"The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway

Decent story. It's the first IBook I purchased for myself. $.99. I've come across numerous references to the story recently, so I thought I may as well finally read it. It would probably be a lot of fun to do a literary analysis of it

"Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

This is book 2 of the Hunger Games. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, considering the grimness of the topic. Death isn't unbearably sad if there are things worth dying for. I'm looking forward to the movie, which comes out in a few weeks.

"The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet" by David Mitchell

This was a very long and involved read dealing with Japan and the Dutch East India Company in the early 18th century. It was hard to keep track of the characters in the book because of the numerous foreign names, and there were times when I regretted starting it. But when all is said and done, I'm glad I read it. As with "Cloud Atlas", the author has woven together all the elements in the story with beautiful delicacy. I first heard the author being interviewed about this book when I was on my way to Petawawa to babysit Lucas. Driving on my own was an adventure. And tomorrow, Brendan leaves for Thailand.

"The Riders" by Tim Winton

I picked this book up for free among donations in the Royal Ottawa Hospital community library. I had considered buying it awhile ago, after I read "Breath" by Winton, a book for which Simon Baker has bought the movie rights. The book is kind of odd and cloudy and unclear. It's messy, just like real life, and readers' disatisfaction with the lack of resolution was a strong factor in my not buying it. I guess I'm glad a read it. And oh yeah, it's about a man who chases around Europe with his young daughter looking for his wife, who deserted them.

"World War Z: an oral history of the zombie war" by Max Brooks

Saw the movie with Brendan in Fredericton, and enjoyed it, so bought the book. There's very little similarity between the 2. I liked the book very much because it treated the problem realistically, and on a global scale. The one issue I had with it was that due to the format of survivor tales, it was difficult to remember individuals, so I missed a few unifying threads, I think.

"419" by Will Ferguson

Excellent book recommended to me by Eva. It broadened my horizons by giving me a vey good feel for the complexities of life in Nigeria. I have to ask Eva why she hated the ending, though it certainly is too bad that the boy with the beautiful smile had to die. It was amazing how people's actions affected the lives of others, even half way around the world. The book implies that we can be buffeted by forces so all encompassing that they are invisible to us. I finished this book in New Jersey, at Bridget's house.

"Casting the Runes and other Ghost Stories" by M.R. James

Ghost stories by an author I had never heard of, but who is apparently important in the ghost story genre. The stories are very British, and very similar, but I did grow fond of them due to their well educated background. The ghosts and spooks are inferred, rather than described as actually existing. Folklore is often mentioned, and I do enjoy folklore.

"Cashel Byron's Profession" by Bernard Shaw

To my surprise, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Finished reading it in NB, where we went to help care for Lucas while Lochlan was being born. I bought this book a long time ago, based on the fact that one of my high school compositions about the play "Joan of Arc" closely matched what Bernard Shaw had himself written in the introduction. Based on that, I figured we were simpatico and that I would like this book as well. I guess the subject matter of a prize fighter made me reluctant to read it, but I need not have feared. Book contains: very intelligent and wealthy gentle woman; very stupid but kind hearted boxer who falls in love with her, and turns out to be a gentleman as well; ironic observations by the author that made me laugh out loud; British class system; romance.

"Simisola" by Ruth Rendell

I enjoyed this book so much that I didn't even read the ending early. Main themes were unemployment and slavery in England. I have a feeling I enjoy Ruth Rendell slightly more than I do PD James.

"Zombies of the Gene Pool" by Sharyn McCrumb

I had Ray buy this book because I like Sharyn McCrumb, and I thought I had never read it. It's closely linked to "Bimbos of the Death Sun", which I did remember reading and enjoying. It turn out I did read this book as well, though I only remember it vaguely, and I do remember its being the inferior of the pair. I did enjoy it, and figure I had a more mature perspective on it this time round, since it involves older people dredging up a time capsule they buried in their youth. Included cogent commentary about science fiction fandom.

"Skios" by Michael Frayn

Ray bought this book for me. I wanted it because Simon Baker said he would be reading it, and I read that the author had a good record. The book was a clever and amusing farce. But it didn't end with emotional fulfillment for me. It was too intellectually structured to bother with that, I guess. The plot was...stolen identities, mistaken identities, amusing occurrences, coincidences.

"A Feast for Crows" by George R.R. Martin

A very good, very long book. The number of threads that Martin is juggling is amazing. And he keeps growing them! I read some reviews of these later books that complained, among other things, about the introduction of new characters we don't care about. That's not true for me, but I must admit that I did skim some parts a little bit. The book is just too long and too detailed to read every section carefully. And I can reinforce the main points by watching the tv series.

"The Moons of Jupiter" by Alice Munro

This is a well written book of rather dreary, wasp-dry short stories that I have been reading for awhile. It's a very used copy that I picked up at FOPLA, so it's perfect for flopping around at the bottom of my purse. Read it in Eva's office waiting for Ray to have his Marion bridge installed. Finally finished it in Florida. Stories were good, but as I say, dreary. They were mostly about middle aged women looking for love, lovers, meaning.

"Frameshift" by Robert J. Sawyer

I complained about this book a lot while I was reading it, but I have to admit that by the time it was over, I had enjoyed it. I complained because the scenarios were just too staged for the points the author was making, and the lead characters were just too perfect as people. Very contrived and sappy. The man had Huntington's chorea, the woman was telepathic, and an evil scientist impregnated her with a cloned Neanderthal baby. He wasn't the Nazi war criminal, though. That was the head of an evil medical insurance company that started murdering genetically flawed people to help its bottom line. The book's scientific point (I skimmed this part) was that we have timed triggers in our DNA, which will allow huge segments of the population to evolve simultaneously, e.g. for telepathy. According to the book's premise, there is a grand evolutionary scheme. Bullshit, unless we happen to be genetically engineered. Typical Robert Sawyer fare. Good ideas, but weak character development.

"Death of an Expert Witness" by P.D. James

This book pretty well had me riveted, even though I had read the last page, and so knew who the murderer was. It's amazing how old fashioned a crime book from the 1970's can seem. No cell phones, and a distrust of scientific evidence by juries. Definitely pre CSI 'know-it-all' juries. Takes place in a forensics lab.

"Transgressions" edited by Ed McBain

I bought this used book at the Gloucester Public Library when Ray and I were choosing books on tape for our trip to New Brunswick. It contains stories by Sharyn McCrumb, Joyce Carol Oates and Anne Perry. They were well written, but all of them were more serious than I expected, even the story by Sharron McCrumb. It took me longer to read than it should have, because some of the subject matter was uglier than I would have liked. The book did definitely make an impression on me, though, which is always good.

"Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman

At first I wasn't sure, but I ended up liking this book about the denizens of the London Underground very much. Urban fantasy. Neil Gaiman has a nice light touch to his writing.

"The Magicians" by Lev Grossman

Enjoyable book overall. Focuses a bit too much on the ugly side of human nature for my taste, but that's life I guess.

"The Sisters Brothers" by Patrick deWitt

Another book that I asked for Christmas from Ray. It won the Governor General's award, among other prizes. Well worth the read. Vivid, original, and amusing black humour. I can really picture this book as a movie. It was nice to read a linear narrative for a change. Described the book to Eva in her dental office, while she was tending to Ray.

"Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

This was one of the books I asked Ray to buy me for Christmas. An enjoyable, extremely imaginative book. I didn't love it, but I liked it a lot. I enjoy almost anything that includes an off kilter world.

"Stumbling on Happiness" by Daniel Gilbert

I found this book (psychology I guess) to be kind of boring and pedantic. Too many references to boring university student studies. I only skimmed it. The message I got from it was that both our memory of the past and our ability to foresee the future for good decision making are flawed by the way our minds work. To make good decisions, it's good to discuss with people who have experience.

"Death Comes to Pemberley" by P.D. James

This was a Christmas present from Ray, at my request. Ultimately a disappointing book which does not do justice to either PD James or Jane Austen. Its primary interest to me was as a historical document of the times. For example, I didn't know that they drank coffee in England in 1803.

"A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" by Mark Twain

Not as easy a read as I expected from Mark Twain, and ended up skimming parts of it. But a good read overall. I've been curious about this book for years, because of its subject matter. Now I can start reading my Christmas presents.