Virginia.

Once relocated, Daniel, a firm abolitionist, finds himself the unexpected owner of a young slave, Onesimus. The “purchase” sets in motion a chain of events that visits tragedy upon tragedy on the family, and leads ultimately to murder. As the narrative unfolds, Daniel will struggle to hold fast to his beliefs in a changing world. His young, unloved wife, his willful eldest daughter’s relationship with Bett, a runaway slave, his youngest daughter’s impossible love, and the pursuits of his sons will test his Quaker values.

“When his wife died, he’d blamed the doctor, not the Lord. Disowned by his community in Brandywine, he’d decided to pack up his children and go where he might find tolerance. He had driven past the wealthy plantations crowning the hilltops of Tidewater Virginia, moving west to the rugged hand-hewn cabins of the valleys, sure that his character would adapt to the new landscape. He thought now that he should never have wished for such a thing.” (158)

The Purchase is dark, bewitching, and imbued with moral complexity. Spalding’s prose is seductive and magnetic, so much so that this is one I did not want to put down. Her characters, dark and complex and enslaved by their own burdens, are superbly written. She is a Canadian author new to me, but The Purchase is richly deserving of its 2012 Governor General’s Literary Award.

Highly recommended!

>59 lit_chick: *peow*
I just got hit with a book bullet.
And here I was not reading your review too.
I just read the first quote...and then the next few words, and I was done for.
:)
There goes my queue.

eta: my library doenst have The Purchase- so Im lucky......for now....*menacing music* duh duh DUH

#60 Hi Megan, make me smile : ). Glad I could help out with a book bullet. I know how dangerous it can get around here, LOL.

So glad you enjoyed The Purchase! I too am getting saddle sores from so many frontiers, Sorry, The Secret River, even Study in Scarlet and now The Colour. Great review of The Purchase . Indeed, The Purchase is is dark, bewitching, and imbued with moral complexity. Spalding’s prose is seductive and magnetic, so much so that this is one I did not want to put down. Her characters, dark and complex and enslaved by their own burdens, and superbly written.. Up thumb!

You've described the book and writing superbly!!! Bravo girl. And I see what your next read is -snoopy aren't I? I have not read 419 but I'm interested..... I await your assessment!

#62 Thanks, Deb. We can commiserate together over our saddle sores, LOL. The Purchase is another rec I took from you, and a superb read! It's dark, but I couldn't put it down. I have mixed feelings about 419 just from the little bit I've heard about it, but I have to give it a try. Part of my hesitation is that I've got Will Ferguson firmly linked to How to be a Canadian, and wonder how he could possibly pull off something like 419. If he does, he needs a medal for versatility!

The Purchase sounds wonderful Nancy. You mentioned dark, and you didn't want to put it down. Bam! Onto the WL. Oh and thumb!

#64 Thanks, Bonnie. Aha, I didn't know that your Bam! combination (or one of them) was dark and engrossing. I think you will really like The Purchase!

Another Canadian writer to the wishlist, Nancy. Thumbs up from me! I have just finished a wonderful book for my online bookgroup on Papua New Guinea, The Mountain by Drusilla Modjeska. I found it a fascinating introduction to a country I have never read about before. I am currently reading a novella by Irene Nemirovsky which consists of two short stories. Wonderfully executed as always. Such a loss to the literary world.

Fine thumb-review again, Nancy. I'm actually reading The journal of George Fox at the moment, getting myself a little more acquainted with the origin of the Quakers. This novel sounds very interesting. You are really getting into the pioneer spirit out West this year.

Nancy, another great review with The Purchase. I'm tempted, but wonder whether it would be too sad (given that I like happy endings :-) ) Still, I get so many things to think about from your thread, and lots of authors I've never heard of!

Lovely review of The Purchase Nancy and as other have said already it becomes another Canadian author for my hitlist.

#66 Thanks, Helen! Delighted I could help with your wishlist. The Mountain sounds intriguing; I taught with a couple in Canada's far North who had started their careers in Papua New Guinea. I am ashamed to say that I am unfamiliar with Irene Nemirovksy; I've just looked her up and thank you for bringing her to my attention.

#67 Thanks, Carsten : ). I confess I know nothing about the origin of the Quakers and would probably have benefitted from the background knowledge in The Journal of George Fox before reading The Purchase. Yes, I've definitely spent some time in the Western frontier this year. Deb and I have joked that we have saddle sores, LOL.

#68 Hi Susan, thank you : ). I found The Purchase more dark than sad, but I'm not sure you would see it the same way. Like you, I love LT and my fellow readers' threads for introducing me to new authors.

#69 Thanks, Paul. I think The Purchase is one you'd enjoy : ).

Hi Nancy! The only Irene Nemirovsky that I have read is Suite Francaise and I thought it was wonderful. I know my daughter has read others of hers and really liked them. Thanks for the review on The Purchase. I've added it to my list.

Yeah. I want The Purchase. I'll have to wait, but thanks for the lovely review and the info.

#71 Hi Mary! Thank you for the tips on Irene Nemirovsky's work. Delighted you've added The Purchase to your wishlist.

#72 Hi Peggy, I think you'll find The Purchase worth the wait! I hope so!

>71 mdoris:. Yes I started with Suite Francaise, a book everybody should read and now I have several more. Her characters and settings are so vividly depicted.
A wonderful legacy her daughters publishing her work.

#74 Thanks, Helen. Suite Francaise sounds like the place to start with Irene Nemirovsky.

I have not read Suite Francaise but it's certainly in my mental TBR list. Great to hear more praise for it.

Ohh ! I just read you review of Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope. A five star read for you! Great review!! Up thumb! And aren't you a dear duck of a thing as Violet says of herself! :)

#76-77 Hi Deb, glad you've got Suite Francaise on your mental TBR. I'm just about to post my review of Phineas Finn. Love Trollope! Yes, you dear duck of a thing : ).

13.
Phineas Finn, Anthony Trollope



Rating: 5/5

2005, Blackstone Audiobooks, Read by Robert Whitfield

Phineas Finn, a handsome young Irishman, has just passed the bar when he is elected to Parliament from the Irish borough of Lochshane through the support of his father’s friend. His affable personality and charming good looks soon win him many influential friends in London society, among them Lady Laura Standish, daughter of the Earl of Brentford. Lady Laura decides that Phineas will be her own political exploit, and to that end she makes “promises on his behalf to various personages of high political standing, — to her father, to Mr. Monk, to the Duke of St. Bungay, and even to Mr. Milmay himself. She had thoroughly intended that Phineas Finn should be a political success …” (Ch 27)

And indeed, Phineas is a political success. He is promoted to a Government post in London and appears destined for political fortune — that is until a bill on Irish tenant right is introduced, and conscience threatens to interfere with political obligation. “Individual free-thinking was incompatible with the position of a member of the Government.” (Ch 43) Finn finds himself in the unenviable position wherein exercising free will may end his political career, but towing the party line stands to harm his very countrymen.

But, bah! enough of politics. The novel’s charm for me was in the doings and undoings of the female characters. When Phineas arrives to London, he is promised to Mary Jones in Ireland. Alas, both are penniless, and a political career must be handsomely financed — from this vantage point, Trollope launches his oft debated theme of marriage for love versus marriage for money. The first to fall for Phineas is his self-appointed political advisor, Lady Laura Standing. Surely she has the resources to finance his rise, but does she value her social position and wealth above the notion of romantic love? Within the social circles of Lady Laura and of London society, Phineas is also introduced to both Violet Effingham and Madame Max Goesler. Both are enormously wealthy and well positioned. Madame Max is the widow of an Austrian banker; she would love to “service” Phineas, politically and perhaps otherwise. Violet had been promised to Lady Laura’s brother, Lord Chiltern, but he may well have ill-behaved himself entirely out of her good graces. In any case, she has a most decided view of love and of husbands, and may be a very difficult catch. Hands down my favourite character in the novel, Violet, talking to her friend, Lady Laura, has this to say of love:

“I know, — or fancy that I know, — that so many men love me! But, after all, what sort of love is it? It is just as when you and I, when we see something nice in a shop, call it a dear duck of a thing, and tell somebody to go and buy it, let the price be ever so extravagant. I know my own position, Laura. I'm a dear duck of a thing …” (Ch 10)

And of husbands, Violet declares that the timing and the selection process is merely a matter of favour and convenience:

“I shall take the first that comes after I have quite made up my mind. You'll think it very horrible, but that is really what I shall do. After all, a husband is very much like a house or a horse. You don't take your house because it's the best house in the world, but because just then you want a house. You go and see a house, and if it's very nasty you don't take it. But if you think it will suit pretty well, and if you are tired of looking about for houses, you do take it. That's the way one buys one's horses, — and one's husbands." (Ch 10)

I am thoroughly taken with Trollope’s Palliser novels. I loved the Barsetshire series, too, but I think I favour this one even more! Trollope drives his drama with characters, and they are so perfectly drawn. With each novel, both Barsetshire and Palliser, I’ve latched on a to a favourite, and now keep myself entertained with the collection of Trollope creations which lives in my head. I must add that Robert Whitmore does a superb job of narration in this edition.

Highly recommended!

Hi Nancy, you are certainly cranking out one fine review after another. I'm so glad to see another 5 star Trollope read as I have fallen in love with his work myself. (Currently reading and loving Doctor Thorne) you are exactly right when you mention his perfectly drawn characters. I am happy to know I have so many more of his books to look forward to. Did you find the politics hard to follow? Oh and thumb!

#80 Thank you, Bonnie. That means a lot coming from you, whose reviews I adore! You do have a lot of wonderful Trollope ahead of you. I loved Doctor Thorne when I read it last year, too. I'm following Liz's GR thread because it's so full of great information, and it's great to share the book with so many who are enjoying it. I did initially find the politics in Phineas Finn hard to follow, but once I clicked with the idea of Irish tenant right, I could understand Finn's motivation which made for easier going. Of themselves, I find ALL politics hard to follow -- give me character motivations any day -- those I can understand!

That's the way one buys one's horses, — and one's husbands.. Your joy for Trollope shines through ones more, Nancy. The quotes are so..ehmmm Trollopian? That the Palliser novels are even better than Barchester just make me look forward to many many hours of perfect listening. Thumb!

Nancy, I loved your review of Phineas Finn! I can't wait to hear what you think about The Eustace Diamonds, which is my favourite one so far.

I'm really enjoying The Last Chronicle of Barset and I think I might reread the Pallisers at some stage. But I want to read The Way We Live Now this year, as I still remember how great the TV series was.

#82 Thanks, Carsten : ). I laughed out loud when Violet came out with that about horses and husbands, and Deb and I have chuckled about being a dear duck of a thing, LOL. I think Trollopian is a perfect new word! And I'm glad my joy shines through! He really is something else, isn't he?

#83 Thank you, Susan! I listened to the first chapter of The Eustace Diamonds this morning. Ohhh, such promise! I've learned of Lizzie Greystock that she was utterly devoid of true tenderness, so also was she devoid of conscience. And she's just married a go-zillionaire. She is going to be a piece of work!

I loved The Last Chronicle of Barset, too. I haven't yet read The Way We Live Now, but I will do so when I'm finished with the Palliser series.

Wow, Nancy, you are cranking out the books and reviews faster than I can read them. I'm so glad to know Trollope's Palliser novels are good too. I have much to look forward to. Loved your in-depth review of Phineas Finn. Those are some great quotes from Violet. She sounds like a fun character.

#85 Hi Donna, glad you liked the review of Phineas Finn. I think you are a fairly recent Trollope convert and are presently enjoying the Doctor Thorne GR? I'm following the GR, too, just because Liz puts out such great stuff! You do have lots of superb Trollope ahead of you. And, yes, Violet was an absolute hoot!

I confess to never having read Anthony Trollope. It looks like a whole new world will open to me...I have also just discovered Bonnie's thread via this one. Another dangerous path to follow.

#87 Hi Helen, you are in for a treat in discovering Anthony Trollope! You are right that Bonnie's thread is a dangerous one, LOL.

Lovely review, Nancy, and a thumb! I loved the *Pallisers* when I read the series a go-zillion years ago. I'm wending my way through Barsetshire now, but I hope to live long enough to get back to Lady Glencora and Company.

#89 Thanks, Peggy : ). I remember you telling me that I was in for a treat when I started the Palliser novels. You were right!! I know just what you mean about revisiting the Trollope works you've already read, too. I can see revisiting Barsetshire another day.

Hi Nancy, what terrific reading! You've hit me three times: The Secret River, The Purchase, and Phineas Finn are all now on my wish list. I love your audio recommendation, too -- that's my primary reading format these days, and the only Trollope I've read was The Warden -- also on audio, and also wonderful. Thank you! Hope you're having a great weekend.

#91 Hi Anne, welcome! Woot, three hits! That's wonderful, LOL! I hope you will enjoy The Secret River, The Purchase, and Phineas Finn as much as I did! Trollope makes for wonderful audio; Simon Vance reads most of the editions I've listened to (although Robert Whitfield read Phineas), and he is superb. Happy weekend to you, too : ).

14.
419, Will Ferguson



Rating: 3/5

“Dear Sir, I am the son of an exiled Nigerian diplomat, and I need your help ...” (Ch 81)

419 is written in four story-threads. In Canada, a Calgary man is killed when his vehicle goes over a snowy ravine. On the other side of the world, in Nigeria, an internet criminal, Winston, phishes for victims, an expectant woman wanders through a sandstorm, and a young boy navigates oil spills in the Niger Delta.

The four threads of the novel eventually intersect, but not until well into the second half of the novel. Investigators determine that the deceased Calgary man had been a victim of an internet scam out of Nigeria, named 419 for the section of that country’s criminal code which deals with fraud. It’s easy to place Winston at the scene in Africa so far as the fraud goes. But the stories of Amina, pregnant woman, and Nnamdi, young boy, require more patience. For one, both are minor characters in the novel whose backstories take up more space than their actual roles in the plot. We finally learn Amina’s name in Chapter 67. And Nnamdi narrates the story of how “Mr. Shell" and other big-oil accomplices have decimated not only the Niger Delta’s once vibrant ecosystem but also its social fabric, paving the way for a thriving criminal element. I get that, I do – but perhaps the evils of big-oil could have been the focus of another novel.

In case it is not already apparent, I was disappointed in 419. There is no question that Ferguson is a talented writer, but this endeavor, while a respectable read, is not one I will recommend. For me, it got lost in its too “widescreen” scope – an ambition which required too-lengthy backstories and resulted in too-unlikely plot developments and conclusion. No surprise that I do not share the enthusiasm of the 2012 Giller Prize Jury for 419.

After your run of fantastic reads it was rather a surprise to see that 419 didn't really cut the mustard. Enjoy your weekend dear lady.

Nancy, your thread is such a dangerous one to visit, what with all the reviews you keep posting. Dodged a couple of book bullets - 419 wouldn't appeal to me - and adding The Purchase to the ever growing 'To Read Later' list. Hope you are having a lovely weekend!

>93 lit_chick: The four threads of the novel eventually intersect, but not until well into the second half of the novel.
That would frustrate me, I like to feel the connections sooner.

#94 Hi Paul, it was inevitable I'd come across something that didn't really cut the mustard; and now I have. Hope your weekend is lovely, too!

#95 Hi Lori, bullets are a hazard around LT, LOL. I think you will enjoy the purchase. Hope your weekend is lovely, too!

#96 Hi Megan, I did find 419 frustrating with its lag in connecting the threads.

Well, Nancy - they can't all be top reads. The way your reading year has started there had to be a miss at some point. Hope your next one will be better :)

#98 Exactly, Carsten. I'm a couple of chapters into Doc now, and it is definitely better. Superb, in fact! This one has been widely recommended, and I begin to see why.

Back in the wild west I see, Nancy. So many books and authors I have never heard of.You are a dangerous lady!

#100 LOL, Helen! Yes, I am back in the Wild West. Doc is fantastic! Now, I have to put it down and go to pesky old work today.

Oh, my Nancy - are we back in the saloon? I spot a hat and a piano on the cover? Or just back in the saddle? You leave a long muddy trail on LT - Glad to hear this is a better read.

Ah, sorry that you did not enjoy 419. As you know I was hesitant about that book too.Now I will avoid it completely. The plot seemed too convoluted for the likes of me. I'm surprised that a cow girl like you even tried to read a sophisticated book about an internet criminal. Back in the saddle, cowgirl. The internet hasn't even been invented yet for a gal like you!

Happy Trails! :)

#102 LOL, I am indeed back in the saddle, Carsten! My long, muddy trail will need to exclude the saloons this time. Getting to old! Glad you like the hat and the "pianer" on the cover!

#103 Hi Deb, 419 was a disappointment, particularly as a Giller winner. I am escaping back to the frontier where there is no pesky internet, LOL. That's enough sophisticated reading for a time!

Oh I think Doc will easily erase the bad vibes from 419 Nancy. Then you will be all set for the sequel expected next year:-)

#105 I think you are right about Doc erasing bad vibes, Bonnie. What a fabulous book! (and I'm only a little over 100 pages in). A sequel, too? Woot!!

Say Nancy, the 20 book Long list for Women's Fiction or whatever the name of " The Orange Prize" has turned into has been announced! I'm quite excited! More TBR's! One of the books was The Light Between Oceans by M L. Stedman. Yeah to that! I'll try to find you a link. I think Darryl has posted the list of books in the Orange group...

Well, here is the link to Women's Fiction here on LT - the list is posted - http://www.librarything.com/topic/151319

#107-08 Hi Deb, I saw the Orange LL on Daryl's thread. I dislike "Women's Prize for Fiction," so the Orange it is on this thread! I've got The Light Between Oceans in my iPad and have had for some time. I keep getting sidetracked! If you saw the look of my dining room table, LOL. Good thing I live alone : ).

Yes, I'm not keen on the new name either!! "Women's Prize for Fiction". Yes, we will stick to Orange Prize!!! I'd thought you'd already read the The Light Between Oceans , but I guess it was just Carsten and me and everybody else on LT! :) I think when you find the time , you'll enjoy it. Fabulous book reviews every time, Nancy! I envy you your high horse author Anthony Trollope . So posh and swanky. I wish I could get my head into them. sigh!

#110 Deb, I was just coming back to LT in January when you are Carsten were talking about The Light Between Oceans. I remember how much both of you enjoyed it. I quite sure I will, too -- the two of you are excellent barometers for me! Thank you for your kind words about my reviews. You make me smile with high horse author Anthony Trollope. So post and swanky! You might love listening to him as much as I do!

Hmmm....I didn't even know it was a women's only prize - there goes my dream of winning the Orange Prize someday..... Have only read The Light Between Oceans and that was as Deborah says really good. In my mental TBR I have placed Gone Girl and I would like to read something by Kate Atkinson. I guess given the hype Bring up the Bodies will win it all eventually. Enjoying all the covers here.

I've read two of them (Gone Girl and Bring Up The Bodies), which is quite remarkable for a literary fiction list. Usually those sorts of books are beyond me. Nancy, I was also surprised to see Gone Girl. I loved it, but I wouldn't have thought it was an Orange Prize book.

I'm looking forward to your review of Doc - that's another one I want to get to, and the library has it as an ebook, which is pretty amazing. Their collection is overall pretty weird, with the occasional flash of awesome :-)

#112 I'm sorry your ambitions to win the Orange Prize have been crushed, Carsten. How very devastating! I remember when you and Deb were discussing the merits The Light Between Oceans. It's definitely on my list. I will also read Bring Up the Bodies, but I think I'll make it a summer read. I connect it with reading Wolf Hall on my patio last summer. I listened to Gone Girl and it was well read by both male and female narrator; still, I don't think it literary prize material.

Thanks for the link to the Orange covers; there are so many that are beautiful! I often judge a book by its cover, LOL. It's not a reliable indicator of merit, but I judge nonetheless because I love cover art.

#113 Hi Susan, I echo your thoughts about Gone Girl being on the Orange list. Doc is a wonderful read although the last couple of days have been too hectic to allow much reading time. Pesky job, LOL!

Just stopping by to check up on you, Nancy! I'm afraid I'll be skipping dear old Hilary Mantel , her historical fiction just does not appeal to me - maybe the particular time period and of all things........ the fact that recently she dissed one my BFF's, the Duchess of Cambridge! Such a hullaballo.! Sheesh! I think my Orange read choices might include Life After Life by Kate Atkinson as a first , maybe Ignorance by Michele Roberts, Innocents by Francesca Segal. There is one other on my mind - but I cannot remember it for the moment..

Oh there, Carsten's link helped me A Trick I Learned from Dead Men by Kitty Aldridge is potential Orange LL read for me. Perhaps I'll create a separate maybe Orange TBR on in " my library " here on LT.

#115 Deb, good for you making decisions about Orange reads. I'll be following along, as always. Creating an Orange TBR collection in your books is a great idea!! Hmm, more food for thought!

I did add a list of the Orange LL books that I sought out book descriptions and reviews for in the LL Orange Thread, if you want to have a peek. There were a lot of Orange LL books I had no idea about, so that is why I did it. I did not get to them all, but quite few and skipped out those for which there is already plenty of info.

I created my so far 4 book Orange LL wishlist. We''ll see!

#118 Thanks, Deb, I've been following the Orange LL Thread and saw that you had posted some reviews. Haven't checked them all out yet, but I will. Appreciated : ). Yay that you've created your Orange wishlist!

Hey Nancy, when you loaded up The Innocents on LT, I took a second look at it and ordered it from amazon ca for 7.99. I confess I've got amazon prime now, so no shipping charges. Just $80 once a year. Shhh!

I dug up review info on Lamb by Bonnie Nadzam. It sounds maybe to creepy for me - a 54 year old man gets interested in a 13 year old or so-yet is has good reviews and it's compared to Lolita. Only $3.99 by Kindle - but even so..not sure it's for me. It's another LL Orange.

You've been pumping out some great reviews lately. Sorry your latest book wasn't up to snuff though!

#120 Hi Deb, delighted you also have ordered The Innocents. Amazon prime/no shipping sounds great! Interesting remarks about Lamb; not sure I'll look at that one. But, I was just visiting your thread, and Carsten gave me the idea to look at A Trick I Learned from Dead Men; now I've chosen my second Orange read! Thanks for posting a review on that one, too, btw. *back from looking for A Trick I Learned from Dead Men* This one is not even available yet at my library, so I might look into buying an e-copy for my iPad.

#121 Thanks, Chelle. Eventually, I needed to run into something that wasn't up to snuff! Doc, which I am presently reading, is superb!

Hi Nancy. I've added a thumb to your excellent review of The Secret River. I really enjoyed that one too and have several of her other books in the TBR pile as a result.

And another excellent review of The Purchase - of looks like that one's published in the UK this autumn so I'll keep an eye out for it.

And yet another excellent review of Phineas Finn (I really need to think of some new adjectives...) And you think you prefer the Palliser series to the Barsetshire series? Wow - I can't wait!

#123 Hi Heather, and thank you : )! I'll definitely read more of Grenville's work, too, after The Secret River. I think you would enjoy The Purchase; I get frustrated sometimes by the different publication dates because it gets hard to keep track. But that could just be me, LOL. I know how much you are enjoying Trollope's Barsetshire series; I've been following the Doctor Thorne thread just for fun. Both series are great, but I do think I'm enjoying the Palliser novels a bit more ... or maybe I just keep loving Trollope more!

Hi, Nancy. You're a member of the Orange group here, aren't you? If not, you should be with all this Orange talk going on. I've read only Bring Up the Bodies from the LL, but I don't think that the good stuff said about it is hype at all. I hardly see how a book can be better! Really!!!
That said, I've ordered Ignorance because it's one of the few that appeals to me and I found it at a price I could afford.
I'm enjoying Dr Thorne, but I think I enjoyed the Pallisers more, and you know that CD has my heart!

Hi Peggy, yes, I'm a member of the Orange group. I plan to read Bring Up the Bodies over the summer. And I've got two from the LL I want to read: The Innocents and A Trick I Learned from Dead Men. The latter is not available yet in Canada, and I'm not sure when it will be, so will wait and see. I know you loved the Pallisers, and I'm finding the same thing. Trollope has really become a favourite. I know your true love is CD : ).

I can feel the dust in my eyes....Last Crossing looks promising, Nancy. Love the way he writes. Something old fashioned about it, that goes with a western....learning new words.

Yesterday I downloaded A Trick I Learned from Dead Men from itunes and also The Innocents to the Kindle. Any plans for group reads on Orange Prize books? "A Trick" is a short novel. Only around 170 pages on the ibook.

Just irritating the way prize novels are being withheld. Come on. Why wait for a new physical edition, go ahead and sell it!!!! Have you tried Kobo? It's there although a little pricey.

#127 Hi Carsten, oh that prairie dust is wicked, LOL! So delighted that The Last Crossing looks promising.

I found a copy of The Innocents but I remain unable to find A Trick I Learned from Dead Men: iTunes UK has it, but won't let me buy it, Kobo Canada does not have it, nor does my library, same for Amazon US and Amazon Canada. As you say, Just irritating the way prize novels are being withheld!! So frustrating!

An Orange GR sounds like fun. I'm sure Deb would also be on board. Am going to to try to find out when A Trick I Learned will be available in Canada.

Nancy, I get really frustrated by the lack of availability for books nominated for prizes too. I placed holds on the Orange books I can get through my library and already have The Innocents and The Red Book waiting for me. I'll have a longer wait for The Light Between Oceans and that Bernadette book everyone has been raving about. I think I'll be reading library books next month.

#129 Hi Donna, you've got some Orange reads in queue, too! I've just taken a closer look at Where'd You Go, Bernadette, and my library even has several copies of it! I'm in queue, but that's fine : ). I get uber-frustrated when a book is not available in Canada, and I can't find out when it will be available, i.e. A Trick I Learned.

Yesterday I looked again and found Lamb on Kindle for $3.49, so I got that. I'm not particularly pulled to it, but at that price it's hard to go wrong.

#131 Hi Peggy, $3.49 is a fabulous price! Often used paperbacks at our used bookstore are that much!

Sorry to hear you're struggling to get hold of copies of the Orange Women's Prize for Fiction LL (Can I just stick with calling it Orange?) Being in the UK I'm in the happy position of only having to worry about hardback over paperback prices or long library queues. The discussion of the books on here has made me interested in quite a few of the books I'd passed over (thanks to Carsten & Deborah too!) so you've hit me with BBs even though you haven't been able to get hold of the books. I had The Innocents on my wishlist already because it won a first novel prize in the UK but you've got me interested in A Trick I Learned.

Nancy, I've wishlisted Where'd You Go, Bernadette? at the library, but I know someone here (maybe two people?) hated it. Then someone loved it. I wish I could remember which people so I could reread their reviews!

I agree, it is very frustrating when you cannot find an Orange LL in your country! A Trick I Learned is available in audio format via itunes or audible com, I think, but not in print format. For $20+ dollars you can get it from the Book Depository, but given that the novel is short - about 170 pages, I'm not willing to pay that much. Yes, it is frustrating.

IDK I'm not really drawn to much on the list beyond the kate Atkinson that I am in line for at the library. I might scoop up Lamb on kindle since the price is hard to beat. I've already read the winner...Bring Up the Bodies;-) and NW and Gone Girl (sheesh!) so I think I'll be waiting for the SL. I'll read the Kingsolver no matter what as I've read every other book she's published.

#133 Hi Heather, I've also decided that I will continue to refer to the Orange Prize. I think Women's Prize for Fiction is completely lame and unimaginative. Glad that you can at least get hold of the books which have hit you as bullets! The Innocents was easy to find here, but not A Trick I Learned. Frustrating, indeed!

#134 Hi Susan, hmm, I just had a look at some of the reviews for Where'd You Go, Bernadette. There is definitely a wide range of likes/dislikes. Perhaps it will be one of those books that people either seem to love or hate.

#135 Hi Deb, I saw A Trick I Learned in audio format at Audible, but don't want audio for this selection; and, like you, I am not prepared to pay $20+ for a short novel.

>112 ctpress: I just got very sidetracked looking at all the Orange LL covers. I love a well designed cover and there are a lot of goodies amongst them!

Hi Nancy, a lot of The Prize Formerly Known as the Orange Prize Long List discussion here ;)
It is exciting mulling over the pros and cons of a heap of great books.
I have only read The Forrests (mainly as I read a great review in the paper here, and its an NZ author). It was tough for me, as I loved it early one, but then it petered out badly after half way. I do admire her writing though, a lot.

Well, Nancy, in silly move I purchased A Trick I Learned in hardback from the book depository for about $22.00! Sigh. Some people!!!!What possessed me? It will be available in soft cover for 10 or 12 dollars in 109 days from the Book Depository, but don't quote me on that as exact. Trust me to decide I have to have that book, since it's hard to get. sigh Some people. :)

I'm not sure that I see Where'd you Go Bernadette as winner - I think it's too light hearted but I've been wrong before. The Kate Atkinson got a good review -but then I read it was over 500 pages of her re -waking up. I'm not if that's me, even though it did get a good review. I'll read a few and see what other people seem to think.

#138 Hi Megan, I agree there are many well designed Orange LL covers. At least you've read one of them. I can't even say that much ... not yet.

#139 Hi Deb, good for you for ordering A Trick I Learned from Book Depository. You wanted it! Enough said! I want it too, but I'd prefer to borrow it, or purchase it in a format other than hard cover. I'm not sure what to think about Where'd You Go, Bernadette; it sounds very unusual which appeals to me. I'll see. I'm also not sure whether I'll read Kate Atkinson's Life After Life.

Hi Nancy, I lucked upon NW on a bargain table for $10 on the weekend, I wondered if the bookshop realised it had been longlisted for a major prize. I also have Kingsolver and Mantel on my TBR shelves and like Megan have read The Forrests which I really enjoyed. So I will attempt to read these other three before the short list is announced but two of them are big books. I will check our local library for the others but they I doubt that they will have them.

#141 Hi Helen, great deal on NW! Sounds like you've got some other great Orange reading ahead of you, too. I'll try to read one or two selections before the SL is announced Apr 16, but my reading does tend to be very disorganized, so it will remain to be seen, LOL.

I stand corrected! I found eight of the titles at the local library, two of which I own, but that gives me access to six of them. That being said though, I have been trying to focus on the books on my shelf and reading library books could seriously hamper my progress. I am dragging my heels a bit with an Early Reviewer book White Shanghai at the moment. It is over 500 pages and so many characters, I am struggling to stay with it.

#143 Helen, wonderful that you have access to eight of the Orange LL nominees. That said, I understand completely what you mean about your plans to focus on your shelves being derailed. There's nothing worse for me than struggling to stay with a book; in those situations, I often find myself skimming, or I put it down altogether.

All caught up with my reading and reviews. I think I may start The Hound of Baskervilles while I await the delivery of The Innocents on Wednesday! Then again, all of my reading is subject to change :)

#145 Hi Deb, envious that you are caught up, at least for the moment. I'm finishing off Doc tonight I hope, and may even try to write a review before bed. Enjoy Arthur Conan Doyle, if it's The Hound of Baskervilles you decide to do with.

15.
Doc, Mary Doria Russell



Rating: 4.5/5

“The Fates pursued him from the day he first drew breath, howling for his delayed demise.” (4)

Dr. John Henry Holliday, an exceptionally well-educated Atlanta-born Southern gentleman is given an ultimatum at the age of twenty-two when he is diagnosed with tuberculosis: remain in Georgia and die within months, or move West in the hope that the dry climate will help to restore his health. In 1878, Doc, as he will come to be known, arrives on the Texas frontier – young, lonely, sick, and afraid. His dream of establishing a thriving dental practice is ill-fated. As economic crisis wracks the nation, Doc soon finds himself gambling professionally and is poignantly aware of the depths of disgrace into which he has fallen:

“A conviction of his own disgrace had taken hold of him. He had begun to live down to his opinion of himself. His mother’s devotion, his aunts’ faith, his uncles’ money, his professors’ respect – all that had come to nothing. Worse than nothing, really. There wasn’t a family in Georgia that didn’t own up to at least one male who’d gambled away money, houses, land, and slaves, but John Henry Holliday had done the unforgivable. ‘A man could gamble himself to poverty and still be a gentleman,’ his second cousin Margaret would one day write in her famous book about the war, ‘but a professional gambler could never be anything but an outcast.’” (20)

Doc’s loneliness is abated when he takes up with Maria Katarina Harony, a wily Hungarian whore who can quote Latin classics right back at him. Kate scouts out high-stakes poker games which keep them both in high style, and it is she who persuades Doc to follow the money to Dodge City, Kansas. A cesspit of violence, greed, debauchery, and prostitution, Dodge is where Doc strikes up an unlikely friendship with lawman, Wyatt Earp. They will be disturbingly affected by the suspect death of mixed-blood boy, Johnnie Sanders. And some time later, in Tombstone, Arizona, the gunfight at the OK Corral will forever link their names as halves of an iconic frontier friendship.

Doc is a superb read. Russell is authentic, moving, and witty, and brings to life a host of memorable historical characters. But unquestionably, Doc is John Henry Holliday’s story. I was fascinated with the character whose life was governed by so many contrasts: Fate/science, East/West, North/South, health/illness, professionalism/disgrace, moral/criminal, to name a few. Russell is an author I must revisit. Highly recommended!

"'I know what is waiting for me at the end of this road. I am askin’ you to believe me: I am in no hurry to arrive at my destination. I know you’re scared, darlin.’ I’m scared, too.' He looked away. 'Christ, I am so damn tired of bein’ scared …’” (228)

Russell is authentic, moving, and witty, and brings to life a host of memorable historical characters. But unquestionably, Doc is John Henry Holliday’s story. I was fascinated with the character whose life was governed by so many contrasts: Fate/science, East/West, North/South, health/illness, professionalism/disgrace, moral/criminal, to name a few. Great review, Nancy! Now you've got me considering getting into the saddle and kicking up a little dust. thumb!

A very conflicted main character in deed. It has western written all over it. Thumb, Nancy. One to look out for, if I continue to explore the wild, wild, west.

Nancy, Doc has been firmly ensconced on my "To Acquire" list since it came out. I want a pristine copy for under $5.00. My only hope is next month's library book sale. My DIL is a product of Dodge City that "cesspit of violence, greed, debauchery, and prostitution." Oh my. For the record, she's a sweetheart! Great review and a thumb from me.

#148 Thanks, Deb! Make me smile: Now you've got me considering getting into the saddle and kicking up a little dust. LOL! I think it would be hard to be disappointed in Doc. Fabulous read!

#149 Thanks, Carsten. I think Doc's conflict comes from having been forced from his beloved South. I hope you will enjoy some of the wild west, too. Honestly, I'd never have imagined even a year ago that the frontier would become staple reading for me!

#150 Thanks, Donna. I hope you will find a copy of Doc at your library sale, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. I expect Dodge City had evolved somewhat by the time your DIL became acquainted with it, LOL!

Oh! I'm reading The Hound of the Baskervilles, but The Innocents by Francesca Segal just arrived from amazon ca! :)

Oh Nancy I see you were not disappointed in Doc but then why would you? It was just sooo good. Lovely, insightful review. Thumb applied. Have you read her A Thread of Grace? WWII Italian Alps and the resistance fighters. Very, very good.

#152 Hi Deb, hope you are enjoying Arthur Conan Doyle. Yay to The Innocents having arrived! I've got that one in my iPad and ready to go. Presently I'm into Where'd You Go, Bernadette; certainly it is unlike anything I've read before, and parts of it are humorous. But I'm wondering if it isn't too much of a funny, satirical thing; I'll see.

#153 Thanks, Bonnie. Have just looked up A Thread of Grace and added it to my wishlist. Thanks for the tip : ). I definitely want to read more of Mary Doria Russell.

Nancy, yes, I'm most interested in your take on Where'd You Go Bernadette. I've looked at it in the bookstore and not been to sure - would I like something different - or is it too " light weight" for my taste, which is not to say that I don't love a break with a different , fun light book . So do let me know. I've just been looking at the reviews here on LT for Life After Life By Kate Atkinson and they certainly are positive. Hmm - despite my uncertainty about the plot and the length - who knows. Your review of Doc is really superb! I say quit your day job and get a job writing reviews and book blurbs. I'd give you two thumbs if I could.

What great comments regarding the Purchase. This is on the tbr pile. I need to read it soon.

#155 Wow, thanks, Deb!! Will keep you posted on Bernadette. Sounds like maybe Atkinson's new one, Life After Life is calling to you : ). Quitting my day job to write book reviews sounds appealing, all but the pay, LOL!

#156 Hi Linda, I hope you can find The Purchase. Have been conversing lots on this thread about availability, and it's one that I don't think is available yet in the US. I think you will enjoy : ). *just checked Amazon: it will be released in the US in Aug*

Nancy, think of all the bestseller-titles Deborah can give you - A whole new "How to"-industry - you'll be buying a Condo in Palm Springs in no time and living the life.

I'm also a little sceptical about the plot in Life After Life - some plot devices just don't go with me - like the Benjamin Button thing.

#158 Carsten, it's true that Deb is a wealth of bestseller titles! And living the life in Palm Springs works for me, LOL. Particularly after I've dealt with all the pesky people on facebook and social media without being driven mad!

I'm also not finding, at least not right now, that I'm drawn to Life After Life. The main plot device does sound similar to Benjamin Button.

Nancy, what a great review of Doc! I'll be interested in your review of Bernadette too, as I'll have to reserve that one. Doc is an ebook, and available right now. So tempting! But I'm supposed to be reading my own things in March...

#160 Thanks, Susan. Hoping to finish Bernadette this evening or tomorrow. I have a feeling it will be one of those books that either really appeals or really doesn't. So far, I'm "meh." I can SO relate to: So tempting! But I'm supposed to be reading my own things in March!"

#161: I nearly fell off the wagon last night, when I went to the library to return something. But the book which should have been on the shelf wasn't there, so that saved me :-) I am only allowed existing reserves which come in during March, and no impulse-borrows. I did just buy the Kindle Daily Deal, which is an author I really like, but that doesn't count as I won't read it during March. Sorry to hear Bernadette is "meh" for you - maybe you will save me from having to read it :-)

#162 Susan, I envy your reading discipline. I get sidetracked all the time with impulse-borrows, new reviews, nice covers, whatever! It doesn't take much to sidetrack me, LOL!

Ah, so Bernadette is " meh " so far.... I'll keep watching to see how it goes. I'll expect oh - 20 % of the Royalties from the Best Seller Titlles that I invent for you. I've got another " 1001 Meh Books to Avoid Before You Die." You can do it, Nancy!

As for Life after Life by Kate Atkinson, I'm still not sure, for the same reasons as you and Carsten, but I did see Soupdragon aka Dee give the book 5 stars I think , it was in my feed. That has brought the book under my consideration. Maybe Ill check it out. Still up in the air on that one....for now.

While surfing Goodreads I saw Life After Life. I added it to my tbr list, but I think I'll wait awhile before reading it.

I certainly understand about getting sidetracked. There are two excellent libraries in my area and I find that I'm drawn there and check out more than I can possibly read, only to renew again and then return without reading...

Great review of Doc Nancy! MDR is an author I have been meaning to read for absolutely ages - I will get round to her one of these days.

I'm interested in your thoughts on Bernadette. I downloaded and resd the kindle sample and thought it seemed really funny but that might reflect the fact that I seem to be in the mood for lighter reads lately.

#164 Hi Deb, another bestselling title, LOL! Hmm, Dee awarding Life After Life five stars sounds very promising. Sounds like one I will have to reconsider, but not right now.

#165 Hi Linda, waiting awhile before deciding on Life After Life sounds like a plan. If it weren't for getting sidetracked, I'd get no reading done at all, LOL.

#166 Thanks, Heather. Doc was fabulous, and I'll definitely read more of MDR. Thoughts on Bernadette coming up!

16.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette, Maria Semple



Rating: 3/5

“The next thing I knew, he had removed four wisdom teeth and now I can’t go to Antarctica. Here in America, we call that a win-win.”

Bernadette Fox, an award-winning genius architect turned unemployed, agoraphobic, misanthropic introvert, hires an Internet assistant from India to conduct all daily, basic, mundane chores – tasks which she has convinced herself she is no longer capable of performing. Her Microsoft-executive husband, also completely absorbed in his own importance, is ignorant of his wife’s “outsourcing” of her life, that is until the Indian assistant, Manjoula, turns out to be neither Indian or a virtual assistant (well, not the kind Fox thinks she has hired). When Bernadette’s daughter, Bee, produces the perfect report card, she declares that her promised reward will be a family trip to Antarctica. In the meantime, Audrey Griffen, a “Mercedes parent” from Bee’s private school, enabler-extraordinaire to her doper son, and neighbour from hell is raising cane (or perhaps raising blackberry bushes would be a better expression). And the plot thickens.

What I Liked: Semple’s humourous portrayal of the complications we’ve laden on previously simple routines in our effort to “make life easier” with advanced technology is spot-on: “Dad tap-tap-tap-tapped across the floor in his bicycle shoes and plugged his heart-rate monitor into his laptop to download his workout.” Bee’s prestigious “grades-erode self-esteem type school” was wonderfully tongue-in-cheek. And the sharp wit aimed at corporate culture also hits its mark.

What I Didn’t Like: Bernadette’s toy chest of anger, envy, childishness, self-absorption, and self-pity were a bit (okay, a lot) too much. I found her over-dramatic, to say the least, and often not as funny as she apparently found herself:

“My intention was never to grow old in this dreary upper-left corner of the Lower Forty-eight. I just wanted to leave L.A. in a snit, lick my considerably wounded ego, and when I determined that everyone felt sufficiently sorry for me, unfurl my cape and swoop in to launch my second act and show those bastards who the true bitch goddess of architecture really is.”

Where’d You Go, Bernadette is not one I will widely recommend, but it is light, quick reading, and Semple does offer some decent humour and satire, so if that’s your pleasure, by all means.

Great review as always, Nancy. Thanks so much for reading it for me. I've been considering reading it, but for certain it is now relegated to library book status, thanks to your review. I don't think I'd want to pay money for such a iffy book. Here is the part that turns me off "Bernadette’s toy chest of anger, envy, childishness, self-absorption, and self-pity were a bit (okay, a lot) too much. I found her over-dramatic, to say the least, and often not as funny as she apparently found herself. From what I've picked up from looking at book in the store was a bit of " over - the -top. Thanks for the insightful review - thumb!

#169 Thanks, Deb. Like you, over-the-top doesn't work for me, even in terms of humour. Too much is simply too much. That said, many readers have enjoyed Bernadette tremendously, and I'm certain many more will do so.

>1668 Hm, sounds like a reality tv show! (some, well one, of which I have been known to watch- but dont tell anyone)

Enjoyed your pros and cons, Nancy - that's the way it goes sometimes with satires - a delicate balance if one can't fully connect and laugh out loud with the narrator. Thumb! I guess now I will never find out where Bernadette went. And guess what? I can live with that. Is it a novel or a biographical account?

20 percent royalty? Sounds like a stiff prize - but then again "1001 Books You Should Avoid Before You Die" is another great bestseller title. I only take 10 percent from the sale for introducing the bestseller-title-lady to the author.

Hee, Carsten, 20% was just an estimate... okay, I'll take 10 % from Nancy instead, at your insistence. Yes, I do come up with fabulous best seller titles - too bad I can't write like Nancy can.

168: I loved your review Nancy, probably more than I would love the book!

164: I am reading Life After Life but am not far in and haven't rated it yet. I am really enjoying it so perhaps it was a premonition - or alternatively a LT glitch.

Will go back and check I didn't accidently rate it when I entered the book. I don't often buy brand new hardbacks but I really wanted to read this one and justified it as a reward for getting through a family wedding which proved to be a bit of an emotional strain!

ETA: Regarding the plot device, I know what you mean and I would be wary in another author's hands but with Atkinson, somehow it works (for me anyway).

#172 Thanks, Carsten. I'm glad you can live with never knowing exactly where Bernadette went, LOL. Otherwise, well, you'd have to put up with listening to her for 250 pages.

#172-73 Carsten and Deb, all money and business talk! What's this? What happened to our mutual goals of literary pastiche? I believe it was you, Deb, who coined the term? You know, starving artist, and all that ...

#174 Thanks, Dee, so wonderful to see you! I'm so curious as to how you'll like Life After Life. I'll be watching the home page for your rating and review, if you choose to write one. It would be wonderful if you'd come back to let us know how you enjoyed : ).

Literary pastiche , ouvere - are those french appetizers my friend? ;) I've turned away from the starving artist to the rich best seller of junk books with catchy titles. After all, we must be able to afford our vairous e- readers and get set for retirement in Palm Spring or wherever Carsten has us going to live.

So, how it The Imposter Bride ? As you know I really enjoyed it and I hope that you do too! I had a wonderful walk with Daisy today - nice and sunny and we met up with dog / people friends!

I'm so delighted that Dee is reading Life After Life.... I may read it in time! I look forward to her feedback too - no pressure Dee!

#176 LOL, Deb. You're right: I must rethink the starving artist nonsense. If best selling trash buys an affluent retirement in Palm Springs, then bring on the trash, hehe!

The Imposter Bride is very good! Can't keep my nose out of it just now. I was "surfing" my library today, and noticed that Life After Life was on order and there wasn't yet a queue (or much of one) yet; so I put a hold on it. Who knows how long "on order" takes. Wish the library would hurry up and order A Trick I Learned from Dead Men. I've got access to 35-40 branches throughout the Okanagan, but all books are, of course, ordered through head office.

How lovely that you and Daisy enjoyed the sun today. I went for a nice walk, but it was valley GRAY!

Hmmm I've been going back and forth about Where'd You Go Bernadette?, even had a hold on it at the library for a time, which I cancelled and now you bring up some things that would certainly be problematic for me. Too many other books are vying for my time. For now I'll give this one a pass. Thumb for the review.

#178 Thanks, Bonnie. I had also been warbling back and forth on this one, and then decided to go for it. I'm not sorry I read it, but, yes, I did have some problems with it. And, as you point out, there are always so many books begging for time!

Well, I just ordered Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. It's a pre- order from amazon ca, to be released on April 2nd. So, it will be a while but I am just too tempted!!! :)

#180 Well done, Deb!

Ha! I'll be poor in retirement! :) But with Dee reading it and I've seen more good reviews.......... I couldn't wait!

Starving artists produce higher quality of literature, you must know that, Nancy. Keeps them grounded and motivated and alert :)

Yes, Poor Old Deborah :) - but what is there to do but read when you retire - and then you already have all those books - condo or no condo in Palm Springs - so it's a win-win. I'm looking forward to a review of Life After Life - I will remain sceptical....

#182 You go, Deb! Retirement's not today. Besides, what do you have planned but more reading?

#183 Carsten, you make an excellent poor about starving artists, LOL. I will also anticipate Poor Old Deborah reviewing Life After Life. (I have a feeling we might get into trouble over the Old. She's only 29, you know).

Yeah, keep that in mind, you dastardly pair!!! Poor Old Deborah indeed! 29 years old, that's me. Sometimes I wonder about hanging with you old folks. It's not cool with my BFF's. Retirement? I will live in house built of books . Okay, got to go chillax.

Hi Nancy! Good review of Where'd You Go Bernadette?. I think that is one that I will skip. I don't think that character would be my cup of tea

Two for two in the review department, Nancy!
I join you in loving Doc. I don't believe I'll join you in *Bernadette* any time soon. Thanks for the warning!

#185: Yo homie :) I know we are bringing your cool factor down - LOL -

#185 LOL, Deb! I knew your BFFs would warn you off associating with such company!

#186 Thanks, Chelle. The character wasn't my cup of tea either.

#187 Hi Peggy, thank you! Delighted you also loved Doc. You're welcome for the warning about Bernadette!

#188 LOL, Carsten! Yes, we are stepping on Deb's cool factor!

#168: Nancy, I think the things that annoyed you about Bernadette are also things that would annoy me, so I might not trouble my library reserve list with that one!

Carsten and Nancy , my cool factor plunged like an elevator without a cable yesterday, thanks to Poor Old Deborah. I'm still picking up the pieces. ;)

Hi Nancy, just thought i would stroll over and look at your thread, i see that your reading list is coming along, i have just finished another book and am just one in front of you so we seem to be reading about the same amount. I will star your thraed so i can keep in touch, bye for now.

#190 Susan, there just isn't time to read everything, is there? I'm not sorry I read Bernadette, but I don't recommend it either. That said, some readers are loving it!

#191 Deb, you've coined a new expression (at least new to me) with plunged like an elevator without a cable. Fabulous! Well, not fabulous that it was your cool factor which plunged, but fabulous expression, LOL.

#192 Welcome, John, love to have a new visitor. I'll drop by your thread again, too.

Hi Nancy! Sorry Bernadette didn't work for you -- I had heard good things about it, but then again, I've been lukewarm about some very well-regarded books.

Loved your view of Doc!

Nancy - Bernadette doesn't go racing up the wishlist as I have trusted your judgement before and been proven right. Have a lovely weekend. x

Well, I think I've coined a new expression for myself, but how else to describe the shocking and perilous drop in my cool factor.;) To be honest, since I was a young child , elevators have scared me. I got kind of claustrophobic in them and worried that the doors would not open. I was just 5 or so when I began to get anxious about that. My dad, in his great wisdom , countered with this fact - if you are going to worry about the doors of the elevator not opening, what about the cable of the elevator snapping and we all fall to the bottom? I still avoid elevators like the plague!!!My dad was very good at that and I credit with him with my phobia of flying. I remember asking him -what if the plane just falls right out of the sky? He said - what are you worried about? Are you worried that the wings will fall of the plane - because if you look, you will see that that they flex. And he said - you know, even in turbulence ( which scared me too) the plane can fly upside down if it comes to it. And then he said why not worry about the most likely of all - a mid - air collision? I'm afraid my dad had perhaps even a better imagination that I did/do.

175 & 176: I have now read and reviewed Life after Life. My review's on the book's main page. I did enjoy it but not enough to insist that you all give it a try. If your instincts are saying it's not for you then it's probably best to listen to them!

196: Deborah, that sounds like the sort of thing my dad would come up with it. He was never the reassuring type either, though I know it wasn't deliberate!

#194 Thanks, Anne : ). I hope you will give Bernadette a read; I'm curious as to how others will respond to her. Wonder if this will be one of those novels that either really works for a reader or really doesn't.

#195 Hi Paul, can't image that Bernadette would be your thing, but having coffee with the two of you would be very interesting, LOL. Hope your weekend is lovely, too.

#196 Hi Deb, your dad certainly had some points, not all of them comforting, about elevators and airplanes. My father was a fabulous swimmer; he taught all of us to swim. One summer, he wanted me to swim out to where he was in the lake, and I said I was afraid because the water was over my head. He reminded me that if I was going to drown, it wouldn't matter whether the water was one inch or one mile over my head. I've never forgotten that. It certainly cured my fear of deep water.

#197 Hi Dee, thanks for your review of Life After Life. Thumb-up! The premise is definitely interesting, and you describe Atkinson's writing beautifully: Expect this is one I will pick up at some point.

17.
The Imposter Bride, Nancy Richler



Rating: 4/5

“She could find nothing in her present world to match her interior life …” (161)

Post WWII, a young Jewish woman, Lily Azerov, travels from Poland to Tel Aviv and eventually to Montreal, Canada, where she has prearranged to marry Sol Kramer. But Sol, to his almost immediate regret, rejects Lily on sight. And she marries instead his younger brother, Nathan. A Montreal jeweller, Ida Krakauer, attends the nuptials uninvited, hoping that the bride is her cousin, presumed to have died in the war. Alas, Ida realizes immediately that the bride is an imposter who has stolen her cousin’s identity. But Ida keeps the young woman’s secret, and she and her daughter, Elka, become family of the Kramers when Elka marries Sol. But no matter Ida’s confidence, “Lily” is a “broken bird,” unable to live her lie, and shortly after she gives birth to a daughter, Ruth, she disappears, leaving only a simple note to Nathan, “I’m sorry.” Not surprisingly, as Ruth grows, she attempts to understand, and eventually to find the woman she knows only by a false identity and by a handful of meager possessions: an uncut diamond and a private Yiddish journal which were Lily’s; a blank leather-bound journal belonging to her mother; and a small collection of beautiful rocks her mother has sent over the years. When Ruth becomes acquainted at school with a teacher whom she knows to have been “damaged” by the war, she considers what must have been her mother’s heartbreaking motivation in abandoning her family:

“’Shattered’ was the word Elka sometimes used, but until then the word had always brought to mind the teacup that sat on the highest shelf of Elka and Sol’s dining room high board, a white porcelain cup with a delicate pattern of blue flowers that had shattered once form a fall through Sol’s fingers, had been carefully repaired, but was too fragile now for the rigours of holding tea and being transported from saucer to mouth and then back to saucer again. My mother was like that teacup, I had come to think. She could not withstand the rigours of the life she was trying to live, a normal life of love, marriage and family” (123)

The Imposter Bride is a beautifully written, engaging read, Richler’s tone poignant and melancholy as she explores the experience of Jewish families who survived the Holocaust from the point of view of a child longing for her absent mother. Her use of Lily’s Yiddish journal is brilliant in allowing us to glimpse the prosperous, cultured, and venerable Jewish world crushed by war. And she masterfully uses secondary and even minor characters – Ruthie’s teacher crying silently through his classes – to depict incalculable human loss. Highly worthy of its place on Canada’s 2012 Giller Prize Shortlist, and highly recommended.

I'm so glad that you enjoyed The Imposter Bride. Thumb for a wonderful review! I really enjoyed the story too! And I see that you are finally onto The Keeper of Lost Causes!! Look forward to enjoyable read! I've got to go and read Dee's review of Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.

#200 Thanks, Deb, I remember that you really enjoyed The Imposter Bride. Dee's review of Life After Life is excellent, no surprise there. The jury is still out on that one for me; I'll likely pick it up at some point. Yep, I'm back to Scandi-Crime for the moment: my first Department Q!

Hi Nancy, now here's a book and author I've never heard of and yet I'm enticed by your lovely review and especially the quote you included. I'm seduced by anything that smacks of WWII so onto the teetering tower it goes. Thumb!

#202 Thanks, Bonnie. That quote just hit me across the back of the head as I was reading; I'm sure you know the experience. I also am seduced by anything that smacks of WWII, so I think you will enjoy The Imposter Bride. Happy I could return the favour of "helping" you with your teetering list, LOL!

I admit, Nancy, to being slightly anxious about Life After Life by Kate Atkinson because I did not care for the movie Groundhog Day - in fact I very much disliked it and as for Benjamin Button, I did not even go see it. But - I read several favourable reviews and I like Kate Atkinson - so I'll jump of the cliff and try out the book! Dee's review is encouraging though guarded, which about summarizes my feelings about reading the book. I'll have to wait til April 4 -5 to even see it, as that is when the book is released and will be delivered. Cross your fingers for me! :)

Lies and deceit - and search for identity - a very interesting premise for this novel - I was thinking of Light Between Oceans when I read your excellent review, Nancy (thumb) - I'm also drawn to stories of survivors of Holocaust.

#204 Hi Deb, I'm so glad you're going to jump off the Life After Life cliff! I like Kate Atkinson, too. And I also have felt encouraging though guarded when reviewing/recommending a book. I'll see what you think, and I may well jump off the cliff right behind you, LOL.

#205 Thanks, Carsten. Ohh, you remind me again that I MUST get to The Light Between Oceans; I've had that in my iPad for some time, and I keep getting sidetracked.

#204 I'll be reading Life after Life in the next couple of weeks, hopefully. But for me it was a book that was jumping up and down and shouting 'Read me, read me!'

#207 Hi Rhian! Glad that Life After Life is shouting "Read Me!" LOVE when that happens! I hope you enjoy and will post some thoughts/review for us.

Great review of The Imposter Bride! Glad to see it was a 4 star read for you!

Hi Nancy, what a wonderful review of The Imposter Bride! Thanks for the recommendation.

#209 Thanks, Chelle!

#210 Thanks, Anne. I hope you will read and enjoy The Imposter Bride : ).

Hi Nancy

The Imposter Bride is now on the tbr pile. Thumbs up for your excellent review!

#212 Thank you, Linda! I so hope you will enjoy The Imposted Bride as much as I did : ).

The Imposter Bride sounds really thoughtfully written, I love that quote about the tea-cup. Yet another one to look out for, I think!

#214 Thanks, Dee, yes thoughtfully written is a good descriptor. I loved the quote about the teacup, too.

Ohhh Hot Review! :)

Where do you come up with these tempting books, Nancy? The Imposter Bride is now on the WL. As for Bernadette, I wasn't even considering it until the Orange (well, you know what prize I mean - that Woman's thing) Longlist came out. I reserved what I could at the library and picked them up late last week. Decided I couldn't read The Red Book, then nixed The Innocents after Deborah's experience, and now it looks like Bernadette might very well go back unread. Oh well, more time for my own books. What's up with that Orange list anyway?

#216 Thanks, Deb : ).

#217 Hi Donna, The Imposter Bride was on Canada's Giller Prize LL last year. Deb had read it some time ago and enjoyed it, and I wanted to read it, too. Don't even get me started on what I will continue to call the Orange Prize (because I don't think there could possibly be a more unimaginative title than Women's Prize for Fiction!). The Red Book doesn't look to my taste either. But I will read The Innocents. And I'm glad I read Bernadette, too; if you decide to do so, I'll be very curious to know what you think.

I'm so glad that you are still going to read The Innocents, Nancy! You may have a totally different take on it then I do. I'll be a bit surprised , but stranger things have happened! :) At any rate , it's an easy read , not a slog. I'm like Donna and you in that I don't think that The Red Book will be to my taste either. But on we go, doggedly reading through the LL Oranges! :) Well, some of them!. Belva aka Rainpebble just gave a guarded review of Ignorance which is on my orange Wishlist ,but who knows - maybe I'll find something that I like in it. Crossing my fingers! I did pick up one more LL Orange when I was out today , Honor : A Novel by Elif Safak. It won't be my next book, but I am doing my best to try the LL oranges out! I looked at The Marlowe Papers, one of the few other LL Oranges that I could fine and it's a definite no for me. A big thick book with a story told in poetry. No thanks! :)

>199 lit_chick: Nancy this sounds excellent. Duly added to wishlist.:-)
>218 lit_chick: My understanding is that The Women's Prize for fiction is a temporary title and they plan to announce the new title around the awards. There has been a change in sponsor, I believe.

#219 Deb, good for you having picked up more of the Orange nominees. I'd looked at Ignorance as one I might read, but Belva's review, like mine of Bernadette, is guarded in terms of recommendation. "Average" seems to be plaguing a lot of this year's nominees. Don't think I'll pursue Honour or The Marlowe Papers unless one of them turns out to be a stellar read for you.

#220 Thanks, Helen. I think you would really enjoy The Imposter Bride. Yes, there is a new sponsor for the Orange Prize, so the name will change (again).

18.
The Keeper of Lost Causes, Jussi Adler-Olsen



Rating: 4/5

Carl Mørck, Copenhagen Homicide Detective, has just returned to work after a shooting which left one colleague dead, another paralyzed, and him seriously injured. Unexpectedly, Mørck learns he has been “promoted” to head up the newly established Department Q, an investigative division which will handle cold cases. Appointed as Mørck’s assistant is the incorrigible newly-hired Syrian ex-pat, Assad, who proves himself an invaluable asset to the Department: custodian, secretary, administrative assistant, driver, and self-appointed junior detective – oh, and he also knows “people” who can decipher forged documents more effectively than police experts.

Mørck is not long on the job when he stumbles across a cold case which piques his interest: prominent politician Merete Lyngaard disappeared without a trace five years ago. When the case finally went cold, she was presumed dead. Merete was custodian to disabled younger brother, Uffe, tragically injured in the two-vehicle car crash which killed both of their parents more than two decades prior. Between an uber-busy solid, professional career, which did not include social time with colleagues, and a very quiet, private personal life, Morck will be hard put to determine who might have wanted Merete Lyngaard dead – if she is dead. Did she encounter in political circles a high profile magnate with a lot to lose if a certain policy were enacted? Surely the connection was political? Or was it?

I thoroughly enjoyed my first Adler-Olsen, and will look forward to his next. The crime story was solid and suspenseful, and the partnership of Mørck and Assad was perfect! I was delighted at how well the two were drawn; and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Adler-Olsen has a delectable sense of humour. I found myself laughing aloud on more than one occasion. In this next passage, Assad, who has assured Mørck he is an experienced driver, first takes to the streets of Copenhagen with his boss in the Department’s new Peugeot:

“Assad started the engine, put the car in reverse, and sped backward along Magnolievangen, stopping only when the rear of the vehicle was halfway up on the grass embankment on the other side of Rønneholt Parkvei. Before Carl’s body could even react, Assad had slammed through the gears and was now cruising along at ninety kilometers an hour, where the speed limit was only fifty.” (81)

Highly recommended for lovers of crime fiction.

So glad that you enjoyed Department Q , The Keeper of Lost Causes, Nancy! Now you can understand what Carsten and I am on about! :) The combination of solid crime fiction and the bits of humour here and there create a great read! Thumb for your review! I have to wait for number three, Conspiracy of Faith til this fall for number 3 in the series.

#223 Thanks, Deb. Yes, I now see why you and Carsten have been on about Department Q! I will ready The Absent One before fall when Conspiracy of Faith is published here. (Touchstone for Conspiracy of Faith goes to Redemption -- these different titles are a challenge. Where do I find the NA titles?)

I'm heading to enjoy the sunshine and predicted temps of 15 C today! Woot! The Absent One is a little/ lot more scary than The Keeper of Lost Causes. Yes, I know it's so confusing about the titles. I think that we in Canada and maybe the UK get the longer titles , whereas in the US they get the one word titles. I don't why. But I think here on LT they have to make sure that they combine the titles into one name so that we aren't all reviewing different titles that are the same book. You remember the Harry Potter books and the different US and UK / Canada titles? It seems a fair number of books have those crazy different titles. You have the Canadian NA title, just not the American one. ( as far as I know.) Boy, you sure are knocking of the books one after the other and fabulous reviews too! The Innocents is an easy read - you'll knock it off really quickly. I just have a few pages left - just been busy with other things. I think it will get 3 stars with a Chick - Lit fluff lack of depth rating. I think it will find a good audience in the chick lit category - it's just not a Orange Read by a long shot.

#225 Thanks, Deb. Will look forward to The Absent One.

Enjoy the sunshine! Gorgeous here today, too. Went for a hike on our local Grey Canal Trail. So lovely up there, just in the foothills of Silver Star Mountain.

Happy you enjoyed the first in the Department Q and also humour which I enjoy so much in this series. Good quote and review, Nancy. Assads optimism is really a good counterpart to the grumpy Carl.

I haven't been reading much this week but tension is building up in the western-ensemble and search-party. And an English boxing match in the dust. that was a new one. It's great.

Wow. Great pictures :) what beautiful scenery. I want to go :)

#227-28 Thanks, Carsten, you're right that Assad's optimism is a perfect foil to Carl's grumpiness! Ah, yes, a search party and an English boxing match in The Last Crossing; thanks for the reminder : ). Hope you are not too dusty!

An LT meet-up on the RL trails in Candi-dust, LOL!

#225 Deb, forgot to respond to your comments on The Innocents. Glad you are almost finished. I know it hasn't been much of a read for you. I'm only a couple short chapters in. I can definitely see the parallels to The Age of Innocence. Thus far, I'm not minding it.

You never know, Nancy, you may find The Innocents to be a five star read. I'm still not finished my last 20 pages. I've wanted to give Adam a good talking to about making choices for himself and just growing up in general, and to stop being such a superficial and immature man of 28. Really! Even his sister is a stronger person than him . Tut Tut Adam, you are very lucky I am not your mother - but then again, I would have never raised such a shallow cad as you. Perhaps that is part of my trouble, I keep looking at Adam as one of my sons and I find him very lacking. Oh the lectures I could give that boy.

Gorgeous pictures of your walk today! Do you have to look out for bears - or are you not that high up in the mountains? I was out walking today too and what a gorgeous day! All of the cherry trees are bloom - just like the picture on my thread. Still a bit chilly though. I also got into the library -and imagine this , they had a spot for Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. No copies left, but on amazon ca they said it would not come out until April 2nd. Once I saw that library had it and had even processed it, I ran to my nearest Chapters and lo and behold they had 14 copies of Life After Life. Of course I could not resist. Still, it may have to sit to the side - there is a group read of Old Filth , but I think it's happening most of the month in April, so maybe I can sneak in Life After Life first. And then again I might not even like Life After Life, but I'm hopeful. Exciting day with that find!It doesn't take much to " make my day" :)

At first when I read Carsten's post I though - oh dear, something is going on in Western Europe - some sort of over enthusiastic sports people going crazy - like some do with soccer over in Europe! LOL! You got me Carsten!

What great pictures, Nancy! It looks warm. Was it warm? (I ask this from a place that may never be warm again). I enjoyed your last reviews, although neither book sounds quite like "me", with my eternal quest for a happy ending :-) But still, I love seeing what's out there.

Beautiful pictures, Nancy. I want to be there right now!

#231 Hi Deb, I'll guarantee that The Innocents won't be a five star read, but I'll read it through. You've certainly put Adam Newman in his place, I would have never raised such a shallow cad as you!

Yes, there are bears in our parks, and certainly in our mountains; but the park trails are well used and there are generally other hikers around. The Grey Canal Trail where I was hiking yesterday is fairly populated, so bears are not so much a concern. Lovely that you also enjoyed some outdoor time; the cherry trees are so gorgeous when they're in bloom.

Yay to finding Life After Life in Chapters! I've also been meaning to get to Old Filth, and may try to join the GR in April.

#232 Thanks, Susan. We are having lovely spring weather. Yesterday it was probably 12-14 C. SO good to see the sun!

#233 Thanks, Dee! As I said to Carsten, we'll have an LT meet-up on the trails!

An LT-meet-up on the trails sounds good. I'm ready to saddle up. Count me in :)

I've finished Last Crossing and it was fantastic. Reviews coming up.

#235 Ah, Carsten, you are talking like an experienced man of the frontier, now! Just delighted that you enjoyed The Last Crossing so much; look forward to your review : ).

I heard Life after Life reviewed on the radio here, and the reviewer just loved it. She was near-gushing about it! But even that didnt get me wanting to read it, as like Deb, I just am not grabbed by that story idea.

Great pics up there! It looks like a fantastic place for a walk, somewhere where you can wander and look at the same time.

Wonderful pictures Nancy! Breath taking really. Where are you in BC? And terrific review of The Keeper of Lost Causes which I happen to have on my iPad so I could opt for it anytime, I guess. Thumb!

#237 Hi Megan, interesting radio review on Life After Life. It's one I will likely read at some point. Glad you like the pics; we are very fortunate here to have so many gorgeous places to walk, hike, bike, whatever one's pleasure.

#238 Thanks, Bonnie! I am in the Okanagan Valley, which is in the southern interior of BC. Very beautiful, and famous for its vineyards, ski resorts, bike paths, parks, lakes (ah, I am not a golfer, but need to add golf courses). I was out at another of our parks today; spring has sprung, I dare say! Yippee!

I think you might enjoy The Keeper of Lost Causes. Jussi Adler-Olsen is a very good writer. And Scandi-crime is a perfect break for me when I crave something other than my usual fare.

Love your photos Nancy! I am very jealous that there was no white stuff in the pictures!!

#240 Thanks, Chelle : ). There is still white stuff on the distant mountain peaks, but you have to look for it, LOL. Works for me!

When I looked at your pictures, beautiful as they are, I thought oh dear, a lot of brown yet. I guess that is the result of snow? But then when I went walking yesterday all of the brown trees around here popped out at me!!! Funny how that happens! You do live in a beautiful part of BC, Nancy!

I'll be curious about what you think about The Innocents. Knock on wood - I think my " dental pain " might be doing better! :)

Happy Easter!

#242 Yes, Deb, we're still pretty brown around here for the time being. But if this weather continues ... my, it has been absolutely gorgeous! The Innocents is an adequate read, certainly not fabulous. I'm so delighted to hear your dental pain may be easing!

Pain is gone, knock on wood, Nancy! :) It was more or less gone by late yesterday. It's been gorgeous here too - just not as warm as we might like 16 C , but I'm near the water, so it generally is cooler then the more in- lying cities that make up Metro Vancouver. I'm loving my Life After Life! : Seamlessly done and the life after life is not troublesome for me at all. The book really flows! That said, I'm only up to page 155 of 500 pages, but so far I'm really enjoying the book. Happy Easter and I'm off for dinner shortly! Have a great day, Nancy!

#244 Happy Easter, Deb. Enjoy your dinner : ). I'm so glad that your pain is relieved. And I'm tickled to hear that Life After Life is so well done! Yay!

19.
The Innocents, Francesca Segal



Rating: 3.5/5

“At sixteen, Adam had been able to see in her eyes the home she would make for him at fifty. Rachel knew who she was.” (Ch 2)

I was more than a little curious when I learned that Segal’s debut novel is a retelling of Wharton’s classic, The Age of Innocence. Wharton is a tough act to follow, and I needed to know what Segal was going to do about that. The Innocents is set in contemporary and affluent Jewish North West London, its plot evolving around the impending marriage of Adam Newman and Rachel Gilbert. As the novel opens, the couple, along with extended family and community, attend Yom Kippur (interesting choice) prayer service. All eyes are on the Gilberts/Newmans: “The engagement cast their family into the spotlight this Yom Kippur – absolute propriety was required beneath its glare.” (Ch 1) Propriety is Rachel’s domain: bred to be the perfect wife and mother, she is confident, demure, and adoring of Adam and her family. She does not know, or wish to know, a way of life other than the one she has always lived, lovingly bound as it is by tradition, religion, and expectation.

Present to interrupt “absolute propriety” is Rachel’s first cousin, Ellie Schneider: a “hot mess” to Wharton’s disgraced Countess Ellen Olenska. Raised in New York by her widowed father, Ellie’s independent, unconventional choices threaten the predictability of the closed and privileged Jewish community of her family. Keenly aware that she does not live up to her family’s expectations, yet unable to be that “nice Jewish girl,” she is something of a lost soul: “… everyone here wants me to leave everything behind and pretend to be something I’m not and abandon my whole life, or at the very least conceal my whole life, which is just so fucking lonely.” (Ch 7) Adam, Newland Archer if you haven’t already guessed, who has never understood the appeal of unpredictable women, or imagined a partner other than a “steady and loyal co-pilot,” is enamoured of Ellie’s spontaneity. All that has been, at least up to now, comfortable, secure, and predictable becomes stifling:

“Such was the way in Jewish North West London – no one ever disappeared. Instead his contemporaries circled in its gravity, returning from college to rent houses in Hendon, or buy first flats in West Hampstead, held in orbit by the hot sun of the community. And during brief periods away – a year seconded to a law firm in Shanghai, for example, or a residency at an Edinburgh hospital – their parents were still in place and in contact, so that everyone’s coordinates remained logged. It had only been at university that he had understood just how unusual it was that he could list the whereabouts of all of his nursery school classmates. He could say if they were married or fat or employed by the civil service. He knew, for the most part, their sexual histories. Unless from a very small village, his fellow students found it incomprehensible. Even in a small village, in fact, when people leave there is little expectation of return.” (Ch 1)

I think I would likely have enjoyed The Innocents somewhat less had I not been familiar with The Age of Innocence. But Segal does a good job of retelling Wharton’s classic, and I was interested in her modern portrayal of a closed, staid society – and the ways in which characters’ lives are thus influenced and governed. There are parallels other than the few I’ve mentioned here, also well done by Segal. And I was impressed that Segal neither condoned or condemned elite, traditional society – she simply told her story. An impressive effort for a debut novel. Recommended with the suggestion that readers first experience The Age of Innocence.

“It was more than possession, more than union, more than love. It was absolute confidence. It was certainty, and a promise of certainty always.” (Ch 1)

Another wonderful review! Thanks for the lovely photos of the area where you walk.

Just in from my rollicking family dinner, which was also a " mass will signing" as my sister works for a notary public! Such a way to celebrate Easter! :) Had a lot of fun!

Great review , I'm glad that you enjoyed The Innocents more than I did. I'm going to keep my copy, in case I ever read The Age of Innocence. Thumbed -and I see you are off to Three Pines :)

#247 Thanks, Linda : ). Have you read any of this year's Orange nominees?

#248 Thanks, Deb : ). What a productive way to spend Easter dinner! I'm glad to have read The Innocents, but still hoping for an Orange nominee that hits a more impressive note. Yes, off to Three Pines.

eta: have changed my fickle mind, Deb, and decided to forego Three Pines for the moment in favour of another Orange nominee I've been meaning to get to: The Light Between Oceans

#168 Enjoyed your review of Bernadette Nancy. I'm dithering about it too. I have lots of other books I want to read, I think I will leave it until I'm feeling more adventurous.

And some more excellent reviews of The Imposter Bride and The Keeper of Lost Causes.

#226 Looks lovely!

#246 I did love Wharton's Age of Innocence so I would like to try The Innocents but I'm not going to rush to get to it. Another excellent review :-)

#250 Hi Heather! I also dithered about Bernadette, but am glad I read it. The Imposter Bride and The Keeper of Lost Causes were fabulous; and The Innocents is certainly worth the read if you loved The Age of Innocence.

I'm very fickle about my book choices, Nancy. I generally never announce them as current reads until I'm 60 pages in, so I completely understand, and if I may say so, I think The Light Between Oceans is the better choice! :) I really loved the book as did Carsten, who wrote up a brilliant review. In fact I'm, cough cough , puffs up chest , proud to say I read The Light Between Oceans before it was an Orange pick! ;)

I hope that you will enjoy it very much!

Back to the salt mines for you tomorrow? Thinking of you!

Excellent review Nancy and I think I will take a pass even though I loved The Age of Innocence. Maybe I'll reread that instead haha. Thumb!

#232 Deb, I remember that you and Carsten both read The Light Between Oceans long before the Orange list was announced. Yes, back to the salt mines tomorrow. Drastically cuts into my reading time!

#233 Thanks, Bonnie. The Age of Innocence is definitely worth a re-read. I've thought often to reread it myself at some point. But time ... and books ... and more books ... and lack of time! I know you can relate. I expect all of the 75ers can!

Fine review of The Innocents, Nancy - I might try it at some point - the jewish setting in New York makes sense, in a way with more clearlly defined rules of behaviour within a community.

Hope you'll enjoy Light Between Oceans - yes read it earlier this year and I really liked it a lot. I'm sure you will too, Stedman's prose is great.

Had this quote I found amusing from A Prayer for Owen Meany where the narrator and teacher talks about his joy for Trollope - BSS girls are just girls at a school in the novel Bishop Strachan School -

Well, take it with you into the salt mines :)

“Oh, young people, young people, young people—where is your taste for wit? I weep to teach Trollope to these BSS girls; I care less that they appear to weep because they’re forced to read him. I especially worship the pleasures of Barchester Towers; but it is pearls before swine to teach Trollope to this television generation of girls! Their hips, their heads, and even their hearts are moved by those relentlessly mindless rock videos; yet the opening of Chapter IV does not extract from them even so much as a titter.”

#255-56 Thanks, Carsten. What you say about the Jewish setting in NY having clearly defined rules of behaviour within a community is spot-on. This does come across well in The Innocents. I'm only a chapter or so into The Light Between Oceans, but I think it will be a keeper (pun intended, LOL). I looked up your review last night: well done!

Oh, the quote from A Prayer for Owen Meany is PERFECT!! It's coming to the salt mines with me. I may have to post it at work work station in our teacher office. Thank you : ).

Could be fun to share the quote in the teacher's office :)

>254 lit_chick: now Ill have to read The Age of Innocence before I read The innocents.....which could mean that I might no get around to either very soon. :)
But hey, Ill chuck 'em both on the list and see how I go!

I can't remember which book it's in, but my brother once quoted a passage from one of the Flashman novels of George MacDonald Fraser, in which (with the company stranded in the middle of nowhere, and with nothing to read) Flashman's commanding officer speaks wistfully of his longing for a little Trollope. Unfortunately, Flashman takes that sentence phonetically. :)

#258 Exactly, Carsten!

#259 Hi Megan, good strategy: chuck 'em both on the list and see how I go!

#260 Hi Liz! Flashman is apparently unable to fully embrace his commanding officer's appreciation for Trollope, LOL! Good one!

Hi Nancy, thank you for your review of The Innocents. I'm a big fan of The Age of Innocence and am a bit afraid of a "remake" so will stay by my decision to bypass The Innocents. I am waiting for the Orange SL to come out because I've had such rotten luck with the LL.

You live in a beautiful area. Thanks for posting those pictures. Breathtaking views!

#262 Donna, I'm not impressed with the Orange LL either, at least in terms of Bernadette and The Innocents. Presently I'm reading The Light Between Oceans which has far more potential. There are a couple of others from the LL I plan to read: Bring Up the Bodies and A Trick I Learned from Dead Men. But by the time I get to them, perhaps they will be on the SL.

I have just finished Gone Girl. Another dud on the list in my opinion. What is all the hype about this book! I am pleased it was a library copy. I have Flight Behaviour and Bring Up the Bodies waiting on my shelves. Far more promising.

#264 Hi Helen, sorry to hear you did not enjoy Gone Girl. I listened to it and quite liked it. I also have Flight Behaviour and Bring Up the Bodies in my iPad to read, but I'm going to get to them for a bit I don't think. I'm reading another Orange LL right now, The Light Between Oceans. Very good!

So glad to hear that you are enjoying The Light Between Oceans. Great to hear! Just in from a lovely walk in the nice fresh evening air! Still raving about Life After Life - not finished though. I've got Flight Behaviour from the library - but we'll see what I read next - fickle me!

#266 Hi Deb, delighted that Life After Life is rave-worthy! I've had no reading time this week at all. Marking is piled sky-high, and it's report card week. But the weekend is coming. Will be curious to see what you read next; I've got Flight Behaviour but have no idea when I'll get to it.

A Trick I Learned From Dead Men by Kitty Aldridge arrived in the mail today from the Book Depository! I'm not sure that it is next, and I am still reading Life After Life - which I think is going to be a favourite read, !!! :) I'll be sad when it ends! I can't let go of Ursula and the whole wonderful story! Rainy , gloomy day here today, so a book in the mail is always fun!

#268 Yay to receiving A Trick I Learned, Deb! I'm first in the library queue for that one, but it is still on order. I'm so thrilled to hear how much you are loving Life After Life. Good pick!

So sorry about all your work with the report cards and such! I've a friend who teaches in the " Loops" and she teaches High School English too, among other things ( band) and I know she finds report card a err difficult time. Hugs to you! The salt mines indeed!

#270 Deb, I always appreciate weekends, but there are some I appreciate more than others, and this will be one of them, LOL!

Nancy, I hope your last day of report card week goes well - its nearly Saturday! Woo-hoo!

Hope you will enjoy some hours of good leisure reading this weekend, Nancy - spring is yet to come in Denmark, still rather cold here, but lots of sunshine.

#273 Thanks, Carsten. It's Saturday morning, report cards are done, the coffee is on, and I am reading an excellent book ... doesn't get much better! Weather here is decidedly gray and rainy today, but I'm fine with that; it's my queue to turn on the fireplace, curl up and read. Yay!

And it's time for a new thread! Come along ...