Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Liar by Lynn Crosbie

An unusual read for me. Although a big fan of some of the great poets, I don't normally, sadly, find the time to pursue current publications. This is a long, narrative poem, and for me a pleasant surprise. It moves very quickly with strong, evocative, and "right" imagery, if I can say that. My only negative comment would be that at times it struck me as a little self-indulgent, but that is a very personal reaction - just the kind that really good poety should cause. Would love to hear other reactions, especially from big poetry readers and fans.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Theatre of the Mind by Jay Ingram


This is the first read so far where I can honestly say that this book changed my life. Extremely thought-provoking. Reminds me of my undergraduate days when topics such as these were discussed well into the wee hours of the morning. I will purchase this book for both my sons who, like myself, took/are taking philosophy courses at university. By some coincidence, my husband, a scientist, and I recently had a huge discussion (ok, heated argument) about whether or not robots could be said to be conscious. So this was a very timely topic for me. And as a bonus, Jay Ingram has no problem writing science for non-science people. A page-turner. Also a perfect non-fiction pick for a book club. I truly think this book is best experienced when it can be discussed amongst readers. Really hoping to get some comments from fellow readers on this one!

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

With No One As Witness by Elizabeth George - An Audiobook


(Not part of the G&M Top 100)
A long-time Elizabeth George fan, this is the first time I have listened to one of her books on CD. Very well spoken and acted by Charles Keating. If you don't know the Inspector Lynley novels, but love British mysteries, then this author is a must for you. As well written as P.D. James with a very compelling detective duo. If you've seen the TV series - the books are very different. They took way too many liberties with the storylines as far as I can tell - and eliminated two very important characters along the way as well. And everyone I have spoken to agrees with me that the casting of Helen was a very poor choice indeed. Anyway, five stars for this audiobook and at 10 hours on 9 compact discs, terrific for a longish journey.

Thunderstruck by Erik Larson


For someone who finds it hard to read non-fiction, this was a page turner. Written in the style of The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester where we have two stories being told "at once," knowing that sooner or later they will interconnect. Erik Larson decides to interweave the story of the Crippen murder and Marconi's story of commercializing wireless telegraphy. Although this truly was a fascinating read, I found the "back-and-forthing" less effective here as an architecture. The reader has to go back and forth too often - one chapter at a time and the thread is often lost (maybe my fault?). The author all-too-often would use the stylistic technique of hinting at things to come, as in "and this would prove to be significant," or "little did he know that ...." but I found that the "tie-up" didn't happen quickly enough for me to remember these little hints or cues. Nevertheless, a great read, full of interesting facts that don't bog down the narrative at all. The book left me wanting more information and isn't that a good thing? I think so.

Mean Boy by Lynn Coady


For some reason, I find this book to be immediately apparently Canadian - and I'm not sure what I mean by that. But you know how you can just tell when a television program was produced in Canada? I had the same reaction to this book. It is extremely well-written and at times laugh-out-loud hilarious. Set in a small-town university in New Brunswick, this will appeal to anyone who has been an undergraduate, tried to write poetry, idolized a prof, or even thought very hard about the meaning of life and what "success" means. I was disappointed in the ending - I thought she needed about 30 more pages.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio - Audiobook


As well as reading books on the Globe and Mail Top 100 list, I will occasionally add titles that I read "just for fun" or listened too. I am almost never in the car without an audiobook and in some cases I prefer the audio to the written copy. In this instance, I have neither read the book nor seen the movie, but I really enjoyed the listen. Read by the author (not always a success) in a straightforward manner with a deep and pleasant voice, Terry Ryan brings her Mother and her childhood in the 1950s and 1960s to life. And it is a fascinating slice of life. I too was a child in the 1950s and 1960s but we lived in one of those new, postwar bungalows with just three children in the family (as opposed to the 10 here) and although we weren't well off, I can't remember wanting for anything.

This story that centres around the author's Mother who more than supplemented the salary of her alcoholic husband is not sentimental in the least. Rather it is an incredible recollection of a remarkable woman with what can only be described as an indomitable spirit. And what patience and understanding! The listen was a heartwarming and humbling experience - completely enjoyable.

Tuesday, January 2, 2007

Not book reviews

Just a quick warning. I am not going to provide ratings, or extensive reviews. Nor will I provide basic info beyond title and author such as number of pages, publisher, etc. There are other resources out there that do that already. I'm really just going to offer my reaction to the reading of each book, really a journal of reflection. And I won't say too much. And I would love to hear other reader's reactions to these books.

Inside by Kenneth J. Harvey


This was my first time reading this author from Newfoundland. The word that I associate with this read is definitely gripping. This is not a pleasant story. There are many insides here. The reader goes inside the character's mind. The character has just emerged from inside prison. He exists inside a particular environment and one gets the sense that there is no easy way out. We as readers enter inside the character's viewpoint - perspective - his life. What becomes gripping is, in a way, trying to get out. And so one reads inexorably on .... until we can finish the book. That seems to be the only way out.

I found this novel, as an experience, to be incredibly intriguing. I have read thousands of books and cannot think of another instance where I had quite this experience. Enjoyable? Not sure. An incredible read? Yes, very much so. A terrific write? For sure.