Another New Year

Well, I didn't quite make my #26in2012 goal.  I did better than 2011. In 2011, I finished my 25th book on New Year's Eve. In 2012, I was a third of the way through my 26th book, Albert Brooks' 2030 (review to come), which gave me an unfair head start on my #26in2013 goal.

This is my only New Year's resolution: actually finish 26 books in 2013. I figure third time's a charm. In order to get myself really in the mood, I went shopping.You may notice that it's all Can Con which historically is unusual for me. However, with so many great writers and novels out there, how can you resist?

The big question is, which one first?

The Antagonist

It seemed fitting, in the context of the NHL lockout to talk about The Antagonist. Firstly, there doesn't seem to be anything more antagonistic than the relationship been the players and league right now and secondly because the main character in the novel is a hockey player.

The Antagonist was a finalist in last year's Giller awards. My love of the Gillers over the years has been pretty well documented on this blog. The have turned me from completely indifferent to CanLit to a huge fan (to the point where I read mostly Canadian writers now).

Going Up Up Up!

There are two things that are making the Yummy Mummy Book Club totally rock these days.  First, publishers are getting connected to Wanda, our leader and we are getting free books ( (check her out at Bookalicious or over at Yummy Mummy Club) .  Second, authors are hanging out with us on Twitter during #YMBC online meetings and participating in our conversations.  How awesome is that!

This time around, we had Julie Booker online to participate in our chat about her new collection of short stores: Up Up Up.  The publisher, House of Anansi, sent us YMBC members a copy of the book about a week before it was released.  I found it very cool that by the time the book hit the shelves, I was already finished and talking about it to my friends.

March Break

Well, it's March Break here.  I have to admit I've been a bit stymied this week on what to post.   Here is what I have on my list of books I've read and haven't reviewed yet:

The Flying Troutmans, Miriam Toews
The Day The Falls Stood Still, Cathy Buchanan
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson
Unmarketing, Scott Stratten
Evil Plans, Hugh MacLeod
Sing You Home, Jodi Picoult

Here's my dilemma.  The Flying Troutmans and The Day the Falls Stood Still were also YMBC picks and we had the discussions long ago.  I feel like full reviews are a bit late.  Everyone has read Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (and the rest of the series) so I don't think I can say anything substantial that would make for a compelling review.  Unmarketing and Evil Plans are more on the business side of things and I have been considering saving reviews of them for the relaunch of the blog on my business site (whenever I can get that done).  Lastly, Sing You Home is for another YMBC chat and it's not scheduled until March 30 so I don't want to jump the gun on that one.

Giddy for Giller Part 5: Annabel

I'm finally getting to my post on Annabel.  This will likely be my last Giller post until the 2011 shortlist is announced.

It's not often that one reads a story about a hermaphrodite.  I, in fact, have read two stories about hermaphrodites.  I talked about reading Middlesex here.  The similarity between Middlesex and Annabel stops there.  Middlesex is an epic, sprawling novel that is sometimes a bit campy.  In Middlesex no one knew Cal was a hermaphrodite (though there was always something a bit odd about her/him that people couldn't put their finger on).  I quite enjoyed it for the most part but honestly, it's nothing compared to Kathleen Winter's beautiful story.

Giddy for Giller Part 4: Short Stories with Legs

I'm not much of a short story fan.  I find sometimes that you are just getting into it and then it stops.  The one exception to this is Gabriel Garcia Marquez's short story collection Strange Pilgrims.  The stories are beautifully written.  Of course, Marquez could write an instruction manual and I would probably like it.

So in my ongoing Giller reading streak, I picked up last year's shortlisted Light Lifting by Alexander MacLeod.  In the spirit of full disclosure, I will admit, the fact that he is very cute probably played a small role in selecting this.  Cute enough to mitigate the fact that Barbara Amiel Black introduced him at the Giller Awards with a disgustingly affected British accent looking like a cougar on the loose.  But I digress.

Giddy for Giller Part 3: The Sentimentalists

After watching the 2010 Giller show, I immediately ran out and bought three of the five finalists, including the winner, The Sentimentalists. I really debated which of my three purchases (including Kathleen Winter’s book Annabel and Alexander Macleod’s short story collection Light Lifting) I would read first.  I decided to go with the winner first.

It seemed to be the dark horse of the group: first novel (Skribsund had previously published a book of poetry), artisanal publisher, and was running against some serious competition including David Bergen and Kathleen Winter.  I was super excited to read it. 

Giddy for Giller Part 2: The Golden Mean

Shortly after I had my third child last year, I started The Golden Mean.  This was the second book from the 2009 Giller Prize shortlist that I chose to read (after seeing it presented on the Giller Awards show). One of the challenges of starting a book like this with a new baby, is that it takes forever to read.  Not only because reading time is a little compressed but you're so freakin' tired that you can't absorb anything you've read and have to go back and re-read whole sections!

Now, despite my challenges in getting through The Golden Mean, I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it.  The author, Annabel Lyon, imagines a period in history where the philosopher Aristotle is called upon to tutor a young Alexander (the Great).  I confess I also had a personal affinity to the story due to the fact that I'm half Macedonian (not Greek!!).

Giddy for Giller Part 1: The Bishop's Man

In the last year, I've become particularly fond of the Giller Awards.  It started when I did a consulting gig at Shortcovers (now Kobo).  I thought I was bookish but the folks there were (are) hardcore.  I had heard much excitement about the Giller ceremony, the Giller Party, the "this is not the Giller party".  So I decided to check it out.  About 10 minutes in, I was completely hooked, totally infatuated.  C'mon - any kind of awards ceremony, broadcast live on tv, that finishes in one hour?? Yes, it's only five books but really...an hour?  Brilliant.

Truth be told, I had no idea who was shortlisted.  I just took a blind leap, flipped it to Bravo and settled in.  The result?  I have come to the conclusion that the producers of every award show on earth (Academy Awards, Emmys, you name it), should look to the Giller award show as a model.  Secondly, I have become an ardent Canadian literature fan.  It's quite a surprise because I've avoided it like the plague for years, I've also talked about it here on the blog but in reality, the majority of what I'm reading and what I want to read is Canadian.

So, immediately after the Gillers, I went out and bought the winner (The Bishop's Man) and one of the other shortlisted books (The Golden Mean).

Elder Sex, The Angel of Death and Other Quirkiness

I discovered Kathleen Molloy after she left a comment on a blog post I did about Canadian Literature. I don't know Kathleen but I am always thrilled when I receive evidence of strangers reading the blog. So, I Googled her and found that she had written a book called Dining with Death. I decided to order the book for my summer reading list and support this Canadian author's first novel.

The book follows senior citizen Zophia Žvirgzdas. Actually, 90% of the characters in Molloy's book are seniors. Zophia is terrified that she is going to die alone and have no one to bequeath her estate. She takes out an ad in the hopes of finding a gay man to emulate a grandson (despite a few marriages, she is childless and thus grandchild-less). She figures that gay men have all the traits that she is looking for in a grandchild.

This is our introduction to Zophia but quickly, it becomes apparent that this story is not just about her quest for a beneficiary. Rather, it takes you through her world - friends, acquaintances, social services - providing insight and not so subtle commentary on the quality of life and care of seniors in our country.

Frankly, it took me a little while to get into the groove with this book. I found it a little disjointed and all over the place. However, Molloy soon won me over with her humorous, sensitive and often poignant portrayal of the diverse, challenging and, unfortunately, lonely lives of seniors. She also doesn't hesitate to throw more than a few barbs aimed at our government systems and policy makers. I was particularly moved by the side story of Zophia's roommate Violet and amused by The Angel of Death who appears to the dying as popular Canadian personalities. If I were dying, I would like him to appear as Paul Gross - no Mountie uniform though, I prefer the disheveled Men with Brooms look. But that's a different story.

This is timely for me as both of my grandmothers have recently been moved into long term care facilities for differing reasons. I've been seeing and experiencing first hand how, despite the efforts of caregivers, the government, social workers, family, aging can be a lonely and scary thing. This book reminded me that the elderly have all had lives prior to being rendered to a less active, more dependent situation. They were veterans, career women, parents, children, siblings, sexual beings with a lust for living. In many cases, we will all be lucky to live half the lives some of these people have lived. And, hopefully, not face those "twilight" years alone and isolated.

Dining with Death
Kathleen Molloy
Organized Frenzy
www.diningwithdeath.ca

One of the best books I've read all year

I have a lot of catching up to do so I am going to get right to work. I kicked off my summer reading season this year with The Book of Negroes. This is one of, if not the best book I have read all year.

This is the second book by Canadian author Lawrence Hill. The Book of Negroes follows the life of Aminato Diallo, on her journey from her small village in Africa to being abducted by slave traders, to her life as a slave in the "New World" through to her quest to return to her village and her life back in Africa.

This is an extraordinary tale of survival and belief. Slavery is a blemish on humanity. No...blemish is too small...it's a gaping, festering sore. Even today the remnants of the complete disregard for human life is all too evident in the racism of the southern US.

While dealing with the pure brutality and absolute lack of morality of slavery, the story rises above to be a tale of survival and faith. The historical detail adds fantastic colour and realism to the book as well.

It is not a light read by any stretch of the imagination but it is absolutely delightful. It is one of those books that I am telling everyone is a must read.

Seriously, you must read it. You won't regret it.

The Book of Negroes
Lawrence Hill
HarperCollins

Complicated

I recently wrote a post about my slow warming to CanLit. Many of my recent reading selections have been by Canadian authors. This has not been intentional. In fact, it has been completely random.

The one exception was A Complicated Kindness. I specifically chose it because of the author, Miriam Toews. I was anxious to read her as I had heard great things about her stuff. I thought A Complicated Kindness was a good place to start since it won the Governor General's award for literature in 2004.

Here's where it gets complicated. This is an exceptionally good book...except I didn't like it. I didn't really know that was possible. It is an exceedingly well written first person narrative. The thing about first person narrative is that you don't really get a fully rounded view of the characters and the context of the story because it is told from only one perspective. In this case, it is the perspective of a teenage girl, Nomi. If that weren't enough to skew the viewpoint, Nomi and her family are Mennonites. Except Nomi is bristling under the rules (as most teenagers will), and coping with the community, and particularly the spiritual leader (who also happens to be her uncle) who view her family as not fitting desired family characteristics.

Here is my dilemma. Nomi's voice is very strong. Toews does a bang up job of layering teenage girl angst, need to rebel, conflict with the family she comes from and how she and the family unit as a whole fits, with the additional pressure of the requirements of the religion her family has pledged to live by. You would imagine that maybe this is a little autobiographical (Toews grew up in a Mennonite community in Manitoba). As I said, very well written.

However, I just didn't like it. I didn't particularly like Nomi. I didn't like the other characters. I found myself losing interest in what was going on about half way through the book. I was never sure if it was about this girl or a commentary on Mennonite culture. I was appreciating the writing, just not so interested in the story.

That being said, I am not willing to give up on Toews, particularly because the writing is so good. I am going to try The Flying Troutmans. I previewed the first chapter using an online/mobile e-reading application called Shortcovers. (Full Disclosure: I'm doing some consulting for Shortcovers). I am a bit more hooked than I was with this one.

I know. It's a little complicated.

A Complicated Kindness
Miriam Toews
Knopf Canada

Can Lit

Despite the fact that I am an English major and a Canadian, I have consistently avoided Canadian Literature (aka CanLit). Forgive me Carol but I don’t like Ondaatje. I find Atwood boring. Richler? Beyond Jacob Two Two Meets the Hooded Fang, no interest. Farley Mowat? Please. I have always been a fan of Anne Marie MacDonald, but just assumed that she was the exception to my rule - and she's only written two books.

However, as I look back on what I have been reading and what is on my list of things to read, there is an increasing amount of CanLit. The most recent being The Birth House by Ami McKay. Set in a small village in Nova Scotia, The Birth House tells a fantastic story of one of women’s most epic struggles: the right to control their body.

Through the eyes of Dora Rare, the story deals with her apprenticeship in one of the oldest traditions of the community: midwifery. Miss Babineau is an eccentric old bird who is not only entrusted with the delivery of the village’s children but also regarded by the women as a sort of healer and importantly, secret keeper. She is not universally revered however. The men fear her, the old society ladies hypocritically look down their noses at her. The village is sent into a tizzy as a myopic doctor comes to town to set up a maternity hospital to extol the virtues of a “pain free” delivery and proceeds to create a malicious rumour and gossip mill that threatens to ruin Miss Babineau and her young charge.

The book was beautifully written although sometimes painful to read. There is a lot of back-stabbing and turning a blind eye. Fortunately though, there are also celebrations of more noble qualities, such as loyalty and McKay shows the beauty and strength of female friendships and what can happen when common sense truly prevails.

I have been on a good run lately, and this is definitely going on my top 10 list of the year. Who knows, maybe I am a CanLit fan in the making.

The Birth House
Ami McKay
Knopf Canada

Remembering...

Yesterday was Remembrance Day. One of the few poems that I absolutely love is In Flanders Fields. It is so visual and poignant. Who cannot automatically picture the the field of poppies and the row upon row of white crosses. I thought it appropriate to share.

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918), Canadian Army

The Way the Crow Flies

Last week I travelled around the world...literally: Delhi (via Frankfurt), Singapore, Hong Kong, home. I lost track of the amount of hours I was actually on an airplane.

I knew I was going to need something to read. I had gone through my inventory. I was a little concerned though because since they have expanded Terminal 1 at Pearson airport, I no longer had access to my favourite airport bookstore (it's the big Watermark after security for domestic departures). So, I trekked to the little Relay store and wandered aimlessly, staring blankly at the lack of offerings. I finally settled on Ann-Marie MacDonald's The Way the Crow Flies. MacDonald is a Canadian writer and sometimes actress. While I am not a big CanLit fan, I was a big fan of her first book Fall on Your Knees (truthfully though, it did take me quite some time to get into it.) It's rather dark too so while I recommend it, it's not a feel good story.

Even though I was looking for something a little more upbeat, I picked up MacDonald's sophomore effort anyway. I didn't actually start reading though until I was flying the redeye from Delhi to Singapore. Unlike Fall on Your Knees, I found myself immediately hooked. Taking place in post WW2, the story covers the McCarthy's, an RCAF family who is returning to Canada after being stationed in Europe. Much of the story focuses on Madeleine McCarthy, who at the start of the book is 8 years old, and the people and events around her.

The primary difference I find between this book and Fall on Your Knees is that does have a light hearted note. There are many serious themes throughout the book: pedophelia, murder, espionage, Cold War paranoia; but MacDonald also captures the warmth of the McCarthy family, the innocence and humour of young children. MacDonald is very adept at dealing with the complexities of deeply scarred characters.

A nice thing I found about this book was MacDonald branching out of the Atlantic provinces and covering other areas; Germany, southern Ontario and the mix of cultures that, particularly children, absorb when they are exposed. Madeleine speaks a little French and German and has seen a lot of the world for her young life. Even though the story occurs in years before I was born, there are also so many other familiar things that MacDonald captures: first days of school with new Mary Janes, singing the Huron Carol in school for Christmas, Campbell's Tomato soup for lunch...absolutely timeless things.

There is a lot going on in this novel and I sometimes felt like she branched off a couple of times too many. But, everything hung together and kept me engaged pretty much to the end. I read it basically non-stop on the 15 hour flight from Hong Kong to Toronto (except for a little nap). The ending was surprisingly satisfying, largely because there is not a nice neat bow tying everything together. Gripping, funny, sad, thrilling. Listen to me, I sound like a New York Post reviewer.

The Way the Crow Flies, Ann-Marie MacDonald
Published by Vintage Canada