Under the Visible Life by Kim Echlin

from good reads

3.5 stars

Well Christmas has come and gone. And not nearly as much reading was done. I think the problem was a) I got a puzzle for Christmas that I was excited to work on and b) right now the book I am reading, while excellently written, just isn't holding my interest or pulling me in. There are some books where you just can't put it down, while others you can put it down with ease. I hope that this book picks up a bit and pulls me in.

It might be the timing of it too. Right now I am feeling the time crunch because there are four books on my to read list for this year that I want to get done, but I have to read this one first because of the hold list at the library. It is never great when you have to read a book then in there because of outside factors. It is much better if you get to choose the timing of the book. I can feel the lure of the other books so strongly.  I think I might just return it and put it on hold again. I think it would be the perfect spring/summer read.

What do you think? Do you believe in the timing of books?

Synopsis

This is a story that follows two women from two completely different world. They are both having to survive in a world that has been set up against them. Through their love of music, especially jazz, they are able to connect and become each others support.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. This was definitely one where I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know what was going to happen to these two women.

You have Katherine who decides to take charge of her destiny. The man in her life might have done her wrong, but she had a dream and she wasn't going to wait around for some guy to help her get there. I like how the author shows the struggles and hardships she goes through to find her success. Sometimes we just see the end result of someone's success without seeing how they struggled to get where they got. Life isn't always easy. It is hard work.

Mahsa was a lovely character and your heart goes out to her. Her struggles would have been so difficult. Coming from a culture which see women as mere commodities would be hard to break from. The trickery of her uncle and her feelings of being stifled and unable to escape I can't even imagine. Her character allowed us to see how living in two different worlds can be difficult and exhausting. It is like living a lie or being pulled in two.

There is definitely something you can learn from each woman.

The one thing that dragged the book down was the abstract discussion about music. I like music but I don't need to delve into it's mysteries. I just I don't "get it". While the music was the unifying factor in the book it got a bit much sometimes.

On the whole a very lovely read.

Punishment by Linden MacIntyre

from goodreads

4 stars

This year I finally made it out to Waterloo Public Library's Battle of the Books. It is when local celebrities champion the books for Waterloo Reads which are the Evergreen Award nominated books by the OLA. I have wanted to go for a few years but it would never work out. Something else was always going on. But this year was my year. What a fun night! There were a lot of people and we all had a great evening of laughs, fun and really yummy food. At the end of the night we voted for what book we thought should win. If your community ever does a book battle I highly recommend going. You will have such an enjoyable evening.

Synopsis

Tony Breau is retired and moved back to his home town in Nova Scotia. He left his position as a guard at the penitentiary under a bit of a cloud. When a young woman is found dead, Tony finds himself in the centre of things. He reconnects with a love from his past, and is haunted by a young man he tried to help.

My Thoughts

There are some books that quietly get into your heart. This is one of them. MacIntyre does a superb job at showing what small town life can be like. Enchanting, yet, stifling. Tony is a great main character. He is not in your face. In fact, he is rather a reluctant hero.

This book shows the difficulties people can face when they try to repent and change. People's memories are long and they remember your misdeeds even if you have completely changed. It is hard to get out of that shadow. It is hard to be given a second chance. It is hard to be relabelled.

This book really has everything, mystery, self reflection, love. It shows the price we can pay for doing the right thing. It shows the need for morals and for honesty. It questions how we view and think of others. It is definitely a worthwhile read.

Margaret Sanger: A Life of Passion by Jean H. Baker

from goodreads

2 stars

Christmas is coming soon! Every year that I am a parent I feel less excited and geared up for Christmas. It's not that I don't like Christmas, I do. I think it is the fact that I am doing everything now. My parents gave me a lovely Christmas experience every year. My mom would bake, we would have delicious food with all the trimmings. We had nice gifts. Not overly extravagant or plentiful, but nice. We would all sing Christmas Carols together as mom played the piano. We would go tobogganing. It would be a fun time of love, friendship and memories.

Flash forward to now and I am the person who is supposed to be presenting this Christmas magic and honestly I don't have the inclination. I don't feel like baking for hours on end. I don't feel like making a turkey with all the trimmings. I don't feel like getting anyone any presents (though I am not heartless and I do). And I don't prioritise practice time so I am not as good as my mom so their is rarely Carol singing. Tobaganning is fun but it sucks when you have to drive to a snow hill instead of having it right outside your front door (like my childhood home.) But, I guess this is when I can think, what is my energy level and what little bit of magic can I sprinkle into my kids experiences.

Hopefully in a few years when I don't have a crazy baby that constantly puts things in his mouth and when I feel like I am more put together I will feel more excited for the Christmas season and put more effort into making it super special for my family. Until then, well, at least we have a tree!

Synopsis

This is a biography on the woman who was the face of the early birth control movement in the United States.

My Thoughts

This book was weird. I loved it, I loathed it, I became apathetic to it.

The first few chapters that dealt with Sanger's early life I found really interesting. I liked learning about the events that caused her to pick up the crusade of birth control. I am profoundly grateful for the women who did. I am definitely a woman who has taken advantage of the ability to choose when to have children and how many. It is such a foreign concept to me, living now, that birth control could ever been seen as something not normal. But the obstacles men put up against birth control was crazy. Their arguments didn't even make sense! It was heartbreaking hearing about the women who were told by their doctors not to have any more children but where denied the tools and knowledge on how to prevent further pregnancies.

This book did a good job and delving into these contrary policies and showing how commonsense birth control was and how birth control was really a class thing.

If Baker had just left the book at this, the beginnings of the birth control movement, this would have been a fantastic read. Unfortunately she continued into the rest of Sanger's life. The writing was good. The subject I found boring. Perhaps if I was more inline with some of Sanger's other views such as open marriage and eugenics I would have found more interest. But since both those practices are abhorrent to me I just kept flicking the pages waiting for the book to end. I just didn't care about her private life. I think she was egocentric and catty. So perhaps the rating I gave should be higher, because you can't fault the author on the life of their subject. I just didn't care for it and the book just dragged on and on and on. Like I never thought it was going to end.

While it lost the passion it had at the beginning this was a quasi worth while read. If you are going to read it just read the first few chapters. They are full of interest and vitality. Otherwise it might be worth getting a different title if you want to learn about the birth control movement as a whole.

Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally

2 stars

Sometimes I feel that the movie makers have access to my to-reads list and decide those are the books that they need to turn into movies. While I enjoy book adapted movies I do not like it when I read the book while the movie is out. I feel like people who see me read the book think I am jumping on the book/movie bandwagon even though the title may have been on my list for a year or so.

Now I know in reality people aren't judging me. I know that the majority of people out there don't care what I am reading. But, it is hard to get the thought out of my brain.

This year there have been a lot of books like this. What I have tried to do is read them before the movie is released so at least I am a bit ahead of the curve. It also means I will not have to read a copy with the movie poster as the cover. Shudder. Seriously is there nothing worse than that? I guess this is my book snobbishness coming out but if one doesn't have some sort of standards one doesn't have anything.

Synopsis

Oskar Schindler helps save Jews from Cracow from extermination.

My Thoughts

I usually like the book better than the movie, but this is one case where the opposite is true. Save yourself the time and trouble and just watch the movie.

This is a book that just didn't know what it wanted to be. Was it a historical fiction, as it was touted to be, was it a biography or memoir, was it a straight history text? I just couldn't figure it out.

There were some sections that read as a beautiful narrative. There were other sections that almost seemed like an outline waiting to be fleshed out. And then there were other sections that were written as a section from a history textbook. The different writing styles mad the story overall really disjointed.

There were a lot of names that made the narrative confusing. This was especially so as some people were mentioned and then not mentioned again until a hundred pages later. There was no closure with lots of the characters. We never knew if some got out or were killed. Why mention them at all? Along with this the timeline jumped around adding to confusion.

The one thing that was good about this book was that it showed what people were up against and showed the complex system in place to control the Jewish population. It showed why many Jews didn't fight back. It showed how unbelievable the treatment of Jews really were.

The story of Oskar Schindler is important to know, but, learn about it through the movie adaptation.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

from goodreads

2.5 stars

I am trying to come up with some thing to say at the beginning of this post and my mind is a complete blank. It is hard to come up with something new and fresh and not the same old thing. Talk about weather, talk about books, talk about family. I have sort of been there, done that, got the t-shirt. What to say, what to say. This is probably what authors struggle with sometimes. They know that there is something extraordinary that they can put on the page but they got nothing or just don't know how to funnel it down onto the page.

Hopefully something will come to me for the next time. But for now, this is it.

Synopsis

Louisa Clark tries to help Quadriplegic Will feel good about life again.

My Thoughts

This is a book that has been getting a lot of attention. The movie came out this past summer and so a lot of people started reading it. It has been on my to read list for a while and I decided to finally read it because the movie was coming out. I wanted to read it before I saw the movie.

Well, I now have one less movie to watch because after reading this book I have no desire to see it. I really don't know what all the fuss was about.

The whole book was cliche. The characters are the same as you find in a lot of British pop lit. The older successful man who is having to adjust to a new life, the mother hovering at the edges, the crazy girl who has no ambitions and dresses interesting, getting a job she might not really be qualified for, who also has a weird relationship that everyone else can see is a disaster but her. Those characters sound familiar?

I found the character of Will to be annoying. He is asking Louisa to stretch and do things she hadn't tried before, yet he was unwilling to stretch and do the same for himself.

On the cover and from different reviews they said we would need our tissues and that is was super romantic. I am not sure what they were talking about. I kept waiting for the romance but to me it wasn't there (and I like chick flick romances as much as the next person). I just didn't get it and didn't care.

The one positive that can come from this book is opening up a discussion of euthanasia, about allowing ourselves and others the choice to live and die as we choose. It helps us think about our lives and if we are stuck in a rut or if we are willing to try something that might turn out wonderful. Are we making the most out of our lives? It shows how we can feel constricted in our lives in a lot different ways, whether it be physical limitations or emotional ones.

In the end, I didn't really enjoy this book. It is not one I would recommend and I don't care enough to read the sequel. While it does give the reader some serious issues to think about it is not enough to make it the ultimate romantic read.

Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley

from goodreads

5 stars

I am not a big art person. Like, I like looking at nice pieces but I wouldn't say, " I get it". I don't look at it and analyse it. It is just a picture. What I do find amazing is how much a picture conveys. Without words you can get a sense of what is happening in a certain time frame or in a job. You can get a glimpse to what matters to the artist, what landscapes they enjoy or perhaps what their favourite colour is.

I guess that is the nice thing about art. You don't have to be an analyser, you don't have to collect it or try to be deep about it. You can just enjoy art because it is there. You can enjoy art just for you. You can let the pictures speak to you or be whatever you need it to be for you at a particular time. That's awesome.

Synopsis

This is a graphic novel that revolves around a woman named Kate. She is opening up her own restaurant while still living above the one where she used to work. When a worker gets injured the "house spirit" shows Kate a way to change things to help the injured worker, but now Kate wants to try and fix everything.

My Thoughts

I haven't read a lot of graphic novels but this is an art form I am going to have to explore a lot more. I love how you don't get bogged down with detailed descriptions. You can just get on with the story and you see what is happening instead of trying to imagine it. The story was pure and was not shrouded in adjectives and adverbs. I think that is the great thing about this genre, it is more dialogue driven, but you know exactly what is happening and you know exactly what the character is like.

I loved the idea that this book explored, the idea of trying to fix things. We often feel we need to fix things when really we just need to let it be. Sometimes the more we try to make things perfect the worse it can sometimes be. And the people we are trying to make happy won't become so. In this story it shows how one change which seems small has ripple effects that could make other things change, and the more you try to change things the more things get changed.

I loved how flawed Kate was. She wasn't trying to put on airs, she wasn't trying to be likeable. She had her own sense of right and wrong, her own sense of self. I love the other characters too. Everyone has something about them that makes them intriguing, even if they are only a minor player.

This would be a great book to try the graphic novel genre. I plowed through it in less than a day. The story is out there but not too out there and it does give you a lot to reflect on. I really enjoyed it!

Geek Parenting: What Joffrey, Jor-El, Maleficent and the McFlys Teach Us about Raising a Family by Stephen H. Segal and Valya Dudycz Lupescu

from goodreads

5 stars

Parenting is a hard gig. Even if you think you know what you are doing or feel like you have a lay of the land, something inevitably comes along to make things seem crazy again. The one thing that never changes with parenting, no matter what the age of your children, is that mom is always wrong. For example, you make tacos because you know your kids love tacos, they ate them up two weeks ago so they will for sure love and eat them tonight right? Wrong!!! Tonight tacos will become the most vilest of foods. How could you even think this would be acceptable to their discerning palates? Are you trying to poison them?

Often times we feel like we are alone in this great struggle. That all the other parents never have issues like this. That they have some secret magic wand that allows them to have children who always eat whatever is served with gusto and children who are always polite and brush their teeth and hair without being reminded. Isn't it a relief when we find out that all the other parents have some sort of struggles, whether they are the same or not. Your fellow parents are the best ones to commiserate with. They get it! No need to hide your parental short comings from them because they have short comings too. If they say they don't have any they are lying. Parenting. We're all in this together.

Synopsis

This is a book of parenting advice. The advice given comes from our favourite sci-fi, fantasy and comic heroes and families.

My Thoughts

I loved it! I am not a complete geek. There were many characters talked about that I had no clue who they were, but, that didn't matter because the advice or situations were so relatable.

This book of mini-essays touched on everything.

• accepting children's differences
• helping them learn for themselves
• knowing when to swoop in and protect them and when to let them be and figure it out themselves
• weird friendships
• allowing them to grow
• and more

This book helps us know that we are not alone in the parenting realm as these themes seem to be universal. The book shows us what sci-fi does best. It looks at the state of humanity, but with an other worldly lense, which allows us to look at situations at an arms length and helps to make connections about society you might not have made otherwise. 

I am really tempted to buy a copy of this book so I can always have their words of wisdom close at hand. This book is like your very own cheerleading section helping you feel like you can do this and you will do great!

Stalker by Lars Kepler

from goodrerads

5 stars

I don't know what it is about Nordic Crime novels, but I can't get enough. I try to read a variety of things, you know, to keep things fresh. But, I think if I was stuck on a desert island and only had one genre of books to choose to have with me, it would definitely be Nordic Crime. Perhaps I like it so much because I secretly (okay to anyone who knows me it really isn't that secret) wish I lived in Norway or Sweden. I think their government set up is neat, the landscapes are amazing and come on, ABBA is from Sweden. How much cooler can Sweden get. It is the birthplace of IKEA, another love  obsession of mine.

I think I really like these novels because they are creepy but not in a horror movie way just in a ick way. I love how the main characters have complex back stories (at least the ones in the series I have read do). They are not your run of the mill beefcake cop. They have troubled pasts, issues they are trying to get over themselves, secret lives. I like that. It makes it all the more real.

So, if you haven't picked up a Nordic Crime novel in awhile I definitely recommend it. I really like the Department Q series, the Rebecka Martinsson series, and of course the Joona Linna Series.

Synopsis

There is a serial killer on the loose in Stockholm. Joona Linna, comes out of hiding and is on the case.

My Thoughts

I loved this book. I had been waiting a while to read it. It had been on order at my library for a long time and I put it on hold so long ago that it got to the point where I wouldn't have been able to delete it or freeze it or anything. (I didn't know the that could happen). The publisher must have been pushing back the date. But after the long year or so of having it on hold I finally got to read it and man, it was worth the wait. It was definitely Lars Kepler at their finest.

This book was a perfect blend of character development, twists, and creepiness. Just when I thought I knew how something was going to happen, a twist happened and I was like whaaat?! In some books the amount of twists and turns would definitely get annoying and old, but in this book they were awesome and kept you on the toes. They held your interest.

The book was suspenseful and scary. It was little bit graphic in the mode of murder but nothing that made me feel too icky. I may never look into my backyard at night in the same way again, but other than that I am not loosing too much sleep over some plot points.

I liked how the beginning wrapped up the previous book. It allowed all the characters to move on. I wasn't sure how they were going to wrap it up because they could have gone down a completely different path and story line with the characters. In the end I am glad they did what they did, it made everything that much more believable.

I wished there was more about Joona's personal life, but then it makes sense that there wasn't. He is just getting back into the swing of things and hasn't established a personal life again yet. So I'll just wait for the next book.

This was a thoroughly engaging, edge of your seat book. Definitely read it. While it is in a series you don't need to read the other books to enjoy this one. Though you should read them because the rest of the books are pretty awesome too!

The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

from goodreads

4 stars

It can be hard seeing your parents age. You still remember them vividly as strong people capable of anything and then one day they are more frail, slow and dependant on others. They look similar to who they once were but they aren't the same and won't be.

That is what happened to me this year. At Christmas I was almost sure that my mom was not long for this earth. Thankfully I was proven wrong but she will never be back to what she was health-wise. My dad, his mind has been going for awhile but his body still seems to be in tip top shape. Being the youngest and since my parents had me so late in life I knew growing up that this would be my reality. It is still crazy to see my once strong willed mother feeling anxious and scared, but I know we are doing the best for them and she knows that too. Seeing them age just means we need to make and share memories while we still can, something I am excited to do.

Synopsis

The author's mother is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. They decide to spend the chemo time talking about life and books.

My Thoughts

This was a thoughtful and beautiful homage to Schwalbe's mother and the power of reading. What an interesting lady. The books that they read sound interesting too. Some I had read myself others I had never heard of but they sound really cool. I liked how the books they read seemed to really add texture to their life and to the situations they found themselves in. Isn't that the same for us?

At times when I was reading this I asked myself, would it have been as interesting if she hadn't been so dynamic in her own life? She had been a world traveller working tirelessly to help refugees around the world. She new lots of people and was constantly trying to make a difference. This added another dimension to this book. I don't think this book could be written about any other familial book club and have the same result. It was definitely person specific to make it work.

I liked how this book made you think about what you were doing in life to make the world better. You don't have to do a lot to make the world even a little teeny bit better, but that is what we should be striving for. You don't know where these acts of making the world better will lead.

I liked how this book basically said that we are all in an end of your life book club. We know our time on earth is finite and that we will go the way of the dodo at some point. We just need to read, glean what we can from it and become the best us we can.

This is a great book, it has given me a ton more books I want to read. It is sad to know I will never read all the books I want to in this life, but I am excited for the challenge.

Local Customs by Audrey Thomas

from goodreads

4 stars

It is the last week before school and I am ready. I love my kids. I want the best for them and I am trying to mould them into functioning members of society. (Even though sometimes I'm wondering how well I am actually doing at that goal.) But I am ready to have a bit of time away from them. Because of Mr. S, we have been homebodies for a lot of the summer. All my fantastic pinterest plans went down the tubes as I had no desire to get anything ready. When night time comes and the kids are in bed, I am ready for a break. When during the day they are watching a movie and Mr. S. is down for a nap, I am ready for a break. The gumption just is not there. Because of this inaction the kids are starting to get a bit antsy. Home is only so cool.

The kids are ready for school too. I think they are excited to see their friends, meet their teacher and have a break from their overbearing mother. I think we need breaks to truly appreciate what we have. And maybe, once the kids are in school, I will start my plans for next summer.

Synopsis

This historical fiction takes a look at the life of Letitia Landon, a writer from the 1800s, who is thirty-six and feels she will never marry. She meets Governor George McClean of Cape Coast Castle which is on the Gold Coast of Africa. Eight weeks after she is married she is dead. Letitia speaks from the grave to look at the circumstances surrounding her death.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. I liked how it was written in different voices. You really got a sense of what was happening not only in Letitia's life but also outside of the British fort. The use of different voices helped to show the different cultures that were on the Gold Coast. The native cultures, the British military culture and the religious culture. Each viewed the other in different ways and interacted with each other differently too.

I loved how the cause of death was hinted at from various people. Was it suicide? Was it a tropical disease? Did she have an underlying health problem? Was it murder? We don't know but it is interesting to speculate.

I liked how this book was truly a story. It was not inundated with information. We got what we needed and nothing more. That was lovely. It really fit in with the mystique of the landscape. You aren't reading this to become educated, you are reading this to be entertained.

This was a delightful quick read with a bit of a Woman in White flair. A great summer read.

Birdie by Tracey Lindberg

from goodreads

2 stars

I love watching the Olympics. Not only do you get to watch incredible physical feats, I get to read during the commercials. It's amazing how much reading I was actually able to accomplish. It takes so long to set up some events that I can read during that part too! Now if only their was an Olympic event for reading. That is a competition I could get behind. Marathon reading perhaps?

Synopsis

Birdie goes into herself and travels through her past. She is able to confront the demons that have been plaguing her.

My Thoughts

This book had so much potential but to me just fell flat.

This seemed to be the same story as so many others. A troubled woman, alcohol problems, sexual abuse and the desire to put her life together. While these things are prevalent in society, especially and unfortunately in Aboriginal communities, and we should know about them and deal with these issues as a society, the presence of them in this story made the story seem inevitable and predictable. You knew where things were headed and the climax confrontation with the uncle was not at all surprising.

The story was also hard to follow at times. You skipped around different timelines quite a bit and it was at times confusing. It took a while to sort out where you were.

I appreciated how the author showed why foster systems do not always work and it allowed a conversation to be had in that regard.

I had high hopes going in but it just didn't live up to my expectations. It could have been so much more.

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

from goodreads

3 stars

This weekend is the long weekend, which means we are half way through our summer. It is kind of hard to believe. I had such plans and I don't think I have done any of them. But, since I have a newborn I guess I can give myself a bit of slack. It is hard to create a magical summer for your kids when you are sleep deprived and barely able to get out of bed in the morning. Next summer can be the magical one.

Synopsis

The protagonist is just going through the motions of life. When he meets Tyler everything changes as they create the Fight Club.

My Thoughts

I knew a bit about the story going into this read. I have not watched the movie but I knew about the ending. Because of this knowledge I read looking for clues and hints that showed the ending.

This is not a typical book I would pick up. I don't really like senseless violence or living in the confusing crazy world of others. I found this book very hard to rate as somethings were fantastic but in the end I just didn't like it.

The author did a superb job showing the confusion and agitation of someone going through an identity crises as well as showing the brutality people can inflict on others. He was able to craft a unique story in a unique way and it worked. I liked how he left the ending open. Things weren't wrapped up neatly. There were still some questions, but, again, this worked.

I also liked how they made soap. I found that intriguing and a bit out there but a neat side story. How else were they to fund everything?

I just really don't like senseless violence. The idea of violence for fun is repugnant to me. The whole vigilante thing was really disgusting. All the things that they did and the manipulation they used bothered me and I did not enjoy reading it. All these things combined made the story feel hopeless as there seemed to be no way out. No way to change.

I also found the story to confusing at times and repetitive. This was most likely to show the mind space of the character, which is fine, but as the reader it grates on you.

All in all this is not a book I would read again and I am not going to look for any that are similar or in that genre. One was enough for me. The chaos in the book just didn't do it for me in as a reader. I did appreciate how the author showed his characters state of mind. I did appreciate the writing, just the subject matter was not something I would gravitate to.

A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout

3 stars

Man, life is different. This little boy of mine eats and eats all the time. Between dealing with him and his ferocious appetite and then paying attention to the girls, my reading time has definitely shrunk. When I am not holding Mr. S or helping one of the kids I just want to lie down and sleep. Or if I do start reading, I end up waking up half an hour later. I know that this is life with a new born and I know it will get better, but man... it is rough. Oh well, at least I have a nice chunky baby to show for all the feedings I am doing.

I will try to do weekly posts, but no promises. I find that I will plan to do a post on one day, and then forget or get distracted by other things, or I forget what day of the week it is. So I will do my best to do Thursday posts. But, please be patient with me... sleep trumps everything!

Synopsis

Amanda was held captive in Somalia. This is the story of her experience as well as events leading up to it.

My Thoughts

This book is Waterloo Regions One Book One Community selection for this year.

While this is a book full of interesting insights and scary situations, on the whole, it did not hold my attention. I did read all the way through but I had to force myself to keep reading at times.

Her mental fortitude during her ordeal was amazing. I really did feel for her as she was trying to figure out how to keep things from getting worse and trying to navigate a crazy system of captives where you were never sure if you were on the right path to your goal or not. It really must have been terrifying knowing that your value as a woman was zilch and you don't know what they could do to you at any moment.

I did try hard not to feel to judgemental while reading this, but a few judgy thoughts did creep into my head. She was warned multiple times about how dangerous Somalia was for foreigners. She did not have any protection or insurance from a network. She was freelancing and going about this on her own. And then she roped her friend in to join her on this crazy venture. What!? While I understand that life is about taking risks, we are also able to manage them. So the fact that she went against all these warnings from people who were more experienced and knowledgeable in the field (she was new to all this) just seems crazy to me. Like did she have an inferiority complex. What was she trying to prove? While what happened to her was horrible and should not happen to people period, in her case if she had heeded the warnings it could have been avoided. End of judginess.

In her narrative I liked how she showed that she felt vulnerable that she did feel despair. She wasn't always happy go-lucky everything will turn out. Yet, through her vulnerability she was still able to maintain a strength about her and with that a quiet inner dignity. That came through well. I also liked how she showed us how this ordeal still affects her today. How she gets nervous around certain people and situations. I think sometimes as onlookers we think "well their out now, back to normal". But no! They are still trying to process and come to terms with a traumatic experience and we need to be aware of that. While it still affects her she also doesn't let this situation define her.

Her narrative is not horribly graphic but it doesn't sugar coat things either. She was abused, tortured and to some, just a plaything. We get to understand a little of what it might have been like.

After reading her story, I am not sure what the takeaway is. Was the point just to share her story? If so, she does that well. But if she wanted us to learn something from it I'm not sure what that would be. Don't go to dangerous countries on a whim? Some people are very clear on their takeaways such as Corrie ten Boom, this one not so much. I think it is because the takeaway was not clear the narrative on the whole loses it's impact and perhaps that is what made this book not the attention grabber it could have been. While I am glad to have her story and have her experience filed away in my brain, it is not one that will stay with me in the forefront. This could have been more than just a narrative of one experience of her life but unfortunately it feel short.

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

from goodreads

2.5 stars

I know that we all know this already, but reading is amazing. We can learn so much. Our minds can be opened to new worlds and ideas. Fiction is especially good at this. Society is easy to explore and think about when reading a fiction story. When we see what the characters are going through you can get the sense that you are not alone or you can learn about differences or different perspectives on common problems.

Reading is never a waste of time. No matter the story we can learn something about ourselves. It could be a deep philosophical things or it could be as simple as learning you don't enjoy a particular genre. With all the different authors and genres and stories we will always be fed and nourished and hopefully all have a more broad view of the world.


Synopsis

This book chronicles the happenings of the Stephanides family, and more specifically the defect on the 5th chromosome that has gone down the line and created Callie/Cals hermaphroditism. Going from Turkey to the streets of Detroit, this is an interesting look at family, what makes us male and female and belonging.

My Thoughts

Well this book was definitely a surprise. When it was first put on the book club list I thought I was going to be reading a quaint book set in a county in England. So this was definitely not the story I was expecting.

I really enjoyed watching the evolution of this family. The grandparents tale was quite interesting. I also liked watching the evolution of Detroit. The transformation of the city during the different eras was quite interesting.

The subject was also interesting. What makes us male, what makes us female? Hermaphrodites are not often the main character of a book and I found it interesting learning about the different kinds, what they have to go through. It is not often talked about so it was nice to see it put into the forefront. It definitely helps to open a dialogue about the subject and get us thinking about it.

What I didn't like was just how boring the majority of the book was. I loved the grandparents story, I loved Cal talking about his life in Germany (this is once he is way older) and I liked the part of the story once they realized something was not quite right and they were going to doctors, and experts to figure out what was happening and Cal made a decision of what he wanted for his life. Everything else, was just boring. It seemed that the author had so many different characters and storylines that he was trying to do justice to that it just got drawn out and wasn't all that interesting (at least for me). There were a few times that I wanted to just stop reading as it was not holding my interest, but I trudged through because I knew they would be talking about Cal's condition eventually and so I kept going.

This is a book that did have an interesting premise, and that premise will stay with me for a while as it put in mind some thought provoking questions and ideas that will be fun to mull over. The rest of the book and most of the characters will not stay with me and, in that way, made it not all that great.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

2 stars

Well it has been a while since I have posted. Why??? Well I have lots of appointments so that eats up my time. And because it eats up my time and I still have organizing and housework to do the blog was put on the back burner. Also, my laptop went caput. And while I have been using my husbands desktop, I didn't like ignoring Miss P that much as his desktop is in the basement. So it made spending time writing and editing blog posts not the easiest.

Well, thanks to our tax return I have finally gotten myself a Chromebook. It is not as fancy as my last laptop buy I figure since most of what I do is online anyway it made the most sense. Also, if I need to do anything else that requires an actual desktop, I can just use my husband's. I like that all my google stuff is right there and connected. Pretty cool.

Now I am just playing the waiting game. I am officially at term (37 weeks) and would love for this baby to get out. So send baby get out vibes my way.

Synopsis

This follows the life of Kathy and her two friends Ruth and Tom. They all go to a secluded school called Hailsham. This looks at their life at the school, and their life now and the memories they have. Through these memories they learn more about what their life is really about and the strangeness of the society they find themselves in.

My Thoughts

This is an adult, artsy, not violent version of a dystopian novel. I started into it thinking it was going to be more mysterious and thrilling, but it didn't turn out that way. I kind of found the book a bit dull and felt I was forcing myself to finish it.

I didn't understand why once the kids found out their true purpose in life they didn't want to run away and leave. They seemed to be accepting. Perhaps a little too accepting.

I wish that the author went more into the moral dilemma of the society. How this program really worked and was funded and how things got harvested. Like was it as the need arose or did they keep organs on bank or what. What did the rest of society really feel about it? Other schools were always alluded to. It would have been neat to see how those schools were run and what the difference was. How did the people get selected for what school they would go to?

I thought I was getting myself into a boarding school drama and ended up with it being a review of society instead. It took me awhile to realize it was a sort of alternate reality, though it could really happen and that is scary.

The time lines were a bit confusing as well. The author constantly alluded to something that would happen in the future, and then backtrack into the story to lead you to that point. It was not a technique I enjoyed reading. Once in a while maybe, but not every chapter. The story also jumped around a bit so it was hard to follow.

While the premise seems promising the delivery just wasn't there for me. I know some people love it, and that's great, it is well written. I just couldn't get into it to really enjoy it.

My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises by Fredrik Backman

from goodreads

4 stars

I feel like I haven't been super branchy outy lately in my reading. If I read a book from a series I feel compelled to read the entire series right away (If the books have all been published and I actually liked the first book). This means that I am not getting much done on my to-read list for this year, which is fine. That list is more there for if I am stumped for what to read next. But still, it would be nice to tick off a few. It also means that I am not as far ahead on my book club reading as I would like to be. But, I am sure I'll manage.

Do you get like that with reading. Where you feel you can't read anything else until you read everything by that author or in a series?

Synopsis

Elsa is a 7-year old who is different and much more grown up than you would expect. Her best friend is her free-living grandmother. When her grandmother dies, she leaves Elsa a treasure hunt to figure out and more is revealed about the neighbours around her then Elsa realizes.

My Thoughts

This was such a delightfully fun read. When I loved A Man Called Ove so much I was nervous if I would like this one as much. I really shouldn't have been.

This book had enough happiness, sadness, quirkiness, mystery and lovingness that you couldn't help but love Elsa and her family. You want to envelope Elsa in a big hug and let her know things are going to be just fine and that she has people she can count on.

Sometimes the narrative got a bit lost when things got switched between the imaginary world that Elsa's grandmother created and the real world. You had to work at it to keep things straight, at least I did. And sometimes the imaginary world took over too much, it would have been nice just to get on with the story sometimes.

My other beef was, Elsa was only 7. How is it okay that she was running around by herself so much. I don't consider myself to be a helicopter parent, but there is no way I would be fine with my 7 year-old running around the city streets and being as independent as Elsa was. It just didn't seem realistic to me and kind of bothered me.

Those minor criticisms aside I thought this was a beautiful story of love, loss and forgiveness. You should definitely put this on your to read list. (Please note, I read the British version of this book, it is also known as My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry.)


 

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

from goodreads

3 stars

Today was supposed to be an awesome day. The kids were to have pyjama day and pizza day at school today. That meant I wouldn't have had to force them to get dressed in the morning and I wouldn't have had to worry about lunch, just snacks. But, Mother Nature had a different plan in mind. Over night there was freezing rain which coated trees, roads and everything in a nice layer of ice. This meant that schools were closed and the dreams I had of a nice easy morning were dashed. The morning was still nice and easy, we all lazed in bed a bit longer than normal, but I just couldn't appreciate it as I should have. I kept thinking of what could have been.

Oh well, at least now we have a super duper long weekend!

Synopsis

This book takes place in Afghanistan. It follows two women and their lives as sister wives to a rather conservative man. It looks at the lives of women in Afghanistan and how they have changed throughout the 20th century. It is heartwarming and heartbreaking.

My Thoughts

While this book dealt with important issues and brought them out in a compelling narrative, I didn't really enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. I think it was because of the unending sadness of what was going on with the characters. These women never seemed to be able to catch a break. If anything bad or horrid could happen to them it did. A little reprieve no matter how short would have been nice. I guess Hosseini was showing us the reality of what women go through under repressive regimes and men. That reality does need to be acknowledged. I guess maybe I needed a lighter more hopeful book at this time instead of one that showed the drudgery and injustices women face.

It was interesting to see how differently women were treated under the different regimes. And how drastically the changes were from one to the next. Under the communists women were given a lot of freedoms and were treated the same as men. Then the communists were gone, the Taliban came in shortly after and they were treated as subhuman. The hospital scene in the book still haunts me. Things like that should never be allowed.

It is kind of interesting how the more conservative in views the regime or husbands were the more their views didn't make sense. They wanted sons to be born, yet they gave the women appalling conditions to give birth in, which would lead to infant mortality rates. And those rates are not sex biased. Also, these people wanted to lead and reign over people. Well if population growth doesn't happen, there will be no one left to reign over.

This book was great at showing the history of Kabul and Afghanistan. It showed the great history of the land, and the sadness when it was destroyed. It showed a people determined to survive even if they might not be thriving and the hope for better times to come. It was a bittersweet story, one I might have enjoyed better if I was in a different frame of mind.

Moonlight Over Paris by Jennifer Robson

from goodreads

4 stars

In February it was my library's customer appreciation month. They had different activities and contests. One was a selfie contest, where you took a selfie in one of the branches and then tweeted it or emailed it. Well, since I have a twitter account (I really don't use it) and had my phone with me I decided to make my first tweet for the contest. And guess what! I won a prize.  They clearly weren't judging for technique as it is probably the worst selfie ever, (there was sun shining on the screen which made it hard to figure things out) but I was super excited. And what a prize! I got a free library bag, the best mug in the world (I have been using it every day), an interesting book about local history, a funky notebook, beautiful cards, a pen that works, a heart eraser and two zipper pulls that say "read". It was definitely more than I was expecting that's for sure. What a generous library!

I definitely value my library. I love my local branch. I love that my kids are so excited to go to the library. I love that my kids consider the employees their friends. I love that I can read so many books for free. If it wasn't for my library, there would be less blog posts, because I wouldn't be able to buy all these books! I love my library!

Synopsis

Years after the break in her engagement to Edward, and after a near fatal illness, Lady Helena Montagu-Douglas-Parr is at a loss of what to do with her life. She is in her late twenties, which means her prospects are non-existent, and at the moment she feels like her life has no real purpose.

With her parents permission she decides to go study art in Paris, living with an eccentric aunt. There she meets a variety of people, makes real friends including an American reporter, Sam Howard.

My Thoughts

This is the latest Robson installment. I love how her books can stand alone, yet are connected by the characters.

Helena was a character that popped up in Somewhere in France and After the War is Over, but you never really got to learn much about her. She was always someone I wanted to know more about so I am glad that this book is about her.

I really liked the characters in this book. I felt that they were fleshed out, they complemented each other and they were interesting. I also liked how we got to really see Helena transform from a tentative person, unsure in her life, to a confident woman willing to stand up for herself and break the mould.

It was fun to see Paris in the 20s. It really was the place to be. It seemed anyone who was anyone in the art/literary world was there then. Robson did a good job of showing that without it being a list of famous people at a party.

If you are looking for a steamy romance you won't get it. It is kind of slow. And while you can tell that these people have feelings for each other it is not front and centre. I kind of wished we could see more of their relationship and their blossoming friendship instead of all the talk about art. I am not a big art person and so the talk of art really didn't interest me.

All and all I did enjoy this book. I think I will compare everything that Robson writes with the brilliance of Somewhere in France. And while there is that comparison I don't know if I will enjoy any of her other books as much.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

from goodreads

4.5 stars

In life I think most of us try to be our genuine self. But there are times when we just plaster the smile on our face and fake it until we make it. That is not necessarily bad, but we need to have a safe place where we can be our genuine self. Whether that self is grumpy or sad or annoyingly happy it is important to have a time to express that.

In books it is exciting because you get to see the characters' genuine selves. If there is a faker we know it, and we usually know what their true self is as well. I think that is why some of the most beloved characters in literature, such as Jane Eyre and Elizabeth Bennet, and now Ove, are so well liked and treasured. They act as their true selves always. They act as they would always act no matter who is around or what is going on. They stay true to themselves.

What is one of your favourite characters that stay true to themselves?

Synopsis

Ove is a man who is set in his ways and some would say was grumpy and obstinate. Through the antics of crazy neighbours we learn of the love and loss of Ove and how one person can truly touch countless others.

My Thoughts

I could sum up this book in one word: delightful. Who knew that a tale of a man trying to end it all could be so lighthearted and fun.

This is a story that shows the magic of letting people enter your life, whether you let this happen willingly or not. It shows that love and pain that is in all relationships, new and old. This book shows that sometimes it is necessary to break out of our shell and sometimes we need to cling to what makes us us and not compromise our values.

The characters is this book were beautifully created and orchestrated. Ove, though thorny, is so lovable. You want so much good for him. And while some times you are like "It doesn't matter Ove, just let it go" you love him even more for being cantankerous. I love the hospital stuff. Hilarious! The rest of the cast of supporting characters are vastly different from each other but when put together works so well to support a funny and moving story.

I loved this story. There were times I was reading it and thought "Oh my gosh, Ove is my husband". That made reading it even more fun. It was like I was getting a glimpse into the future.

I highly recommend this book. If you are looking for a book that will make you laugh and cry, a book that will make you feel happy and fulfilled at the end, A Man Called Ove is your book.

The Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood

from goodreads

1 star

Today is the perfect day to curl up and read. While I love being at home all day with Miss P, this is a time when I wish she was already in school or in day care and I could just curl up on the couch and read. It looks like a winter wonderland outside, the perfect backdrop for reading a great book!

When do you like to read? Cold frosty days? Hot days lazing on the beach or in a hammock? On the commute?

Synopsis

I am taking this from goodreads as I didn't finish the book.

One fateful summer morning in 1986, two 11-year-old girls meet for the first time and by the end of the day they are charged with murder.

Twenty-five years later, journalist Kirsty Lindsay is reporting on a series of attacks on young female tourists in a seaside town when her investigation leads her to interview funfair cleaner Amber Gordon. For Kirsty and Amber, it's the first time they've seen each other since that dark day when they were just children. But with new lives - and families - to protect, will they really be able to keep their secret hidden?

My Thoughts

This was one of the book club picks for this year. Usually with book club books I will keep at it no matter what. This one I just couldn't.

While the premise sounds intriguing and promising, the execution of it was not so excellent. There were quite a lot of different story lines going on. And the characters were not engaging and I didn't really care about them. As I was reading I kept thinking, I don't care, I don't care, I don't care. So, I gave up.

Tonight when I go to my book club meeting I will find out what happened because I know the others finished it. But, I really don't care if I find out what happened.

I have never felt so apathetic about a book before. I guess there's a first time for everything.