Dead Cold by Louise Penny

I've read a lot of mystery in my time - and many series more than once. This was a slow start for me. I started out finding it rather quaint - somewhat elegiac to AGatha Christie or Ngaio Marsh. But the story and the characters really grew on me - until by the end this "little book" had turned into a jewel of a story. I will read more of Penny as soon as I can.

State of War - The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration by James Risen

So good as to be incredibly depressing. If you follow the news, not much of this will come as a surprise - and I'm old and jaded enough to be not-as-horrified-as-I-should-be, or would have been in my twenties or thirties. The Bush adminsitration and the CIA both absolutely ooze incompetence - and that is very scary, but not new. Still, I am comforted that it has been written down. The power of the word - may it yet do some good.

jPOD by Douglas Coupland

What a read! What a ride! I'm going to go all out here and say that, odd as this book seems, I bet that in the future, people will look on this book the way that we look at Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice - as window onto one generation's manners and lifestyle. OK, you might find that a bit scary - I certainly do. In any case, read this and enjoy. A 517-page one-day read - no kidding! No way I could put this one down. And as soon as I can, I will read everything else by this author, and buy copies for friends and family too.

My Heart is Africa: A Flying Adventure by Scott Griffin

I am finding myself quite ambivalent about this read. Definitely enjoyable and well-written. The author is very obviously a wonderful and charming individual. Margaret Atwood refers to him as one of the great romantics, and after all - he purchased House of Anansi Press, so he's very definitely "one of our own." I think I'm having some gender-bias thing going on here, because I didn't enjoy this book nearly so much as I have enjoyed similar memoirs written by women such as Isak Dinesen or Beryl Markham. Nevertheless, this was a life-changing experience for Mr. Griffin and he shares it very generously with us.

Old Filth by Jane Gardam

Touching ... somewhat of an old-fashioned British read. Extremely well-written. Read it in one day, but am sure I will remember it for some time to come. Vivid details and characterization.

The Dodecahedron or A Frame for Frames by Paul Glennon

A very challenging and rewarding read. 12 stories which unfold and fold into each other until one can almost imagine the 12-sided "shape" taking shape. Not for the casual reader. You might want to read the author's afterword first.

The Secret River by Kate Grenville

Kate Grenville won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2001 for The Idea of Perfection, but this is my first read by this author. The prose is brilliant - the descriptive narrative awesome. And the truth of this novel actually hurts because it is so honest and straightforward. This is a page-turner that will give you goosebumps if not nightmares.