Historical fiction from Tracy Chevalier - Last Runaway

The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier

This wonderful new historical fiction novel (by the author of Girl with a Pearl Earring – still my favorite of her books) is about a girl, Honor Bright who is an immigrant in the 1850s, traveling with her sister from England to settle in a Quaker community close to Oberlin, Ohio. 

Honor experiences tragedy and homesickness, but comes to love her new country and admire those who work on the Underground Railway. 

This book is filled with well drawn pioneer characters and historical observations, as well as early American quilting lore. As the author attended Oberlin College, I suspect that this novel is partly a love letter to that area of Ohio and the Quaker ideology.

Highly recommended!

Flavia de Luce mystery series

Flavia de Luce novel series by Alan Bradley

Mystery fans have a most unique detective, Flavia de Luce, who is a precocious eleven-year-old living in 1950s England.  She resides with her father and two older (and sometimes horridly mean) sisters in the quaint village of Bishop's Lacey.

Their old country home "Buckshaw" is in jeopardy because Flavia's mother (whose money has supported the family in the past) has gone missing and the family income is dwindling. 

Flavia is very intelligent and has a passion for chemistry - poisons in particular - and helps the local police detective to solve muders. The characters are charming but Flavia, who narrates the novels, steals the show with her endless curiosity, her endearing love of family, and her poignant search for belonging.

The audio versions are read by Jayne Entwistle who makes them an excellent and enjoyable read/listen! As I got an advance digital reading copy of the latest installment, Speaking from among the bones, I read the digital print copy on my Kindle and enjoyed what I consider to be a satisfying continuation of the "de Luce" saga.

Well done, Alan Bradley.

As usual, it's a must to start at the beginning the series:

• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
• The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag
• A Red Herring Without Mustard
• I am Half-Sick of Shadows
• Speaking from Among the Bones

Author's website can be found at: http://www.flaviadeluce.com/

Italian Mystery Series by Christobel Kent

Dead Season by Christobel Kent (Sandro Cellini series #3)

I am a big fan of mystery stories that provide an engaging detective in a foreign locale. Sandro Cellini is a retired Italian policeman who has opened up a private investigation agency with the support of his beautiful wife, Luisa, as well as wily assistant, Guili - the two very strong women in his life. The Dead Season takes place in the heat of August when most of the inhabitants of Florence escape to the cooler countryside. When a body is discovered on the side of a busy road, it is evident that he did not leave the city in time. I have loved each novel in this series, set in and around the beautiful city of Florence. The author starts with stories involving several characters which end up converging as the case comes together. Wonderfully atmospheric, I have fallen in love with this empathetic detective who is just trying to make a living, love his wife, and solve crime.

I recommend starting at the beginning of the series

The Drowning River (#1) 

A Murder in Tuscany (#2)

Best books of 2012 - Light Between Oceans

The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

A veteran of WWI, Australian Tom Sherbourne is grateful to be given a job as the lighthouse keeper on a lonely and isolated place called Janus Rock.  To this wild and beautifully natural setting, Tom brings his young spirited wife, Isabel.  As years go by and Isabel is unsuccessful in bringing a baby to term, a mysterious life boat washes ashore with a tiny baby and a dead man.  Because the only communication that occurs is by the supply ship, the couple is able to pass the baby off as their own.  What follows is a convoluted tale of love and passion, deceit and betrayal.  Written with beautiful prose and compelling characters, I really enjoyed this memorable novel. Listening to the audio version with the narrator’s Australian accent further enhanced my reading experience.  

One of my top 2012 reads.

Best books of 2012 - Cinder

Another really good YA fantasy novel - the classic fairy tale of Cinderella in a post-apocalyptic setting.

Cinder (Lunar chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Meet Cinder, a beautiful girl who, due to necessary surgeries after an accident, is now a cyborg. Orphaned as a young teenager and after the death of her foster dad, she finds herself with a step-mother who treats her like a servant. Yes, there is also two step-sisters. Cinder is a talented mechanic and happens to run into Prince Kai (whose father is the Emperor of New Beijing) who needs her to repair an android. I followed the fairy tale with familiar twists told in a very unique way. It was fun to read how the pumpkin coach is translated in this version. Unusual aspects include the Lunar people, who threaten the very existence of Earth, and a mysterious plague. I reached the end of the book gripping the arms of my chair and felt very sad that the next book in a planned series quartet, Scarlet, is not yet published. Something to look forward to in 2013!

Best books of 2012 - Shadow and Bone

I love this time of year - when "Best books of the year" lists are posted. So here goes. My best book list will be a series of blogs. The beginning of my list is a wonderful Young Adult (YA) fantasy novel.

Shadow and Bone (series - The Grisha #1)  by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone is a great example of a young adult fantasy novel that will appeal to a wide audience.

It always amazes me when an author can create a whole world with elements of what the readers may know and mixes in elements of magic and terrible creatures. I can imagine the war-torn country of Ravka filled with the familiar elements of Eastern European folklore.  The characters are so engaging and well-drawn, it’s hard to pick a favorite.  However, the book is predominantly the story of friendship and love between Alina and Mal, orphans with special skills that have gone undiscovered until now; all of the other characters revolve around them. When Alina’s magical powers come to the notice of the mighty and power hungry Darkling, she must decide what is true and worthy.  Enjoy this captivating novel and then wait with me for the next installment!

Laurie R. King and my top ten women mystery writer list

Garment of Shadows

Novelist Laurie R. King has rightly earned her standing in my top ten list of women mystery writers and her latest offering is one of the reasons why. Who else can combine the iconic character of Sherlock Holmes with a woman, Mary Russell, who is not only his wife but also his equal in detecting skills?  Then she places them in the fascinating historical setting of the Morocco of 1924, with France and Spain and native insurgents involved in colonial wrangling in the region. The novel opens with Russell discovering that she has no memories and needs to solve the mystery of her own identity. And so the adventure begins.

I love her prose such as, “It would be a plan as tangled as the streets of the medina, a garment woven of lies and half truths, of truths that look like lies, and lies that appear the truth. A garment suited to the half-light, its precise outline impossible to discern.” Beautiful!

While this is book #12 of the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes mystery series, this new novel could be read as a stand-alone. My advice is to start a reading journey with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice where the story all begins.

The complete list of books in the series can be found at the author's website at

http://www.laurierking.com/

Stay tuned to hear about the other women mystery writers on my list!

Another novel from Tana French!

Broken Harbor by Tana French

Once again author Tana French takes her readers on a roller coaster ride of emotion and suspense. Having played a secondary role in a previous Dublin Murder Squad novel, “Faithful Place,” Detective Michael “Scorcher” Kennedy takes the primary lead in a gruesome murder case.  

Mikey, as he is known to his family, starts working with his new rookie partner, Richie,  teaching him the ropes as they delve into a incident that has left three family members dead and one survivor in the hospital. The scene of the crime is a beach area outside of Dublin called Broken Harbor and the reader senses immediately that the lead detective has bad memories of the place. 

Not only that, he has family troubles with a mentally unstable sister who shows up in need of attention just as the investigation starts to heat up. Layers are peeled away with each chapter, guilt and motives are revealed in characters, and stories are uncovered from the past, both distant and recent. This stunning novel blurs the lines between chaos and order, good and evil, loyalty and betrayal, as it leaves the reader both unsettled and satisfied. 

Other novels by Tana French also recommended

In the woods  

The likeness (still my favorite) 

Faithful Place

Debut novel with amazing young narrator

The Age of Miracles: A Novel

By Karen Thompson Walker

Published by Random House

I received an advanced reading copy on NetGalley

With the passing of the days, who hasn’t wished that their day couldn’t extend past the normal 24 hours, just to get some project completed or have more time to spend with loved ones? In this debut novel, author Karen Thompson Walker explores the scenario of the earth’s rotation slowing a little bit each day. At first, according to the eleven-year-old narrator, Julia, no one really notices the difference of a little extra sunlight. “We did not sense at first the extra time, bulging from the smooth edge of each day like a tumor blooming beneath the skin.”  As the novel progresses, the lengthening of days and nights – known as the slowing - becomes an issue of huge scientific proportions with results such as crops getting too much light and birds losing their sense of direction due to the change in the earth’s magnetic core. The impact upon society is subtle at first with the decision by the government to determine the official length of a day – 24 hours or sundown to sundown? The decision is made to revert back to “clock time” (24 hours) no matter where the sun is positioned. However, some want to let their bodies adjust to the earth’s slowing by staying on what they refer to as “real time,” keeping in touch with their circadian rhythms. These are but a few of the issues that swirl in the mind of young Julia, who carefully watches the effects of stress on those around: her parents, the neighbors, and fellow students. She not only has to deal with puberty, but with a coming of age in a unique time of crisis. She is able to see the small things in life – a fondly remembered relative, a first kiss, a love that resolves to persevere – as daily miracles in a time of uncertainty.  Julia’s honesty and freshness is reminiscent of Anne Frank in her attic. I recommend this novel written with such luminous prose that leaves the reader aching for more.

I love words

To be published - July 3, 2012

Grammar's Girl's 101 Troublesome Words You'll Master in No Time

By Mignon Fogarty

According to the Grammar Girl author, Mignon Fogarty, I can use the phrase:  "you have got to read this book." Being a word person myself, I appreciate the clever way each troublesome word or phrase's history is explained and advice given as to its usage (or non-usage). Most appealing are the quotes from popular TV shows or movies used to illustrate her points on correct grammar. Teens will be able to identify with modern English examples, making grammar fun - or I can even say grammar is the "funnest."  Recommended to middle and high school language arts teachers and curious teens alike.

Another book by Grammar Girl to check out:

Grammar Girl's 101 misused words you'll never confuse again  

New Year's Resolution and Inspiring Biographies

To begin the new year, I have made a new year's resolution to post to my blog at least twice a month!
When it comes to non-fiction, my greatest love is biography. I am intrigued and inspired by biographies - here are two titles that were memorable.


Unbroken : a World War II story of survival, resilience, and redemption  by Laura Hillenbrand
Written by the author of Seabiscuit, this biography chronicles the life of Louis Zamperini who was a troubled teen and then discovered his talent for running. Part of the US Olympic team, he competed in Berlin and was in training when the U.S. entered World War II. Zamperini was on a B-4 bomber that was shot down in the Pacific and survives a 47-day ordeal adrift on a life raft, only to be imprisoned in a Japanese POW camp. His story is one of resistance, survival, and redemption. Be warned that the narrative tends to be detail laden, but the life of Louis is worth the telling.

Another WWII biography features someone who might be more familiar to readers - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor who was part of the German Resistance during the Hitler regime. Bonhoeffer : pastor, martyr, prophet, spy : a righteous gentile vs. the Third Reich by Eric Metaxas. The biographer recounts the story of a man in pursuit of God, as well as his passion for Christian community. This book is a combination of the revelation of Bonhoeffer's character, mixed with an extensive survey of his theological writings. Exhaustive research makes the narrative cumbersome at times, but the reader will bear with the author's style to glean the richness of an outstanding German Christian in times of great turmoil.




Both books - highly recommended!

Deadlines, Storylines, and Timelines

I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.
- Douglas Adams

I have mental deadlines and most of the time I do not accomplish the grand goals I set for myself - like posting to my blog on a weekly basis. I often think about going back in time and organizing my life in such a manner so to make better use of my hours and energies.

However, time is a wibbly wobbly concept, according to Dr. Who.

Considering the possibility of going back and telling my younger self that she should really think about becoming a librarian sooner, only reminds me of why I love science fiction.

In an alternate timeline, I could have gotten a job cataloging for the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford, England and never have met my husband or had three wonderful children. 

So here I am in my present timeline, thankful for my family and fondly remembering the storylines of my favourite Science Fiction authors instead.

All these authors are well worth reading; I still marvel at the imagination it took to create these sci-fi classics.

Douglas Adam's amazing and fun 

Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy - takes you on a zany trip through the universe

Isaac Asimov's unparalleled Foundation series - the perfect blend of science (fiction) and the study of human nature

 

 

Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game and the other novels in the Ender series - complex and multi-layered 

Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series - a clever romp through a literary alternate universe

Discovering home

Having moved a few times in my life, I found this novel - The unraveling of Abby Settel by Sylvia May - to be an emotional read (in a good way).

I can understand the feelings of being in a new place when your family is so far away. When I moved to the States I experienced a bit of what the title characters goes through in the novel. It is hard to be far from family and all things familiar.

Where do you turn when your life seems to be falling apart? This novel talks about the strength of family and the encouragement of friends. The most important lesson is a redefinition of "home" - from an address on a street to an attitude of finding contentment with where life and God has placed you.

I am thankful that I had a church community and connections to other parents from my children's school to help with my transition more than 20 years ago. Abby does find her way with the help of new friends, and comes out stronger for all the challenges she faces.

I encourage you to read this book - Sylvia May's first novel -  and to check out her website http://www.sylviamay.com

I am certainly looking forward to reading her next novel!

Literary Trip Part 3

For those who have read and enjoyed anything by Bill Bryson, I would recommend the Canadian author, Will Ferguson. He is a talented travel writer and in his book, Beauty tips from Moose Jaw, he will take you on a coast-to-coast tour of Canada like no other. He writes in a very personal and quirky style.
If you read this book - check out Chapter Seven - when he writes about being in Tadoussac and then driving up the Saguenay Fjiord.


My sister and I went whale watching that morning and had a very French style lunch at a little bistro in this very touristy town.

  We then drove up one side of the Saguenay Fjiord, taking in the beautiful scenery up to Chicoutimi and down the other side back to our motel in St. Simeon. 

It is fascinating to read another person's account of traveling on the same roads.

Literary Trip Part 2

How often does one get a chance to visit the "scene of the crime"?

Before my sister and I arrived in Brome Lake, we took a detour and visited Quebec's Old Town (Vieux-Québec) in order to see the Literary and Historical Society building (scene of the murder in Bury your dead by Louise Penny).



 We signed up for the English tour, the highlight of which was going to be the library!

Doesn't it look like a glorious library?

Can you imagine how I felt when the tour guide informed me that the library was closed on Mondays ... and that while those on the tour could spend a brief moment there, but no one could return. I felt like a child, nose pressed to the window of the candy shop.





 Our next stop in search of Inspector Gamache was to find the setting for a future book - Saint-Benoit-du-lac, the Benedictine Abbey on the shores of Lac Memphremagog. It was an interesting place and I look forward to reading a mystery set among the brothers!

Literary Trip Part 1

Do you all remember those first-week-of-school assignments? The teacher would say "write about something you did this summer."

My blog today is to tell you about the wonderful literary voyage my sister and I took in August.

We were in search of places where the author Louise Penny set some of her mystery series featuring Inspector Gamache.


First stop - the town which served as the model for the Village of Three Pines - Town of Lake Brome (Knowlton).

We wandered the town, past the mill pond, and soaked up the small town atmosphere. We had a lovely lunch at Cafe Floral.

Next to the library, was the treasure of a book store - Brome Lake Books.

It was a pleasure to meet the owners, Danny and Lucy, and pick up our autographed copies of "Bury your dead" by Louise Penny. 

Of course, books about whales and moose for the grandsons were also purchased.

 

Imagine our surprise when we saw a Quebec police car out in the parking lot - was our Inspector close by?

The search continues ...

Vive Gamache!

My sister and I are going on an early birthday trip to Quebec next week. The first part of the trip will be to do some whale watching where the Saguenay Fjord meets the St. Lawrence River, close to the town of Tadoussac.

After our marine adventures, we will turn back to the Eastern Townships, an area east of the city of Montreal. We will be in search of the village that is the inspiration for the setting of the Inspector Gamache mystery series by our favourite author, Louise Penny. We are sorry to be missing the launch of her latest book (only by a week!) at Brome Lake Books in Knowlton, but we will drop in to the bookstore to soak up the atmosphere! www.bromelakebooks.ca

The first book in the series is Still Life which introduces the quirky inhabitants in the village of Three Pines. Louise Penny writes an intelligent mystery as she explores the inner workings of the human heart.

 

Her best book (in my estimation) so far, stunningly written with history woven into a modern day plot, is Bury Your Dead. Don't read this title first, as it is worth the effort to make your way through the series in order (see below).

From Louise Penny on her website:  http://www.louisepenny.com

I'm often asked two questions: should the books be read in order? And, what is the order?
Both excellent questions. At the risk of appearing to want you to buy more books let me say that while it's not necessary to read them in any particular order (they're designed to be self-standing) there is quite a strong character development arc. I think you'd enjoy the books even more if read in order.
Now, here's the order, from the first to the most recent:

STILL LIFE
A FATAL GRACE / DEAD COLD
THE CRUELEST MONTH
A RULE AGAINST MURDER / THE MURDER STONE
THE BRUTAL TELLING
BURY YOUR DEAD
A TRICK OF THE LIGHT
Note that some of the titles vary between the Canadian/U.S. publications

Read any good books lately?

When I meet with friends, this question always comes up: read any good books lately? I am always interested in what other people are reading. There are those whose reading interests match my own, but I also get pushed by some to venture out in search of undiscovered treasures.

My first adult book review for this blog is one such treasure. Cutting for stone by Abraham Verghese, is set in Ethiopia and New York City and follows the lives of twins, Shiva and Marion, who become doctors on two different continents. How the brothers evolve from being orphaned and adopted by Indian doctors on staff at the Missing Hospital in Addis Ababa, to finding their way through political turmoil and personal loss into adulthood, is at the heart of the book. Written by a doctor who grew up in Ethiopia, this work of fiction has compelling characters (the parents of the twins have a saga of their own) and an absorbing plot. Most intriguing to me was the way in which the medical procedures were described so that I could experience being an observer and not feel like I needed a surgical textbook to understand what is transpiring.

The fact that my daughter-in-law, Hannah, (who is a medical school intern) and my son, Andrew, were in Ethiopia last summer made reading this book even more interesting. Hannah shadowed for a week at a hospital dedicated to addressing a critical medical condition, common among women in this developing country, termed obstetric fistula. Imagine my surprise when I read about how the one brother in the novel, who stays behind in Ethiopia, develops an interest in the fistula repair procedure.

Follow this link if you are interested in learning more about the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital: http://www.hamlinfistula.org/our-hospital.html

More about the author, Abraham Verghese, at:  http://www.abrahamverghese.com

Book stores and blog postings

 Should I try to stack my books in the same manner, 

instead of the untidy piles I have in various rooms?

I have a list of book stores to visit some day. For now, I usually access them on the Internet. For instance, Tattered Cover Book Store http://www.tatteredcover.com/ I've heard about this store from a friend who used to live in Denver, Colorado. From what I've heard, I could go in and not come out for days! I've "liked" Tattered Cover Facebook page and get lots of postings that are book or library related. Often these posts are reblogged from somewhere else and I'm trying to learn the technology behind blogs so I can just reblog a favorite. For now, this is just a "cut and paste" This book illustration is a recent posting from: http://angledart.tumblr.com/post/5035534879

Readers in my life

There are many readers in my life and I have been preparing for the arrival of two who will show up on my doorstep tomorrow. Joshua and John will demand that I share with them about what books I've been reading! My process is a little different from what I usually do to get ready for coffee with a friend who is much a reader as I am, which is usually writing out a recent list of books that have captured my imagination.

However, in preparation for these young gentleman, and their Texas cousins, I go on a treasure hunt in the children's department of my public library. My grandsons know what they like - solid story lines, vivid illustrations, and an animated narrator! Their young minds are ready to engage, so their Oma has to be ready.

On Tuesday night, I have books about dinosaurs, firefighters, and a green monster set to go.

I'd like to recommend a couple of books that were big hits from a previous reading session:

Press here by Hervé Tullet (clever text that encourages young readers with interactive instructions to press the colorful dots on the pages, then shift the book this way and that to see where the dots will move - very engaging)







Jake goes peanuts by Michael Wright (Jake is a picky eater. My daughter and I had to laugh about the reference to Jake's dislike of tuna casserole. His parents try a diet of everything peanut butter, which convinces the little boy that maybe a variety of foods
isn't such a bad thing) 








So here's to snuggling up with a some of my favorite readers and sharing some really good books!

My adventurous readers are: Jojo, Joshua, Zeke, and John