Monday, February 28, 2011

Top Tens

Today I thought I would write about one of my New Year's Resolutions - that of reading more best-sellers. And, fortunately for me, my friend has returned my copy of Entertainment Weekly which has their list of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction books of 2010. This is where I intended to start with my popular books. Unfortunately, I recycled the magazine yesterday and the recycling was taken away this morning.

However, with some searching on the Entertainment Weekly website, I found the fiction list. (And let me point out now that it was much easier to do this with Google than with Entertainment Weekly's internal search engine, which is terrible.) And while searching for the non-fiction list, I realized that I'd recycled the year-end issue in my study recycling box, which did not get added to the rest of the recycling and taken away this morning. Sigh.

Here, without further ado, are Entertainment Weekly's picks for Top 10 Fiction and Nonfiction books of 2010:

Nonfiction
1. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
-about a line of extremely virile cells taken from a poor black woman before she died of cancer. These highly fertile cells have helped medical researchers around the world with new discoveries, while Lacks' own descendants suffered the inability to afford health insurance.

2. The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
-discusses the time period from 1915-1970 when millions of black Americans left the South.

3. The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddartha Mukherjee
-presumably the subtitle makes the substance of this work obvious.

4. Autobiograhy of Mark Twain by Mark Twain
-again, the title is obvious

5. Just Kids by Patti Smith
-this is also an autobiography, but as I have no idea who Patti Smith is (Entertainment Weekly credits her as being "...the poetry-spouting high priestess of punk..." [Issue #1134/#1135 Dec.24/31, Leah Greenblatt, pg.118]) the subject of the book is less obvious than previous

6. Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
-not a biography! Instead, an apparently well-research book into Egypt's most famous Queen. Is apparently being turned into a movie for Angelina Jolie.

7. Packing for Mars: The Curious Science About Life in the Void by Mary Roach
-about the minutiae of space travel.

8. Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin
-about the 2008 American Presidential election.

9. How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less by Sarah Glidden
-a Jewish woman's travels in Israel as she attempts to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

10. The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey
-like tornado chasers, only for waves. And in a boat.

Fiction
1. The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall
-a non-fiction account of a polygamist family.

2. Room by Emma Donoghue
-the story of a young boy. But there's a twist: the boy's world is limited to a single room which he shares with his abducted and rape-victim mother.

3. 40: A Doonesbury Retrospective by Garry Trudeau
-a collection from the famous comic strip.

4. The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
-two Hungarian Jews in Paris during World War Two.

5. Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
-a young man at a Catholic school dies after a doughnut eating contest.

6. One Day by David Nicholls
-the author checks in on two lovers on the same date over a period of 20 years.

7. Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes
-Vietnam War.

8. The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
-about an English-language newspaper in Rome.

9. Rich Boy by Sharon Pomerantz
-the American class system.

10. The Surrendered by Chang-Rae Lee
-a young girl, fleeing North Korea, loses her family and ends up at an orphanage with an American GI.


So, those are the lists! Now, this is my blog, so my rules. I don't want to read all of the books on these lists: 20 books are a lot, especially when there are a lot of other books clamouring for my attention. And I don't want to read books I don't like. Of course I'm trying to broaden my horizons, but there is only so much time to read, after all. And some of the books just don't interest me based upon their descriptions. I'm sure you can tell which ones based on my discussion in the above list. There are some areas of life I'm just not interested in reading about.

Here are my picks for books I would like to read in 2011:

Non-fiction
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, The Emperor of All Maladies, Cleopatra, Packing for Mars, and Game Change.

No surprise that Cleopatra is on the list. I do love historic female monarchs after all! I'm not usually one for medical books, but both The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and The Emperor of All Maladies sound appealing. One a little more human interest, one more history. I've heard that Packing for Mars is a really excellent book, and space travel is fascinating. Who didn't want to be an astronaut when they grew up? Finally, I've wanted to read Game Change since I first learned about it. I'm a bit of a political junkie, and this book sounds really interesting.

Fiction
The Lonely Polygamist, Room, Skippy Dies, and One Day.

I love the "Sister Wives" show on TLC. (New episodes in March!) So there's no surprise that I would pick The Lonely Polygamist. I've also been interested in One Day since I first read the review, and it seems a good time to read it before the movie comes out. (I think Anne Hathaway is attached to star.) I'm not usually into novels like Room, but I think the twist of the narrator will keep it from veering into Oprah's Book Club territory. Finally, Skippy Dies? Where did that come from? You are as surprised as I. I'm going out on a limb with this pick, but upon rereading the description from Entertainment Weekly, it sounds somewhat appealing. I'm looking forward to trying it out.

Now, off to the library to put all my selections on hold. What is everyone else reading that is new and exciting? Any other bestsellers I should check out?

Friday, February 25, 2011

The Honourable

In my English history reading, I have noticed that the aristocrats play just as large of a part as the royals in influencing the history of the country. And, time after time, I have lamented the lack of a good book (or series) detailing the history of these aristocratic families so the historian can see how the 3rd Duke of Such-and-Such is related to the 7th Duke of Such-and-Such, how the Barons So-and-So are related to royalty, and what happened to the title of Viscount of This-and-That.

Aristocrats: Power, Grace & Decadence by Lawrence James, is not this book (or series). But it is an interesting and useful read for anyone interested in the aristocracy and the role they played, as a class, in England's history. The aristocracies of England, Scotland, and Ireland are all discussed in this book.

James divides his book into three parts: Ascendancy (1066-1603), describing the growth and development of aristocratic power in England; Equilibrium (1603-1815), discussing the high point of aristocratic power and involvement in politics; and Decline (1815-current), about the aristocrats' declining role in public and private life in England. James writes about peers in general, but illustrates his discussion with anecdotes about various peers along the way.

Overall, I enjoyed this look into England's aristocrats. While many of aristocrats were bad or foolish men, some were deeply involved in learning, the arts, and sports. After all, no one else had the leisure or wealth to invest in new technologies and decorations. Especially in the Hanoverian times, the aristocrats led the way in setting the fashion for all Brits - in fashion, home decor, and gardening. I was interested to read about the development of the aristocrats and their ties to chivalry and ancient Greek ideals. The "Equilibrium" period was a high time for aristocrats as they became less subservient to the King, developed an interest in politics, and amassed great wealth from overseas adventures. James is obviously a supporter of the aristocrats, which is clear in the last chapter as he discusses the reform of the House of Lords which led to the removal of many of the hereditary peers and the installation of life peers. James is strongly against any further reform to the House of Lords. His point is that life peers are appointed by the Queen and can be from all walks of life (as opposed to elected politicians or even hereditary peers). He argues that this allows the House of Lords to have a different view point on issues from the Commons. It is an interesting argument - and one that you certainly could not have made were the house restricted to hereditary peers!

This book is an essential read for anyone interested in English history and wondering about the role of aristocrats in England's development. It is a good overview of the subject. My only critique is that I would have liked the work to be longer - it is a good introduction but I would have liked to delve into the subject a little deeper. I think an expanded version, with each time period given its own volume, would be about right. However, I imagine that I would be in the minority here and that the shorter version would sell better! Despite that one minor criticism I enjoyed the book and it is a useful and interesting addition to my history collection.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Glass

As part of my ongoing New Year's resolution to read more sci-fi/fantasy, I took a stroll through that section the last time I was at the library. I grabbed three random books off the shelf that intrigued me by title alone. Apparently, however, my memory for book titles is poor, as I ended up grabbing one that I'd already read. It was better the second time round. That is not the book I will be discussing today.

Today's book is the author's debut novel. It is more fantasy than sci-fi, and is cold and haunting. The book is The Girl with Glass Feet, by Ali Shaw. Do you see why I grabbed the book? With a title like that, who could pass it by?

The book is set in the cold and lonely archipelago of St. Hauda's Land, which appears to be north of another highly populated island. While at times I thought St. Hauda's Land read like Newfoundland, I believe the archipelago is a fictionalized version of either the Shetland islands (an island group north of Scotland near to Norway) or the Faroe islands (an island group northwest of Scotland and near to Iceland). Both island groups are remote and northerly, like the fictional St. Hauda's Land.

The titular girl with glass feet is Ida Maclaird. She visited the islands last summer when they were warm and the sky was blue. She has returned now in the cold, grey winter to find a cure: her feet are slowly turning into glass. Ida meets Midas Crook on the island - a lonely and strange young man who sees the world through his camera lens. Ida and Midas form an unlikely bond as she attempts to stop and reverse the growth of glass.

But it is not just about Ida and Midas: Shaw reveals the stories of Midas' father and mother and Ida's father and mother with flashbacks woven throughout. The islands are small, and everyone is interconnected. Decisions made in the past will have implications on decisions made by Midas and Ida in the present. It is not just a story about a girl whose feet are turning into glass, it is a story about St. Hauda's Land and the people who live there.

The story is strange and haunting. The fantasy portions of the novel don't hit you over the head with their uniqueness, but are woven into the fabric of the story. The fantastical is made matter-of-fact. Ida is an everyday, likeable character - except for the fact that her feet are turning into glass. Does she find a way to stop it? I'm not going to give away the ending of the book - except to say that the answer to that question is almost immaterial to the novel. I was not quite expecting the ending that did happen, but looking back at the book I probably should have been prepared.

The Girl with Glass Feet is an intriguing and interesting book. When reading it, I had to keep checking my own feet to ensure that they were not turning into glass. I don't think that this is a book that everyone will enjoy, but it is a good read nonetheless. It piqued my curiosity and caught my attention. I will be interested to see what this unique young writer will do next.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Edwardian Immersion

Now that the Canada Reads shenanigans are over, (yes, I finally have Essex County. No, I haven't started it yet.) I can get back to my regularly scheduled reading. First up - one of the books I got for Christmas: The House at Riverton by Kate Morton.

I had never read any books by Morton before, but she is an excellent author. I really enjoyed The House at Riverton and want to read Morton's other books. Morton really gets the sense of time and place right, and creates nuanced and memorable characters.

The heroine of The House at Riverton is Grace, a young girl who becomes a maid in the manor of Riverton House, in England pre-WWI. The story of her time with the Hartford family is contrasted with Grace in the present-day as an old woman. From the very beginning you get the sense that Grace knows about a terrible secret involving the Hartford family. I had many guesses throughout the novel as to the nature of the secret, but I was completely surprised and shocked by the ending. I will not spoil the ending here, but suffice it to say that you will be amazed.

The House at Riverton was a really enjoyable book. I loved the contrast between Grace as a young girl and the present day Grace. There have been so many changes over the course of the 1900's, and the character of Grace really exemplified these changes. I like how the author paced the story - often revealing important events through Grace in the present day, but not taking us back to Grace's memories of the time period of the actual event until later. I enjoyed knowing where I was going without necessarily having all the details - and then the details changing what I thought I knew about the event.

I thought that Morton's grasp of the time period was excellent - especially Grace's trials and tribulations as a maid. What is funny about that is that in January-February, I was watching the BBC miniseries Downton Abbey on PBS. Downton Abbey is about an aristocratic family in England in the years prior to WWI, and the servants who served them. So, basically the same time period as the initial part of The House at Riverton. It was neat to compare the similarities between the two dramas and know that The House at Riverton got so many things right as it was so similar, in many respects, to Downton Abbey. I urge all my readers to check out Downton Abbey - it is an amazing, wonderful series full of excellent characters and gripping stories. I cannot wait until the second season comes out.

I also urge my readers to read The House at Riverton. It is an enjoyable novel and quite historically accurate (at least according to me!). In fact, you should immerse yourself in the Edwardian period (yes, even though I know George V was on the throne from 1910 on it is still, technically, sort of, the Edwardian period) and watch Downton Abbey and read The House at Riverton. You will not be disappointed!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

More Montgomery

As you know, the books that I was reading for Canada Reads did not come in to the library all at once. Instead, they arrived one at a time, with no warning save an e-mail from the library indicating they were ready to be picked up. (Or from a friend - which was great!) And, as we know, one of them did not arrive until just now - I actually picked up Essex County today. Stay tuned.

So what did I read while the Canada Reads books arrived in dribs and drabs? I found that I couldn't really get in to any books, because the Canada Reads books could arrive at any time and I didn't want to have to tear myself away from something really good to read the Canada Reads book. I wanted to give each book the time it deserved. So, this is a perfect time for short stories! You don't get into them the way you do a novel, but they can still help you pass the time while you wait for the other books to come in.

I've posted on here before about how I don't really like short stories, but I realized that's not really true. I like short stories; just as long as they're written by Agatha Christie or Lucy Maud Montgomery! Yes, while we all know Ms. Montgomery as a most celebrated authoress, she was also a very prolific short story writer. And now her short stories have been gathered together in several little volumes for our delight and edification.

(Side Note: according to her journals, Lucy Maud Montgomery went by Maud in the family and was never really called Lucy. Knowing that, it feels weird to be writing out Lucy as her name, because it wasn't really. Although if you look at how she's credited in the books, it's as L. M. Montgomery, which feels better to me than writing out her whole name. And then, of course, she married the minister MacDonald and changed her name - although not on her books. At any rate, if I slip into Maud instead of Montgomery, you'll know who I'm talking about.)

Most of the short stories are collected into books on various themes: these story collections are edited by Rea Wilmshurst. However, there is an older collection of short stories called The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories in which the stories are selected by Catherine McLay. I enjoy the stories in the "theme" series better.

The stories in The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories are still good; I just really enjoy all the different variations on a theme that Montgomery was able to express. Of course, she was not writing the stories to theme, but it is interesting to see how many ways Montgomery can deal with orphans, or ghosts, or weddings. The stories in The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories are arranged chronologically and are mostly about love. I don't like all the stories, but some are pretty good. I quite like the story "Kismet" - it is one of Montgomery's earlier efforts and it is in a different style than her usual writing.

The "theme" series, edited by Rea Wilmshurst, makes for interesting reading. Montgomery wrote a lot of short stories (in addition to novels) and her range and variation of plot and character are amazing. She did recycle ideas: many of the short stories end up as chapters in her later novels, but her literary output was astonishing. It also opens a door into an interesting world: Canada prior to and during the First World War. Most of her stories were written around this time period. I enjoy the thematic grouping of the stories because it allows the reader to see Montgomery's talent to write about similar situations while still making each story unique.

I generally group the short stories alphabetically by title in my bookshelf, as opposed to order in which the collections were published. It makes more sense for me this way, so that is how I'll discuss them here. I don't read every story - some I just don't like, and some are recycled novel chapters (or became recycled into novel chapters) so I don't read those either. However, there still are some excellent reads.

Across the Miles: Tales of Correspondence is a number of stories told mostly by letter or by diary. In these days of virtually instant communication, it is hard to remember that nearly 100 years ago, the main means of communication was by letter. Letters - whether sent immediately, or delayed some years - are the focal point of the stories in this collection. I enjoyed a number of these stories: mostly about women - both young and old - and love. However, my favourites are "Aunt Caroline's Silk Dress" and "The Growing Up of Cornelia". Both stories are about young women: the first about two poor sisters and a special silk dress, the second the diary entries of the youngest of four sisters in a wealthier home.

After Many Days: Tales of Time Passed is about separation from family and home. Again, in those days of limited communication, family members who moved far away from their home could easily lose touch with the rest of the family. Some of the families are separated due to family disagreements. This collection is not one of my favourites, but there still are a few stories that I really enjoy: "The Bride Roses" about a long estrangement between two families and a special rose tree and "Elizabeth's Child" about a young lady who helps to reunite her estranged family.

Against the Odds: Tales of Achievement features one of Montgomery's few stories about the Prairies ("How We Went to the Wedding"). She did spend some time out west with her father and stepmother, but returned home to live on her beloved island with her grandmother. These stories are relentlessly positive and cheerful: no matter how bad things seem, you just have to work hard and you can make it better. Of course, you have to keep in mind the audience of the early 1900's and the publications: Montgomery wrote for a number of Christian publications. I really like the story: "My Girl Josie" about a young woman with a passion for acting and her restrictive grandparents, but the collection contains one of my favourite Montgomery stories: "The Strike at Putney". First published in 1903, the story deals with a group of hardworking church women at a rural church. They are delighted when a noted missionary is able to come speak at the church on a Sunday evening. The minister will be away, there will be no church service, and as the turnout is expected to be quite large, the ladies hope to hold the talk in the church itself. However, the elders of the church refuse: no woman should stand in a pulpit! What can the good church ladies of Putney do? Why, strike, of course! This funny story is a good example of Montgomery's gift for characterization and humour. It is one of her best.

Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans is an especially touching collection to those of us who loved Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. Montgomery examines orphans both young and old in this collection, and their stories are interesting reading. While blended families may be seen as modern, in fact they are not. However, in Montgomery's day, the blending was usually due to an untimely death rather than a divorce. I like "The Running Away of Chester" about a plucky boy and his cruel step-aunt, and "Penelope's Party Waist" - which is very similar to "Aunt Caroline's Silk Dress", above, featuring two poor sisters.

Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea reflects Montgomery's love of the ocean. Florid descriptions of the ocean feature strongly in a number of tales, which the reader can skip as needed. (Which I now often do as I've read the story often enough before.) (Although her descriptions are very lovely, sometimes a paragraph on a sunset is a little much.) I really like "Four Winds", which features another of Montgomery's handsome young ministers and beautiful, aloof women. "The Waking of Helen" is an interesting story with a dark twist at the end. Montgomery is not all sweetness and light, as we shall see.

Among the Shadows is Montgomery's walk on the dark side. She was not an entirely happy person herself, but it didn't come through in many of her stories. This is a collection of her stories about death, drunkenness, and ghosts. I quite like "The Closed Door", about a group of young children and a mysterious house on a mysterious afternoon, and "The Tryst of the White Lady", about a family with a ghost. The story "The Red Room" is another departure from Montgomery's usual style, and is written in almost a Gothic style. It is an interesting little story. It too is one of her earlier works.

Finally, with At the Altar: Matrimonial Tales the collection focuses entirely on stories of love, and stories that end, quite literally, at the altar. It is nice to read a number of stories about love affairs that work out in the end and I enjoyed quite a few in this collection. However, I like "The Pursuit of the Ideal", about Freda and her best guy friend who loves another, and "The Dissipation of Miss Ponsonby", about two sisters who help their old-maid neighbour find a second chance at love. Another story here not written in the usual Montgomery style is "An Unconventional Confidence" about a Girl and a Young Man, and afternoon trapped in a pavilion by a rainstorm. It was published in 1903, and shows similarities to earlier works such as "Kismet", being written in a slightly more impersonal style.

So, whenever you need a small dose of Montgomery, just grab one of her short story collections, and you will be entertained for an afternoon - or until your next Canada Reads book comes in! A quick note now about the photo below: I usually include my cats in my book photos, but when time came to take the photo, not a cat could be found! I suspect they've gotten wise to my little game of taking their photo with a pile of books, and were hiding. Or they were sound asleep under the bedcovers, and I didn't want to disturb them.


And, finally, it's my 100th post today! Thank you to all my readers and commenters: I enjoy our "virtual book club" and our discussions on-line. I have some particularly interesting books coming up, so keep reading for my next 100 posts.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Canada Reads: The Debates - Day Three

Hello and welcome to the last day of Canada Reads! Today is the day we pick the winner. If you want to listen for yourself, please stop reading now. If you want to know, then read on.

The panelists were quite feisty today and it took nearly 20 minutes to get through the introductions as they quickly turned into a mini-debate/pitch session. This is where I wish the format were slightly different: as a result of the lengthy intros, we didn't have time for all the debates later. I don't think that the panelists need a lengthy intro every day - I remember who they were from yesterday and the day before that. A little more reigning in here would have allowed more debate later on in the show.

Perhaps because of the suddenly expanded intro, there was no pitch for the three remaining books: The Best Laid Plans, The Birth House, and Unless. Instead, we plunged right into the debate.

The Debates
Round 1: The Birth House - why aren't we talking about this book?
Ghomeshi began the debates by pointing out that The Birth House has really flown under the radar this week. Cardinal stated that he enjoyed the book, but thought it was regional and folkloric. It was too specific to its region and time period. Further, he thought that the Halifax Explosion would feature much more prominently than it did.

Laraque commented that while he thought the book empowered women, he didn't find that it spoke to men at all. In fact, he wouldn't have finished reading it except that he needed to for the competition. He thought that given the historical nature of the book which portrayed men in a negative light than men would not want to read it.

Travis vehemently disagreed and managed to pick one man who was good in the book. (There are maybe two good men in the book - the rest run the gamut from uninterested in women to actively violent and abusive towards them.) She said that the book inspired women to become nurses and midwives and that the book was about communities. She was saying something about a soldier and a letter from Afghanistan when she was cut off by Ghomeshi.

Ghomeshi said that he found the book powerful, but wanted another man's opinion and asked Velshi. Velshi said he enjoyed it and thought the storytelling was great. He thought that the character of Dora was an "everyman" type of character. Ghomeshi then asked Quin if she had any negative feelings about the book and she said that she was not invested in the characters or moved by their plight. I have to agree: I was not particularly invested in the character of Dora or her experiences.

Round 2: The book Unless has been described as a feminist polemic. Does it still resonate today?
Due to the time constraints, we only had time for two responses here. Cardinal said that the book still resonates (despite being about 7-8 years old) because women still have problems and women's voices are underrepresented. Quin pointed out that The Best Laid Plans also had a strong feminist storyline, and in fact that the remaining books all had a feminist/female element. (My inner cynic would like to point out that the character of Reta Winters - white, middle-aged, wealthy, is not a good representative for the women whom Cardinal spoke about when he spoke about women who don't have a voice. If anything, it is these women who do have a voice and can use it to speak out on behalf of other women who are not so fortunate.)

The Vote
Before the first vote of the morning, Ghomeshi pointed out that the poll showed that Canadians wanted The Best Laid Plans to be the next to go, followed by The Birth House. How would the panelists vote?

Georges Laraque: Unless
Lorne Cardinal: The Birth House
Ali Velshi: Unless
Sara Quin: The Birth House
Debbie Travis: The Best Laid Plans

And we have a Tie! According to Canada Reads Rules, the panelist who didn't vote for the books which are tied gets to vote again. So, because Debbie Travis didn't vote for either Unless or The Birth House, she got to vote again. And, obviously, (because she's not going to vote her own book off!) she voted for Unless and it became the third eliminated book.

The Debates
Round 3: The Best Laid Plans was a self-published novel. The Birth House has already experienced a lot of critical acclaim. Does this David and Goliath situation matter to the voting?
Quin said, no, it's important to know, but it shouldn't matter than one book is already well-known and the other is an "indie". Cardinal agreed. Travis ignored the debate question and said that the Canada Reads novel needs to be gripping and that both books were similar in this regard. She argued that her book spoke to both women and men - although this was after detailing all the ways it was inspiring to women.

Velshi pointed out that the plot of The Best Laid Plans and the actual publishing journey of The Best Laid Plans were similar. The book was about aspiration, but the fact that it dealt with current issues made it more relevant. (By this point, all the panelists seemed to have moved off the original debate topic!) Laraque continued on this theme, and said that he thought about what if everyone in Canada read these two books, what would change? He thought that not much would change for women, since The Birth House described a time when women were much more subjugated than they were today. However, he thought that The Best Laid Plans could be a force for change in this country and inspire voting.

Quin sort-of agreed: she thought The Best Laid Plans could be inspiring, but that it was a faint hope that high school kids would read it. If they read it, kids would like it, but they wouldn't read it. (Again, my inner cynic reminds me that high school kids can't vote [most of them anyway] and that maybe the book should be taught in high school. It's certainly accessible enough.)

Velshi picked up on Quin's talk of inspiration and said that he just wanted his book to inspire people. Travis commented that her book was inspiring women to go into medical fields. She argued that young people were reading her book and that it was the top book club book pick and that women were reading her book. Laraque commented mildly that more women read books than men, so it wasn't surprising.

That line of debate brings up some interesting points that I want to address here. Travis insisted throughout the competition that her book was for women and men, but I seriously doubt that. I don't think that men would be interested in reading a book about birth. Maybe if their wife had gone through it - but otherwise, no. So, it is a "women's book". There's nothing wrong with it being a women's book. But is this what women are supposed to be interested in reading? Because I'm not. Yes, sometimes I'm interested in women's issues specifically, but most of the time I'm not. I just want an interesting story and a good read - it doesn't matter who wrote the book or who the protagonist is. But so many books that seem to be recommended for book clubs (see: Oprah) fall into this "women's book" trap and then I don't find them interesting. I don't think I'm interested in "men's books" - I think I'm interested in "people books" - books by people, about people. But are there "women's books", "men's books", and then "people's books"? Or is it a small niche of "women's books" (that men don't read) and all the rest of the books are "men's books" that both men and women read? I don't think we can answer that question today. But I thought it was something interesting to ponder.

At any rate, I seem to have echoed the panelists and wandered far from the topic of debate!

Round 4: Which book would you recommend to a loved one, and why?
Ghomeshi asked the three panelists without books in the running to answer this question. Cardinal said he'd give The Best Laid Plans to his brother who's running for Parliament in the next election. He thought it would be helpful and that his brother would need a sense of humour if he made it to the House of Commons! Quin said she'd recommend The Best Laid Plans to her father because he'd like it. Laraque also picked The Best Laid Plans because he said the book was about love in Angus's soulful letters to his dead wife.

The Pitch
For the final time, our last two panelists gave their opinion as to why people should pick their book. They each had 30 seconds.

Ali Velshi - The Best Laid Plans
Velshi said that this book was both funny and touching. It was important because it dealt with a current issue. He thought the book was inspirational and would lead to change.

Debbie Travis - The Birth House
Travis said that her book shows that change begins at home. It featured a young protagonist and was inspirational. It shows that women can have a voice and a career. It is a book that all can enjoy.

The Final Vote
For the last time, the panelists marked their ballots for the book they would eliminate from the competition.

Ali Velshi - The Birth House
Debbie Travis - The Best Laid Plans
Georges Laraque - The Birth House
Sara Quin - The Birth House
Lorne Cardinal - The Birth House

And with that, The Best Laid Plans wins Canada Reads 2011!

Velshi was happy and hoped that his book would inspire change. Travis said that she liked the idea of Canada Reads and that she wants books to inspire. Quin said she voted off The Birth House because she felt that The Best Laid Plans best fit the criteria of Canada Reads. Cardinal said he voted off The Birth House because The Best Laid Plans is humorous and Canadians like humour!

And, thus ends Canada Reads for this year. I had a really good time reading the books and writing about it here on the blog. It was the first year I really participated in it, and I enjoyed it. I have become inspired by the competition: I'm going to look up the finalists and winners from the past 10 years of Canada Reads and read all the books. Also, Essex County finally came in to the library so I'll finally be able to read that one too! I hope everyone enjoyed reading about Canada Reads as I did writing about it. I will return with your irregularly scheduled non-Canada Reads blog post in a few days. I hope you will join me for that, and join me for more great novels for next year's Canada Reads.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Canada Reads: The Debates - Day Two

Wow. What a morning! I am shocked with the choice, although given the way things were going today, I'm not entirely surprised. I think maybe there needs to be a little strategic voting happening tomorrow!

If you haven't listened to today's episode of Canada Reads, read no further. If you have, or are following along with me, please proceed!

Today started with some repetition - I already know who all the panelists, books and authors are, thank you. I also know the plot of the books, as I read all of them (that I could get from my library in time!) (and unlike one panelist I could mention...). However, there were a few interesting notes from yesterday. Essex County and Sara Quin's spirited defence of it has created quite a buzz, which can only be good for the novel. Carol Shields did NOT win the Pulitzer Prize for Unless, she won it for The Stone Diaries. (Which I have not read.) Further, Debbie Travis garnered some negative buzz on twitter - which I fear will only be magnified after today's show! Now, on to the program.

The Pitch
Today's pitch was only 30 seconds long. Here's what the panelists had to say, and my take on it. The focus of the pitch was why this is the essential book for Canadians.

The Best Laid Plans - Ali Velshi
Again, Velshi is pitching with humour. So far, it seems to be working for him! But I think that humour hides a tremendous intelligence. He did point out that his book won a humour prize. He emphasized that his book strikes a chord with those fed up with politics, and it's essential because it's about making democracy work.

The Birth House - Debbie Travis
Travis again emphasized that her book is about change and the changing world. It's about holding on to old traditions and embracing the future. What can we use from the past that is for the benefit of today? That sounds really lovely, but I don't think The Birth House was about embracing the future given that the portrayal of modern medicine was given such a negative light.

The Bone Cage - Georges Laraque
Laraque may not be the most eloquent of speakers, but his clear passion for the book comes through. He stated that the book was for everyone: it is about body betrayal, about love, about action. When you read it, you feel like an athlete. It is a great story. And I do agree - I felt like an athlete and it was a great story.

Unless - Lorne Cardinal
Cardinal stated that the book is about loss, and then confused me while stating that the book is by a female novelist writing about a female novelist who is translating works by a female novelist. That's great, but why is that essential? Cardinal recovered by again describing Shields as a wordsmith and exalting her ability to illuminate the mundane. The book is about love, loss, laughter, and hope.

What I'm seeing so far is that all the panelists tend to emphasize the same points: Velshi - the book is funny. Travis - the book is about change and is not just for women. Laraque - the book is for everyone. Cardinal - the book is so well written. I've also noticed this year that the panelists seem firmly committed to their book and will always pick their book as an answer to any question unless firmly instructed not to. It will be interesting to see what happens as more panelists lose their books.

Debate
Some very interesting things came out in the debates today! I'm just surprised that they didn't seem to influence the voting more.

Round 1a: Which of the remaining books is the most well-written?
Surprise, surprise - most candidates picked their own books! Velshi sort of dodged the question and said that accessibility is the key, and by that standard, his book was the most accessible because it was satire. It covered a serious issue in a humorous manner. However, he did point out that Carol Shields was the most accomplished writer of the group.

Travis took issue with Velshi's comments about accessibility. She thinks that an accessible book that all can understand is not necessarily the most essential. (But if the book picked as the most essential is not the most accessible, then you're leaving people out of something that is essential.) Of course she thought her book was the best written because of how it grabs you and how you're involved in the story. She did concede that Unless was well written, but predictable.

Laraque approached the question from a different angle. Commenting further on the idea of accessible vs. essential, he stated that it was important for the panel to pick a book that the majority of Canadians could relate to. Despite saying that it shouldn't be a personal choice, he then said his book was one that everyone could relate to. He appreciated that the author switched voices from male and female characters. While he does think that Carol Shields is a great writer, he thought that the wrong book of Shields' was picked. He thought they should have picked Larry's Party (which I haven't read) instead because it's easier to read and more Canadians would enjoy it. He thought that Unless was hard to get into. Which I do agree with: I didn't really get into Unless and while the writing was beautiful, I'm not sure it's something that I would read again. I certainly didn't rush to finish it like I would with a book that I was really interested in.

Quin disagreed. With no book in the hunt, she's free to be a wild card. She found Unless beautifully written and tremendously moving. But she thought that story was a different argument altogether. She said that The Best Laid Plans had the best story and it was easy to read. It was probably the most Canadian and accessible of the bunch because it dealt with a universal issue.

Quin is write - story and writing are two different things. The Birth House, The Best Laid Plans, and The Bone Cage all had the best story. They all propelled the reader forward. While Unless did have a story, it didn't move in the same way the other books moved and was really introspective. I enjoyed the stories in The Best Laid Plans and The Bone Cage, but didn't like the story in The Birth House for its underlying agenda.

Cardinal pointed out that structure is key and that Unless was well written, which everyone seemed to agree on. It's interesting though that he commented about structure: Unless had a very interesting structure as it moved between the story of Nora and the story of Reta's book. I'm not sure that the structure worked. I think I prefer a more old-fashioned story structure anyway: here are your characters, this is what they look like, and here's the plot, and here's what happens, and the climax and the end. Not some introspective work on thoughts.

Travis then commented that while she thought Unless was beautifully written she found that it was two books in one. She, personally, didn't like the glimpse inside the author and didn't like reading about how books are made: the behind the scenes, if you will. She skipped through those parts. I do agree with her on one point - I also found the book too introspective at times. Too much inner life and not enough outer life. Cardinal vehemently disagreed - literature promotes thought and it's important to have the women's voice. He later said that women's voices were underrepresented and that Carol Shields was hampered by her own success. I don't agree with him that women's voices were underrepresented here: you have two other women authors in Angie Abdou and her female character Sadie and Ami McKay and her female character Dora. Velshi concluded that Unless was a beautiful book, but it is not accessible, which I agree with.

Round 1b: All of the books are about loss - which book deals with loss most memorably?
Quin began this discussion and held that Unless dealt most movingly with loss. I don't know if I agree: despite hearing much of Reta's inner monologue, I felt kind of shut out. Sure, I was sad that Nora was panhandling on the street, but I didn't feel like I experienced her loss.

Laraque found several examples of loss in The Bone Cage, both of people and physicality. He felt it was very realistic. Quin was also affected by the loss in The Bone Cage but was most moved by the depiction of loss in Unless. Cardinal pointed out that Unless talked about loss and hope and the fragility of our lives.

Again, Travis felt that The Birth House had lots of loss which then would make her book the best. Then she got off the topic of loss and ranted about how well written the books were. She found that The Bone Cage and The Best Laid Plans were not well written. She found Unless gutwrenching (as she's a mother herself) but she wasn't interested in Reta's journey of book-writing. She really hated The Best Laid Plans: she didn't find it funny, she's not interested in Canadian politics, and she didn't finish the book.

She didn't finish the book! How can you be on the panel and not have finished the book! I tried so hard to find and read all the book that I could! I didn't enjoy The Birth House but I finished it anyway. And yes, I found some parts of The Best Laid Plans not to be that funny, but I still enjoyed it.

In looking at reading level and readability, I would comment that The Best Laid Plans and The Bone Cage were written at a lower reading level than something like Unless. But that does not mean that Unless is then a great book and The Best Laid Plans and The Bone Cage are lesser books. What good is excellent and beautiful writing if your point gets lost and people can't understand you? While The Best Laid Plans and The Bone Cage don't have the melodic poetry of Shields' work, they get their point across and are easily accessible and readable. Fancy writing does not a great book make! It seems almost snobby: we'll pick this book that has great writing because it must be good, even though we can't understand what's being said.

Anyway, Velshi very nicely responded to Travis by saying that the book isn't about politics but related it to the other books in saying that The Best Laid Plans is about aspiration, change, and loss.

Round 2: Which book best speaks to Canadian society today?
We began with Cardinal, who wasn't sure which book best spoke to current Canadian society. He found that the books were very specific to certain niches of the population. Ghomeshi pointed out that the books all seem very white and Cardinal agreed. But he appreciated Shields' voice for women - a voice that is often invisible. And that may be true, but a book about women/women's voices, does not make that a niche book. Women are not a minority or a niche.

Quin felt that the books were not very diverse (which is interesting, because the panel is quite diverse.). But she felt that The Best Laid Plans was probably the most modern of the books - it was universal and well-paced. Laraque again said that his book was not only about sport and reiterated that Unless was hard to read. While the protagonists of The Bone Cage may be athletes, I also feel that the book appeals to more than athletes. I think it helps the non-athlete understand what an athlete feels like.

Velshi felt that there was a universal appeal to The Best Laid Plans and that it represented a call to action. And, sadly, the debated ended with no time for Travis to harangue the other panelists about their books.

Before voting, Ghomeshi pointed out that the on-line poll wanted The Bone Cage eliminated next, but it was a very close result with Unless. Travis was quick to jump in with her reaction and an answer for the last debate round. She thinks that although The Birth House is historical, it's about many things that are going on today: community, war, and changing roles. It is very relevant to today and is a book for men and women. Yes, there are men in the book, but they are all sort of incidental to the plot. And midwifery and its supporters are portrayed as protecting feminine intelligence and knowledge against the evil male doctors and their modern medicine. So I'm not sure that I believe her claims that this book is for men and women.

Cardinal doesn't trust polls and he can't apologize for excellent writing and a thoughtful novel. Well said. Laraque said he was just trying to inspire people to read.

Vote
Now, the vote. All the panelists still have a vote, even if their book was eliminated. The voting went as follows:

Debbie Travis: The Bone Cage
Georges Laraque: Unless
Lorne Cardinal: The Bone Cage
Ali Velshi: Unless
Sara Quin: The Bone Cage

And with that, The Bone Cage, my pick for Canada Reads 2011 was eliminated. Laraque was saddened and shocked. I think he was really interested in the book and he seemed to be very passionate about getting Canadians to read. He picked a book that he thought would make a difference - one that would help parents relate to their kids who are in high-level sports and would help us as a country understand our Olympians.

Why did they vote it off? Cardinal said it was for the writing - structurally he found Unless better. Travis agreed that Unless was brilliant, but thought that The Bone Cage should be read in schools, but that the writing wasn't as good. It wasn't a book that she would read again, unlike The Birth House. Quin thought it was the weakest of the books.

Is the test then that one could read the book again? I wouldn't read Unless or The Birth House again. I might read The Best Laid Plans and The Bone Cage again because the stories were good and they were eminently readable. Unless was too introspective to really enjoy. Yes, there's nothing wrong with reading a book that makes you think, but I don't want to do that all the time. (And, The Bone Cage did make me think.) And I just didn't like the underlying propaganda of The Birth House.

There's something maybe that smacks to me of elitism. The Bone Cage was easily readable. Does that mean that it's not worthy of being essential? Because it can be so easily read and understood by the average reader? It is a lot more accessible than Unless, that is for sure. Is Unless automatically better because the level of its writing is higher, even though the story may not be as good? Do we care about story/plot or writing? Unless is the best written of the books; there is no question. But does it have the best plot? No. The Best Laid Plans and The Bone Cage have the best plot.

I'm interested to see what the panelists do tomorrow and if strategic voting comes into play. Neither The Best Laid Plans or The Birth House have had any votes against them yet. Unless seems to be polarizing so the panelists may want to take it out. But should one of the books with no votes go first, leaving Unless and its polarizing nature up against a popular book? Tomorrow will be interesting - it begins with a vote!

Laraque ended the morning by publicly pledging his support for The Best Laid Plans, and so do I! That is my new pick for Canada Reads 2011. Join me tomorrow when we'll see if my pick holds up this time, and what the panelists do with the remaining 3 contenders!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Canada Reads: The Debates - Day One

It has arrived - Canada Reads 2011! The debates and voting started today and I (and several pages of notes) am ready to give you the update. If you have not yet listened to the Canada Reads show and debate and still want to - do not read any further! I will be discussing the show in depth as well as revealing which book was voted off. If you are ready to read my discussion - continue. The radio show will be replayed at 8pm tonight on CBC Radio One and you can listen to it on the Canada Reads website at the CBC homepage. I ended up having to listen to the end of the show on-line, which was helpful so I could pause the feed and make some notes. (3 pages of notes!)

The program opened with our genial host, Jian Ghomeshi, introducing the books and panelists. They are the following (in alphabetical order):

The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis; supporter Ali Velshi
The Birth House by Ami McKay; supporter Debbie Travis
The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou; supporter Georges Laraque
Essex County by Jeff Lemire; supporter Sara Quin
Unless by Carol Shields; supporter Lorne Cardinal

The format of Canada Reads has changed slightly from previous years: instead of five thirty-minute shows, we have three hour-long shows. I think this format is better as it allows the panelists to really get into debates about the books. Today each panelist made a one-minute pitch for their book, and then two debates about the books were held. Finally, the show ended with the panelists voting off a book. On Tuesday, it will be a similar format with one more book being voted off. Wednesday is the final day - the panelists will begin by voting off a third book, then spend the rest of the hour debating the final two books. A final vote will be held and the Canada Reads champion crowned.

The Pitch: my summary and notes of each panelist's pitch and my thoughts on their strategy and arguments.

The Best Laid Plans - Ali Velshi
Velshi argues that this book is the most essential for Canadians to read as it is a call to action and will spur apathetic voters to voting. He is clearly going for the humour position here with his book and his arguments. We'll see how playing the humour card works for him.

The Birth House - Debbie Travis
Travis argues that this book is relevant for today because society is in a similar place where we are changing from old, established patterns to new unknowns. What old knowledge should we retain and what old knowledge should be left behind? It is about women finding their voice, but it is not just a women's book - it's also about men too and World War One. Travis is very eloquent and well-spoken, but I think she's maybe reading too much into the book. I didn't really feel that the book was about men and their issues: the heroine's brothers go off to World War One, but don't actually make it overseas. The war is just a minor plot thread in the novel, so I think she's overemphasizing that aspect to entice the male voters when I think the book is mainly oriented to women.

The Bone Cage - Georges Laraque
I was quite impressed with Laraque: his passion and excitement for the book clearly come through. The more I learn about him, the more I'm finding he's a very interesting and unique individual. He argued that his book was the most essential Canadian read because it would appeal to everyone: men, women, teenagers - all Canadians. We all identify with Olympians and their struggle and effort. The book is relatable and inspiring: while not everyone is an Olympic athlete, nearly everyone has had to battle and fight to overcome obstacles. He saw himself in the book and enjoyed it very much.

Essex County - Sara Quin
Quin argued that the book emphasized the connections between the characters and that it was poignant and cinematic. The illustrations help draw the readers into the world of the book. A graphic novel is a new way of viewing old characters - it is a contemporary view for today. Quin was very well spoken and was even poetical about her book in some places. You could really sense her deep commitment to what may be one of the most difficult books to argue for this year.

Unless - Lorne Cardinal
It is a little difficult to reconcile the intelligent actor Lorne Cardinal with his character on Corner Gas: the lovable but dimwitted Davis. For the first little while, all I heard was Davis! Cardinal began his argument with the fact that Shields won a Pulitzer Prize with Unless. I'm not sure that's the right way to go - it's already been recognized and people know about it and have read it. Let's pick another book that hasn't been recognized that people should be reading but aren't. Cardinal pointed out that loss is a universal emotion and cited the Shields' well-crafted writing as another reason that his book should win.

The Debates
Here, I will try to give a brief summary of the debates and a general discussion of what the panelists thought, along with my views and arguments on the books.

Round One: Which book is the most accessible?
Debbie Travis argued that her book is the most accessible because everyone has been born. That argument drives me nuts! It is a facile argument. It's a cop-out. By that logic, then, every book should be accessible because every book is about people and we're all people! However, she doesn't really like any of the other panelist's books. All the other panelists were quick to praise the other books too, even as they argued against them. (Canadians - we're just so polite!)

The panelists seemed to agree that the goal of Canada Reads is to inspire people to read that would not have otherwise read. Laraque thinks that his book would do a good job of that, as does Velshi. Quin argued that it is important to get young people to read and that her book would do a good job of that. However, the other panelists vehemently disagreed - Travis especially. Travis argued that because the book was only pictures it was too short, she read it too quickly and that it represents a dumbing down of culture - like Twitter. Twitter doesn't inspire people to read and write because it's only 140 characters. Cardinal thought that Essex County could operate as a "gateway to reading", but that Unless was better because it would make people think deep thoughts.

Here's my question: is the Canada Reads contest designed to get people to read that don't otherwise read? Or is it for the readers in the country who are looking for new books to read? Those people aren't necessarily the same audience. I don't think a book like Unless is very accessible to Canadians who aren't regular readers. Whereas something like Essex County, because it's different, could interest more people in reading. The panelists comment later on falling literacy levels, and I don't think the way to raise them is by throwing heavy books like Unless and The Birth House at people. A novel like Essex County, where there is both text and pictures, could help people who struggle with reading. It could be a "gateway book" as Cardinal pointed out - a place for people to start and then to try more complex books like The Bone Cage and The Best Laid Plans.

Round Two: Aside from the characters in your own book, which character resonated the most deeply with you?

Velshi liked Dora from The Birth House - he found her struggle to be universal. She is caught between the old and the new and is an "everyman" of today. But really though, aren't we always caught between the old and the new? The pace of change is more rapid today that it has ever been, but every generation is caught between the old traditions and the new knowledge. Not really a criticism, just a comment.

Cardinal really liked the hockey player characters from Essex County. He really connected with one of the characters: he only played one game in the NHL before his career ended, but his spirit was alive.

Laraque said the hockey players resonated (when prompted by Ghomeshi - who needed to just let the panelists answer the original question and not answer additional questions in this debate) but that his favourite character was Angus from The Best Laid Plans. Laraque saw a lot of himself in the rogue Scot and thought their personalities were similar. (Fun fact: Laraque is now the deputy leader of Canada's Green Party!)

Quin loved Reta Winters of Unless. She liked the character's writing, her feminism, and her connection with children. Overall Quin loved Unless and thought it was beautifully written. Which it was, but a little too introspective for me.

Travis disliked Unless and found the book predictable. She was surprised to find that the character she connected with the most was Digger from The Bone Cage. She connected with his journey and his struggle to be the best and what happens when failure strikes.

The Vote
The hour ended with all of the panelists voting. Each panelist voted and then each panelist had to reveal their vote. Any book which received 3 or more votes would be out. The results?

Georges Laraque: Essex County
Sara Quin: The Bone Cage
Debbie Travis: Essex County
Lorne Cardinal: Essex County
Ali Velshi: Essex County

And with that, Essex County is the first book voted out of Canada Reads. The reasons given by all the panelists are that the book is not essential, it's in a short story format, the book won't make people read more, and there were not enough words. Debbie Travis again pointed out that the book was too short and she read it in an hour and a half. Sara Quin argued that the graphic novel was more of an American trend which maybe hasn't appeared as much in Canada, she still wants people to read the book, and that her book is a novel; it just needs to be interpreted differently because it has graphic panels instead of words.

I agree with Sara here. Yes, you could probably just flip through the novel quickly reading only the words, but that would be giving Essex County short shrift. The pictures are just as important as the text - the author is giving you the pictures for a reason and you have to look at the pictures and take them into account along with the text. I think maybe Debbie Travis didn't really understand that the pictures are just as important as the words. Which is similar to a novel: what are the characters not saying? What is the subtext here? All that is in a graphic novel too - it just may be in picture format.

I am sad that Essex County was voted off, but I am still determined to read it. If anything, this has made me want to read the book even more. I hope it comes in from the library soon! So far I'm really enjoying Canada Reads and the panelists - there are lots of interesting opinions here. I'm very curious to find out what happens tomorrow.

Join me tomorrow when I recap the second episode of Canada Reads and we learn which book is the second to go.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Canada Reads 4

This is the winner right here. The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou deserves to be the winner of Canada Reads. It is my favourite book so far. (Yes, I haven't read Essex County and by the looks of things, I'm not going to get to it before the show starts, either.)

The Bone Cage is a novel about Olympic-level athletes: a swimmer named Sadie and a wrestler named Digger. Both are elite athletes in their sport, and both have been pursuing every athlete's dream: gold medal at the Olympic games. But what is the cost of that dream? What is the toll it takes on the athletes; both mentally and physically, and their families? What happens if you don't achieve that dream? The book looks at these questions as it examines the lives of Sadie and Digger in the run-up to the Sydney Olympics in 2004.

This is a terrific book. The story was compelling and propulsive. You care for Sadie and Digger, as people and as athletes, and you want to know what happens to them. At one point during my read of the book, I actually yelled out "Oh no!" and pushed the book away for a minute. I haven't had that reaction from any of the other Canada Reads books I've read. It is a quick read, but that is because you want to find out what happens to Digger and Sadie. Is all the training worth it? What happens after the Olympics?

I am not an athlete, but I found this glimpse inside their world to be fascinating. Just reading the descriptions of the swimming workouts made my muscles ache. And the smell! So many authors focus on visual description, forgetting the sense of smell. Abdou does not - athletes are sweaty, sweaty people who work hard and that clearly comes across in the novel. I also enjoyed that the book was set in Calgary - that is a city I know well and it was described beautifully. The training required of an athlete takes so much - is it worth it? Sadie and Digger are at the end of their athletic careers: how will they be able to fit back into normal life? They have given up so much to be able to pursue their sport and the book makes it clear.

Why should this book be the Canada Reads choice over any of the other books that I've read (and, potentially, the one I haven't read.)? Is the story of an athlete any more universal to Canadians than that of a woman writer (Unless), a political speechwriter/campaign manager (The Best Laid Plans) or an early 20th century midwife (The Birth House)? While not every Canadian is an athlete, many Canadians watch athletes compete in sports every day - witness the vast popularity of hockey in this country. Further, the extremely successful Vancouver 2010 Olympics happened only a year ago.; Olympic athletes are still fresh in our collective consciousness. The Bone Cage can help us with a better understanding of the sacrifice and hard work the athletes put in to get to the Olympics - as well as helping us what it might feel like for them now that the Olympics are over.

I am very interested to hear what the panel has to say about The Bone Cage. It is being supported by a former professional athlete, Georges Laraque (NHL player for at least the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens). I am not an athlete (at any level, never mind the elite one!) and I'm curious to hear if he finds this book true to life.

At this point, I've read four out of five of the Canada Reads Books and the likelihood of me reading the fifth book is small, to say the least. Based on the four I've read, The Bone Cage is my favourite and my pick to win. The Birth House was my least favourite. Unless falls third, and The Best Laid Plans takes the silver. If I get a chance to read Essex County before Monday, I will post about it. But until then, I will post Monday afternoon or evening following the first day's debates. The first episode of Canada Reads can be heard on CBC Radio One, on Monday, February 7th at 11pm and later than evening at 8pm (Mountain time). You can also watch them live-streamed on the Internet during the broadcast, and I would imagine there's some way of listening to the show after it's aired as well. I'll see you Monday with our first debate discussions!

Friday, February 4, 2011

Canada Reads 3

It is a good thing I read quickly - I have 2 more books to go and only a few more days until the Canada Reads debates begin! Yesterday I picked up The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou at the library and I'm hoping against hope that the last novel comes in on time. I'm first in line for Essex County by Jeff Lemire so there's still time.

Yesterday I read The Birth House by Ami McKay. (Yes, all in one day. I do read quickly!) And while I did enjoy the book somewhat (it does have an energetic storyline that propels the reader along) it's my least favourite of the books so far.

The Birth House is about Dora Rare, the only girl born in 5 generations of Rares (although that fact is mentioned a number of times in the book, it's not clear to me why that's so important.) who is growing up and coming of age during the First World War. She "apprentices" (to use the term loosely) to the local midwife, Miss Babineau and eventually becomes the midwife for her rural Nova Scotian community. However, she is in conflict with the evil Dr. Thomas and his maternity hospital and his promise of pain-free births with the use of drugs. Eventually Dora must leave the community and go to Boston for a vacation until her good name can be restored.

My problem with the book is that I thought it was biased. It has an agenda - the promotion of midwife assisted births at home, and it is engaged in promoting that agenda. In one respect I do agree with the women of the book - a woman should be able to choose (as much as is medically possible) how she'd like to have her baby. But this book seems to say that the choice should be a home birth with a midwife. A hospital birth with a doctor and drugs is not presented as a feasible option. The doctor and hospital are presented as evil right from the beginning. The one woman who does have a hospital birth seems to be suffering some sort of post-partum depression while the home-birth mothers are happy and cheerful.

That isn't to say that every home birth is perfect: in one case, the baby is lost. In another, the mother is lost. The book is set in 1916-1918, so it is unlikely that even if the births had taken place in a hospital that the baby and mother would have been saved given the medical technology of the time. So, there is a small attempt at balance between the two sides.

My other issue with the book - somewhat related to the above issues of balance and the book's agenda, is that I didn't feel that the story was created organically. Basically, the author wanted to write a book about women's reproductive issues in the early 20th century. That's fine. But then that's all the book was about - you didn't really worry too much about Dora or the other characters as the book was so focused on birth issues and good midwives vs. evil doctors. The story didn't develop organically: it was structured to hit the high points of the events of that time - the war, the Halifax explosion. Oh, now let's send the character to Boston (where fortunately her brother has somehow found a rich paramour) just in time for the molasses explosion. (No, I am not making that up - go read about it on wikipedia!) Now it's time for the flu epidemic. It didn't feel like the characters developed along with the story.

The book presented the doctor and the hospital and the use of painkillers in labour as terrible things. Yet I'm not sure the book did a service to midwives either: Miss Babineau is kind of spacey (she's also seen as the local witch) and seems to use as much mystical/folkloric remedies as she does practical applications. Further, once Dora becomes the local midwife it is unclear exactly how much training that she actually has. Yes, in some cases home remedies have been proven to work; in other cases an old wives' tale is just that - a practice that has no scientific basis and in some cases can prove harmful to the patient. I think many midwives already feel marginalized by doctors and the medical profession: this book will not help with that.

So, as you can tell, I didn't really enjoy this book. Maybe I'm just not interested in stories about birth. I think I would have liked it more if there had been more of an effort made to balance the issues: not just an evil doctor with his terrible modern science taking away women's choices versus the innocent, mystical midwife, holder of all sacred women's knowledge. The doctor was a one-dimensional, one-note character. If there had been more balance and the book wasn't so focused pushing its home birth agenda, it would have been more interesting. Alternatively, the author could have written a non-fiction book on birth practices in rural Nova Scotia in the early 1900's and the conflicts (or not) between doctors and midwives: that would have worked better as well. But as it stands now, this is probably my least favourite of the Canada Reads books so far. I will be very interested to hear what the panel has to say about it.

One thing I will say about the Canada Reads books is that they are entertainingly diverse. So far, I've read about a middle-aged woman writer with a missing daughter in Ontario, a political junkie professor in Ottawa, and a turn of the century midwife in rural Nova Scotia. Next book: The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou, in which I'll read about the lives of Olympic-level athletes.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Canada Reads 2

I'm in a bit of a panic because Canada Reads starts next week, and I've only read two books! I have one more at home to read (The Birth House) and two more on hold at the library. I just checked and I'm second in line on both those holds. There's still time for me to read all of the books before Canada Reads starts!

This Canada Reads selection was a welcome change from the last selection. It's not that I didn't like Unless by Carol Shields; I just found it rather dark. The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis was the opposite of dark! Before I start my discussion of The Best Laid Plans, I just want to point out that so many times books that are seen as important and award-winning are often books that deal with more serious issues. Like many Oscar-winning movies, fiction that deals with dark and tragic themes is sometimes seen as more worthy than that dealing with lighter fare. I, for one, enjoy reading books about the lighter side of life.

On to the book. The Best Laid Plans is about a young man, Daniel, who has been working as a speech writer for the Liberals. One day, fed up with politics and the actions of his girlfriend, he gives up his political career and moves outside Ottawa to take a teaching job. However, he agrees to do one last favour for the Libs - find a candidate to run in the riding of Cumberland-Prescott. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. The usual Liberal candidate is retiring at the age of 81. She has run in the last five elections and never won as the the seat is held tightly by one Eric Cameron, finance minister to the Conservatives. (Think Peter McKay - sort of.) (And as for the seat - think of any almost any seat in Alberta - provincially or federally usually Tory blue.)

Daniel is at a loss. Who will he find to run? The Liberals just need a candidate to put on the ballot - there's no hope of the candidate actually winning. (Again, think of any Tory seat in Alberta!) So Daniel browbeats his new landlord, Angus McLintock, into running. Angus is an eccentric Scottish engineer with a passion for chess, a partly-built hovercraft in the boathouse, an excellent grasp of English grammar, and an innate sense of honour and duty. Angus will do no campaigning and have no signs or interviews. In return, Daniel will teach his English for Engineers university class. It's a done deal.

What is not a done deal, however, is the surprise from Eric Cameron's house early one morning a few days before the election. (This is where I am sure that the character of Eric Cameron deviates from Peter McKay.) Not to be trite, but as to avoid giving away the ending, Daniel and Angus end up with a lot more than either of them bargained for.

For a political junkie like myself, this was a great book. Other than Eric Cameron, the other major political figures are not named, but given titles like the Leader (Liberal) and the Prime Minister. It is fun to read the descriptions and imagine whom Fallis is placing in these roles. (Leader - Stephane Dion?) (Prime Minister - Stephen Harper?) The character of Angus is noble, forthright, and honest. His simple approach to solving political problems gives my cynical side pause. No, that's not the way it's done in politics my cynical self cries. But why not?

I didn't find the book quite as funny as I thought I might. I usually like political humour, and while some parts of the book were quite entertaining, I'm not sure that any of it was actually laugh-out-loud humorous. (For a quite funny bit using House of Commons debate terms as sexual euphemisms see page xiv of the Prologue. You'll never watch CPAC the same way again!) I wonder if part of the problem was that some of the humour was lost on the page - either the jokes were too visual to work as written, or the joke falls flat without hearing read out loud. (See below - book first came out as a podcast.) Plus, I dislike bathroom humour and there was enough of it in this book.

That said, the characters are warm and funny and it is an interesting and in-depth look into political culture, University teaching, campaigning, and the life of an MP. Political junkies should read it, as they will enjoy it. Non-political junkies should read it, as they will enjoy it and learn something about the political process along the way. Perhaps this book should be read in Social Studies when students are being taught about the political system? It's nice to be entertained by learning.

The story behind the book is just as good. Fallis wrote the book himself and then tried to get it published. No one would bite, so he released each chapter as a podcast. Finding he had followers, he self-published the book. More people liked it and the book won the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour. A heart-warming David over Goliath story.

Where does this stack up compared to the one other Canada Reads book I've read: Unless by Carol Shields? I enjoyed this one more than Unless, and, surprisingly, it did sort of touch on some issues of feminism, given that Angus' wife was a great feminist author. Right now, I will have to give my vote to The Best Laid Plans over Unless for both entertainment and interest. Next read is The Birth House and maybe the other two books if I get them in time. At any rate, tune in to CBC Radio One on Monday at 11 a.m. for the first debates and check with the blog that evening for my feedback.