"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.