mathgirl40's 2014 Category Challenge -- Part 2

Welcome to part 2 of my challenge! The thread for January to April is here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/160915

Here are my categories for 2014:

1. Classics and books from the 1001 list
2. Noir and hard-boiled mysteries
3. Space operas
4. Non-fiction
5. Graphic novels
6. Shorter fiction: short stories, novellas
7. Dust collectors
8. Around the world
9. Continuing series
10. Canadian literary awards
11. International literary awards
12. Mysteries
13. SFF
14. Miscellaneous

My goal is to read a minimum of 8 books in each category.




I'll be tracking again the books off my shelves (ones acquired before Jan. 1, 2014), but I hope to do better than I did last year!

Category 1: Classics and books from the 1001 list



Not only do I like classics, but I also love the classic Penguin covers!

1. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery (Feb. 10)
2. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (Feb. 12)
3. Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin (Apr. 28)
4. The Chrysalids by John Wyndham (May 2)
5. King Lear by William Shakespeare (July 19)
6. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner (Sept. 29)

Category 2: Noir and hard-boiled mysteries



Reading and rewatching Laura recently inspired me to add a noir/hard-boiled category for 2014.

1. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (May 17)
2. Fatale, Volume 1: Death Chases Me by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (July 9)
3. I Married a Dead Man by Cornell Woolrich (July 25)
4. Garnethill by Denise Mina (July 31)
5. Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (Sept. 26)

Category 3: Space Operas



This category is for the year-long Vorkosigan group read. I’m also hoping to read more in the Liaden series. The cover shown above is for a Korean translation of The Warrior’s Apprentice.

1. Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold (Jan. 7)
2. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold (Feb. 22)
3. The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold (Mar. 20)
4. Saltation by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Mar. 29)
5. The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold (Apr. 10)
6. The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold (Apr. 18)
7. Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold (July 14)
8. Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold (Aug. 30)
9. Labyrinth by Lois McMaster Bujold (Sept. 11)

Category 4: Non-fiction



I thought the seal for my alma mater, the University of Waterloo, would be an appropriate graphic for this category. The university’s motto is “concordia cum veritate,” which means “in harmony with truth,” or as some of us like to put it, “a compromise with reality.”

1. The Massey Murder by Charlotte Gray (Apr. 9)
2. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (June 15)
3. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (July 24)
4. Speculative Fiction 2012 by Justin Landon (July 25)
5. The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King (August 19)
6. The Stop: How the Fight for Good Food Transformed a Community and Inspired a Movement (Aug. 22)

Category 5: Graphic Novels



The graphic for this category is a panel from the Grandville series, the artwork for which I particularly like.

1. Grandville Mon Amour by Bryan Talbot (Apr. 5)
2. Locke & Key: Clockworks by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (Apr. 26)
3. Locke & Key: Alpha & Omega by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (Apr. 27)
4. Cigars of the Pharaoh by Hergé (June 17)
5. The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who by Paul Cornell (July 11)
6. Saga, Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan (July 22)
7. Chew, Volume 1: Taster's Choice by John Layman (Sept. 10)

Category 6: Shorter fiction: short stories, novellas



What better photo for this category than the master of the short story, 2013 Nobel prize winner Alice Munro?

1. The Inimitable Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse (Feb. 18)
2. Hugo Short Story and Novelette nominees (July 21)
3. The Runner and the Kelpie by Dave Duncan (Sept. 3)
4. Steampunk Prime edited by Mike Ashley (Sept. 6)
5. The Pyramid and Other Stories by Henning Mankell (Sept. 21)

Category 7: Dust collectors



Anything that’s been sitting on my shelf (or the virtual shelf on my e-reader) for several years will fall into this category.

1. The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou (Feb. 19)
2. The Mystery of the Screaming Clock by Robert Arthur (Mar. 23)
3. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein (Mar. 25)
4. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (July 7)
5. My Life as Emperor by Su Tong (Sept.30)

Category 8: Around the world



I plan to participate in the GeoCAT in 2014 and hope to visit some new countries through my reading.

1. Murder at Mount Fuji by Shizuko Natsuki -- Japan (Jan. 3)
2. The Tuner of Silences by Mia Couto -- Mozambique (Jan. 15)
3. The Son by Philipp Meyer -- USA (Jan. 22)
4. The Dinner by Herman Koch -- The Netherlands (Jan. 24)
5. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton -- New Zealand (Jan. 29)
6. Death at la Fenice by Donna Leon -- Italy (Feb. 14)
7. No and Me by Dephine de Vigan -- France (Feb. 27)
8. Hypothermia by Arnaldur Indridason -- Iceland (Feb. 24)
9. The House of the Mosque by Kader Abdolah -- Iran (Mar. 11)
10. The Long Song by Andrea Levy -- Jamaica (Apr. 3)
11. Nemesis by Jo Nesbø -- Norway (Apr. 12)
12. Parvana's Journey by Deborah Ellis -- Afghanistan (May 30)
13. The Third Son by Julie Wu -- Taiwan (Aug. 26)
14. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith -- Botswana (Sept. 23)

Category 9: Continuing series



I have a large number of series to finish up. The graphic above shows a few of my favourite Taylor series.

1. The Runner and the Saint by Dave Duncan (Apr. 22)
2. He Who Fears the Wolf by Karin Fossum (Apr. 30)
3. Outrage by Arnaldur Indridason (June 30)
4. Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery (August 5)
5. Goliath by Scott Westerfeld (Aug. 20)
6. The Abominable Man by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö (Aug. 31)
7. A Feast of Crows by G. R. R. Martin (Sept. 13)

Category 10: Canadian literary awards



This category will include books from the Ontario Library Association’s Evergreen list and Canada Reads, among others.

1. The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan (Feb. 28)
2. Flee, Fly, Flown by Janet Hepburn (Mar. 7)
3. The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood (May 15)
4. An Inquiry into Love and Death by Simone St. James (May 22)
5. The Cat by Edeet Ravel (May 31)
6. The Silent Wife by A. S. A. Harrison (August 11)
7. River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay (Sept. 27)

Category 11: International literary awards



This category will include books from the Tournament of Books and the Man Booker prize nominees, among others.

1. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (Jan. 12)
2. The Good Lord Bird by James McBride (Feb. 5)
3. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (Feb. 16)
4. Hill William by Scott McClanahan (Feb. 25)
5. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (Mar. 5)
6. How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid (Mar. 6)
7. At Night We Walk in Circles by Daniel Alarcón (Mar. 26)
8. The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara (June 10)
9. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (August 15)

Category 12: Mysteries



I plan to participate in the MysteryCAT in 2014, so there will be lots to fill up this category.

1. Mission Road by Rick Riordan (Jan. 19)
2. The Last Policeman by Ben Winters (Feb. 8)
3. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (Mar. 18)
4. When the Wind Blows by Cyril Hare (May 1)
5. Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie (May 2)
6. Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh (May 28)
7. Tragedy at Law by Cyril Hare (June 12)
8. Le Bouchon de cristal by Maurice Leblanc (August 8)
9. Shake Hands Forever by Ruth Rendell (Aug. 24)
10. Trust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay (Sept. 18)

Category 13: Science fiction and fantasy



I plan to purchase the Hugo Voter packet again this year and I’d like also to read more classic sci-fi.

1. Parasite by Mira Grant (Jan. 25)
2. The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers (Jan. 28)
3. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill (Mar. 30)
4. American Gods by Neil Gaiman (Apr. 8)
5. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (Apr. 20)
6. The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade (Apr. 24)
7. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (June 25)
8. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (July 29)

Category 14: Miscellaneous



This will be a mix of whatever doesn’t fit in the other categories.

1. Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (Apr. 6)
2. The Babe, B.A.: Being the Uneventful History of a Young Gentleman at Cambridge University by E. F. Benson (May 12)
3. Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer (June 20)
4. Kicking the Sky by Anthony De Sa (June 27)
5. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (Sept. 8)

Time for a new thread! The first third of the year went well, with 50 books read, 20 of which were off my shelf. I’m also really enjoying the three official CAT challenges and the Vorkosigan group read.

The next four months will likely include lots of SFF. I'll be continuing with the Vorkosigan group read, participating in the June women-in-SFF group read, and reading from the Hugo Voter Packet. The packet, which will be available soon, will include the entire Wheel of Time series. Whew! I don't think there's much hope of reading all (or even much) of it before I cast my votes but I plan to read at least the first, along with many of the other nominated works.

51. When the Wind Blows by Cyril Hare (4 stars)
Category: Mystery
Challenges: MysteryCAT

This is my first book by Cyril Hare, featuring lawyer and amateur detective Francis Pettigrew, and it definitely won’t be my last. In this story, Pettigrew is coerced by his wife into volunteering as treasurer of a local musical society. When the soloist at one of the society’s orchestral performances is murdered, Pettigrew gets drawn into the investigation. This was a well-crafted mystery with likeable characters (and a few wonderfully detestable ones). I found it a charming and enjoyable read. If you like classic English mysteries in the style of Agatha Christie, you will probably like Cyril Hare as well.

I’d discovered this author through volunteering at Distributed Proofreaders, a group that gets public-domain works into electronic formats so they can be offered through Project Gutenberg. I joined the Canadian division, and because of Canada’s more advantageous copyright laws, Cyril Hare’s works are available even though they are not in the US public domain.

52. The Chrysalids by John Wyndham (4.5 stars)
Category: Classics and 1001 Books

This classic post-apocalyptic novel follows the struggles of a boy with telepathic powers as he, along with a small group of friends, attempts to survive in a fanatically religious society that persecutes anybody who differs from its idealized image of the perfect human.

I liked this novel very much. Like The Giver, one of my favourite dystopian novels, it is suspenseful, tense, thought-provoking and a real page-turner even if it is not action packed like so many modern dystopian novels. I found it a little bit preachy at times and the ending had a deus ex machina feel, but that did not lessen by much my enjoyment of the novel as a whole.

Wow you have done some great reading this year so far. Your plans for the rest of the year are very ambitious! My mom loves The Wheel of Time series.

I forgot you had a short story category. Have you read Birds of Lesser Paradise? I really enjoyed the collection.

Yes, you have had some good reads this year. I love reviewing what someone has read when they get to a new thread.

Cool new thread! Keep up the good reading!

Happy new thread and nice review of The Chrysalids. I haven't read Wyndham yet even though I have one on my book shelf. Now I must get to The Day of the Triffids sooner rather than later.

Happy new thread, Paulina. You look to be right on track with your Challenge.

I first read The Chrysalids for school many, many years ago, I loved it then and still loved it when I read it again last year.

My daughter, who is a huge Fantasy fan, got me started on The Wheel of Time series a number of years ago. I think I read three but I would love to go back and re-read them and finish off the series. Will have to make a plan for that one of these years.

Happy new thread, Paulina and congratulations on the reading you have dome so far this year!

Hurray, new thread! I'd forgotten that Laura was the inspiration for your noir category. Are you planning to read the book?

Happy new thread!

>19 luvamystery65: Thanks for the recommendation. Birds of a Lesser Paradise looks intriguing. I'd been thinking of animals and nature lately, after hearing of Farley Mowat's death.

>20 dudes22: I agree. New threads are a great opportunity to see all the books that someone's read so far, and I also enjoy seeing the thread toppers again.

>21 mamzel: Thanks for stopping by!

>22 aliciamay: I plan to read The Day of the Triffids in the near future, too. Many have said that it's even better than The Chrysalids.

>23 DeltaQueen50: When I told a good friend of mine who had read the entire Wheel of Time series that I was going to receive all the books in my Hugo Voter Packet, her first words were, "Oh, I'm so very sorry." I guess she'd fallen out of love with WoT midway through the series but felt compelled to complete it, as she'd already invested so much time into it. :)

>24 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori!

>25 rabbitprincess: I'd already read Laura last year, around the same time that I rewatched the film. I'm hoping to finally put something into my noir category this month, with the MysteryCAT challenge, and of course, there's the noir month coming up too.

>26 christina_reads: Thanks for stopping by, Christina!

Checking in on your new thread after being away for a week.

>28 thornton37814: Thanks for dropping in, Lori!

Our local independent bookstore, Words Worth Books, had a huge 30th anniversary celebration on the weekend. It was a wonderful event, with cake and other treats donated by local bakeries, a visit from the mayor, book giveaways and a number of special guests including Guy Gavriel Kay and Terry Fallis! With so many bookstores shutting down these days, it's great to see this one doing so well. There's a big Chapters store nearby, but it just doesn't offer what this bookstore does: regular book-club meetings, knowledgeable staff members that greet me by name when I visit, author events, and most of all, a solid connection with the rest of the community.

53. Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie (3 stars)
Category: Mystery
Challenges: MysteryCAT

In Ancient Egypt, a man introduces his new concubine to his family, and this sets off a string of suspicious deaths. I love Agatha Christie and I have fond nostalgic recollections of reading this book as a teen, but I see it mostly as a failed experiment on Christie’s part. In her introduction to the book, she writes: "time and place are incidental to the story. Any other place at any other time would have served as well." So true. The novel felt like a typical cozy English murder mystery that happens to be set in Ancient Egypt. I found the dialogue particularly unnatural. However, I still enjoyed the mystery itself; it kept me guessing until the end.

>27 mathgirl40: Ah yes of course! It's all coming back now ;)

>29 mathgirl40: Sounds like an exciting event! Very happy to hear that the bookstore is doing well.

You met Guy Gavriel Kay?

I'd met GGK twice before, when this same bookstore arranged to have him come and promote Under Heaven and River of Stars. Both events attracted a full house. He has lots of fans in our area. If you get a chance to hear him speak, you should do so, as he is a very good speaker and gracious to his audience. I appreciated his words of support for independent bookstores, as well as his thoughts on his writing process. He says that it typically takes him three years to get a book out, and many of his books are standalone, which is somewhat unusual in the SFF world. I've heard other SFF authors complain about pressure to break large books into trilogies and crank out new books every year, so it's great that GGK to do things his way. He told me that he is working on a new project now but the details are secret. :)

>33 mathgirl40: - How cool that you have met GGK, twice!

I love Guy Gavriel Kay's books and I particularly like that he tends to do stand-alones. It's nice to know you can enjoy his writing without committing to a long series.

>34 lkernagh: Actually, three times, and I'd be happy to see him again the next time he visits our area. He's a very good speaker!

>35 DeltaQueen50: Yes, I appreciate that too, though some of GGK's standalones are as long (and certainly as rich and complex) as many other authors' trilogies.

Sorry I haven't posted for a couple of weeks ... it's just been a very busy May. I hope to catch up with all my favourite threads in the next few days.

54. The Babe, B.A.: Being the Uneventful History of a Young Gentleman at Cambridge University by E. F. Benson (3 stars)
Category: Miscellaneous

I came across this little-known work of E. F. Benson in my volunteer work for Distributed Proofreaders of Canada. There’s a good reason why this work is so obscure; the "uneventful" part of the title sums up the novel. Set in Cambridge University in the late 1800’s, this story includes wonderfully detailed descriptions of the campus and of campus life. The main character is a rather spoiled and seemingly vapid young man but one who is clever and capable enough to succeed at university life. The story doesn’t have much of a plot; there are mostly descriptions of the students' varied antics, which don't seem to involve any academic work at all. Instead, school life appears to be a succession of dinners out, theatrical plays, practical jokes, and rugby matches. Still, this is a light and amusing read, especially if one sees it as a parody (which I believe had been the author’s intention). It reminds me of Wodehouse but it's not nearly as funny. The main character, the Babe, is not very appealing but some of the other characters (especially the Babe’s dog William Sykes) are quite endearing.

55. The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood (4.5 stars)
Category: Canadian Literary Awards

This is the story of three friends who had all been taken in and deeply hurt by a woman, Zenia, who’s the embodiment of evil, and how they react when she suddenly resurfaces after they’d all thought she had died. Like a vampire that can only enter a house once invited, Zenia is able to inflict so much damage because the three women had naively welcomed her into their lives. Atwood explores a number of themes--good, evil, trust, forgiveness, revenge--and, as with many of Atwood’s books, there are strong messages as well as a feminist perspective. I hated the weaknesses in her characters but at the same time, I got terribly caught up in their plights and was compelled to keep reading to find out what would happen to them. I’m a huge Atwood fan, and though I wouldn’t count this one among my very favourites (The Handmaid's Tale and Alias Grace fall into that category), it was a very engrossing read.

Finally got around to your new thread! I really need to get around to reading Guy Gavriel Kay - who I, for some reason (I have no idea why), thought was a woman... I have no excuse for thinking that of someone whose name is "guy." :)

>39 -Eva-: Well, you wouldn't be the first to mistake a male author for a female, and vice versa. I've done that often enough myself.

Yikes, it's the end of the month already! I got distracted with many things this month and am still working on books for the various challenges and group reads. I'm also way behind in my reviews but will try to catch up in the next few days.

56. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (4 stars)
Category: Noir/Hardboiled Mysteries
Challenges: MysteryCAT

I read this classic noir mystery for the May MysteryCAT. I enjoyed the twists and turns in the plot, but most of all, I loved Chandler’s use of the language, especially in the snappy dialogue. I watched the movie, starring Bogart and Bacall, after reading the book and was glad I had done it in that order. There were a lot of differences in the movie, and I'm not sure I would have understood the plot if I hadn't read the book first. On the other hand, it captured the feel of the book very well. I still have most of my Noir/Hardboiled category to fill for my challenge, so I'll most likely read more Chandler before the year is out.

If you want a more modern interpretation of the noir genre then you could do worse than try out a few of the Scottish authors that seem to proliferate the scene these days. Tartan Noir has become quite fashionable it seems.

>42 AHS-Wolfy: What a great name for the genre! I've read and enjoyed Ian Rankin but I've not read any other Tartan Noir. I'll have to check it out. I do want to read both classic and modern interpretations for this category.

57. An Inquiry into Love and Death by Simone St. James (3.5 stars)
Category: Canadian Literary Awards

This romance/mystery/ghost-story, one of the OLA Evergreen Award nominees, has the feel of a Daphne du Maurier novel. Set in England in the 1920’s, the novel is about a young woman’s efforts to find out the circumstances behind her uncle’s unexpected death. The author creates a wonderful atmosphere and the plot has many interesting twists, but the story dragged in places. I liked the narrator well enough, but her Scotland Yard Inspector love interest is bland and unappealing. If I had read the novel in print, I would have skimmed through most of the romantic scenes. Instead, I had listened to the audiobook which did have its benefits. The narrator was Rosalyn Landor, and I had loved her narration of Never Let Me Go. She has a haunting voice, one that’s perfect for a story featuring hauntings.

This romance/mystery/ghost-story,....

.... and that is pretty much all I need to know to add this 'new to me' author to my future reading list, even if the love interest is bland and unappealing.

Love that cover!

As far as Tartan Noir, I think that Denise Mina's Garnethill trilogy is the best. Louise Welsh's The Cutting Room is not for the squeamish. Morvern Callar by Alan Warner is one of the earlier ones and Christopher Brookmyre adds a dash of dark humor. A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil is fantastic, but uses a lot of Scottish slang (to the extent of having a glossary at the end of the book). Laidlaw by William McIlvanney is said to have started the genre. Half Broken Things by Joss Morag is very good, and don't forget Stuart MacBride's Logan Rae series, set in Aberdeen.

I like Tartan Noir. : )

>46 RidgewayGirl: Added your post to my favourites for future reference/reminders! I'll probably need a Tartan Noir fix soon :)

Always good to see a Brookmyre mention.

Tartan Noir is one of my favorite genres, so very happy to see the love for it!

>45 lkernagh: I totally agree. I love that cover too!

>46 RidgewayGirl: Thanks for this very useful post! So many new authors to discover. :)

>47 rabbitprincess: >48 AHS-Wolfy: >49 -Eva-: I'm really looking forward to July's Noir theme for the MysteryCAT and I'm definitely going to include a novel from the Tartan Noir genre for that month.

58. Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh (4 stars)
Category: Mystery
Challenges: MysteryCAT

This is a very good cozy mystery set in a country village where a small group of people are mounting a theatrical production. This one features an ingenious murder method as well as an appearance by Nigel Bathgate, a character who shows up in some of the earlier Inspector Alleyn books but whom I don’t recall seeing in the Inspector Alleyn TV series. Marsh is definitely fun to read and I’d recommend her books to anyone who likes Agatha Christie’s mysteries.

>51 mathgirl40: I could use a good country murder right now! Sometimes I just get in the mood for one.

59. Parvana’s Journey by Deborah Ellis (4 stars)
Category: Around the World (Afghanistan)
Challenges: GeoCAT

This is the second book in Deborah Ellis’s trilogy about a girl’s struggles to survive on her own in Afghanistan after being separated from her family. The novel focusses on how children, most of all, suffer from the political strife in that country and how girls in particular are oppressed by the Taliban’s authority. Despite the horrendous hardships that Parvana endures, there are still many uplifting moments in this story. I’m not sure if Ellis is known around the world, but in Canada, her books are well loved by children and teens. She has received many awards for her writing and humanitarian efforts.

>52 thornton37814: I hear you. Cozy English murders are like comfort food to me. :)

60. The Cat by Edeet Ravel (3 stars)
Category: Canadian Literary Awards
Challenges: RandomCAT

Another book from this year’s OLA Evergreen list, The Cat begins with a grieving mother's struggle to go on with her life. She finds the will to continue only because she knows her son would not have wanted her to abandon his cat. The first half of this novel was a real downer. The narrator talks not just about her grief at her son's loss but also about all the other miserable events in her life before that. If this novel hadn’t been so short, I’m sure I would have abandoned it. The second half was more interesting, as well as a little bit more uplifting. The author certainly writes lovely prose and explores in a realistic and meaningful way a mother’s struggle with grief. I’d think someone who had gone through similar experiences might feel a connection, but the story didn't draw me in.

The Cat was an odd book, wasn't it? I think you're the only other person I've ever known who has read it. I think that I liked it more than you, feeling that it got to some part of the heart of what it means to grieve.

Just thought I'd let you know that I downloaded the Marsh book for my return drive from this conference. If I don't finish it then, I can listen on the way to the next one.

>56 RidgewayGirl: I don't think I would have discovered The Cat if it hadn't been on the Ontario Library Association's Evergreen list. I just found the first half of this book so hard to get through, but I am willing to give Edeet Ravel another try sometime.

>57 thornton37814: I love audiobooks but haven't listened to any Inspector Alleyn ones on audio. I'll have to try that sometime. I still associate the voice and face of Patrick Malahide (from the TV adaptation) with Inspector Alleyn.

Finally, I am caught up with my May reviews, over a week late! I also have some catching up to do with my favourite threads and hope to visit them all in the next few days. Anyhow, here is my May summary:

Number of books read: 10 from 7 categories (60 for the year)
Number of books off my shelf: 4 (24 for the year)
Favourite book: The Robber Bride
Least favourite book: The Babe, B.A.
Challenges: MysteryCAT, RandomCAT, GeoCAT

Four of my books this month was for the Classic and Golden Age MysteryCAT theme. Can you tell that it's one of my favourite genres? :) A couple of the books were by familiar authors (Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh) but I also enjoyed discovering two new ones (Cyril Hare and Raymond Chandler).

I also started Foucault's Pendulum for the Eco group read. I got about two-thirds of the way through it, and then needed a break from it. I hope to get back to it this month. Considering that the book sat on my shelf for almost 20 years, I'm pretty happy that I've gotten this far, even if I didn't manage to finish it in May!

Eco is a bit of a demanding read for me. I haven't attempted Foucault's Pendulum yet but I think if you can get two-thirds of the way through an Eco book before needing a break is pretty darn good!

Every time I see a Marsh title mentioned, I have to double-check my records to see if I've actually read it; they always sound so familiar. Will have to read Overture to Death to see if it brings back any memories!

>60 lkernagh: I'm trying to get motivated to pick Foucault's Pendulum up again but am getting distracted by other books. I don't want to leave it for too long though, as it might become difficult to get back into the story!

>61 rabbitprincess: I have the same problem with Agatha Christie mysteries. More than once, I've started one of her novels and then realized half-way through the book that I'd read it before.

61. The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara (4.5 stars)
Category: International Literary Awards

I wouldn’t have discovered this book if it hadn’t had all the publicity from the Tournament of Books, and I had left it as one of my last ones to read from that list, but I am really glad I had found it. Readers have had mixed feelings about this novel, mainly because the narrator, who is a pedophile, a misogynist and a racist, is so utterly deplorable. Yet, the novel is totally engrossing, and the way the author has structured the book, with a sympathetic editor presenting the narrator’s memoirs, is cleverly and carefully done.

It was difficult for me to relate to the narrator, though there were times when I felt real pity for him. However, there were instances when he and his fellow scientists mirrored uncomfortably some of the attitudes that we, in so-called advanced civilizations, share. The author shows how utterly ignorant and destructive we can be, in the name of science and progress. This novel was a disturbing read, but it is also one that will likely stay with me for a long time.

So soooo soooooo many BBs that I'm not even going to list them all. Glad to hear that you liked The People in the Trees though - one of the librarians at work recently finished it and thought it was good but not great. When I asked her why/for more info, she didn't really say anything. Not helpful. BUT! I'll try and snag the ARC that she returned when I go back to work on Wednesday.

>64 LauraBrook: Thanks for stopping by! I'll be interested in hearing what you think of The People in the Trees. I can understand why there are such varied reactions to it.

62. Tragedy at Law by Cyril Hare (4 stars)
Category: Mystery

This is the first of the Francis Pettigrew series, though not much of it is told from his point-of-view. It’s an interesting and also entertaining look at England’s justice system at the beginning of the Second World War. The story follows a High Court judge, his assistants and other members of the legal profession making a yearly circuit of small towns. The style is similar to that of other British Golden Age mystery writers, but I find Hare’s characters have a bit more depth than the norm. The plot is also different from typically mysteries in that it doesn’t start right off with a murder, but instead, there is a series of mysterious happenings. The novel has quite a slow build-up, and I wouldn’t recommend it for those who want some action in a mystery, but it is rewarding in the end.

>66 mathgirl40: Well of course it goes on the BB list; WWII, England, mystery, what did you expect ? Great review :)

>66 mathgirl40: - Mysterious happenings always catch my attention! Looks like I need to check out the Hare novel.

>67 electrice: >68 lkernagh: I hope the two of you will enjoy Cyril Hare's work when/if you get a chance to try it out. I'd discovered him only recently but have enjoyed very much both books that I'd read. It's too bad that he wrote relatively few novels, compared to some of the other well-known Golden Age crime novelists.

63. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (5 stars)
Category: Non-fiction

I’d read Half Broke Horses, this author’s story of her grandmother’s life, earlier in the year, and rated it 5 stars. Several of my friends assured me I would like The Glass Castle even better. I was skeptical but they were right. This memoir about the author’s childhood was completely mesmerizing and very thought-provoking. My teenage daughter had read it too, and it led to some very good discussions; I’m sure this story will stay with both of us for a good long time. Walls showed the consequences of her parents’ alcoholism and mental illness. However, she also showed the admirable and very human sides of these people, whom many would dismiss without hesitation as worthless child abusers. Yes, Walls’s story is disturbing but it is also incredibly funny, heartwarming and uplifting.

I highly recommend the audiobook version. When I was listening to it, I was struck by how very genuine the narrator sounded and how much her voice matched what I thought Walls’s own voice would be like. So it wasn’t a surprise when I found out at the end of the story that Walls had indeed narrated the book.

I read The Glass Castle when my children were small and that part where she cooks hot dogs is seared into my brain. It's a book that sticks.

>71 RidgewayGirl: I don't think I'll forget that part of the story easily either! What a way to start the story. It certainly shocked me but made me keep reading.

64. Cigars of the Pharaoh
Category: Graphic Novels
Challenges: RandomCAT

Cigars of the Pharaoh is one of the early books in the wonderful Tintin series that I loved as a child. In this one, set in Egypt and India, Tintin stumbles upon a drug-smuggling ring and tries to escape their clutches. It is also in this book that the hilarious Thomson and Thompson pair are introduced. It's been a while since I'd read a Tintin book, and Cigars of the Pharaoh is not quite as good as some of the others that I remembered. There are also many aspects of it that would be considered very politically incorrect these days. All the same, it was an enjoyable read and I still find the artwork as appealing as I did when I was a child.

>73 mathgirl40: Funny to know, they're called Dupont and Dupond in French :)

>74 electrice: I'd forgotten that fact! I tried reading Tintin and also Asterix in French at one time, a long time ago, but found it fairly difficult. A lot of the jokes are plays on words. I should try again sometime, though, as it is interesting to see the differences between the English and French versions.

65. Friday’s Child by Georgette Heyer (4 stars)
Category: Miscellaneous
Group Read: Georgette Heyer
Challenges: RandomCAT

Romance is not a genre I particularly care for, but I found this novel thoroughly enjoyable with charming characters. Hero and Sherry were rather silly but I liked very much the sensible and pragmatic Mr. Ringwood and Lady Saltash. Having read only one of Heyer’s books, a mystery, previously, I was pleasantly surprised by how well she does comedy. I found some scenes hilariously funny.

I had listened to the audiobook and liked the presentation, but I could not figure out which characters the cover was supposed to convey. Surely they couldn’t be fair-haired Sherry and 17-year-old Hero?

>75 mathgirl40: Yes plays on words are typically what we lost in translation. Sadly, some great English speaking TV shows lost a lot of their wittiness in French translation. Makes me wonder what we lost from the other languages ?

>73 mathgirl40: This is the one Tintin book I remember scared me as a child. The portrayal of madness stuck with me.

>77 electrice: I find the best translators are the ones who can replicate that cleverness in the target language. I always thought the Asterix comics were good in that respect (e.g. names of characters being a play on words) but I'm sure they must be even funnier in French.

>78 GingerbreadMan: I too found some of the Tintin books scary as a child. One that wasn't scary but which I recall liking very much is Destination Moon. I was fascinated by all things related to outer space when I was growing up.

66. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (4 stars)
Category: Science Fiction and Fantasy

This novel won a whole bunch of SFF awards earlier this year and is in the running for the Hugo Best Novel award as well. I'm finding it difficult to describe the premise or plot, except to say that the novel is a sort of space opera and the main character is an AI whose former incarnation was a ship.

There are all sorts of thought-provoking ideas here, some that I had trouble wrapping my head around. The main character's inability to distinguish gender made the novel particularly interesting, as I had to keep revising my mental images of the characters, and I suppose that was the author's intention. Like many SFF books I've read recently, the world-building is much more impressive than the story itself. The plot of this first book was not bad, but it’s what’s coming next from Ann Leckie that interests me more. I've heard that the next novel set in this world is coming out in the fall.

67. Kicking the Sky by Athony De Sa (3.5 stars)
Category: Miscellaneous

Kicking the Sky is a coming-of-age story about a Portugese-Canadian boy, Antonio, living in Toronto. Set in the days following the real-life murder of teenager Emanuel Jaques in the late 70's, the novel examines how this tragic event affects the Portugese-Canadian community. There are many disturbing moments in this novel, and the story felt disjointed to me, as the author tries to present the stories of many of the secondary characters in addition to that of Antonio. There were also moving and insightful moments, and not knowing much about Toronto's Portugese community, I was happy to learn more about its history.

>80 mathgirl40: - happy to see your review. I just bought this as part of a special $1.99 sale. Might need to get to it sooner than later.

>79 mathgirl40: Agreed! Literary translation must be very difficult, especially getting the "feel" of the book right in the target language.

Will you be at Fan Expo and/or TIFF this year?

>82 LittleTaiko: Lucky you, to get Ancillary Justice for $1.99! I was disappointed to find that it wasn't included in this year's Hugo Voter Packet but I did find it in our library.

>83 rabbitprincess: I don't think I'll make it to TIFF this year, but I'm planning to go to Fan Expo, with some family friends. The teenagers are excited about seeing Matt Smith and Elijah Wood, while the older generation want to see Nathan Fillion and Patrick Stewart! :)

68. Outrage by Arnaldur Indridason (3.5 stars)
Category: Next in the Series

Although Outrage is another good installment in the Inspector Erlendur series, the inspector himself gets only a brief mention in the novel. Instead, the investigation is carried out by Elínborg, and we get to learn more about her methods as well as her personal life. I enjoyed the different perspective, but I did miss the brooding Erlendur. Indridason likes to explore various social issues in his novels, and this one looks at rape and the stigmas that the victims face. This novel is not among my favourites in the series but is a good read nonetheless.

It's rather shameful that I'm doing my June summary when we're already halfway through July, but I've had a busy time the past few weeks. We recently returned from a wonderful vacation in Germany and The Netherlands. I visited many excellent museums, watched a lot of football with the very enthusiastic Germans, and did some reading too. I hope to catch up with all the reviews soon. In the meantime, here's what I accomplished in June:

Number of books read: 8 from 7 categories (68 for the year)
Number of books off my shelf: 1 (25 for the year)
Favourite book: The Glass Castle
Least favourite book: Didn't read anything bad in June. :)
Challenges: MysteryCAT, RandomCAT, GeoCAT
Group Read: Georgette Heyer

I only managed to finish 8 books in June, but I've been reading a bunch of things from my Hugo Voter Packet. There's no way I can finish everything by the end of the month (especially not the entire Wheel of Time series!) but I'm trying to sample enough of the various works so that I can make a more-or-less informed vote for a good number of the categories.

Sounds like a great trip! :) And yes, how is it halfway through July already?!

>85 mathgirl40: I need to try another installment in that series sometime.

Welcome home! Vacation sounds like it was wonderful.

>87 rabbitprincess: >88 thornton37814: >89 lkernagh: Thanks for stopping by! Yes, the vacation was terrific. We met up with my older daughter, who was finishing up her gap year in Germany, and we helped her move into her new place in The Netherlands, where she'll be going to school for the next few years. She told us a great football-related story. When invited by friends to attend a "public viewing," she asked them, "Who died?" Here in Canada, we use those words to mean the viewing of a body (usually that of a prominent figure) by the general public before a funeral. In Germany, they use that phrase to mean a showing of a football match in a public area!

69. The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Version by Anne Frank (5 stars)
Category: Dust Collectors

I’d never read Anne Frank’s diary as a child, and for some reason, I’d avoided reading it most of my adult life, even though I’d had the book in my house for years and my children had read it. I suppose I’d thought that the book would be a totally depressing day-to-day account of the miseries of the war, culminating in the most tragic of endings. I was finally motivated enough to read it before our trip to Europe, as one of our family’s planned stops was the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.

I was truly surprised by how interesting and insightful the diary entries were. Anne came across as a completely normal teenager and showed the range of emotions, the qualities and the faults of a typical adolescent girl. (Note that this is the later Definitive Edition that includes some of the not-so-nice material purged from the original edition.) That made the story feel very real and even more tragic than I could have imagined, as she was just one of many who went through the same trials. If she was exceptional in any way, it was that she had great skill and perseverance as a writer.

Visiting Anne Frank House and seeing first-hand all the parts of the house that Anne described in such detail in her diaries was a moving experience. I also enjoyed learning more about the helpers, whose stories did not end with Anne's capture and who arguably are the real heroes of the book.

70. Fatale, Volume 1 (4 stars)
Category: Noir
Challenges: MysteryCAT

This volume includes the first 5 issues of a comics series I received as part of one of the Humble ebook bundles. Most of it is set in the 30's and 50’s and it has the feel of the classic noir stories of those times. The artwork is also reminiscent of the noir movies of that period. What makes this different from the typical noir mystery is the horror/fantasy elements, which includes an otherworldly femme fatale with multiple lives. I really enjoyed this volume and will be seeking out more issues in this series.

I have the first deluxe volume of Brubaker's Criminal on the tbr shelves to get to at some point so I'm pleased to see you enjoyed Fatale.

>86 mathgirl40:
Yey for excellent trip!!

>91 mathgirl40:
Anne Frank Huis is such an amazing place to visit, isn't it. Very happy you ended up reading the book before your visit!

>93 AHS-Wolfy: I liked the first volume (issues 1 through 5) of Fatale enough that today, I bought the next 5 issues from Image Comics. When I was adding the issues to my cart, I couldn't understand why the numbers were not adding up correctly. Then I returned to the home page and saw that there's a 50% sale until July 28 on all their digital comics! Anyhow, I'll be interested in hearing what you think of Criminal, as I may try that series after I'm done with Fatale.

>94 -Eva-: I too am glad I read A Diary of a Young Girl before visiting Anne Frank House. All the details were fresh in my mind as I walked through the house, making the experience even more poignant that it might have been otherwise. On the other hand, my daughters had read the book a few years ago and my husband had not read it at all, but they too found the visit extremely interesting and moving.

71. The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who by Paul Cornell (4 stars)
Category: Graphic Novels

One of the graphic novels in my Hugo Voter Packet, this is a story about how the real Doctor Who stumbles upon a Doctor Who convention on Earth. The fact that the participants are expecting Matt Smith rather than the Doctor himself leads to some hilarious moments. The Doctor meets up with an ardent fan, who is a victim of bullying, and her concerned mother. Apart from the many funny and clever passages, there is a nice message about dealing with bullies and not letting yourself be victimized. I've not read the other Doctor Who graphic novels so I'm not sure how this one stands in comparison, but as a fan of the series starring Matt Smith, I found the volume very enjoyable.

>96 mathgirl40:
That sounds excellent - those Hugo Voter Packets are just full of goodies, aren't they!?

>97 -Eva-: They sure are! Unfortunately, I'm running out of time to get through all the material before voting ends.

72. Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold (4 stars)
Category: Space Opera
Group Read: Vorkosigan

This is a solid Vorkosigan story, with Bujold’s usual combination of political intrigue and humour. There's not so much in terms of character development as in her other books, but still enough depth in the characters to keep it interesting. As others on the Vorkosigan group threads had mentioned, the world building here is superb. Cetaganda is a fascinating place, especially in the roles assumed by the female and male leaders.

73. King Lear by William Shakespeare (5 stars)
Category: Classics and 1001 Books

I had read this tragedy when I was in my late teens, but now, with elderly parents and teenage daughters of my own, it resonates with me in a completely different way. Shakespeare's exploration of aging, family loyalty and the conflict between generations is moving and poignant.

I finished reading the play before attending a performance at the (Canadian) Stratford Festival, featuring Colm Feore, one of Canada’s finest actors, in the lead role. As a bonus, he was surrounded by an outstanding supporting cast.

This play features several wonderful insults. My favourite is when Kent says to Oswald, "Thou whoreson zed! Thou unnecessary letter!" As a dedicated Scrabble player, I wouldn’t call zed unnecessary, but I understand from the footnotes that zed was rarely used in Shakespeare’s time and frequently omitted from dictionaries.

74. 2014 Hugo Short Story and Novelette Nominees
Category: Short Fiction

I finished the 4 short stories and 5 novelettes nominated for the 2014 Hugo awards. There were several average stories, one especially terrible one, and a few very good ones. As I don’t want to dwell on the forgettable works, I’ll just mention the ones I really liked.

Mary Robinette Kowal’s The Lady Astronaut of Mars and John Chu’s The Water That Falls on You From Nowhere were excellent stories about family relationships, though the SFF element was light, especially for Chu’s story. The story in Aliette Bodard’s novelette, The Waiting Stars was unremarkable but I really like her world-building and hope to read more work set in the same universe. (I had already read and enjoyed a novella set in that universe last year.)

The standout is Ted Chiang’s The Truth of Fact, The Truth of Feeling, a novelette that combines two compelling parallel stories with a thoughtful exploration of SF ideas related to the preservation of memory. I hadn’t read any of Chiang’s works before this and looked up his bio. He’s written only 13 stories (mostly short stories, with some novella-length) but has won major SFF awards with 6 of them, and this latest one stands a good chance of winning the Hugo, in my opinion.

75. Saga, Volume 2 (4 stars) by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Category: Graphic Novels

Nominated for this year's Hugo award for Best Graphic Novel, Volume 2 of Saga includes issues 7 through 12. This space opera about the love between two citizens of warring states features great characters, a fast-moving plot and terrific world-building. However, I can’t give it more than 4 stars because I find the artwork just a little too graphic for me and the profanity tiresome. These aspects make it impossible for me to recommend the series to younger readers though I would like to. Still, I ranked this #1 among the Hugo nominees.

76. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (3.5 stars)
Category: Non-fiction
Challenges: GeoCAT

I found this book, about a young man's tragic journey into the wilds of Alaska, not as good as Into Thin Air, Krakauer's story of a disastrous Mount Everest expedition, but it was an interesting read all the same. This book seems to have had mixed reactions from readers, possibly because the idea of an idealistic young man rejecting all the advantages provided by his parents and going into the bush unprepared seems less noble somehow than an attempt to climb Everest. Like the other book, though, this one features Krakauer’s penetrating analysis and insights and a little bit of his personal story as well. He carefully examines the motives for McCandless’s actions but does not necessarily glamorize them.

>102 mathgirl40:
Ooh, nice - I'm planning to get to that one this weekend.

>103 mathgirl40: I liked Into the Wild but I agree that Into Thin Air was the better story.

>104 -Eva-: I look forward to seeing what you think of the next volume of Saga. I'd really like to pick up Volume 3 right away, but I've got too many other books I need to get through first.

>105 luvamystery65: When I was reading Into Thin Air, I could hardly put it down. Into the Wild wasn't the same kind of reading experience, but it was interesting all the same.

77. I Married a Dead Man by Cornell Woolrich (4 stars)
Category: Noir
Challenge: MysteryCAT

Cornell Woolrich sure knows how to create suspense. This noir novel of the 40’s starts off with an unwed mother assuming the identity of a woman she had met on a train, after the woman and her husband dies, and it just gets more tense and exciting from there. My main complaint about the book is the overly melodramatic narrative in which the main character dwells continually on her despair. (The cover image pretty much sets the tone.) Nevertheless, I'm ready to read more Cornell Woolrich!

I am also eager to see the movie "No Man of Her Own" featuring Barbara Stanwyck that is based on this novel. I recently watched Stanwyck in the noir movie “Double Indemnity” and thought she was brilliant. I'd also read that, years later, a romantic comedy and a Bollywood film loosely based on this novel were also produced; I find that rather mind-boggling.

78. Speculative Fiction 2012 (3.5 stars)
Category: Nonfiction
Challenge: RandomCAT

This is a collection of book-reviews and essays taken from various Web sites, arranged and edited by Justin Landon, which I had received in my Hugo Voter Packet. I liked the idea behind this collection better than its execution. There is some very good writing here but also plenty of mediocre writing. It’s great to have a knowledgeable editor curate such a collection and present the best for our viewing. Having said that, this assortment was much more uneven than I’d expected and some articles could have used more extensive editing. I only read about 50% of the articles, the ones with titles of interest to me. Some articles were well researched and well written, as good as any we’d find in traditional printed sources. Others read like high-school essays. On the other hand, the fact that all proceeds from the sales go toward the charity Room to Read makes me much more kindly disposed to the book.

79. The Eye of the World (3.5 stars)
Category: Science Fiction and Fantasy

I received all 14 books of this series in my Hugo Voter's Packet. The novel featured very likable characters and great storytelling. It felt overly long, but I didn’t really get bored with the story, despite a few repetitious ideas. Many times, I had a "deja-vu" feeling, recalling a scene from The Lord of the Rings or Arthurian legend. However, I can’t really fault Robert Jordan for that, as so many fantasy writers, including Tolkien himself, borrow ideas from stories that came before. I liked the distinct personalities of the characters, though I wouldn’t have minded meeting an "ordinary person"; it seems that every character has a special power of some kind. I also had trouble with the idea of fate versus free will. Too often, characters are told to accept or embrace a decision because it's "part of the pattern"; sometimes it seemed to me like laziness on the author's part, because he couldn't be bothered to give his characters more compelling reasons for their actions.

I’m divided on whether to continue with the series or not. I did enjoy the novel despite the weaknesses, and I'm invested enough in the characters that I’d like to find out what happens to them next. I can understand why this series is so well loved. However, friends who had struggled through the entire series tell me that the middle volumes are weak, though the final ones, especially the last one cowritten by Brandon Sanderson, are much better. I do like Sanderson’s writing and have The Way of Kings on my e-reader waiting to be read.

So, high-fantasy fans out there, I need some advice. Should I continue with the Wheel of Time series or take a (possibly very long) break and go with The Way of Kings next?

>106 mathgirl40:
Loved, loved, loved it!! I shall shut off my computer very soon and attack part 3.

>107 mathgirl40: - although I have no interest in reading the book, I love the title.

Seeing all the Cornell Woolrich mentions around here lately has prompted me to request Rendezvous in Black from the library. We don't have I Married a Dead Man :(

>110 -Eva-: Glad to hear it, Eva! I'm looking forward to volume 3 ... one day soon, I hope.

>111 dudes22: Yes, it's an awesome title, isn't it? I don't know why they didn't use it for the movie.

>112 rabbitprincess: I've lent I Married a Dead Man to a friend but will try to get it back before FanExpo. If we meet up, then I'll be happy to pass it on to you. My plans are still uncertain but I think I'll be attending on Sunday, and I might be in Toronto the day before as well.

80. Garnethill by Denise Mina (4 stars)
Category: Noir
Challenges: MysteryCAT

I decided to try "Tartan Noir" for the July MysteryCAT, and like the typical noir novel, this one is relentlessly grim. I found it very suspenseful and atmospheric, but at times, I was wishing the author would give us something to lighten the mood. I really liked the main character. She has been hurt in so many ways but is still resilient and resourceful. I like the depth in all the characters, and the author's unflinching and realistic portrayal of mental illness. I will most certainly seek out the next book in this trilogy.

>113 mathgirl40: That would be brill if it worked out! But don't worry if it doesn't; I certainly have no shortage of material to read ;)

They've posted the appearance days and fees for the celeb guests! http://fanexpocanada.com/fan-expo-guests/ It's getting closer!

Glad you enjoyed your first foray into Tartan Noir. I really should get back to Denise Mina's Garnethill series after only reading the first book so far.

>115 rabbitprincess: Thanks for the link. I'll be in touch once we figure out our plans.

>116 AHS-Wolfy: I've read some Ian Rankin, so I just realized that I've ventured into Tartan Noir before ... but I wasn't aware of the term at the time. :)

Here is my July summary, a few days late:

Number of books read: 12 (out of 80 in all)
Number of books off my shelf: 3 (out of 27 in all)
Favourite book: King Lear
Least favourite read: a few of the Hugo short-story/novelette nominees
Challenges: MysteryCAT, GeoCAT, RandomCAT
Group reads: Vorkosigan

I really enjoyed July's MysteryCAT, with the noir theme, and discovered through it three new-to-me authors that I liked very much. I also read an awful lot of SFF as it was Hugo voting month.

My goals for the next month include reading a couple more books from the Ontario Library Association's Evergreen list, one or two books from the new Booker longlist, and at least a few books off my shelf!

>113 mathgirl40:
Finished volume 3 - once you get to it, you'll find out that the series just gets better and better! :)

Yay for your recent Tartan Noir read! I really want to read Garnethill but my local library seems to be in a black hole when it comes to receiving the three new copies they have ordered to replace the two copies that have been recently withdrawn from the collection.

I have seen the Barbara Stanwyck movie based on I Married a Dead Man. It was great. I haven't read the book, although I am trying to hunt a copy down. I would be interested in how close to the book the movie stayed.

I am a huge fan of Denise Mina and loved the Garnet Hill Trilogy, but yes, it is very grim. I am currently just starting her Alex Morrow series with Still Midnight and it looks to be a good one as well.

>119 -Eva-: Oooh ... it'stempting to get to Volume 3 right away, but I have some issues of Fatale waiting for me, not to mention a few more graphic novels I'd bought at an earlier time.

>120 lkernagh: I'd really like to read the next one in the Garnethill series ... but then I look at the growing TBR pile and feel ashamed.

>121 DeltaQueen50: I'd happily send you my copy of I Married a Dead Man, but I've already promised it to another. It seems that Cornell Woolrich's books are not so easy to find. Nice to know that the movie was good!

It's a good problem to have, having books you know are good out there waiting for you. Especially good to save for when you've just read a dud and need a pick-up. :)

>122 mathgirl40: No problem, Paulina. I enjoy the hunt. I recently went into co-ownership of a omnibus of Cornel Woolrich's works. My brother has it now but will eventually pass it along and that should keep me satisfied for awile.

>123 -Eva-: Given the size of my TBR piles, maybe it's a case of too much of a good thing, but I do know what you mean. :)

>124 DeltaQueen50: I enjoy the hunt too, and sometimes I get hard-to-find books from BookCrossing. I'll be keeping my eye out for Cornell Woolrich books.

81. Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery (4.5 stars)
Category: Next in the Series
Challenges: RandomCAT

This sequel to Anne of Green Gables is one of my favourites in the series and rereading is like enjoying a beloved comfort food. In this novel, Anne is still partly a child, getting into all sorts of scrapes from her impulsive actions, but she is also entering adulthood, taking on responsibilities as a school teacher and helping to care for Marilla’s adopted twins. Love and romance play a large part in this novel, and not just for Anne herself.

Just getting caught up here. I'm glad you had a good trip to Europe. The Anne Frank house was a highlight of my trip a couple of years ago. I still haven't read the book, but I've seen a couple of TV adaptations of the diaries.

I must get to King Lear one of these days. I didn't have to red it in high school and I've never seen it on stage.

I liked Anne of Avonlea a lot better when I read it as an adult. One of these days I'll read the series through again, since I just finished Rilla of Ingleside earlier this year.

>127 cbl_tn: Thanks for stopping by! Yes, the Anne Frank House was really memorable, definitely a highlight of the trip for all our family members as well.

>128 rabbitprincess: I've read most of the Anne series but I'd never gotten to Rilla of Ingleside, so that's on my TBR pile. I'd like to read some of Montgomery's other books, too.

Anne of the Island is my favorite Anne book. But I've never read past it, finding it the perfect ending to the trilogy.

>129 mathgirl40: Ooh, the "Emily" books are wonderful too! And also The Blue Castle.

>130 RidgewayGirl: Anne of the Island is my favorite too! And I agree, you really don't need to read past there (though I have read them all). Although I did really like Anne's House of Dreams too...

I was working on reading all the Anne books last year, and I, too, loved the first three books. I have got hung up a bit but hope to get back to these books and finish the series.

Nice to see so much love for the Anne books! I'd read a good number of them years ago but don't remember where I'd stopped. The first three I'd reread several times, but not the later ones. My kids read through the entire series when they were younger, so I have all the books in the house. Anyhow, I mean to work through the entire series in the near future, and then try L. M. Montgomery's other books as well.

82. Le Bouchon de Cristal (The Crystal Stopper) by Maurice Leblanc (3.5 stars)
Category: Mystery
Challenges: GeoCAT

This novel, from the Arsène Lupin mystery series, features the gentleman thief helping a woman in distress, by attempting to save her son from the scaffold, while pitted against a cunning enemy. I’d decided to attempt this novel in the original French language. It’s been a long time since I’d read a novel in French, and I struggled a little bit. Even though I didn’t have much trouble understanding the plot, I suspect that I missed much of the humour and charm supposedly in these books and would have enjoyed the novel more if I had a better command of the language. It probably doesn’t help that I grew up with Quebecois French rather than Parisian French of the 1920’s, but I found some usage amusing such as the use of "le sleeping" instead of "wagon-lit" for a sleeping car on a train. This type of anglicism is frowned upon in Quebec, at least when I lived there.

I'm way behind on my reviews but instead of working on those, I'm going to tell you about my excellent weekend. The highlight was going to FanExpo in Toronto and meeting up with rabbitprincess. Here is a photo of the two of us, after attending the Murdoch Mysteries panel:



Her awesome T-shirt refers to the Doctor Who episode, "The Next Doctor" and it says, "Tethered Aerial Release Developed in Style". We had a great time chatting and even exchanged books. The Murdoch event was terrific. My daughter and her friend got photos taken with Jonny Harris and Georgina O'Reilly and were absolutely thrilled with that. For those of you not familiar with this Canadian TV show, it is based on Maureen Jenning's Detective Murdoch series, starting with Except the Dying.

I hadn't celebrated my LT anniversary in June so I decided to go for a big book haul this weekend, except I ignored the "5 books plus 1 to grow on" limitation. :)

I started by buying two e-book omnibuses from Kobo's weekend sale:
- A Song for Arbonne, The Lions of Al-Rassan and The Last Light of the Sun by Guy Gavriel Kay.
- The Snowman, The Leopard and Phantom by Jo Nesbo
Note to Canadians: the sale is still on for one more day, and each omnibus is only $4.99!

Then, I stopped at one of my favourite used/discount bookstores in Toronto, BMV, and picked up
- The White Hotel by D. M. Thomas
- Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
- Horns by Joe Hill
- Rendezvous in Black by Cornell Woolrich
- Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
- Life After God by Douglas Coupland

At FanExpo, I picked up the graphic novel:
- Chew, Volume 1: Taster's Choice by John Layman and Rob Guillory
and rabbitprincess lent me:
- Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach

Then, to top it all off, my wonderful husband bought me the brand new Inspector Gamache novel as a surprise!
- The Long Way by Louise Penny

Finally, I have to share another FanExpo purchase of which I'm quite proud. A booth had a bin of small posters they were selling for $1 each and I found this:

.

I love the film, but I've not read the short story "Bagheeta" that it's based on.

So now I'm going to have a restful Labour Day after a fun and busy Saturday and Sunday, and I'm thinking I'd better stay away from bookstores and libraries for the next couple of months. I hope everyone else has had or is still having (if you're enjoying a long weekend like I am) a great weekend!

YAAY you went to BMV! Definitely planning a trip there as well in the next couple of weeks. And you got Rendezvous in Black! Hurray! That was a good one.

It was such a fun weekend and I'm glad we were able to meet up!

Happy Labour Day!

And p.s. I finished that wrist warmer ;)

Yey for LT meetup! Happy Labor Day to you too!

>137 rabbitprincess: I try to stop in at BMV every time I'm in Toronto. I've always gone to the Edward St. location, but this time I ended up at the Yonge/Eglinton location, which I liked just as much, maybe even better. Congrats on finishing the wrist warmer!

>138 -Eva-: Yes, it was definitely fun to meet another LT member. I'd love to meet others one day.

83. The Silent Wife by A. S. A. Harrison (3.5 stars)
Category: Canadian Literary Awards

This is a psychological thriller about a woman’s relationship with her unfaithful mate of 20 years. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I won’t say anything more about the plot. I was actually surprised that I liked the novel as much as I did, as one main character was totally pathetic and the other was despicable. I couldn't stop reading anyhow. I'd actually listened to the audiobook version and I think that the narrators were very good at conveying the characters' personalities. I’d recommend this book, but only for those people who don't have a need to feel a connection with at least one of the characters.

84. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves (4.5 stars)
Category: International Literary Awards

This is the first book I’ve read from the 2014 Booker longlist, and I thought it was excellent. The subject matter and writing style felt fresh and different to me, and it made me quite interested in learning more about the "experiment" that is the theme of the book.
Has anyone seen the movie Project Nim, the documentary about a similar research project?
In the narrator, Fowler has created a unique character, one that has clearly been shaped by her childhood experiences. I do hope this novel makes it onto the Booker shortlist!

A meet-up and book shopping sounds like an ideal weekend to me! That's a nice selection of books.

I have season 1 of the Murdoch Mysteries. I was a Sue Thomas:F.B. Eye fan and I was glad to see Yannick Bisson in another series.

Sounds like a fantastic weekend!

I'm glad you liked We are All Completely Beside Ourselves. That seems to be a book you either love or hate. I adored it.

And I picked up a copy of The Silent Wife last month, because it was there. Good to find that it's worth reading!

>142 cbl_tn: I hope you enjoy Murdoch Mysteries. I've not seen Yannick Bisson in any other shows but I really like him as an actor so will have to seek those out.

>143 lkernagh: Yes, it was a great weekend, but now we're trying to adjust to the new school routine again.

>144 RidgewayGirl: I'll be interested in hearing what you think of The Silent Wife. I think that, it too, might be a "love it or hate it" kind of book.

85. The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America (4 stars)
Category: Non-fiction

I’ve enjoyed Thomas King’s novels and short stories but have not read any of his non-fiction work until now. This volume gathers his thoughts on interactions between native and non-native people in North America over the past several centuries. If you’re looking for an objective history book laid out in chronological order, this is not it. King’s book includes plenty of references to historical events, but it is also full of anecdotes, personal meditations, insights, wit, some bitterness, and a little bit of optimism. King is very opinionated and his biases are clear, but he does have a point. The history of how Canadian and American governments have treated native peoples really is quite appalling. It’s hard to know, though, how the various groups should handle the ongoing disputes in the future. King himself recognizes that the situation is extremely complex and doesn’t provide a definitive answer. He does, however, provide much food for thought.

86. Goliath by Scott Westerfeld (4.5 stars)
Category: Next in the Series

This was a most satisfying conclusion to the Leviathan trilogy. Some of the storylines resolved themselves in predictable ways, but there were still enough surprises to keep things interesting right until the end. Out of the various steampunk novels I’ve read in the past years, this series is among my favourites in terms of world building. The contrasting worlds of the Darwinists with their genetically engineered animals and the Clankers with their sophisticated high-tech machines are brilliantly portrayed by Westerfeld. There were a few things I didn’t like about this final book, which prevents me from giving it 5 stars, but they are pretty minor compared to all the things I did like about it, which included strong characters and a very interesting take on a historical event.

I enjoyed Westerfeld's trilogy so much - the whole spin on our known history and the well drawn characters - that I will probably re-read it again some day. Besides, I am always a sucker for a cute, fictitious animal character with personality!

The Leviathan series was a fun one. I had hopes of getting more into the steampunk genre after reading it but my next foray, Homunculus, didn't work out quite so well although I have been enjoying The Hungry Cities series by Philip Reeve so maybe I should just stick to those aimed at a younger audience.

>149 AHS-Wolfy: My local independent bookstore runs a steampunk book club, so I've read a number of books in this genre over the past few years. They've been hit and miss. My favourites include Perdido Street Station and The Diamond Age, books that I wouldn't necessarily call steampunk though they do have some elements. Of the YA series I've read, I really like Philip Reeve's Fever Crumb series and Kenneth Oppel's Airborn series. I've not read Reeve's Hungry Cities series yet but plan to do that.

87. The Stop: How the Fight for Good Food Transformed a Community and Inspired a Movement by Nick Saul and Andrea Curtis (4 stars)
Category: Non-fiction

This is an inspirational book about a highly successful community food centre in Toronto, The Stop, that started off as a traditional food bank. It is presented in author Nick Saul's voice, even though it was co-written with his spouse.

When Saul took over management of The Stop, he initiated a number of controversial changes, such as turning down food donations that were deemed unhealthy. The main ideas he tried to instill were that impoverished people deserved as much as everyone else to have tasty and healthy food, that giving them such food would save the government money by reducing health-care costs, and that food can be used to promote a sense of community. Some of the programs started at The Stop include community gardens, after-school cooking classes for kids, multicultural themed dinners, and prenatal nutrition classes.

As well as telling the story of The Stop, Saul also discusses at length the role of the food bank in society and the reasons for moving away from the current model that exists in most urban centres in Canada. He argues that the way most food banks operate tends to diminish the dignity of the people who must use them. Instead, The Stop attempts to serve them in a more respectful and empowering way.

I highly recommend this book if you are interested in the politics of food. Some parts are a little tedious and preachy, but the personal stories are enjoyable, and the discussion of the logistical aspects of delivering healthy food to so many people is very interesting. I was also happy to learn that Jamie Oliver had given The Stop his endorsement.

My son adores that series. He's listened to the audiobooks several times (read by Alan Cumming!) and is also reading the books.

>150 mathgirl40: I haven't totally given up hope yet. I still have a few others on my tbr pile to get to at some point. I wouldn't have classed Perdido Street Station as steampunk but also loved it (and the sequels) when I read them a couple or so years ago.

Our local library had a steampunk month theme for August with displays and books and even an afternoon where everyone could dress up. I will get to trying steampunk at some point.

>151 mathgirl40: - I'll be taking a BB on this one. Sounds very interesting.

>151 mathgirl40: - Interesting. I know there are a lot of gaps in manner in which provide assistance to impoverished people in our society. My mom volunteers at a food bank in Calgary and the stories she has told me over the years has convinced me that some things need to change. It always gets stalled in the 'how'. The Stop sounds like it is taking a very positive step in the right direction.

>152 RidgewayGirl: Your son has good taste in books! :)

>153 AHS-Wolfy: I'm not sure I'd call Perdido Street Station steampunk either, but Mieville's books are hard to slot into particular genres. I haven't read the sequels yet but look forward to doing that one day.

>154 dudes22: Sounds fun! I'm not into the dressing-up part, but some members of our steampunk book club really enjoy that aspect.

>155 lkernagh: One thing that Saul mentions is that, often, the food bank volunteers are so overwhelmed with meeting the urgent immediate needs that it's really hard to look at the big picture and work on the root problems. The Stop was lucky to have someone with the energy and will to make radical changes,

88. Shake Hands Forever by Ruth Rendell (3.5 stars)
Category: Mystery
Challenges: MysteryCAT

This was a solid mystery from Ruth Rendell, from the Chief Inspector Wexford series. In this story, Wexford doggedly pursues a suspect in a murder case over the course of a year, without the approval of his superiors, and he is assisted by his nephew Howard. The novel was a bit slow at times, but it was enjoyable overall, with a few twists that I hadn’t expected.

89. The Third Son by Julie Wu (4 stars)
Category: Around the World (Taiwan)

This is a debut novel and the writing seemed a little unpolished and clichéed in places, but I was surprised by how much I was drawn in by the characters and plot. I really had a hard time putting this book down. The story is about a Taiwanese boy, unloved by his family, who eventually becomes a student in America and who is greatly affected by the complicated politics playing out in Taiwan.

The novel is similar in style to Amy Tan’s and Lisa See’s works about Asian immigrants to North America, but this one is different in that it has a male protagonist and concentrates on his relationships with other males in his family. There are many good novels about Asian immigration to North America but few that have a focus on the Taiwanese, and I found it interesting to read about their history.

90. Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold (4.5 stars)
Category: Space Opera

This is a stand-alone novel set in the Vorkosigan universe. It’s one of my favourite Vorkosigan stories so far, even though it doesn’t feature Miles or Cordelia. Bujold presents and explores a number of interesting ideas surrounding biotechnology and reproduction, and she does so in the context of a rollicking adventure. The world of Athos, populated by men only, is especially fascinating, and I really liked how Bujold examines Ethan’s thoughts and reactions as he meets a woman, the strong confident Elli Quinn, for the first time.

91. The Abominable Man by Maj Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö (4 stars)
Category: Next in the Series

This is one of my favourites of the Martin Beck novels I've read so far. First, Martin Beck, in his interactions with his daughter, seems a little less distant and more human than he has in previous novels. I've enjoyed all the installments of this series but never really warmed up to him as a character. Second, the authors' examination of and commentaries on corruption within the police force were very interesting. It's easy to think of this as fiction set in another country in a much earlier time. However, the reality is that similar stories of police brutality occasionally make it into the news here in Canada, where First Nations people are often the victims. I expect that most police officers find such actions appalling, but as the novel shows, a single corrupt person in a position of great power can have a devastating effect.

Well, this is embarrassing ... I've just finished the reviews of my August books and I'm posting my August summary at the halfway point in September. Better late than never, I suppose.

Number of books read: 11 (out of 91 in all)
Number of books off my shelf: 3 (out of 30 in all)
Favourite book: We Are All Beside Ourselves
Challenges: MysteryCAT, GeoCAT, RandomCAT
Group reads: Vorkosigan

I managed to read 3 more books from the Ontario Library Association's Evergreen list (only 2 more to go) and I was happy that the one book I'd read from the Booker longlist made it onto the shortlist!

>160 mathgirl40: I still have a way to go in that series but it's good to see it holding up well and even improving on certain aspects.

>160 mathgirl40:
I've managed the first two so far and really find it interesting how well they work social commentary into a quality police procedural.

>162 AHS-Wolfy: >163 -Eva-: Yes, the social commentary is a big part of the Martin Beck series. I just started another of Henning Mankell's books. He also incorporates social issues into his novels and it's easy to see how he was influenced by Sjöwall and Wahlöö.

92. The Runner and the Kelpie by Dave Duncan (4 stars)
Category: Short Fiction
Challenge: RandomCAT

This is the third book in Dave Duncan’s Runner series and it brings to a nice conclusion various storylines that were started in the earlier books. At the same time, this novel contains an interesting and well-paced story and it would work just fine as a standalone book. Ivor is a very likeable character, and I would very much like to read more stories featuring this humble and resourceful young man.

I really enjoy reading novella-length books. They are quick to read but have enough complexity and character development to keep me interested, or at least the good novellas do. Dave Duncan seems to strike the right balance with the three novellas I’ve read in this series, but I haven’t tried any of his full-length novels yet. Perhaps I’ll enjoy those even more.

93. Steampunk Prime (3 stars)
Category: Short Fiction

This collection of stories isn’t really steampunk, as the title might suggest; rather, it is a group of stories from mostly obscure writers featuring the elements (e.g. airships, automatons) that we commonly see in steampunk fiction of today. It is likely that some of these authors had inspired the steampunk writers of today.

As stories, none of these stand out. Indeed, some of them are barely stories, but instead, are clearly meant to portray the authors' ideas about the future. Some of these ideas (e.g. libraries able to transmit books to patrons a good distance away) are spot on, while others definitely belong to the realm of fantasy. Like many stories of that era, these include some colonial and racist ideas that we'd find appalling nowadays. In one story set in the 22nd century, the author states that Africa is finally "largely civilized and enlightened."

If you're looking for good stories, I wouldn't recommend this book, but if you're interested in the early development of SFF, it's worthwhile reading through this collection.

>136 mathgirl40:: Love the picture of the two of you, and congrats on such excellent Book Hauls!

>167 LauraBrook: Thanks, Laura!

94. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (4 stars)
Category: Miscellaneous
Challenges: MysteryCAT

A lot of people have recommended this series to me, and now that I've finished the first book, I can understand why. I already want to read the next book!

I have to put this novel in my Miscellaneous category because it has a bit of everything: fantasy, mystery, science fiction, romance, and humour. It has the same kind of wacky humour found in Douglas Adams’ novels, but it's obviously meant for book lovers. I enjoyed all the literary references and the "reworking" of the Jane Eyre story. It’s not crucial to have read Jane Eyre before reading this book, but knowing the story enhances the reading experience so much more.

95. Chew, Volume 1: Taster's Choice (4.5 stars)
Category: Graphic Novels

First, I have to say that this is one of the grossest graphic novels I've ever encountered ... but if you're not squeamish, I highly recommend it.

Tony Chu is an Asian American detective with an unusual gift. He can sense and relive moments in the history of a food item when he bites into it. Knowing this, his superiors force him to chomp on the corpses of murder victims so that he can discover their killers.

I grew up in a Chinese restaurant, surrounded by food. I also love crime fiction and graphic novels but rarely find the two combined. This book has all the elements I love: a storyline that revolves around food, unique characters and a good mystery as well. I will definitely be reading more books in this series!

"chomp on the corpses of murder victims"

Eww!

>170 mathgirl40: Chew has been on my reading menu for a while. Just sounds quite different and might fit my taste quite well. Glad to see you enjoyed it.

>171 -Eva-: Yeah, "Eww!" is the right response to this story ... but it's a fun read all the same. :)

>172 AHS-Wolfy: It's definitely not to everyone's taste (no pun intended) but having seen some of the interesting books you've reviewed on your thread, I think this series might be one you'd enjoy.

96. Labyrinth by Lois McMaster Bujold (3.5 stars)
Category: Space Opera
Group reads: Vorkosigan

This novella offers another adventure featuring Miles Vorkosigan and introduces a recurring character, Taura. It's a fun, fast-paced story with some nice observations on what it means to be human. Otherwise, it's not as interesting or memorable as other Vorkosigan stories. It's still worth reading, though. You really can't go wrong with Bujold.

97. A Feast of Crows by George R. R. Martin (3.5 stars)
Category: Next in the Series

There were moments of brilliance in this installment of the Song of Ice and Fire series and a lot of interesting background material was provided, but I did not enjoy it as much as the first three books. While none of the volumes would work as a standalone story, this one in particular felt even less cohesive and provided no feeling of resolution at the end. Half of the characters make no appearance in this book, but a number of new ones are introduced. Martin has said that this book and the fifth are really two halves of the same book, split into two because of sheer length, so I suppose I shouldn't judge until I've finished the second one.

>175 mathgirl40:
I'll agree with that - the next one really is the other half of this (of the two, I enjoyed A Dance With Dragons a tad more than this one).

I've been thinking that I may finally succumb to this series and read the first one for whichever category in the SFFF Cat challenge next year it goes with.

>176 -Eva-: That's good to know. I hope to get to A Dance with Dragons soon, but as I'm following Leigh Butler's read-along at Tor and reading a chapter or two a week, it'll probably take me a year to finish it. Maybe the 6th book will be out by then (not counting on it, though).

>177 dudes22: I think this series could potentially fit into a good number of categories. I wish there could be one called "Doorstop Fantasy Novels", as I have several that would fit, including The Way of Kings and books in the Wheel of Time series.

98. Trust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay (4 stars)
Category: Mystery
Challenges: RandomCAT

This novel, about a man suffering from schizophrenia who witnesses a murder through an Internet site, is a real page turner, like all the other Linwood Barclay books I've read. There were a good number of unexpected twists along the way. Apart from the mystery/thriller aspect, I really like how Barclay writes about family relationships in his books.

99. The Pyramid and Other Stories by Henning Mankell (3.5 stars)
Category: Short Fiction

There are five stories in this collection, with one that is long enough to be called a novella rather than a short story. A couple were quite good, but the others did not have much in terms of plot or suspense. They were still interesting in that they covered episodes in Kurt Wallander's past and showed his personal and professional development. This collection is definitely worth reading if you're a Wallander fan but perhaps not otherwise.

>178 mathgirl40:
I do hope the next one comes out soon! Although, Martin tweeted the other day, "I don't know why people are so excited for the Winds of Winter... It's only going to make people cry." Haha!

>181 -Eva-: Interesting comment ... I wonder how many major characters he'll kill off in this one.

100. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (3.5 stars)
Category: Short Fiction

This was a nice quick read about a woman who sets up her own detective agency in Botswana. This series seems to be very popular and I can understand why, as the characters are likable and there is a charming feel to the story. The mystery element is pretty light though, as the novel focuses mainly on Mma Ramotswe's efforts to establish her agency.

101. Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (4 stars)
Category: Noir

I liked this second book in the Philip Marlowe series better than the first, The Big Sleep. It takes time to get used to Chandler's style, but I'm starting to appreciate it, along with the great one-liners and convoluted storylines. The racism and sexism are probably no worse than seen in most golden age mysteries, just much more blatant.

102. River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay (4 stars)
Category: Canadian Literary Awards
Challenges: GeoCAT

Guy Gavriel Kay is well known as a fantasy writer, but this alternate history novel set in Ancient China, like his previous book Under Heaven, features very few fantasy elements. However, like his many of his other works, this one features strong storytelling, a large cast of characters, intricate plots and great attention to the details of the setting. This book didn't have, for me, the same impact as Tigana or Song of Arbonne, but it was a very enjoyable read all the same. You just can't go wrong with GGK.

I hope you'll indulge me while I tell you about an exciting thing that happened last night. Our local library held a "Battle of the Books" event to promote the books on the Ontario Library Association's Evergreen list. Ten local celebrities were invited to defend the ten books, in a panel discussion inspired by the annual "Canada Reads" event. Then, the attendees would vote for one of the books. I had attended last year and enjoyed it immensely. This year, I'd finished 9 of the 10 books on the list and was looking forward to attending again.

When the event started, it was announced that the champion assigned to River of Stars had to withdraw because of illness. The moderator said apologetically that they would have to remove this book from contention in the voting, but then she turned to the audience and asked if anyone there had read the book. I put up my hand and they asked if I would be willing to defend the book!

At first, I thought "No way!" as, unlike the other panelists, I had no notes prepared, and the thought of speaking in front of all those people alongside the celebrities (which included author Terry Fallis) was pretty intimidating. Then I thought about how much I loved GGK's books and how often I'd recommended his work to my friends and acquaintances, and I decided I could do it! So I did ... and it was scary ... but lots of fun. At the end, I got lovely thank-you gifts from the library, and Terry Fallis shook my hand and signed a copy of his book that I'd purchased.

I'm really glad it was River of Stars and not one of the other books I was asked to defend, because it's so easy to talk enthusiastically about an author whose works you know well and really love. I'm sure all of you know that to be true! :)

Oooh! What an exciting story! Love it :) And how cool that you got to meet Terry Fallis! He is quite nice.

Well done on being an impromptu defender of River of Stars!

Wow, that is impressive! Getting up in front of so many people and speaking without notes, that must have been quite a ride.

How exciting! Guy Gavriel Kay is an author worth defending. Tigana is one of my favorite books of all time.

>184 mathgirl40: I've only read The Big Sleep but do have the next three of the series on the tbr shelves so I'm glad you enjoyed the second and thanks for the reminder that I should get back to them soon.

>185 mathgirl40: Congrats on doing that. Sounds like quite an experience. I also need to read more of GGK!

>186 rabbitprincess: Yes, Terry Fallis does seem to be a very nice man ... a good speaker too.

>187 lkernagh: >188 MissWatson: Thank you both!

>189 RidgewayGirl: Tigana is one of my favourites too. I have Sailing to Sarantium on my shelf; that will be my next GGK read.

>190 AHS-Wolfy: Thanks for the congratulations. Yes, more Chandler and more GGK, for me too! :)

I forgot to mention in my earlier message that Erick Traplin, a popular Canadian children's entertainer, got the most votes for his excellent defense of The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King. All the speakers were great.

This vote was just a fun thing organized by our library. The "real' voting for the Ontario Library Association's Evergreen award takes place next week. The list of books is here on their Web site. I've also created an LT list to keep track of my own ranking. Anyone else who is reading the Evergreen books is welcome to join the list!

Sounds like you had a good time. I'm going to make a note of him for next year's SFFF CAT and hope that the host of the month mentions him in whatever month he fits so I remember.

>183 mathgirl40: I think most of McCall's series focus more on the characters than the mysteries, especially in the rather primitive setting of Botswana where a telephone is considered high tech. I found the entire series absolutely delicious but I don't read them for the mystery. I hope you consider reading and enjoying more of the series with this in mind.

I loved The Big Sleep so I am fully expecting to feel the same about Farewell My Lovely.

I also want to offer my congrats for defending GGK, he is one of my favorite authors. I haven't yet read Under Heaven or River of Stars but I would love to fit the first one into one of the SFFFCats next year.

>193 dudes22: I think you'll be able to fit GGK's works into several of the SFFFCAT months next year. I'll be reading more GGK too!

>194 mamzel: Yes, I do intend to continue the series. I did like the characters and setting a lot.

>195 DeltaQueen50: Thanks for the congratulations, Judy! I hope you'll be able to fit Under Heaven into your reading next year; it was very, very good.

103. The Sound and the Fury (4 stars)
Category: 1001/Classic
Challenges: RandomCAT

This is the third Faulkner book I’ve read, and it was more challenging than the other ones (Light in August and As I Lay Dying) I’d finished. The stream of consciousness style dominates the first half of the book, and the unorthodox punctuation takes some getting used to, but there is much that is rewarding in this book. It’s uncanny how one can get to know the characters so well through Faulkner’s techniques, even the ones whose thoughts aren’t directly shared with us. There is much here that is horrific but fascinating at the same time. Many, many years ago, I’d made an attempt to read Absalom, Absalom, which includes some of the same characters, but I had given up after a short time. Now, having finished The Sound and the Fury, I may give it another try in the near future.

104. My Life as Emperor by Su Tong (3.5 stars)
Category: Dust Collectors
Challenges: GeoCAT

Like Guy Gavriel Kay’s River of Stars, which I’d reviewed a few posts upthread, My Life as Emperor is also set in a fictional version of Ancient China and deals with court politics and intrigue. Otherwise, the books are quite different. While the former has plenty of heroic characters and deeds, many of the characters in Su Tong’s book are unattractive or damaged in some way. The novel is relatively short but powerful. It follows the life of a boy, a fifth son who unexpectedly becomes emperor and grows into manhood manipulated by those who surround him. Many parts of this book are unpleasant and disturbing but it was a very compelling read in other ways.

Once again, I'm finishing my reviews for last month midway through the current month. Here's what happened in September:

Number of books read: 13 (out of 104 in all)
Number of books off my shelf: 5 (out of 35 in all)
Favourite book: River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay
Challenges: MysteryCAT, GeoCAT, RandomCAT
Group reads: Vorkosigan

I did better with reading off my shelf this month, and I hope I can keep up this trend for the remaining months of the year. I chose River of Stars as my favourite book this month, not because I gave it the highest rating (Chew, Volume 1: Taster's Choice got that) but because it brought me a lot of excitement this month (post 185, in case you hadn't seen it already). :)

>197 mathgirl40:
I read that one at Uni and remember it was pretty tough fare. I do have it on the to-reread list for some time in the future.

>200 -Eva-: I've been told that the more Faulkner you read, the more sense it makes, as there are common characters and settings among his books. Jay Parini, his biographer, has said, "Faulkner cannot be read; he can only be reread." I suppose there is some truth in this.