What are you reading in October 2010?

I didn't see a thread for October so I thought I would start one.

I finished A Secret Kept by Tatiana De Rosnay last night - an alright story. As this was an LTER, I will need to think a bit about the review I will write for this one.

Next up is Moscow Noir, a set of short stories set in Moscow from the Akashic Noir series.

Finished Lost in the Barrens a few nights ago and loved it. I am now almost 30 pages into Late Nights on Air. Although it was slow going at first I am starting to get into it (I hope).

I'm just finishing up Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright. It's been throughly enjoyable! I just got home from Chapters, and I purchased a copy of Late Night's on Air for $9.99! I was pretty pleased with that price. I'm not sure what I'll read once I finish Clara Callan. I've got a lot of TBR books! I also purchased Freedom which is by franzenjonathan::Jonathan Franzen. Freedom is a Heather's Pick , and an Oprah choice, and seems to have very good reviews. So - I'm spoiled for choice!

I'm reading "How the Scots Invented Canada". It seems to be a very truthful book. I'm waiting for the next book "How the Scots saved the World, liberated the World and Own it all the while writing the World's literature. (As well as Canadian literature ... Alice Monroe, Duncan Campbell Scott and Mordeci MacRichler anyone?
(Edited for typos.)

>2 Bcteagirl:: It took me forever to read the first 20 pages of Late Nights. I just couldn't get any momentum going. I became interested around page 40 or so. At this point i'm at page 100 and i'm pretty into it. A pleasant read so far.

I've been reading Pyongyang by Québécois author Guy Delisle at the same time. I'm about halfway through. It provides an interesting glimpse into North Korea's capital, though it's not as analytical as it could be. Maybe that comes later. Also a pleasant read though!

(Edited to fix touchstone)

Good to know thank you! I am also reading Chronicle of a Death Foretold for the What is Stephen Harper Reading challenge. Hoping to have that read by the end of the weekend.

I've finished La concierge du Panthéon by Canadian Jacques Godbout. I really enjoyed the first part about a writer taking a chance to make it big in Paris. He fails, but I'm not sure what lessons he got from this failure: the sense I got was that there's still a feeling of inferiority toward the French (which is really not Godbout, a well traveled, educated man...)

I'll be starting A Secret Kept by Tatania de Rosnay for the Early Reviewers group.
Touchstones not working for some reason.

Cecilturtle - I can't wait to see what you have to say about A Secret Kept. I read her first book - and I enjoyed it. I understand this to be somewhat of a continuation of that book - but I'm not sure. I see it's already available from Amazon com.

Sorry - touchstones not working for me either.

I started Lost in the Barrens yesterday and am loving it.

I'm reading the latest Jane Urquhart, Sanctuary Line and will be reviewing it for the next issue of www.Belletrista.com

Oh, and to celebrate October, I'm also reading Ghost Stories of British Columbia. There aren't actually any stories in it--it's more like a bunch of special interest blurbs you'd read in the local newspaper.

>11 Nickelini:: Haha! I've seen that at Chapters here in Kelowna and was wondering if I should get it :)

I'm just in the middle of Scroll of Saqqara by Pauline Gedge. What will I read next? I don't know. I never know when I walk into my little piece of Heaven until I come out with a random book in my hand... haha

12 - well, it depends on your tastes, but I think you can safely skip Ghost Stories of British Columbia if you're looking for actual stories. If you live in Kelowna, you might be interested to know that apparently that nice restaurant in the old house on the lake is haunted (I can't remember the name--it's close to the Manteo Resort).

11 and 12: Our used bookstore has 3 copies of that book and I was tempted. Thank you for the heads up!

12: I love Pauline Gedge's work. Last year I read the Lord of the Two Lands Trilogy. Scroll of Saqqara is on that is on mount TBR right now (Nearish to the top, but not at the top). You will have to let me know how you like it!

I've moved on to You comma Idiot. I'm well behind in my reading these days. It takes me weeks to read anything.

I just finished Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat. What an amazing book. I really did love it!

I've just finished Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright. What a fabulous read. I learned so much about being a single woman in the 1930's , and sexuality in the 1930's.

Now, I've moved onto to some brain candy..... A mystery I'd know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman.

Keeping with my current northern theme I am now reading An Arctic Man by Ernie Lyall.

Room is fascinating. A 5 year old boy has been captive with his kidnapped mother in a small room for his entire life. Written in his language. I can't put it down for more than a few minutes.

As I usually have a fiction book and a non-fiction going at the same time, I'm currently in the middle of Bleak House and The Warmth of Other Suns. I'm surprised by how funny the Dickens is. I guess I'd always assumed it was one of his less humourous works, probably because of the title. Isabel Wilkerson's study of the American Great Migration - the migration of millions of southern Black Americans to the great cities of the north between 1915 and 1970 is full of facts and full of heart. An excellent book.

I was always daunted by Bleak House too--I expected a thousand pages of Victorian soot and misery. What a delightful surprise it was indeed! So far it's my favourite Dickens.

A Secret Kept was engrossing - I found that Rosnay sometimes stretched the death theme a bit too far, but it had that Rebecca by DuMaurier feel to it: an idolized woman who is not quite who people thought she was.

I'll be starting The Bishop's Man to kick start my long weekend.

I'm also starting The Bishop's Man but with the family here for the weekend, I probably won't get too far.

I have just finished End of Days by Max Turner which is a lot of fun and Ape House by Sara Gruen which is also wonderful! I just love Canadian Lit!

I just finished Sanctuary Line by Jane Urquhart, which I think any of her fans will love. Tons of atmosphere, as one would expect from her. And it really comes together in quite an amazing way by the end.

Now I'm taking a wee CanLit break to read a ghostly and ghouly October book--Gothic Tales by Elizabeth Gaskell. But after that it's back to Canlit and I'll finally get to Annabel by Kathleen Winter.

Will be interested in hearing what you think of Annabel!

I hear you though, after I finish Late Nights on Air am taking a wee break as well :P

Ohh! I can't wait to get my hands on Annabel by Kathleen Winter. It sounds fascinating!

I'm nearly finished my brain candy book - I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman. It's actually quite a good read - a psychological hmm - bit of a mystery. I think to some extent, the author got her plot from the real life story of Elizabeth Smart -and then embellished on it . Interesting book.

I just finished my ER book The Petting Zoo. It was too wordy and the plot meandered a lot.
I started Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro and am continuing my read of Other Colors by Orhan Pamuk.

After a week of no reading - due to a nasty head cold and too much work - I am happily back to my books. Right now I am reading Under This Unbroken Sky, a stunning story of immigrant farmers struggling to make ends meet on the dry, Canadian prairies during the 1930's. This book is a perfect fit for both my 1010 Challenge and the Reading Through Time Monthly Group read for October.

I'm reading Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky

30: I will be interested to hear what you think of this book. I have read Cod and The Big Oyster the first of which was excellent the second dragged on a little.

I just finished An Arctic Man which was an awesome read and wonder how it sat on my shelf for so long... I guess the fact that it moved with me 8 times means I always planned on getting to it.

So I trust that if it's 10:21 PM Sunday night on the westcoast (and CBC jazz is playing Billie Holiday), everyone in Canada has had their fill of turkey dinner? Unless, of course, you're a Thanksgiving Monday hold out. But isn't Monday reserved for leftovers? However you celebrate it, Happy Thanksgiving, Canadians!

#29 - Under This Broken Sky was depressing but wonderful, haunting read.

I got out to Chapter's today and picked up a copy of Annabel by Kathleen Winter. It's on the short list for the Giller prize -plus it looks to be a fascinating read. I hope to start reading it later today.

Happy Thanksgiving, Canadians! Not sure if touchstones are working or not.

Happy Thanksgiving! We are part of the Monday celebrators this year, mainly because I have the week off from work and Monday works better for my other half's crazy schedule this year.

#33 - I have past the halfway mark in Under This Unbroken Sky and I agree with you, it is a depressing but riveting story.

Happy thanksgiving!
I just finished Late Nights on Air last night. It does pick up more into the book, and is worth the read. I think it is the type of book that is best read in short bursts with other books on the go at the same time. Posted a longer review.

I'm working my way through The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies. I just finished Fifth Business and am about 4 chapters in The Manticore. This is my second reading of this series and I am enjoying it even more than the first time. Follow the link to read my review of the series.

I finished Under This Unbroken Sky last night. What a stunning, haunting story! I have posted a quick review on the book page.

Next up is Solo by Rana Dasgupta - winner of the 2010 Commonwealth Writer's Prize.

I just started White Slaves of Nootka a book recommended by a friend and originally published in 1815. Interesting to see how writing styles have changes in the last 200 years!

Hmm some touchstone trouble!

Re writing styles: I notice that, too. I just finished The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James and it took me forever to read the first 50 pages; I had to get used to the style and sentence structure. But, it was worth it!

Under this Unbroken Sky is on my TBR shelves -- I'll probably read it next.

After The Bishop's Man, I didn't want to leave the Maritimes, so I've started Anne of Green Gables - a charming book. Not sure how I could have overlooked such a classic!

I hope you love "Anne" as much as some of her most loyal readers do. It's wonderful writing and a great story. Note to anyone who hasn't read it - give it a try and I'm sure you'll love it.

Just finished Room - wow! Very unusual story. Loved it.
Starting and ARC - A Secret Kept and finishing up The Bishop's Man.

loosha - I would be curious to see what you think of A Secret Kept. I had a hard time relating to the main character Antoine and wished there had been more emphasis placed on the family secret he was trying to uncover, but that is just my take on the story.

I finished and reviewed Solo by Rana Dasgupta - a interesting, strange story that is hard to describe in just a few words. Also read and reviewed Maps and Shadows, and LTER book that tells the fictionalized account of a Polish family's experiences during World War II.

Next up is A Song for Nettie Johnson by Gloria Sawai.

I found A Secret Kept ok, but didn't find the characters, except maybe Antoine, very well deveoped. At times, they verged on unbelievable.

Room is waiting on the TBR shelves.

I'm reading Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell.

>36 Bcteagirl:: I finally finished Late Nights. I thought it was ok. I liked the descriptions of northern landscapes and the author's treatment of memory and desire. It was nice enough, and i can think of several people i would recommend it to, but i didn't find it very rewarding. The end was a bit too pat for my liking. I also get annoyed when authors repeatedly hint at future tragedy. Her foreshadowing was pretty heavy-handed, i thought. But, i may be overstating my reservations. In your review you refer to this book as "enjoyable and comfortable," and i think that's quite apt.

Here's a question for you and anyone else in the group who cares to chime in: For someone who has never read any Farley Mowat, what book would you recommend as a good point of entry?

46: I agree the foreshadowing was a bit much. A times I thought 'Didn't you already say that.. twice?'

As for Mowat, I think it would depend on your mood/what types of books you like to read. My first instinct was not to jump into one of the larger more academic books as a first book.

The first book I read was My discovery of America which is hilarious, light, quick read, but serious enough that it is certainly not 'chick lit'. I think it gives you a good idea/start on understanding who Mowat is. He touches on various subjects discussed in other books, so it might give you an idea of what other books you might gravitate towards as well.

If you are looking for a fiction work I highly recommend Lost in the Barrens. Easy to read and very enjoyable.

LynnB - I agree with your assessment of the characters in A Secret Kept and look forward to your thoughts on Under This Unbroken Sky.

I finished reading A Song for Nettie Johnson this afternoon. For some unknown reason I didn't know that it was a collection of short stories when I started it. I posted a review on the book page to join the one lonely review that was there.

Next up is The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan. I have been looking forward to this book and can hardly wait to dive into it this evening!

>47 Bcteagirl:: I'll keep an eye out for Lost in the Barrens. (I.e., i've added it to my BM wishlist.) Thanks!

My first Mowat book was The Boat Who Wouldn't Float. That was many many years ago but I remember finding it hilarious.

46 & 47 - The heavy-handed foreshadowing was my chief complaint in Late Nights on Air too. Despite it, the book still won the Giller Prize.

... and became, with Vincent Lam's Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, a lightning rod for critics of the Giller. Which may have led to the new, internationalized jury formula.

>46 I-_-I:: As for Farley Mowat I would start with either Lost in the Barrens or The Boat who wouldn't Float. Lost in the Barrens was an awesome adventure novel and The boat who wouldn't float was laugh out loud funny. I am collecting all I can find of his work and trying to read them in order of publication. As long as you take his 'facts' with a grain of salt I think you can really enjoy his story telling abilities.

Well, I finished Annabel by Kathleen Winter. It was really a lovely read in many ways. Continuing on with my Cross Canada read - I've just started my Quebec book - A Brutal Telling by Louise Penny. I had it on my TBR pile anyway -and many people have told me that Louise Penny is an excellent author. I'll let you know what I think as time goes on.

I seem to be in the middle of all sorts of books. The Brothers Karamazov is stalled near the beginning. I planned to read it during the day and when I was not tired. Turns out those two things never happen. I am half way through The Know it all which is a fine read and very easy to pick up and put down. Due to some lax library wait list management I got a pile of books recently. Most of them went back to join my wait list again but I kept The Guinea Pig Diaries: My life as an experiment again I am somewhere in the middle and it has kind of taken the place of The Know it All for now as I am enjoying is a little more. White Slaves of the Nootka is also midway. I then made the fatal mistake of starting my ER copy of The Bells: A novel when it arrived in the mail this morning. Perhaps my goal for the rest of October should be to not start any more books!

I, too, found the foreshadowing overwhelming in Late Nights on Air.

The only Farley Mowat book I really remember is Never Cry Wolf.

Under this Unbroken Sky was a great story (but a very sad one), well written with excellent character development and descriptions that put me right in the middle of the scene. I really liked it a lot!

I'm now reading Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs which my mom gave me quite a while ago.

I just finished Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day which was delightful - sort of a 1930 Cinderella story. Miss Pettigrew was a 1938 novel which has been reprinted several times, this time by Persephone Books which "reprints forgotten twentieth century novels, short stories, cookery books and memoirs by women writers." That's two good Pettigrew novels for me this year. My favourite book of the year so far was Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. Nothing in my TBR pile looks appealing to me today so right now I'm not reading anything.

I just finished The Earth Hums in B Flat - what a great, whimsical story! - and now plan to pick up The Fat Woman Next Door is Pregnant, a 2009 Canada Reads selection I had never heard of before last year even though it was originally published way back in 1978.

>58 lkernagh: I read La grosse femme d'à côté est enceinte shortly after it was published and although I REALLY struggled with the French (having learning the Parisian variety, which has very little to do with the French that Tremblay employs), to this day this remains one of my favorite books of all times - what characters and what a world he creates! Do go ahead with your plans to pick it up, you won't regret it. I can't speak to the English translation, but I hope that somehow the flavor of the original joual was retained.

As for what I'm currently reading, I guess the book qualifies as "semi-Canadian" - it's The Terror by Dan Simmons. Concerning itself with the Franklin Expedition and the fate of the crew, from the first few pages it seems to be a well-written genre novel combining horror with history. I have a feeling that things are not going to turn out well for Franklin and his fellow searchers for the Northwest Passage.

I thought The Fat Woman Next Door is Pregnant really captured life in a Montreal neighbourhood. Reminded me of my childhood! I read it in English.

I'm now reading A Scientific Romance by Ronald Wright.

I began reading A Brutal Telling by Louise Penny as my Quebec selection for the CrossCanada Reading Tour Challenge. However, it is the 4th or 5 th book in a series - so I picked up the first book in the series - Still Lifeby Louise Penny -and I'm thoroughly enjoying my semi - cozy mystery in a small Quebec Town. Lots of fun!:)

I just finished Bakou, derniers jours by Olivier Rolin. Rolin is a journalist who narrates his last trip to Bakou in Azerbaijan and Turkestan. Through his tour he describes the sights, the history, the culture, the language but through a very personal lens. It is also a reflection on writing, books and literature. Rolin is a scholar but he communicates his knowledge with much enthusiasm - there is nothing pretentious about his references to multiple authors, events, etc. I learned a great deal in this short, illustrated book - a really interesting read.

I have now started The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers, a recommendation from a friend.

#59 - jpyvr - I started The Terror although I've put it aside for now. I found it a bit slow moving. Hoping it picks up...

jpyvr and LynnB - I am loving The Fat Woman Next Door is Pregnant! The characters are amazing to follow and I like how Tremblay has given the cat Duplessis thoughts, opinions and personality just like the humans of the neighborhood ;-)

Driving on the Rim, the latest from Thomas McGuane, is going to be my companion on tomorrow's train trip up to Ottawa for the writers festival.

As a part of my read across Canada Challenge, I just finished A Still Life by Louise Penny . That is my Quebec book. I really enjoyed it! I think I will find myself reading the entire series. The book was somewhat like a P.D . James mystery - she is noted British mystery writer.

Wish me luck as I begin High Latitudes: an Arctic Journey by Farley Mowat. It is a non - fiction book about Farely Mowat's two year trip spanning from White Horse, to Yellow Knife, to Resolute, to Nunavut and many places in between. It has a helpful map on the inside cover - and the book spans the Yukon, the NWT and what is now Nunavut. It looks to be very interesting.

I keep hearing great things about A Still Life and Louise Penny's mystery series. One of these days I will get around to reading the copy I have in my TBR pile!

Yesterday I finished The Fat Woman Next Door is Pregnant and can join the chorus of readers that enjoyed the book. Next up is The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen - 30 pages in and I have mixed thoughts about the book so far.

I'm moving on to Gently Down the Stream by Ray Robertson, which I'll surely finish by the end of tomorrow's train trip up to Montreal....

I am reading Far To Go by Alison Pick. I really like it so far. I just finished Light Lifting by Alexander MacLeod.

I just got Far to Go by Pick from the library and it looks good. Let me know how you like torontoc!

@67 - I think you will really love the book - I know I did!

@69 and @70 - let me think What you think of Far to Go by Alison Pick. I've been eyeing it in the bookstore -but I'd love to know what you think about it! Same with Light Lifting by Alexander McLeod.

Oh my , as I read through High Latitudes by Farley Mowat - while it is interesting - Mowat really is the Don Cherry of the North ;) I'm going to have to read a less partisan book about the north after I finish this !!! :) It is a non - fiction books -and oh boy, Farely Mowat certainly is opininated! But I feel kind of good to be finally learning more about the Canadian Arctic -even if it is a one sided view.

71 - Noooooooooooooooooooo! Farley Mowat good. Don Cherry bad, very bad. Bleck! :)

71: Farley Mowat and Don Cherry in the same sentance... very interesting. As I still have not figured out hockey I don't know a lot about Don Cherry but I am pretty sure there is not that much to know. If you want a non-fiction book about the north by someone who does not like Farley Mowat I have to recommend An Arctic Man. It is not going to be easy to find but it was a great read.

So sorry, bucketyell and fmgee to put Farley Mowat and Don Cherry in the same sentence!!!:) Actually - if you look one of the reviews here on Library Thing - for High Latitudes you will find that someone else compared Farley Mowat with Don Cherry! :) I am not a hockey fan either -but I do know that Don Cherry is outspoken and opinionated - as is Farley Mowat in this book!!! This is an autobiography that he has written - one of them -and oh - he is opininated and outspoken on evironmentalism as well Farley's take on the Inuit People. He definitely thinks it has been a dreadful mistake that the white man ever went north and tried to southernize the Inuit people. I'm not sure that I disagree with him -but he does not offer any other opinion - or any other point of view.

One thing that grabs my interest is that Farley Mowat explores the North in a Twin Otter for a lot of it-and my two brothers used to work as Bush Pilots in the High Arctic - so many of the places that he lands in are places that I am familiar with via my brothers. Both of them live out of my city -but I've got to ask them what they think about the many similar places that they travelled up north. One of my brother's even spent several months in the Antartica flying the Twin Otter. It can land on skis, floats, or wheels.

74 - Hehehe... that's okay. I can forgive you this time :)

I sometimes wonder if I am the only person in Canada who loathes DC (I am also the only person in Canada who loathes hockey so perhaps I need to reconsider my citizenship?). But, I can totally see the similarities with regards to being opinionated. Mowat makes more sense though!

74: Your brothers must have some wonderful stories to tell.

I now see some similarity. Mowat is very outspoken but I kind of like that as it highlights issues that are often not discussed but should be. Don Cherry on the other hand seems to highlight his suits and little else.

75: I think you get to keep your citizenship. They let me in without loving hockey and the exam had more to do with minerals of Manitoba then the Maple Leaf's likelihood of winning the Stanley Cup.

I finished The Bells: A Novel for LTER this morning... it was pretty good but seemed to have a few things missing near the end. Overall very enjoyable and I did greatly enjoying reading about sound as it allowed me to imagine what my ears don't understand.

I think Don Cherry is a loud-mouth fool, but I think that's the point (and if anyone misses that detail, he dresses like a court jester to really drive home the point). Personally, I have no use for loud-mouth fools. My husband watches him and I always just roll my eyes.

About the loathing of hockey however . . . hmmmm. I suspect you will soon get a visit from CSIS. Make sure you have 5 pieces of picture ID, your birth certificate, parent's marriage certificate and 9 letters of character reference. I wouldn't want to see what happens if you can't supply that.

74: Who else's point of view would he be better to write about :P I think you will be hard pressed to find people these days who will espouse forced colonialism as 'a good thing' lol.

His books were written at a time when his opinion was meant to make people think differently about a topic than the more mainstream colonialism views.. not to re-represent the same old opinions and add his contrary opinion to them :P

Bctea girl - you make an excellent point in that his books were written at a time when his opinions were the opposite to the going thinking. And yes - it would be difficult to find people who would espouse forced colonialism as a good thing. I think I just miss reading the view point of why it was done -and maybe a more up to date book as to how Nunavut is now doing. This book was written back in 1968 - but not published until 2002. I have a feeling I'll be reading Farley Mowat books! ;)

FMgee and Nickelini - I loathe hockey and Don Cherry too!! I've got all of my papers at the ready!;)

Yes indeed, my brothers have had many interesting stories to tell.

Well - I'm 2/3 of the way through High latitudes so soon I'll stop complaining! :) But you know - in considering who might be the 3 most important Canadian Writers - maybe Farley Mowat is one of them.

Just for the record, i for one love hockey and can't stand Don Cherry. Opinionated, yes. Also a bigot.

It's great to see so many people commenting on The Fat Woman Next Door. Michel Tremblay is worshipped as a god in Québec but i didn't realize that he was known outside of the province. I wonder how the joual translates.

I recently - finally - read The Road. I know from reading Blood Meridian that McCarthy is a master at conjuring bleak, desolate landscapes and depicting hideous acts of violence. The Road has all of that. But the best thing about the book is the relationship between the father and son. It was absolutely beautiful. And devastating.
(I know, it won a Pulitzer so this isn't exactly a newsflash. But bear with me - i just finished it so i'm really excited. :) )

79 - I would second that. I actually just 'discovered' him myself this year (sad but true) and I really don't think he has gotten the recognitition he deserved (or his wife for that matter). She is just as opinionated and just as funny. I love when I 'discover' someone new. It's like Stuart McLean all over again :)

fmgee - I did find online a place to purchase An Arctic Man and I was able to read a bit of it online -and the author mentions the Farely Mowat - just as Farley Mowat makes a brief reference to Ernie Lyall and his adventures in the An Arctic Man. Interesting!

I was also searching for the reasoning behind the colonialism in the North - and ran across a book called Citizen's Plus:Aboriginal People and the Canadian State written by a UBC law professor,Alan . C. Cairns. There were several other books that looked interesting that discussed the difficulties in the north from both viewpoints - including Advancing Aboriginal Claims by Kerry Wilkins. I may yet get them. Interesting how one book can lead to another.

According to my Dad, you don't have to love hockey to be Canadian. But, you do have to love the Montreal Canadiens.

I was offended when Don Cherry was nominated as the "Greatest Canadian" in CBC's contest.

Anyway, I'm reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz which, so far at least, has nothing to do with hockey!

>83 LynnB:: I read that one this summer and found it to be a very enjoyable read. I will say no more. :)

Hurrah! Finished High Latitudes:An Arctic Journey by Farely Mowat. I did write a bit of a review for it - so I'll say no more here!:) I'm just deciding whether I would like to take a break and read some brain candy - or read another book for the Cross Canada Challenge.

I've moved on to The Sentimentalists by Joanna Skibsrud, one of this year's Giller finalists.

I'm a chapter into Kiss of the Fur Queen by Tomson Highway as recommended by Nickelini, for my Manitoba book. Thanks for the recommendation Nickelini.

Trying to read some of the books on my TBR pile that are on the Canadreads top 40, so last night read the first dozen or so pages into The Life of Pi.

88: Life of Pi is good. Weird good but still good. I just looked at the list of 40 books and have only read 4. It was interesting to see what was there and to think about what is not.

This week has been a 'clean up' week. I finished Charlotte's Web with my daughter which has been fun to read to her, and finally completed The Guinea Pig Diaries and then White Slaves of the Nootka this morning. This last book was interesting given the subject matter but really dragged on at other times. I think the writing style is what I found difficult as it was written close to 200 years ago.

I am not sure what is on my list next but that is part of the fun

You are still one ahead of me, I had only read three :P However I have another half dozen or so on my TBR list, so will slowly work them towards the top.

Shelf Monkey is one I had not heard of yet that is in the listings that sounds interesting.

To round out October I just finished Jane Franklin's Obsession a Pierre Berton kids History book selected for me on the Go Review That Book group. Wow does he do a good job. I have just stared A Supremely Bad Idea.

I have just finished Player One by Douglas Coupland. In recent years, I haven't been a fan, but this one piqued my interest and I was duly rewarded: Coupland raises many philosophical, religious, ethical and societal issues. While he sketches some answers, it is really up to the reader to come to her own conclusions. It left me thinking long after I finished it.

I also finished an extremely powerful story told by a child-soldier in Liberia Allah n'est pas obligé by Ahmadou Kourouma. It is bearable because the narrator sees life through child's eyes: simple, a little harsh, but always resilient. The full title is Allah is not obliged to be just... a real foray into East Africa's bloody politics and destruction.

To take a break from all this hardship, I am now reading Du bon usage des étoiles by Dominique Fortier - a remarkably well-written account of Arctic exploration which captures wonderfully the Victorian era in both its enthusiasm and colonial ambitions.

Finished the fresh, witty and enjoyable short story collection by Nadine Bismuth, Are You Married to a Psychopath? this evening. The collection was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for Fiction (French) in 2009. Enjoyed it enough to check out more works by Bismuth.

Next up is The Elephant's Journey, as I just realized it is due back at the library in three days.

Just finished the Kiss of the Fur Queen by Tomson Highway. What a deeply affecting book. It left me misty eyed towards the end. 4 stars. Not certain what I will start next. Maybe I need something fun? Not sure yet.

If you're looking for something fun, take a pass on The Matter with Morris, David Bergen's newest totally sad story. I found it just totally depressing this afternoon, although the writing is masterful. I remember enjoying the Retreat but I think I might go on to something else...

congrats to Emma Donaghue for her win with Room. Now that was pretty depressing, too, but intriguing and hopeful in a way that I cannot find in 'Morris'. So far. Well, at least it's short and maybe I'll give it another go tomorrow.

the White Queen is next on the bookshelf.