Tara CAN Read

Long overdue reading blog

2012-01-26T12:12:00.005-05:00

It is hard to believe that a year has passed since I last blogged a review of a book I have read. Despite reading some really great books over the last 12 months I cannot seem to recall the names of any of them at the moment.

As this year's Canada Reads is focussed on non-fiction I decided to pick up previous Giller Prize winners and finalists. This is how I stumbled upon the novel I am currently reading - The Free World by David Bezmozgis. I am about halfway through and am thoroughly enjoying it. I would highly recommend picking this one up.

Prior to this I read Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. This was recommended by a friend and I would recommend it as well. Perhaps I'll be better keeping track in 2012!

Recent Reads including 2 Canada Reads Selections

2011-01-24T09:33:00.007-05:00

It has been a while since I last blogged about books I have been reading. You can rest assured that I have not given up reading Canadian Lit. I continue to be surprised and elated over the quality of fiction that is out there by Canadian authors. I am at a loss over the names of the many books I have read since June, but here are a few of the more recent ones, that I would highlight recommend you buy from your local bookseller. Locke Street's Epic Books has been keeping me well stocked!
Practical Jean by Trevor Cole. In this novel Cole once again weaves a story featuring a unique character with a flair for some dark "practicality". After taking care of her suffering mother who ultimately dies from her illness, Jean begins to ponder life and its inevitable conclusion. She conjures up a plan to spare those who are closest her from a similar fate and what happens is almost unbelievable and keeps you reading on. Cole is a master of the tragic comedy and this is an excellent example of how to take that to the limit. I would highly recommend this read. To hear an interview with author Cole from the CBC about this novel go to http://www.cbc.ca/books/bookclub/2010/12/podcast-trevor-cole-discusses-practical-jean.html. If you haven't already, I would recommend you read his other 2 novels which I loved - Norman Bray in the Performance of His Life and The Fearsome Particles.

The Bay of Love and Sorrows by David Adams Richards. Written in 1998, this novel is set mainly within a small rural area along a bay between New Brunswick and PEI. It follows the return of a judges prodigal son as he returns to this small community and hooks up with a number individuals who all get tangled in the web of Everette Hutch, a violent man with a terrible scheme that ends in tragedy and loss. This is definitely worthy of recommending! When searching for the cover art for this novel I found out that a movie was produced in 2002 for this novel. See http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317124/ for information and a review. Sounds like reading the book would be a better bet!

Essex County by Jeff Lemire is the first graphic novel to be included in the selections for Canada Reads. To say that I loved this collection of Lemire's intertwined stories of characters in Essex County would be an understatement. I literally could not put the book down and despite its weight, I carried this book with me until the last page was read, including the amazing "extras" at the back. As one who has read graphic novels before, it didn't take me long to get back into the rhythm of following the images and dialogue. Lemire is not only a supremely talented artist but a great storyteller. It is amazing how much he could say with one drawing. The character development is fantastic. It looks like Jeff is keeping busy .... check out his blog at http://jefflemire.blogspot.com/. I think I'll pick up Sweet Tooth and start following it ... or maybe wait for the compilation again.

The Best Laid Plans written by former Liberal strategies Terry Fallis is another one of the contenders for this year's Canada Reads and is a must read. If you are in any way a Canadian political junkie you will be sure to love this book as I did. Even if you aren't, the antics in this book will keep you hooked. Again this was another book I couldn't put down. The book is narrated by one of the main characters David Addison who after discovering his girlfriend in a compromising position with her MP boss, decides to leave his job as a senior writer for the Leader of the Opposition to teach at the University of Ottawa. But his teaching career gets put on hold and he is unexpectedly thrown back into politics. I don't want to be a spoiler so just pick up this gem. You may even recognize some of the "characters"!.

I will continue on my journey of completing my reading of the Canada Reads selections by reading The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou. This year I only have 3 to read as I have already read The Birth House and Unless. Then onto Giller Prize winner The Sentimentalist.

Reads 7,8 and 9

2010-06-25T12:23:00.002-04:00

Well I seemed to have missed my reviews of the remaining 3 books for canada reads including this year's winner Nikolski which I finished just moments ago. It was a good novel but at times I confused the two main male characters and their story lines. Now that I have finished all 5 books, I'd say my favourite would have to be the Jade Poeny followed by Fall on my Kneess then Good to a Fault. I surprisingly enjoyed Nikolski which I had anticipated I wouldn't like. The end of this years Book challenge has come to an end and sadly I think I am one short of finishing 10 reads. Of course I seemed to have lost track of my reads in late winter. I would recommend all of these reads

Jade Peony: A Story to Treasure

2010-02-25T12:12:00.002-05:00

Last night I stayed up well beyond the Olympic evening coverage to finish the last pages of Wayson Choy's The Jade Peony, one of the 2010 Canada Reads Selections and my sixth read for the Canadian Book Challenge. I really enjoyed this book. The mixture of historical references of Chinese immigrants living in Vancouver during the first world world war and the intimate stories of 3 young Chinese-Canadians as they grew up in the Chinatown district was a most enjoyable and wonderful read. The author guides us through the story of a multi-generational Chinese family through the eyes of the 3 youngest children - Liang, Jung and Sek-Lung. After I finished the first section on Liang, I was disappointed it had ended, almost frustrated at this. I wanted to learn more of what happened to this young girl and felt that I couldn't possibly enjoy section 2 which was narrated by Jung. But then I got wrapped up in his story and was once again drawn in. The same was true for the last section, the longest of all 3, narrated by Sek-Lung, affectionally (or not) known as Sekky. I was suprised to read the reviews which said it was a story about nothing but that the small details of the characters were enough to make the story enjoyable. I found the opposite. I felt there was so much story in each of the narratives. Many characters and many nuiances which were engaging and captivating. I was very excited when I read on the jacket that there is a sequel already written. I can't wait to get this one.

Gen X

2010-02-21T09:53:00.004-05:00

Just over a week ago I finished reading Generation X: Tales for An Accellerated Culture by Douglas Coupland, published in 1991. This novel popularized the term "Generation X" which refers to the generation of people born from 1960 to 1970 and were adults in the 80's. This is my 5th read for the Canadian Book Challenge. I had a bit of trouble motivating myself to get through this book despite the fact that it was the selection from Canada Reads I was most excited to get to. I thought it would be a very quick read, but wasn't. The novel follows Dag, Andy and Claire, all mid to late twenty-somethings as they discuss life, relationships and jobs. Beyond this, there isn't much of a story. What I did enjoy were the pop cultural references sprinkled throughout the book. I particularly enjoyed the cartoons and definitions in the side panels of most of the pages defining words like "Mcjobs" and other phrases that I think Coupland just made up to describe a certain set of circumstances for a particular type of person. I think I perhaps tired of this story as I have gone beyond the I don't want to work for the "man" mindset that the main characters in this story have and revel in. This is the third book I have read of Coupland's, having read Life After God and Jpod. I really enjoyed Jpod so this was a bit of a surprise. I did warm up a bit to this novel at the end, but I have to say, not my choice for the Canada Reads so far. I have moved on to the Jade Peony which I am already enjoying.

It the most wonderful time of the year ....

2009-12-22T07:30:00.004-05:00

Yes, it is just days away from being Christmas but it is also week 4 of the CBC's Canada Reads Festivities. For details visit the site.

As an avid reader of Canadian literature, it is my most favourite time of the year ... anticipating the books that are being defended by the all-star Canadian celebrity panel and being able to share a love with the entire country - or at least those that listen to the CBC. Last year my family collectively purchased me the entire collection and I read them all prior to the debates. I hope to do the same this year. Once again I have not read any of the books (or at least I don't recall doing so) so this will be very exciting. I am really interested in reading Gen X by Douglas Coupland. I may have read this some time ago, I'm not sure. I have read Life After God and Jpod both of which I loved, so I am almost certain to enjoy this modern Canadian classic. The one selection I am not as excited by is Nikolski. This novel has been translated from French to English, and while it won a GG award for the translation, my experience with The Fat Woman Next Door is Pregnant last year which I didn't like at all has weakened my interest for translations. Something gets lost. But we'll see. I plan to read it anyway and will post my review on this blog.

The Time In Between

2009-12-22T07:18:00.003-05:00

The Time In Between by Canadian author David Bergen is a sad and almost haunting tale of a man, Charles Boatman, and his journey back to Vietnam in an attempt to shake himself of the demons that have haunted him since his time as a young soldier in the Vietnam War. Whether he is looking for love or redemption or forgiveness, he is not sure of, he just knows he must leave his home in remote BC and find out. When he doesn't return home, 2 of his children travel to Danang to find him. The story switches in narration from his daughter Ada and Charles himself. Ada's travels to this country become her own personal journey of discovery of understanding herself and her father and finding forgiveness for him. Once I got into the story I had difficulty putting it down as Bergen's character development and the narrative drew me in. I would recommend this book.

This is my fourth read for the Canadian Book Challenge. I think that somewhere along the line I missed putting in a review of the book I read previous to this. I am still not finished Blackstrap Hawco as I cannot seem to get engaged in the story.

Leave Toronto Noir in the Dark Where it Belongs

2009-09-01T18:08:00.004-04:00

One of the books I picked up for my vacation was a collection of short stories called Toronto Noir edited by Janine Armin & Nathaniel G. Moore. This was my 3rd read for the challenge. It is a collection of short stories set in different neighbourhoods in Toronto. It is part of a series of books from other major cities and Toronto is the first Canadian city to have its own book. There is a Chicago Noir, Paris Noir, Delhi Noir and three volumes of Brooklyn Noir. I thought this might be a nice light read and a fun way to re-discover Toronto neighbourhoods. I was wrong. The stories I read - the first 5 - were very simply written, with basic storylines that were completely predictable, uninteresting and just plain silly. One of the stories was set in Little India and used stereotypes that I found distastefull. I kept hoping the stories would get better but they didn't. I do not recommend you bother picking up this book to read. A complete waste of paper.

Fire, Ghosts and a Mysterious Carpet Bag

2009-08-15T05:10:00.003-04:00

While in Geneva on vacation I finished reading my second read for the Canadian Book Challenge - Turtle Valley by Gail Anderson-Dargatz. This was a fantastic book that I started just before we headed to the plane and kept wanting to go back to as the story completely drew me in. The setting is Turtle Valley in British Columbia where a fire is raging in the forest threatening farms and homes in the valley. Kat, the main character returns to her parents home to assist in packing up the most precious of family items in preparation for the notice that they will have to evacuate this home that has been in her family for multiple generations. While there, Kat finds her grandmother's carpet bag that unlocks the mysteries of this woman's life, including a few secrets about the family's history that Kat thought she knew. Kat stuggles with her present marriage while being faced with her lover from the past. Mysterious spectors haunt her in this journey. This was a fabulous read from cover to cover that I would highly recommend.

Nothing to Fear in Fearsome Particles

2009-08-08T15:16:00.002-04:00

This week I finally finished Fearsome Particles by Hamilton author Trevor Cole, my first official read for the 3rd Great Canadian Book Challenge. Like his first novel, Norman Bray in the Performance of his Life, Cole weaves complex and interesting characters that both amuse and make this a fantastic read. This novel blends both humour with serious subject matter including the Canadian military in Afghanistan. Being a Hamilton resident myself and residing in the same neighbourhood as Cole, I read between the lines, sensing some local inspiration including some of the minor characters, but perhaps this was just my imagination. Cole is working on a new novel that touches on a subject that is near and dear to my heart, so you will know that this will be on the top of my must read list.

Trevor Cole - Local Hamilton Author

2009-07-14T18:38:00.004-04:00

I have just started my first read for the challenge - Hamilton, Ontario author Trevor Cole's The Fearsome Particles. This is Cole's second novel which was short-listed for the 2006 GG's Literary Awards and is a National Best Seller. I met Trevor at a course I took through the Ontario Arts Council and realized that I had already read his first novel Norman Bray in the Performance of His Life which has been optioned for film. I can totally see Kevin Spacey as Norman Bray. This was a great novel which I highly recommend. I just loved it. For information on Trevor Cole, visit his website at http://www.trevorcole.com/ I am looking forward to finding more time to get into FP as the summer art show season winds down for me. My review will follow.

3rd Canadian Book Challenge Eh

2009-07-14T18:33:00.005-04:00

It is that time again for the start of the 3rd Annual Canadian Book Challenge Eh!. This is my second year doing the challenge. Last year I didn't start until 3 months in but still managed to read 18 books over the course of 9 months. I am going to do this again this year. If you are up to the challenge visit The Book Mine Set for more information. The goal is to read 13 CANADIAN books (Canadian is defined on the site) over the year starting this July - okay we have already started, but you can do it. I am already into my first read.

A Delayed Fine Balance Completion

2009-07-14T18:31:00.001-04:00

I finally finished A Fine Balance by Rohinton Minstry and while it was sad, it was a great book. Enough said.

The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor

2009-05-27T11:22:00.002-04:00

I just completed the Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor, by Sally Armstrong, my 17th read for the challenge. This is an epic true story about Charlotte Taylor, who was considered the first woman settler of the Mirimichi (the Baie de Chaleur which is now part of New Brunswick) as written by her great great great grandaughter Armstrong. This was a wonderful novel, chronicalling the life of of Charlotte and her journey from England escaping with her lover, the family's butler, to the West Indies where he dies and she is left alone and pregnant, to her journey to Canada where she settled and eventually had their child Elizabeth and another 9 more children leaving a long ancestry in Canada. I really enjoyed this novel and always looked forward to finding out what challenge Charlotte was going to face next and how she would overcome the obstacles placed before her including husbands who died way to young and securing the deeds to the lands she cleared and which supported her growing family. Armstrong's amazing writing honours Charlotte's strong character and allows us to follow Charlotte's story seeing her beat the odds and achieve essentially all that she set out to do. It also honours the connection the native people of the area and how their history became intertwined with that of the British settlers who wanted to own land. A great read and highly recommended.

Wild Geese

2009-05-06T22:35:00.003-04:00

This is officially my 16th finished read for the Book Challenge and it was a great story. Set in the prairies of Manitoba, this novel written by Martha Ostenso was first published in 1925. It follows the story of a farming family lead by Caleb, the father and controller of all who live under his roof. He is a tyrant, a bully, not only to his family but to the farming community where he lives. He wields his unique brand of power especially over his wife, essentially bribing her to do as he wishes otherwise he will reveal her deepest secret and bring shame to the entire family. While this secret would be scandalous at the time this story was released, this same secret would not be were this set in the present day. Caleb is a character I despised, yet I loved reading this book to see how the power of love and passion can alter the future of those he tries to keep under his thumb. I would recommend this book.

I did not end up finishing A Fine Balance, having had to return it to the library, however I have started on the Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor by Sally Armstrong which was lent to me by Kristin and which I am enjoying so far.

A Fine Balance is a fine read so far

2009-03-24T20:44:00.001-04:00

After having this on my bookshelf before and not reading it, I have finally cracked the spine of A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry and I am so glad I am. It is, as a few people have told me, a suprisingly quick read despite its size. I managed to devour more than the first hundred pages the first morning I had the book in my possession. I have heard some mixed comments about this book and am interested in hearing from people about how they feel about this book - without spoilers please as I am just about a 1/3 into the book. So far there seems to be an interesting divide by gender. From what I have read so far, this book has some very bleak moments and I am almost certain this will get quite worse, particularly when reading in bed and Robert says "so who has died so far?". Oh dear. As with The Book of Negros, the story weaves around actual historical occurrences, in this case, India around the time of Partition. Historical fiction is something I had previously avoided, however I have begun to enjoy this in my reading more recently. I have always felt I had a poor understanding, or more likely poor retention, of world history and in some ways these stories help restore my memory. I am certain I will have more to write on this book, but until then, goodnight and happy reading.

Just One Week

2009-03-17T11:25:00.001-04:00

It took me less than one week to finish my 15th read, The Birth House, lent to me by my best friend Kristin who is an avid reader and always has a great book to pass along! As I mentioned in my previous post I loved this book. What I found interesting in this book other than the story and the characters created by Ami was the images of old advertisments which I assume were either authentic or closely resembled ads of the time that were sprinkled throughout the novel. These ads were for special "cures" for women and their supposed delirium or histeria .... of course you will have to read the book to find out the "treatment" that Dora had both at the doctor's office and then through self-medication!

I am hoping to pick up my next read(s) very soon. I plan to finally read Rohinton Minstry's A Fine Balance but am also waiting for Wild Geese, by Martha Ostenso.

The Birth House is just lovely

2009-03-11T10:27:00.001-04:00

I have very little left to read of this great novel where author Ami McKay knits a wonderful story of Dora Rare, a young woman who is married early and despite her husband's wishes becomes a midwife and healer trained by her beloved friend and pseudo-mom Miss B. This story combines tragedy and disappointment with humour. I find it has been hard to put this book down, reading well beyond the late night news, and then waking and wanting to read more. The author has a great website/blog where followers of this book can get recipes, join the OKS (you have to read the book to find out what this is) and get a sneak preview of the author's upcoming book - check it out at http://www.thebirthhouse.com/

A Winner is Announced

2009-03-06T19:17:00.001-05:00

I am overjoyed ... ecstatic really, that The Book of Negros by Lawrence Hill won Canada Reads 2009. I was a little worried there for a while when following the debates on the CBC this past week. I was surprised that some even voted for it to be eliminated on the days when there were votes. I was elated, sorry, but it is true, when The Fat Woman Next Door is Pregnant was eliminated on Thursday. As I mentioned in my review, I felt no connection to the characters in this story. I missed the last of the debates but understand that Fruit was in the final two. I think this was a great choice by the panelists. I was sad and shocked that Mercy went first .... All the info on Canada Reads, the new Book Club they have launched and so on can be found on www.cbc.ca/canadareads . I am currently reading Ami McKay's The Birth House. So far so good. Stay tuned for my review!

Through Black Spruce

2009-03-03T10:08:00.000-05:00

My 14th official read for the challenge, Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden was a great read. It is a novel set in Northern Ontario about contemporary aboriginal life, and the difficulties faced by a people coping with life both in the forest and in the city, where for some, addiction and crime rein supreme and takes over and controls the direction their lives take. This theme is not something I have read in fiction before and I was struck by the difficulties faced by the main characters which likely mirrors the lives of people living this reality today. On the edges of the story it touched on subjects heard on the news - youth addicted to sniffing gas, alcholism etc. It also touched on some of the aboriginal traditions that are maintained by some today. It took me a few chapters to get into the story and figure out that each chapter alternated being narratted by a male character - Wil - and a female character - his neice Annie. Once I understood how this was being narrated, I found that I continually wanted to get to the next chapter to catch up to where the narrating character's story continued. I don't want to spoil the end, so I would recommend reading this novel and letting the story and the curiousity of how it will end carry you away!

Number 13 a Good One

2009-02-10T17:54:00.000-05:00

While catching the last of the afternoon rays of sun by the pool I finished The Outlander by Gil Adamson my 13th read for the Challenge and my final read for Canada Reads 2009. I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I had originally thought it was going to be a wild west epic sort of novel, and thus not really something I would be interested in. But it turned out to be a lovely story with a little bit of mystery, some adventure and a little bit of a love story mixed in. It was beautifully written and I found myself completely engrossed in the story of 19 year old Mary Boulton and she flees from the death of her husband by her hand in hot persuit by his brothers. Fantastic read. But, Book of Negros remains my number 1 choice for Canada Reads.

The Fat Woman Next Door is Pregnant

2009-01-29T11:44:00.000-05:00

This book by Michel Tremblay was my 12th read for the Challenge and my fourth read of this year's selections for Canada Reads. So far, this was the most disappointing book to date. As I mentioned previously, it could be related to the fact that there was something lost in the translation from French to English. Perhaps also it was too personal to the author such that some detail was not included that would help the reader along. It did improve about half-way through the book, however I cannot say that I really enjoyed it - with some exceptions. There were so many characters that I found following the book a bit confusing. Each section flipped from one family to another and sometimes I was about a paragraph in before I realized who he was talking about. I had particular difficulty keeping Victoire's family straight as there were so many living in the one household - mothers, brothers, sisters, spouses, children. This book just did not hold my attention and I was almost glad to be finished with it - sorry!

Probably the Best Book I Have Read

2009-01-26T22:18:00.000-05:00

With great sadness I had to read that last page of The Book of Negros (my 11th read for the Challenge and my third Canada Reads 2009 selection) which meant the end of what must be one of my favourite reads. While I have loved many of the other books I have read, the last book that left me feeling this way was 2007 CBC Canada Reads winner Lullabies for Little Criminals. Perhaps this is my own premonition for this year's winner??? I am not sure what else I could add for my official final entry and review for this book that I haven't mentioned below. The depth of character was spectacular. The narration was such that I felt that I was right there inside the story, a witness to the many hardships felt by our heroine as her life abruptly changes from a free Muslim to a slave facing conditions that most could not (and did not) survive. The book ended much quicker than I expected and I in fact finished the same night as I wrote my previous entry. There was a great number of pages where the author indicated how he researched this book and the reference materials he drew from. Interestingly he noted areas where characters in the novel actually existed and where he diverted from history to make the story more interesting. This addendum also included information on his family and why he wrote this book and many acknowledgements for the people who helped him in putting this spectacular historical fiction together. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this addition to the book as it helped fill in some of the blanks and answer some questions I had about this time in history that I was not familiar with. Wow. I loved this book.

And now I have moved onto my 4th read - The Fat Woman Next Door is Pregnant. So far I am disappointed with this read. Perhaps there is something that has been lost in the translation from French to English. In reading the back of the book which describes the story, it seems that there is supposed to be some subtext that I seem to be missing. Perhaps it will come together soon.

The Book of Negros

2009-01-22T19:49:00.000-05:00

As I am not quite finished this fantastic book, this is not my official review of my 11th read for the Challenge, however I couldn't wait to post something. While it is difficult to compare books that are as different as apples and oranges, I have to say that The Book of Negros by Burlington, Ontario native Lawrence Hill is probably leading the pack for me of the 3 books I have read so far in CBC's Canada Reads 2009 selections. The others may surprise me, but I think this one probably has a very good shot at winning. This historical fictional story is intensely detailed in its description of Aminata's journey from her village of Bayo to the coast of Africa, the Carolinas in the US, New York, Nova Scotia and back to Africa again where she is in my current spot in the book. It is as if Aminata wrote it herself as a true account of her life story. I have not read background on how Hill conducted his research to produce this story but it is more real and alive than I could have imagined anyone could write that had not experienced it themselves which says much of the talent of the author. I will save more for my official review. While I could devour the rest of this book tonight, I want to savour the last few pages in the journey of a remarkable woman who likely existed at least in part in many of the people who were taken from their villages, and forced into a life of slavery - that is if they even made it across the sea with the terrible conditions on the slave ships. An appropriate read as the United States inaugurates its first African-American President - President Barack Hussein Obama - as the world watched with great hope and inspiration for all of our futures.

Fruit, A Delicious Tale

2009-01-17T13:04:00.000-05:00

I flew through Fruit: A Novel About a Boy and His Nipples by Brian Francis finishing it just this morning. This is now my 10th read for the 2nd Canadian Book Challenge Eh! and my second Canada Reads 2009 read. I absolutely loved this book, so much so that I was sad as I was nearing the end as I really wanted to read more about Peter Paddington and his life as he approached the end of grade 8 and anticipated in dread the approach of highschool. Francis completely endears this wonderful character to his reading audience. You not only totally believe this story, but at times I know I felt that I was Peter myself experiencing his trials. We all have a bit of Peter in us. Perhaps we are not overweight or experiencing feelings of being attracted to the same sex (and what is hiding in their red parachute pants) but I know I felt for him as he was ridiculed, bullied and feeling like an outsider. Kids can be mean as we know and it is very difficult when you feel like you don't fit in. Thankfully we are able as adults to look back and laugh at what we went through and our feelings at the time and realize that the people who we thought were the cool ones or who bullied or shoved us asside weren't really worth our time anyway. While heartbreaking, many of situations Peter is faced with, including his ongoing dialogue with his swelled nipples is done with humour.

What was interesting to me is that I saw myself in this story as it takes place in the same time period as I was at Peter's age - mid 80's. At one point in the book I actually flipped to the author's bio to see if I knew him or if he grew up in Hamilton, because I could have sworn I was a part of this same cast of charcters ... perhaps I was one of the other "outsiders" in the book that Peter refers to. In high school I was part of what I now refer to as the "goody goody gang" as Francis refers to in this fantastic book. As with most writing, I expect that some of the authors own experiences were reflected in some way in the various characters in the book, which makes it even more real.

This book was a complete departure in style from my previous read which makes it very difficult to figure out which of these two Canada Reads selections I feel should be the big winner. I loved them both for very different reasons. I am now moving on to The Book of Negros by Lawrence Hill who is from Burlington, Ontario.

Mercy Amoung the Children A Heart Wrenching but wonderful story

2009-01-14T18:48:00.000-05:00

The other night I stayed up and finished the last pages of Mercy Amoung the Children by David Adams Richards - my 9th read for the Canada Book Challenge Eh! and my first read for Canada Reads 2009.
It is a tragic fictional story narrated by Lyle Henderson, the son of Sydney Henderson, a gentle man who while not formally educated is extremely intelligent, having taken it upon himself to read everything he he could get his hands on. Sydney believes that truth will always win out in the end and redemption will be received by those who deserves it and thus is only passive when he and Lyle's mom Elly are blamed for tragedies that befall their small community in Eastern Canada. This causes much distress for Lyle who throughout his narration of this story grows from a boy to a teen and sees his poor struggling family continue to be beaten down. He turns the other way, aligning himself with some of the less desirable in what he believes is the means to regain his family's reputation. Interestingly, on my drive to Florida I was enjoying listening to a few of the volumes of the children's fiction - A Series of Unfortunate Events. Mercy could also be given a similar title in that just as you think in the Series of Unfortunate Events that the Bodelair siblings will get away from Count Olaf and things will get better for them so to the reader continues to read on in hope that there will in fact be redemption for the Henderson family and that Lyle's life will finally turn around for the better. This novel was wonderful. It was well told and while very sad and extremely tragic at the time was very true and a value to have experienced. I can see why this received the Giller Prize in 2000 and is part of Canada Reads 2009. It is my first completed book in series and I have already started and am enjoying Fruit: A Novel About A Boy and His Nipples by Brian Francis. This is a complete 360 from Mercy - a humourous tale about an adolescent boy going through puberty who has noticed that his nipples look like ripe cherries and his efforts to counteract this as well as deal with the other terrible things that we all went through as young teens. I am enjoying this one so far. I am now wondering if either of these will win Canada Reads. It will be interesting this year to follow the debate on the books as I hopefully will have read them all by then. Speaking of which, I have joined another group that are reading all the Canada Reads Selection. This blog can be found at http://www.roughingitinthebooks.com/
Keep on reading!

Late Nights on Air Worth the Read Into the Night

2009-01-04T16:28:00.001-05:00

I just finished Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay. It took some time to get into this fictional story about an eclectic group of individuals who work at the CBC radio station in Yellowknife and how their lives and some of the other locals intermingle and weave together in a sometimes complicated web of relationships. It had a slow start but, the book picked up speed around midway to two thirds into it when 4 of the characters - Harry, Gwen, Eleanor and Ralph embarked on a canoe trip in the remote Barren Lands. The description of the landscape of the north during this part was breathtaking and made me want to go where they had gone. This story was humourous in parts, sad and suspenseful in others, but I enjoyed following the lives of these characters through till the end of the book. I would recommend this 2007 Giller Prize winner as an enjoyable read. Of course I am starting to think that I could almost like anything I read ...
Santa was very kind this year and I now have the entire Canada Reads 2009 selections. I have started Fruit but should get back to Mercy Amoung the Children and find out how that ends. I hope to blog some more while I am away so check back here for my literary reviews and also my ceramic blog at www.taralynnefranco.blogspot.com - I hope to post images of my drive down from Hamilton to Port Charlotte Florida on this blog.

Now ... on my bookshelf

2008-12-22T07:18:00.000-05:00

The library giveth and the library taketh back. I was 100 pages away from finishing Mercy Amoung the Children and enjoying the main character Kyle describe his family life as it continues to change and well ... deteriorate. Oh well, perhaps the whole set of Canada Reads will be on its way in a few days to take with me to Florida. In the meantime I am reading 2007 Giller Prize Winner Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay. I thought for sure that I had read an Elizabeth Hay fiction before, but reviewing her biography, I cannot find something that seems familiar. Of course, I can hardly be relied upon for this. My memory of authors, books and movies ends shortly after I have read/seen them. Merry Christmas and the Best of the Season to my fellow readers. See you in the new year!
Tara

On My Bookshelf

2008-12-08T11:57:00.000-05:00

My Holiday Sale and Open House was this past weekend and now that the stress of that is done I am hopeful that I can get back into reading. Of course I still have pieces to make for my show in Florida in January and I am still open for sales up until Christmas, however I plan to create more time to read in the evenings. On my bookshelf right now is Canada Reads 2009 selection Mercy Amoung the Children by David Adams Richards. I also have The Outlander however I worry it will have to be returned to the library before I can get to it. No worries though, I have asked for all the books for Christmas so I can take them with me to Florida as I will have more than enough time to read there. It took me some time to get into this book as I was only able to read a few pages at a time, however I am now sufficiently hooked and reading the story of Sydney and Elly as told by their son Lyle.

Waiting for Canada Reads 2009

2008-11-25T10:34:00.000-05:00

I am anxiously awaiting 11am today to hear the 5 picks for CBC Radio's Canada Reads 2009 - What will they be??? I am bookless at the moment and hope to pick something up, preferably from the list, before they become so requested that I become number one million on the list .... I just put a holds at the library for this year's Giller Prize winner, Joseph Boyden's Through Black Spruce (I am 166 on the list) and the 2007 winner - Elizabeth Hay's Late Nights on Air (I am 6 on the list). Here is the link for CBC's Canada Reads - http://www.cbc.ca/canadareads/ . I suppose I could buy the books, but then I would have to keep them somewhere in the house.

Review - Sweetness in the Belly

2008-11-23T17:12:00.000-05:00

Sweetness in the Belly, by Camilla Gibb was my seventh read for the "Challenge" and was a wonderful read. It follows the story of Lilly, who is taken in by Sufis and trained/educated as a Muslim by the Great Abdal after she is orphaned by her British-born hippy parents who travel with her and are killed when a drug deal in Africa goes wrong. It is divided in sections looking back to the 70's in Harar, Ethiopia and to the present day (which is the early 90's) in London where Lilly has immigrated to and lives in supported housing with other Ethiopian refugees. While I am not familiar with the politics of the 70's in this area of Africa, I was fascinated with this aspect of the work and learning about a time I did not know about. It is part romance, part struggle with poverty, part fitting in when you don't really fit in and much more. The character development of Lilly and the other supporting characters is fantastic. A much quicker read than my previous read as it was really enjoyable. It is a fantastic story set in actual history that I just adored to put it simply.

Review - Not Wanted on the Voyage

2008-11-12T15:45:00.001-05:00

I have finally finished reading Not Wanted on the Voyage by Timothy Findley. Overall I think it is a good work of fiction, well written, good character development, interesting story. I think it took me longer to read this than previous books I read as I was, as you will see from my previous posts, having some trouble with the portrayal of Noah and the Great Flood as compared to his holier and more pious persona as described in the modern translation of the bible and what I grew up believing. I am not naive in thinking that religious men and women of the past were all good. In fact we know that they were not and many terrible things were done to people in the name of religion ... in many, if not all religions, Christian and non-Christian and some of these traditions continue today. But I guess I didn't want to spend the little time I have to read this story dramatized and turned on its end. I did enjoying following the more "sane" and good characters in the story, particularly the cat Mottyl who's picture on the cover of the version of the book I read and who was the one I think was the one that was "not wanted on the voyage" reminds me of a fiesty neighbourhood cat Smokey who likely would have the same tenacity and characteristics. And I liked the ending ... even if it left me a bit confused which is all I will say about that so as to not spoil it for other readers. I haven't yet started on my next book but will do so very soon.

Noah .... in this story a big bully

2008-11-04T08:31:00.000-05:00

I am really starting to "dislike immensely" (not hate, as my mom always said that we shouldn't hate anyone) the character of Noah as portrayed in Timothy Findley's Not Wanted on the Voyage. He is mean. Not just mean, but I would say probably evil in his carrying out of what he believes to be God's work. I don't want to give away the plot, but I just finished a horrible scene involving Noah and one of his daughter in laws, that has left me a bit disturbed. It makes me wonder about the author's feelings on religion. He seems to be portraying the characters, particularly Noah as a fundamentalist with a skewed perception of how to carry out God's will. But, perhaps it was just like that, who knows. I am still engaged and reading, so it is a sucessful strategy on the part of the author. I think I'd like to read something lighter for my next read, however I am not sure if the book I have waiting on my bedside table "Sweetness in the Belly" will meet that desire.

Not your regular Noah story

2008-10-29T19:56:00.001-04:00

I am about 1/3 into "Not Wanted on the Voyage" having read some more of it on our recent trip to the Pelee Island/Kingsville area of Essex County on Lake Erie to visit some wineries. So far, what I can say is that it is a bit of a "trippy" story about Noah and his family and the lead up to the big flood ... at least I think we will eventually get to that point. Right now a weary Yahweh is visiting Noah and his family, telling him of the terrible things he and his group of angels have seen in their journey across the world. Yahweh has brought with him a caravan of animals which I suspect will end up on the Ark. While completely based in fiction, Findley weaves an interesting and mysterious story about Noah, who is, according to Noah's wife's cat Motyl, who does some of the narration in the story, doing experiments with her kittens. He doesn't sound like the Noah of my bible studies. More soon ...

King Leary

2008-10-23T22:36:00.000-04:00

King Leary by Paul Quarrington was my fifth read for the challenge. This book was the winner of CBC's Canada Reads 2008. It took me some time to get into this novel that chronicles the life of Percival "King" Leary, a well known hockey player in the early 1900s. We find Leary in the present at a nursing home when he embarks on a journey to Toronto to film a ginger ale commercial. Throughout the story Leary looks back at, and sometimes hallucinates back and re-lives, things that happened to him on his life journey. He comically interacts in the present day with friends who have long-sinced passed away. Initially I found the hockey-theme rather boring but about 1/3 into the book this aspect became almost the side-line to the interesting story of Leary and his mates that captured my interest and attention. In the end I am pleased I read the book and I can see why it received its honour. The book's characters are apparently based on real people, however, not knowing much about hockey, this was lost on me.

Canadian Fiction Rules

2008-10-23T12:26:00.000-04:00

Back in September I joined the "Great Canadian Book Challenge Eh" and began officially documenting my Canadian reads. I have been reading almost exclusively Canadian fiction for about 2 years and was pleasantly surprised by this challenge and this great blog (http://www.bookmineset.blogspot.com/) lists so many great Canadian books that I can add to my own list of must reads. As part of the challenge you must post a review of the books you have read. I put this on my regular blog at http://www.taralynnefranco.blogspot.com/, but the list was getting long, so I have branched out and started this new blog. I will soon transfer over my reviews over to this site. Until then, keep reading. My current read is Timothy Findley's "Not Wanted on theVoyage", winner of CBC's Canada Reads 2008.