Pages: 468
First Published: Aug. 5, 2008
Genre: Magical realism
Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

Comments: I think that is an amazing opening line. How could you not read on after that? The process of reading the book was pure joy from the first page. The writing exquisite and the details of description superb. This is a difficult book to summarize. I’ve heard the book termed “a fantasy love story” but I’m more apt to calling it magical realism. The story starts off with a class one b*stard. He’s in the pornography business, started in front of the camera and now owns his own company. He leads a life of debauchery: women, cocaine, alcohol and sex. He crashes his car (completely his fault) and suffers a severe burn all over his body. He ends up in the hospital in the burn ward and the detailed treatment suffered by burn victims was disturbing. This section of the book was incredibly difficult to read the description of the man being burnt alive was amazingly excruciating to read, as was the medical treatments which these victims must endure.

An on again off again psychiatric patient visits the man and starts telling him stories of medieval times that eventually turn into stories of the two of them. He in a previous life and her still living after all these seven hundred years. She must spend this time giving away her twenty-seven hearts until he can except her last heart.

I loved the medieval stories. They started off fairy tale-ish but turned into a side story that was just as compelling, perhaps even more so, than the main modern time plot. The man eventually leaves the hospital and moves in with this woman, Marianne Engel. She is a sculptor of gargoyles and a love story of sorts progresses.

The narrator deals with his own personal demons in the form of a metaphorical snake of pain living in his spine. While the woman he lives with and cares for pursues her centuries old quest by carving gargoyles with little regard to her health. In my mind the author leaves the story open to personal interpretation. Is Marianne really seven hundred years old, are her tales true and do she and the narrator share a love of centuries or is she simply insane, a psychiatric patient whose condition continues to worsen. While I admit I enjoyed never really knowing whether Marianne was sane or not, I did form my own opinion of the answer and must say the ending left me feeling underwhelmed. Hence my 4.5 rating. The ending is plausible and the author is certainly entitled to choose such an ending but it did leave me feeling let down after the wonderful journey through the rest of the book. I had hoped things would end differently. A simply delicious read which certainly deserves the current hype and I would not be surprised to see this on this years Governor General’s Award shortlist.

He believed he had already lived long enough. He thought he was over the age of thirty - Jacob Howard was thirty, and they had been born around the same time - and Cassius looked that and more. He now studied the land as if he would never see it again, and tried to memorize it as if he might need to describe it one day. Indeed the land was elegant and sculpted and green and fertile, yet he was so unconnected to it that its beauty did not move him. He believed that he made no mark whatsoever on the land. He memorized but did not imagine carrying the memory with him to a better world. he could not imagine any kind of world that would come with death. He simply saw the end of his time, and in the quiet that followed, he found comfort. -From Sweetsmoke, page 12-

He grieved, he grieved as he looked a the men piled dead alongside the actively dying; he grieved that they would so willingly give up so much just to keep him in subjugation. -From Sweetsmoke, page 276-

David Fuller’s debut novel Sweetsmoke is set on a Virginia plantation in 1862. We hear the story through the point of view of Cassius, a slave to the Howard family, whose distinctive voice is unforgettable. Cassius has worked hard as a carpenter for Hoke Howard and his loyalty has earned him favors on the plantation as well as resentment from the slaves who toil in the fields. Then Cassius gets word that his friend Emoline - a freed slave who is part fortune teller and part herbalist - has been murdered. When he realizes her death will go unpunished, Cassius’ anger at his people’s enslavement and ill treatment bubbles over and he decides to seek revenge against Emoline’s murderer. His investigation not only uncovers secrets, political intrigue and betrayal…but opens a door to his heart which he had thought forever closed.

Sweetsmoke is a rich atmospheric novel of the South during the Civil War. Entwined in the story are the frequent injustices and crimes against enslaved blacks including beatings, hobblings and the theft of children who are torn from their mothers’ breasts to be sold into slavery. Fuller writes gripping dialogue and offers the reader characters who are complex and memorable. The reader’s heart will ache for Marriah, grow cold toward Ellen, and pound with fear for Cassius as the pages to this novel seem to turn themselves.

Perhaps most moving of all is the glimpse into the mind of a man who has only known slavery but who is still able to dream of freedom. Fueled by his love for Emmoline, Cassius is willing to risk everything to right the wrong of her death and in doing so he awakens a part of himself he thought had died.

“And you would seek poor Emoline’s killer?”

It seems that I would.

“In the midst of a furious war, where dead white men are common and the death of a free black woman carries less weight than that of a horsefly, for when the horsefly meets its end it ceases to be an irritant, you imagine that you will find her killer?” -From Sweetsmoke, page 134-

Sweetsmoke is subtle, beautifully written and compelling. It is a story which reminds the reader of a shameful time in history when the color of one’s skin meant humiliation and sometimes death. But it is also a story of courage and honor in the quest for freedom, and  a portrayal of what it means to have one’s own identity.

Highly recommended.

Pages: 170

First Published: Sept. 16, 2008
Genre: YA, realistic fiction
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

This is how things look: Shady Pines Apartments, four shabby buildings tucked off the road near the highway.

Comments: This is an immensely powerful and disturbing story told from the point of view of a fifteen-year old who was abducted by a pedophile at the age of ten. It describes in detail what her daily life is like and the brief memories she has before abduction. The book is brutal and graphic The graphic detail does stop at the point that would push it into adult reading, so while events are described very clearly so there can be no mistake as to what is happening, much is left to the imagination.

This is a book I would recommend every adult read. It is a difficult book to read but it makes one aware of the signs displayed by an abducted child. I don’t know the statistics but we are all aware that many children are abducted each year, no body found, lost to their loved ones forever. This book makes you aware of the signs to watch for. The girl in the book, renamed Alice by the abductor, walked around in public with the man as well as on her own and could have been saved many times had someone recognized and acted upon it. In this situation, a false accusation can be cleared up quickly, while if suspicions are proved true, a life can be saved and a family reunited. For this I think the book serves it purpose.

As stated it is a difficult book to read but compelling and a page-turner. However, I am concerned that it is marketed to teens. The book says ages 16+, yet the book is going to be available on the shelves to YA’s much younger and I would not recommend the book be read by any teen who is not s*xually active as the details are too blunt and brutal. Even though the book is short, easy to read and contains a teen main character I do not think that necessarily makes the book appropriate to teens.

The book is disturbing but true to life, the writing is brilliant, the pace is fast and the whole book beginning to end is deeply sad. I highly recommend this book to adults.

I would guess that the Man Booker judges committee this year all like the same kind of book: wry commentary on society, first person narrative, confessional story, with lots of dark humor. The White Tiger had the same tone and feel to me as A Fraction of the Whole and A Case of Exploding Mangoes, and I haven’t completely decided if I like this type of novel. For all three, I enjoyed the story and the humor, but I didn’t care enough about the characters to want to keep reading. I continually checked to see how much farther I had to read, and I could put them down and not be interested in picking them back up, and yet, I did enjoy the books. I have learned that I prefer a more emotional book than an intellectual book. My favorite books of the summer were Crow Lake and Before Green Gables, books which focused more on personal relationships rather than social commentary.

Modern India gets the going over in The White Tiger. The caste system, the servants to the rich, the many ways the poor people are kept down, American outsourcing, the balance of the old ways with the Internet society, people with cell phones but no running water. The narrator, Balram Halwai, writes to the premier of China who is expected on a visit, telling of his entrepreneurial rise to success in India. If morals had to be slightly ignored for his success, well, too bad. He tells us from the beginning what the end will be, but the reader is kept in suspense as to how, and while I can’t condone murder, he makes his case that the least damage was done for him to break out of his life and to be a success. I kind of liked Balram in the end.

The first person confessional was reminscent of The Reluctant Fundamentalist from last year’s Booker shortlist, but the letter writing makes it more conventional. The writing was good, and the exposure to different cultures is always good. Adiga keeps the story moving along and it will be a good read for people who like social commentary with a dose of humor.

 This book has been longlisted for the 2008 Man Booker.

Pages: 211
First Published: May 13, 2008
Genre: Children’s fantasy
Rating: 3/5

First sentence:

A fun romp that the younger set, 8-11 yo, are sure to enjoy. With non-stop action and humour of the toilet variety, this is definitely going to be enjoyed by boys mostly. The plot and action are fun but the characters are flat and one-dimensional. Newton’s quintuplet soccer-fiend brothers are simply a nasty nemesis for Newton possessing no other human qualities. But sometimes a book is just meant to be silly and fun and this fits the bill.

Olive Kitteridge

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout was a novel comprised of thirteen short stories about people living in rural Maine. Several of the stories were based on the title character, but many of the stories only showed us a glimpse of Olive. From any perspective, Strout provided her readers with an enjoyable cast of characters and their life stories.

Olive was a retired teacher, married to Henry, and the mother of one son, Christopher. As a teacher at the same middle school for years, she had the rare opportunity to know most of her neighbors through school. Olive was flawed, often depicted as angry, condescending and sharp-tongued. However, in other chapters, Olive showed many favorable characteristics, helping her former students and fellow townspeople in small but significant ways.

Through this quilt of stories, the readers – and Olive –gleaned lessons of loving and living. One of my favorite thoughts from Olive Kitteridge was at the very end: “…that love was not to be tossed away on a platter with others that got passed around again. No, if love was available, one chose it, or didn’t choose it.” Though Olive’s life story, I learned something about my own life and choices (good and bad) that I’ve made.

The character of Olive Kitteridge with her detestable moments in one chapter and her tender moments in another made her real and alive to me. She was a cantankerous old lady with a heart of gold. Indeed, she will go down as one of my favorite literary characters.

If you enjoyed the structure of Winesburg, Ohio or the small-town writing style of Richard Russo, then grab Olive Kitteridge. But even if you don’t, grab this book anyway. I think most readers of contemporary women’s fiction can find something to like in Olive Kitteridge (and I bet it will be Olive herself). ( )

“In our new emperor, Hongxi, the mandarins received the emperor they requested. An emperor who will focus China inward and close the doors to the outside world.” -From The Map Thief, page 176-

Historical evidence reveals that the earliest European world maps show lands and oceans which had not yet been discovered by the Europeans for decades. Many historians have conjectured that it was really the Chinese explorers who first circumnavigated the world, but maps of those voyages were destroyed during the mid-1400s when Emperor Hongxi closed China’s doors to the outside world. Could some maps have escaped the bonfires and made their way into European explorers’ hands? It is this question which fuels Heather Terrell’s fascinating second novel: The Map Thief.

The Map Thief is really three interconnected stories which revolve around world exploration, political intrigue, and the art of navigation and mapmaking.

In the early 1400s, a mapmaker and eunuch by the name of Ma Zhi is chosen to accompany the famous Admiral Zheng He from China across the Yellow Sea and Indian Ocean to the coast of Africa. Their journey is to continue on from there to discover new territory…and map it. Zhi is a sympathetic and courageous character who has given up his manhood to bring honor and wealth to his family. His mapmaking is nontraditional and beautiful, and his private life is revealed through his art.

In the late 1400s, Antonio Coehlo is a rough-around-the-edges mapmaker from Portugal who finds himself aboard a vessel with the explorer Vasco da Gama in a quest to locate the sea route to India. But there is a secret he must keep - da Gama already knows the way because of an ancient Chinese map in his possession.

Mara Coyne lives in present day New York - the head of a company which negotiates the return of stolen artwork. She is contacted by a powerful man who is funding an archaeological dig along the Silk Road in China. A map has been unearthed and is now missing. Mara must travel to China to investigate - and what she finds will uncover a mystery long kept secret.

Heather Terrell has done her homework for this richly historical suspense-thriller which weaves together Chinese and Portuguese culture, while exploring the fascinating world of stolen artifacts. The three separate stories come together seamlessly. The Map Thief is suspenseful, but even more so an historical lesson about the early explorers as well as art.

If there is a flaw in the book, it is Terrell’s development of Mara’s character and relationship with Ben, the archeologist in charge of the dig. Their interactions feel contrived at times, and the chemistry they supposedly were building lacked conviction. Despite this, the book exhibits fine pacing, engrossing detail, and tantalizing setting.

Heather Terrell’s debut novel - The Chrysalis - introduces Mara Coyne’s character and should probably be read first. But, The Map Thief can also stand on its own. I’m looking forward to reading more from this talented writer.

Recommended.

Pages: 360
First Published: July 15, 2008
Genre: thriller, mystery
Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

He was moaning, a guttural sound in the back of his throat as his fingers tightened their grip in her hair.

Comments: Kimberly Quincy, FBI agent, is told a strange tale by a prostitute of a very scary man who is taking and killing prostitutes and has been for years. Another agent finds an unmarked envelope under his car wipers with driver’s licences for 6 young women. When a few names match the prostitute’s story Kimberly believes the tale. But with no missing persons reports and no bodies the word of one hooker does not make a case. As the story progresses we are introduced to one of the most vicious serial killers I’ve read about recently. There is more than just the one story here though, a child who has been abducted and leads a life of fear and degradation enters the scene and this thrilling thriller takes the reader on a roller coaster ride.

This is my first Lisa Gardner book and I can’t believe I’ve waited this long. I enjoyed this thriller just as much as any by my other favourite authors (ie. Slaughter or Gerritsen). This read is fast-paced, very disturbingly gruesome, with a plot that twists and shocks. You can’t ask for more when it comes to a serial killer thriller. As a first-timer with this series I found it very easy to jump in with this sixth book, enough past details are given to explain what drives the characters and also to make me want to go back and read the other books. I will definitely be reading more Lisa Gardner.

Pages: 289
First Published: June 10, 2008
Genre: Travelogue, Memoirs
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

When my long-dreaded thirtieth birthday arrived, I really wasn’t as upset as I imagined I’d be, for I had achieved a much more important milestone: my sartorial centennial.

Comments: Doreen and her husband, Tim, are both psychiatrists in their mid-forties. Tim is a dedicated workaholic with a demanding practice. Doreen has given up practice and works filing insurance claims from the comfort of her bed in her pajamas and is proud of the fact the she hardly ever leaves the house. Out of the blue, Tim convinces her that they will take a year off and drive around the United States in a converted bus. This book details that journey.

At first I wasn’t sure whether I would like Doreen’s narrative as her rich, material world lifestyle is the exact opposite of my own lifestyle but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I found myself relating to her throughout the whole book. Doreen is simply hilarious, an outspoken person who will say just about anything. I was chuckling joyously chapter after chapter and even found myself reading parts aloud to my husband quite often, which rarely happens around here as he is a non-reader.

Humour aside, the journey they take was very interesting and informative to me. As a Canadian my knowledge of US geography is middling but even those who are experts on the topic will find Ms. Orion’s journey of interest. While they do go to some famous tourist spots, Doreen chooses mostly to talk about lesser known tourist attractions, RV parks, the automotive challenges they experienced and the people they met on the way.

This is the type of book one can pick up and read a chapter at a time and pick up again later and not loose the flow of the narrative. Highly recommended, especially for summer beach reading or winter armchair travelling.

I believe Anne fans have been somewhat leery of this book. To attempt to write the before story, based on the small tidbits of her past that Anne let slip, was a huge undertaking for Wilson. People who love Anne would want the story to be true to LM Montgomery’s unique character. When I heard Wilson speak last month, she said her task was to write the story that would have allowed Anne to become the girl she was: full of spirit, still optimistic despite having been an orphan and yet, essentially an indentured slave to families who agreed to take her in, the Thomas’ and the Hammonds. Wilson has succeeded beyond my wildest hopes.

I’ve heard that as long as a child has one person they can count on, who loves them, in the first few years of life, they will have a base for future relationships. Anne gets this in the form of Eliza, the sixteen year old daughter of Mrs Thomas. Eliza also told her the fantastic stories of princesses and knights and fairy tales that would sustain Anne in her wild imagination. Although Eliza leaves to get married when Anne is about four, she laid the foundation for the wonderful Anne we know and love.

I had to set rules for when I could read this book, because I was thrown in the depths of emotion as Anne is hurt and let down time and time again, and to be found sobbing in the car at a soccer game would draw too much attention. I think it was so emotional because you know where she will end up, in the loving home of Matthew and Marilla, but getting there, when there were opportunities for Anne to have a loving home along the way that kept getting thwarted, was a mix of emotion. Sad that Anne was hurt, but knowing that it had to happen to get her to PEI. Characters for the most part weren’t purposefully mean to her, life was pretty tough on them as well, like Mr Thomas and Mrs Hammond. And everywhere she went, peripheral people were drawn to the spindly, homely child with the bright red hair and so many freckles with the wild imagination and huge words. They managed to give Anne small doses of love and concern that she latched onto and held in her bosom heart. In the debate over nature/nurture, nature wins out for Anne, as her intelligence and optimism and love of beauty were inherited from her loving parents and could not be stomped out by the life she led.

Wilson included information that Montgomery let slip - the carpet bag, Anne’s fascination of puffed sleeves, and Katie Maurice. It all fit together perfectly for me, and my heart broke the whole time, waiting for Anne to get the train to Bright River, and finally get picked up by Matthew Cuthbert, whose name can also burst me spontaneously into tears. The style is not Montgomery but it was very readable and I wasn’t expecting the same writing as Montgomery. Wilson has provided Anne lovers with a new book to make us love Anne, and Matthew and Marilla, even more.

5/5

443 pages