Goal accomplished! The year in review.

The kids are in bed and we're two hours away from 2013 so I have a few minutes to reflect on my past year of reading.

Well, I did it!

I guess I've proven that you can make a goal on January 1st and stick with it for a whole year. It feels great to accomplish it! There were times when it was really easy (on vacation in Florida, or the ocassional night away from the kids) and there were times when it was really, really hard (stomach viruses and being up 5+ times a night with the kids). When I got very behind on my books then something was clearly out of balance. It was the perfect reflection of my emotional well-being and the choas of working full-time and raising two young energetic boys.

What I really learned from this experience is that you can 'fit it in'.

Recently Glen and I were talking about how he could find more time for his writing. I told him how I squeezed in my reading (although granted, writing isn't as easy to "squeeze in"). If I arrived at work 5 minutes early I would sit in my car for 10 minutes and read. I took my books everywhere. The best time to read was when I could take Jack to his activities - swimming bought me an hour each week, lego class another hour, and karate another one. I've signed Jack up for gymnastics classes in the new year (more reading time!). And of course, there were countless times I read between 11pm and 1am. I wonder if 2013 might bring more sleep?

My reading has even rubbed off on my six year old, Jack.

On Saturday, Jack wanted a new lego set which was $20 more expensive than the gift cards he had, so he promised he'd read for 3 hours before we gave him his lego set (it was either reading or chores around the house -- he picked reading). He too finished his goal this evening. I'm so proud of him. All day he was asking me my page  'count down' while I asked him his minute count down.

I am happier.

Reading has made me a happier and more complete person this year. There have been times when my books have supported me through some rough emotional patches. I've also noticed I've become more intentional and purposeful with my words - both in conversations and in my writing. I've met new people who also love books and managed to convince the librarians at our local library that I don't just use them as our DVD rental place.

Will I do this again next year?

Probably not. I don't want to worry about picking up a 1,000 page book and getting behind in my reading schedule. It has been great for my mental health, but I need to find the same balance with my physical health as well. Maybe audio books while I workout will do the trick?

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me and shared your favourite books with me. As a present to you here are my top picks for the year. I hope you have a chance to read one of them in 2013!


My top 5 picks (in no particular order)...

The Language of Flowers
The Paris Wife
The Midwife of Venice
Requiem
Divergent/Insurgent/(third in the series to come in the Fall of 2013)


And 5 more books I can't stop thinking about...these were either disturbing or changed my view of the world. They were great reads, I'm just not sure that everyone would enjoy them.

Through the Glass
Chai Tea Sunday
The Gargoyle
The Best Laid Plans
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Book 52 of 52: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

I'm a mathematician at heart. I cannot give a book that includes the equations for solving a quadratic, or the derivation of pythagorean theorem a bad review. The main character is Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old boy with Aspergers, who sets out to discover who murdered a neighbourhood dog and write a murder mystery book about it. It was flawless narration of this boys 'voice' in his head. It goes beyond the dead dog and has a wonderful plot. I really enjoyed it, although a couple of friends mentioned to me they just couldn't get through it. I loved all the logic problems, patterns, and math. I think there's a little "Christopher Boone" in me...I still pass time in the grocery store line ups by doubling numbers and seeing how large they can get.

Book 51 of 52: The Imposter Bride

I think I'm a little worn down by all the books I've read in the past couple of years that involve the Holocaust. This year alone this list has included: The Postmistress (which I finished only a few days ago), the Book Thief, In the Garden of Beasts, and the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Because of that, I can't say this book was as good as if I had faced it with a fresh perspective on the topic. It's terrifically written and was quite enjoyable. I loved the characters and the setting (Montreal). But it lacked a punch to it. Something to put it into the top notch category. The lack of "a punch" may just have been my own attitude about reading another novel about the Holocaust. I really can't put my finger on it.

One week to go

True confession time. I sent Charlie to daycare this morning. Just so I could read. There were only 5 kids there out of 75. I felt a little mommy guilt, since we really should be having some family time on Christmas Eve day. I'm so close to getting to my goal I knew a few hours would make all the difference. 50 books down and 2 to go. Stay tuned!

Book 50 of 52: If I knew, don't you think I'd tell you?

A couple of friends at work have been monitoring my progress on my blog and realized that it's almost the end of December and I still had 4 books to read. They've getting worried (and so have I). One of them brought in this book for me. 199 pages - very manageable to fit in. She had no clue I've been a huge fan of Jann Arden for many many years. I have all her CDs, going back to when CDs were first introduced (yes, I'm that old...but so is Jann too!). I've seen her in concert and in the vagina monologues (remember that from the late-90s?). So it would be hard for me to give this book an unbiased review. 
The book is a compilations of her journal and blog entries from 2000 to 2002. There's no real theme or story here, just her thoughts on her life, human nature, and lots of observations about her cats and the weather. Through some of the fluff and humour there was some heavy stuff that was very honest and moving. Definitely worth the read for a long time fan. Thank you for sharing Jann! I'm off to find some more recent journal entries on her blog.

 

p.s. Enjoy the video. This is song that came on the radio on my way to the hospital in labour with Jack.

 

Book 49 of 52: The Postmistress

Sometimes I manage to read, but not to blog. Stay tuned!

Book 48 of 52: Children of My Heart

This book contains a few short and sweet stories about various students that Gabrielle Roy (1909 - 1983) taught in a small school in the rural prairies. It's won the Governor Generals award and also made into a Canadian made for TV movie. If you're looking for something to read that's just a 'nice story' and don't have a lot of time to read it -- this is the one. Having two young boys also made me appreciate this all the more!

Book 47 of 52: Through the Glass

 

I love reading local authors. This was written by an Oakville author, my age, who most recently taught at Oakville Trafalagar High School. This is Shannon Moroney's memoir.

Here's the beginning of the story...
"At age 30, she married Jason whom she had known and loved for three years. They bought a house in Peterborough where they planned to start a family. Their wedding in October 2005 was a joyful Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends. One month later, Shannon's life was traumatically altered: When she was out of town, attending a teachers’ conference, police came to her hotel room to ask her to return. Her house was a crime scene and her husband was in custody after confessing to violent sexual assault and kidnapping of two women."

All I can say about this book is that it will change how you look at things. It will change how you view your loved ones. It will change how you view the concept of forgiveness. And it will change how you view our prison system.

I also noticed a thank you at the end of this book to Terry Fallis, the author of another favourite book, The Best Laid Plans. Clearly, there's a network of local authors producing some terrific work.

6 Weeks to go

The countdown has begun. I have 6 weeks until the end of the year and 7 more books to read if I'm going to make my goal of 52 books. I think I can do it, with some conditions.

1. The kids cannot get sick before December 31st.
2. Glen and I are going away next weekend and he'll have to be content with me reading the entire time. Let's hope I can find him a good book (I'm thinking he'll like Divergent).
3. The two lieu days I've saved up at work may need be taken as uninterrupted reading days.
4. Grey's Anatomy, Amazing Race, and Dexter will have to be the only television I allow myself to watch each week.
5. There will be no long classics as part of the remaining 7 books. The Thorn Birds, Crime and Punishment, War and Peace will all have to wait until 2013.

Wish me luck!

Book 46 of 52: The White Tiger

This novel is the winner of the Man Booker Prize from a few years ago. It was described to me as "a confession of a taxi-driving murderer". After just finishing two terrific books (Chai Tea Sunday and Love Anthony) this one was a bit of a let down. It was very dark and drawn out. I couldn't relate to the main character (and narrator) and had little compassion for him. Generally I love reading books about India, but I guess that I prefer them to be more uplifting.

Book 45 of 52: Loving Anthony

This book was just recently published and I thought it would be a while until I could get it from the library. After reading Still Alice and Left Neglected last year, I was eagerly awaiting Lisa Genova's next novel. Thank you to my good friend Lisa who passed her library copy along to me before the due date.

I had high hopes and was a little worried about halfway through as I thought it was good (just 'good') and that I might be let down a little. But I know this author and trusted that she wouldn't let me down. Another great one from Lisa Genova! Maybe I need to find some more PhD scientists who are also fiction writers.

The story is about two 30-something women, unknown to each other, who live year-round on Nantucket Island. Beth, has 3 girls, and has just been cheated on by her husand Jimmy. Olivia has just moved to the Island where her once husband Dan and their autistic son Anthony had owned a vacation cottage. This book describes the challenges both women have had in their marriages, as well as how they are re-discovering and re-defining who they are.

I think this book would absolutely tear at your heart if you have a child with autism. I had that eerie "I can relate" feeling throughout reading it. I suspect the struggles of marriage and mothering are universal to many of us. In fact, any mother is likely to have a few tears reading this story. 

Book 44 of 52: Chai Tea Sunday

This was a recommendation from a colleague at work. I didn't even realize the author was from Oakville until another friend of mine mentioned it.

I can't tell you how excited I was to read such an awesome book, especially coming from a mom of young children that lives in my neighbourhood. How cool is that?

She wrote this while on maternity leave with her second child and this article mentions she's currently working on her second novel while on at leave with her third child. I've got to say it's very impressive that she found time to write with a new infant. The lack of sleep for me completely turned my brain to "off". It must be a true passion for her. Then again, I know of other writers that have made the time, even with young children, my friend Evadne is one of them.

Note - January 1, 2013
I realized I never finished writing the review of this book. Chai Tea Sunday is a wonderful story and I highly recommend it. It made me want to pack up and take my family to Ethiopia and volunteer at an orphanage for a year. However, my vision of an idyllic trip and learning experience for us is no longer. Sadly, a good friend of ours tragically lost one of her good friends, Susuan Wells, only weeks ago while she was on a volunteer mission providing aid to children in Tanzania. Our heart goes out to our friend Shelley as well as the Wells' family.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/12/03/tanzania-wells-murder-arrest.html

Book 43 of 52: There but for the

Something a little more experimental. The story sounded interesting...it's about a man who locks himself in a guest bedroom during a dinner party at a strangers house and refuses to come out, for months.

It was a complete dud. I think I wasted several hours of my life I can't get back.

Book 42 of 52: Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake

“It’s odd when I think of the arc of my life, from child to young woman to aging adult. First I was who I was. Then I didn’t know who I was. Then I invented someone, and became her. Then I began to like what I’d invented. And finally I was what I was again.”

As with the other Anna Quindlen’s books I've read, this was quite enjoyable. Not life changing, but a good reminder of what’s important in life and that we’re not alone in many of our day-to-day struggles as mothers, wives, and in our careers. It was the perfect book to pick up when you arrive home from work early (like I did this past Wednesday), have a cup of hot tea or coffee, and no kids around to disrupt things. It was short, under 200 pages, so it only took me a couple of days to finish.

I was grateful to hear about her busy times with her kids, chasing after toddlers; and how, now that she’s reached 60 years old, she has time to power walk an hour every day, have lunches out with girlfriends, and time to write. It gives me hope!

Anna Quindlen has written an honest, thoughtful book about life, but also a relatively privileged life. If I have any complaints about ths book, it was that it was not "gritty" enough. Her problems, while typical amongst many of us that lived privleged lives, weren't "true problems". She has a house in Manhattan and also one in the country, she doesn't need to work, and she can afford to fly off to exotic places. Too often we accept having two homes and going on vacations as the "norm". We need to remember it is not, and that there are plenty of people struggling to pay the rent and afford food.

I have a feeling my Oakville book club group will eat this one up though. It’s mainly the over 55 crowd—many of whom are white, privileged, and affluent—the same world that Anna Quindlen comes from.

Book 41 of 52: The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary

Sometimes I manage to read, but not to blog. Stay tuned!

Book 40 of 52: The Marriage Plot

Book 39 of 52: The Fear Index

An Evening for Book Lover's (Oakville Public Library)

I was at an Evening for Book Lover's tonight, hosted by the Oakville Public Library. The event consists of library staff presenting the top 19 books for book clubs and/or reading on your own. Here's the list of books for 2012 that they presented tonight. From the list from 2011 book lovers evening, I think there was only a couple I didn't read, so it's a good chance I'll read most of these eventually! In fact, I've already read 5 of the 19.

1.  Jamrach's Menagerie, by Carol Birch
2.  The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary, by Andrew Westoll
3.  The Cat's Table, by Michael Ondaatje
4.  The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
5.  State of Wonder, by Ann Patchett
6.  Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand
7.  The Thoughtful Dresser, by Linda Grant
8.  The Barbarian Nurseries, by Hector Tobar
9.  The Taliban Cricket Club , by Timeri N. Murari
10. The Fear Index, by Robert Harris
11. There But For The, by Ali Smith
12. The White Tiger, by Aravind Adiga
13. Requiem. by Frances Itani
14. Eleven, by Mark Watson
15. The Marriage Plot, by Jeffrey Eugenides
16. The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain
17. Into the Heart of the Country, by Pauline Holdstock
18. The Sister Brothers, by Patrick DeWitt
19. Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, by Anna Quindlen

Let me know if you've read any of these, and what you'd recommend adding to my "must read" list. Thanks!

Book 38 of 52: State of Wonder

 

Book 37 of 52: The Midwife of Venice

This story centres on Hannah Levi, who is a midwife in the Jewish ghetto of Venice in 1575. When a Christian nobleman asks her to attend his wife (who is near death), she initially refuses, since the law forbids a Jew to give care to a Christian. But he is desperate and agrees to pay an exorbitant fee. Against the wishes of her rabbi, Hannah agrees so she can use the money to buy back her husband Isaac, who has been captured and forced into slavery in Malta.

The Midwife of Venice is full of rich historical detail—although I have no idea whether it’s accurate or not. I found the description of birthing babies in the 1500’s fascinating and scary at the same time. I’ll never forget the description of Hannah’s birth spoons. The book is educational as well, especially in discussing the religious differences between Christians and Jews at that time.
 
The chapters alternate between Hannah in Venice and her husband Isaac in Malta and their continuing struggle to be together. Isaac's chapters are just as full of historical detail, but it was Hannah and her tale I enjoyed the most. She was a fierce female heroine with her character coming to life on the page. Each of her chapters ended with a cliffhanger, making me want to rush through the next chapter about her husband just to get back to her story.

My only real complaint about this book was that it ended too soon. I wanted to see what happened to the characters as they grew older. I've seen some rumours online that the author, Roberta Rich is working on a sequel, with the working title The Levirate Marriage.


Book 36 of 52: A Cat's Table

This is a book club slection for the Oakville Public Library "open book club" in November that I've signed up for.

This story takes place in 1954 and is about a 21-day journey that Michael, 11, takes from Ceylon to England on an ocean liner to reunite with his mother who he hasn’t seen in years and barely remembers. He is traveling alone and befriends two others boys his age, as well as several older shipmates that eat at the “Cat’s Table” (the table in the dining room furthest from the Captain’s).  We see the journey from his eyes as he spends three weeks spying on the fellow passengers, getting into mischief, and even learning about an intriguing prisoner on board being transported to England. While the author makes it very clear at the end that this is a fictional work, it seems similar to Michael Ondaatje’s own life and I was a little disappointed to learn it wasn’t a memoir.

 

I have a hard time recommending this book, though you can’t deny it’s great writing. As I see it, this book is all about ‘the journey’, without a strong plot holding it together. The characters are interesting but the story falls flat and was actually a little boring at times. There were a few amusing bits, especially the part where the boys ride out a terrible storm while tied to the boat’s deck.

 

I understand now why my fellow book lover friends all said they weren’t too impressed by it. It is not a book I would hand to a friend and say "you must read this". If it’s still of interest to you after reading my review, maybe wait until you see it at the library so at least you don’t waste your money.

 

Book 35 of 52: Jamrach's Menagerie

This book was short-listed for the 2011 Man Booker prize and was a choice for our October book club. From the cover I could tell this book was a story that took place on high seas. So, having sailed around New Zealand for a month in a tall ship (see photo below) back when I was 17 I figured this was right up my alley.

The book takes place beginning in London in the 1850’s. The main character Jaffy, just a boy, survives an encounter with a tiger that is part of Jamrach’s menagerie of exotic animals that are sold to the very rich in England. Jamrach takes Jaffy under his wing and offers him a job. As he gets older he decides to venture out to sea to help search for the most exotic animal of all – a dragon (which I figure is a komodo dragon). Him and his friend Tim board a whaling ship to take them to Indonesia, but during the trip the ship falls under a mysterious curse and the sailors undergo horrible hardships to survive.

I had a hard time connecting to the character of Jaffy, and also in the end didn’t understand “the point” of the story at all. The unspeakable hardships the sailors endured went on and on for pages and pages, and took up evening after evening as I read the book. I’ve read books before that are on the depressing side, but they often have a message or lesson in them. I didn’t take away anything from this book, other than wanting to stay away from eating meat for several days while reading it.

That said, what the author lacks in character development and plot, she makes up for in her wonderful descriptions of London and the foreign lands the ship encounters. The descriptions are full of bright colours, pungent smells, and such rich detail. The streets of 1850's London she describes make you feel like you are there, as are the Azores, the ship, and the sea during a storm.

Also, one final warning….if you’re a squeamish vegetarian, you may want to avoid this book.

Book 34 of 52: The Book Thief

This kept me busy for the second half of our weeklong cottage stay.

 

Book 33 of 52: Roses

Love Means Never Having To Say You're Sorry, Except With Roses

 

Roses is a novel that spans over 75 years and three generations, from the early 1900’s to present day. Some people have compared it to a modern day "Gone With The Wind" as it touches on many social issues of the various times and also has great character development. However, others haven't been quite as kind and compared it more to the TV series Dallas or Dynasty. Whatever the comparison, I enjoyed this book!

 

The Tolivers, the Warwicks, and the DuMonts are the three families whose lives are intertwined in a small Texas town. The saga starts off with Mary Toliver DuMont's story and her love for Percy Warwick. The tale of the star-crossed lovers is sure to interest any romantic as Mary and Percy's love-story unfolds in its captivating and heart-wrenching way. I don’t want to give away much more.

 

The novel is 600 pages long and despite the fact that I’m madly trying to get to a new book every week, I was sorry to see it come to an end. I love strong female characters, and Mary was no push over!

If you’re a fast reader and like “epic”, multi-generational stories that take place in the South, this is probably the one for you.

 

 

Book 32 of 52: Insurgent

After reading the first in the series, I had to read the second! Now I have to wait until Fall 2013 for the next one.

Book 31 of 52: Divergent

A young adult trilogy similar to the Hunger Games. It was awesome! Blog entry to come soon.

Book 30 of 52: Too Close to the Falls

Book 29 of 52: Identical Strangers

Interesting book....another non-fiction selection.

Book 28 of 52: Requiem

If a novel could be turned into a beautiful watercolour painting, this would be the one.

It’s a compelling story of a man's journey across the country and into his past as a child in a Japanese internment camp in the Fraser Valley, BC. It is a part of Canadian history that has been largely ignored and forgotten. The story alternates between the past and the present where we follow Bin a visual artist, his wife Lena and their son Greg. It reads more like a memoir of the main character, Bin, and I was surprised to find the author was actually female.

While I learned more about the internment camps in the 1940s, the best parts of the book were about Bin’s emotional challenges in present day. There were some rather funny bits woven in as well. One very funny scene was set in the 1970s with a neighbourhood BBQ that didn’t quite work out as they ended up huddles in the musty basement. It reminded me of my childhood home with the orange 1970’s couches in the basement and my own parents who would never cook enough food for family gatherings and doled out 1/2 a chicken breast and quarters of potatoes calculated to ensure nothing went to waste.  I had never even heard of "family-style" eating until I was 16 and left home.

I prefer to begin a novel with a good chunk of time – to get at least 50 or so pages in. For some reason I read this in small increments, so it took a while to get hooked into the story; or maybe the story itself had a slow start to it, I’m not sure.

That said, I love finding a good piece of Canadian fiction--with a built-in histry lesson no less.

Book 25, 26 & 27 of 52: Fifty Shades of Grey

I was hoping to read an all-time classic to mark the mid-point of my book a week journey. Instead, I did just the opposite and picked up the Fifty Shades of Grey series (aka "Smut") that almost everyone has read but me. I have now officially ventured into the steamy genre known as "erotica", or as one of my co-workers put it "soft porn". All I can say is that once I started reading this I appreciated it was on my kobo, so no one knew what I was reading.

All I knew starting this book was that there was a lot of sex. The first book was the most "erotic" of the three, but maybe I felt this way because by book two I was used to it. Thankfully I had no expectations of spectacular writing (it was really quite bad!), and if I wasn't such a fast reader I may not have had the patience to withstand the horrible writing. Book one didn't seem to have much of a story line other than boy meets girl and boy and girl have a lot of sex -- some of it quite hilarious and awkward. But at least in book two and three the story gets more interesting, as do the characters.

Enjoy these books for what they are -- a good, sex-filled, escape from your everyday life....unless of course you're married to your own Mr. Grey and don't need an escape. ;)

--------
Here's a Fifty Shades take-off for a good laugh:
Mother's Day Commercial

Book 24 of 52: The Language of Flowers

 

August 4, 2012: It's a long weekend and I'm finally catching up on some of my blog posts.

I read this story 6 weeks ago and I still can’t stop thinking about it. It is about an 18-year old girl, Victoria, who has just been released from the foster care system. She has a multitude of mental health problems and chooses to spend her nights sleeping in a park surrounded by a garden she’s created for herself. She has a unique gift of understanding the meaning of flowers, which was passed along to her by a foster mother (Elizabeth) who was trying to adopt her when she was younger. The story alternates between the time when she was 8 and living with Elizabeth and “today” when she’s 18.

There’s a moment in the story (if you read it you’ll know the one I mean), when she leaves her apartment and you’re not sure what she’s going to return home to. This is when for the very first time I’ve actually had to flip forward in a book to see if everything was going to be ok or not. As a rule, I don’t ever do this. I won’t give any more of it away, because the author is excellent at doling out bits at a time and leading you through a beautiful (and heartbreaking) story. The inclusion of the language of flowers was an extra touch that made it even more special.

This is one of the best books I've read this year (and last year). While it was a roller-coaster of a ride with lots of unexpected heartwrenching turns and bumps, it gave me hope. Hope for people that I used to see in my time working at St. Mike's hospital or the individuals I advocate for everyday working at the health department, that they too will find happiness.

It's all greek

I'm composing this post in a lecture room at the University of Guelph. I've had an awesome opportunity this week to have some time away from the office to simply learn and absorb information at a course on Geographical Epidemiology. Seeing formulas, greek symbols and writing computer code has made me realize how much I miss academia and need to challenge my brain. While it's not possible to go back and do my PhD at the moment, it's made me realize how important it is for me to consume knowledge and books. Back to reading!

Book 23 of 52: Garden Spells

 

Sometimes you just need a light-hearted, entertaining read. I had a very busy week last week so I knew I wouldn't be able to handle anything too heavy. It was my son's 6th birthday party I was driving to & from Guelph each day (for a PhD course in Geographical Epidemiology), and there were still evening activities with the kids, making lunches, and all the other chores. This was a great book to keep in my purse for the lunch breaks during the course.

This book centres around a unique magical apple tree that grows in the Waverly's back garden. Each Waverly woman or girl has an special gift to share with the little town of Bascom, North Carolina. They sometimes come across as oddities to this town but are wonderful ladies.

Generations of Waverly women protect and look over this rascal of an apple tree with a wild little soul that loves this family and throws apples at random to have its say in there lives. If eaten it reveals secret visions of the most memorable moment that takes place in an eaters life. Which isn't always a good thing.
A mystical garden grows around the tree and has gifts of it's own to share that casts little spells over anyone that eats the plants, which Claire, the main character uses in her cooking and catering business. 

While I say this was 'light reading' there were some serious themes in the novel, including the story of a woman and her young daughter fleeing from an abusive relationship. It was still a pleasure to read and always had an edge of excitement waiting to happen. I like how it all wrapped up and made me feel good...just like wrapping myself up in a warm blanket. (I think I said this about her other novel "The Peach Keeper" back in my April blog entry).

Favorite quote of the book ~When you're happy for yourself, it fills you. When you're happy for someone else, it pours over.

Book 22 of 52: Loving Frank

I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, but I've been very behind in my blog entries. It also took me a while to process how I felt about this book.  What I can tell you is that Frank Lloyd Wright, the famous architect, apparently had quite the life. Not only was married-with-kids Wright passionate about his work, but he had the hots for another woman.

The woman, Mamah (pronounced MAY-ma) Borthwick Cheney, first enters Wright’s world when she and her husband, Edwin, enlist the architect to build their dream home in a Chicago suburb. It's during this time Mamah and Frank form a bond that will be tested in every way a love affair can be. 

Mamah does what women in the early 1900s rarely, if ever, did. The free-spirited college grad ditches hubby and the kids to pursue her relationship with Wright, and her writing of feminist literature.

She abandons her children when they need her most, telling them "I'm going on a small vacation [that lasts two years]…just for me." I could not understand how a woman could walk away from her children, her flesh & blood. Especially since at the time her son was about the same age as my older son (age 6), and her daughter, the same age as my youngest son (age 1). I simply cannot imagine walking out the door and not coming back for two years, no matter who I loved or what my dreams were.

In the book, the resulting scandal sends the lovers to Europe where they pursue their passions — architecture, writing and each other. But their choices continue to have consequences across the pond. His business practices are clearly questionable and financial turmoil strikes. She struggles with loneliness while her writing career suffers fits and starts. Success for Mamah and Frank is brief and fleeting. Returning to the States brings little relief, as the tabloids hound them and society shuns them. Finally, they start over at Taliesin, a beautiful home Wright designs in Wisconsin. And it is there the two are able to find some peace and tranquility, working toward their “happily every after” that unfortunately never comes.

I don't want to give away the ending, but I had no idea of the story of Mamah & FLW. It hit me like an emotional punch to the gut.

This is Nancy Horan's first novel and I think she did a terrific job. Any book that makes me want to research more has done it's job. I love looking at photos of Frank's work, learning about the homes he created, and look forward to seeing his work close up some day.

Book 21 of 52: In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

It's been a few weeks since I posted. This book took me a little longer to finish than I would have hoped. Glen (my sweet hubby) is transitioning out of his current job and reading hasn't been a priority during this stressful time. But his new start should mean more flexibility for our family and hopefully more reading and workout time for me!

I picked up this book on the recommendation of Carla, a co-worker and fellow bibliophile. It's non-fiction and takes place mainly during 1933 and 1934 as the Nazi's rose to power. I've read lots of books about the Holocaust and thought that this might fill in some gaps for me, as I really didn't understand how people could let it get so bad in Nazi Germany to begin with.

The book is essentially a biography of  the US Ambassador to Germany, William Dodd, a mild-mannered, penny-pincher professor and writer. It explores what life was like in Berlin during the first years of Hitler's regime as seen through the eyes of both him and his daughter Martha. There was tremendous research put into it, with the last quarter of it as endnotes and references. Despite the details, it read more like fiction, although there were some slow spots that I hit occasionally which made it hard to stay awake past 1am.

It's not that I'm lazy here, but a quote from the Globe & Mail really describes this book in a nutshell:

"This is a very sad book, sad because it was clear that Hitler could have been stopped early on, sad because so many Germans blithely followed him into the house of horrors, and sad because the small acts of defiance – undiplomatically lecturing Nazi leaders on German history – and breaches of protocol that make William Dodd a hero to us now made him seem a bit of a fool to others then."

For me, I appreciated the detail and richness of Larson's descriptions of Berlin as it reminded me of my trip there in 1988 (visiting both East & West Berlin, before the Wall came down). I was only 15 at the time and didn't really understand how lucky I was to have the experience, especially seeing East Berlin. The strongest memories are of a terrifying interrogation at the border between East and West Berlin, and my first airport "pat-down" upon leaving East Berlin airport, which sadly are now commonplace in our Canadian airports today. Reading this book brought back these 'ugly' memories and made me realize just how lucky we are to have our human rights and how little by little they can be chipped away before we even know it.

Book 20 of 52: The Best Laid Plans

A definite qualifier for Canadian content! I wasn't sure about reading a book about Canadian politics (zzzzzzzz), but I loved it! A thank you to Evadne for this recommendation. http://books.macedo.ca/  I never would have picked it up otherwise.

This was a very funny book. Others must agree with me, since it won the Stephen Leacock medal. There were a few parts that were so laugh out loud funny, that I got some strange looks from the people around me at the park this afternoon. As someone with an interest in politics, but not really much of an understanding of it, I would also say this provided me with some political education and insight into what may (or may not) happen on Parliment Hill.

The images of the Hill and surrounding Ottawa brought me back to my time during university when I spent my summers working on Tunney's Pasture for Health Canada and taking the bus across the bridge to Hull because rent was cheaper. I also remember one night waiting for the bus outside the front entrance to Parliment as Glen, my now husband, decided he really couldn't hold his bladder any longer and relieved himself on the lawn of Parliment Hill. A scene appropriate for this book.

Now, I live in Oakville where rent is a lot higher than Hull and where we no longer have to wait for a bus to get somewhere. It is also the is the equivalent to the Southern Ontario version of the Cumberland-Prescott which is Tory strong hold setting for this book. We will likely never (and I mean NEVER) see a NDP candidiate win in our riding. That said, this book has kept me ever hopeful that some strange event(s) could occur and I will eat those words....you just never know. The book itself was a little predictable. I knew what was going to happen, just not exactly how it was going to get there. That journey was the best part!

What really reasonated with me was not actually the novel, but the story of how it came to be published. Terry Fallis, despite winning the Stephen Leacock medal, could not get his book published. To overcome the huge barriers to publication he decided to self-publish it. He got creative, podcasting his book chapter by chapter, publishing on i-universe, and even sending his self-published novel to an awards committee. I'm a strong believer of going after what you want in life. Because of this I can't help but like this author and his book as well. Kuddos Terry!

I'm off to go find a copy of his second book, The High Road, which starts where The Best Laid Plans leaves off.

Book 19 of 52: Mao's Last Dancer

Written as an autobiography by Li Cunxin, this book tells the true story of Li as a young boy living in an impoverished village, who by extraordinary chance is plucked from his family in a remote Chinese village and becomes a world-famous dancer. The road from an 11-year-old peasant boy to ballet star was not an easy one: endless hours of training, injuries, horrible living conditions, a defection to the US, and years without speaking to his family.

During parts of it, I fondly remembered my ballet training. I trained in ballet for 12 years and even went to a performing arts' high school for dance. I loved the descriptions of the stages and studios Li danced in, the ballets he learned, and even recognized many of the names of the dancers he refer to. The training seemed so harsh, with teachers ripping his hamstrings to improve his flexibility. It was also a history lesson for me, learning about life under Chairman Mao in China. It shows you how children were brainwashed as soon as they got into school. They were told that Chairman Mao was their savior. While him and his policies were actually killing millions of people. 

I just loved this book -- maybe because it was about China, or maybe because it was about ballet, or maybe it was because it was a simple inspirational story about overcoming hardship and adversity.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in ballet or the history of China. It was well over 400 pages, but an easy read. I have the DVD on hold at the library and I'm looking forward to seeing the movie in the next couple of weeks.

Book 18 of 52: A Briefer History of Time

A thank you to Helen for lending me this book. After reading a few fiction books, especially a couple of  'trashy' ones, I thought it was time for another non-fiction selection. Here's something that not everyone knows about me. Despite having a Bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics and a Masters degree in Statistics, I never really liked or did well in Physics. I blame it on my grade 12 physics teacher who made us construct a trebuchet to hurl a raw egg nested in a homemade protective device through the air and land safely (see image below). Never in my life has a project caused me such stress and anxiety. So much so, upon entering university I was so traumatized I deferred my required first year physics course until final semester of a four year degree.

So needless to say I approached this book with a little bit of hestitation.

In all honesty, I was very surprised with how much physics I learned in that first year university course. I remembered Newtons simple and elegant Law of Gravity, but didn't realize it has been replaced with Einstein s relativity equations. Did you know that Newtonian gravity describes the motion of the solar system almost perfectly, but not quite? Relativity actually describes it perfectly. More importantly without relativity, my GPS would be about 1000 times less accurate (if I had a GPS). Given my math background, I was actually itching to see some formulas and numbers, but there weren't any -- this book is readable for the non-scientist. I also finally understood Star Trek and the "Space-time continuum", in that time passes at different rates for different observers and it's not linear. That's why physicists refer to it as "space-time".....Whoa! It was making sense.

Toward the end of the book, where Hawking discusses the theories that scientists are currently trying to prove, such as string theory, it started getting to be a bit above my head and I lost interest. I stuck with it though and now I won't feel so guilty going back to my fiction books for a while.

I thought this book was well worth reading, but I did have to slog through parts. A bit like working out at the gym....hard work while you're there, but worth the effort once you're done! That reminds me, I better go pack my gym bag for tomorrow. 

Book 17 of 52: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

 

This was another stellar recommendation from my colleague Michelle and the third book I read during my vacation. I didn't realize the book was entirely in the format of letters written between the characters. I found this format very hard to read at first. I had trouble following the characters and the letters weren't giving me enough information to really understand the eessence of the characters. But I stuck with it, as I suspected it would get better and I would get used to the style. I was glad I did! What a delightful and inspiring book. It really piacked up in the second half.

Did you know that during World War II the Germans occupied Guernsey in the Channel Islands? Despite both sides of my grandparents living throught WWII in England and a couple of high school courses in English history (when I lived in New Zealand), I didn't know this. The Germans built heavy fortifications against the islanders, built a concentration camp on Guernsey, and Guernsey's children were evacuated to England. I just cannot fathom sending my two little boys off to another family, hundreds of miles away to care for them and not knowing how they are growing up.

I enjoyed the wonderful Islander characters, learned some history, and the underlying love story was just the frosting on the cake. If you can get used to the letter/correspondence format and stick with it, this book is well worth it! I feel like if I was to get a plane ticket over the Guernsey right now I'd find all the characters of the book alive and well, and they would greet me like a long lost friend.

Book 16 of 52: I've Got Your Number

A little bit of chick lit for my vacation down South! Here's the author describing the book (it saves me giving the details here). The main character, Poppy, is so darn loveable, as are all of the main characters from Sophie Kinsella's books (Shopaholic series). It is a light-hearted, romantic, fun read and perfect for sitting on the beach, although I read it mostly at night when the kids went to bed. This book was pure entertainment. If you're looking for something more, don't bother with this one.

P.S. I also love the name "Poppy"...but I highly doubt I'll be having a daughter anytime soon (or ever!).

P.P.S. XXXX <3 <3 <3  (read the book and you'll get it!)

Book 15 of 52: The Peach Keeper

A thank you goes out to my colleague at work, Karen, who introduced me to this author. It was the first book (of three!) that I read this week on my trip to Florida. With the kids in bed by 8:30pm and very little chores to be done, I managed to get at least two hours of reading in every night. It was heaven!

Well, let's face it, when you're on vacation you want a nice quick read, something that doesn't make you think too hard. This is want I was hoping for and generally got with The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen. This book revolves around two women, Willa Jackson and Paxton Osgood, both thirty years old and living in Walls of Water, North Carolina, the small town where they grew up. Paxton was prom queen in highschool, seemingly perfect, and never left town; Willa was quiet, intense and couldn't wait to leave Walls of Water and her family's disappointments behind. Willa's family had a logging fortune but lost it in the 1930s. Willa's family lost their home at the same time, a mansion called the Blue Ridge Madam, and Paxton's wealthy family purchases and renovates the Madam in present day toturn it into an inn. During renovations, a skeleton with some personal belongings is found buried under a peach tree and secrets from the past related to Paxton and Willa's ancestors threaten to come to light.

While Allen is a good storyteller and  I got that nice cozy feeling reading it, I couldn't quite connect with the characters. Despite the fact it centred around two strong women (I would normally like this!), all the characteres seemed quite stereotypical, and their actions and dialogue, trite and predictable. The book was supposed to be a bit of a "mystery" but by the middle of it I could predict what would happen in the end (and I was correct, sadly). All in all, it wasn't bad, but I was expecting something more.

Even though this book was a "so-so" on my list, I'm definitely tempted to give this author another chance, as many of reviews of another of her books called "Garden Spells" are wonderful. Karen lent me this one as well, so it might get into the rotation this year.

Book 14 of 52: The Art of Racing in the Rain

I visited my sister and her family today (Easter Sunday). I am not a dog-person. Period. They have a dog. Evi likes to give kisses and share the love with visitors to their house. Dog slobber is disgusting, and shedding blonde hair does nothing to help my severely limited wardrobe of black yoga pants and black t-shirts. So when two people I know (Celina & Michelle) suggested this book, saying it was written from the perspective of a dog, I had to think twice before picking it up. It's funny that I finished this book this morning, just before heading off to her house.

The Art of Racing in the Rain is the story of a family's journey through life told through the eyes of their beloved dog Enzo. By telling the story from his perspective there's a beautiful innocence in the narrative voice. At times the voice is of a crotchety old man, and at other times a young child. He's wise, he's naive, and he is devoted. The family he is devoted to is made up of Denny, Eve, and their child, Zoe. Denny is an up and coming race car driver, but has to put this aside when his wife Eve is diagnosed with brain cancer. Eve decides to move into her parents home for the last weeks of her life and takes her daughter with her, while her husband and his dog Enzo are left alone. Even worse, Eve's parents, Zoe's grandparents lauch a custody battle after their daughter's death. The book has a bit of a Hollywood ending that seems too good to be true, but I certainly enjoyed the journey to get to the ending.

For a book written from the perspective of a dog, this is one of the most human stories I've read in a while. It was also quick read -- perfect for the long weekend!

Book 13 of 52: Cutting for Stone

I've been wanting to read this for over a year and when I found out it was a book club selection I decided to wait until closer to the time when we'd be talking about it at our April book club meeting. I didn't realize that it would take me until April to actually finish it.

I thought I'd be writing this entry a couple of weeks ago, but life has a way of taking it's own twists and turns. I happen to pick a 600-page book to read just as things with work and the kids got really busy. I'm back to reading now and re-focussed on finding time for myself and hopefully catching up on my weekly entries. In fact, after I finished this book, I read another one in only two days (another blog entry to follow shortly on that one as well!).

This book started off a little slowly and for some reason, whether it be sleep deprivation thanks to a teething 15 month old or the language in the novel, it was a slower read for me than normal. It might have been that the author loved details...and I loved them too. It took me to the unknown worlds of Indian, Ethiopia and inner-city New York. It was a fascinating look into medicine and its practitioners, a love story, as well as a political drama. The narrator is Marion Stone, a 50 yr-old surgeon, who recounts his life from inception and of his twin brother, Shiva, and the lives of the people that cared for them. They were born conjoined at the head (successfully separated), sons of an Indian nun/nurse living in Ethiopia. Their father is an extraordinarily talented surgeon, Thomas Stone, who had worked with Sister Mary Praise (their mother) for seven years. The setting of most of the book is Abba Adaba, Ethiopia, at the fictional Mission Hospital (pronounced "Missing" by many Ethiopians).

If I say too much about this book, I'll have to throw in a lot of spoilers, and suspense has its delicious rewards. So I won't. Suffice it to say, your patience with the story will be worth it. It was truly a wonderful read, and I think it could have only been even better if I had had more free time to get through it in a few sittings, rather than spread it across weeks.

 

Remembering the books I read in 2011

The boys just went out to play some road hockey (they had better be careful with our 1 year old in tow!). I had a few minutes and was putting together a list of books I read in 2011. I've added the list to the blog in a tab at the top, although I know I've forgotten a bunch. The reason for my post was to highlight a few of my favourite reads of 2011. There are a couple of predictable ones, like "The Help" and "Sarah's Key", but here are a few possibly lesser known ones that were absolutely brilliant! Enjoy!

Under this Unbroken Sky - by Shandi Mitchell
City of Thieves - by David Benioff
Left Neglected - by Lisa Genova
The Shadow of the Wind - by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Book 12 of 52: Home Front

I had some hesitation picking up this book. It’s the first one I’ve read this year without a recommendation from anyone, but the author has had many bestsellers and I often see her books on the “Fast Lane” at the library. I was also looking for a “light” read as I’ve been dealing with a horrible sinus cold and not sleeping well this week.

The story is about a couple that’s been married 12 years (like my husband and I) and are facing the day to day chaos of children, careers, bills, and keeping everything together (I can relate!). Jolene, the wife, is a stay at home mom and a part-time helicopter pilot with the National Guard. She and her best friend, also a helicopter pilot, are unexpectedly deployed to Iraq and she leaves her husband, a hard-working defence attorney, to be a single parent to their two girls for the year she’s away. In her emails home, she paints a rose-colored version of life on the front lines, shielding her family from the truth. But inevitably tragedy strikes and the war leaves both Jolene and Michael different people that they were before the deployment. They are left trying to make sense of their marriage and dealing with the toll the war has taken on them.

When I picked up the book from my bedside table and read the inside flap I realized it was about a woman going off to fight in Iraq. I’m not really interested in reading a fictional book about a war I don’t agree with, but I had signed it out from the “Fast Lane” of the library and it had to be returned in a week. I was sick in bed and didn't feel like searching out anything else. Well, once I picked it up on a Monday evening, I barely put it down until it was finished on Wednesday morning. The emotions that swirled through me while reading it left me exhausted with some puffy eyes. I went through an entire box of tissues (a combination of the book and my sinus cold). While it was a terrific emotional rollercoaster that I truly enjoyed I feel I have to take the time to review it not just with my heart, but my brain too.

I might classify this novel as formula fiction (I’m not saying this as a “good” or “bad” thing). The plot is predictable right from the start and there’s no doubt that the reader can figure out everything that’s going to happen ahead of time. This standard formula approach to storytelling may be unoriginal, but it’s also like putting on a soft well-worn sweater that’s stretched in just the right places.  If you need a cozy read for a rainy day, this is the one.