There's more to life than books you know. But not much more.

One

2011-01-09T08:04:00.000-08:00

I finally finished another book. Yes that's right. It's not that I deserted this blog, I just haven't had time to read in two and a half months. But, after six weeks of faithful slogging, I finally finished The Witness by Dee Henderson. The sad thing is, the book wasn't even fantastic literature, though the story was enough to keep me going through all those weeks.

Let's hope I manage to read a few more books in 2011.

55 & 56

2010-11-03T07:15:00.000-07:00

The Language of Secrets by Dianne Dixon - this promised to be a twisting thriller, but it didn't deliver. It was an okay read, but not really what it claimed to be. Plus - I figured out all the "Shocking twists and turns" way ahead. booo.

Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner. Again, an okay read, but not really what I've come to expect from Weiner. Good thing the book I'm on now is satisfying!

54

2010-10-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

My next book was Day After Night by Anita Diamant. In some ways this reminded me of the Jerusalem series by Brock and Bodie Thoene, though of course it's only one book, not 13+.

52 & 53

2010-10-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

I was thinking a little more about that last book I read: The Shadow of the Wind. It really reminded me of Wuthering Heights. Only the characters were likeable. Now, I haven't read Wuthering Heights, I've only see the movie (this version), but after labouring through it, I really felt kind of dirty. Like I'd wasted two days on despicable characters and that nothing about the story or the characters had any redeeming qualities.

Shadow of the Wind had a lot of elements that would make me hesitate to recommend it to, say my book club, but when it comes to it, I really enjoyed the story.

I started reading The Help, but unfortunately, the library needed it back before I could get through it. This is the trouble with busy months and library books. I'll try and get it back again. So then I turned to The Grave Savers. This one's a book for young adults that deals with all kinds of weighty subjects. But the story was good, and the writing was good. I kinda like young adult books if they're well written.

Then I turned to The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger. I loved this book. I was a bit disappointed by the ending (I do love when everything gets tidied up at the end), but then I kept reading and found out it was based on a true story. So here's what the internet says about it: Lady Duff Gordon is the toast of Victorian London. But when her debilitating tuberculosis means exile, she and her devoted lady's maid, Sally, set sail for Egypt. It is Sally who describes, with a mixture of wonder and trepidation, the odd menage marshalled by the resourceful Omar, which travels down the Nile to a new life in Luxor. When Lady Duff Gordon undoes her stays and takes to native dress, throwing herself into weekly salons; language lessons; excursions to the tombs; Sally too adapts to a new world, affording her heady and heartfelt freedoms never known before. But freedom is a luxury that a maid can ill-afford, and when Sally grasps more than her status entitles her to, she is brutally reminded that she is mistress of nothing.

50 &51

2010-10-06T22:59:00.000-07:00

Book number fifty on my list was Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear. This new (to me) mystery series about an enterprising personal investigator (sort of a Hercules Poirot type) sounded like it would be right up my alley. Even better was that the book was set in the midst of the flapper era and was about a girl from humble beginnings who rose above her station.

It was a good read, but I was disappointed with the overly dramatic language the author employed. I felt like I could hear the cinematic music all the way through the story...though maybe she did that on purpose?

Oh well, I still plan on reading more of Maisie's exploits.

Next up was worldwide bestseller The Shadow of the Wind by Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón. All the praise on the inside jacket was spot on. If you enjoy Gothic stories or even the Three Muskateers, I think you'll love this.

49

2010-09-22T22:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes my library books are busts. I try not to waste too much time on books I'm not interested in. Unfortunately sometimes I keep hoping that they'll improve and they don't. I finally gave up on Sue Miller's The Lake Shore Limited. I just couldn't see that it was going anywhere I cared about. I decided to stick with something I know I love and read Peter Robinson's A Necessary End instead. Gotta love a good mystery.

48

2010-09-09T18:22:00.000-07:00

My latest novel was The Spaces Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. This one almost felt like it should be a book club book since it contrasted so well with one of the books we did last year (A Thousand Splendid Suns). This one is set in India (Bombay) and juxtaposes the life stories of two women, one a wealthy house wife (Sera) and the other her housekeeper/maid (Bhima).

Even though Bhima lives in the slums and is a servant, I was surprised by the quality of life these women had - I think I expected women to be treated more like they are in Afghanistan. Though now that I think about it, I'm not sure why I was so surprised.

I loved the author's voice in this book. I've watched a few Indian movies, and always thought that the weird English/Indian they use in the films is a result of poor translation and the funny way non-English speakers use our language. But reading this book was exactly like watching an Indian film and it made the story so much more real for me.

While I really did love this book, I found the ending a little abrupt. Maybe because so much of the book felt like it got right down to the nitty gritty of every day life, and the ending felt very...philosophical. It wasn't truly satisfying.

That said, I think it makes my Top Reads of 2010 list. I'd love to read another book by this author.

46 & 47

2010-09-01T22:50:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness my request list came through for me. Just got back from a road trip through the mountains in Washington State and my two books came in handy for all the scary bits!

First up was the second book by Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie author, Alan Bradley. The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag was every bit as good as Sweetness, and I must admit I can't wait to read A Red Herring Without Mustard. Too bad it's not out till February!!

Next was Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson. I have to admit I wasn't too sure I would like this book. I think I only ordered it based on the title. And I probably wouldn't have chosen it to read next except it was the first book due back at the library.

This was one of those books that had me laughing out loud, reading quotes to Andrew, and scribbling little lines (like this one: "...passion is all very well, but it wouldn't do to spill the tea...") I loved this book and have ordered Andrew to commence reading immediately!

45

2010-08-18T17:11:00.000-07:00

I'm running out of books.

Number 45 was Mystic River by Kristin Hannah. It's a good thing I stumbled on Winter Garden first or I might never have read her again. Or maybe it's too bad because it gave me such high expectations for her.

Another romance story set in small town Washington State. That's all I gotta say 'bout that.

44

2010-08-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

As I was reading online reviews for The Postmistress, I noticed quite a few of them mentioned Sarah's Key (which I read earlier this year) and Those Who Save Us. I chuckled to myself because I had read one of the two books mentioned and I guess I do read a lot of war books after all. Then I went to the pantry to get the next book from my library pile and lo and behold, it's Those Who Save Us.

Time to try something new?

TWSU was so promising. Right off the bat it reminded me of Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah (which I loved). Both are told in a series of alternated flashbacks and current day story lines. The mother's story is set in WW2, she falls in love, she is separated from the man she loves, she has his child (or children), and then she has to somehow survive with her children. Eventually she is rescued by a strong American (because oh yeah, she's beautiful beyond compare) who doesn't care that she is now bascially a stone because of the things she experienced.

The daughters hate their moms because they've never once communicated anything to them. Love, acceptance, what they survived through, their own histories...all a mystery.

That's where the similarities end.

I loved Winter Garden.

Those Who Save Us was much harsher. It was brutal. Graphic. Violent. Though the story was very good, and I definitely felt carried along with it, I wondered what would redeem all the sadness we had to struggle through. Would mother and daughter come to some acceptance? Would any of the issues the daughter struggled through be resolved? Would the mother forgive herself and find healing?

I don't know. Because the book just ends.

And seriously, I hate that! Especially since there were so many aspects of both characters journeys/lives we had to endlessly read about...and suddenly no resolution. Crap.

I don't know if I recommend or not. Very, very hard to read.

42 & 43

2010-08-10T22:34:00.000-07:00

Piece of My Heart is another mystery by Peter Robinson. This one involved a mystery from the sixties and a mystery in modern day times that were interconnected. Even though I'm not a big fan of alternating flashbacks with current times (even when done well it can be jarring, or at very least, frustrating), I did enjoy this book. I'm glad I'm on a break from PR though because the last two were quite similar even though it's the luck of the draw which book makes it to the library first.

Next up was The Postmistress by Sarah Blake. Here's the description from the back of the book: “The Postmistress is set in the years 1940-41, both on Cape Cod and in Europe. The reader follows the paths of three women – Emma, Iris, and Frankie – as Europe experiences Hitler’s fury and Americans wonder if they will enter the war. Emma has just married Will, a doctor on Cape Cod. She wants to make a good impression on the people there, and make a good home for her husband. Iris is the Postmaster of the same town Emma moves to, and watches over the people of the town. Frankie is a reporter in London during the Blitzkrieg, experiencing some of the horrors of war while trying to report on them."

Earlier this year I was recommending a book to my book club and the immediate response of my neighbor was, "not another war book!" It's had me feeling slightly defensive about how many of them I read. As I finished Postmistress, I wondered to myself, why do I like war stories so much? I'm still not sure I have an answer I can fully articulate on here.

There are some interesting themes: two characters with very strong characters find themselves doing things that run strongly against their own ideals and nature; a strong theme through the story is whether our lives are already ordered or if we can affect their course.

This wasn't the best story I've ever read, but I know it will stick with me for a long time.

39-41

2010-08-02T19:01:00.001-07:00

A Reliable Wife is one of the books that was recommended to me by Amazon.ca because of the books I read/buy/look at on their website. The write up looked interesting so I dutifully ordered it from the library:

"Set in a small Wisconsin farming and manufacturing town still crumbling a decade after the depression of the 1890s, A Reliable Wife tells the story of Ralph Truitt, a wealthy businessman who advertises for “a reliable wife” in newspapers across America. The woman he chooses, Catherine Land, describes herself as “a simple, honest woman,” but in truth she is both complex and devious— not the missionary’s daughter she claims to be in her letter to Truitt but a courtesan of great beauty, kept by men and haunted by a terrible past. Catherine’s plan in accepting the marriage offer is simple: she will win this man’s devotion, and then, ever so slowly, she will poison him and leave Wisconsin a wealthy widow. What she has not counted on, though, is the passion she finds in this seemingly solid, forthright man—a man who also harbours secrets and whose own past is far from pure.

Filled with remarkable characters and drenched with colour and atmosphere, A Reliable Wife is a story of love and madness, longing and murder, played out in a world that seems to have gone temporarily off its axis."

Turns out there was WAY more sex stuff than I needed to read. But the story definitely pulled me in so that I felt like I had to know how it ended. So, I'm not sure if I would recommend it or not!! There were lots of quotes that made me wish I was reading with a book and pen. I caught one: "we all want to be somebody else. Somebody braver, or more handsome, or smarter. It's what children want. It's what you grow out of if you're lucky. If you don't, it's a lifetime of agony....Play the hand you have, Antonio, that's all anybody expects. And it's a pretty good hand."

Summertime for me means reading lots of mysteries at the beach. So I ordered every Peter Robinson book I could get my hands on. The next two were Dead Right and In a Dry Season. Both were good, but of the two, In a Dry Season is the one I can't stop thinking about. If you're looking for a new mystery author, Peter Robinson is very good.

38

2010-07-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

I'm rapidly running out of books by my favorite authors so last time we were at the library I started hunting for new British mystery writers to read. I tend to like British mysteries because for one, they're often less gory than some of the American mysteries I've read. I also love the back stories and sticking with the same detectives.

Mark Billingham was recommended to me so I picked up Bloodline. And it was a good read, but once again, I had everything figured out before the cops did. I like when there are a few twists and turns that keep you guessing - as long as they're believeable. Still, I think I'm going to try to find some more of Billingham...the back story got me!

35 - 37

2010-07-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

Past Reason Hated by Peter Robinson: Thank goodness for mysteries! How else would I while away the summertime hours spent on the beach?

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton: This book was recommended to me by so many people...and it was a good story. Hard to put down. The only thing I didn't like was how dumb the characters were. Or at least, I was constantly frustrated that they were jumping to the wrong conclusions about the mystery. I guess if they hadn't done that, the author wouldn't have been able to spin out the story the way she did. And even though I was completely irritated, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I know. Weird.

The Things We Do for Love by Kristin Hannah: Not as good as the first Kristin Hannah book I read, but still completely readable.

33 & 34

2010-06-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

Oy! I just finished reading my very first non finance or weight loss related non fiction book EVER! I know, this is tres exciting!!

The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman is about the couple who owned/ran the Warsaw zoo just before and during World War 2. You should have heard be trying to tell my book club about this book. I had them thinking the Nazis were herding Jews into cages at the zoo and putting them on display. Not so. But maybe you should read the description here just to be safe!

Now, I could just be really dumb (this is my first non fiction after all) but I found the non linear way she told the story quite confusing. If I had been organizing the book I would have done it a lot differently. Even so, I would recommend this book. A very good read and very interesting (also, not too heart wrenching - I shed no tears).

Next I read The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. LOVED IT! I would love for my ten year old niece to read and love it as much as I did. I think it's kind of a universal appeal type o book and a great beach read.

31 & 32

2010-06-07T18:34:00.000-07:00

The Best Man to Die by Ruth Rendell: Unbelievably, this is one of the books that I had to return before I was finished. It was heartbreaking - but then it came back to the library pretty quick so not so heartbreaking. Oh, and the novel...

It was one of Rendell's earlier books and set in the 60s. I didn't realise that at first so it was weird reading something so...antiquated? But the story was good. Of course.

Next, I read The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin. I got a notion that I'd like to read the book. And it was very good. I'm glad I've never seen the movie so I had no idea what was supposed to happen. Though, it was pretty easy to figure out. I think I might order something else by him.

29 & 30

2010-06-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

The other day Andrew and I were in Chapters. I never know what to do with myself in there anymore. I have a hard time window shopping. But eventually I went and grabbed Andrew's blackberry and started looking at books. I made a list of all the ones that looked interesting to me.

First, I remembered Lawrence Hill, author of Book of Negroes. I looked him up and saw that he had two books I hadn't read yet. I finished Any Known Blood this week. Unfortunately, I didn't find this story as gripping as Book of Negroes (well, actually, the last 200 or so pages were good, but that might be because there was finally some action in that part of the story). Mostly this was the story of someone trying to uncover his family history.

Which is kind of funny because the next book I read, also a Chapters find, was Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah. Wow, I loved this book! I can never decide whether books would be good for my book club. This is just a love story. But I devoured it, and cried almost the entire time I was reading it. Does that make it book club worthy?

Here's how the dust jacket describes the book:

Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time—and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya’s life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother’s life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.

28: The last of the Chick-Lit

2010-05-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

At least for a while.

When I order books from the library, I always seem to get a whole bunch from one author at once. So this time it was a group of Jennifer Weiner books.

This one was a bit of a mystery book (Goodnight Nobody), but with lots of mommy stuff thrown in. The mystery part was good, but the chick lit stuff was a bit unsatisfying. Or maybe I've just read to many of this sort of book at once?

The good news is, I have four books waiting for me at the library and I don't think any of them are chick lit.

26 & 27 Lots and lots of chicklit

2010-05-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

I didn't even realise that I'd missed one of Sophie Kinsella's books until Bec commented on one of my previous postings. At which point I rushed to my computer and ordered a copy of Undomestic Goddess. Which was just what I needed to get over the war book I'd just finished.

And when I picked up my copy of Goddess, I found a copy of Jennifer Weiner's Best Friends Forever.

Now, when I read my first Weiner book, I thougth she wrote chick lit for moms. But the entire time I was reading this book, I just kept thinking how much it was like a Douglas Coupland book. Girlfriend in a Coma or Life After God. Not really chick lit at all. But good.

25

2010-05-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

While I love being able to order books from the library and know that I can read them for free, the one problem I seem to have is that they don't come in an orderly, timely manner. So I have long gaps between books and then they'll all either come at the same time or during a particularly busy period of time.

That happened to me recently and two books I really wanted to read had to be returned half read. Because if you keep a hold book past the due date, the fines are CRAZY.

So, not counting the two I've re-requested, I did read a book this week, Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi. This was a book I found during one of my used book store scavanges last year. I'm not sure what exactly drew me to this book (maybe the fact that the cover said she hid Jews in her basement?) Here's a synopsis of the book from Chapters.Indigo:
A charming and quirky novel set in a small German town and spanning the two World Wars, Stones from the River follows the story of Trudi Montag, a dwarf. Living in Nazi Germany isn't easy for Trudi, but neither is living with her slowly teetering on the edge of insanity mother, or seeing her best friend, Georg, dressed as a girl and continually humiliated by his parents who wanted a girl.

See? Not sure why I wanted to read it. But the book was brilliant. At least, I could barely put it down. I was sucked right into the story and unfortunately it was one of those heavy books that just sucked my spirits down with it. Though I think that's a personal quirk of mine. Almost anything written about war makes me sad.

I loved this book though, just next time I read it I probably should wait till we don't have houseguests. I was a little too emotional this time!

24: Little Earthquakes

2010-05-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

First off, I have a confession to make. I have this mild fear of earthquakes. Okay, major fear. I'm trying to get it under control. But when my sister recommended this book to me, I almost didn't read it because of the earthquake. Apparently along with my crazy phobias I also have some psycho superstitions that prevent me from doing anything associated with my fears. Ugh!

I finally overcame myself and read Jennifer Weiner's book. And you know how sometimes you read a book and the characters resonate really strongly with you and it just makes the story that much better? Well, Little Earthquakes was like that.

Until I got about half way through.

The back of the book says, "Jennifer Weiner's richest, wittiest, most true to life novel yet tells the story of three very different women as they navigate one of life's most wonderful and perilous transitions: the journey of new motherhood."

Is this a sub-genre of chick-lit? Maybe Momlit? Anyway, every single character (well, except the gorgeous daughter of a model married to a football pro who cheated on her) resonated with me. The fat foodie who suffered through all sorts of indignities both pre and post baby because of her weight. Who was diagnosed with poly cystic fibroids simply because she was chubby (yup, happened to me too). Whose husband just had to look at her and she was pregnant (oh wow. Happened to me too).

And the other one. Kelly. I won't go into her story but let's just say that when you've had non-stop house guests all spring and your kids are waking up regularly in the night and you're barely able to drag your tired butt around AND it's mother's day and you're not getting spoiled, you do not want to be reading about someone like this!

I spiraled into a pity party of epic proportions. Luckily, everyone in the book had a happy ending and the sun was shining so the day was salvageable!

Next up is a nice, juicy murder mystery. Shouldn't be anything depressing in there. And meanwhile, I'm gonna order another book or two from Ms. Weiner's collection...

22 & 23

2010-05-03T16:20:00.000-07:00

Sophie Kinsella (of Shopaholic fame)'s latest book, Twenties Girl may just be my favorite by the author. My sister is a huge fan of Kinsella's books and pretty much gave me a running commentary as she read the book and then practically foisted it on me to read myself. Even with her rave reviews, Twenties Girl sat on my dryer for about two months while I gorged myself on mysteries, Rollins and book club reads. Finally last week I found myself with no library books in my book basket and nothing to read for book club (it's still on order at the library). So I picked up TG and started reading. Like I said, it's probably my favorite. A light, fluffy, but satisfying read.

Since I had so much success with Kinsella's book, I rooted through my sister's shelves and came home with Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger. I didn't enjoy this one as much. I liked the idea - the story is based around a girl who chucks in her boring job with a bank (they call it banking, but she manages portfolios as far as I can tell) to work for a PR/event planning company in Manhattan. There's a lot of heavy partying, credit card usage and shady business ethics and in the end she walks away from this job too. But it was a little too light and fluffy and a little too neat and tidy in the end.

21: in which I finish with Michael Crichton

2010-04-27T15:35:00.000-07:00

I popped in the library with David last week and happened to see (along with Mall Cop and Baby Mama) Michael Crichton's last book in the weekly rentals. Since I've read everything else he wrote (fiction), I thought I'd better do this one too. I kept expecting killer bugs, or insane zombies or something for which MC was so famous. But I suppose The Great Train Robbery was just a good read. And so was Pirate Latitudes.

Not too much ship talk. Not too much pirate talk. The only thing I would have changed is how the book ended abruptly and then had an epilogue which just gave a paragraph for how the story ended for each character. But perhaps MC never had time to finish before his death?

A good read in any case...

18-20

2010-04-21T23:18:00.000-07:00

The Enemy Within by Noel Hynd. The trouble with not blogging right away is I don't remember much by the time I do blog. This one was billed as a cross between Alias and 24. It was. Good beach read.

To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee. WHY did I not read this 20 years ago? Or more? My life could have taken an entirely different turn. Instead of emulating Anne Shirley all these years, I could have been Scout.

The Birthday Present by Barabara Vine. Good.

16 & 17

2010-04-02T23:28:00.000-07:00

I do most of my library-ing online. For one thing, it's a lot less overwhelming than wandering book aisles and trying to pick a book based on whether the cover appeals or not. And of course, I almost always go to the library with David and Elisabeth. If I pre-order my books online, all I have to do is pick them up and then I can hang out in the kids' section with them.

I recently signed up to get the library newsletters. They have some that review books every month and you can sign up by genre to receive these. I don't always read the newsletters, but they offer a snippet into a few books and so far they've all been for new-to-me authors.

Which is how I found Book 16. I don't have the newsletter on hand, but Sarah's Key (by Tatiana de Rosnay) was described as a book about World War Two. It sounded interesting.

And it was. Especially the first half. I'd stop reading so many times to exclaim, "this is such a good book!" The first half alternated between Sarah's story (set in Paris and a prison camp in France during World War II) and Julia's story, set in almost present day Paris and New York. I found Sarah's story the more interesting of the two, so when the second half of the book was all told from Julia's point of view I was a bit disappointed. But only a little bit.

The other book I've read recently is The Sad Truth About Happiness by Anne Giardini. And as far as I can remember, I did choose this one because I liked the title and the cover. This one was set almost entirely in Vancouver - and in parts of Vancouver I know and love. And to me, it resembled a Marian Keyes novel, but there were enough literary references and philosophical overtures to make me feel like I wasn't reading brainless fluff. Although, I'm pretty sure it was along the lines of fluffy chick lit. Good thing our next book club read is a classic...

13 - 15

2010-03-27T08:52:00.001-07:00

1000 Splendid Suns
Aftermath
The Lost Symbol

11 - 12

2010-02-27T17:55:00.000-08:00

Drop Dead Gorgeous by Kim Ericson

All the Colours of Darkness by Peter Robinson.

Most of my favorite authors I've stumbled upon in that little gift and book store in Harrison. Robinson and Rollins and Browne. Considering they only sell about 12 books at a time, that's pretty good odds.

8-10

2010-02-20T21:24:00.000-08:00

8. Alter of Eden by James Rollins
9. Doomsday Key by James Rollins
10. The Monster in the Box by Ruth Rendell

...I've read an awful lot of James Rollins lately and though I've complained an awful lot about his writing in the past (too formulaic) this time things felt different. I didn't read the JR books in any particular order (more in order of when they were due back at the library!) and each one seemed better than the last.

I love how he takes real scientific fact and builds these insanely crazy stories. If people ask, I always describe Rollins as a hybrid of Dan Brown and Michael Crichton.

2010-02-13T19:09:00.000-08:00

I thought I was going to discontinue blogging about books, but I'm just finding it so useful for my own reference that I'm going to try and catch up with what I've read so far this year:

1. A compilation of British Mysteries from my mum. I'll have to find the title and update here.
2. Silver Birches by Adrian Plass
3. Not in the Flesh by Ruth Rendell
4. The Kite Runner
5. Deep Fathom by James Rollins
6. Friend of the Devil by James Robinson
7. Map of Bones by James Rollins

66-67

2010-01-01T16:14:00.000-08:00

Shred of Truth was the follow up to The Best of Evil and I read it too long ago. I started three books in between finishing Truth and starting The Book of Negroes.

Book of Negroes is my January book club read and given my track record with not finishing/losing books before our meeting I thought I'd better start it. I have had this book on my shelf since early last spring and I can't believe I haven't read it till now. Quite possibly my favorite of 2009, definitely in the top 5.

It's a huge door stop of a book and that is mostly what intimidated me. But I devoured all 486 pages in a few days (3?) When I wasn't reading, I was wishing I was. The story was that absorbing. It was a tough read, but not a depressing one. And the more books like this I read, the more I want to do a History degree one day. Seriously, I feel like I've missed out on so much good stuff.

I have 3 weeks till our meeting. I might have to read this again.

63-65

2009-12-16T08:50:00.000-08:00

I read some more of the books Scott and Chadya gave me. I think after the one I'm currently reading, I only have three left :( But then again, time to get to more "book club worthy" books!!

First of the trio was Gun Lake by Travis Thrasher. You know how sometimes you just read a book and it matches stuff that's going on in your life so it seems like a better read than it really was? Well, I haven't decided yet, but this might be one. It was an interesting read, but I found all the dissecting storylines confusing and with almost all the characters names being really similar it was hard to keep them straight. Still, it wasn't preachy and that's always a plus when you're reading Christian Lit.

Next up was the The Negotiator by Dee Henderson. This is part of a huge series about a family called the O'Malleys. This is the kind of book I would have loved in my teens. It's got action and a hint of romance without being uber mushy. I think it's the kind of book I'd like when I need something brainless, but good. Overall I enjoyed it, and I wouldn't mind reading the rest of her books...but I'm not sure I'd pay for them.

And last of all was The Best of Evil. Based on the title, I wasn't sure I wanted to read Eric Wilson's book. I've kind of played out the Ted Decker/Robert Liparulo books for now. But two pages in I was looking for a pen to highlight whole paragraphs. Unfortunatly, the whole book is not as beautifully written as those first few pages; Wilson tends to wax eloquent every once in a while and then get focused on the story and wax off. But I did enjoy this book enough that I picked up the next in the series to keep going with the story. Interesting point, Wilson wrote the Expiration Date book I wrote about a few posts back. I'd never guessed I was reading an author I'd already read.

59, 60, 61, 62

2009-11-23T18:08:00.000-08:00

I was in Alberta earlier this fall and my wonderful hosts sent me home with a suitcase FULL of books! I finally had some time to start reading.

Expiration Date by Eric Wilson is the story of a man who has fallen on hard times. Returning home to live with his parents (and get his life sorted out) he meets a woman on the bus who makes a strange promise to him. Soon the hero finds that by touching the skin of those he comes into contact with their death date is revealed to him. There's a side story that involves Russian royalty, and all in all the story reminded me a lot of Frank Peretti. An intersting and fast paced read.

Next up was Stolen Lives by Brian Reaves. This one is a story of revenge, grace and redemption. Interestingly though both of these books were written by Christians, neither really bashes you over the head with the salvation story - which I like. In fact, both of these stories were probably meant to appeal to non-Christians but hook them into finding more about Christianity. Just a guess. Another good story, this one had me reading as fast as I could to find out what happened.

Months ago another friend of mine leant me two books from an author she's recently become addicted to. I finally remembered I had her books and read them. Even Now and Ever After by Karen Kingsbury. Honestly, just from reading the backs of the books, these aren't my kind of stories. And after reading them, I can say they're well written and interesting, but the kind of thing I would have read about 20 years ago. Still, they now I can say I've read KK and I know I probably won't seek her out.

57 & 58

2009-11-12T21:50:00.000-08:00

Hmn, somewhere along the line I stopped blogging about books as I read them.

After I finished Playing with Fire, I devoured the other book I'd bought by him. By happy chance I'd picked up the two books that followed the PR book I read this summer. And even odder, I read them in sequence. So Strange Affair was the third of his books and I have to admit, I'm hooked. Britmystery along the lines of PD James or Ruth Rendell.

I feel like I quickly read another book before I had to start on the book for our book club. As I haven't quite finished that, I won't mention it yet. Suffice it to say it was last month's book and I'm still not quite done! However, I've recommitted to reading all the books I started this year and haven't finished (unless they were rubbish) so there's a stack of them waiting for me. After book club meeting, I finished Early Days by Miss Read.

Then it was on to Blue Hole Back Home by Joy Jordan Lake. EXCELLENT book, though I almost feel like I need to read it again and not be so emotional about it this time.

56

2009-10-05T23:17:00.000-07:00

I picked up a Peter Robinson mystery earlier this year. It was a British mystery and pretty good as I recall. So when I saw two more of his mysteries for $1 each this weekend, I snapped them up. Asked the girl at the desk to forgive me my fluffy choices, but I needed them for the plane. She seemed quite offended and said he definitely wasn't fluff...and after reading "Playing with Fire" I agree. Peter Robinson can spin a mystery with the best of them. And unlike a lot of mystery writers, his stories aren't too easy to figure out. There's lots of spins and turns, but because of how he narrates his stories, they're not annoying. In fact, they're kind of natural. The sort of thing that really would happen if you were investigating the murder.

So I didn't read a KK book after all, but I think this was well worth the detour.

55

2009-09-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

What a black hole September was...I re read The Cellist of Sarajevo for my book club. That took a lot longer than I wanted it to. Though I do think it was worth it.

Then I picked up The Geographer's Library. By the first page I was completely hooked...although I really thought the book was going one way and it turned out to be very similar to a Da Vinci Code type of story. Awesome, awesome story if you like those sort of stories. Which I do.

Next I'm going to try some Karen Kingsbury....

53 & 54

2009-08-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

My inlaws know how much I love to read so they stocked my room here with books. I have no idea how I'm supposed to read them all considering how busy they've been keeping us! However...

The first book was The Lazarus Trap by Davis Bunn. It was a sort of Bourne Identity story, but clean. Written by a Christian, but not overtly Christian. And a good story.

The second one is the first of a trilogy by Melanie MOREY Jeschke. Yes Morey, just like me. The book is called Inklings and it's very Christian and not my usual type of book. Sappy romantic. But hey, it's a good holiday read!

51 & 52

2009-08-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

Phantom Prey by John Sanford

This one was surprisingly good for a crime novel picked up from the little store on the beach. I had brought Friday Night Knitting Club and just couldn't get into it. So I bought this. Think I finished it that day too.

I tried to read FNKC for another week or so and it just wasn't doing it for me. So I read the end. And even after finding out the terrible thing that happens and the sappy ending I just didn't care about anyone in the book. So I traded it in.

And picked up Things I Want My Daughters to Know by Elizabeth Noble. And really, REALLY enjoyed it. Plus, it's written by a Brit so all the britishisms sounded authentic. AHHHH

49-50

2009-07-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

Oh man. Ever since I joined a book club earlier this spring, I've been trying to branch out with my reading. I walk into a bookstore and try to find books that I think are book club worthy...or at least out of my normal range of reading. I bought myself a little book case which I keep next to my room and anything that might be interesting goes there on my To Read pile.

A few months ago I picked up 39 Steps. The book is a little Jeeves and Woosterish in that it's the story of a rich young man who is bored with life. He's returned to England after working in mining in South Africa and is finding British society life just a little tedious. He decides that if nothing exciting comes his way within the next few days he will return to South Africa.

That's when adventure comes into his life in a big way. You can read more about the novel and the author here. Suffice it to say, I really enjoyed this book and this style (the author himself calls it a Shocker novel, popular in the early 20th Century.)

Another book I picked up on a whim was I Capture the Castle. The cover of the book was gorgeous and the tag on the front said, "The acclaimed novel is now the most romantic novel of the year." I'd never heard of it, but that intrigued me. Here's what the back of the book says, "I Capture the Castle tells the story of seventeen - year old Cassandra and her family, who live in not so genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Here she strives over six turbulent months to hone her writing skills. She fills three notebooks with sharply funny, yet poignant entries. Her journals candidly chronicle the great changes that take place within the castle's walls, and her own first descent into love. By the time she pens her final entry she has "captured the castle" - and the heart of the reader - in one of literature's most enchanting entertainments."

Even though this book is set in the early 20th Century, I thought it had been written recently. I'm not sure why. And while this book reminded me of Pride and Prejudice (Cassandra and her sister joke that they are Brontesque Austen characters), the story is original and charming and I was really sad to finish it. Oh. And it was written in 1948. In case you're wondering. And here's something else that shocked me. Dodie Smith (the author) wrote the novel, The Hundred and One Dalmations. I didn't even know it was a book!

47/48

2009-07-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

*sigh* I seem to read in spurts these days. I think mebbe I'm too busy cause I keep forgetting to bring books along in the car. And that's the only time I have to read these days. I did finally finish a couple books tho'.

Book one (or 47 depending) was Echo Park by Michael Connelly. I had brought a different book along to read at the beach on Sunday, but I think I could already tell it wasn't my cuppa tea. So when Libs and I wandered into the local bookstore, I was drawn to this mystery. A few pages in and I was shocked when I realised it wasn't a Britcop story. You mean there are other mysteries out there? And it was good. For a beach read, ya know?

I finished that and went back to my original book The Ha-Ha by Dave King. The back of the book reads:

Howard Kapostash has not spoken in thirty years. The small repository of gestures and simple sounds that he uses to communicate leads most people to assume he is distrubed, and no one understands that Howard is still teh same man he was before a war time injury. But when he agrees to help an old girlfriend by opening his home to her nine-year-old son, the presence of this nervous, resourceful boy in his life transforms Howard utterly. He is afforded a rare glimpse of life outside his shell - with all its exuberant joys and crushing sorrows.

Sounds good, no?

Well it was way too crass for me so after a few chapters I gave up and moved on to Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson. Who, incidentally penned some of my favorite movies that used to be books. Like Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls. So I thought this one would be awesome. After all, the entire premise of the book was, "What if your imaginary friend from childhood was your one true love?" Sweet, right?

And there was so much potential in this book. In fact, after the first few chapters I was promising myself I was going to read every one of Patterson's books. But the deeper I got into the book, the less satisfying it got. Michael (the imaginary friend) just doesn't seem developed enough as a character to be real (maybe that's the point?) and most of the story telling reads like Shopaholic and Imaginary Friend. Actually, that's about the level of this book and I expected so much more.

James Patterson doesn't actually seem to write his own novels, of all the books listed on the two pages at the back of this book, he'd actually penned maybe 15 and the rest were coauthored. Which makes me wonder why he's such a great author. Why not just sell your ideas and let someone who can write do the writing? Okay, I won't judge based on one book. And maybe this wasn't supposed to be better than chick lit. But it could have been...

Book 46

2009-07-17T23:30:00.000-07:00

A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell.

This was recommended to me by my good friend Christine along with the last book I read, Year of Wonders. If you're wondering why my pace slowed so dramatically with these two books, it's because the reading was so, so heavy.

While both were impossible to put down and really well written, captivating stories (I loved all the characters in both books), I can't decide if I loved the stories or hated them. And maybe that's the mark of a good book. They have stirred such emotion in me that, well, I don't even know how to verbalize it until I've had more time to process. I highly recommend both.

Forty Five

2009-06-30T22:16:00.000-07:00

I took a bit of a vacation from reading, mostly because I couldn't decide what to read next. I finally lit upon Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. Wow!

Let me tell you something about myself. 1. I hate to read out loud. And 2. I read constantly. Especially in the car.

Last Saturday we took a one hour drive east and I brought along Year of Wonders. For some bizarre reason I decided to read the first page out loud to Andrew. And then we were both hooked so I had to read for the whole car ride. There and back. And then he made me read to him that evening while we sat on the couch.

You can not even begin to realise what an act of will (and what a sacrifice!) this was for me. Because I hate reading out loud and it was so much slower this way. Well, for the sake of our marriage I finished the book myself and gave it to Andrew to finish himself.

Book was incredible. Reminded me a tad of Stephen Lawhead, but I think that's partly because of the time period it's set in. I will say one negative thing...I didn't love the ending. It seemed like such a departure from the rest of the book. But then, maybe that's because I'm used to how Stephen Lawhead ends his books.

42-44

2009-06-17T17:55:00.000-07:00

Oh Sheesh. See what happened is, I had to read a book for my book club. Which I had to find first. And then I lost it. And then I kept thinking I'd find it. Which I didn't. So finally I ordered it from Amazon. But it put a serious dent in my pacing.

Here, quickly because I have to go out, are 42-44:

Wit's End by Karen Joy Fowler (author of Jane Austen's Book Club)
The Water's Lovely by Ruth Rendell
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

All good, though Peace was definitely my favorite. The Water wasn't my favorite Rendell and I'm not positive if I loved Wit's End enough to read the Book Club.

40 & 41

2009-05-18T21:56:00.000-07:00

Book 40 was a teeny little collection of short stories my mum got me for Christmas. The collection is a set of two (does that qualify as a collection?) previously unpublished Christmas stories by Louisa May Alcott (author of Little Women and one of my favorite authors when I was a little girl). The stories are very much in the same vein as the Little Women books and made me want to quickly read through those stories again.

But then I picked up Month of Summer by Lisa Wingate when we stopped at Nuggets on Saturday. I don't even know how to describe what this book was about...Love? Forgiveness? maybe grace? The story is alternately told through the point of view of Rebecca and Hanna Beth. Thirty five years ago Rebecca's father left her and her mother for Hanna Beth. since the day she and her mother left their home to move to California, Rebecca has not had any contact with her father.

Then Hanna Beth has a stroke and Rebecca's father (who suffers from Alzheimers and dementia) and step brother (who is mentally challenged) are left to fend for themselves. Rebecca gets a phone call from the police letting her know that if she doesn't fly home to Dallas the social services will take over.

And the story progresses from there.

I found myself relating to this story a lot more than I wanted to. Here's a quote from early on that I thought really captured what it's like to be the adult child of a broken marriage (to set it up, Rebecca thought she had put her dad and new family out of her mind. She'd spent her entire life trying to forget him and the pain of losing him. Now she's in Dallas and about to meet her dad and step brother again:)

"Unfortunately, the pain had travelled with me across the country, across the years, and as I stood outside her door, it was as fresh and as much a part of me as it had been that twelfth summer. It stabbed as sharply now as then - like a chronic injury, reawakend by a careless movement, a sudden strain caused by the burden of picking up something too heavy. It's intesity surprised me. I'd expected, in this adult body, safely entrenched in a life that was completely separate from that of Hanna Beth and my father, to be able to maintain a comfortable detachment, a reasonable objectivity. Instead, I wanted to lock myself away someplace quiet, and nurse the raw spot until it stopped burning."

And then talking about what it would be like for her daughter if her own marriage were to break up, "Would her confident smile, her openness, her self-worth slowly diminish until she found trust a struggle, faith a chore? Would she always feel vaguely inadequate, unworthy, as if she had to prove something to be more than she was, because no one could love her for just herself?"

Well, anyway, I guess my point is that it seems Wingate is particularly good at characterization and at capturing human emotion. Good read.

39: Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy

2009-05-14T22:57:00.000-07:00

Maeve Binchy is one of my favorite authors. And so I was pleased as punch that so many of my favorite characters from previous books made it into this story.

At 452 pages, I was worried that it would take me a couple of weeks to read, but I managed to finish it in just over a day. I was that caught up in the story. Love it.

38: The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

2009-05-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

Somehow, I lucked out with my book selection this year. I don't think I've had a stinker yet.

The Cellist of Sarajevo is completely different from the other books I've read this year. I wish I had some profound words to share with you to explain how deeply it affected me. I can tell you this: the writing reminded me somehow of Douglas Coupland, which is funny considering Galloway is also a BC writer. It's an awful, horrible story, and yet it's strangely hopeful at the same time. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

37: Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

2009-05-08T22:27:00.000-07:00

After only a few pages, I already loved this book so much I had to change my Facebook status and share my love with the whole world. In fact, after gobbling this book up (I'm going to have to read it again, more slowly this time!) I have only one criticism: It was obvious to me that whoever wrote this book was not British. The voices of the Guernsey characters were quite blatantly American to me. And that was a bit sad. But I decided that I liked the book enough that I would overlook that fact. And luckily they weren't annoying American. Just not British.

36: The Minotaur by Barabara Vine

2009-05-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I didn't know Ruth Rendell wrote under the name Barbara Vine. Though why I should have known, I'm not sure.

I first discovered Ruth Rendell when my mum used to watch Ruth Rendell mysteries. As is typical of most crime shows set in modern times, Ruth Rendell's mysteries always seemed to have what I'll call dark twists. Let's just say they're not exactly the sort of thing I feel comfortable watching with my parents. Probably for that reason, Ruth Rendell isn't my favorite mystery writer. But when I read a reivew of Minotaur, I was intrigued. I logged on to amazon where Minotaur is alternately described as "a sort of blend of Edgar Allan Poe and Anthony Trollope" and Brontesque.

I gobbled this book up in less than a day and was delighted to see that Rendell as Vine has written several other novels. In fact, I see that many of Minotaur's reviewers call this one of Vine's weaker books. Let's hope they're right, because I can't wait to read more!

35

2009-05-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

A Very Long Engagement by Sebastian Japrisot,

Whew, talk about culture shock! After all those charming little books about British country life, this one was a bit tough slogging! Actually though, I think it was a case of reading the right book at the wrong time. I've been awfully tired lately and very distracted by my yard (I looooooooove yardwork even more than I love books!) and this book deserves more attention than I was willing to give it just now. However, it's a borrowed book and I always feel as though borrowed books should be read (and returned!) promptly if possible.

The premise of the book is this: Five French soldiers are marched to their own front lines where they will be tossed into no man's land with their hands tied behind their backs. Their crime? Three of them had attempted to escape the atrocities of World War One by purposefully injuring their hands. One injured himself as a form of protest and one was actually injured in an accident. However, self mutilation to escape active duty is considered treason. Five bodies are recovered and the men's families are notified that they were killed in the line of duty.

Mathilde is the fiance of one of the condemned men. She cannot accept that her Manech is dead and so she begins a search to find out the truth of what really happened that fateful night.

The story, originally written in French and translated to English in this version, is told through a series of flashbacks, letters, memories and real time occurences.

As I said above, if I'd had more time and fewer distractions, I think I would have loved this book. Especially as my great grandfather is rumoured to have been a French defector. Our story is a bit jumbled and confused, but it seems he married my great grandmother, had a son (my grandfather) and then disappeared. Or was found and taken back to France to be similarly dealt with. Either way I felt a connection to this story.

The story is beautifully written and very intersting. And the ending was (in my opinion) very satisfying (though not a Hollywood ending). I think I'll have to try to find the movie version - if nothing else to watch the beautiful Audrey Tatou play Mathilde.

30-34

2009-04-16T22:35:00.000-07:00

Finished the Miss Read Books at last! My mum polished them off in a matter of days, it's taken me the whole of this year so far (and part of last!) still...here they are:

30: Friends at Thrush Green
31: Celebrations at Thrush Green
32: Year at Thrush Green
33: Early Days (The autobiography of Miss Read)
34: A Glass of Blessings, Barbara Pym. Yes, that's right. I've started a new author. Quite like her too.

I've got something like 24 books in my To Read cupboard, so can't stop to comment, must keep reading!!

24 - 29

2009-03-30T22:56:00.000-07:00

Village Affairs
Farewell to Fairacre
Gossip from Thrush Green
Affairs at Thrush Green
At Home in Thrush Green
School at Thrush Green

20-23: More Thrush Green

2009-03-22T20:44:00.000-07:00

I decided to stop farting around and read all of Miss Read's remaining books in one go. I managed to figure out the chronological order of the books and it's been most satisfying reading them that way. So, in addition to Thrush Green which was my 19th book, I've read: Winter in Thrush Green; News from Thrush Green; Battles at Thrush Green and Return to Thrush Green.

I've been trying to decide if they're suitable children's books. There's nothing questionable in them, but they're not told from the point of view of children. Still, they remind me a lot of the Little House and Anne of GG books.

17 - 19

2009-03-08T22:00:00.001-07:00

My brother bought me Clinton Kelly's Freaking Fabulous for my birthday. This book has been on my amazon.ca wishlist for eons. Now I know to go read a book before I put it on my wishlist! I love What Not to Wear and I've bought Stacy and Clinton's book on what to wear for my sister. It was hilarious. This book could have been hilarious if it wasn't so crass. I don't know if I'd even feel right about giving it away it was that bad. Some good tips in it though, but I think I'll look for a better book on being fabulous.

Then my friend Chadya got me Nick Arrojo's book on hair. I devoured this one too. And it was good....but I still feel like I need to visit his salon.

And finally, I started the first of Miss Read's Thrush Green books, Thrush Green.

14 - 16

2009-02-26T22:11:00.000-08:00

Miss Read's Farther Afield brilliant as always.

James Rollins added me as a friend on Facebook. Because I joined his fan page. So I have nothing but good to say about Black Order. Of course it helps that it was a Sigma Force book and I LOVE that series...

Miss Read's Over the Fence is a mishmash of stories, some of which I've heard before. It seems as though she's confused some timelines in a few of them, but maybe I'm the one who is confused. There's only one more Fairacre book left, then I start on the Thrush Green ones.

And luckily James Rollins has four books coming out this year so I won't run out of his books yet...

12 & 13

2009-02-05T20:50:00.000-08:00

Another of the reasons I love the Miss Read books so much is that I can identify with the main character, Miss Read. She's a spinster school teacher who is a little bit frumpy, a little bit untidy and a whole lot of fiesty. Me if the world had turned out differently. And she loves that she's a spinster! Rejects all attempts to marry her off, and revels in her solitude. If only I'd read these 15 years ago! (I kid, I kid...)

Obviously I loved Miss Read's Tyler's Row.

I wish I could say the same for Dan Brown's Digital Fortress. People have been recommending this book to me for ages and it's been on my radar at least that long. When I finally broke down and read The DaVinci Code, I quite enjoyed it.

It didn't help that the first few chapters of Digital Fortress were so excruciatingly painful. People who can't write romance shouldn't try. And if it's not necessary (it really wasn't), leave it out! Then there was the glaring spelling error straight off the bat. And I don't like being patronized. The story's key characters are cryptographers. How come I figured out one of the biggest clues the first time I looked at it, and it took the whole book for the scientists to figure it out? And then the kill code? The thing the characters were laboring through the whole book to find? I saw the clue and knew the answer. The cryptographers took another six or so chapters to figure it out. Totally shot the author/characters credibility for me.

*sigh*

Maybe this whole spy/thriller genre is just getting too predictable.

Ten and Eleven

2009-01-30T17:49:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed a pattern to my frenzied reading yet? I could be plowing through these Miss Read books, but I'd feel guilty for reading so many so quickly. So that I don't feel quite so guilty, I'm trying to read one by her, then one by someone else. It still feels like cheating when I'm reading James Rollins...

This time around, the Miss Read book was Mrs. Pringle. This book was delightful. Have I mentioned yet that it's all set in the English countryside? My mum says nothing changed from the time these stories were set until she was a girl growing up in Eastbourne. So really, reading the Miss Read books is almost like reading about my mum's life. I love it!

Then I read Ice Hunt by James Rollins. This is like his crossover book. It still follows the basic formula I was complaining about in my previous posting, but he's starting to move towards the type of story he tells in his Sigma Force books. You know, I complain about how he follows a formula, but the stories are riveting. Action packed. CRAZY imaginative. And scary in a Michael Crichtonesque sort of way. This one didn't disappoint.

9: Excavation by James Rollins

2009-01-26T21:36:00.000-08:00

Last summer I discovered James Rollins. Fell madly in love with his books, which reminded me so much of a cross between Michael Crichton and Dan Brown. But the first books I read by him were from the Sigma Force series. Lately I've been reading his older books. And boy oh boy do they follow a formula:

Archaeological team/scientific team/military team sent off to remote region to discover/investigate something.
Unknown to them, there is a team of bad guys who are after the same information.
Doubly unknown to them, the bad guys have paid off a member of their team.
Triply unknown, there is some scary element of surprise awaiting them in the remote area (usually weird, albino, monster creatures).
They become trapped. Usually underground.
The bad guys are waiting for them above ground.
The monsters are closing in on them underground.
Someone dies, and is resurrected.
Cheesy love story. With gross/unrealistic smoochy bits near end.
Bad guys ALL die.
Good guys lose one (usually heroic military type) guy and everyone else lives happily ever after.

Change the scenery around and everyone's hair/eye colour/and accent and you have a new book.

The stories themselves are interesting, if only they weren't so predictable.

7 & 8

2009-01-24T20:59:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to read PD James' The Private Patient for a while. I was hoping to get a copy of the book for Christmas, and when that didn't happen, I thought I'd get it at Costco. Of course the book was sold out and as the paper back is due out next month, the hardcover is nowhere to be seen.

That is until a copy of it mysteriously showed up at my place of work. I waited ten days, but when no one claimed the book, I borrowed - and devoured - it.

And it was marvellous. I love the Adam Dalgliesh mysteries. In fact, my only complaint was that it felt like goodbye. By the end it felt as if all the major character's lives had been tidily fixed. Which I suppose, as PD James is in her 89 year, might be appropriate.

The 8th book I've read this month is A Peaceful Retirement by Miss Read. Another lovely book. In fact, this might be my favorite so far. Good thing mum has more on order as I think I'm quite addicited...

1-6

2009-01-15T17:59:00.000-08:00

Well, I only managed to read 50 books in 2008. My minimum goal is 50 books a year, so I just squeaked in. But in 2007 I read 54 so I've fallen behind. Luckily, I've already read 6 books this year (started book 7 this morning) so I might be able to beat my goal this year.

Books 1-3 were part of another trilogy called The Chronicles of Fairacre by Miss Read. The individual books are Village School, Village Diary, and Storm in the Village. My mum got me onto these books and they are such a refreshing change. A little like Bollywood movies...they're sappy sweet, full of old fashioned morals, and guaranteed not to have anything untoward.

Books 5 & 6 were also Miss Read books, Miss Clare Remembers and Emily Davis. I have 8 or more of these in my book cupboard and I'm highly looking forward to them.

Book 4 was Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella. She definitely follows a pattern in her books, but that doesn't make them any less loveable, just a little familiar.

47, 48. 49, 50

2008-12-16T21:48:00.000-08:00

No time to comment, but here are some books I've read lately...

Sandstorm by James Rollins
The Summer that Never Was by Peter Robinson
Christmas at Fairacres by Miss Read
The Caxley Chronicles (which was three books in a collection, but I can't remember their individual names). Also by Miss Read

43, 44, 45 and 46

2008-10-03T23:09:00.000-07:00

This is a book I forgot to blog. For some reason, though I hate reading nonfiction, I've never found it difficult to read about financial stuff. This was another good book, though Andrew and I both wondered if she was really writing a marriage book disguised as a finances book. Still, we've been trying to apply the principles and keep working on that aspect of our marriage.

I'm on a mission to read everything buy James Rollins. Now I'm wondering if I should pace myself. Don't get me wrong, this was another great book. It's just that the first two were so different from each other, and now the last two have been more of the same. Still great writing and great stories, just kind of similar. But then I reminded myself that the first book I read by him was actually his latest book (at the time) and it was completely different. So I'll keep reading...

This book was recommended to me by a friend who knows I like(d) Ted Dekker. I enjoyed Robert Liparulo's other two books, so I didn't even bother reading what this one was about before ordering it. Then it arrived and I read the praise on the inside cover. And I was scared. Gory. Thriller. Read it with the light on. Should I really be reading it?? But actually, apart from some gore which really was along the lines of the left behind books, this wasn't toooooooo bad. An interesting end times tale with a twist. And Liparulo is a very talented story teller. I'm very excited for his next book.

And now I'm off to bed to finish the last few pages of this one. I know! TWO non-fictions in less than six months! What's wrong with me?

41 & 42

2008-09-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

After hearing so many comments about Dorothy Sayers' mysteries, I decided I needed to check one out for myself. One commentary warned that perhaps she was less popular than she should be due to the obscure references she makes in her stories.

I wonder if it's more likely due to the fact that she wrote closer to the other end of the 20th Century and so her books are a bit more difficult to read than say, oh most modern fiction. Not that I didn't enjoy Murder Must Advertise, it was a refreshingly different kind of mystery for me. Intelligent. Humorous. With a not-so-subtle commentary on society's consumerism. Actually, it surpised me how little the world has changed in the last 100 years.

There were enough references to Jeeves and Wooster that I've decided I definitely need to read some of P.G. Wodehouse's work and not just buy it for my brother. Oh. And I'm going to keep an eye out for more of Sayers' work too.

The other book I read was The Return Journey by Maeve Binchy. This was another anthology of short stories. I find these difficult at first because Binchy is so talented at characterization and story telling that is really hard to let go of the current story and move on to the next one. In her short stories I always feel like I've only just gotten to know the characters then I'm moving on to knew ones and new stories. Bleh. And yet I can't stop reading...

The Dirty Duck (40)

2008-08-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

Another Martha Grimes, this one rather an oldish one.

Good, but not my fave.

And I just realised that in The Wink we didn't really find out if Viv and the Count called off their wedding. Gah!

36, 37, 38, 39

2008-08-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

At this rate, I might beat the number of books I read last year. Although, I've decided to stop trying for meaty books. It's just too hard (trying?!) to read classics when you keep getting interrupted!

We were on holiday this past five days and I managed to read four books.

I absolutely adore James Rollins. Unfortunately everyone seems to have discovered him at the same time I did. Everytime I walk into a used bookstore and ask for his books I hear, "Oh we just sold several this morning. I'm not sure we have any..." He's brilliant. Really. This was his first book. So good I forced Andrew to begin it the moment I finished and he too had to devour it. Very Michael Crichton-ish and very, very good. Though I'm not sure I'd watch the movie. Too scary.

I had to read this one because it's the first in the series (of the last James book I read) and I think I read somewhere that this was her first novel. Which is very interesting considering up until now I'd only read Children of Men and her Adam Dalgliesh books. And he plays a huge role in these books (albeit only as being quoted by Cordelia as having taught her dead partner everything he knew about solving mysteries.) Still, very interesting to read a book in which he figures so largely and knowing (I think) that she had yet to write a book about him.

Also, this was better than the other Cordelia book. I think there's another C book. I'll have to dig it up somewhere...

THIS Dan Brown had no religious stuff going on. Though I suppose the thought of finding life on another planet might scare some Christians, but not me. Anyway I quite like his writing style too, but it's not as good as Rollins'.

I think I say this after every Martha Grimes book I read. My favorite. And I really am going to buy all her books and (one day) read them all in order.

*happy sigh* I still have four more new (used) books from Penticton's Book Store to go read.

32, 33, 34

2008-08-24T07:17:00.000-07:00

Have to say this was not my favorite PD James. I read another book review on this one and I think I might agree that it's in part because it is hard to warm up to the main character. I wanted to like her but it just didn't happen.

Also, I didn't figure out the mystery before she did.

I think my mystery figuring out must be in a downward spiral. This book had me guessing right until the end too. In fact, I did something I never do...I read the last page of the book before I was even halfway through the story. Yes, that's how obsessed I was solving the mystery.

I do love these Richard Jury mysteries. Funnily enough, I read The Case Has Altered first and it makes several references to Five Bells. One of these days I shall have to collect the entire Richard Jury series and read them from beginning to end.

28, 29, 30, 31

2008-08-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

Time to catch up on what I've been reading...

When we first arrived in Switzerland, I started with this. Pretty stock Rendell, I'd say.

Next it was Death of an Expert Witness by PD James. Probably my favorite of the books I read while we were on our trip.

I quickly moved on to this one...
And then I ran out of books. Dave leant me Leanings by Peter Egan. Brilliant reading. Who knew motorcycle stories could be so funny? I found myself laughing out loud, quoting whole sections of the book, and I can't stop thinking about it. I only got a little into the book, so I have to steal it from Dave so I can finish it.

Home again and two weeks without a book. I picked this one up at Costco and pretty much devoured it. Today I'm hoping to drag my kids to a used bookstore in search of more by him. Just brilliant.

27

2008-07-10T21:53:00.000-07:00

Just finished The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Satterfield. AMAZINGLY good.

24, 25, 26

2008-07-04T17:19:00.000-07:00

...wow it's been almost a month since I've had anything to say on this blog. Luckily, that doesn't mean I haven't been reading. Still - not as much reading has been happening as I would have liked.

I have had the serious misfortune of reading two of the worst books ever in my entire life back to back. This is what comes from forgetting to bring books with me to the beach and having to comb the shelves of the gift shops for something to read (that and accidentally buying a book I've already read because I didn't take the time to read the back of the cover...) If I had spent a little more time looking this book over, I would have realised that she had comments from all sorts of paranormal societies littered through the first few pages. As it is, I thought it would be a conspiracy along the lines of Crichton or Ludlum. Not so. Plus, again something I didn't notice, it's a romance. *barf* Still, I needed something to do while my family ignored me at the beach, this was it.

Thankfully, I met for coffee with my good friends a few weeks ago and Jane lent me so really good books.

Now maybe just maybe I loved this book so much because I read two really bad books before it. But I don't think so. De Los Santos is an amazing story teller. Even better than that, she can craft characters. I drove my poor hubby crazy reading pages of this book to him. But each of her characters are real people I've met in my life. And I couldn't believe how well she captured their essences. Like Piper in the beginning of the book? I know so many women like her. I am probably the way I am as some sort of rebellion against women like her. Belong to Me is one of my very favorite books ever. I strongly urge you to rush out right now and get your own copy. I can't lend you mine. It's Jane's.

For some reason (maybe the pretty jackets?) I thought Between, Georgia was also by de Los Santos. Not so. As evidenced by the name Joshilyn Jackson on the cover. Duh. I was hopeful that I would love this book just as much, but not sure it would really happen. Very pleasantly surprised.

This story is, in some ways, grittier than the other. I mean, I wouldn't exactly call Belong to Me a Hallmark story despite the Hollywood Ending but, Between, Georgia takes place in some of the, well, less tidy areas of Georgia. The characters are rougher. But no less real. And maybe that's why the story felt uncomfortable sometimes. Just like some of those small towns in the southern states. They're quaint in their own own poor, run down way. But you're not really sure if it's safe to stay too long.

That feeling doesn't last for long. Once again the story and the characters draw you in and once you're in you can't stop. Another amazing read which leaves me very, very eager to start the third book Jane lent me (plus, I want to return them to her before we leave for our summer vacation!)

23

2008-06-11T16:36:00.000-07:00

Just finished The Judas Strain by James Rollins. Why haven't I read anything by him before (at least I don't think I have!) This book was like some amazing hybrid of Dan Brown and Michael Crichton. I seriously couldn't put it down. And every time Andrew tried talking to me while I was reading it I wanted to rip his face off. It was that good. I must pay off my library fines so I can track down more of his stuff. It seems like the characters in this book carried through from previous books and on to future books...so hopefully I've discovered a wealth of reading material...just in time for summer!

15 - 22

2008-06-02T07:58:00.000-07:00

Och! Too busy reading to track the books. In no particular order:

Last Chance Saloon by Marian Keyes (I read one of her books years ago and didn't really like it, but I think I've changed my standards since then and thoroughly enjoyed this one.)

Moon Islands by Rosie Thomas

Ruby and Iris by Rosie Thomas (RT spins an interesting enough tale, but I find it really hard to finish her books. I think there's just not enough momentum to pull me through. I did finally get through these though.)

How Will I Know by Sheila O'Flanagan

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

Glorious Appearing by Jenkins/LaHaye

Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy

Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels (perhaps one of the worst books I've ever read. Great idea for a story, terrible writing. Had to finish it though because the premise was so funny. Toooo bad.)

14: Germ

2008-03-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

My friend Chadya introduced me to Robert Liparulo. When it's time to buy me a gift, she pretty much just has to go and ask her husband what he's into these days and she knows I'll like it. So aside from Starbucks and pumping iron, Scott's been getting into Liparulo. And I do like.

I'm a big fan of Michael Crichton and Liparulo's Germ is very reminiscent of something Crichton would have written. Once again I had to read the first chapter to Andrew so he could see what a good movie this is going to make. SO exciting!

Liparulo also reminds me a bit of Ted Dekker - before his books started becoming so formulaic. As far as I know, this is only the second of maybe 4 books he's written, but if he can keep up this quality then I'm a fan for life!

13: Dominion

2008-03-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

When I pick up a book, it's because I want to lose myself in a story. If I wanted a lesson or a sermon I'd thumb through a non-fiction book. Not a supposed story. I don't care if you teach me something, just don't make it so gosh darned obvious.

Dominion was my third Randy Alcorn book. The guy is a good writer and his story ideas are right up my alley. It's just his tendency to sermonize that I don't appreciate. I decided to stop being so judgemental and shallow and try to learn something this time, but about half way through this (way toooooo long) book I just started skipping sections. This happened in his previous book too.

This particular book is 602 pages of fairly small font. There are too many stories trying to be told. Too much trying to be said. Historical fiction, conspiracy theory, mystery and suspense. What genre was I even reading?

That said, if you had the patience to dig deep, there were several stories in there. And other people must like his books; they seem to sell well. And I will probably read his next book (Deception) just because I've grown to like the characters. But you'd better be ready to listen to my whining about that one too...

11 & 12

2008-03-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

11. The Lightning File by Eric E. Wright: written by a Toronto area writer. I got this from my inlaws for Christmas - me and dad love sharing books!

12. Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella

ten

2008-03-03T20:53:00.000-08:00

The Copper Scroll by Joel Rosenburg.

Do a search online and you'll find the first chapter...it would make an awesome movie!! Indiana Jones slash Da Vinci Code slash Alias.... COOOOOL.

NINE

2008-03-02T22:05:00.001-08:00

The Ezekiel Option by Joel Rosenberg

Eight?!

2008-02-24T23:25:00.001-08:00

SEVEN

2008-02-20T06:49:00.000-08:00

Lost by Joy Fielding.

six

2008-02-17T22:19:00.001-08:00

book 5

2008-02-15T23:04:00.000-08:00

4

2008-02-11T20:45:00.000-08:00

Books 1-3

2008-02-05T08:20:00.000-08:00

Whew! I never thought I was going to get these books up here. Andrew and Chadya gave me a BUNCH of new books for Christmas and I've been dutifully reading. But I've also been knitting and scrabbling and watching all the movies I got for Christmas AND playing Wii bowling (I got pro status YA!)

Anyway, I've wanted to read these Joel C. Rosenberg books for a long time. I can't remember where I first heard about them, but they sounded like "just my thing". And they are! The Last Jihad reads like a Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum book. Exciting, fast paced and well written, I loved every word.

Next I read Unveiled, a story by my good friend Christine. Her first book is being shopped out to publishers by her agent and this story was finished but before she sent it away she wanted me to read it to make sure the story was good. WAS IT EVER! This was one of those books that you could hardly put down - and when you did put it down all you did was think about the characters and the story and wish longingly to be sitting somewhere quiet so you could keep reading. It was over far too soon, but I'm so happy that she's got two more books planned that continue the story of these characters. Now if she could just quit her day job and get those books out, pronto!

And last night I finished my second Rosenberg book. Again, a great story and well written. But I'm like this with Clancy and Ludlum too - I can only read so much and then I need something light and fluffy to read. I saw that the movie rights to these two books have been snatched up. Those are going to be some intense movies folks!

54: A New Author

2007-12-30T21:20:00.000-08:00

My friend Chadya was keen to help me find some new authors to read and so bought me a bunch of books for Christmas. Knowing my love of Ted Dekker, and also that her husband Scott and I have very similar taste in books, she bought me Deadfall by Robert Liparulo.

She wasn't sure if I would like the book, so I said I would read the first paragraph...I find I can usually get a sense for an author's style from the first page or so...well, the first page of Deadfall had me groaning in pain. I could tell that the story was going to be interesting enough. In fact, the story itself had me hooked right away. But the narrative was so corny I thought this was going to be a really, really painful read. Later on I read it to Andrew and he just groaned, 'It's like a bad cliche'.

Lucky for me (and Liparulo), his writing improved drastically after that.

Though the story reminded me of some of Dekker's more recent storylines, I liked how this one played out SO much better. Dekker seems to me as if he's torn between writing a really good thriller, and trying too hard to be like Frank Peretti. AND his stories seem to be getting a little too similar lately. Reading Deadfall was a little like watching 24. For every success the characters had, three bad things happened. REALLY intense. I remember thinking to myself, this would make an awesome movie...though it would end up with at least a 14A rating, so maybe not one I'd want to watch!!

Anyway, it was a great novel and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on his other two (or more?!) books!

53

2007-12-25T23:19:00.000-08:00

The Deep End by Joy Fielding

Got this book on a recommendation from a friend - was expecting a nice little murder mystery along the lines of Agatha or maybe even Martha. Hmn. If this had been a movie I would be freaking right out about now. Definitely a thriller type of action packed mystery. Mostly a good read though there were some PG13 moments that weren't really necessary.

Now on to the pile of Christmas books...

52: Last Chance Saloon by Marion Keyes

2007-12-24T21:32:00.000-08:00

This book was just what I needed after the harrowing sadness of the last two books. A nice, happy ending....and lots of fluff. yay for fluff!

fifty + one

2007-12-23T23:04:00.000-08:00

Just finished The Memory Keeper's Daughter yesterday.

From the first sentence I was captivated by the writing in this book. It's an amazing story by a truly gifted author. however, it's also an incredibly sad story. So much so that I kept putting the book down swearing I wasn't going to read any more of it. I'm the kind of person that will sink into a deep depression if I read the wrong story. This was a wrong story.

Even so the story telling was so powerful I kept picking up the book and reading more.

Definitely worth a read. Just make sure you have LOTS of kleenex and chocolate on hand when you do pick it up!

2007-12-17T17:11:00.001-08:00

hmn, I just read the little tagline on this blog. So apparently I wasn't just out to read as many books as possible - I wanted to read gooooood books too. Yah. Failed on that one. Since I'm pretty sure my intention was to read classics. Luckily the book I have my eye on to read next is a recommendation from Claire's blog. So I'm pretty confident it will amount to more than the fluff I've been reading lately.

Hawaii five-Oh!

2007-12-17T17:03:00.000-08:00

"Adopted as a child, Philippa Palfrey liked to fantasize that she was the illegitimate daughter of an aristocrat - until she meets her real mother and learns a shocking truth."

I've read Children of Men and many of the Richard Jury series, so I thought I knew what I was getting myself into here. Not at all. I was expecting an easy (quick) murder mystery. In this novel, the murder happened in the past. This is more the story of the people whose lives were forever altered by the murder.

Forty Seven thru Forty Nine

2007-12-14T19:41:00.000-08:00

Things got a bit crazy 'round our house lately and it's taken me ages to add books to this blog. Plus, I've been working on the third book for ages...finally have some time for this project:

Martha Grimes is always a favorite. I love her characters - even the villains are usually lovable. This was the first of her Richard Jury books in a while that I didn't guess the ending to. And I was a bit disappointed that the ending was a little confusing. Not that I need everything tied up in nice tidy packages, but I really was confused at the end of this. May have read it just a little too quickly though...

...since my sister lent me this book and I was eager to begin it. Of all the shopaholic books, this one pricked my conscience the most. I couldn't possibly be like her, could ?! The endings to these books are always too tidy, but they make for a light, fluffy, quick read. Looking forward to Shopaholic and Baby which is due out on paperback on Boxing Day.

If My Father Loved Me was a big step away from the fluff I've been reading. And that might be part of why it took me so long to finish it (that and the busy-ness around here lately). I love this section from the opening pages:

...you don't feel yourself growing older. You reach and age - which probably varies according to your history and personal circumstances, but in my case was twenty seven - and there you are, fully formed. As time passes you note your failures and allow yourself to appreciate what you have done well, but there remains the inner indvidual who isn't aware of alteration either mental or physical. Inside my skin, a millimetre or so beneath the eroding surface, I remain twenty-seven years old. It's a shock, when riding the escalator to confront an unexpected mirror and be obliged to check the discrepancy...what is alarming is the possibility that when we do start to feel our age, it might all happen at once. What if we go from being twenty-seven to being sixty-seven in a day, suddenly getting infirm knees and crochet shawls and a fondness for Book at Bedtime crumbling away into old ladies as the light falls on us...

I've noticed quite a few of my peers blogging about this very subject. Interesting that we all seem to feel the same way!

Rosie Thomas has this marvellous insight which really made me feel like I was talking to someone who understood me. I usually can't stand 'coming of age' stories, but this one has so many aspects I immediately wanted to lend it to everyone I know.

46: Angels and Demons

2007-11-17T21:43:00.000-08:00

By Dan Brown.

I love a book that keeps me guessing. I can't figure Brown's stories out. Love that!

The Da Vinci Code (45)

2007-11-13T12:29:00.000-08:00

I never intended to read this book. Quite frankly it never really interested or appealed to me. And when I heard all the ruckus about it, it just made me want to read it less. I know a lot of Christians argued that "it's just a novel," but so are smutty romance novels and I've never had any desire to read those either (or Harry Potter, or Diane Gabaldon, or...)

Anyway, I recently got lent a huge stack of books which included the Da Vinci Code. I read the back and it sounded kind of interesting so I decided to give it a shot. And I have to admit, Dan Brown is a good writer. I know what I believe, and I know my history. I'm also willing to investigate anything which challenges my assumptions and not just blindly accept what some writer tells me. But I can understand what all the controversy was about. Of course even some Christian novels make statements I don't agree with.

Anyway, this was a good book if you only read it as a novel, and don't assume that everything we thought we knew about the Christian faith is now wrong. And if you have questions, there's a great site to check out...

2 more, plus not so much with this one...

2007-11-09T16:23:00.000-08:00

Polished of two more of Sophie Kinsella's books. They're perfect for those days when you TRULY understand why some animals eat their young. They transport you to a light fluffy world where it's okay to max out your credit cards, completely screw up your job and stress eat constantly...and still wind up a perfect size six, with a gorgeous, clever, RICH man PLUS your dream job...and all your bills paid off. ahhhhhh....

Then I tried for a week to read "Portrait of an Unknown Woman". I really did try. But when you absolutely dread picking up your book, and no matter how hard you try to slog through it, you still can't get anywhere in the story...I think that's a sign. Luckily we're spending the weekend in Whistler so there will plenty of opportunity to make up for this wasted week.

42

2007-10-31T23:15:00.001-07:00

I read Confessions of a Shopaholic years ago (a year ago?) and quite frankly, wasn't much impressed. Not sure what's different this time around, but Shopaholic Takes Manhattan was BRILLIANT!

Quite glad I have the next book to read immediately.

I think this is 41...

2007-10-31T09:32:00.000-07:00

Not usually the kind of book I would look twice at but my friend Laurie insisted I had to read this. Inspired by a column these two sisters used to write, this book is composed of a series of emails, mostly between the sisters. Being the very sarcastic daughter of a dry witted Brit, I could completely relate to them and insisted my sister had to read it IMMEDIATELY. Actually found myself laughing out loud at parts. Thoroughly fluffy, thoroughly enjoyable.

NEXT!

2007-10-28T18:18:00.000-07:00

There is nothing quite like a Michael Crichton novel. This one did not disappoint. And since I'm desperate to beat last year's score...this makes 40.

3X13

2007-10-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy

Wow. The last Maeve Binchy book I read I think I complained that her books always leave me feeling a little depressed. It's almost like she heard me and wrote this one just for me. It's an anthology of stories tied together by one common thread. LOVED the ending. I think this is my favorite.

Dirty Eight

2007-09-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

WOW. just finished reading Skin by Ted Dekker.

Funny thing about reading Dekker's books is the sense of deja vu I get when I read them. I sometimes complain that his books are too much the same so that you can't really tell if you've read them before, or if they're too predictable or what the deal is. Kind of the same feeling I get when I read Stephen Lawhead.

And yet I keep reading.

Skin was very similar to several of Dekker's latest books in theme, but the actual storyline is crazy out of this world. I figured out some of the twists and turns, others were beyond my fathoming. And despite all my griping, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough (in fact, I snuck ahead and read the last two pages and still couldn't figure it all out!)

Bottom line? They'd so better make this into a movie. It's billed as a sort of a horror/thriller but I think it fits in more with iRobot, Paycheque and the Matrix. Way rad.

thirT seven

2007-09-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

Mountain View Drive by James R. Coggins: This one was set in Abbotsford so you KNOW I loved reading it and trying to figure out where he was all the time. I had no idea the House of James is a converted car dealership. Or that the walk around Mill Lake is over a mile long. Or that we get some of the best views of Baker. Great stuff.

The story was good too, but I must be catching on to his mind. I couldn't figure out the first two, I had this one solved (though I wasn't sure. Other books I KNOW I've figured it out so maybe I was actually just lucky!)

On to the next one...

34 - 36

2007-09-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, I'm starting to get scared. We're in the countdown now till 2008, or at least the last quarter of 2007 and I've only read 37 books...and nothing much of substance! AHHHHHH!!! must try harder!

Well, I made a little trip to House of James with my Mother in Law while she was here and scored some great deals. I've finally had some time to do some reading:

DEADLINE by Randy Alcorn: I've read some of his other books and I think they were kind of Frank Perrettiish, but this one (which seemed like more of a thriller/mystery) really surprised me. There was a lot of good stuff in here as well as a storyline which kept me reading despite the almost 450 pages in about a size SEVEN font!!! My only complaint is that he got a bit preachy at times (why do Christian writers do that. Hello, I bought your book in a Christian bookstore, I'm probably a Christian!) Other than that, Great book.

Who's Grace by James R. Coggins: This was part of a three pack I got cheap like Borscht. Written by the ex-editor of the MB Herald who lives in Vancouver BC. Lots of Canadian references. Interesting story - CSI meets christian Medium. liked it enough to keep reading...

Desolation Highway by JRCoggins: This John Smyth guy who plays the lead totally reminds me of Bob Larson. Short, red beard, balding...That's who I picture in my mind when I'm reading this anyway. Another good mystery. Think I'm going to go crack open number three....

32 and 33

2007-08-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

Magdalene by Angela Hunt - an interesting take on the story of Mary of Magdalene. I always find the sort of story interesting just because I wonder how much is actually historical and how much is pure imagination. This author was kind enough to break it down a bit at the end of her book. A great read with lots of twists and turns.

Light a Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy - still one of my favorite authors though I do find that her books are a bit hopeless. This one in particular ended on a bit of a depressing note - well for me at least.

The Lowlands of Scotland Trilogy (29 - 31)

2007-07-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

Thorn in my Heart, Fair is the Rose and Whence Came a Prince by Liz Curtis Higgs.

Two brothers fight to claim one father's blessing.
Two sisters long to claim one man's heart.

In the autumn of 1788, amid the moors and glens of the Scottish Lowlands, two brothers and two sisters each embark on a painful journey of discovery.

Jamie and Evan McKie both want their father Alec's flocks and lands, yet only one brother will inherit Glentrool. Leana and Rose McBride both yearn to catch the eye of the same handsome lad, yet only one sister will be his bride.

A thorny love triangle emerges, plagued by lies and deception, jealousy and desire, betrayal and broken promises. Brimming with passion and drama, Thorn in My Heart brings the past to vibrant life, revealing spiritual truths that transcend time and penetrate the deepest places of the heart.

Though these books are what I consider "fluff", the stories were interesting enough that I found myself gobbling them up...even staying up late a few times to finish a chapter or two. I'm not really a big fan of the Romance genre, but I love historical fiction. I wasn't sure about an author so blatantly stealing a story (sheesh, if I could do that I could be a prolific author too!) but her characterization was good, and it was interesting to see a traditional Biblical story in a new light.

I see she's written a fourth book about the next generation of McKies, I may just have to pick it up.

The Winds of Change (28)

2007-06-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

Quite by chance I seem to have been getting Martha Grimes' books in sequence. Which is odd because I just go on to the FVRL website and do a search for her name and then request whatever books come up.

I'm loving reading the books in sequence though because SO many story elements continue from one book to the next.

This was both my favorite and least favorite of her Richard Jury books.

On the one hand, I felt it was the one in which she was least British. I'm not sure if that's because I was so aware that she's an American (and so it was just me being silly and making her seem more American) or if she was being a bit careless with her references.

On the other hand, I was so excited to be following so closely on the heels of the Grave Maurice story line that I really enjoyed the continued character development of ALL her major characters and references back and forwards to stories I've already read.

The story itself was quite dark and for the first time I figured out the mystery (though I asked Andrew if he thought maybe that was because I've read so many of her books that I'm starting to think like her ha hah).

Anyhoo, I have one more of the Martha Grimes books borrowed, then I think I'll read something more weighty for a while. Save the mysteries for when I need light reading!!