One Day at a Time

Hello faithful readers - sorry for the delay in posting! I was rather busy last weekend, but things have calmed down now, and the rest of the summer should be smooth sailing from here.

The book I am going to talk about today is One Day by David Nicholls. It is about Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley, who meet on July 15, 1988 on their last day of university. The book follows the progress of their relationship by checking in with them on July 15th for the next 20 years or so. This was another one on the Entertainment Weekly Top 10 Fiction. The book has already been optioned for a movie with Anne Hathaway (love!) and Jim Sturgess (who?).

So far, I seem to be really enjoying the non-fiction of the list and not enjoying the fiction books as much. This book is no exception. I really hated the first few chapters, but I persevered, and grew to like it. It was not bad. Do I want to own it? No. Was it a mildly enjoyable read? Yes.

I was very intrigued by the one day per year format, and I thought it really added to the book. I would read about something that the characters were planning for later on that year, and I'd have to wait until the next check-in to find out what happened. I thought that was a neat trick.

On the other hand, however, that's almost all the book had going for it. I don't think I'd be interested in the characters of Emma and Dexter if the book had just been written in a normal way. Your main characters should be able to carry a book no matter how it's written. But I just wouldn't be interested enough to read about them without the conceit of only learning about their lives one day at a time.

I might be interested enough to read about Emma - especially as I think she sort of had short shrift in this book. It's supposed to be about two people - Dex and Em - but I think the author focused more on Dexter's journey and grow than he did on Emma's. And there was some sort of inconsistent characterization at the end: Emma is thoroughly annoyed with her friends with children, yet only a few years later she wants a baby desperately. There was no hint of this complete change of mind at all.

My main problem is with the character of Dexter. He starts off as the kind of guy who is, well, a jerk. He's a lad - to use the British slang (in keeping with the Britain-set book). He tarts around with girls, drinks and drugs, thinks he's so amazing, has some sort of trust fund so he doesn't really have to work - in short, he's not a very likeable character. And he doesn't really change or grow - he does, to some extent - but is essentially the same person at the end as he was at the beginning. Unlike Emma, who does grow and change, but who is not documented as well as Dexter. With this type of characterization, it is very hard to see what Emma sees in Dexter. Sure, a woman might be swept off her feet by a pretty face, but if he's a jerk, she'll realize that sooner or later and come to her senses. Unless she's the sort of woman who will put up with jerkiness for the sake of being in a relationship. And Emma is not that sort of woman.

I also had an issue with the structure of the book. The book opens with Emma and Dexter's meeting on July 15, 1988. But, the reader does not really learn about what happened on that day. It's briefly alluded to, but not enough to form any definite conclusions about what happened. While at first I was annoyed (how are these two people supposed to make some epic connection over an encounter that brief!), I eventually came around. I liked that the author wasn't showing us what happened, but letting us make up our own minds. Until the end, after the climax of the story, when the author flashes back to July 15, 1988 and shows us what happened. I think that was a mistake, story-wise. By then, I didn't want to know about July 15, 1988, because I already had my own idea of what happened. He should have told us at the beginning, or not at all.

From all of this, it sounds like I hated the book. I truly did not - after I got into it, it was an enjoyable read; mostly because each day ended on a cliffhanger that wouldn't be resolved until the next yearly check-in. It's not a terrible book, but neither is it an amazing book. It is a nice, light-hearted summer read, however. If you're looking for something light and summery, this could be the read for you.

Summer Retreads

For whatever reason, in the summer I find myself rereading a lot of my favourite series. I know that the summer is typically either the time when people challenge themselves with difficult classics that they don't have time to read during the rest of the year, or entertain themselves with light and fluffy beach reads. Sadly, there is no beach where I live. Nor do I feel the need to challenge myself with something difficult and possibly unpleasant. Instead, I turn to favourite series that I've enjoyed in the past.

Currently I'm reading both Mercedes Lackey's 500 Kingdoms series and Laurie R. King's Mary Russell series. I'm nearly finished the 500 Kingdoms series - there were a number of the 500 Kingdoms books at my branch of the library last week, so I managed to grab a bunch in one fell swoop and read them in order. I'm just working on the last one, The Sleeping Beauty, which is my least favourite of the series. This is the one in which she attempts to meld Terry Pratchett-style humour with her usual earnest fantasy. For me, it is not a success. I don't always find that humour comes across well in books, and I'm not a fan of Terry Pratchett-style humour anyway.

I'd read my copies of the Mary Russells that I own last month, and really enjoyed them. I wanted to read a few more in the series and, as luck would have it, my library also had a number of Mary Russell books last week, so I picked those up too. It's nice when the library actually has the books that I am looking for, so I don't have to wait to order them in! I am reading them somewhat in order: I own The Beekeeper's Apprentice, A Monstrous Regiment of Women, and The Moor, so I read all of those back-to-back (which is not entirely in order). I picked up A Letter of Mary, Justice Hall, and Locked Rooms from the library, and am reading those in order.

However, I am also re-reading another series which I am finding very enjoyable. Everyone knows of my love for Agatha Christie mysteries and those featuring her diminutive detective, Hercule Poirot, in particular. I've reread the books so many times that one would think that there's nothing new left in novels for me. However, this summer I decided to reread them in order. Much to my surprise, I have never read Agatha Christie's Poirot novels in their publication order. I usually just read through them at random, picking and choosing books at whim. I am rather enjoying reading the books as Christie wrote them.

So far, I have read: The Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Murder on the Links, Poirot Investigates, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The Big Four, The Mystery of the Blue Train, Peril at End House, Lord Edgware Dies, Murder on the Orient Express, Three-Act Tragedy, and Death in the Clouds. I am currently working my way through one of my favourites; The ABC Murders. While the books are not strictly chronological - in that they do follow the natural progression of time but that you don't need to read them strictly in order - it is enjoyable to watch the relationships between the characters develop. The friendship between Poirot and Hastings deepens and grows, the animosity between Japp and Poirot mellows. And, too, the reader understands little references throughout the books to prior crimes which Poirot helped solve.

It was, I think, somewhat of a mistake for Christie to marry off Hastings so early and send him to Argentina. It makes for somewhat of a stretch after The Murder on the Links to have him conveniently turn up in London to help solve cases with Poirot. Fortunately, he does not appear in too many: The Big Four, Peril at End House, Lord Edgware Dies, and The ABC Murders so far. And, some of Poirot's greatest mysteries are without Hastings: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Murder on the Orient Express.

Murder on the Orient Express is one of my favourite Hercule Poirot novels. The solution is so clever and it all just unwinds at the end. I can't help thinking about all the behind the scenes manipulation of the parties on the train. I would like to read a novel from the point of view of the train passengers - it would be fascinating.

I also must point out Peril at End House: this is not one that my mother has a copy of, so it's not one I read a lot growing up. As a result, it is, for me, one of the lesser known Poirots in that I never remember anything about the book until I read it again. Although, I must admit, that even though I have read the Poirots so many times I usually don't remember who the murderer is. I think I do, and then realize at the end of the book that I have remembered the red herring whom Christie wants me to think has done the murder! However, there are a few in which I do know who the murderer is. In that case, it is fun to read the book from the murderer's point of view and try to grasp all the little clues that Christie put down for me to figure out who the murderer is.

Probably one of my least favourites is The Big Four. This was Christie's attempt to write a real "thriller" with spies and vast international conspiracies. I just don't think it works as well for her. Her real strength is in the type of English-country-house mysteries with tricky puzzles - not in the realm of international espionage. It does not work as well for me as some of her other books.

I'm only about one third of my way through the Christie canon, and I'm looking forward to reading the remaining books. This may last me until the end of the summer! It's especially interesting reading the earlier Poirots at the same time I am reading the Mary Russells as they are both set in the 1920s. (However, I've moved on to the 1930s with Poirot by now.) It's fun to compare the subtle differences in writing between a writer who is writing contemporaneously with the time period, and a writer who is writing of the time period in a historical sense. Not to mention that the two are completely different writers and characters. I would, however, love Laurie R. King to set up a situation in which Poirot and Holmes meet. She's brought in other fictional characters, surely she could set up a meeting between England's two most famous sleuths? Such a book has the potential to be amazing. I'll keep my fingers crossed - Ms. King has a new Mary Russell out in September - maybe this could be the one!

Pioneers for Grownups

Recently I wrote about my love for Laura Ingalls Wilder and her "Little House" series which inspired me to be a pioneer when I grew up. Well, the books did not end with These Happy Golden Years. Laura wrote three other books which detail her travels after These Happy Golden Years. Are they suitable for children? Sure - older children. But there is quite a difference in style and tone between these latter three books and the earlier books in the "Little House" series. Those who like the "happily ever after" feeling of These Happy Golden Years (which ends on the occasion of Laura and Almanzo's marriage) will not want to read any further. Those interested in Laura's story - the good and the bad - will want to read on.

The First Four Years is a story unearthed after Laura's death. Obviously it is a first draft of a book she probably intended to write later - it is very short and the events are hasty and sketched-in without the wealth of detail Laura usually provides. However, the writing is still clearly her voice. It tells the story of the first four years of Laura and Almanzo's marriage: Laura agreed to give farming a try for four years. While her Pa had farmed, Laura had grown up more as a pioneer girl than as a farmer's daughter. She was reluctant to settle down on a farm, so she and Almanzo compromised on four years.

These four years have joy, but there is also sadness that hits Laura and Almanzo. Sad events had occurred before to Laura - her sister Mary went blind from illness. However, those events were not chronicled in a book. These sad events are, although briefly. Laura and Almanzo lose their second child, a son, as a baby; Laura and Almanzo get diphtheria; they go into debt; and their house burns down. But there are happy times too: sleigh rides, pony rides, the birth of their daughter Rose, the beautiful little house Almanzo builds for Laura.

While Laura's earlier books may have glossed over some of the tragedies and heartbreak the family suffered, this book meets it head on. Not everything is rosy for the pioneer family, and farming is difficult and hard with the farmer completely at the mercy of the elements. It would have been nice if Laura could have finished this book in her usual style, but the spare prose only serves to emphasize the hardships the family suffered. This is a darker book than the other "Little House" books.

The next book On the Way Home, details further travels of Laura and Almanzo. Their attempt to make a go of it as farmers in South Dakota failed. They then moved to Florida, hoping that the climate would be better for Almanzo. However, Florida failed them too and they moved back to South Dakota. This is where the story picks up.

Laura and Almanzo have decided to move to Mansfield, Missouri - the Ozarks, the Land of the Big Red Apple. It is 1894, but the family is moving by a familiar mode of transport - the covered wagon. A more modernized version than the one Laura traveled in a child, but a covered wagon nonetheless. Laura kept a diary of their trip and her diary entries form the majority of the book. A brief introduction is provided by Laura's daughter Rose, who was 8 at the time of the move. It is interesting to hear her recollections of her childhood with the mother we all know so well. Rose grew up to be a famous writer of her own and her introduction is filled with wit and charm. Mansfield would end up being Laura's home for the rest of her life. Finally, she and Almanzo had found a place where they could settle.

The last book in the series, West from Home, details further travels by Laura. The year is 1915 and the Panama-Pacific International Exposition has come to San Francisco. So too has Laura's daughter Rose with her husband Gillette Lane. They work as writers for papers and magazines. Rose invites Laura to come out for a visit to see the Exhibition. She does, and the book is a collection of the letters she wrote home to Almanzo. Just as Laura was her sister Mary's eyes as a girl, so to for the exhibition was she Almanzo's eyes. It is interesting to get a glimpse of San Fransisco - a young, eager city - and the spectacular exhibition through Laura's eyes. We also get a glimpse of her relationship with Almanzo and her love of their farm, Rocky Ridge, at home in Missouri.

With that story, Laura's journey is complete. We have followed her travels from a little log cabin in Wisconsin to a final train journey out to San Francisco. She had literally traveled across the entire North American continent - and mostly prior to the use of cars or trains. Her stories provide us a window on a vanished world whether happy - in the "Little House" series, or sad, in The First Four Years. These books are an excellent resource for anyone who wants to know what it was like in the "olden days."

Thursday, meet Thursday

Those who have read this blog before know of my love for the extremely creative and very unique novelist Jasper Fforde. (He's so unique, his last name needs 2 F's!) (Actually, I think that's Welsh.) Anyway, the latest Thursday Next book is out and it's a treat of creative weirdness.

By now, I really hope everyone knows who Thursday Next is: the Spec Ops agent in an alternative-universe Britain who also fights crime inside novels. (See what I mean about the creativity!) In our last meeting with Thursday, in First Among Sequels, several years had passed and Thursday was older as were her children, Friday, Tuesday, and Jenny. The book ended on a bit of a cliff-hanger as Thursday was pulled back into the world of Jurisfiction one last time.

One of Our Thursdays is Missing takes everything you know about Thursday Next, the Bookworld, and Jurisfiction, and turns it all inside out and upside down. After 5 books, I wasn't sure where Fforde could go, and he's totally surprised me by reinventing the series and looking at things from a whole new point of view.

Yes, the main character in this book is still Thursday Next. But not that "real-life" Thursday Next that we've come to know and love after several books. This is Thursday's doppelganger; the "fictional" Thursday Next who in First Among Sequels was so hippy-dippy. She's less so here, but still retains an essential sweetness and naivete. I think this is very clever of Fforde - it gives the Thursday series a new breath of life and allows the reader to see Thursday and her adventures from a new point of view - even though it's sort of the same point of view.

But Fforde also plays around with the Bookworld and gives it form and shape. Whereas previous incarnations of the Bookworld focused more on the library and Jurisfiction, this novel looks more at the Bookworld and at the "characters" (literally!) who populate it.

This book is a crazy fun-house ride of amazing. There is a plot surrounding the mystery of the missing Thursday Next (the "real-life" one), but it's almost secondary to exploring and learning about the Bookworld from a fictional person's point of view. Plus, the plot is fairly convoluted and I think I'm going to have to read the book again to really get what was going on!

For fans of the series, you've probably already picked this book up. For new readers, I wouldn't recommend starting here. I think you should begin with the first Thursday Next novel - The Eyre Affair. This book changed how I read books forever - I now cannot read any book without thinking of all the things that are going on behind the scenes. I can't recommend this series enough - but begin with the first book and then work your way up to One of Our Thursdays is Missing. I think you will appreciate it a lot more. Speaking of, I may have to begin again with the first book and reread the series this summer myself! It's always a crazy-fun time with Jasper Fforde and I highly recommend all of his books.

A Haunted Room

I wasn't sure if I really wanted to write about today's book. It's not that it's a bad book - in fact, it is probably one of the best books I've read all year. It's just that I think it might be even more effective when read if you go into it totally blind, knowing nothing about the plot, and slowly put all the pieces together. I knew generally what the book was about when I started, but I think it might have been even more of a gut-punch feeling if I'd read it blind. So, for those of you who want to go in to the book completely blind, here's the title and author: Room by Emma Donoghue. You can stop reading the blog now.


For those of you who want to stay and learn more about the book before deciding to pick it up or not, I will tell you my usual limited amount of facts. I will try to be even more circumspect about this book than usual, because I think the suspense factor is high with this one.

Room is about a little boy, Jack, and his Ma. Jack and his Ma live in a very special place which Jack calls Room. The denizens of Room are Bed, Blanket, Lamp, Rug, and some other friends. Jack is 5, and you see the world of Room through his eyes. I could probably give away the central "secret" here - the bookflap does so - but I'm feeling reluctant. I started the book with an innate sense of horror - but I wonder if the reader would have the horror slowly grow on them as they figure out just exactly why Jack and his Ma live in Room in the first place.

And, yes, horror is the right word. This book deals with some serious subject matter that is haunting to the reader. Yet, by having a young boy as the narrator, the horror is made more accessible and, to some extent, managed. The reader is given breathing space to discover the world through the wonderful viewpoint of Jack.

Jack is an amazing boy. He is intelligent and bright. I think the author gets the voice of the 5-year-old just right. You never forget that Jack is a child, and while part of your self is recoiling in horror at the circumstances that Jack and his Ma are in, the other part is marveling at the amazing voice of Jack. Jack doesn't know any better - the horrors we see are simply not present to him, and his voice and viewpoint help the reader inside the world.

Room is very suspenseful. At one extremely tense point, I wanted to turn to the end of the book and read the last page to ensure that everything would come out okay and that everyone would be okay. I'm glad that I didn't and managed to stick through the suspense. I enjoyed that the book did not end where it could have ended - if this were a stereotypically happy-ending movie. Room is a little more complex than that - the author takes you to the edge with Jack and Ma and then through into different kinds of adventures.

Room is a terrific book. The subject-matter may be horrific, and the narrative will haunt you, but the book is extremely well written. You attach yourself to the characters of Jack and his Ma and become totally lost and insensible of time or bus stops. This was one of the top 10 books of 2010, and I see why. Do read it - it is not a horror book; there are no bloody/gory scenes in it. It's not scary in that way - it's more of a haunting-type of scary, but good. Very, very good. Read it - blind or with the limited info I gave here (although astute readers may have figured it out already) and let me know if this book haunted you too.

Saturday Morning at the Bookstore

Second only to my love for the library is my love for the bookstore. So many books! My only complaint is that they are too expensive for me to take all of them home. What I often end up doing is just wandering around, seeing what's out there, and then trying to remember the names so I can look them up on the library website and get them out for free! (Well, not free, exactly, but for the low, low, price of $12 per year!)

Anyway, I had a coupon for 20% off, a discount card, and some gift certificates, so I went to the bookstore Saturday morning. The bookstore is, frighteningly for my husband, only a 15 minute walk away from our house. It's a good thing I'm cheap and don't buy a whole lot of books! I picked up 4 books Saturday morning and only spent $7. That's pretty good for 3 books and a magazine, I think.

How do I approach the bookstore? Like most shopping trips, I find it is better to go by yourself - you don't have to worry that your significant other is getting bored sitting over in the military magazine section while you debate for 30 minutes the merits of two nearly identical history books. Ahem. Anyway, I went by myself Saturday morning and I could wander around at will without worrying.

I wanted to try and stay under or around my gift certificate limit, which I managed to do, somewhat. In order to do that, I wandered around to all of my favourite sections, checked out what I liked, assessed the price and my interest, and then went back to all the sections to make my final choices. My trip around the bookstore went something like this: History, Mystery, Fiction, Fantasy, Cookbooks, Gardening, History, Mystery, and Magazines.

In the history section I picked up We Two Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals by Gillian Gill. It's a book about the relationship between Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. I've read many books about the Queen, but nothing that really focused on her relationship with her husband so specifically. I am especially intrigued by the promised excerpts from their journals and letters. A very close runner up was a new biography of Catherine of Aragon by Giles Tremlett. While I do own two books about Henry VIII's six wives, I haven't read much about them as individuals, so I think this would be very interesting to read.

In the Gardening section I picked up Lois Hole's Perennial Favorites by Lois Hole. The late Ms. Hole is something of a gardening guru here in Alberta, and her books are full of good advice and timeless wisdom. I very nearly picked up a different book on perennials, but you can't go wrong with Lois Hole!

I didn't find anything in the Cooking section that I wanted to buy - besides, my kitchen bookshelf is full, so I either need to purge some cookbooks or get a bigger shelf. Somehow, I think getting a bigger bookshelf will win out.

Likewise, I didn't find anything in the Fiction section that I wanted to buy either. Most of the fiction I read is classified as either Mystery or Fantasy/Sci-Fi anyway, so I'm probably not going to find anything I want in the Fiction section. Plus, I already have the new Jasper Fforde (which is confusingly sometimes classified as mystery and sometimes as fiction) so there wasn't really anything there for me.

In Fantasy, I hesitated over the Mercedes Lackey 500 Kingdoms series, as they had a number of them in paperback. But I didn't want to spend my entire gift certificate on one series, and I couldn't decide which one to get. So I didn't get any.

Similarly in Mystery, I hesitated over the Laurie R. King Mary Russell series: they had some there, and I am collecting the series, but I wasn't sure which one to get. Plus, they've changed the paperback format slightly, so the new copies won't be quite the same as the other ones I have. Which is so annoying - why do they do that? I don't mind having books of all different looks on my shelf, but it does make it difficult to organize them nicely by size if the editions in a series aren't the same.

While I didn't get a Laurie R. King book, I did pick up another Agatha Christie, as I'm trying to broaden my collection past the Poirots and Marples. I picked up the all-time scariest Christie ever - And Then There Were None. There were a few different editions there - I just picked the cheapest. I'm looking forward to reading it. In the daylight.

A random mystery/romance novel caught my eye about a Madam named India, a handsome British Spy, and espionage. I almost bought it of the shelf just for the picture on the front alone. It sounded really interesting. However, when I'm buying books, I tend to go for the tried and true, so I didn't get it. And sadly, I can't remember the name, so I don't know if I'll have any success in finding it at the library. I'm off to search for it after this.

And, finally, I finished up in the magazine section where I bought The Hockey News Magazine Draft Preview 2011. I'm a very well-rounded reader! The draft is coming up in two weeks, and I'd like to know a little bit more about these prospects. So far, they are scarily young. In a few years, I'll be old enough to be their mother!

So, that was my fun day at the bookstore. One note, however, don't expect posts about any of these books soon! I have just a few books on my beside table to get through first.... Right now, I am reading: Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert, The Lady Queen by Nancy Goldstone, One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde, Room by Emma Donoghue and I just finished my commuting book yesterday - Pat of Silver Bush by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Not to mention all the other books I've finished recently and haven't posted about, and some other new books that I got for Christmas and haven't had a chance to start yet, and the library book that's been sitting under a pile of Jane Austens for a few weeks....

As you can see, the trip to the bookstore was not necessary. But it was fun! And while I don't go that often, I do enjoy going when I can - although I will always prefer the library. Happy Reading!

He-La!

This is, quite possibly, the best book I've read all year. (So far.) I am so glad I decided to follow Entertainment Weekly's top 10 non-fiction books, otherwise I would never have read this gem. Sometimes top books are top books for a reason - they're well written, exhaustively researched, and extremely engrossing.


What book am I talking about? The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Go read it as soon as you can. (I'm returning my copy to the library tomorrow before I get hit with some overdue fines!) This is an amazing book. It's Skloot's first book too - she really knocked it out of the park with this one. It is an amazing story.


The book consists of three stories:the life of Henrietta Lacks and her amazing cells, the life her children led after her death, and Skloot's own journey to uncover the truth about Henrietta Lacks and to meet with her descendants. But who was Henrietta Lacks? And how did she become responsible for so many medical and scientific advances?


Henrietta Lacks was a poor black woman who was born in 1920 in Clover, Virginia - a small town which no longer exists. In pursuit of a better life, she moved to Baltimore with her husband and 5 children, including youngest daughter Deborah Lacks. But life did not improve in Baltimore for Henrietta. She developed a very rapid-growing form of cervical cancer. Cancer treatments in the 1940's-50's were still in their infancy. The doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital succeeded in reducing the tumor in her cervix, but soon found out it had spread everywhere throughout her body. Henrietta died shortly thereafter, in 1951, leaving 5 children, several very young. Before her death, researchers at the Johns Hopkins hospital had taken a biopsy of the cervical cancer cells to use in their research.


The goal in research at the time was to create an immortal cell line. Cell samples were taken to the lab, only to be thrown away in disgust when the cells failed to thrive. But Henrietta's sample was unlike any other cell line - the cells grew rapidly. The cell line was named He-La, after Henrietta's initials, and soon it was being used in labs around the world. But for years, the identity of the woman whose body provided those cells has been forgotten.


Skloot tells the story of Henrietta Lacks and her descendants, while weaving through it the story of her own discovery of Henrietta Lacks, He-La, and her quest to contact Henrietta's descendants and write the book. Many pharmaceutical companies have profited from He-La; yet Henrietta's descendants cannot get medical insurance. Skloot addresses the questions of fairness and ethics in medicine while painting a compelling story of the development of medical research from the 1950's onwards. Skloot also draws you in to the life of Henrietta's daughter Deborah and her discovery of her mother's miraculous cells. He-La has affected the Lacks family in both good and bad ways and Skloot addresses the bad side, without being sensationalist. The He-La burden has not been an easy one to bear, and the reader really begins to feel for Henrietta's daughter Deborah and her journey to find meaning in He-La and to learn about her mother.


Skloot handles the science well - she doesn't dumb it down, but explains it in clear words as to make it understandable to the average reader. I found this book fascinating and compelling. It was impossible to put down. I enjoyed the stories of the three women: Henrietta, Deborah, and Rebecca. This is an amazing book. Even if you don't think you are interested in science, cell lines, and cancer research, you will be drawn in to the story of He-La. Skloot finds the human side of medical research while giving the history of cancer treatments, an interesting overview of medical treatment and the segregation of America, and inviting discussion on medical ethics. This is a fantastic book. Go read it.

Austen or Aston

I was inspired by reading all my Jane Austen books to read an author who writes sequels to the Austen books - specifically, sequels loosely based on the characters in Pride and Prejudice. This author is Elizabeth Aston. She is smart, however. Instead of writing books based on the characters from Pride and Prejudice, she moves down one generation, and began writing about Elizabeth and Darcy's daughters. I think this is wise. Elizabeth and Darcy have already had such a perfect story that I don't think any other author could do them justice.

I began reading Aston's books with her story Mr. Darcy's Daughters, about the 5 daughters of Elizabeth and Darcy and the mischief they get up to while searching for husbands. The next book in the series is The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy, about the youngest of the 5 Darcy daughters. After finishing the tales of Darcy's daughters, Aston turns to other members of the family. She writes about Cassandra Darcy, daughter of Anne de Bourgh, in The True Darcy Spirit. The next book features no Darcys at all, but Collinses: Aston features Charlotte and Eliza Collins, the daughters of Mr. Collins and the former Charlotte Lucas, in The Darcy Connection. Aston rounds off her series with The Second Mrs Darcy, a book about Octavia Darcy, widow of a cousin of the Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice.

I have read all these Aston novels and enjoyed them. In the realm of Austen sequelists, her works are pretty good - and that's saying a lot as there are some pretty bad ones out there. I had thought the series ended with The Second Mrs Darcy, but realized recently that a new Darcy-related book had come out - Mr. Darcy's Dream. I ordered it from the library and read it.

Mr. Darcy's Dream is about Phoebe Hawkins, the daughter of Georgiana Darcy and a Sir Giles Hawkins. Phoebe is disappointed in love, as her father refused his consent to an engagement with the young man that Phoebe loves. Phoebe later finds out that the young man is apparently still consorting with the actress she thought he had given up, and her heart is shattered. She refuses to participate in the London season. Wanting to cheer up their daughter, Georgiana and Giles send Phoebe to Pemberley with the summer along with her cousin, Louisa Bingley. Stunningly beautiful as well as kind and warm-hearted, Louisa Bingley has undergone 3 London seasons without an offer. She is tired of the social life and would welcome a quiet summer at Pemberley with her cousin. Of course, the girls do not get the quiet time they are looking for as they get sucked into the local dramas of the residents around Pemberley and as both Phoebe and Louisa must contend with affairs of the heart.

Mr. Darcy's Dream is good, light-hearted fun. By choosing characters that aren't exactly in the Austen novels, Aston is free to do with her characters what she wishes, while still staying true to Austen's original ideas and feelings. Aston does pretty well too - the writing's appropriate for the period but still modern. Mr. Darcy's Dream is perhaps a little more light-weight than some of the other contenders in Aston's Darcy universe, but it is a nice light read. (My favourites are the two about Darcy's daughters - good fun!) I do enjoy how all the novels are set within the Darcy extended clan of cousins and in-laws, so the reader gets updates on what happened to favourite characters from other books.

If you want one opinion on what happened to Elizabeth and Darcy after Pride and Prejudice, try an Elizabeth Aston book. They are generally good reads. Of course, nothing can be as sparkling or witty as the original, but Aston writes well and the books are enjoyable and are moderately true to the time, unlike some other Austen sequelists I have read. I am looking forward to the next book about the extended Darcy clan.

In Sherwood Forest

Today's book is one of my favourites by one of my favourite authors. I must admit, I don't pull it out very often, but every time I read it I fall in love with it all over again.

The book is The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley. No surprise, it is a retelling of the Robin Hood story. We learn how Robin first became an outlaw, gathered his band of merry men, and established his rivalry with the Sheriff of Nottingham. All the old favourites are here: Maid Marian, Little John, Will Scarlett, Friar Tuck. And there are some new favourites too, which I will leave to the reader to discover.

What I especially like about this book is its blend of myth and history. McKinley doesn't have to be historically or factually accurate because she is addressing a character of myth and legend, but the historical touches lend veracity to her story. It is historical tale softened by legend, and legendary character made real by grounding in history.

The hero himself, Robin, is a practical, pessimistic, and even humble figure. He is no outsize superhero as painted by legend, but soon is portrayed as one by the public. The Outlaws of Sherwood shows the man behind the bow, and then builds up the legend further as tales of Robin's heroics spread throughout England. The reader also gets introduced to the backstories of other characters like Will Scarlett and Little John and they become more developed as people. The characters move out of the mists of legend and become real characters, pulling the reader in and humanizing the myths. The reader feels the power of the legend more strongly because of the human connection. I have yet to read this book and not cry at the end.

McKinley is a terrific author. As seen previously with her fairy-tale retellings, she is exceptional at taking stock fairy-tale characters and imbuing them with life and warmth. These are real people with real feelings - hopes, dreams, good points and bad. The Outlaws of Sherwood is an enjoyable book and a gripping read. You will be swept up in the plot and will not want to leave Sherwood Forest behind at the end of the novel.

Election Mania

When I read Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin and the Race of a Lifetime, the Canadian election was just a gleam in Michael Ignatieff's eye. Now it's a full-blown reality and this book is even more timely than ever!

I am a political junkie. I'm interested in what's going on, and I am genuinely excited about the election - both as a citizen of Canada and an observer. I like to make my own predictions about what's going to happen and then settle down the night of the election with a bowl of popcorn to watch the results.

Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin is perfect for a political junkie like me. It tells the story of the 2008 American election. The authors cover both sides - the battle between Obama and Hillary for the Democratic Party nomination, and then switches to McCain's race and his selection of Palin. The authors finish with the race for President by both McCain and Obama and ends with the election.

I found this book fascinating. I loved the inside perspective it gave of life on the campaign trail and all of the strategizing that goes on behind the scenes. It was really neat to see how a campaign comes together and how decisions are made. I felt sad for Hillary as I read about her campaign and just how close a race it really was between her and Obama.

I was fascinated by the process used to pick the Presidential candidate's running mate (the VP candidate). Every aspect of the candidate's life is vetted. The researchers examine the candidate's life, as well as the lives of the candidate's family and friends. Usually this happens. However, it did not happen with Palin and reading that part of the book was intriguing at just how little thought went in to her selection as the VP candidate.

I do, as usual, have one slight bone to pick. There are lots of people in this book. Lots of people. Every candidate is surrounded by all kinds of campaign workers. They're all introduced and described at that time, but there were too many of them. I can't remember all of these names - especially as I was never sure how important the people were. I could eventually figure out who did what as the book progressed, but there were too many names to remember. I wouldn't have minded a chart at the beginning of the book saying who did what.

That said, I'm really glad I read this book. It was one I wanted to read when it came out, and I'm glad I actually did take it out of the library instead of just thinking about it. It's the perfect book for political junkies - it reads like a political thriller, but it's all true! Will the Canadian election of 2011 be as exciting? Probably not - but I'll be watching with my popcorn all the same.

Space, the final frontier

The first read of my top 10 non-fiction books (as chosen by Entertainment Weekly) is Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach. It's easy to see why this book is one of the top non-fictions books of 2010: it is smart and funny. The book is easy to read and is packed full of interesting facts about space travel and humanity's quest to conquer it. This is what science writing should be like: witty, intelligent, and smart. The book doesn't talk down to people, but recognizes that the people reading this book are likely not scientists, and so does a good job of explaining potentially difficult concepts.

Packing for Mars is not a history of space travel, but it does follow the evolution of space travel throughout the decades to show how space technology has evolved. Instead, the book is about the practical things - how do astronauts eat in space? How does the lack of gravity affect humans? How do we study the effect of no gravity on objects to be used in space travel? The book answers all these questions and more.

Mary Roach approaches every topic enthusiastically. She hunts down Russian astronauts, pornographic footage, people on bed-rest for a study, and a parabolic plane with the same zeal and enthusiasm. You feel that Mary Roach really is interested in space travel and how humans would be able to get to Mars. She's the Everywoman of space writing - she asks all the questions the regular joes want to know but would never ask.

I really enjoyed this book very much. It was interesting to learn what astronauts eat in space, and all the testing that has to go in to every object that is going to go into space. One interesting thing was all the different experiments that have been performed in the name of the space program - many with animals. In fact, animals were a vital part of the space program in the beginning. It is always sad to hear about animal testing, but interesting in that many of the scientists involved had really good relations with their animal subjects.

However, the main thing I learned was that I never want to go to space. I had always thought it would be kind of neat to go to space (not that I had a chance anyway!), but now you'll never catch me going on some rocket ship! I don't think I could handle the strange food, everything floating (even crumbs - you can't eat anything with crumbs in space because the crumbs just float everywhere), the "unique" bathroom experiences, the cramped space, and the deathly vacuum outside. Earth is perfect for me, thanks!

Even though I'll be staying on Earth with my cats, I think I'd like to read more about space. It's a very interesting topic, even if I don't want to go there. Also, I think I will check out Mary Roach's other books. Her writing style is excellent - humorous and informative. I recommend Packing for Mars for everyone - even if you don't usually like science books, I think you will enjoy this one.

Rant!

This evening, as usual, I was perusing the Entertainment Weekly website to catch up on all the day's entertainment news, when an interesting tidbit caught my eye. It looks like Miss Marple of Agatha Christie fame, is going to be making her return to the big screen, in a movie produced by Disney, no less.

I'm a big fan of the David Suchet Poirot on TV, but I haven't always been a fan of the Miss Marple portrayals. I think of her as really small and tiny, almost frail. There have been some actresses who are just not right for the role, at least for how I think of Miss Marple.

Anyway, so Disney is coming out with a new Marple movie/movies - probably sequels if the first one does well. Okay, so who's playing the famous Miss?

Now, for those of you not familiar with Miss Marple, in the books she is described as a fluffy, pink and white old lady. Someone who is sweet, charming and very Victorian and ladylike. She acts fussy and fluttery, but has a shrewd brain.

The actress they cast as Miss Marple: Jennifer Garner. She is not elderly, nor pink and white and fluffy! (Nor small, either) Apparently, the picture is to be some kind of re-boot of the Marple story. And, it is set in the present, so it is a contemporary piece!

So why call it a Miss Marple film at all? Miss Marple is elderly, and she detects crime in England from the 1930's through to the 1960's. The new Disney-Garner production has neither of those things. (Although, to be fair, the film might be set in England; but contemporary England!) So, again, really, what's the point? You've taken away everything people love about the character to replace it with a new character who's not actually the character. Just invent some new detective lady for Garner to play, and leave poor Miss Marple alone! It's not Miss Marple, so why market it as Miss Marple? This is another character, with another set of stories, that the filmmakers are calling Miss Marple. But all the true fans know this character isn't Miss Marple. I definitely won't be seeing this movie. Are any of my readers interested? Or are you, like me, horrified at the desecration of a beloved character?

(Also, as a ranty aside to my rant, why does Blogger keep eating my paragraphs? It is super annoying to post, see no paragraphs, and then have to go back in to re-paragraph my whole post, and have to insert the paragraphs with html tags. Further annoyance!)

Glee!

Ok, so today I'm supposed to be writing about the first read of the bestsellers: Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach. And don't get me wrong, it's an excellent book and a really humorous and informative read. The problem is the music I'm listening to while I'm writing - I'm listening to/watching videos of Glee on YouTube.

Yes....Glee. I'm a Gleek! And I know, this is supposed to be a blog about books. But as I've said before, when talking about LOST, I'm interested in story. Now, for me, usually, the most compelling stories are those contained between two covers: that is, stories in books. But every now and again, stories from TV or movies draw me in.

Glee is once such program. I didn't start watching it when it came out because I think I was busy - I already had a bunch of shows that I was watching and other activities I was involved in - I didn't have the time to pick up another show. I don't really remember why I didn't start watching it, because it seemed like something I would really like, considering the other kinds of shows that I like. So, a few weeks ago, I decided that maybe I should start watching Glee. It's in the middle of the second season, so I had to catch up on the first season and the first half of the second season. Well, that didn't take very long! I fell head over heels in love with the show and watched episodes back to back to back until I was caught up. I think it took, oh, about a week. And now I'm caught up with the show and have to wait until April for new episodes, like everyone else.

What do I like about Glee? Well, I do like the singing. The cast is very talented at both singing and dancing and their musical numbers are a treat to watch and listen to. Plus, the songs are very singable and I like songs I can sing along to. I also enjoy how they mash up songs together - it really gives you a new perspective on the songs and gives them an intriguing new twist.

However, there's more than just song and dance on this show. I wouldn't be coming back if I didn't love the characters and storylines. I love a good story, especially a romance, and there is enough story and romance on this show to satisfy me! The music, in this case, can often enhance the character's emotions and draw you further into the storyline. What I like about Glee is how the characters have depth and different emotions to them. The writers aren't afraid to create characters with qualities that you might not like. Rachel, the lead, is a complex young woman who is struggling to find her place in the teen society where her talent and drive do not win her friends. All the characters are looking to fit in and to navigate the complex hierarchy of high school. The show examines different perspectives on the teenage life.

But it doesn't neglect the adults. The Gleeclub teacher, Will Schuester, is struggling in his own way to fit in. The evil Cheerios coach, Sue Sylvester, could be a one-dimensional villain, but the writers have broadened her character. She still gets in some of the best lines of the show though! (And Brittany, the dumb cheerleader - she has some really daffy lines. But even her character still has heart underneath the fog of her brain.) (Also, Emma, the guidance counselor, has the cutest wardrobe on TV. I want her clothes!)

The show is also very good at portraying the life of gay teen Kurt. Kurt is dealing with coming out, dating, bullying, and finding support and acceptance in the broader community. The scenes with his dad, Burt, are some of the most touching and loving in all television. The show is good at having those "teachable" moments, without making a whole afterschool special about them.

This show can make me laugh and cry in the same episode. It is both sweet and sour - there are touching and sensitive moments, and then a completely ridiculous situation that just makes you laugh. It has heart without being cloying, and wit without being cold. I am waiting in anticipation for April when new episodes begin. I guess I have time to fit in more books until then!

Pet Peeve

While watching Eat, Pray, Love the other day I was so moved during one scene that I cried aloud. No, not during any of the pasta eating scenes, or mediation, or scenery, or the bare bum of one fine young man. It was near the end. Julia Roberts is reading in Javier Bardem's lavish Balinese hut. He, trying to seduce her, takes her book away from her (minus points), and FOLDS THE CORNER OF THE PAGE DOWN (more minus points) before putting it down and sweeping her off to dance or some such. I couldn't help myself - I had to yell at the screen. Folding the corner of a book page is my biggest pet peeve. (Not to mention that I dislike to be interrupted while I am reading. Please don't take my book away from me if you want to keep your arms.) (Although I also hate when people write in books [textbooks excepted] - library books specifically. But that's another post!)

I don't like to damage or deface a book in any way (other than the slightly bedraggled look that comes with being read, and read often - a true sign of a loved book), and so I really hate when people fold the corners of pages. It makes a crease in a perfectly nice page that is now there forever. Yeah, sure, you unfold it when you're done with it, but the crease is still there. And if you reread books as often as I do, all the pages will be creased.

Why do people fold the corners? To mark the page. Now, while I don't keep my page by folding the corner, I have been guilty of not using bookmarks in the past. Even though I had a seeming drawer-ful of them, I used anything but - random bits of paper, cardboard, kleenex.... Or I had the bad habit of leaving my books face down and open, like a tent, on the page I was reading, as if the book was waiting for me to return and pick it up right away - which was not always the case. You can see how good it is for books:

However, all my troubles were solved when I received this excellent Christmas gift.

They are magnetic bookmarks! They are terrific! There are about 12 or so in the box, and they are small.

The bookmark just clips on to a page, and the magnet ensures the bookmark doesn't fall out and get lost.

I use them now on all my books. And what's handy is while you're reading, you just clip it on to a back page until you're ready to put the book away, and then clip right on to your spot. I also use them as devices to stop myself from reading if a book is too entrancing. I look forward from my current spot to the next chapter break and set the bookmark there. Then when I arrive, I have an excuse to attempt to put the book down, as my spot is already marked for me. I now check very carefully every time I send a book back to the library so that I don't send a bookmark with it! I really love these little bookmarks and find them very useful. They are now an essential part of book-reading for me.

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?

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.

Commuted

I had to take the train downtown the other day to run some errands, and I needed to bring a book with me to read on the train. Which leads to the all-important question: what book do I bring?

A "commuter" book has to meet a number of specifications: it can't be too big or too heavy, or I'll never fit it in my bag. So, all my large, hardcover non-fiction books are out. It has to be something that I'm closer to the beginning of the book than the end. It would be terrible if the book ended before my trip did! So, anything I'm almost finished reading is out. Heck, anything I'm in the middle of reading is out - I do read fast and I might get stuck on the train. (Yes, this happened once. Fortunately I was reading Shades of Grey at the time.) The story has to pull you in enough that you are interested but not too interested so that you miss your stop. (No, I have not done this - yet.) So I decided the Canada Reads books were out - I want to try and read them at home in the quiet so I can really focus on the story. In my teen years, I was worried about what other people would think of the material I'm reading, so I would try hard to pick something popular/cool. That phase has passed, so now I will quite happily pull out my Star Trek novel to read on the bus or train. (Although I haven't read a Star Trek novel in awhile - library trip!)

What kind of book fits all these variables? A paperback fiction novel that I've read before but am not currently reading seems to fit the bill. Usually I would bring one of my Agatha Christie omnibus books, but I have pretty much read all of them recently. Neither did I want to bring my new Poirot short story collection - I don't like bringing newer books on the bus/train in case they get beat up from being carried around in my bag. (Although they shouldn't - but they might.)

What did I choose? I picked an oldie but a goodie: Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery. This book is Montgomery's foray into more adult romantic fiction. It fits all the criteria: is a light, paperback, fiction book that I have read before and wasn't currently reading. The book is about Valancy Stirling: poor, snubbed, downtrodden Valancy Stirling. 29 years old and not yet married. Ignored and disliked by her whole clan. Valancy feels like she has nothing to live for until she receives a diagnosis that inspires her to change her life forever.

Nothing will beat the charm and magic of Anne of Green Gables, but that doesn't mean one should ignore Montgomery's other works. The setting is the Muskoka instead of Montgomery's beloved island, but all of her facility for description is still there. And there are the usual trademarks: the clannish family, the love for cats, the beautiful descriptions of nature and the depiction of people in society. Montgomery tackles some darker themes in this work, such as alcoholism and illegitimate children, but it is not a dark tale for all that. We know so much more of Montgomery's own unhappiness with her life and while this work hints at sadness, she kept the ending light and happy, but still believable. Whether or not you read it on the train, bus, or just at home, Blue Castle is a pleasant afternoon read. Valancy is a sympathetic heroine and her story is something people can relate to. It is a lovely book.

What do you read on your commute, faithful readers? What are your criteria for a commuting book? Do you read on your commute? Or do you just listen to your Ipod or sleep?

Christmas Books

Today I thought I'd write about Christmas books. No, not books about Christmas; books you received for Christmas. Due to a combination of family members, returns, and a gift card, I got 6 books for Christmas this year! (Actually, 7 if you count my cookbook of the last post.) That has to be a record number of books. And, of course, I can't wait to read them all.

Common Birds of Alberta by J. Duane Sept is an interesting and short book about, well, the common birds of Alberta. I recently received a birdfeeder and birdhouse for Christmas, so I am looking forward to getting to know our feathered friends a little bit better. It seems to go along with gardening and all the other eco-activities I seem to be involved in these days. Plus, it will give the cats something to stare at out the window other than magpies, bluejays, and the adorable little red squirrel that runs across our back fence from time to time. However, I probably should have put up both birdhouse and birdfeeder before 4 foot snowdrifts developed in our backyard.

I have never read any books by Kate Morton, but received both The House at Riverton and The Forgotten Garden for Christmas. My mom really enjoyed them, and is hoping that I will as well. They are historical-based novels about women and sound really interesting. I'm looking forward to reading them, as I'm always interested in reading books by authors who I've never read before.

The next three books, Poirot's Early Cases, Aristocrats, and Lady Queen, I picked myself from the bookstore through a combination of returns and a gift card. (I hate returning books - even when I already own them and so, logically, have to return them as it would be silly to own two copies of the same book. I just feel so sad. Although I don't think I've ever returned a book for cash/store credit. I always find something else at the bookstore that I'd like to have. So it ends up being a win-win situation!)

Of course, we all know about my Christie obsession - Poirot's Early Cases helps fill in the area of Christies that I don't have - short stories. I waffled between this and The Labours of Hercules for awhile, but settled on this one as I recently read The Labours of Hercules. However, I'll probably pick that one up soon because I still have money left on my gift card! Score!

I always begin any visit to the bookstore by going to the history section, and that's where The Lady Queen: The Notorious Reign of Joanna I, Queen of Naples, Jerusalem, and Sicily by Nancy Goldstone, caught my eye. I have just now realized, at home, that she is also the author of Four Queens, the book about four Provencal sisters who became Queens of England, France, Germany, and Sicily. So this one should be good. It's obvious from the subtitle that this book is about Queen Joanna who I think I know nothing about, other than what I may have read off Wikipedia. I'm really interested in the Crusader states that were created in the Middle East (Outremer) and this looks to broaden my knowledge of that area. And, just read this quote from the back of the book and tell me this doesn't want to make you pick up the book immediately:

"In 1348, at the age of twenty-two, Joanna I, queen of Naples, stood trial before the pope, accused of murdering her cousin and husband, Hungarian prince
Andrew. Arguing her own case in Latin, she won her acquittal, and went on
to become the only female monarch in her time to rule in her own name."

As soon as I read that, I had to have it!

And, finally, the last book I picked up is Aristocrats: Power, Grace & Decadence by Lawrence James. I have long wanted to read a complete history of the major aristocratic families in England (or, to be honest, a complete history of ALL the aristocratic families in England - there's only so much tracing of families one can do on Wikipedia!) and it looks like this is as close as I'll get for some time. (Or until I write one myself!) It is a history of the British aristocracy as a whole and how they've managed to survive until the present day. It sounds very interesting.

Now, I'd love to start reading all these books immediately. But, sadly, more pressing matters arise. The first of the Canada Reads books has come in at the library, so I have to read that (Unless by Carol Shields) and then pick up and read the second one which came in this week! However, once I've read those, I will be breaking in to my Christmas book stash. The dark, cold, snowy days of January and February are just made for reading, and that is what I'll be doing.