lit_chick's 2013 Reading (6)

September, and back to work after a glorious summer. Needless to say, my reading has been recently distracted. But I'll get my work-legs back soon enough, I hope!






December

64. The Lost Garden, Helen Humphreys
63. TransAtlantic, Colum McCann
62. A Trick of the Light, Louise Penny

November

61. Angle of Repose, Wallace Stegner
60. Let Him Go, Larry Watson
59. The Son of a Certain Woman, Wayne Johnston
58. Cranford, Elizabeth Gaskell
57. The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
56. World Without End, Ken Follett

October

55. A Conspiracy of Faith, Jussi Adler-Olsen
54. Minister Without Portfolio, Michael Winter
53. The Duke's Children, Anthony Trollope

September

52. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, Anthony Marra
51. Night, Elie Wiesel
50. Bury Your Dead, Louise Penny

August

49. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
48. Riders, Jilly Cooper
47. And the Mountains Echoed, Khaled Hosseini
46. Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Aidichie
45. The Prime Minster, Anthony Trollope
44. Harvest, Jim Crace

July

43. The Testament of Mary, Colm Toibin
42. Sea of Poppies, Amitav Ghosh
41. Prodigal Summer, Barbara Kingsolver
40. The Grand Sophy, Georgette Heyer
39. Maus II, Art Spiegelman
38. Our Daily Bread, Lauren B. Conrad
37. Can You Hear the Nightbird Call?, Anita Rau Badami
36. Maus, Art Spiegelman
35. Bring Up the Bodies, Hilary Mantel

June

34. Grieving the Death of a Mother, Harold Ivan Smith
33. The Absent One, Jussi Adler-Olsen
32. On South Mountain, David Cruise and Alison Griffiths
31. Black Sheep, Georgette Heyer

May

30. Phineas Redux, Anthony Trollope
29. He Who Fears the Wolf, Karin Fossum
28. Life After Life, Kate Atkinson
27. The Draining Lake, Arnaldur Indridason

April

26. Flight Behaviour, Barbara Kingsolver
25. Ignorance, Michele Roberts
24. The Shipping News, E. Annie Proulx
23. A Child Called It, Dave Pelzer
22. The Brutal Telling, Louise Penny
21. The Eustace Diamonds, Anthony Trollope
20. The Light Between Oceans, M.L. Stedman

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

Duplicate header deleted.

50.
Bury Your Dead, Louise Penny



Rating: 5/5

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is on leave and in Quebec City visiting his venerable mentor, Emile Comeau, when the body of a local historian is found in the basement of the Literary and Historical Society. Augustin Renaud had been for decades obsessed with finding the remains of Samuel de Champlain, founder of Quebec. Problem: Champlain discovered Quebec some four hundred years earlier, and died shortly thereafter. A fanatic, Renaud was a thorn in the side of the Lit and His Society, the Champlain Society, and Quebec City’s Chief Archeologist. No shortage of suspects then, and ample motive. When Gamache is called upon by local police to assist with the murder investigation, he discovers that a series of historical journals, in particular one volume from 1869 which is missing, is likely to hold the key to Renaud’s murder. As always, Gamache is an astute of observer of human behaviour:

“Gamache nodded. It was what made his job so fascinating, and so difficult. How the same person could be both kind and cruel, compassionate and wretched. Unraveling a murder was more about getting to know the people than the evidence. People who were contrary and contradictory, and who often didn’t even know themselves.” (226)

Two story lines run parallel to the central mystery. Jean Guy Beauvoir, also on leave, is in Three Pines where Gamache has him revisiting Olivier Brule’s conviction in the death of the “Hermit” whose remote cabin was discovered to have been full of valuable artifacts. But why, I wondered, were both Gamache and Beauvoir on leave? This couldn’t be coincidence – something had to have gone wrong on the job. Indeed – and this mystery is addressed in the final story line. Brilliantly, Penny reeled me in for over three hundred pages, bit by bit divulging the answers to my questions. Up front, we learn that the two Sûreté officers are rehabilitating from serious injuries sustained in a recent mishap which left several officers dead, and several more injured …

Louise Penny’s Three Pines series just keeps getting better! I want to quit my job, hole up in my house, and read the rest of them sans interruption. Highly recommended.

Oh my oh my, I get to be the first visitor. And your photograph is stunning, truly and totally captures the wistfulness of the season. Wow.

Happy New Thread, Nancy! The Booker shortlist is out today - did you see? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24029748 Amazingly, I have read TWO of them, which is unheard of for me. And I'm thrilled that the favourite is the NZ author Eleanor Catton (whose book looked a bit long for me...)

Hello new thread! Gorgeous photo! It really does capture the feeling of fall. Best wishes for getting back to work. :) I am sure you'll be back in shape in no time.

I want to be in that gorgeous setting right now, Nancy. I can almost feel the crisp autumn breeze. Oh look, it blew some leaves over on your Louise Penny book cover! An excellent book for #50. I'll be following along as you get adjusted back to the working life. I hope you find time to squeeze some more good books into your busy schedule.

Gorgeous photo! And I look forward to your comments on Bury Your Dead - it's the next one in the series for me!

Hi Nancy, great photo to start your new thread.

Great new thread Nancy! Love the photo!!

How are you enjoying the Louise Penny books? I can't wait to get my hands on the new one How the Light Gets In!

I love that opening picture Nancy! What a way to relax. Oh, wait a minute, you probably don't have much time for relaxing do you;-)

Great opening photo, Nancy!

#4 Hi Lucy, you're first! The photo is of Okanagan Lake in autumn. It struck me, too.

#5 Hi Susan, I'm so delighted that both Toibin's The Testament of Mary and Crace's Harvest made the Booker SL. To date, they're the only two I've gotten my hands on, and they were both FABULOUS!

#6 Hi Jenn, yes, I'll eventually adjust to working for a living again, LOL.

#7 Hi Donna, love your comment about the autumn leaves from the photo blowing onto the book cover of Bury Your Dead.

#8 Hi Katie, Bury Your Dead is a fantastic read! I'll finish it later this evening and post my review.

#9 Hi John, glad you like the photo : ).

#10 Hi Chelle, I am thoroughly enjoying the Louise Penny series. They just keep getting better!

#11 Hi Bonnie, not much time for relaxing at present. But soon (she says, very optimistically, LOL).

#12 Thanks, Darryl.

Booker Shortlist announced today:

We Need New Names, NoViolet Bulawayo
The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton
Harvest, Jim Crace
The Lowland, Jhumpa Lahiri
A Tale for the Time Being, Ruth Ozeki
The Testament of Mary, Colm Toibin

Migrating over to your shiny new thread Nancy! I need to get back to my Three Pines reading.... I am falling so far behind! ;-)

The Joy Luck Club- huh. That is a book that seems to be in every parent of every friends home that I know. How was it?

Booker shortlist! Exciting!!! I got out Harvest today- will start it soon.

#16 Hi Megan : ). The Joy Luck Club was excellent! I hope you enjoy Harvest as much as I did.

I'm missing out on a great detective series, Nancy. Thumbs :) I like those stories with historical background to the plot, slowly the past is revealed....how many are there in the series?

And btw I like the serene beauty of the top picture

#18 Thanks, Carsten, I enjoy that Penny's Three Pines series is set in Quebec, and I also enjoy historical background in a plot. These mysteries don't go to the grim or gory, they are people-stories. Ten in the series.

#19 Yes, so ZEN! I could use more of that! I expect we all could in the frantic world we live in.

Excellent review Nancy. That is one of my favorites in the series. Thumb!

#21 Thanks, Bonnie! Bury Your Dead is certainly my favourite of the six Three Pines novels I've read to date. Excellent read!

51.
Night, Elie Wiesel



Rating: 5/5

"In front of us, those flames. In the air, the smell of burning flesh. It must have been around midnight. We had arrived. In Birkenau." (28)

Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate, has dedicated his life to the memory of the Holocaust’s martyrs and survivors. In his own words, “… I have fought those who would forget. Because if we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices.” (118)

Night is a profound and haunting memoir of life in the Nazi concentration camps. It is spring of 1944 when Wiesel and his family and neighbours first meet their oppressors: the "faces of hell and death" (19) On April 11, 1945, an American tank standing at the gates of Buchenwald, Wiesel will miraculously walk to freedom. In the interim is Night: a terrifying record of his memories of the death of his family, the death of his own innocence, and of the inimitable despair and sadness experienced in confronting the absolute evil of man. Wiesel’s testimony of what happened in the camps is unsparing of those who might wish to forget, or obscure the reality of, the horror that is the Holocaust.

"We received no food. We lived on snow; it took the place of bread. The days resembled the nights, and the nights left in our souls the dregs of their darkness. The train rolled slowly, often halted for a few hours, and continued. I never stopped snowing. We remained lying on the floor for days and nights, one on top of the other, never uttering a word. We were nothing but frozen bodies. Our eyes closed, we merely waited for the next atop, to unload our dead." (100)

Night is novella-length at one hundred twenty pages. Written in simple, stark prose, it is, I think, all the more powerful – there is nothing here to misunderstand, nowhere to hide. Very highly recommended.

Great review of Night, Nancy, That sounds like a book I would not want to miss. Thumbs up! Lovely picture too! So Zen!

I'm having trouble trying to get into the Booker prize books, so I am looking forward to the Giller Longlist which I think is up on Monday. I read most interesting book, Escape from Communist Heaven as ARC copy that I won here on LT. What a fascinating look into communist work camps and prisons. I have yet to write a review for that one. No escaping the review when you've gotten it for free and must write the dreaded review. It really helped to have that background as I went on to read a book of short stories, The Bridegroom by Ha Jin which I'm in the midst up.

Somewhere I read that one of the the Three Pines books has made into a TV movie/ special? I'm not sure, but perhaps you know.

Here it is - a two hour movie on CBC this Sunday, the 15th. http://www.cbc.ca/revenuegroup/cbc-tv-presents-the-two-hour-crime-mystery-still-...

It says it is on at 8 pm Eastern Time - I wonder if for us on PST have to watch it at 5 pm or at something more reasonable?

#24 Hi Deb, thanks for the thumb! I don't think you want to miss Night either. Have been thinking of the Giller LL, and it is up on Monday. Will have to remember to check then. Sounds like you won a good book from ARC in Escape from Communist Heaven. I very rarely read short stories, but will be curious what you think of Bridegroom.

I was stunned to see an advert recently for a TV movie/special of Penny's Still Life. Hadn't heard a thing about it (not surprising, I suppose, since I don't watch a great deal of TV). But I immediately set my PVR box to record it! Looking forward to it!

#25 We cross-posted, Deb. Still Life is airing here at 8:00 PM tomorrow night, at least according to my Shaw Cable guide.

Nancy- Congrats on the new thread! I just finished my 2nd Three Pines book and really enjoyed it. I will continue. I also loved Night but its been many years. Hope you are having a nice weekend.

Swinging by to wish you a lovely weekend Nancy. I have made a note of Night but that is one of those books I need to be in the right frame of mind to read.

Thanks for the reminder about the Giller.... completely slipped my mind.

#28 Hi Mark, thank you : ). Delighted to hear you have hopped aboard the Three Pines bus. Night was haunting.

#29 Hi Lori, you don't want to pick up Night when you are in the mood for brain candy. But it is certainly worth the time.

Night sounds devastating but not to be missed Nancy. I have a copy and will get to it soonish I hope. Thumb for a wonderful review.

#31 Thanks Bonnie, devastating but not to be missed sums up Night perfectly. Will be curious to know what you think of it; I know you said it was one you had on your shelves.

I forgot to add: That's a gorgeous topper! Wow!

#33 Thanks, Mark. The Okanagan Valley is a gorgeous part of BC. A gorgeous part of Canada, actually.

Great review of Night Nancy. This isn't a book (or an author for that matter) that I'd come across before, but I've wish listed it now .

Very fine review, Nancy - I read that long long ago. It never leaves you, but somehow, the way he writes it, you take it in, and I felt enlarged by it somehow. Hard to explain.

#35 Thanks, Rhian. Both Night and Elie Wiesel are new to me, too. The novel is on our new grade 11 English curriculum. i'm looking really forward to students' response.

#36 Thanks, Lucy. I felt enlarged by it somehow. I like that!

>1 lit_chick: *GASP* What an amazing photo!

Congratulations on your new-ish thread! I have Night languishing on the shelf. Your review is amazing, and hopefully the nudge I need to get to it sooner rather than later!

#38 Thanks, Anne. The Okanagan Valley is a very beautiful part of BC. I hope you will enjoy Night as much as I did. Given the subject matter, enjoy is not really the right word ... let's go with appreciate.

I used to teach Night to tenth graders, Nancy. It was always a deeply-felt experience as you indicate in your fine review. One year I had a student violinist who played softly, tears flowing, as we read together the passage before the march....not to be forgotten.

Great review of one of my top reading experiences in recent years, Nancy. Thumb. Listened to the audiobook version of Night and it was a very moving novel/autobiography.

Be sure to read the other two in the "trilogy" - Dawn and Day. Also short novels with a sense of lostness. They focus on war and love in post-Holocaust life.

#40 One year I had a student violinist who played softly, tears flowing, as we read together the passage before the march. Oh, Peggy, what a powerful teaching and learning experience!

#41 Hi Carsten, good to hear that Night was a top reading experience for you, too. Seems I am one of the last to hear of it. Did not know it was a trilogy; will definitely look those up! Thank you : ).

I didn't know there was a trilogy either.

>40 LizzieD: Peggy, what a magical, moving experience!

#43 Hi Anne, sounds like you'll join me in the trilogy that is Night.

Magical, indeed!

>23 lit_chick: I think I have read Night...or have it? Is it the first of a trilogy?

Excuse my absence...I have been reading books instead of posting. One of the perils of having 3 great books on the go at once. I am getting to the exciting bits of Harvest now, it is a wonderful book. I would not be sad to see it win the Booker.

#45 Hi Megan, I didn't know that Night was part of a trilogy until Carsten's post about Dawn and Day.

You may be excused for reading great books, LOL. Delighted to hear you are enjoying Harvest as much as I did. I would also not be sad to see it take the Booker.

Giller Longlist announced today:

Dennis Bock, Going Home Again
Joseph Boyden, The Orenda
Lynn Coady, Hellgoing
Craig Davidson, Cataract City
Elizabeth Di Marriafi, How to Get Along with Women
David Gilmour, Extraordinary
Wayne Grady, Emancipation Day
Wayne Johnston, The Son of a Certain Woman
Calire Messud, The Woman Upstairs
Lisa Moore, Caught
Dan Vyleta, The Crooked Maid
Michael Winter, Minister Without Portfolio

Awk! You reel me in with your enticing review of Night and now I find out it is part of a trilogy... and not the first part. *sighs* ;-)

Ahh! Thanks for posting the Giller Longlist, Nancy! I've gone through and added " Scotiabank Giller Prize Longlist 2013 " to all of the books in the list just now, and have added a few reviews to some of the books.

I've got Caught by Lisa Moore out of the Library , so I might try to get to that one next. I ordered The Son of a Certain Woman by Wayne Johnston today, as it caught my interest a while ago. The Orenda seems to be getting a lot of buzz, but it's not on my read it right away list.

Hmm - maybe eventually I'll try The Woman Upstairs after all. I have a few more in mind to read, but I'll wait and see. It will be interesting to see who wins, with my arch-enemy, Margaret Atwood on the panel! With her on the panel, perhaps we should base our bet on How To Get Along With Women a feminist book of short stories! :)

I finished up The Bridegroom by Ha Jin and very much enjoyed it. I gave it 3. 75 stars, which went to 3. 5 stars. I'm definitely going to try reading a novel by him . An interesting writer, spare prose, not too much drama, a sense of irony. I enjoyed his book very much.j

I picked up a book that I've had around for ever, I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali. It's proving an interesting and quick read. I was reading in the news about a 9 - 10 year old child bride in Yemen who died of uterine bleeding, due to her young marriage, so I thought I pick up the book and try to understand more about the laws, poverty, tribal law that shapes the practice of child brides. The book is by no means excellent , or extremely informative on the topic, but it does shed some light on the whys'.

#48 Hi Lori, glad you liked the review of Night. It is the first part of the trilogy, followed by Dawn and then Day.

#49 Hi Deb, thanks for adding Giller tags to the books that were LL'd today. I don't have any of these; the only authors I'm familiar with are Lisa Moore and Joseph Boyden. Not sure where I'll begin with the list, or if I'll just wait to see what is SL'd and what wins. The Giller moves along fairly quickly; the SL is out Oct 08 and the winner announced Nov 05. Read an article in The Globe and Mail today and learned that our East coast is well represented on the list with Lisa Moore, Wayne Johnston, and Michael Winter. Without knowing anything about it, I'm attracted to The Son of a Certain Woman.

Glad you enjoyed The Bridegroom, Deb. I am Nujood does sound informative; I cannot fathom a child dying of uterine bleeding, due to her young marriage.

#48 & 50: When I read the three novels I read them as the main character was the same person in all three novels - and in a way it feels that way - because it deals with a child, then a young man and the last one a middle-aged man - but I guess it's three different persons experiences - the first one Night is very much autobiographical but not the next two in the same way I think - here's a good description from Wikipedia:

Night is the first book in a trilogy – Night, Dawn and Day – reflecting Wiesel's state of mind during and after the Holocaust. The titles mark his transition from darkness to light, according to the Jewish tradition of beginning a new day at nightfall. "In Night," he said, "I wanted to show the end, the finality of the event. Everything came to an end – man, history, literature, religion, God. There was nothing left. And yet we begin again with night."

#51 Thanks, Carsten! The quote from Wikipedia is perfect; I like that the trilogy reflects his transition from darkness to light. And in Night, there is an incredible sense of finality: Wiesel describes repeatedly how everything came to an end - man, history, literature, religion, God.

Night. It is the first part of the trilogy, followed by Dawn and then Day

Whew! Okay, I am better now. ;-)

#53 LOL, Lori. We're all good, then : ).

Many thanks for the Giller Long List, Nancy. I'll be looking for them!

#55 You're welcome, Peggy. Will be haunting your thread to see what you've found, LOL.

Oh my Nancy, both Joseph Boyden and Wayne Johnston have new books out??!! When will we get them here I wonder? I love both of those authors.

#57 Hi Bonnie, I am embarrassed to say that I do not know Wayne Johnston's books. I have just requested The Son of a Certain Woman at my library. Which of his works are you familiar with?

Nancy, your review of Night gave me chills. I think of that book whenever I drink a cup of coffee. I'm sure you'll remember that scene where Elie fetches his father's daily cup of "coffee." I have read Dawn since then, and I will finish the trilogy when I find the last book. I plan to read them altogether at that time.

Thanks for posting the Giller Prize list. It reminds me that I need to get back to Joseph Boyden's books. I listened to half of Through Black Spruce on our Michigan trip this summer. We ran out of time for the rest. I think I need to read Three Day Road first, at least according to a garbled note to myself. One of these days...

#59 Hi Donna, Night does give one chills. I do remember that scene where Elie fetches his father's daily cup of "coffee." Good idea to read all three of the trilogy together. I haven't yet checked my library for Dawn and Day, but I will.

Joseph Boyden is a popular author. The only one of his I've even picked up is Three Day Road, and I read only a few pages. I must get back to it. Like you say, One of these days ...

Loved your review of Night. I read it in my high school German class. It was a life-changing experience. The trilogy is well worth the time.

Hi Nancy - Thanks for posting the Giller longlist. I'm not familiar with a lot of these writers. Some new ones to check out!

Well, I'm half way through Caught. Overall I'm enjoying it, but there is sort of a tension between character development and advancing the plot. It's interesting, but a the half way point, I'm wondering why this made the Giller Longlist. Maybe I'll change my mind as I go further into the story.

Yes, Joseph Boyden one of these days........... Every where I look they have copies of The Orenda, but I'm not sure it's to my interest. The reviews I've looked are very positive, but all of them say it is a challenging read , and it's more up to the reader to get engaged, rather then the author engaging the reader. Hmmmm.

>58 lit_chick: I've read two of his books Nancy but the real star is his The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. The character Sheilagh Fielding is one of the most fascinating women in literature.

#61 Hi Jenn, you're right about Night being a life-changer. Appreciate your endorsement of the trilogy.

#62 Hi Beth, I feel the same way about the Giller LL: several new authors to explore.

#63 Hi Deb, the article I read in the Globe and Mail did not appreciate Caught either. Funny, I LOVED February by Lisa Moore, but when I picked up Alligator, I did not care for it. I may or may not try Caught.

On Joseph Boyden: I'd read so much about Three Day Road that I expected it to grip me immediately. When it didn't, I haven't gone back to him since. I will, though, one fine day ...

#64 Hi Bonnie, ooh The Colony of Unrequited Dreams sounds like one I don't want to miss. Have just added it to my WL and requested it from the library. Thanks for that : ).

>56 lit_chick: What I found was that most of the listed books are not yet available in the US. Even when they are, I'll be waiting until the price comes down. Can't buy new books!
I haven't gotten into Three Day Road either, but I didn't give it a fair chance. I read enough to know that it won't be light reading, so I'll have to save it for a time when I can concentrate.

#66 I certainly hear you on the price of new books, Peggy. As to Three Day Road, well, perhaps one of us will get to it sometime. And then, perhaps not : ).

Still Life, Louise Penny
CBC Production

I was thrilled to find a TV listing for the movie Still Life recently, and on a channel I get! Recorded it last week and just now finished watching. So well done! I thoroughly enjoyed. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is played by Nathanial Parker, who's very well cast in the role. Actually, I thought all of the characters were well cast. Check out this video: Louise Penny is talking about the The Characters of Still Life. Makes me hope other of her books will be filmed.

Nancy - thanks for posting up the Giller longlist. There are a few relative heavyweights there and it will be interesting to see who gets the gong.

Nat Parker is now both Inspector Lynly as well as Gamache. Confusing non?

Have a lovely weekend dear lady.

It certainly looks like a good character driven movie - I like Louise Penny's happy reaction to her beloved detective coming alive on the screen. I'm going to look out for the movie if it ever comes to netflix.

Well, I might start reading a Gamache soon, who knows :)

#70 Hi Carsten, a good character driven movie is the perfect description for still Life. I also hoped that Still Life might appear on Netflix, but it's new movie, so perhaps eventually?

And you might start reading Gamache? Yay! The mystery novels are very character-drive, too. It's a great cast.

I'm not sure exactly what happened but from her FB comments I think Louise Penny is not happy with that CBC production Nancy. She didn't even mention it until after the fact and kind of indicated that she had distanced herself from it.

Oooohhhh - I love Nathaniel Parker! He played Inspector Linley in the series based on the books by Elizabeth George (?). Hope we get it here on cable. Some great reading as always, Nancy. I wasn't going to read Night as I have read quite a few Holocaust books, but your great review convinced me to put it back on the WL! Love the top photo, too!

#72 Oh, that's interesting, Bonnie. I'm not on FB. Wonder what could have happened? I thought the movie was very well done, and it certainly followed her story line.

#73 Hi Prue : ). I went looking for Inspector Lynley on Netflix, to no avail. Must try to find some of that work in my library. Night is a hard book to pass up; hope you will appreciate it as much as I did.

Thanks for letting us know about the Still Life movie. Hopefully it will show up on Netflix or pbs. I couldn't resist reading the latest Gamache How the Light Gets In and it didn't disappoint!

#75 Hi Jan, welcome : ). My pleasure to post about the Still Life movie. I hope it turns up on Netflix, too! Delighted you enjoyed How the Light Gets In; I'm not yet that far in the series, but I'm close : ).

So glad the Still Life movie did not disappoint. I will have to look around for it. I have How the Light Gets In on my Kindle, but I am trying to read Barchester Towers first...

Popping to say that I watched Still Life last Sunday when it first was shown on tv. It was interesting! Kind of renewed my interest in the series. I particularly liked the characters who played Clara and Peter - they are just as I pictured. Gamache was also well done, but I felt his wife was well cast. She seemed to0 old and fuddy duddy for Gamache as he was shown in the movie. Fun looking village too!

#77 Hi Jenn, hope you love Anthony Trollope as much as I do!

#78 Hi Deb, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie Still Life too. The village looked just like I imagined. The casting was superb. I was a bit surprised at Reine Marie, too, but she was on screen for such a short time ...

Nancy, must drop in to recommend Letters from Skye: A Novel by Jessica Brockmole. It reminds me in many ways of the beloved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society if you remember that book?

It's a charming but substance filled read , told in the form of letters exchanged between a young woman, Elspeth and a fellow in the USA during WW1, as well as letters exchanged between Elspeth and her daughter Margaret during WW11. The books goes back and forth in time between Elspeth and David in WW11 and Elspeth , her daughter Margaret during WW11 . During WW11, daughter Margaret is also corresponding with her beloved , Paul. There are few other characters too, but it's charming, with a bit of mystery and romance thrown in. I'm really enjoying after my last more serious slogs! So if you feel you'd like something different and a light enjoyable read, I highly recommend Letters from Skye: A Novel . I got myself a kindle copy - cheaper than the hardcover and I was not willing to wait for the library. I needed a palate cleanser now! :) I'm just half - way through, but I am very much enjoying it!

So glad that you enjoyed Still Life. I agree, the casting was wonderful and the setting was lovely!

Tonight - swoon - The Mentalist is on! It's really the only TV show that I watch and tonight is the premiere for the season , and apparently this season we are actually going to find out who the the murderous killer Red John really is! Exciting stuff!

We have a wind and rain warning up this evening and all I can say is the power better not go out between 10 pm and 11 pm when MY show is on.
Hope all is well!

#80 Hi Deb, Letters from Skye sounds wonderful! I just loved The Guernsey Literary Society. Onto the WL it goes!

I've noticed the TV season is starting again, and have caught a few shows, too. Hope the power held for The Mentalist!

52.
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, Anthony Marra



Rating: 4/5

“At the kitchen table she examined the glass of ice. Each cube was rounded by room temperature, dissolving in its own remains, and belatedly she understood that this was how a loved one disappeared .. more a fade from the present tense you shared, a melting into the past… and the person you once touched now runs over your skin, now in sheets down your back, and you may bathe, may sink, may drown in the memory, but your fingers cannot hold it. " (120)

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is set in Chechnya during its two wars. In a small, snow-covered Chechnyan village, eight-year-old Havaa is hiding in the woods behind her home. Russian soldiers have just abducted her father on the charge of aiding rebels. Havaa watches in terror as her childhood home is set afire. Her neighbour and family friend, Akhmed, also watches in horror, expecting the worst. When he discovers the little girl in the woods, he knows she, too, will be hunted. Akhmed takes her to an abandoned hospital where the one remaining doctor, Sonja Rabina, an ethnic Russian, treats the wounded. Here they seek refuge. But Sonja is not appreciative of the interruption to her work; and more personally, she fears that her sheltering the refugees may jeopardize the return of her war-lost sister.

Over a period of five extraordinary days, an intricate pattern of connections is revealed which bind the three characters’ lives, both past and present. The story is not a linear one. Rather, each chapter moves back and forth in time between 1994 and 2004. Marra’s scope is broad, and his story haunting – ultimately one of love, loss, compassion, and the unexpected ties that bind us one to the other.

A stunning debut effort. Marra’s prose is extraordinary, and his portrayal of the Chechen wars unforgettable. Highly recommended.

“You are mine. I recognize you. We twist our souls around each other’s miseries. It is that which makes us family.” (292)

A cool title for a novel - sounds like a sci-fi or a philosophical work for advanced readers :)

Good review and quotes, Nancy. The prose have a lyrical thing to it, that I like. Is it a long or short read?

#83 Hi Carsten, I also thought A Constellation was sci-fi or philosophy when I first heard it! Great minds think alike, you know : ). It's long enough, at nearly 400 pages.

The Marra sounds like a winner. Sigh.......

#85 I know just how you feel, Lucy. One more book to read in so little time ...

Just speaking. I would never have cast Nathaniel Parker as Gamache, but then, what do I know?

Nancy- Great review of Constellation. Big Thumb! I am so happy LTers are beginning to find this gem. I read it early in the year and it still remains right near the top.

Thumbed of course! Looked for it on the review page yesterday, but no luck! Glad it's there now!

#87 Hi Peggy, I have no idea who I would have cast as Gamache. But Parker was excellent in the role.

#88 Thanks, Mark : ). A Constellation is a gem, for sure. Marra's writing just blew me away. Admittedly, I knew nothing of the Chechnya wars, so there was some rereading of passages involved on my part.

Another thumb for Constellation Nancy. I can't wait to see what his follow-up novel will be. What an impressive debut.

#91 Thanks, Bonnie. Constellation was definitely a debut that'll be touch to follow! Such prose!

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena looks a great read Nancy. Really enjoyed your review and your ability to unearth gems.

#93 Thanks, Paul : ). I think Constellation is one you would enjoy.

Nice review of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, Nancy. It's on my list of books to read this month, and I'm looking forward to it after seeing all of the positive reviews on LT.

#95 Thanks, Darryl. I think Constellation is one you will really enjoy. It's an extraordinary debut.

I love Parker, but he does seem a slightly odd choice as Gamache. On the other hand, I have no idea who else they might have chosen..... a French-Canadian actor, mayhap???

Another great review, Nancy!

I have trouble seeing Parker as any character other than Inspector Lynley so I will need to check out the TV movie Still Life at some point to see how it is. My personal choice for Inspector Gamache was and still is the French actor François Berléand. I enjoyed his character in the Transporter movie franchise with Jason Stratham. I thought he would make a very nice Inspector Gamache. Maybe he wasn't available? ;-)

#97 Lucy, a French Canadian would seem to fit, although one does not presently come to mind ...

#98 Thanks, lori : ). I'm not familiar with the Transporter series or François Berléand but I trust your recommendation on that one! I'm going to watch the Inspector Lynley series. Must add more Nathaniel Parker to my entertainment life : ).

53.
The Duke's Children, Anthony Trollope



Rating: 5/5

2012, Blackstone Audiobooks, Read by Simon Vance

I prolonged the last few chapters of this last of the Palliser novels as long as I could, not wanting the series to end, not wanting to have to say goodbye to the cast of characters I’ve come to know and love so well …

The well-loved Duchess of Omnium, Lady Glen, is gone now, and the Duke is left to care for his three children, all young adults by this time. The eldest, Lord Silverbridge, has been dismissed from Oxford on account of some certain trouble involving the Dean’s home and red paint. The Duke’s second son, Lord Gerald, is doing moderately well at Cambridge. And Lady Mary, his only daughter, seems intent on what her father deems an unsuitable marriage.

As the story progresses, the Duke will be called upon to guide and to discipline each of his children; and he will be hard pressed to reconsider his previously ironclad notion of “duty.” He comes to share in his children’s joy in a way that the most hard-hearted could only admire, but the getting there – well, there’s the story. Silverbridge and Lady Mary will tax their father to near his wits end with the matter of marriages he deems not befitting their station. When Silverbridge is refused by the suitable Lady Mabel Grex, he falls in love with an independent, spirited American, Isabelle Boncassen. Lady Mary declares she will have no other than Frank Tregear, a young and ambitious, but penniless, politician. The Duke is astounded “that an almost penniless young gentleman was asking in marriage the daughter of the richest and greatest nobleman in England.” (Ch 5) If this weren’t enough headache, Silverbridge enters an ill-fated partnership in the ownership of an ill-fated racehorse with one Major Tifto, “a nasty, brawling, boasting, ill-conditioned little reptile.” (Ch 17) And Lord Gerald is expelled from Oxford whereupon he turns shamefully to the gaming tables and becomes deeply indebted to a family acquaintance.

My favourite quotes are the two following in which the Duke speaks of duty and station, and of money. In the first, he is speaking of his disapproval of Lady Mary’s association with Frank Tregear. And in the second, he is addressing Lord Gerald on the subject of money, following his son’s gambling losses.

On duty/station:
“Disapprove of it! How could it be otherwise? Of course you felt that. There are ranks in life in which the first comer that suits a maiden's eye may be accepted as a fitting lover. I will not say but that they who are born to such a life may be the happier. They are, I am sure, free from troubles to which they are incident whom fate has called to a different sphere. But duty is—duty;—and whatever pang it may cost, duty should be performed.” (Ch 41)

On money:
“Do you ever think what money is? … Money is the reward of labour," said the Duke, "or rather, in the shape it reaches you, it is your representation of that reward. You may earn it yourself, or, as is, I am afraid, more likely to be the case with you, you may possess it honestly as prepared for you by the labour of others who have stored it up for you. But it is a commodity of which you are bound to see that the source is not only clean but noble.” (Ch 65)

The Duke’s Children is a brilliant conclusion to Trollope’s “Parliamentary Novels.” To Simon Vance, with whom I’ve spent so much time – and adored every moment of it – perhaps the best compliment I can offer is that he comes as highly recommended as the venerable author. Most highly recommended – the whole series! But I think this one was my favourite.

I do need to start Trollope one of these days! I've had The Warden on my Kindle for the last year.

#101 Oh, Roni, I wish for you many hours of Trollope enjoyment : ).

I may make that a 2014 project!

Great that you could end on such a fine note, Nancy - with a favorite of favorites. And a great review.

But duty is—duty;—and whatever pang it may cost, duty should be performed.”Typical Trollope.

What's next? More Trollope or let him rest a while?

For more audiobook ideas: http://simonvance.com

#104 Thanks, Carsten. Oh, you will LOVE the Palliser series. It was wonderful to observe the Duke's relationship with his children, particularly as sole parent. Going to let Trollope rest now for a bit. Not entirely sure what's up next on audio, perhaps Follett's World Without End. I read Pillars of the Earth a few summers ago and couldn't put it down (despite not being sure I'd even like it).

I'll be haunting http://simonvance.com. Thanks for that : ).

Nancy, I'm glad you liked The Duke's Children! I'd like to reread that series, but goodness knows when...Enjoy World Without End. It was 20p for the Kindle a while ago, so I have it, but I'm nowhere near getting to it. I did like Pillars of the Earth, though.

#107 Susan, I completely understand about wanting to get to yet one more book, or a series of books. We'd need to quit our jobs and read 24/7, and there still wouldn't be enough time. Glad you also enjoyed Follett.

>>#100

Lovely work, Nancy!

#107

Susan, if you're interested there will be a group read of Can You Forgive Her? next month.

We'd need to quit our jobs and read 24/7, and there still wouldn't be enough time. Yeah I did that and it hasn't quite worked out that way for me. Still way too many books. Thumb for your latest review Nancy. I will be starting on the Pallisers next month and I can't wait. You've really painted quite a lovely picture.

Someone (s) is in love with Simon Vance! :) Great review of The Duke's Children, Nancy. I just loved Letters from Skye. It reminded me so much of the Guernsey Potato Peel book. Currently enjoying Ordinary Grace: A Novel by William Kent Krueger. I'm not entirely sure where it is going, but I picked it up at the bookstore a while ago as it grabbed my interest. I think it will be a thoughtful novel.

By the way, Kevin from Canada felt that Emancipation Day was a worthwhile addition to the Giller Longlist, but he was not over the moon about it. I'm glad I read it, but it definitely had problems. ( explained in my mini review:).

#109 Thanks, Liz! Appreciated. Also, thrilled that you are starting the Pallisers GRs next month. I'll be sure to come by.

#110 Hmm, just as I figured then, Bonnie? STILL nowhere near enough time, even in retirement, to read everything we'd like to read. Thanks for the thumb : ). I know you'll love the Palliser novels.

#111 Hi Deb, I certainly love both Trollope and Vance : ). Glad you enjoyed the review of The Duke's Children and that you are enjoying a new mystery novel. Letters from Skye is on my list per your rec.

Haven't read much about any of the Giller nominations yet. Just now read and thumbed your mini-review of Emancipation Day. I'll pass on that one.

Hi Nancy, a quick catch up here has backfired. Now A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is on my radar, and my WL cant take the weight!
*accepts defeat*
Consider it WL'd

#113 Oh, Megan, you made me chuckle : ). Yes, defeat is rampant here on LT, LOL! That said, I think you will really enjoy Constellation.

I chuckle too. I quick catch up that backfired :) ..my sympathies, Megan

#115 LOL, Carsten. I've learned that there really is no such thing as a quick catch up here on LT.

I'll second the above...... and I'm always saying, I really have to stop, but just one more thread before I go..... like right now.....

Hi Nancy - Great reviews. I hope school is going well and not interfering too much with the reading. Beautiful picture at the top.

I am surprised at Parker being cast as Gamache, too. Still it sounds like it was well done. I hope we get a chance to see it here, soon.

#117 Oh, yes! Great minds, and all that, Lucy.

#118 Thanks, Beth : ). Work is definitely interfering with my reading, but c'est la vie, as the saying goes. I honestly did not know who Parker was until I saw him play Gamache, so the casting didn't seem odd to me. I hope you'll get to see Still Life, too.

Lots going on here since I last visited, Nancy. I've had some internet issues lately. Grrrr....don't mess with me and my LT....I've not been a happy camper this week. But I have been reading some good books which helps. Speaking of which, that was a great review of Constellation of Vital Phenomena. I loved that book, too, and thought it was an exceptional debut. I hope Marra continues with his success.

I am so behind times that I didn't realize a movie had been made out of Still Life. I will have to check on the availability here. I have just begun the newest Penny book, How the Light Gets In. It looks like another good one. Like you, I think it would be great if all her books came out as films. I am a Nathanial Parker fan...Lynley or Gamache...makes no difference to me!

#120 Grrr would also be my response to Internet troubles, Donna! Grrr, I'll say it again, LOL.

I remember that you also loved Constellation and hope, like you say, that Marra's success continues. I haven't yet gotten to How the Light Gets In but many have really enjoyed it. I must say, I find the Three Pines books get better as they go! If you're a Nathaniel Parker fan, I'm certain you'd enjoy Still Life if you can find it : ).

Last year you took a little break and many of us had hearts going out to you.

This year you are back with a bang and rank #1 among Canadians for posts on their thread this year. You lead a bevy of lovely ladies: Chelle, Deb, Judy, Micky, Ilana, Lori among others

Have a wonderful weekend.

Hi Nancy - I am catching up on LT sloooowly. It's really nice reading your thread again and seeing what you've been up to - and as usual you've been reading some great books and are doing bad things to my wishlist! A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is now firmly on my "buy soon" list after numerous great reviews. I open a long-lost thread, I read a review of that book...

I will get to the Palliser novels once I've finished the Barchester series. I started The Small House at Allington but have put it aside till I finish a few others.

Hi Nancy! How's your next read (or listen) coming along?

#109: Liz, thanks for telling me about the Can Your Forgive Her? GR.

#122 Hi Paul, make my day with the news that I lead a bevy of lovely Canadian ladies. Thanks for that : ). Hope your weekend, if it's still the weekend in Malaysia, is wonderful.

#123 Hi Cushla : ). Oh, I know just what you mean that thread-catching-up is hard on the WL. As you've said, it was a number of wonderful LT reviews of Constellation that prompted me in that direction.

I know you'll love the Palliser series once you get to them!

#124 Hi Suan : ). Having finished the Palliser series, I've decided to mix up my listening and have World Without End in my iPod now. I read Pillars some years ago and quite enjoyed; have been meaning to get to its sequel since forever. I'm reading one of the Giller LL'd books Minister Without Portfolio; it's good though life's busy-ness is interfering with my reading this past while.

Hi Nancy - I'll be waiting to see what you think of World Without Ed and the Giller LL book. My son loved the Follet books. He read them both at least twice. The last time he said he was sad he was almost done because it was such a good book. I read Pillars last year and didn't love it as much as he did, but I would like to read World Without End.

I know what you mean about life interfering with reading! Off to grade more essays.

#126 Hi Beth : ). Interesting that your son loved the Follett books so much. I remember clearly the summer I read Pillars because I was thinking, "Hmm, not really sure this is my thing, but I'll try it." Then I couldn't put it down. Will KYP on World Without End and Minister Without Portfolio.

Off to grade more essays. Ah, yes ... therein lies the interference, LOL!

Hi Nancy!

#3 Excellent review of Bury your Dead! I think that one is my favourite of the series so far although I haven't read her most recent two books.

#23 And wow, to your review of Night. It's one of those books I know I should read but have never been able to bring myself to read it. One day....

#68 Ooh - an adaptation of Still Life? Must look out for that over here - I hope someone picks it up.

#100 "I prolonged the last few chapters of this last of the Palliser novels as long as I could, not wanting the series to end, not wanting to have to say goodbye to the cast of characters I’ve come to know and love so well …"

Nancy, I can imagine feeling that way all too well at the end of a Trollope series. I'm glad I will still have the Palliser series to enjoy once I've finished the Barsetshire series. And a thumb for your excellent review :-)

#101 I do need to start Trollope one of these days!

Roni, you really do! Make sure you check out Liz's tutored read thread for The Warden.

#128 Hi Heather, what a delightful post! I'm really enjoying Louise Penny's Three Pines series, too. In fact, it gets better as it goes. Hope you will find the movie adaptation of Still Life at some point; I think you'd enjoy.

Thank you for the thumb for The Duke's Children. I really did drag it out as long as I possibly could. At some point, I can see myself re-reading (or listening) to both the Barsetshire and Palliser series again.

Nancy, I think I've read the first four Three Pines books. Slowly but surely, I'll get around to the rest.

#130 Hi Roni, and I think I've read six, but I, too, will get there.

Giller Shortlist announced Oct 08:

Dennis Bock, Going Home Again
Lynn Coady, Hellgoing
Craig Davidson, Cataract City
Lisa Moore, Caught
Dan Vyleta, The Crooked Maid

> 132 - I haven't read or even heard of any of shortlist..... looks like I will need to check these one out!

Happy Thanksgiving long weekend, Nancy!

#133 Hi Lori, of the Giller SL, I'm familiar only with Lisa Moore's work. Yes, that has to change. Hope your Thanksgiving is also lovely.

54.
Minister Without Portfolio, Michael Winter



Rating: 3.5/5

Henry Hayward, a hard-working, hard-playing Newfoundlander, is a drowning man. With his long term romance gone south, no family, and no refuge to be had in work, he seeks solace in alcohol and promiscuity. Eventually, in an attempt to both recover from unrequited love and find meaning in what is becoming a useless, arid life, he travels to Afghanistan as an army-affiliated contractor. There, tragedy strikes when a crew member is killed in a roadside attack, and Henry knows he is responsible. He returns to Newfoundland, desperately seeking to re-establish, or perhaps establish for the first time, a solid footing in life. He must shed his reputation of minister without portfolio: "You're not committed to anything but you got a hand in everywhere." (33)

Winter creates, in Minister Without Portfolio, a wonderful sense of place in the small communities of Newfoundland’s south shore. The eclectic assortment of characters who inhabit the shore are as rugged and real as they come. That said, I found the writing style, with its profusion of short, fragmented sentences, somewhat grating; and the story itself is something of a plod. However, it’s genuine Newfoundland, so if that’s your pleasure, by all means.

Hi Nancy! I'm glad you enjoyed A Constellation -- it has received such high praise here -- I really must find a copy!

Simon Vance/Trollope - swoon!

#136 Hi Anne, Constellation has definitely received high praise here on LT. Hope you get hold of a copy soon. Ah, you are a woman after my own heart with Simon Vance/Trollope - swoon!. Make me smile.

I always forget that Thanksgiving is celebrated in mid-October in Canada. Happy Thanksgiving to you, Nancy. What does a traditional meal consist of? In the U.S. we have turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. I hosted a family birthday party here Friday night. As I had a 3-year-old to "help" me all day, we kept things very simple. I made and decorated the cake the day before and ordered pizza for the birthday dinner! I announced to the group that all my parties would be pizza parties from now on...forgetting about Thanksgiving and the turkey. Somehow, I don't think a turkey pizza would be a big hit. Lol.

Thanks for posting the Giller Prize SL. I am going to join Darryl on his Canadian reads next year, although I've already read some of the ones he has planned. I was a fan of Lisa Moore's February. After the Nobel announcement, I plan to add Alice Munro to my TBR list. I own two of her short story collections so I have no excuse not to read them.

#138 Hi Donna, our traditional Thanksgiving dinner is the same as yours: turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie. Got such a chuckle out of your turkey pizza, LOL.

Wonderful that you'll join Darryl on his CanLit adventures next year. I am also a fan of Lisa Moore's February although I did not care for Alligator. Will remain to be seen whether I pick up Caught. I was delighted to hear that Alice Munro had won the Nobel. I need to read more of her work, too! I've only read Lives of Girls and Women which I read in university, longer ago than I care to recall : ).

I have a couple of Munro's books on my shelf that I am planning to read Nancy.

Happy Thanksgiving, my Canadian friend. I was well aware of it as we have many Canadian relatives in Toronto:)

Just thumbed that review of Minister Without Portfolio. Too bad it wasn't a better read for you.

#140 Thanks, Bonnie : ). Love our fall holiday and am looking forward to turkey and the trimmings tonight; I remember that you have family in Toronto.

I had higher hopes for Minister Without Portfolio, too. I'm curious which of Alice Munro's works you are planning to read ...

Hi Nancy, you couldn't catch me with your latest read, so I get to do a catch up without adding to the tbr pile! *phew*
I always get Alice Munro mixed up with Alice Walker (author of The Colour Purple)....I will have to get that straightened out!

Another interesting book-title - Minister Without Portfolio - a wonderful sense of place in the small communities of Newfoundland’s south shore. That sounds interesting. Thumb!!

Hope you have had - or continue to have a happy Thanksgiving, Nancy - and congrats on taken the Nobel Prize to Canada - another Nobel Prize winner I haven't read anything by - well, at least I've heard of the author this year.

#142 Hi Megan, nice to go thread surfing without being hit by a bullet : ). Yes, you'll have to get your Alices sorted, LOL.

#143 Thanks, Carsten. It's true the sense of Newfoundland was wonderful in Minster Without Portfolio. Thanksgiving was lovely. I'm off tomorrow, too, which is even more lovely : ).

I think a lot of Canadians are cheering for Alice Munro. Appreciate Denmark's cheers too!

Great review, Nancy, of Minister Without Portfolio. Thumb of course. I just LOVED The Quiet Twin by Dan Vyleta. That book sort of comes before his Giller listed Crooked Maid. Apparently Crooked Maid certainly can be read as a stand alone, but I decided to read The Quiet Twin first. What a read! I'm working on a review for it. So wonderfully atmospheric, fabulous story teller, full of paranoia and menace! Takes place in Vienna just prior to WW11. Crooked Maid which I am ready to crack open next, takes place 10 years later in Vienna, apparently with some of the same characters.

As for Alice Munro, I am not sure if I've ever read anything by her, but I purchased a second hand book online, The Beggar Maid: Stories of Flo & Rose. I have no idea if I will like it, but I thought I'd give it a try.

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving too - lots of food and fun!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, Nancy. I love Munro's stories, but it's been a while for me, too. Luckily I have several collections I can choose from. I'm so happy she was recognized for her accomplishments. It's hard to write a good short story.

#145 Happy Thanksgiving, Deb! Thanks for the info on Vyleta's The Quiet Twin and Crooked maid. They sound very worthwhile.

Will be curious to know how you like The Beggar Maid when you decide to pick it up.

#146 Happy Thanksgiving, Beth! I couldn't agree more that it is hard to write a good short story. For that reason, they're not favourites with me. But I am very glad to see Munro recognized for her accomplishments. I'd like to reread Lives of Girls and Women.

Just passing through - waving hello. :)

Happy Thanksgiving, Nancy!

Happy Thanksgiving Nancy (and Deborah!)

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

#148 Hi Jenn, *waving* hello back!

#149-51 Thank you Cushla, Heather, and Lucy. It's lovely when friends remember another's national holidays : ).

Hi Nancy, Happy Thanksgiving my dear.

#153 Hi John, and thank you : ).

Gobble, gobble, it's me, Nancy! :) I really loved The Quiet Twin and I think that you would enjoy it too. Intriguing plot, fabulously atmospheric, a big interesting cast of characters, all whom of are not quite what they seem. I'm now about 160 pages into The Crooked Maid and I'm very glad that I read The Quiet Twin first. There are several characters so far figuring prominently in the story, but without the back-story given in the The Quiet Twin. I went all out and gave the The Quiet Twin 5 stars. So far, The Crooked Maid is not catching my interest as strongly. I'll let you know when I finish The Crooked Maid and my final thoughts.

Nancy, I'm not sure how I could get so far behind in less than a week. Good grief!
A belated Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm thinking hard about getting The Quiet Twin, and I've wished for The Crooked Maid. Many thanks for the Giller short list.

#155 Hi Deb : ). Thanks for the info on The Quiet Twin and The Crooked Maid. I don't know any of Vyleta's work, and these sound like very worthwhile reads. Delighted you went all outand gave The Quiet Twin 5*!

#156 Hi Peggy, getting behind here on LT is a chronic disorder for me. Presently I'm taking an online work-related course, and between it and working full-time, my reading time has been seriously impaired.

You're most welcome for the Giller SL. Hope you enjoy the Vyleta novels Deb has recommended. These are two I will add to the list as well.

Hi Nancy, and happy weekend to you!

#158 Hi Anne, and thank you : ).

55.
A Conspiracy of Faith, Jussi Adler-Olsen





“It took a while to gather the things he needed. The hardest part was stretching himself, confined by his chain, to reach the tar between the roofing planks with the tips of his fingers. Everything else was at hand: the bottle, the sharp sliver of wood from the timbered floor, the paper on which he was sitting. (3)

Detective Carl Morck holds in his hands a message in a bottle: the message, old and decayed, and written in blood, is a cry for help from two young brothers who are being held captive in a boathouse. But is the message real? And if it is, who are the boys, and why were they never reported missing? Could they possibly still be alive?

Morck’s investigation will see him cross paths with a woman stuck in a desperate marriage. Her husband, moneyed and well-heeled, refuses to tell her about his work. He is gone often but refuses to tell her where, or how long he will be away. For days on end, she waits with their young son, and when he returns, she will once again be subject to his moods, his wants, and his threats. She vows she will find out the truth, at last – and at all costs. And then, unbeknownst to her, two more young children are taken; and they also are not reported missing. Morck contemplates that the cases are related, and may be a “conspiracy of faith” – the victims are of particular religious sects: Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons.

In the basement offices of Department Q, Morck, along with the inimitable Assad and Rose, will need all of their resources to solve this thriller. It’s a page-turner, written in Adler-Olsen’s fine suspenseful style, full of detail and well-turned characters. As I’ve come to expect and enjoy, the personalities and antics of the Department Q “team” kept me well entertained. Highly recommended.

He pushed off one of his shoes and stabbed so sharply at his wrist with the wood that tears welled in his eyes. He let the blood drip onto his polished shoe for a minute, perhaps two. Then he tore a large shred of paper from his bedding, dipped the splinter in his blood, and twisted his body, pulling at his chain until he was able to see what he was writing behind his back. As best he could, and in the smallest handwriting, he put down in words what was happening to them. When he had finished, he signed the letter with his name, rolled up the paper, and stuffed it inside the bottle.” (4)

Hi Nancy - It was a good one, wasn't it. He has another one coming in December, here.

Great review Nancy, thumbs up :) Glad you liked it. It is indeed a suspenseful page-turner - and the best so far in the series - in my opinion - I will soon start with number four.

I'll have to look into these - the spousal unit likes scandi-crime - I would too if I wasn't also more crazy about sf and f...... just not enough time!

#161 Hi Beth, it was VERY good : ). Just checked Amazon.ca, and Purity of Vengeance will be released Dec 31/13. Yay! A New Year's gift!

#162 Thanks, Carsten. Conspiracy of Faith was excellent! The fourth in the series will be a 2014 read for me : ).

#163 Hi Lucy, if your spousal unit likes Scandi-Crime, he is sure to enjoy Adler-Olsen. Excellent stuff!

Oh my. More book bullets. Many thanks, Nancy.

#165 Oh, those bullets are a hazard around here, Peggy! Glad I could help (I think?).

Just came from thumbing that fine review Nancy. I'm not sure how I missed it but probably it's because I am completely immersed in The Luminaries and not present much on LT these days. There are worse things.

I really have to figure out how to squeeze in The Keeper of Lost Causes and get started on this series. I have it sitting on my iPad so there's not much holding me back except, well, all the other books that keep jumping ahead of it.

Hi Nancy- I am so glad you enjoyed A Conspiracy of Faith. I loved the 1st 2. I was hoping to get to this one for S & S but failed miserably. I still hope to get to it, in the next few weeks.

#167 Thanks, Bonnie. I am delighted that you are completely immersed in The Luminaries. I'm not on LT much these days either; too busy, groan! That said, I am looking really forward to The Luminaries and hoping for a holiday read, Christmas or spring break

I SO hear you about books jumping ahead of one another, LOL. I'm certain you will enjoy Adler-Olsen once you get to him. And I'm patiently waiting to know what you think of Vanderhaeghe, too.

#168 Hi Mark, yes Adler-Olsen is great : ). Sounds like we are all having the same challenge with book-horning (to use your very apt expression!) in all of the books we want to read!

I am also a big fan of Jussi Adler Olsen, Nancy and have enjoyed immensely all the books in the Carl Mork series thus far.

Have a great weekend.

Hi Paul, I remember that you're a fan of Adler-Olsen : ). Happy weekend back to you, my friend.

56.
World Without End, Ken Follett



Rating: 4/5

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to John Lee narrate World Without End, the sweeping sequel to Follett’s Pillars of the Earth. The epic novel in set in Kingsbridge and takes place over nearly four decades from 1327-1361. The two central characters, and the most interesting of the lot, are Caris, who has wanted since childhood to be a doctor, a profession reserved for men; and Merthin, her childhood friend who becomes a renowned architect and builder. A lengthy cast of secondary characters includes the petty, insecure Godwyn and his equally despicable mentee, Philemon, both religious figures; the power-hungry, abusive, rephrensible Ralph; strong-willed, wily Gwenda and her handsome, if not nearly as intelligent, husband, Wulfric.

World Without End is an adventurous, if treacherous, ride: plague, murder, rape, blackmail, heresy, witchcraft, and backroom political “deals” (yes, even in 1300!). John Lee does a fine, fine job of narrating. And while I did not find this one equal to Pillars, its predecessor, it did make for hours of captivating entertainment and is highly recommended.

I really need to dip into Follett's books. The size of them has until now sent me running the other way but I am getting more comfortable with tackling those big tomes. Audiobooks sounds like the way to go with that one, so I may go and see if it is one my local library has for download.

#173 Hi Lori, I read Pillars and listened to World Without End. My library had the audiobook, and Lee is excellent.

I wonder why I haven't read anything more by Follett? I loved The Eye of the Needle and Night Over Water when I read them in another lifetime. And then I never read anything more. Enticing review as usual Nancy. Very thumb worthy.

#175 Thanks, Bonnie. Follett makes for good entertainment, in my mind. The writing is not Booker-worthy by any stretch, but he can certainly spin a yarn.

Nice review of World Without End. I haven't tackled it yet. Maybe I should try listening...
Did you ever see the TV mini-series of Pillars of the Earth? Think it was HBO, maybe. I kind of liked it. Not bad for the attempt at making such an enormous book into a TV show.

I listened to Pillars - and I agree John Lee is a great reader. I may listen to World someday but I'm not going to be driving my daughter to school anymore and it might take a year to listen to World!

#177 Hi Jenn, I did see the TV mini-series of Pillars of the Earth. Very much enjoyed. I read somewhere that World Without End is also being adapted for TV. I think you'd like listening to John Lee narrate.

#178 Hi Lucy, I remember that you listened to Lee read Pillars. World is also very long, 36+ hours. But I don't live in beautiful woods like you do, so I walk in the city all the time with my iPod. Generally, I always listen for a bit before falling asleep, too.

Hi Nancy - Nice review of World Without End. I read Pillars, but maybe I'll look for the audio for World Without End. I have a theory about ex-journalists being good storytellers. They know how to tell stories, what to put in and what to leave out.

I've heard interviews with Follett, and he has special affection for his historical novels.

So, what's next?

Good review of World Without End, Nancy. Thumb! You make me want to take on Ken Follett - it has been years since I read one of his novels - I have Pillars on the shelf waiting for me. Worthy of Trollope in length, but as long as one is entertained by a good story and a good narrator, it's just fine. He, he...I also listen to a bit of audio in bed at night - good way to zzzzzzzzz.....

Nancy, congrats for finishing such a lengthy book on audio. I read both of Follett's tomes and enjoyed them, Pillars a bit more than World. I'll probably tackle his latest trilogy when all the books have been published.

#180 Hi Beth, love your theory about ex-journalists being good storytellers. Makes sense to me! I've also read that Follett has special affection for his historical novels.

Next up on audio is Cranford. I really enjoy Gaskell, have read North and South and Ruth, and listened to Mary Barton and now Cranford. I'm presently reading The Hunger Games. This series is SO popular amongst high school students, I've been curious. Not my thing, really, as it turns out. But I can see my students' attraction.

#181 Thanks, Carsten. I know you listen to a lot of audiobooks. They are a great way to zzzz, aren't they? (except when I fall sound asleep and then have NO idea where I left off, LOL). I think you'd really enjoy John Lee reading Pillars and World Without End. Read Pillars first: a) it's the first in the series; and b) it's the better book : ).

#182 Thanks, Donna. I'm definitely with you on enjoying Pillars a bit more. I think I'll tackle his latest trilogy when it's all been published, too.

Hi Nancy,

I'm sort of caught up now and very jealous that you got to see Still Life. I hope it's available in the US soon. I did notice that Penny stopped talking about the movie in her FB posts after being very excited about it early on. Like it or not, it'd be interesting to see. I had heard Ralph Cosham, who narrates her books, has a bit part.

I'm going to second Deb's rec of Letters From Skye. I read an arc and loved it but was sorry to see if get so little attention. It's a charmer!

eta - I meant to comment on the photo in #1 - gorgeous!

#184 Hi Joanne : ). Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed Still Life, the movie. Bonnie also mentioned that Penny stopped talking about the movie on her FB page; perhaps there were "artistic differences"? Don't know: it seemed to follow the book's plot genuinely, and the cast was excellent.

Thanks for another rec for Letters from Skye. Glad you like my photo, too.

Oh my goodness, I decided to check on the availability of Follett's Century Trilogy. Fall of Giants is available in audiobook read by none other than Downton Abbey's Dan Stevens! And Winter of the World is available on audio read by John Lee. I'm happy, happy, happy : ). Oh, and the final book in the trilogy, Edge of Eternity will be released Sep 2014.

Hi Nancy, I've got these Ken Follett books on my TBR pile and am looking forward to reading them, glad you're enjoying them as well. Hope this finds you well my dear.

#187 Hi John, lovely to "see" you : ). Sounds like there are several of us planning to read Follett's Century Trilogy.

Hi Nancy - Those are some BIG books -- as my students would say. Someday.

#189 LOL, Beth, yes they are some BIG!

Nancy- I was also impressed with World Without End. I also preferred "Pillars" but in some ways the 2nd book was better. A lot less rapes, for one thing.
I have not heard many positive things about Fall of Giants, so I think I will take a pass on that one.

That Follett he just writes and writes and writes. Pages and pages per day. Yoicks.

#191 Hi Mark, glad you also enjoyed the Follett novels, and you make a good point about World Without End. I have not heard anything about Fall of Giants; if it is as you say, I may also take a pass.

#192 LOL, Lucy. Indeed, he does. Write and write and write and write and write.

57.
The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins



Rating: 3/5

First things first, I am not part of the target audience for Collins’ wildly successful The Hunger Games. But I work with young people who are part of the target audience, and they adore the series. So I wanted to see what they were up to.

The novel is set in a dystopian society which was once North America. The premise of the annual “Hunger Games” involves young people from several neighbouring districts who are randomly selected to engage in a deadly game of survival where winner takes all. The characters are not particularly well drawn, but the novel is relatively well-written, and there is enough adventure, teenage angst, and young love in the story to keep both male and female YA interested.

The three-star rating is based on my enjoyment of the novel – I’ve said I am not part of Collins’ target audience, and what’s more I am not particularly a fan of dystopian literature. Now, if I were to rate The Hunger Games on the fact that I’ve seen it create young readers out of non-readers – well, the rating would be very different. In that regard, Collins has my full support. For the same reasons I read The Hunger Games, I may go on to read Catching Fire and Mockingjay, but I do not intend to do so right away.

Hi Nancy - Nice review. I felt much the same way about The Hunger Games -- and the first one is certainly the best one, at least in my opinion.

#195 Thanks, Beth. It's wonderful to see young non-readers grab hold of a book, isn't it? Hmm, if The Hunger Games is the best of the three, I may not read on. In any case, I won't be reading on any time soon.

Good thoughts on The Hunger Games, Nancy - I liked the movie-version and decided last year to read the second in the series and thought it was quite good as a dystopian novel with another surprise ending. I listened to nr. three in the series but the narrator had such a weird voice I couldn't continue to listen. Also a little too much "teenage angst" (read: teenage whining) - it was the same feeling as with Harry Potter - I eventually got tired in the middle of the fifth novel - come on Harry, stop complaining - you're the chosen one so deal with it. Ah, well, in these cases I do prefer the movies.

#197 Thanks, Carsten. Had to chuckle at your remarks about teenage whining: deal with it, LOL. Indeed! I've never read the Harry Potter series, but I think I might also prefer the movies in the case of The Hunger Games.

58.
Cranford, Elizabeth Gaskell



Rating: 4/5

2009, Blackstone Audiobooks, Read by Nadia May

The charming Victorian town of Cranford is populated by a host of venerable female lovelies. Among them: Mary Smith, the narrator, who stays frequently with Miss Matty Jenkyns, the amiable and good-natured, if rather timid, old spinster – and my favourite character; Miss Deborah Jenkyns, Miss Matty’s imperious older sister, who dies early on in the novel; Miss Pole, allegedly the most enlightened (though I beg to differ) of the Cranford ladies; Mrs Jamieson, a mostly lethargic widow with aristocratic connections and the owner of the beloved dog, Carlo. Male characters, few but nonetheless entertaining, include the poor Captain Brown, who moves to Cranford with his two daughters; a creepy butler; a surgeon; and a travelling magician.

And what the ladies do get up to over tea! Miss Deoborah and Captain Brown engage in a positively pretentious literary disagreement over the merits of Dickens and Dr Johnson. Miss Deborah, who considers “it vulgar, and below the dignity of literature to publish in numbers” (Ch 1), is appalled at the Captain’s regard for the contemporary The Pickwick Papers. And when the ladies have themselves convinced that Cranford’s homes are being “attacked” by robbers, they work themselves up to confessions of greatest fear: ghosts; criminals; and Miss Matty’s hilarious account of the proverbial monster-under-the-bed. But at its heart, Cranford is most importantly a novel about love and friendship. When Miss Matty’s livelihood is erased by the bad investments of her late father, her friends, and indeed all Cranford, rally to ensure she will be able to remain in her home. A plan is mutually agreed upon where she will sell tea from her parlour (very discreetly, of course, lest anyone should think that Miss Matilda Jenkyns stoop to engaging in the baseness of trade). Now, if only Miss Matty would refrain from attempting to promote her own failure:

“I left Miss Matty with a good heart. Her sales of tea during the first two days had surpassed my most sanguine expectations. The whole country round seemed to be all out of tea at once. The only alteration I could have desired in Miss Matty’s way of doing business was, that she should not have so plaintively entreated some of her customers not to buy green tea – running it down as a slow poison, sure to destroy the nerves, and produce all manner of evil. Their pertinacity in taking it, in spite of all her warnings, distressed her so much that I really thought she would relinquish the sale of it, and so lose half her custom; and I was driven to my wits’ end for instances of longevity entirely attributable to a persevering use of green tea.” (Ch 15)

While North and South remains my absolute favourite of Gaskell’s work, I thoroughly enjoyed Cranford. It is positively charming. Highly recommended.

Lest we forget.

Great review, thumb, Nancy - I'm conflicted about Cranford - BBC have made a wonderful adaptation but ruined the novel for me - The tv-series have altered some of the storyline from the novel and put another story from Cranford into it - so when I started to listen to the audiobook I got all confused and it just didn't seemed right. So I didn't finish it.

I loved the discussion about Dickens and Dr. Johnson. He, he...to think of Dickens as a bad boy :) Well, we are in Cranford!! And the green tea - oh my :)

Ah, this is why you should never watch the movie / series first! :)

Seriously, I think forcing three distinct works together like that in order to have something you can call "a series" does an injustice all around.

#201 Thanks, Carsten. Yes, I remember you saying that you did not finish listening to Cranford. I have also watched the BBC production with Judi Dench, but you're right that it is very different. I agree with Liz that jamming three distinct works together like that in order to have something you can call "a series" does an injustice all around.

I also loved the "literary disagreement" over Dickens the bad boy, hehe.

#202 Yes, it is certainly better to read first, watch later, Liz. That said, I have seen BBC's Cranford … I did not realize until I began reading and looked further into it that it was no less than three works forced together. Bad move!

Wonderful review of Cranford, Nancy!

Hmmmm two lovely reviews Nancy but only one is for a book I will undoubtedly read. Since I don't work with any students at this time I will not have to bite the bullet and read The Hunger Games and all I can say about that is...Yay!!

Cranford is an entirely different ball of wax (and North and South is languishing on my shelf). I expect to read both of those book at some point. Thumb for another excellent review.

#204 Thanks, Lori: ).

#205 Oh, Bonnie, make me smile : ). Having just read The Hunger Games, I understand your delight that you don't have to read it, LOL.

As for Gaskell, I'm pretty sure you will enjoy both Cranford and North and South. As I've said, the latter remains my absolute favourite of hers. And by the by, BBC does a fabulous, swoon-worthy North and South, for after you've read the book, of course : ).

Hi Nancy - Nice review of Cranford - that's been waiting patiently on my shelf for a while. Probably next year...

#207 Thanks, Beth. I think you will enjoy. It's been waiting on my shelf for a while, too. Nice to get to it finally.

I think listening to Gaskell would be such a good idea! Lovely review. I'll have to look for the North and South which I have read, so I'm allowed to watch the 'animated' version!

#209 Lucy, I love listening to the classics. I listened to Mary Barton as well as Cranford. I read both North and South and Ruth. Yes, you must read North and South so you're allowed to watch the swoon version : ).

The Hunger Games interests me, and your review doesn't put me off, so that is a good thing!
Thanks for doing the ground work :)

#211 You're welcome, Megan : ). I hope you will enjoy the series.

Hi Nancy. I have to confess Follett's Pillars of the Earth was a huge DNF for me several years ago but I gobbled up The Hunger Games trilogy. At least we agree about Cranford, North and South and Can You Forgive Her? :-)

I still need to read Gaskell's other novels but I enjoyed some of her short stories last year - I don't know if those are available in audio format though?

#213 Heather, vive la difference : ). We certain can agree on the Gaskell and Trollope novels you've read. I just had a boo at Librivox.org and some of Gaskell's short stories appear to be available! I've not downloaded any Gaskell books from Librivox, but I have listened to other selections … there are some fine volunteer readers on board.

I finished Pillars mainly because I listened to it and I like the reader's voice! But I sent the next one sailing out of the house, knew for sure I'd never read it. The information and settings were good to very good but the plot was so ploddingly predictable. I'm totally with you all on Trollope and Gaskell however!!!!

#215 Hi Lucy, delighted to have you on board the Trollope-Gaskell train!

59.
The Son of a Certain Woman, Wayne Johnston



Rating: 4/5

Percy Joyce, born in St John’s, Newfoundland in the 1950s, is an outsider from childhood, branded by congenital disfigurement. Taunted and bullied for his appearance, he is set apart on the other hand by his intelligence and wit. What’s more, he is an unbaptized adolescent living in a fiercely Catholic neighbourhood. And if all of that weren’t enough, his home life is beyond the pale.

The Joyces live in the Mount, home of the city’s Catholic schools and most of its clerics, none of whom are the least bit fond of the scandalous Joyces. Penelope Joyce, Percy’s mother, is a “recalcitrant non-churchgoing maverick” (9); a single parent, abandoned by her fiancé, Jim Joyce, before Percy’s birth; and a voluptuous looker. Save the clerics, all of the men (and some of the women) in the Mount want to sleep with her, including their boarder, Pops McDougal, a local chemistry teacher. Pops is in love with Penelope, and, although she wants nothing to do with him, they have a once-a-month arrangement for “mortgage sex.” Medina Joyce, Percy’s aunt, is also in love with Penelope – a mutual relationship between the two “Crazy Lizzies.” It’s little wonder that the Archbishop’s chief goal is to bring “little Percy Joyce” into the bosom of the Church by whatever means necessary.

The Son of a Certain Woman has been hailed as “Wayne Johnston’s funniest, sexiest novel yet, controversial in its issues, wise, generous and then some in its depiction of humanity.” I certainly can’t say it any better than that, though I’d add “quirky extraordinaire” to the list. Deserving of its place on 2013’s Giller SL, and recommended to Johnston fans, lovers of Canadian and Newfoundland lit, and those unabashed by an maverick look at Sex and Church.

Hi, Nancy. Great reviews as usual! I am one who gives thanks that she will not ever have to read *Hunger Games* because the ones she teaches are reading it. I will, however, eventually get to Cranford. I read Wives and Daughters sometime in the past 20 years and enjoyed it a lot. Your review makes me want to boot Johnston up a lot higher on Mt. Bookpile. Thanks!

Great review, Nancy. That sounds like one for my WL!

Hope you are having a good weekend.

#218 Hi Peggy, you are among the fortunate retired teachers who are spared The Hunger Games, LOL. I have not read Wives and Daughters, but I must at some point. I saw the BBC production of it some years ago, and it was very good. Glad I could help give Johnston the boot : ).

#219 Thanks, Katie. I think you would enjoy The Son of a Certain Woman.

Nice review of The Son of a Certain Woman, Nancy.

#221 Thanks, Beth.

Nancy - I find myself in agreement with you on Follett but with regards to some of his other work. In Eye of the Needle he entertains royally but I am a little nervous as to whether he can sustain that over a couple of thousand pages as is required in his two series reads.
I have the medieval series on the shelves and weighing a little heavily there too in truth so I might put it to the test especially if I am planning a longish journey.

I just want to have a slight gripe about the promotion of Canadian authors internationally. Wayne Johnston, Will Ferguson and M.G. Vassanji are among writers I would like to read (I have read two of Vassanji's books and loved them both) but they are ridiculously difficult to find in Asia. Giles Blunt. whose series is a particular favourite is also now seemingly unavailable. Canadian publishers and agents should be making more of an effort.

Have a lovely weekend.

#223 Hi Paul : ). Have not raed Eye of the Needle so can't comment on that one. The medieval series are quick reads in spite of their size, well-suited to a long journey. Think escapism.

I had no idea Canadian literature was so difficult to find in Asia. I should say agents and publishers need to be making more of an effort.

Hope your weekend is lovely, too.

Ohhhhh you finally got to Wayne Johnston and it looks like you liked him well enough but you must look for The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. And I must look for The Son of a Certain Woman. Thumb!

Hi Nancy, just catching up. I enjoyed the brief discussion of Hunger Games. I really liked the first two books, and at the same time, I was really disturbed by them - I am also not the target audience. The third book was weird. It was like reading a video game sequence. I felt like the voices of several of the characters, Catniss in particular, were not the same as the first two books. The teenage whining was super annoying. It will be interesting to see how they do the third movie.

#225 Thanks, Bonnie. Yes, I have The Colony of Unrequited Dreams on my WL : ). Hope you get hold of The Son of a Certain Woman.

Just finished Let Him Go which was one of your recs. What a ride!

#226 Hi Jenn : ). Teenage whining is definitely not one of my strong points. Not even sure I'm going to read the other two in The Hunger Games trilogy, actually. I'm glad I read the first one; I have a sense now of what the attraction is for my teenaged students.

60.
Let Him Go, Larry Watson



Rating: 4/5

In 1950s North Dakota, George and Margaret Blackledge lose their only son to a horse riding accident. Left behind are their son’s widow and young child, Jimmy, adored by his grandparents. When Jimmy’s mother remarries a dark-haired charmer from Montana and relocates to that state, Margaret is determined she will go to any length to get her grandson back. She and George set out in their Hudson across the Badlands. Turns out the Weboys are known in various parts of Montana. They have a reputation which precedes them – cruel, dishonest, sinister, criminal. But the Blackledges truly have no idea what they’re headed for.

How far will we go for family? Is there a line we will not cross? What about the lines blurring before our eyes – the ones we swore we’d never cross? Such are the questions addressed in Let Him Go, a novel propelled by superb writing and memorable matriarchs: Margaret Blackledge and Blanche Weboy. Watson’s suspense is unputdownable.

>223 PaulCranswick: I was less than impressed with Follett's writing so was unable to fully appreciate the story. Good though it may have been.

Hi Nancy,
From your latest review....a novel propelled by superb writing....that is mainly what I look for in a novel. I will definitely be putting this o my WL.

Great reviews Nancy. I'm a little hesitant towards Son of a Certain Woman - is it mainly a story about the woman or the son?

Let Him Go sounds more like my cuppa tea....unputdownable suspence :)

#229 Hi Megan : ). Follett's a great storyteller but not a superb writer. It's wonderful when the two meet head-on. I think you will enjoy Let Him Go.

#230 Hi Carsten : ). The Son of a Certain Woman is a story about the son, but his family figures very largely. I think you're right that Let Him Go would be more your cuppa!

Nancy, you have put another Wayne Johnston book on my WL. I really enjoyed learning about the history of Newfoundland in his Colony book. I'm so glad you liked Let Him Go. Watson is definitely a combo of good writing and great storytelling.

Hi Nancy , just passing by my dear, have had a busy day as my FIL came home today after six months in hospital/ care home.

#232 Hi Donna, happy to help you out with another Wayne Johnston book. I've got his Colony one on my WL.

#233 Hi John, glad you dropped by : ). Hope your FIL is doing much better.

Hi nancy. The Larry Watson book sounds interesting but frustratingly he doesn't seem to have UK publishers at the moment so his books are a bit on the pricey side. A shame, because I've heard good things about his books.

#235 Hi Heather, it is definitely frustrating when availability is limited. Paul, at #223, was just lamenting how hard it was to get hold of Wayne Johnston's (Canadian author) books in Asia. I've been frustrated more than once, too, with the same difficulties.

Globe and Mail: Eleanor Catton wins the Governor General's Literary Award for The Luminaries.

Yay for Catton's win of the GG! I am holding off on reading The Luminaries until next year as one of the categories for my 2014 category challenge is for big books (page count wise) and this one easily fits that category! I absolutely loved Catton's debut novel The Rehearsal for the writing style (and the story) so I am looking forward to settling in with The Luminaries.

#238 Hi Lori, I'm looking forward to settling in with The Luminaries, too. Maybe Christmas break? Hmm, I'll have to look up The Rehearsal; thanks for the tip : ).

Way to go, Ellie!

I loved The Eye of the Needle way way back when it came out.

Let Him Go sounds like a hard, but rewarding read.

#240 Hi Darryl, make me smile : ). Ellie is pickin' up steam ...

#241 Hi Lucy, I've not read anything by Follett except his Kingsbridge books. Let Him Go was a good read!

Hi Nancy - The Luminaries definitely sounds like a "break" book to me, too.

Somehow I missed your excellent review of Let Him Go Nancy. I was bowled over by the power of the book. The unputdownable aspect didn't hurt either.

I guess I don't understand the rules for the Governor General's Award. Was she eligible because she was born in Canada? At any rate, yay Ellie!

^ The GG has some broader eligibility requirements, namely:

Books must be first foreign or first Canadian edition trade books that have been written, translated or illustrated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada (they do not need to be residing in Canada). In the Translation category, the original work, written in French, must also be a Canadian-authored title.

I am guessing that Catton has retained her Canadian citizenship (and most likely holds dual citizenship) even though she doesn't reside in Canada.

#243 Hi Beth, no two things go together like a holiday and a BIG book!

#244 Hi Bonnie, I read Let Him Go on your recommendation. It certainly did not disappoint!

Lori has posted an excellent response below regarding the GG Literary Awards criteria.

#245 Thanks, Lori, I would have had to go and look that information up. My first guess was also that Catton has retained Canadian citizenship.

61.
Angle of Repose, Wallace Stegner



5/5

Lyman Ward, a recently divorced university professor, wheelchair-bound by a debilitating bone disease, has retired to the California home of his paternal grandparents, where he is researching the life of his grandmother, Susan Burling Ward.

Susan is a genteel, Victorian East-coaster, an accomplished artist and writer, and part of New York’s literary elite when she meets Oliver Ward, a mining engineer. Much to the dismay of her friends, she marries him and moves west – her Victorian gentility transplanted to late 1800s frontier. Their peripatetic existence is marred by failure and disappointment, one after the next, as Oliver’s innovative engineering projects seem rarely to come to fruition. The two of them, now with their three children, pick up and move – and move again. Susan, continuing to write and sketch, easily secures steady commissions from the East. But she never wholly submits to her chosen life – holding her superior self, so she deems, always at arm’s length from both West and Westerners. When tragedy besets the family, the irreconcilability of her situation can no longer be dismissed: “I have held myself above my chosen life, with results that I must repent and grieve for the rest of my days. I have not been loyal.” (VIII, 7)

As the novel moves back and forth between frontier and Lyman Ward’s present experience, it is revealed that his own life, too, is characterized by distance from family, by failed relationships. Stegner uses the engineering term, angle of repose, in a brilliant extended metaphor which permeates the novel. Lyman says of his grandparents:

“What interests me in all these papers is not Susan Burling Ward the novelist and illustrator, and not Oliver Ward the engineer, and not the West they spend their lives in. What really interests me is how two such unlike particles clung together, and under what strains, rolling downhill into their future until they reached the angle of repose where I knew them. That’s where the interest is. That’s where the meaning will be if I find any.” (IV, 1)

The Angle of Repose is a novel (an experience really) of the sort that comes along very rarely. I cannot say enough about it: brilliant, outstanding, magnificent, resplendent, I could go on. It has found a place on my list of all-time favourites. Highly, highly recommended.

____________________

The prose:
“A trance was on her eyes, she saw up, down, ahead, and to both sides without moving head or eyeballs. Before her, reaching to her feet, was the pocked, silvered dust of the corral, across which the shadow of the opposite fence was drawn like a musical staff. High across the river her window glowed orange; straight ahead, and up, Arrow Rock jutted black beside the moon. All her right hand was a blackness of cliff. Upward the sky opened, a broad strip of silver gilt with the moon burning through it and stars like fading sparks flung down toward the world's rim.” (VII, 7)

Big thumb up Nancy. Angle of Repose is one of my favorite books ever but, really, you can't go wrong with any of Stegner's books. Wonderful wonderful writer. Hmmm I think I just talked myself into a reread haha. Or actually you did.

Hi~ I saw the three Jussi Adler-Olsen books in your list. I read those this year, too, and loved them!

#248 Thanks, Bonnie. I have not read Stegner before Angle of Repose. What perfection! I'm hooked; will definitely be reading more. Chuckled that I've talked you into a reread : ).

#249 Hi Jeannie, the Adler-Olsen books are wonderful reads.

Must. Read. Stegner.

>245 lkernagh: I guess both NZ and Canada wants her in their camp! I always claim people born in NZ who moved elsewhere as kiwis but am happy to also claim Eleanor Catton as a kiwi :)

Nancy, I am so glad you loved Angle of Repose as much as I did. I am due for a reread because I read it so long ago. I wish there weren't so many new books out there that I want to read, too. I'm reading as fast as I can and still have some semblance of a life! *Rushing off to drop a thumb on that wonderful review*

#251 Yes.You.Must, Katie : ).

#252 Megan, I tend to agree. I expect Catton had to have retained her Canadian citizenship in order to be considered for the GG Literary Awards.

#253 Hi Donna, and thank you : ). I'm so delighted to have come across perfection in Angle of Repose! Am still on a high, LOL. It is one I will also read again.

I have to admit that I haven't heard of Wallace Stegner before - But excellent review, Nancy - you got me interested. I had my Pulitzer Prize "high" earlier this year with Marilynne Robinson's Gilead :)

Angle of Repose has just gone on the WL. Great review!

Great review of Angle of Repose, Nancy!

Hi Nancy - Angle of Repose definitely goes on my list of "to read" for 2014. Stellar review.

#255 Hi Carsten, Stegner was recommended to me here on LT : ). I will definitely be reading more of him. Exceptional! Sounds like you've got your Pulitzer Prize read for 2014 lined up!

#256 Hi Rhian, thank you. I'm delighted you've put Angle of Repose on your WL. I don't think you will be disappointed! I love that these recommendations move throughout LT; I was hit with the Stegner bullet some time ago on Donna's (Donna828) thread.

#257 Thanks, Darryl : ). Have you read this one. If not, you must. I can't stop gushing!

#258 Hi Beth, we must have cross-posted! Glad you enjoyed the review and delighted you've got Stegner on your 2014 TBR list. I hope you will love it as much as I did.

#236 It's frustrating but... sometimes it's also a relief to realise I can't add a book to the long list of books to read :-)

#247 Great review of Angle of Repose Nancy. I seem to have a mental block when it comes to wanting to read American authors for some reason so I'm not quite at the stage of adding Angle of Repose to my wishlist but I'm considering thinking about doing so, if that makes sense...

#261 Hi Heather, make me chuckle with sometimes it's also a relief to realise I can't add a book to the long list of books to read. Too true!

Glad you enjoyed the review of Angle of Repose. I do understand mental blocks! They come and go with me, regarding one thing or another … books, or otherwise : ).

A late thumb for your sterling review of *Angle* - I look forward to the really good Stegner that I haven't read yet!

Also chiming in with a thumb for Angle of Repose. One of my favorite books of all time, and IMO, one of his best. Great review!

Look at everyone lining up their 2014 challenges! It is inspiring. :)

#263 Thanks, Peggy : ). Oh, you will LOVE Angle of Repose.

#264 Thanks, Jenn : ). Sounds like you loved Angle of Repose as much as I did : ). Will definitely be reading more Stegner.

I hear you, so many organized readers here on LT. I never have any plans. Flying by the seat of my pants last-minute, all the time. That's me, LOL.

Hello Nancy - always such great reading on your list! I have Angle of Repose on my shelves somewhere - must move it to the bedside!

#266 Hi Prue, I have had a wonderful reading year. Yes, you definitely must move Angle of Repose to your bedside table.

I was wowed by Angle of Repose too! I should get back to Stegner..... I will I will I will.

#268 Lucy, wowed is just the word! I have to read more Stegner too. I'll promise myself to read another one in 2014.

Nancy - I'm with you. I rarely plan my reading, except for my book club books. I feel like the rest of my life is scheduled enough.

I have read several Stegner books. I really liked Crossing to Safety and did a great group read of Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs a couple years ago. That's a great story about the challenges and blessings of living in the west... I have also read most of Mormon Country. He is a great writer. *Gush alert*

#270 Hi Beth, honestly I'm not sure I'd enjoy my reading as much if it was rigidly planned. Like you say, the rest of my life is scheduled enough.

#271 Jenn, love your Gush alert! I'm going to put some more of your Stegner recs on my WL. I'll start with Crossing to Safety. Thanks for those : ).

Now, with all this to do about Angle of Repose, I suppose I must put it on my library WL!
There is no point fighting it.

Hi Nancy, just passing by my dear, hope everything is good with you.

#273 Megan, you are right that you MUST read Angle of Repose! Well done, not fighting it, LOL.

#274 Hi John, all's well here. Hope things find you the same.

62.
A Trick of the Light, Louise Penny



Rating: 4/5

“Facts were necessary. They pointed the way, and helped form the net. But the killer himself was tracked by following not only facts but feelings. The fetid emotions that had made a man into a murderer.” (Ch 1)

A Trick of the Light opens in Montreal’s elite art world where Clara Morrow’s solo show is featured at the Musée d’Art Contemporain. Her success is what every artist dreams of – the vernissage beyond anything she had imagined. Accordingly, she and her husband, Peter, extend the celebration to a garden party at their home in quaint Three Pines. But apparently not everyone has come to celebrate: the murdered body of art critic Lillian Dyson is discovered in their front garden. Enter Gamache and his team from the Sûreté du Québec.

It is discovered that the murder victim was well known in the art community, mostly for her scathing, destructive reviews – some of which destroyed careers and artists alike. Interestingly, a newcomer’s chip from Alcoholics Anonymous is also discovered at the scene: had Dyson lived something of a double life? “In one Lillian was sober and healthy, and in the other she was cruel, unchanged, unrepentant.” (Ch 18) The plot thickens when the Morrows reveal they knew Dyson very well; in fact, Clara had grown up with her. Is it possible Lillian had come to rain on her friend’s success? Or had she come to make amends for past behaviour? Or, had someone else, who knew of Clara’s connection with the victim, murdered her at the Morrows’ home, in hope of casting blame on Clara?

A Trick of the Light is highly recommended. In fact, I’ve decided I’d like to move to Three Pines!

Hi Nancy - Nice review. I think this series is improving with time.

#277 Thanks, Beth. I think so, too : ).

Good luck with the move to Three Pines, Nancy :) Say hello to Gamache for me. Fine review - This must be one of the detective-series I have to start on next year.

#279 Thanks, Carsten : ). Winter is not the best time to move in Canada, but wouldn't Christmas at Three Pines be lovely? I'll be so curious to see what you think of Gamache and the crew.

Well if you move to Three Pines Nancy, we can live next to each other. You, me, Gabby, Clara, Ruth, and all the other charming residents will be our friends and we'll spend endless hours at the Bistro and at Myrna's book store (of course). And when Gamache comes to town, we can stick our noses into the investigation haha.

And I will wave to all of you from North Carolina.

#281 LOL, that sounds fabulous, Bonnie. Curled up in front of the fire at The Bistro for lunch right before the afternoon at Myrna's Books : ). Yes, and playing investigators, too. Oh, how exciting1

#281 And we'll wave back, Peggy! I do hope you'll come for a visit : ).

I must give the Three Pines another try Nancy, if only to see you when I get there!

Have a lovely weekend.

Hi Nancy- Excellent review of Angle of Repose. It was my first Stegner and remains my favorite, although I have many of his books still to read. Crossing to Safety is probably a close second. I should have added him to my American Author Challenge.

#284 Yes, you must, Paul. See you in Three Pines : ).

#285 Mark, I just adored Angle of Repose, as you can probably tell. I've got Crossing to Safety lined up for a 2014 read.

Stopping by - I like the Penny's too - although I've sort of lost track of what I have and haven't read..... must sort that out! I'm getting way behind.

#287 Hi Lucy, yes, you must sort out your Three Pines! I've got two left to read. Wonder if Penny is writing more of them? Bonnie might know the answer to that … she's caught up with Penny on FB at least once. *Are you reading, Bonnie?* : )

63.
TransAtlantic, Colum McCann



Rating: 5/5

“There is always room for at least two truths.” (152)

TransAtlantic opens in 1919 where two young airmen who have managed to exit WWI intact, will pilot the first non-stop transatlantic flight from Newfoundland to Ireland. In 1845, a black American slave travels to Ireland, championing his ideals of freedom and democracy. And in 1998, a US Senator is engaged in multi-national talks in Dublin to bring Northern Ireland to peace. Such are the stories of Book One of the novel. McCallum is genius in using them as his point of departure for Book Two, also set on both sides of the Atlantic. Minor characters in each of the three stories reappear as familial generations of remarkable women caught up in the tide of history. Among them: Lily, an Irish maid; Emily, newspaper reporter; Lottie, photographer and tennis enthusiast.

Book Three, the novel’s final Book, is a meditation on memory, on time, and on history. Can we go back? How do we move forward? What is the effect of the past on the present? How, precisely, do our lives connect and intersect?

“The tunnels of our lives connect, coming to daylight at the oddest moments, and then plunge us into the dark again. We return to the lives of those who have gone before us, a perplexing möbius strip until we come home, eventually, to ourselves." (252)

TransAtlantic is one of the best novels I’ve read this year: the writing, the plot the structure – remarkable, all! Highly recommended. I’ll definitely be reading more of McCallum’s work.

Nancy, stopping by to wish you a very happy Christmas and New Year!

#290 Thank you so much, Rhian. You, too!

Wonderful review, Nancy - thumb - a good end of the reading year - with a five star and a best read. I like it when story and ideas of time and memory etc meet each other. Again - a merry christmas to you.

Hi Nancy- Great review of TransAtlantic. I was a big fan too. Have a fantastic Christmas with your family.

Looking forward to reading TransAtlantic! Fine review.

In the meantime, have a merry day tomorrow.

Hi Nancy - Happy Holidays. I hope to "see" you here in 2014.

Nancy, I loved your review of TransAtlantic. I've seen it on the library shelf but never been sure whether I would like it.

I hope you have a lovely Christmas and a great 2014.

Wonderful review of a book I also loved Nancy. It seems like McCann doesn't write books I don't like. Thumb! Have a wonderful Christmas my friend.

Merry Christmas to all of my wonderful LT friends! Love, peace, joy, and great readin' to you.

#292 Thanks, Carsten. Yes, what a fabulous way to send out 2013! Love what you say about when story and ideas of time and memory etc meet each other. You'll enjoy this one. Merry Christmas, my friend : ).

#293 Thanks, Mark. Delighted you also loved TransAtlantic. Merry Christmas to you and yours : ).

#294 Lucy, that is the most adorable ever! I've just sent it off to all of my sisters in an email! You will enjoy TransAtlantic. Merry Christmas, LT friend : ).

#295 Merry Christmas, Beth. I'll be here in 2014 : ).

#296 Thanks, Susan. I hope you will enjoy TransAtlantic as much as I did. Merry Christmas : ).

#297 Thanks, Bonnie. I have a feeling that McCann may be the same for me: doesn't write books I don't like. Hope so! Merry Christmas, my friend : ).

Merry Christmas to you, Nancy! I am getting caught up on two months' worth of posts -- sigh. You've been doing some great reading! I checked, and my library has both North and South and Cranford on audio, so I will definitely include them on my audio list for 2014. I wish it had the Blackstone Audio version, because I love Nadia May (aka Wanda McCaddon, Donata Peters). I think she is my favorite narrator, and she has shepherded me through many of my favorite books:)

Re: Hunger Games, I think you can safely leave the last two. I enjoyed the series, but definitely thought the first was the best.

I'm so glad you loved Angle of Repose! I second the recommendations for Crossing to Safety.

Transatlantic is on my list as well -- yay for friend-recommended books!

My very best wishes to you!

#300 Merry Christmas to you, Anne! Love that your favourite narrator is Nadia May. I also adore Simon Vance and Juliet Stevenson. Presently listening to Stevenson read Middlemarch, and she is divine! Think it will be another 5* read for me, but I'm not likely to get through it before year-end.

Appreciate your seconding Crossing to Safety. I think you will really enjoy TransAtlantic. And you're right: yay for friend-reocmmended books!

I adore Simon Vance also. I have heard rave reviews about Juliet Stevenson, and she is the narrator of North and South at the library:)

Nancy, this is the closest I could come to a Three Pines image for Christmas. You will have to supply the village and quirky characters! Merry Christmas to one of my favorite and most loyal visitors.

#302 Anne, you will LOVE Juliet Stevenson. I read North and South, so didn't know she narrated it. Woot! I may have to re-"read" it : ).

#303 Merry Christmas to you, Donna! I'm happy to supply the quirky characters : ).

Hi Nancy, Merry Christmas to you!
Very glad that you liked TransAtlantic. It was one of my favourites this year too. Another favourite was a Stegner Spectator Bird. You might like it too.

Nancy, still Canada's leading lady of posts this year! Not too surprising as your thread is a haven of warmth, wry good humour and excellent reading. Have a lovely Christmas, dear lady.

Merry Christmas, Nancy. Great review of Transatlantic. I loved it too. Have a very happy day tomorrow.

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!!

#305 Thank you, Mary. Merry Christmas. Appreciate the tip on Stegner's The Spectator Bird.

#306 Oh, thank you, Paul. What a lovely compliment. Merry Christmas to you and yours : ).

#307 Merry Christmas, Cushla : ). Delighted you also loved TransAtlantic.

#308 Merry Christmas, momma Chelle, poppa Nate, and baby Bearss!

Hi Nancy, Merry Christmas to you and yours, have a wonderful day and enjoy your pressies from John.

Merry Christmas, Nancy!

#310 Thank you, John, and Merry Christmas to you and your family as well.

#311 Merry Christmas, Katie.

64.
The Lost Garden, Helen Huphreys



Rating: 4.5/5

It’s spring 1941 and Gwen Davis, a young horticulturalist, leaves London, which is being destroyed by the Blitz, for an estate in the Devon countryside, where she will instruct a group of young women in growing crops for the home front. The estate, Mosel, is beautiful – neglected but seeming strangely removed from the war: “A quiet world. A slow garden.” (20)

Gwen is a lone, solitary figure: more at home with her Virginia Woolf novels and gardening books than she is with her peers. At Mosel, however, she will come face to face with long buried sorrows and distant emotions, which have plagued both past and present. She discovers a “lost” garden, and endeavours to restore it to its former beauty, uncovering, as she does so, three mysterious markers: Longing, Loss, Faith. Finally, Gwen will meet two people who will forever change her way of thinking: Raley, a Canadian officer who awaits posting to the front with his men; and Jane, a frail but free spirit whose fiancé is missing in action. As the war grows closer, and people and relationships are pulled apart and destroyed, Gwen will take with her from Devon that which the war cannot despoil:

“This is what I know about love. That it is tested every day, and what is not renewed is lost. One chooses either to care more or to care less. Once the choice is to care less, then there is no stopping the momentum of goodbye. Each loved thing slips away. There is no stopping it.” (7)

The Lost Garden is exquisite storytelling: beautiful, delicate, word-perfect. I was immediately caught up in its setting and prose and characters: it simply carried me away. Don’t miss this one.

I love The Lost Garden! I have a very difficult time picking a Helen Humphreys favorite.... her stories are just amazing! Stopping by with belated Christmas wishes Nancy and a

#314 Thanks, Lori : ). I've only read The Lost Garden and Coventry by Humpheys, but both were wonderful books.

Hi Nancy - Nice review of The Lost Garden. It is a lovely book.

Yes, I liked The Lost Garden too!

#316 Hi Beth, thanks. It is a lovely book!

#317 Hi Lucy, glad you also enjoyed The Lost Garden.

What a beautiful and insightful quote from The Lost Garden - love it. I have heard of Coventry but not this one. I think I would like it. Great review, Nancy - you end the year on a high note - reading-wise :)

So, Nancy, are you going to get in one more book this year?

#319 Thanks, Carsten. I just loved The Lost Garden, and I think you would too. You're right that I'm ending the year on a high note reading-wise. Fabulous!

#320 Hi Beth, I just started The Luminaries so I probably won't get one more in this year. I've got Middlemarch on the go, too, but it'll also be a 2014 finish.

2013 Wrap-Up

The Best:
(Top 5 Reads)
Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry
Doc, Mary Doria Russell
Bring Up the Bodies, Hilary Mantel
Angle of Repose, Wallace Stegner
TransAtlantic, Colum McCann

The Rest:
(Top 10 Reads)
Philida, Andre Brink
The Shipping News, E. Annie Proulx
Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale, Art Spiegelman
The Secret River, Kate Grenville
The Lost Garden, Helen Humphreys

Anthony Trollope: The Palliser Novels
(Fabulousness! Trollope needs his own category)
Can You Forgive Her, Anthony Trollope
Phineas Finn, Anthony Trollope
The Eustace Diamonds, Anthony Trollope
Phineas Redux, Anthony Trollope
The Prime Minister, Anthony Trollope
The Duke’s Children, Anthony Trollope

Happy New Year, LT friends! All the best, and see you in 2014!

Have a Happy new year Nancy and a lovely 2014 reading year my dear.

Happy New Year to you, Nancy. Great year of reading. See you next year.

Stopping by to wish you a Happy New Year Nancy and all the best in 2014!

Happy New Year, Nancy - looking forward to another one on your new thread in 2014. Interesting top ten list. A graphic novel making it to the top 10...and two westerns (at least that's what I spot) - they are on my watch-list...I have to I agree: Trollope needs a special reward - impressive that you have read all the Palliser in one year.

Thank you, John, Beth, Lori, and Carsten. I noticed the same thing about my top ten list, Carsten : ). I also read Wiesel's Night this year, but I only wanted one Holocaust novel on the list, and I was so impressed with my first graphic novel that Maus I was it.

Please come and join me on my new 2014 thread. See you there!