"Oryx and Crake" by Margaret Atwood

Considering that this is a dystopian novel, I enjoyed it far more than I expected, because it is filled with great ideas. There was a safe intellectual distance between myself and the narrator, snowman/Jimmy, so that I was not saddened when Crake destroyed civilization with his spliced virus.    The book ends with Jimmy battling an infected foot, likely unsuccessfully, and spying on 3 bedraggled human stragglers. Will Crake's supremely placid creations survive... that is the question.

"Half-Blood Blues" by Esi Edugyan

I definitely did not enjoy this book about black jazz musicians in wartime Europe and beyond, including Poland. It contained a lot of ugliness and too many references to music for my taste. The narrator never reached me on a personal level. Though it was interesting to learn that society used to keep people in zoos.

"Mrs Dalloway" by Virginia Woolf

I read this book for my course on hysteria at Carleton. I think it's my first time reading in the stream of consciousness style. At first I hated the book because I thought it was dominated by the boring musings of a middle aged woman, and why should I care about her musings when I have my own. But about half way through, the book suddenly became more meaningful, and I appreciated how the writing style mimicked consciousness. It allowed you to truly get into someone's head.

I have a love hate relationship because I think that Woolf sometimes overdid it stylistically. But I was glad I had read the book when I finished, and hearing a partial analysis from my lecturer showed me just how amazing the book is. It has so very many levels of meaning!! .... Society forcing men after WWl to conform so they can start producing babies..... Shell shock is the male equivalent of hysteria and "real" men weren't affected....  Our lecturer quotes philosophers and mentions that sex therapists arose then. It is amazing how all encompassing a good knowledge of literature has to be. This course is almost tempting me to study literature.

"A Case of Hysteria (Dora)" by Sigmund Freud translated by Anthea Bell

I read about half this book for my course on hysteria at Carleton. Freud's total lack of understanding about women was certainly an eye opener. I had considered reading the whole book, but I encountered one ridiculous assumption too manyto make it bearable. Based on what the prof said, this book had been analyzed numerous times and with great care. That's what happens, I guess, when you write a seminal work.

"The Stone Carvers" by Jane Urquhart

This book brought tears to my eyes several times and was the perfect thing to be reading on Remembrance Day. I now have a good understanding of the Vimy memorial in France. The characters in the book, who were mostly carvers of stone and wood were interesting enough. However, Urquhart is a bit too much of a romantic for my taste. I don't think I'll bother reading anything else by her.

Funny thing. In the book "Changing Heaven", one of the characters mentioned liking the word "drapery". And lo and behold.. Urquhart used that word so frequently in this book that it could have been a drinking game.

The main characters were Klara and Tillman from the Beck family. Klara lost her young lover to World War l. He went off to war hoping to fly an airplane. And Tillman was running away from home      from an amazingly young age u til his parents chained him, compelling him to run away forever, with Klara's help.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins

I read this short story for my course at Carleton on hysteria. It is a very well written description of a descent into madness, caused in part by condescending men who think the best cure for you is lack of intellectual stimulation. Silly woman, for feeling depressed after having a baby.

"Changing Heaven" by Jane Urquhart

This is the first book I've read by this well known Canadian writer, and I can't say that I'm impressed. She has a great tendency to wax much too lyrical. I have no interest in reading all her artsy fartsy mumble jumbo, and she has no write to impose it on her readers, wasting their time with it.

Bronte, Withering Heights, Tintoretto, weather, obsessive imaginary love... Those are the themes of this book.
P.S. I'm reading books by this author to prepare myself for listening to her talk during a CFUW fundraiser.

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" by J.K. Rowling

Skipped a few parts in this reread, but enjoyed it. Had an insight which hadn't occurred to Ray yet either. The prophecy, which hasn't come up in the books yet, said that a baby born at a certain time would destroy Voldemort. The choice for Voldemort seemed to be Harry or Neville, but they both were very significant in destroying him... Neville being the one who chopped off the snake's head.

"The Buried Giant" by Kazuo Ishiguro

At first I was puzzled by this fantasy-like novel of post Arthurian times. The plot didn't seem to be heading anywhere and I wondered what such a well respected author was getting at. It did eventually develop an interesting plot which included Merlin enchanting a giant's breath to make a land forgetful. The ending, which included the old couple, Axl and Beatrice, and the boatman, was unsatisfying. Would it have killed the author to have given them a happy ending? That said, I guess I'm glad I read this book. It certainly had a very pronounced atmosphere.

"Library of Souls" by Ransom Riggs

It took me awhile to get through this 3rd novel in the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series. I really enjoyed the atmosphere but the story dragged because I felt as if I knew exactly what was going to happen every step of the way. I'm also reading a Harry Potter book, and I was more eager to read that than this story.

In addition to the atmosphere, I liked the vintage photos. The idea of the loops is interesting, and I like the way the author blended fantasy with science fiction. I did not quite like how Jacob's parents treated him at the end. It wasn't very intelligent of them. And the love story between Jacob and Emma did little for me. But overall, worth the read for the very unique ideas.

"The Martian" by Andy Weir

i enjoyed this book even though I would resoundingly call it "engineer's porn." The number of obstacles overcome by clever problem solving did become ridiculous after awhile, but I did like experiencing the careful methodology and planning involved. I should do more preplanning myself. I tend to rush into things.

The author focussed very little on people. For example, Weir gave very little idea of what anyone looked like. He is a techie through and through. I look forward to seeing how they've humanized the story in the movie. The fact that the protagonist has a great sense of humour will definitely help the effort.

"Adam and Eve and Pinch Me" by Ruth Rendell

This book was a real slog for me and I seriously almost gave up on it. It was boring because it delved in intricate detail into the mind of an OCD schizophrenic. She was simple and her one time boyfriend was a serial womanizer and conman/thief who sent her a fake notice that he had died in a train crash. I suppose characters like the beautiful moronic wife of the serial womanizer, who bigamously married a gay MP so he could keep up a lie were ironically amusing.  Oh, and yes, the OCD schizophrenic was the murderer... She thought she was getting rid of the ghosts who were haunting her.

"The Hundred Foot Journey" by Richard C. Morais

Read this book because I wanted something light and I had enjoyed the movie. It was quite different from the movie so it was a fresh, pleasant experience. It did drag in parts because I could care less about all the food descriptions, of which I think there were too many. The movie was a much tighter story than the book, but it had more ugly bits. One strong thought I had while reading was that many people in the French town saw the father as just a comical and fat Indian. Little did they know of the tragedy behind him, and of his determination.

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

Rereading these books is beginning to get boring.

"All My Puny Sorrows" by Miriam Toews

This was a depressingly realistic book about a Mennonite family, told by the sister of a brilliant pianist, who is in her late forties and determined to kill herself. She eventually succeeds by stepping in front of a train, which was the same suicide route their father chose. Some of the hospital sequences and commentaries from friends reminded me of my experiences with Alice. And the wisdom of Persevering despite what life throws at you was a nice message.

"The Red Garden" by Alice Hoffman

For the most part, I enjoyed this book, which contains a sequence of closely related, chronological stories in a small American town. I liked the underlying hint of magic, and the impression of how closely related we are over the generations. Facts are quickly forgotten, but the souls and personalities of people persist over the generations. The author gave a bit of historical context as time progressed, which was interesting. My one complaint was that after awhile, some of the elements became a bit repetitive, but it was definitely a pleasant and easy read.

"All You Zombies" by Robert A. Heinlein

I read this short story after watching the movie "Predestination" which followed the story quite carefully, down to the dialog. The movie did add elements, such as the Fizzle killer. Ray tells me the movie, like the book, is a mental puzzle. The protagonist is mother, father and daughter due to having 2 sex organs and access to time travel. I found the story, like the movie, to be interesting but coldly unsatisfying.

"The Gathering" by Anne Enright

At first I thought this book was too literary, too vague about mind and memory. By the time I finished it, I liked it a lot. The author, who is Irish, describes her feelings about her large family, her husband and daughters, her brother's suicide and his sexual abuse by his grandmother's former lover and landlord in a very mature and honest way. I felt that I encountered real thoughts and feelings, full of hatred and self loathing and regrets and love and joy. 

It's amazing how seamlessly Enright wove together a variety of timeframes and imaginings. I can see why this book won the 2007 Booker award. She has another book up for an award this year.

"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by J.K. Rowling

This was an enjoyable read in my continuing project of rereading all the Harry Potter books. It's fun noticing the differences between the movies and the books.

"Childhood" by André Alexis

There were times when I loved this book and times when I hated it. I liked very much the intelligence with which the author explored emotions and memories. I occasionally disliked the strong autobiographical feel it had... it seemed a bit self indulgent. 

I'm glad I read this book but it left me feeling a bit sad because it so perfectly captured the poignancy of time and change as part of the human condition. It also highlighted how little we truly remember, and how little we know other people.

"Inferno" by Dan Brown

I enjoyed this book because it was educational, and gave me good context for Dante's Inferno, which I started reading awhile ago. The book also made me nostalgic for Florence and Venice. It's funny. I have never been to Istanbul, so those descriptions didn't do much for me. Travelling really does change your perspective on the world.

At times the book read like a travelogue, causing me to become impatient and read the ending. That, of course, eliminated the element of suspense.

"Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" by Robin Sloan

I enjoyed this book, which dealt with the intersection between the digital age and old books. It let me experience the joys of friendship, creativity and discovery. The central mystery of encrypted text giving the secret of immortality if decrypted was handled realistically.

"Moonheart" by Charles de Lint

I had been meaning to read this book for years because it takes place in Ottawa and Ray bought it for me. Suffice it to say that I loathed it. The characters are unpleasant and put together with a trowel. The plot is absolutely ridiculous, and grows worse and worse as the book progresses.

"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

Ray and I rewatched the movies recently, which gave me a hankering for rereading the books. I enjoyed this title and gained new respect for J.K. Rowling because of how much groundwork she laid down in it for the subsequent books. It is definitely a well planned series. And being a romantic, I look forward to watching Ron and Hermione's relationship develop.

This is a light read, of course, so I read it simultaneously with other stuff. It's a pleasure to read something joyful and optimistic.

"Sanctuary" by William Faulkner

I disliked this book so much that I ended up skimming it. The subject matter was very ugly, and the writing difficult to follow. This was due to the use of dialect, and the lack of clarity sometimes as to who was speaking. Faulkner was also subtle in describing the crimes, apparently due to censors, so it was difficult to follow in that respect as well. If I hadn't read a summary of the story, I wouldn't have known what was going on. And there was an even better summary at the back of the book, that I wish I had read as well, to give me more understanding of what I was reading. Apparently this book is not representative of William Faulkner's writing, but I doubt that I'll give him another try. I came across this book because it somehow ended up as a freebie on my ebook reader. Good riddance!!

"Turn Coat" by Jim Butcher

I enjoyed reading this book in the Dresden series. It was nice to have Morgan finally admit that he had been wrong about Dresden. And it was nice hearing that Dresden was probably the most talented and powerful wizard of his generation. But I have read so many of these books that I am having trouble keeping track of the traits of minor characters, because they become repetitive after awhile.

"The Bone Clocks" by David Mitchell

This book fulfilled the test of a satisfying read for me because the ending brought tears to my eyes. It described the whisking away of Holly Sykes' granddaughter and adopted grandson to the safety of Iceland from the rapidly and dangerously devolving civilization of Europe, in the safe hands of the atemporal Marinus.

The book told a wide ranging story with some definitely loopy elements, and with a bit too much story telling. I mostly skipped over the part about Iraq because it felt like a documentary, including quite a few political opinions. But other sections of the book were riveting, and I'm grateful to the final section, which dealt with the devolution of civilization. It stressed for me  the tremendous importance of guarding our environment and resources.

"The Wasp Factory" by Iain Banks

Considering how grotesque and ugly some of the scenes in the novel were, I guess it's kind of amazing that I was so riveted by it. Its protagonist and 1st person voice is a 16 year old 'boy' who murdered 3 children when he was young, lives on a Scottish Island with his eccentric father, and has an insane brother who has broken out of the hospital and is heading home.

The amazing thing about the book is that as it progresses, you discover more and more rational reasons for the murders and the "boy's" behaviour. I have recently discovered the goodreads web sites, which contains other people's reviews of books that interest me.  That's where I found out that some people listed this as one of the top books of the 20th century.

Some people were horrified by the book,mor horrified that they liked Frank, the protagonist. To me, they're being childish. To me, Frank just "is" and I attach no judgement to him.

"Georgiana Darcy's Diary" by Anna Elliott

A total piece of fluff which was filled with historical inaccuracies... e.g Lending libraries?!?... as well as inaccuracies from "Pride and Prejudice". Nevertheless, the author made me care about the characters, so the book was reasonably entertaining. The beginning was quite good, and then the book proceeded to devolve into modernity. The basic premise was excellent. It's a pity it wasn't handled in a more scholarly manner.

"Ru" by Kim Thuy

I bought this award winning Canadian novel for a number of reasons, including that the Vietnamese family in the book settles in Quebec, and that Brendan's girlfriend, Linh, is Vietnamese. Also, I like buying books to support Chapters.

The book is a very easy read, and deals with snippets of fact, with impressions, with feelings. It definitely gave me a much greater appreciation of what the Vietnamese people went through. Immigrants sometimes look or sound comical, but their horrible life experiences elevate them above the life awareness of many North Americans.

"Excession" by Iain M. Banks

This book was convoluted and difficult to follow, so it was not my best introduction to Banks. I read him because Christine has raved about him for years and he recently died.

Nevertheless, it had enough interesting and novel perspectives to make me glad I read it. Imagine a world run by benevolent Minds who occupy spaceships, etc. Imagine how much more quickly they process information than humans. For the first time, I realized that God would definitely not have a problem keeping track of each and every life form on earth.

"Dead Mountain-The True Story of the Dyatlov Pass" by Donnie Eichar

This is the first book I purchased for my Kobo, at the amazing sum of $3.00. I had it in mind that Mama might enjoy this account, but I bought it for myself as well.... Why not, I thought, the story interests me, why not splurge and live a little.

And for all of its very straightforward writing style, I did enjoy the book, which posits its own explanation for the apparently suicidal behaviour of some experienced Russian hikers in the Urals in the 1959. The exact cause of their deaths remains a mystery to this day. The author gives the apparently credible suggestion of infrasound.

I enjoyed reading about everyday Russian life, and when the author described wood cutting camps near the Urals, I thought of my father during World War ll. I wondered whereabouts in Russia, south of Siberia, his forestry camp was. I remember Tato mentioning that his boss liked him, and that he did singing.

"A Thief of Time" by Tony Hillerman

I bought this book for Ray soon after we met because this detective series has a heavy anthropological component. Ray wasn't impressed when he read it, and I can see why. It isn't well written.... It feels choppy with missing pieces. It's not horrible, either, and it did what I wanted... It gave me a bit of a glance into Southwestern US culture. I am interested in that because we are likely soon going to the Grand Canyon.

I had no idea that pottery and arachaeological digs were so significant to the area. Nor did I know about the cultural group (called Anasazi by the Navaho) which suddenly disappeared 5 or 600 years ago.

"The Silkworm" by Robert Galbraith

The second Cormoran Strike novel by JK Rowling. It was recommended to me by Eva and I enjoyed it very much. The writings in Bombyx Mori, (the book at the center of the murder), and also the scientific term for silkworm, were excellent. And Cormoran's character and life are evolving nicely.

That said, I find that the book could have used some sharper editing in the middle, where I found that it dragged. As with her Harry Potter novels, Rowling sometimes has a tendency to overdo her writing.

"Small Favor" by Jim Butcher

I actually found this book quite riveting, though parts of the mythology are becoming confusing. There are so many names floating around, archangels, fallen angels, demons, etc, that it becomes difficult tracking who's who.

One reason I enjoy the series is that every once in awhile, Dresden makes a surprisingly wise, or even poetic, observation.  In this book, I like the way he described the passage of time on a clock in the hospital, as he waited to hear the outcome of Michael's surgeries.

"Longbourn" by Jo Baker

I enjoyed this book, though I did skim over the army parts. It gave me a better understanding of the lives of servants, and I liked the way their personal lives were intertwined with those of their masters. And of course, it had a happy ending for Sarah and James.

"White Night" by Jim Butcher

Superficially enjoyable Dresden book especially if I ignore plot holes. The characters are becoming more interesting, but I think I'll take a break for awhile.

"The Maltese Falcon" by Dashiell Hammett

It was an interesting read from a retro point of view. The attitude towards women is pretty disgusting. Sam Spade is pretty interesting. By a lucky coincidence, the movie is on this Sunday and I will watch.

"The Rithmatist" by Brandon Sanderson

This book for young adults was an enjoyable read, though the idea of 2 dimensional chalk figures is a bit out there. The book ended leaving many interesting questions unanswered, but I won't go out of my way waiting for the next volume to be published. When I was reading it, there were definitely times when I felt that this was a book for young adults i.e. an element of preachiness.. whereas I think a truly well written story in this genre should just be a story, and any preachiness should feel more natural.

"Proven Guilty" by Jim Butcher

I think this is my favorite Dresden novel so far because the character interactions have become more complex, and Dresden does spout intelligent words of wisdom. Where to begin with the plot.... Charity used to have magical powers, Molly has developed magical powers which she abused, Thomas has a secret, there is a big power plotting evil in the background, Murphy had a talk with Dresden about their relationship, etc etc.

"The Cat's Table" by Michael Ondaatje

This is an odd little book that I enjoyed reading. In the note at the end, the author says it is not autobiographical, but it certainly feels that way. It is a diary-like account of 3 basically unsupervised Sri Lankan boys traveling by boat to India, and includes passages about their futures. I suppose you could call the ship ride a rite of passage.

"Close Range" by Annie Proulx

I finally finished this very depressing set of short stories about Wyoming. Just to show you how long I've been at it, I read the Brokeback Mountain short story during the Academy Awards when Brokeback Mountain lost out to Crash. From this book I learned that Wyoming is a very depressing place for its long term residents. It seems to consist of difficult ranch work, bars,  abuse of women and various other totally depressing miseries. I think this is the last book I will read by Proulx.

"Red Planet Blues" by Robert J. Sawyer

This book had interesting ideas about transferring to artificial bodies, and about fossils on Mars. But the plot loses itself halfway through the book, and becomes a bit too convoluted for pleasure. And Robert Sawyer definitely does not do 'personality' very well.

"Nikolski" by Nicolas Dickner translated by Lazer Lederhendler

I picked this book up because the title was Slavic and because the book takes place mostly in Montreal. It was written by a French Canadian.

It was a nice light and intelligent read, having to do with three loosely connected narrators, and including a Nikolski compass, Nikolski being the name of a remote northern community on the west coast. There was nothing Slavic about the book, but I did enjoy the references to Montreal. My heart will always be there, I think, no matter how long I live in Ottawa.

The book highlighted for me the numerous options there are for living a life, which can include travelling the roads in a trailer, or enjoying life rather than working away at degrees and professional advancement. Life is an adventure to be explored, and society a sea to travel through.

"Leacock's Montreal" by Stephen Leacock

This book briefly excited me about history. It was fun reading about life along a route that I now take to drive to New Brunswick. But soon enough, the details about life in Montreal became boring to me, and I gave up on the book.

I picked up the book while I was volunteering for FOPLA. 

"The Luminaries" by Eleanor Catton

Eva gave me her copy of the book because she was disgusted by the ending. I agree with her. I was enjoying it tremendously, and then the last 30 pages or so were suddenly very sparse, and I'm not sure I even understood the correct ending. Ah well, now I now about the New Zealand gold rush.By the by, this book was very long.

"Dead Beat" by Jim Butcher

A typical Dresden novel. The animated dinasour was a bit much.