Why I Read

I was thinking about reading the other night as I was drifting off to sleep, and I was wondering why I read. There are so many ways to entertain oneself these days: TV, computer games, XBox, etc.; so why do I choose reading as my primary source of entertainment? Why do I read? I thought about it for a little while, and managed to narrow it down to three factors. If a book doesn't meet one of these three factors, I probably won't finish it and I won't be entertained. This is why I read: curiosity, relaxation, and escape.

1. Curiosity
I read because I want to know something. This is separate and distinct from any reading you may have to do for school and work. This is reading on your own time. For me, this is mostly non-fiction reading (as evidenced by my giant bookshelf of royal history non-fiction books!) but it may also be fiction. Every now and then at the library I pick up a random book because I am curious about the title or picture on the front cover. Sometimes this leads to a good read; sometimes it doesn't. This also works for non-fiction too - I stroll up and down the history aisles at the library, looking for books.

In fact, I can trace my love of history to curiosity. I was reading A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and the main character, Sara, remarks that she was worried she would forget that Henry VIII had six wives. I was intrigued. Who was this Henry VIII? Why did he have 6 wives? Who were they? What happened to all the wives I turned to my at-home encyclopedia to find out. Then, of course, I wanted to know more about Henry's predecessor and successor. I wanted to know more about Henry's family - his sisters, brother, parents, children. This lead to a deep and abiding interest in the history of the English Royal family; all from that one moment of curiosity.

2. Relaxation
I also read because I want to relax. Whether because of a hard day at work, or I'm waiting at the doctor's office, or I'm on a road trip, I read to rest and recover from the day. These types of books are what my mom and I fondly call "junk food books". They're not the great classics of English literature: they're quick, enjoyable reads that one can get through in an afternoon. (If one is so lucky to have an afternoon to devote solely to reading!) These are books like the Shopaholic series, Bridget Jones series (although I've only actually read the first books of either of these two series), Mercedes Lackey and Georgette Heyer. Not every book you read needs to be Jane Eyre. Every now and then it's good to have a little fun. When reading them, you know the hero/heroine isn't going to get in too much trouble that's not going to be set right by the end of the novel. You worry, but you're not stressed at the predicaments the characters find themselves in. The books are enjoyable and entertaining, but don't keep you up at night. A nice light read when you need a break.

3. Escape
At first glance, one may think this is the same as "relaxation", above. No, it is not and I'll explain why. Some authors are so good, the stories and characters so intense and believable, that you are completely engulfed in the book. Ever read a book and been surprised when you put it down to find yourself still at home? Those are the kinds of books I'm talking about. This is mainly why I read - to escape into another place or time. Some of my favourite authors here are Sharon Kay Penman and Laurie R. King. You read their books and you are there in Medieval England or 1920's England. It is always a shock to put one down and find myself still in 2010's North America. It is these kinds of books Jasper Fforde was probably inspired by to write his Thursday Next series. The one downside with "escape" books is they do tend to interfere with your life a little bit, which is why "relaxation" reads are better everyday choices and "escape" reads better for when you have more time!

So, there it is. I read to satisfy my curiosity, I read for relaxation, and I read to escape into another world. Why do you read?

The Play's the Thing

As promised on Monday, today I am going to talk about the Ngaio Marsh book I recently read: Enter A Murderer. This is the second book in her series featuring Chief Detective-Inspector Alleyn. The book also features intrepid reporter Nigel Bathgate, whom we first met in the first book in the series, A Man Lay Dead.

This book, as evidenced by the title, takes place in the world of the theater. Nigel takes his friend Inspector Alleyn to watch a play; The Rat and The Beaver. The final act is especially dramatic as one of the characters is shot on stage at the climax of the play. However, this time it is no performance - those were real bullets in the gun, not blanks and the actor is actually dead. There is a short list of characters who could have killed him: the cast of the play and the stagehands who run things behind the scenes. Inspector Alleyn must delve into the offstage world of the theater and investigate the real-lives of all the actors and actresses to determine who is the murderer.

It is a typical Christie/Marsh set-up - someone is murdered and there is only a limited number of people who could have committed the murder. I appreciate this style of murder-mystery as it is like solving a puzzle. Plus, the gore and violence are kept to a minimum. It is an exercise for the brain, not for the stomach!

Like Marsh's previous Alleyn novel, I enjoyed this one as well. It is a fast-paced quick read. Not overly challenging, but draws you in and keeps you interested as the mystery unfolds. Marsh's books, Heyer's mysteries, and Christie's books, are all set in the same time period. However, unlike Heyer's mysteries, I am not reading Marsh awaiting the arrival of Hercule Poirot! Inspector Alleyn is a real and developed character, and he carries the mystery on his own. He is intriguing, as there seems to be a hint of sadness in the character, and some mystery about his past life. I am curious to read more of the mysteries and see how the character develops. There is even a whisper of romance in this novel as it appears that Alleyn is attracted by one of the suspects. I'm curious to see if that subplot is carried through to the other novels as well.

One thing that makes Marsh's novels stand out from Christie's is that the protagonist is an actual police detective. This makes it natural and right that he should be investigating crimes. Of course, Poirot was also a consulting detective, so his involvement in crime was natural as well. Mystery writers can get into some trouble if their detective is not private or police - the writer gets tied in knots trying to find a way to involve their character in a murder without the character being suspected of the murder! After awhile, the coincidences are just too much, and the series often loses its charm. (Such as Diane Mott Davidson's Goldy/Caterer mystery series. Eventually, a caterer always stumbling on a dead body and solving the mystery gets a little far-fetched.) However, if your detective is a police or private detective, the crime comes to them and the investigation of it is their job. I like that Alleyn is a police detective and I am interested in Marsh's portrayal of the police force and its detective abilities.

In summary, I enjoyed this Ngaio Marsh book too. I will have to put the next one on hold from the library! I enjoy her police detective as an alternate to Christie's private detective, but enjoy the similar themes and puzzles that are contained in each work. The real test will come when I finish the series - will I want to read them again? I own nearly all of Christie's works and reread Poirot and Marple probably about once a year. Will I want to own the Marsh series and reread them? Only time will tell.

Masquerade

I have been reading a lot lately and finishing books in a few days or less. So I have a backlog of books to talk about! Which is good because this is my next read:

However, I recently finished two quick reads: The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer and Enter a Murderer by Ngaio Marsh. Today I will talk about The Masqueraders and talk about the Ngaio Marsh next time.

As with most of Heyer’s works, The Masqueraders was a quick and entertaining read. While her books are not challenging intellectually, they are charming and fun to read. Heyer writes great stories and engaging characters. She makes you want to keep reading until you have finished the book. I think her reads would be good for a car trip – you’d be caught up in the story until you arrived at your destination.

The Masqueraders is the story of a brother and sister on the run in Georgian England. Having participated in the Jacobite rebellion, they are perceived as traitors to their country and risk imprisonment or death. Their father, an adventurer, rogue, and master of intricate plots indicates that the siblings should meet him in London. So, in order to limit the risk of arrest, the pair don disguises and switch sexes in order to meet their father in London incognito. Prudence, the sister, dresses up as a young man, Peter Merriot, and her brother, Robin, dresses up as a young lady, Kate Merriot. The two make their way to the house of a close friend in London to await further developments from their father. The pair and their father have led a highly irregular life so disguise and deception are a way of life for the family.

However, the pairs’ efforts to keep a low profile in London are nearly immediately thwarted when the pair prevent an elopement from occurring as the siblings are journeying to London. They make an enemy of the prospective groom, Mr. Markham, while Robin falls in love with the prospective bride, Letitia Grayson. Prudence, meanwhile, falls in love with Sir Anthony Fanshawe, a friend of the Grayson family and Letty’s other potential suitor.

The siblings must work to maintain their false identities and act in the manner expected of a lady or gentleman of the time while concealing their true identities from Sir Anthony and Leticia. Eventually their father appears on the scene in a most unexpected manner, and the siblings must follow their father’s plan to clear their names before their true identities can be revealed.

All in all, The Masqueraders was an entertaining and enjoyable read. It is set in an earlier time period than most of Heyer’s works, but she brings her same close attention to detail in clothing, slang, and manners that she does to her Regency work. At times this is almost annoying, given “Kate’s” propensity to call everyone “child”. One assumes that was usual address for a young woman at the time, but it grates on the reader a little bit. I also saw the twist at the end coming well before I got to the end of the novel, but you're not really reading this type of book for the surprise.

I think I prefer Heyer’s Regency work and storylines, but this novel is just as entertaining of a read as any of Heyer’s Regency romances. I am more interested in the romantic storylines and fashionable society of the Regency period, but The Masqueraders is still an enjoyable way to pass the time with a book.

Good Night, Irene

Since his creation, Sherlock Holmes has been considered to be one of the greatest of all the literary detectives. Authors have reinterpreted the Holmes canon in new and unexpected ways. I am just beginning to realize how many Holmes interpretations are out there. One of my favourites is the Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King. My mother recently advised me of a new interpretation - the Irene Adler series by Carole Nelson Douglas. Thus intrigued, I ordered the first book, Good Night, Mr. Holmes, from the library and read it immediately.

I will say that I prefer the Holmes in the Mary Russell series: there he is a little more human, instead of a merciless, mechanical, thinking machine. However, with Irene Adler as the heroine, perhaps that is to be expected. There was also a brief moment of bait and switch at the beginning of the novel when I read along in the first person, thinking I was hearing the voice of Irene Adler, only to be surprised several pages later when the narrator became introduced to Irene Adler! However, perhaps that is more the fault of the person who wrote the blurb on the back of the book than the writer, for not indicating the true provenance of the narrator. Irene Adler is a known commodity in the Holmesian world; Penelope Huxleigh, not so.

After I recovered from my initial shock, I quite enjoyed the book. Penelope is an interesting and intelligent narrator, and her cool intelligence and morality are a perfect foil to Irene's passionate sense of drama and intellect. Penelope is Watson to Irene's Holmes; but a Watson with her own gifts to bring to the deduction of mysteries. Just as the Holmes stories are about male friendship, so is this book about female friendship. There is also a nice contrast between Irene's free-spirited American feminist and Penelope's parsons'-daughter conventional Victorianism. The two characters relate nicely to one another and their friendship is enjoyable and believable.

The story is a touch oddly plotted in that it suddenly seems to skip a number of years while alluding to other events that happened in those years that we are not privy to (and that presumably do not intersect with the mystery plot underlying this narrative.). My point only is that I don't think that the gap in years is necessary for the novel - a gap in months would have sufficed.

One should know the Holmes stories well to read this book - I like how the author weaves Irene Adler into the established Holmes mysteries (beyond "A Scandal in Bohemia"). It is like seeing the other side of the story - the side that Conan Doyle did not write about.

I also enjoyed the descriptions of Victorian law and lawyers as represented in the person of Godfrey Norton. Penelope learns how to type and becomes a typist - in essence, an early form of legal assistant - to Godfrey Norton. He and his family are also the subjects of a mystery which causes him to be tangled up with Irene and Penelope. Now, I've read "A Scandal in Bohemia" and I know how that turns out. I know that Irene Adler marries Godfrey Norton in the end. But I hoped against hope the whole book that somehow that would change and it would be Penelope marrying Godfrey! That seemed a more likely pairing. However, the author is constrained by the source material.

In general, I really quite enjoyed the book. I was annoyed at first to find the book not in Irene's voice (and I still think she deserves a starring role and a chance at first-person narration) but I grew to like Penelope and enjoyed the relationship between the two characters. I am interested to read the other books in the series to see how the worlds of Irene Adler and Sherlock Holmes intersect behind the curtain - as it were - of the Conan Doyle stories.

Frederica

A few days ago, I finished the most recent book in the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. (Expect a post soon - but I don't want to give away the ending to the book clubbers who may not have finished the first book!) I was at a loss for reading material until I remembered the book my friend had given me for my birthday a short while ago.

She, knowing my love of Jane Austen and the regency period, had recommended the author Georgette Heyer. I found her books in the library. I read Arabella and loved it immediately. My next foray into Heyer, with The Spanish Bride, had not gone so well and I soon put Heyer aside in order to reread the Mary Russell series and Jasper Fforde. However, I think Frederica has cemented the start of a beautiful relationship and the possibility of a new series I shall have to collect.

Frederica is the story of a young woman who has been acting as guardian to her younger siblings: Harry, Charis, Jessamy, and Felix. Frederica brings her siblings to London in order to give her extremely beautiful sister Charis a London season and a greater chance of a good marriage than she would have in rural England. Frederica asks for the assistance of a distant cousin, the Marquis of Alverstoke, to help her sister. Much to his surprise, the Marquis agrees and becomes involved in the exploits of Jessamy and Felix and further embroiled with the family.

I won't spoil the ending by giving it away, but suffice it to say that it is a happy ending. Frederica, like Arabella, has reaffirmed my appreciation for Georgette Heyer's Regency novels. They are like Jane Austen's work in that they involve young single woman and the quest for marriage (the only appropriate career for women at that time) but there's a little more detail. The same wit and sparkle are there, but Heyer's works are more gossipy, more detailed with descriptions of clothing and places. However, Heyer's characters are just as endearing as Jane Austen's creations and speak the same witty banter. Heyer's understanding of and research into the Regency period is remarkable. Her books were written in the 1900's, yet would stand up to Regency period work.

Now that I own Frederica, I may begin collecting the rest of Heyer's Regency work. Her novels are being republished by Sourcebooks Casablanca. Just take a look at some of the beautiful covers:

I love books with portraits of people in historical dress on the front cover. In fact, I get rather annoyed if I grab a book from the library shelf with a lovely old-fashioned portrait on the cover and it's a book about modern life. That's a bait and switch! At any rate, the books will make a charming edition to my library, and I have a new collection to begin (and probably a new bookshelf to buy).

Heyer also writes historical fiction about other time periods and locations, such as The Spanish Bride, which is set in the same Regency period, but on the Spanish peninsula during the Napoleonic wars. Maybe due to the fact that it is set during the wars, I did not find that it had the same charm and sparkle as Arabella or Frederica and I couldn't get into the book or the characters. My next Heyer, which I got out from the library, is The Masqueraders. This is set after the Jacobite rebellion and involves a brother and sister and a very Shakespearean disguise!

Heyer also writes mysteries set in the 1920's and 1930's - similar in some respects to Agatha Christie. I did try to read one of her mysteries, but found myself waiting for Poirot to come in and solve the mystery and save the day. I think I'll stick with my Christies for mysteries and my Heyer for Regency romance.

A Second Chance

Have you ever read a book, hated it, and vowed never to read it again? I have done that several times, with a number of books and have always kept my vow. However, sometimes a second chance can help you like a book you thought you hated.

In high school, like all high school students of my year, we had to read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee in English class. I'm not sure I remember what grade I was in, but I know it was in high school. I read the book, because I read all the assigned books in class. But I was not happy about it! In short, I hated it. Yes, rank heresy I know, but I despised the book. I thought the first half of the book had nothing to do with the second half and didn't understand what all the fuss about Boo Radley was. I wanted to move on and get to some Shakespeare already! I hated To Kill a Mockingbird and vowed never to read it again.

Fortunately for me and literature, I had to reread To Kill a Mockingbird a few years ago for a law and literature class. When I saw the book on the reading list I groaned. I did not want to have to make my way through this book again! I opened the slim purple volume with trepidation, wondering how long I could make it through before the first feelings of disgust surfaced.

However, much to my surprise, I began to like the book. I was caught up in Ms. Lee's description of the South and her clearly rendered characters, time, setting, and place. I was enthralled, I was entranced. I read through the book in a few sittings and finished it in amazement. I no longer hated To Kill a Mockingbird; in fact, I could quite easily say that it was one of the best books I had ever read. I had gone from total disgust to total appreciation. I could only laugh at my high school self who had hated this book and be thankful that school had once again thrown this novel into my hands.

I have yet to read To Kill a Mockingbird a third time - or on my own, for my own enjoyment. But the book now sits on my shelf, and it is something I will turn to again, I am sure. I am glad I received the chance to revise my opinion of this classic. Perhaps being a little older and a little wiser helped too. So, if at first you don't succeed, try again with a book in a little while, and you too may be amazed.

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day everyone! In honour of this holiday celebrating our nation, I thought I would post a list of my top 5 favourite Canadian authors. When I set out to make the list, I was thinking I would try and make it inclusive - include Canadians from all across the country and all ethnicities. Then I thought - hey, I'm not the government! This is my list and reflects my thoughts.

#5 Gordon Korman
Who in elementary school did not have to read a Gordon Korman book? And then immediately read the rest of them too, just because they were so funny. He is best known, and best loved, for his Bruno and Boots/Macdonald Hall series. Mr. Korman wrote the first of those books as a Grade 7 English project and his career blossomed from there. I read and enjoyed the Bruno and Boots series and several other of Mr. Korman's books, including I Want to go Home, but my favourite has to be Losing Joe's Place. In this book, Jason and his friends move into Jason's brother's apartment for the summer and hilarity ensues - including something about a chocolate dessert with uncooked eggs in it.... This book is my favourite for purely sentimental reasons. It was read to the class by my Grade 6 teacher. The next year I would be moving on to Junior High, where teachers didn't necessarily read to their students. There was nothing better than a Friday afternoon when the teacher would pull out the book and read to us until the end of the day; the essence of childhood right there. Thank you, Mr. Korman, for your entertaining and enjoyable books.

#4 Pauline Gedge
Pauline Gedge is a Canadian writer who doesn't write about Canada at all. Instead, Ms. Gedge transports to the reader to that most unique and interesting of places, Ancient Egypt. Her books are well-written and meticulously detailed. She brings you to Ancient Egypt so that you feel you are there among the Pharaohs and pyramids. And she does this all from small-town Alberta. Ms. Gedge also has dabbled in Gothic (The Covenant), Ancient Celts (The Eagle and the Raven), and Sci-fi (Stargate), but my favourites from her will always be her Egyptian novels. My two favourite are Child of the Morning and Twelfth Transforming.

#3 Sandra Gulland
Sandra Gulland is yet another Canadian writer who doesn't write about Canada either. Instead, Ms. Gulland brings Empress Josephine (wife of Napoleon Bonaparte) brilliantly to life in her Josephine trilogy. These books are written as the diary of Josephine and cover her life from a young girl growing up in the sugar plantations of the West Indies, through to her marriage to a nobleman and experiences during the French Revolution where her husband was guillotined and she was imprisoned, to her life as wife to Napoleon and Empress of the French. Josephine was an interesting and complex woman, and Ms. Gulland really captures what she must have been like. Of the trilogy, my favourite is the first: The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. Ms. Gulland has also written about Louise de la Valliere, a mistress of Louis XIV. For me, it is not as strong as her Josephine work, but still enjoyable.

#2 Monica Hughes
I was introduced to science fiction by Monica Hughes, and since then I have never looked back. And while her books may be more suited for a young adult audience, they still hold up today. She will always be one of my favourite sci-fi authors. She wrote many books, but I have two particular favourites. The first is The Tomorrow City, about the city of the future and what happens when something goes wrong, and Invitation to the Game, about young people trying to survive in a crowded and overpopulated world struggling with mass unemployment, when they receive an invitation to a mysterious game. Both books are inventive and have strong storylines and intriguing characters. Good books for readers of all ages.

#1 Lucy Maud Montgomery
Many of the other authors on this list have special memories for me relating to my childhood. Lucy Maud Montgomery was my childhood. I have read every book of hers (and own almost all of them) from Anne of Green Gables to Jane of Lantern Hill. Her dreamy, romantic tales were the building blocks for my childhood imaginings. I wanted to be like Anne, like Emily. I too had a bosom friend and kept a journal of poems. I adored all of her books and spent a whole day in Prince Edward Island going to everything Montgomery related, from her birthplace in New London, to the Lake of Shining Waters, Green Gables and her grave outside Cavendish. I read Ms. Montgomery's journals when I was a little older and was surprised to find out how little happiness she had in her own personal life. Her stories reflect the happy endings she was denied. That is not to say her stories are devoid of any depth: there are dark themes in her work. But overall her characters receive the happy endings they deserve. As for a favourite - I can't pick just one! Whatever mood I'm in, there's a Montgomery book for it. I love Anne, Emily, Marigold, Pat, Valancy, Jane and all the other residents of her fictional universe. Ms. Montgomery was a complex and passionate individual with an amazing talent for writing beautiful stories. She is my favourite Canadian author.


Those are my top 5 Canadian authors. Now go read them! Happy Canada Day Everyone!