Gail's Book Odyssey

The Friends of Meager Fortune by David Adams Richards

2007-12-10T15:39:00.000-05:00

Quite an interesting and moving little book. A very different and shocking glimpse into the life of loggers in mid-twentieth century Canada. More than "real" it is almost surreal! it might have been entitled "Lives and Boys and Men in Logging Camps as they were being driven out of work by new technology and the women in their lives" or something like that, with a nod to Alice Munro. Great characters.

Empress of Asia by Adam Lewis Schroeder

2007-12-10T15:35:00.000-05:00

Described as dark, funny and beautiful. I guess so. Not so sure. I would have to, more than anything else, call this "old-fashioned." Nonetheless a compelling read. Lots of good elements - love, history, intrigue, mystery. Not a page-turner for me.

Black Swan Green by David Mitchell

2007-11-19T16:54:00.000-05:00

I didn't think I was going to like reading this "yet-another-coming-of-age" novels about a boy in England. But partway through I discovered that the author was managing to subtly sneak in some very profound material here! At times I wondered if we were to take seriously some of the main character's observations - they just seemed too mature. But then .... I suddenly thought back and realized that many "childish" observations are the most profound ones we've ever had - unencumbered by later experience. A truly magical read - bravo Mr. Mitchell.

So Many Ways to Begin by Jon McGregor

2007-11-05T15:38:00.001-05:00

A good read - not great, but good. Excelllent prose. A bit of a mystery. I thought it ended with a bit of a whimper. Definitely an intimate portrayal but ultimately I'm not sure if this will resonate with many people.

Carry Me Down by M.J. Hyland

2007-10-29T13:56:00.000-05:00

Wonderful prose. Interesting but not all that enjoyable a read for me. A unique if not dysfunctional family story.

Echo Park by Michael Connelly

2007-10-29T13:52:00.000-05:00

A great read. A new discovery for me. I will now read all the others in the series. Yay - 11 more! A very human detective. Not one of the "great" detective series, but certainly very readable.

Grief Lessons: Four Plays by Euripides, Translated by Anne Carson

2007-10-29T13:44:00.000-05:00

This book is clear evidence to me that my Odyssey is working. Never would I have imagined reading this book, and yet I thoroughly enjoyed it. It reminded me why I intend to go back to university when I retire and take Latin, Greek, and the Classics - all things I didn't have the opportunity to take in high school and chose not to take in university. Talk about making something remote accessible - Bravo Ms. Carson! Oh yes - and Euripides too. Go here to find humanity, morality, ethics, dilemmas, frailties and all those other good things!

Murder in Amsterdam: The Death of Theo van Gogh and the Limits of Tolerance by Ian Buruma

2007-09-30T12:47:00.001-05:00

A very interesting read indeed. Buruma uses this work to discuss tolerance, intolerance, Islamism and radical Islamism. An articulate and easy read - and definitely a topic we need to understand.

Right Side Up: the Fall of Paul Martin and the Rise of Stephen Harper's New Conservatism by Paul Wells

2007-09-30T12:41:00.000-05:00

Well-written and undoubtedly well-researched, but oh my aren't many of our politicians and their activities just so boring? Or maybe it's me but I just couldn't get excited about it. Much of their activities just seemed so petty. Of course, now that our provincial politicians are even thinking about considering things like Shia Law and Faith-based schools, I'm a little more attentive.

Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King, by Antonia Fraser

2007-09-30T12:12:00.000-05:00

I really didn't think I was going to like this book, but after the first 50 pages I was hooked. Extremely well-written, Ms. Fraser makes you care. The names, and their similarities, are a little overwhelming, but I persevered and learned a lot of history. Yes - the Royals really do lead a very, very different life than the rest of us. I find it amazing that the institution still exists.

The Weather Makers: How We are Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth by Tim Flannery

2007-09-30T12:05:00.000-05:00

Probably my book of choice to recommend for those people who want to read something, but not everything, about climate change. Accessible - well-written, straightforward, intelligent.

Pandemonium: Bird Flu, Mad Cow Disease, and Other Biological Plagues of the 21st Century by Andrew Nikiforuk

2007-09-30T11:57:00.000-05:00

Written in a completely accessible style, read this book and - "Be afraid, be very afraid." And also be shocked by the general incompetence of various agencies that have allowed us to get here. Very well written. Scary reality.

Heat : an amateur's adventures as kitchen slave, line cook, pasta-maker, and apprentice to a Dante-quoting butcher in Tuscany by Bill Buford.

2007-09-30T10:42:00.000-05:00

If you thought you knew anything about cooking, you will find this book a real eye-opener - as well as a fabulous read! Bill Buford takes us into the real Hell's Kitchens with a insider's insight into a life about which I now realize I knew nothing! - no idea about the amount or extent of the work involved in bringing a meal to my table - no idea of what Italian cooking is all about. A page-turner.

Bay of Spirits: A Love Story by Farley Mowat

2007-09-30T10:33:00.000-05:00

A wonderful and interesting story about a specific time during the author's life. A love story about Mowat's wife, Newfoundland, and the animals he loved and worked to protect. I would have loved to have heard more about his children and how they coped - a bit of an incomplete story but that of course must be up to the author.

Mick: The Real Michael Collins by Peter Hart

2007-09-30T09:04:00.001-05:00

Wow - I can really appreciate the amount of scholarly work that went into this work, but I just couldn't get through it the first time around. The Globe and Mail review is correct that the work is "meticulous, doggedly factual and minutely detailed" and for me, that was the problem. I just couldn't cope with reading who was at every single meeting and where they met - I wanted more about what it meant! However, the review also says "Hart's account is so carefully considered, so detailed and so nuanced, that a final delight will land on the reader only after the book is finished." So I might have to try again at another time.

Reluctant Genius: The Passionate Life and Inventive Mind of Alexander Graham Bell by Charlotte Gray

2007-09-21T15:05:00.000-05:00

Best biographical work I have ever read. There may be better ones, but none that I've experienced. I have just put on hold at my local library everything else that Charlotte Gray has ever written. A complete page-turner and just chock full of information one might never have known otherwise. For instance, did you know that it was Alexander Graham Bell and his fatehr-in-law who kept alive, then transformed the National Geographic Magazine? Absolutely fascinating and great read.

Of This Earth: A Mennonite Boyhood in the Boreal Forest by Rudy Wiebe

2007-09-21T14:49:00.000-05:00

I like the comparison made in the Globe review - "Canada's own Grapes of Wrath." It is true that, like that other great work, the insight into a world that the average reader cannot begin to compare to one's own, is bound to add to one's understanding of another life and time. Autobiographical, and including family photos and excerpts from his sister's diary, the novel is touching as well as revealing.

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

2007-09-21T14:44:00.000-05:00

This was my first graphic novel and I found the experience very compelling - this from a skeptic. I am so in love with the written word and it has been decades and decades and decades (I'll stop now) since I read a comic book - and of course this is nothing like a comic book. It is hard to explain. There is just an added element which adds another dimension to the whole experience of the story. Partly it is ironic I suppose because I associate graphic images in a cartoon-strip format with light entertainment - and this is about a dysfunctional family. Highly recommended.

Sixtyfive Roses - A Sister's Memoir by Heather Summerhayes Cariou

2007-05-07T10:36:00.000-05:00

One of the most readable memoirs I've ever read. Another one-day read! For the first time, I'm going to quote from the Globe and Mail list because they have it exactly right: Sixtyfive Roses is a love letter, a thank-you note, a defence, a please, a setting straight, a reaching out. From me now: It is also a page-turner, and heartwrenching without being soppy.

Before I Wake by Robert J. Wiersema

2007-05-04T09:20:00.000-05:00

A good story, reasonably well-written, but I'm sorry to say that for me - I wondered why this was on the list. Sorry Mr. Wiersema - but there are a lot of wonderful Canadian fiction writers out there. Perhaps your second novel might capture me better!

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters

2007-04-30T14:52:00.000-05:00

Not quite as good as Fingersmith for me. Although the chronology is interesting, 1947 - then 1944 - then 1941 - I felt there was a lot left unsaid that I wanted to tie up. But as a story - unputtdownable - another one-day read!

Being Caribou by Karsten Heuer

2007-04-30T14:49:00.001-05:00

This little jewel of a book allows you to enter a completely different world wherein the author makes you feel like you belong - or that you really really want to belong. Anyone likely to read this book will be yearning by the end to partake, even just a little bit, of the world that Heuer opens up to us. I particularly liked the change of voice when bits of what appear to be an "at-the-time" journal are inserted into the flowing narrative. Lovely.

Certainty by Madeleine Thien

2007-04-24T13:40:00.000-05:00

When I began this novel I couldn't help thinking "pretentious" but I soon changed that thought to "profound." Brilliant also comes to mind. An absolute jewel of a novel - perfect for book clubs too.

Cease to Blush by Billie Livingston

2007-04-24T13:35:00.000-05:00

Very different - a roaring good read - read in one day. Another dysfunctional family story - and stories within stories. And then there's the mob, JFK, the Rat Pack!

Scotch River by Linda Little

2007-04-19T08:22:00.000-05:00

Why are so many characters of Canadian fiction just so odd? And yet - we relate to them! Great read about a dysfunctional family - some of whom the reader will care about very deeply - and some with very particular talents.

Rough Crossings - Britain, The Slaves and The American Revolution by Simon Schama

2007-04-11T12:46:00.000-05:00

Superb historical account. Very thoroughly researched - comprehensive comes to mind. Scholarly but not too scholarly. Schama includes enough of the human anecdotal to keep our interest while presenting this historical account of some lesser-known parts of The American Revolution and The French Revolution - oh, and some history of Canada and Nova Scotia as well. The reality is a little daunting - survival as a slave is so (fortunately) removed from our own modern lives.

Heat - How to Stop the Planet From Burning by George Monbiot

2007-04-10T12:43:00.000-05:00

This oh-so-important topic of global warming has surely never before been so thoroughly researched and comprehensively investigated as you will find in this book - because what the author writes about are actual, non-political, non-bandaid real-life solutions. And sometimes, like here, the truth hurts. But the numbers and the arguments are compelling. When will we learn?

The Creation by E.O. Wilson

2007-04-10T12:35:00.000-05:00

Reading this book of beautifully written lyrical prose is an experience not to be missed. And that's aside from the subject matter - which is something I personally care about very much. You may know E.O. Wilson as "The Ant Man" or as a double two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. But if you have never read anything by him or about him, use this book to change that.

The View From Castle Rock by Alice Munro

2007-03-19T09:12:00.000-05:00

Ms. Munro has done her usual superb job - in this case weaving together stories resulting from a personal exploration of her father's side of the family. Anyone who knows Ontario will be happy with her sense of place - and her excellent descriptive powers. Tell a story - weave a tale - bring in the reader and voila - another masterpiece by our very own Alice.

Dead Cold by Louise Penny

2007-02-27T16:49:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-27T16:46:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-20T11:09:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-15T16:29:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-12T16:48:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-12T16:44:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-06T15:11:00.000-05:00

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.

Liar by Lynn Crosbie

2007-01-24T12:31:00.000-05:00

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.

Theatre of the Mind by Jay Ingram

2007-01-23T09:52:00.000-05:00

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!

With No One As Witness by Elizabeth George - An Audiobook

2007-01-16T15:09:00.000-05:00

(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

2007-01-16T14:50:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-16T14:38:00.001-05:00

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.

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio - Audiobook

2007-01-11T15:14:00.000-05:00

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.

Not book reviews

2007-01-02T14:38:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-02T14:32:00.000-05:00

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.

A Librarian Reads the G&M Top 100 for 2006

2006-12-19T15:51:00.001-05:00

Hi. I'm a professional librarian. I used to work on the Information Desk but now I'm a geek - working in the backroom concerned with the delivery of whatever (the online catalogue, web pages, etc. etc) over the web. Sometimes I really miss the interaction with people and every year when I read the Globe and Mail's "Top 100 Books that you should have read this year," this overwhelming sense of guilt and shame starts to come over me. I'm 54 and I have to admit that while I still love to read, most of what I read is fluff - entertainment - something I look forward to at the end of the day or during a couple of captured hours up at the cottage.

I really do try to read all those books I "mean" to read one day - but there's just so many good stories out there - laugh-out-loud Evanovich novels and seriously gripping Elizabeth George mysteries - well, the years just roll on. So many books ... so little time.

I've also thought for some time now that I should really start blogging. Trouble is, I'm a typical self-effacing middle-aged Canadian and what could I possibly have to say that people "ON THE INTERNET" - complete strangers no less - might want to read? Well, as I read the Globe and Mail Top 100 again, for 2006, I decided that I would take my reading list in hand, and blog it out.

So I'm challenging myself to read these 100 books between now and the end of 2007. And I'm hoping that blogging about it will help me keep my commitment. I have to end up a better person at the end of this, right? Lots of these books will change my life, right? Well, we shall see. I might have to send out a plea for help. I'll add up around June and see if I'm going to make it. I figure that with all I read for work, and all the "comfort" reading I do probably adds up to at least 200 books a year so all I have to do is sacriface some of those professional journals ..... Later