Cait86's 2011 Reading Log

Welcome Readers!

This year I am hoping to read through the books I bought in 2010, but never got around to reading. This may be wishful thinking, but I will do my best. I'll also continue to read and review books for Belletrista, avaland's wonderful online magazine that celebrates women writers from around the world.

TBR List - Books Obtained in 2010

Cities of the Plain – Cormac McCarthy
The Crossing – Cormac McCarthy
Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays – Zadie Smith
The Collected Works of Billy the Kid – Michael Ondaatje
The Bad Girl – Mario Vargas Llosa
Tamarind Mem – Anita Rau Badami
Broken Verses – Kamila Shamsie
Interpreter of Maladies – Jhumpa Lahiri
The Sugar Mother – Elizabeth Jolley
Foxybaby – Elizabeth Jolley
Even the Dogs – Jon McGregor
Troubles – J G Farrell
The Betrayal – Helen Dunmore
The Finkler Question – Howard Jacobson
Parrot and Olivier in America – Peter Carey
The Line – Olga Grushin
C – Tom McCarthy
Visitation - Jenny Erpenbeck
Clara Callan – Richard B. Wright
Fall on Your Knees – Ann-Marie MacDonald
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson
No Great Mischief – Alistair MacLeod
Generation X – Douglas Coupland
The Girl Who Played with Fire – Stieg Larsson
Nervous Conditions – Tsitsi Dangarembga
The Diving Pool – Yoko Ogawa

I will be joining you in Troubles!

Troubles is one of my very favorite reads of recent years!

#3,4 - I started reading Troubles earlier this year, and it just wasn't the right book at the time. I'm looking forward to getting back into it.

Cait, snap! I started it, got about 100 pages in, and then put it aside. And that was way back in May. I will try it again in 2011.

Edited for a wayward 's'.

With January just around the corner, here are my:

January Reading Plans
1. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson
2. The Bad Girl – Mario Vargas Llosa
3. Visitation – Jenny Erpenbeck
4. Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen

The first three all fulfill the Club Read translation challenge, and the fourth is a reread, probably through audiobook, for a group read in the 75 Book Challenge.

Cait, give me a visit if you read C by McCarthy this year. I found it annoying, but parts of it still sit in my head. Worth reading, I think. Would love to discuss it with someone else. Here's to a good reading year...

#8 - Will do! I saw it on your memoriable reads list, and so now I'm more intrigued. I think you are the first person I've met who actually liked C.

I've got The Finkler Question and Parrot and Olivier in America in my stacks as well, and looking forward to them both. Maybe we'll be reading one of them at the same time and can discuss a bit as we're reading. You've got several titles by authors I like, so will have to check them out in more detail later. I'm one of those people who read the first part of Troubles, then put it down. It was good writing, but I was reading too much and too fast right then, and just felt annoyed by the main character's dithering instead of being entertained.

Book #1 - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Source: My Book Shelves

Why I read it now: I wanted a tome that would take several days to read - boy was I wrong in that assumption!

Rating: 4.5 stars - when rated against other mystery/thriller type novels

I'm not going to add a review to the millions that already exist for this book, but let me just say that for a non-reader of mystery novels, I flew through this. All 840 pages took two days of reading, and if I wasn't better disciplined, I would pick up the next book in the series, The Girl Who Played With Fire, right away - but I've convinced myself to wait at least a month!

The ending of this book let me down a bit, and it's physical shape annoyed me - it is thinner and taller than most paperbacks, and it would have been quite a bit smaller if the publisher didn't use GIGANTIC font. Plus, I know Larsson wrote in Swedish, and so my copy is obviously a translation, yet nowhere on the covers or the opening pages is a translater named. Only when I read the entire copyright page did I finally find Reg Keeland's name. Strange, right?

Overall, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was a fun way to start the year.

#10 - Sounds great, Bonnie - we should plan to read at least one together. And when it comes to Troubles there are quite a few people who stopped partway, so maybe we should plan a group read of it later in the year. Moral support and all that. :)

I read the first part of The Girl With the Dragoon Tattoo at the bookstore one night. Eventually, I'm going to buy a cheap, used copy and read it just because everyone else is, but I didn't think the writing was all that good. I've noticed, though, that whenever I stream a movie from Netflix, I'm usually downloading a thriller or some cutesy romance that I would never go to the movies to see, so I'll probably enjoy the series more than I think. I really did like the movie--streamed from Netflix, of course! ;-)

Interesting TBR list. I'm thinking of joining the Sense and Sensibility group read as well but haven't decided if I want to yet.

I know exactly what you mean about the book format... Publishers have started doing this with "popular paperbacks" and it drives me slightly crazy. The books are also available in more conventional trade paperbacks, though. When you go on to read The Girl Who Played with Fire, be aware that there is a big cliffhanger at the end, and those two books should really be read back to back, if possible, as it helps keep the details straight.

I do read a lot of mysteries/thrillers, and really relished these books as "thumping good reads". Nope, not great novels in the classic sense, but fascinating characters, lots of suspense and intrigue -- I've downloaded them onto my Kindle just to be sure to have them with me in case I get stranded on a desert island.

Sounds like I might have to wait on The Girl Who Played with Fire then, as it is only available in hardcover right now, and I want my set to look the same... silly, I know, but I hate when book series aren't all the same cover design, format, etc.

Thanks for dropping by, Suzanne!

If you're in the States, TGWPWF is out in paperback. But I had to buy Hornet's Nest in hardback.

I bought The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest in trade paperback from the Book Depository (UK) sometime back now -- free delivery to the U.S. and most other places. That is the experience that got me to ordering from them frequently.

But sadly it looks like it is out of stock right now. http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/search?searchTerm=the+girl+who+kicked+the+hornet...

Robert

>11 Cait86: New Yorker recently published an article on "Why people love Stieg Larsson's novels" (which is also the most popular article on the NY website 6 weeks after its publication). It mentions that the translator was very unhappy with the editing of the book during its publication in English and actually removed his name completely - Reg Keeland is only a pseudonym. Interesting. More here http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2011/01/10/110110crat_atlarge_acoc...

#17, 18 - I'm in Canada, so no paperback for awhile. Oh well, I've got plenty to read!

#19 - Thanks for the article, Menexedia - it was an interesting summary of why people like the novels - funnily enough, I don't think I agree with any of them.... well, I guess I agree with the up-to-date technology stuff, but beyond that, I think Lisbeth is just ok, and I love Mikael. I think he's a great hero; complex, unconventional. He gets lost in the praise for Lisbeth, who I actually find off-putting. The way Mikael thinks, the way his narrative is formed, is, I think, much easier to relate to.

I'm now in the midst of The Bad Girl by Mario Vargas Llosa, which I'm not really liking, and I'm about to start Yoko Ogawa's The Diving Pool.

That was a good article. I really enjoyed it. Unlike Cait, I find Salander by far the more compelling character. Blomkvist is more like her sidekick--that she keeps at arm's length.

Book #2 - I Want to Get Married! by Ghada Abdel Aal

Source: Lois/Avaland

Why I read it now: I'm reviewing it for Belletrista - link to follow.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Not a very literary book, but an interesting look at Egyptian dating culture. A popular blog turned into a book (and a TV show I think), I Want to Get Married! was a quick read that showed me even though dating/marriage practices differ across countries and cultures, horrible blind date stories are universal!

Book #3 - Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Source: My Bookshelves

Why I read it now: A reread for the 75 Book Challenge Austenathon

Rating: 2 stars

When I first read Sense and Sensibility several years ago, I thought it was okay, but nowhere near as good as Pride and Prejudice, one of my favourite books. Now, after reading much more of Austen's works, and rereading this, her first published novel, I can without a doubt say that I hate Sense and Sensibility.

Why? Well, first of all, I dislike every single character. The "bad" characters are wimpy in their deviousness, and the "good" characters are ridiculously naive. Elinor's sense makes her preachy, and Marianne's emotional sensibility causes her to make a complete fool of herself. She is adored by all, but I cannot understand why - I mean, the girl is such a ninny that she nearly dies just because a man leads her on. And Elinor, who loves Edward, is so proper that she never tells him how she feels, and is ready to let him marry another woman.

Next, I feel as though these characters are merely sketches of the much more entertaining characters in Pride and Prejudice. Willoughby is a lesser version of Wickham, Mrs. Dashwood a tamer Mrs. Bennett, and Colonel Brandon a less romantic Mr. Darcy. Sense and Sensibility was like rough work for the masterpiece that is Pride and Prejudice. Even some of the storylines are similar, particularly the scandal involving Willoughby.

Of course, Sense and Sensibility is still an Austen novel, and so it is still beautifully written. No one quite compares with Jane when it comes to manipulating words, and so this novel was a pleasure to listen to - music to the ears. But, I'm a reader who cannot subsist on good writing alone; I need a story and characters I can care about, and here, Austen fails.

Note: Of course, this is all just my opinion. I know lots of people love this book, and I have had an especially trying week, which may have made me a more disgruntled reviewer than normal!

24 - Hmm...I just got my mom to ship me this one so I could read it for the Austenathon. It would be my first Austen. Good place to start?

Interesting take on S&S! It has been so long since I read it that I can't trust my own recollections, so I may have to re-read it.

Re the Stieg Larsson story -- interesting. I did see the book about Larsson in my local library and skimmed it but put it down as rather hagiographic and not terribly well-written. Still, I'm not sure why Acocella is rather dismissive about the idea that Larsson might just have sat down and started writing crime fiction. He was a writer by profession; he had devoured the stuff, and it seems as if what he was writing about in his "day job" overlapped a lot with the broad themes in the trilogy, as I understand it. I quite understand why he'd shut up about writing a novel! A journalist venturing into fictional waters is looked on with a mixture of scorn and pity -- "Oh, so you're thinking of writing the great American novel, are you?" Can't imagine it would be that different in Sweden.

#26 - Hi Suzanne! I found that part of the article strange too. It makes sense to me that if you like to read crime fiction, and you wanted to try to write a novel, your preferred genre would be a good place to start.

#25 - Jane, I think Sense and Sensibility would actually be a good Austen to start with. It was her first published novel, and it is still written in her typical style, so it will introduce you too her writing. Thematically, it contains many of the issues she generally writes about: marriage, money, overcoming first improessions, etc. Just don't make it the only one you read - give Pride and Prejudice and either Persuasion or Emma a chance too!

>24 Cait86:, Ouch! Sorry you detested S&S so much. I'm eager to re-read it but I keep getting diverted.

>25 janemarieprice:, Jane, I believe it was my first Austen (sounds like a child's toy) and I went on to read everything she wrote within the next few months, so I'd say it's a fine place to start, though it's certainly not my favorite.

>27 Cait86:, Uh, Cait, you're ignoring Mansfield Park and that simply won't do! :D

#28 - Only because I haven't read it yet! In fact, reading Mansfield Park is the reason I joined this Austenathon. I can't wait to read it :)

>29 Cait86:, Ok, I forgive you. :)

I do love a review of a book someone has detested! Really enjoyed reading your thoughts on S&S, Cait. I remember liking it less than P&P and others but I don't recall a great deal about it - you're not making me want to rush to re-read it!

Well, I think all of Austen's other books pale in comparison to Pride and Prejudice so I'm not gonna argue with you. I, especially, did not like Northanger Abbey. I thought Austen had the characters just be too gossipy negative in that book, but I do think people are impacted by which Austen work they read first.

Hi Cait. I really like your book choices and I'm enjoying your reviews.

>23 Cait86: OMG, I'm a "source"!
>19 Menexedia: Very interesting article. I have not read the books and not really interested in doing so, but, as always, the cultural phenomenon is fascinating. I have noticed here on LT that some of the same people who tell me that they can not read JCO because "she is too dark", gobble these books up one after the other. The article and what it brings up (revenge, abuse of power, and feminism) might make for a really interesting discussion (thread) among readers. It does make me think about books in the past that "everyone" was reading (i.e. The Da Vinci Code, Cold Mountain, The Bridges of Madison County, and let's not forget...Harry Potter...etc)

#31, 32, 33 - Thanks for visiting! I'm looking forward to reading Austen's other five novels this year. Sense and Sensibility is certainly drawing some differing opinions, and I'm sure her other books will as well. I don't know what it is about Austen, but readers of her works always seem to be very emotionally attached to her books - I know I always get a bit angry when people dislike Pride and Prejudice. How can anyone not like Elizabeth and Darcy?? It's almost like we begin to view her characters as friends. I find this more with Austen than with most authors.

#34 - Oh, yes, Lois, you will certainly be a "source" again this year! As for the Larsson books, I really hadn't planned on reading them either, but the first one was on sale and I needed to buy one more book in order to use a coupon... so I picked it up. I'm glad I did, but I know what you mean about books everyone is reading - sometimes I shy away from them on purpose, but I generally always cave in, wondering what I am missing. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was definitely a dark book. The violence was intense, and the description of the crimes was a bit much at times. But, it such a long book, voilence really only showed up a few times, and there were long chunks of the book that were much lighter, even funny at times. I think that readers can handle intense violence for short amounts of time easier than "dark" themes that run through an entire novel.

Actually, one of the things I noticed about The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was how often Larsson talked about food. Blomkvist was always eating, fixing his dinner, etc., and for some reason, we were always told exactly what he was eating. I don't often notice a focus on food in mainstream fiction, so I found this rather odd - kind of a weird juxtaposition of the large-scale events of the book with these very private, small-scale details of eating food.

Book #4 - The Diving Pool by Yoko Ogawa

Source: Akeela - thanks for sending this to me!

Why I read it now: I don't know... it's short, it's a translation, it was there

Rating: 2.5 stars

Akeela sent me Yoko Ogawa's The Diving Pool after I read and enjoyed The Housekeeper and the Professor, a sweet novel about a woman and her son, and their unique relationship with a mathematics professor. This book, The Diving Pool is a group of three novellas, and it is so different from The Housekeeper and the Professor that it is difficult to believe that they are by the same author.

The first novella, The Diving Pool, is about a teenage girl who falls in love with her step-brother. She watches his diving practice everyday after school, slipping out at the end before he can see her. At first this seems like a cute first crush, but things soon take an obsessive turn.

The second novella, Pregnancy Diary, is told throught he diary of a young woman living with her pregnant sister and brother-in-law. Again, things start out rather normally, but soon become disturbing.

The third novella, Dormitory, is about a woman who returns to her college residence years after her graduation. This dorm has fallen into disrepair, and the narrator is sucked into the rather sinister life of the crippled Manager of the building.

Ogawa's prose (and the work of her translator) is beautiful. She is a master at creating a mood - all of these stories made me feel rather creeped out - and at exploring the inner workings of the human mind. Her prose is detailed, yet sparse; she is an author who knows how to get the most out of just a few words.

So why, then, the low 2.5 star rating? Each of these stories has huge potential. They set up an obsessive character, give these characters destructive habits, and then right when the reader thinks something terrible is going to happen.... they end. Three times I felt my imagination kick into gear, felt as though some horriffic event was going to occur, and then each time I was let down. Nothing happened. These stories all had such potential, but Ogawa never took that last step. She made the horrible mundane, or just simply avoided the implecations of her characters' actions.

Don't let this book be your only attempt at Ogawa's bibliography - The Housekeeper and the Professor was very good, and I will definitely search out more of her books.

Pleasure, Cait! You were warned :D

I would add another umpteen LT recommendation for The Housekeeper and the Professor. It made my best reads list for 2010.

#36 and #37 Noted. And noted.

Book #5 - Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Source: My Bookshelves (and the library)

Why I read it now: A reread - well, actually, a re-listen, as I borrowed the audiobook from the library. I'm going to try and do this more often, as I spend two hours a day in my car. Music can get a bit boring sometimes.

Rating: 5 stars

I love Wuthering Heights. I know lots of people struggle through it and find it inferior to Jane Eyre (which I have never been able to finish), but it is a sentimental favourite of mine, and in my top 5 fav books.

Basic Plot - The Earnshaw family lives in a house called Wuthering Heights, located at the top of a moor in Northern England. The family consists of Mr. and Mrs. Earnshaw, and their children, Hindley and Catherine. One day, Mr. Earnshaw brings home a little orphaned "gypsy boy" from Liverpool, and the family christens him Heathcliff. Catherine and Heathcliff and instant friends, and Hindley and Heathcliff instant enemies. The Earnshaw's neighbours, the Lintons, live at Thrushcross Grange, a house in a valley, and their children, Edgar and Isabella, are as well-behaved and boring as the Earnshaw brood are naughty and exciting. As the children age, love and marriage destroy the happy families, the Heathcliff, ever the wronged victim, vows revenge. He then puts into place a plan that spans into the next generation of Earnshaws and Lintons, and one by one the characters get their just desserts.

So why do I love this book? Well, it changed my life. When I was in grade 11, Wuthering Heights was our assigned book for English class. One Sunday, I was working on my own for the entire day, with nothing to do but wait for customers to need my help. I had very few customers that day (I worked in a greenhouse, and it was a cold, rainy April day), and so I spent about eight hours reading Wuthering Heights. I was drawn into Bronte's raw, rugged North England world, where the characters were passionate and vengeful, and where every action and feeling was extreme. My English teacher that year, seeing my instant love for this book, opened my eyes to the parallels between the two generations of characters, and the idea of pathetic fallacy (where setting mirrors the inner emotions of the characters). I was stunned by the intricacies of Bronte's writing - this was the first time that a book was more than just a story with interesting people. I felt this rush of awe, and I knew that this was what I wanted to do with my life: talk about amazing things in amazing books. And so two years later I started my English degree, and now I teach English to high school students, hoping that something I say about a book will one day cause a student to feel the way I did as I read Wuthering Heights.

OK, sentimental reasons aside, Wuthering Heights has the greatest set of characters I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Every single one of them is a horrible human being, and yet they all have something about them that makes them redeemable. Generally, that something is the capacity to love another person without restraint. Heathcliffe, a nasty man whose love for Catherine breaks my heart, is the sexiest, most attractive romantic hero I have ever encountered - forget Jane Austen and her staid, moral men. Passionate, tortured Heathcliff wins over Mr. Darcy or Mr. Knightley every time.

Wuthering Heights is also told in an interesting way. The entire family saga is related to a Mr. Lockwood, who is a tenant at Thrushcross Grange, by Nelly Dean, the housekeeper who has lived with the Earnshaws and the Lintons her entire life. The reader get the story from Nelly, through Mr. Lockwood, and so everything we hear must be taken with a grain of salt. Nelly admits to being an unreliable narrator, keeping secrets her entire life, and yet we somehow trust that what she tells us is the truth.

Sorry to have gone on for so long, but we all have a few books that changed our life, and Wuthering Heights is one of mine. I reread it yearly and still find new things to love about it every time. It draws me in, breaks my heart, and leaves me with a sense of hope at the end. I always despair that Emily Bronte died young, before she could pen a second novel, for her first is so brilliant that I can only imagine what else she may have produced.

>39 Cait86: What a wonderful review! I may need to attempt Wuthering Heights again - I think I was too young to appreciate it the first time.

#39, 40 - What she said.

I'v so enjoyed your thoughts on WH. You might enjoy reading The Bronte Myth by Lucasta Miller. She has some interesting ideas about Emily. I may have to reread WH soon. It's been awhile!

>31 rachbxl: "I do love a review of a book someone has detested!"

I'm a week late responding, but just today discovered this group and thread.

A book I thoroughly detested was The Browser's Ecstasy: A Meditation on Reading, which inspired me to spew gobs of venom (see my review, if interested).

I know what you mean. There is something cathartic about a bad review!

A great tribute to Wuthering Heights! I just read it for the first time last year, and greatly enjoyed it. I didn't find it inferior to Jane Eyre (I confess, I find Jane herself an irritating character... and could never really sympathize with Mr. Rochester, either); they are just two very different kinds of books. I may have to read something by Anne Bronte to get a complete overview of the sisters!!

Yes, great review. I read Wuthering Heights three times when I was much younger. You make me want to pick it up again.

I absolutely hated Wuthering Heights when I read it for the first time a couple of years ago. Do you think it's a book that should be first read when one is younger and of a more romantic persuasion??

39 - Interesting discussion here, re: Wuthering Heights. Count me in the Jane Eyre camp. I do want to reread WH as my only read was in high school, and I hated it so I'm not sure about your theory charbutton, although I'm probably a more romantic person now than I was then.

39: A very interesting view on Wuthering Heights. I must say, I'm not really a Bronte fan, I thought Jane Eyre was ok, but I much prefer Austen to either.

I wish I could remember where, but I saw a piece of commentary about Wuthering Heights that said you're more likely to 'like' it if you read it when you're younger. The older you are, the more likely you are to see the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff as detestable and abusive, rather than romantic (similar to charbutton's point above).

ETA - 27-29: I think Mansfield Park is a must to get a full appreciation of Austen, Fanny Price appears to be the only one of her heroines who isn't what might be described as 'strong-willed'. (And LOL at fannyprice pointing out that MP was missing!)

#47 Char, I was much younger when I read it but I don't think Cait's a teenager. (Although of course you look like one Cait.) Different strokes?

Eek! So much to get caught up on! It was exam week this week, so I have been pulling 15 hour marking days since Monday. I'm finally finished, and just have my report card comments to write. Phew.

Thanks to everyone who commented on my review of Wuthering Heights.

#40, 41, 43, 46 - I'm going to give you all a push to read Wuthering Heights again! If you do, you can even come back here and force me to read one of your favourite books. Deal? :)

#45 - Suzanne, I'm going to try to read Jane Eyre again this summer, and then attempt Anne Bronte as well. I know she is far less romantic than her sisters - her heros are much nicer, more stable people I think.

#47 - Char, interesting question. Though I read WH when I was 16, it's a tough book in terms of language, so I don't think I would necessarily recommend it for average teenage readers. However, you are right, as is TineOliver, in saying that the romance appeals to teen brains. Catherine and Heathcliff have a totally abusive relationship, though interestingly, it is abusive on both sides - they are both horrible to each other. Their love tortures them, and yes, that is teenage angst romantic, but it is also Romantic, as in the period/literary era, which is one of my favourites. Heathcliff a such a good example of the Byronic Hero, one of the most fascinating character types, I think. Oh boy, I'm going all English Major now...

#48 - Jane, give it another go!

#50 - LOL, I am definitely not a teenager! I'll be 25 in March. I do, however, teach teenagers, so maybe their constant influence rubs off on me a bit. :) They love to tell me that I look just like them - I'm never sure if this is a compliment or not!

I was bad and bought 4 new books today:

Lolita by Nabokov
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer

There is no telling when I will get to any of these, but I just couldn't resist!

Oh! One more thing! I have three reviews in the latest issue of Belletrista:

I Want to Get Married! - http://belletrista.com/2011/issue9/reviews_19.php
Been Here a Thousand Years - http://belletrista.com/2011/issue9/reviews_14.php
Lemon - http://belletrista.com/2011/issue9/reviews_10.php

>53 Cait86:, You're a machine! I hope to have some time this weekend to spend with the new issue.

#52 Well done Cait!! You are building a library. You are a very good girl.

>52 Cait86: Now, when you read Rebecca, think about it's similarities to Jane Eyre...

>54 fannyprice: yeah, she wins for this issue, but Andy still holds the record;-)

>52 Cait86: What a haul!

#54 - It was a great issue - so many of the reviews were irresistible!

#55 - Thanks Amanda, I don't feel so bad now :) Plus, I read one of those new books this week, so it's not like they are just sitting there!

#56 - What's Andy's record for reviews? It could take some strategic planning to kick him out of the top spot ;) Re: Rebecca, maybe I will wait to read it until after I manage to get through Jane Eyre... could be a good summer project.

#58 - Thanks!

Book #6 - Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Source: My Bookshelves - but I very recently bought it, so it's not like I'm whittling down the TBR at all!

Why I read it now: I think I want to look at Nabokov's style with my senior class this semester (grade 12, we call it in Canada). We read the first chapter of fifteen different books, and pick them apart for stylistic tendencies, then each student chooses one of the books to read, plus reads another by the same author, and compares them. So, I read Lolita in preparation.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Lolita is the story of Humbert Humbert (an alias that the narrator chooses for himself), a middle-aged man who has an unhealthy obsession with young girls between the age of 9 and 14. H.H. is writing his own life story, trying to justify the acts that have led him to imprisonment. We hear about his upbringing, his move to Paris and his first marriage, and his move to America, where he lives as a boarder in the house of Charlotte Haze, a widower whose daughter, Dolores, H.H. christens "Lolita". H.H. falls in love with Lolita, and various tragic events bring about their eventual relationship.

I knew the basics of Lolita going in to the book, so I predicted a tough read. Since Nabokov tells the story from H.H.'s point of view, the reader spends all three hundred pages in the mind of a very twisted human being. That being said, the narrator is also extremely intelligent, and extremely manipulative. His first seduction of Lolita places the young girl as the instigator, and he discribes "Lo" as someone who knows exactly what she is doing. Early on in the novel, the reader gets some hints that H.H. is a very unreliable narrator, so I seriously doubted his version of events; at the same time, Lo certainly does not come off as the innocent victim, and at times I felt myself sympathizing with H.H. This caused me understandable horror - sympathizing with such a disturbed creature! So here, I understand the brilliance of Nabokov. To create such an awful person, but then to cause the reader to feel sorry for him, is a masterful feat indeed.

Nabokov's prose is gorgeous - thick, wordy, and full of double meanings. I would love to read more of his work, but maybe something a little less disturbing.

That said, parts of Lolita dragged horribly. The beginning was quite strong, as was the end portion, but the middle took all of my stamina to get through. After awhile, H.H.'s musing became too much to handle, and too much of the same thing over and over. To be honest, I'm glad I read this book, but I don't think I will ever read it again - and I am a big rereader.

So, despite the beautiful prose and my unsettling feelings about the narrator, the labourious middle section of Lolita knocks what would have been a four-star novel down to 3.5 stars.

Book #7 - The Shape of Him by Gill Schierhout

Source: Lois/Avaland

Why I read it now: I'm reviewing it for Belletrista - link to follow!

Rating: 4 stars

Book #8 - Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck

Source: Lois/Avaland

Why I read it now: I'm reviewing it for Belletrista - link to follow!

Rating: 5 stars - definitely a best for the year

Yesterday I started two novels - Generation X by Douglas Coupland, and My Antonia by Willa Cather. The Coupland was a bit too cynical for my mood at the time, but the Cather was perfect - a beautiful book, which I should finish today. It will be another "best" for the year.

62 - My Antonia was my favorite read of last year and in the running for favorite of all time!

Cait - Nice review of Lolita. Some day I'll try it, really...despite your "labourious"-ness warnings.

Hmmm, Visitation does look intriguing, based on the one full-length review I spotted on the book's page. I have been forced -- yes, forced! -- to put it on my Kindle wish list...

>56 avaland: 59 And I thought I was a serious contender! :D

>Book 7. Four stars, really? I look forward to your review!

Bring it on, Cait and Akeela :-)

If you want any hints, try lots of good, short books, time off work and absolutely no money to do anything with. Its a winning combination.

>56 avaland:, 59, 67 Andy's record is 6 reviews in a single issue (issue 5) and 20 reviews over the 9 issue spread. Akeela has had 3 reviews in one issue (issue 5), and 16 total (she's breathing down your neck, Andy...) Char has 13 total, and Rachel, 12. Hmm. Am I working you all too hard?

Marianne's emotional sensibility causes her to make a complete fool of herself. She is adored by all, but I cannot understand why - I mean, the girl is such a ninny that she nearly dies just because a man leads her on.

Thank you for putting it like that. I think Marianne is a Ninny too. A few months ago my 14 yr old daughter and I watched the movie version of Sense and Sensibility, the one with Kate Winslett as Marianne. My daughter liked it, but hated Marianne. I posted a question over at the Jane Austen group and asked if the reader was supposed to like her.

So where is this Austenathon happening and how can I get an invite?

I know I always get a bit angry when people dislike Pride and Prejudice. How can anyone not like Elizabeth and Darcy??

You've met someone who dislikes Pride and Prejudice? And who's actually read it? Wow.

#69 You might try the BBC version of S&S as well. Being longer than the Winslet version, it is able to include more, and the setting for the cottage is beautiful. Also the BBC version's screenplay is by Andrew Davies, who I think does a wonderful job staying true to the original. Plus there are some nice commentaries. One in particular about how Davies had to make the characters of Colonel Brandon and Edward more "manly" and desirable was interesting. Marianne is that unlikable combination of naive and confident so common to adolescents. I never understood why Colonel Brandon would fall in love with her.

70 - They're reading it over in the 75ers:

Austenathon 2011: Sense and Sensibility (Non-Spoiler Thread)
Austenathon 2011: Sense and Sensibility (Spoiler Thread)

I finished last week but am so behind on my reviews that I haven't gotten to it.

Interesting comments.
For me, Lolita is a 5 star book, despite the troubling content. I didn't find any of it laborious. (Just giving a second opinion.)

60 & 74: I've just checked Lolita out from the local library, so I'll be reading this shortly. It does bring up a bit of a dilemma in terms of ratings with such sensitive content.

#63 - Jane, My Antonia was an amazing book, definitely 5 stars. It is one of my favourites for the year, and I will be on the look out for more of Cather's novels.

#64, 74, 75 - Re: Lolita, I think that it just wasn't my preferred type of prose. I can recognize how skilled Nabokov is, but I like sparse, poetic writing over detailed, dense writing any day. Amanda, what is it about the book that makes it 5 stars for you?

#65 - Suzanne, Visitation was wonderful - very complex, and I love books that are interconnected short stories. It reminded me a lot of The Glass Room by Simon Mawer, in that the focus was on a house, but it was much less mainstream, much more literary. I'm looking forward to reading it again.

#66, 67, 68 - The competition is on!

#69, 70, 71 - Hi Joyce! People over in the 75 group are defending Marianne quite a bit, arguing that she is just a teenager, and that she changes quite a bit by the end of the book. Personally, I still hate her! LOL Join in on the Austenathon anytime. We start Pride and Prejudice on March 15, I think.

#72 - Thanks for the movie recommendation, Lisa.

Book #9 - My Antonia by Willa Cather

Source: My Bookshelves

Why I read it now: Someone on LT recently reviewed O Pioneers!, and so I was prompted to dig My Antonia out of my masses of books. It was my first novel by Cather

Rating: 5 stars - definitely a best for the year

I'm not going to write a proper review, since there are nearly 100 reviews on LT already (read janepriceestrada's - it's great!), so just a few comments: I loved this book. It wasn't overly complex, not at all a struggle to read, and was merely a wonderful story. The characters are well drawn, the plot has just the right amount of ups and downs, and the descriptions of the Nebraskan prairies are gorgeous. Sometimes I feel like I read too many "challenging" novels, too many avant-garde writers trying to prove something, books that would have been assigned to me in a university course. I love that type of novel, but sometimes I forget how wonderful a good old-fashioned story can be. My Antonia made me remember why reading is fun, and not just intellectually stimulating. I will absolutely seek out more of Cather's novels - soon!

Book #10 - Generation X by Douglas Coupland

Source: My Bookshelves

Why I read it now: A mere whim - and a misguided one, it turns out

Rating: 2 stars

Again, not a proper review: I hated this book! Normally I enjoy novels that are split into short stories, and while I am not always in the mood for cynicism, I don't dislike it either. However, Coupland's voice and tone just drove me crazy. I felt as though, when he wrote this, he was thinking, "oh, I'm just so smart. I'm being edgy and unique. My generation is just so misunderstood. I just know everyone will marvel at my brilliance." Well, I didn't marvel at his brilliance. Instead, I just wanted to smack him - preferably with his own oddly oversized novel. Frankly, I think I'm being generous with my two stars.

77 - Glad you liked it. :)

Book #11 - The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Source: My Bookshelves

Why I read it now: I wanted something that would get the cynical taste of Generation X out of my mouth.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Anita Diamant's The Red Tent is the story of Dinah, daughter of Jacob and sister of Joseph, both of Old Testament fame. In the Bible, Dinah is mentioned in Genesis 34; the chapter tells the story of her rape by the prince of Shechem, and the revenge of her two brothers, Simon and Levi. Diamant takes this story and fashions an historical account of Dinah's entire life, from her childhood in Haran, to her marriage in Canaan, to her eventual settling in Egypt.

The most interesting sections of The Red Tent are those that focus on childbirth and the relationships between Jacob's wives. The Red Tent is a menstrual tent, the place where women retired for three days every month. In this tent the women follow their own ceremonies and religious devotions, tell stories about their pasts, and pass down knowledge to the next generation. Rachel, one of Jacob's wives, works as a midwife, and she teaches Dinah, daughter of Leah, her trade. Dinah, as Jacob's only daughter, is loved by his four wives, and is a bit of a family pet. She is privy to the inner woking of the red tent long before reaching her own sexual maturity, and is the confidente of each of her "mothers".

Dinah's voice is strong, and her story interesting, but I found it lagged as her life went on. Her childhood and the rivalries of Jacob's wives were quite interesting, but once Dinah meets the prince of Shechem and her brothers carry out their revenge, the book lost some of its spark, and Dinah stopped being an interesting character. Her time in Egypt felt rushed, and I met too many characters who I failed to care about.

The Red Tent was very readable, and I certainly finished it quickly, but in terms of literary value, I wouldn't recommend it very highly. I imagine it would be good for a book club, given the strong gender theme and the fact that it is based on a Biblical tale, but I doubt I will ever read it again. I'm all for retellings of traditionally male stories in female perspectives, but this has been done better elsewhere.

I'm slowly making my way through Bernard Cornwell's The Winter King, and have decided that I am not a huge fan of his view of Arthurian Legend. I love the King Arthur story, and enjoy reading various reimaginings of it, but this one is too warrior-based for me, and the touches of the supernatural seem out of place - either you embrace the magical aspect of the legend, or you don't. No waffling.

It's making me want to reread The Mists of Avalon though.

81 - I enjoy the Arthuruian legend stories as well but looks like I'll skip this one. I read The Mists of Avalon last year and loved it.

Did you ever read the The Copper Crown series? King Arthur set in space. Now that was a different take! Got better as it went along.

Willa Cather = 'fun reading' to you, huh? ;-) My tastes are obviously more low-brow than yours, but I enjoyed Death Comes to the Archbishop enough to be tempted. Don't think anything anyone says can tempt me enough to read Lolita though.

#82 - There are lots of positive reviews of this particular Arthurian series, but I will probably not be adding to them! I still haven't made it much farther in the book.

#83 - That sounds a bit crazy! LOL I will take a look for them.

#84 - Bonnie - well, after Lolita, Willa Cather was certainly fun! I really, really enjoyed her writing.

Some non-reading news:

I will be away from March 9-18, as I am going on a school field trip to France and Italy. It's March Break for most of that time in Ontario, and so myself, three other teachers, and 23 students are going on an organized tour. Of the major overnight stops (Paris, Nice, Rome, Florence), only Nice is new to me, but we are also making quick stops in Eze, Pisa, and Assisi, and I've never been to any of them. It's going to be a quick 10 days, but school trips are always quick - the philosophy is that if the kids get too familiar with a place, bad behaviour is more likely to occur.

Also, I just found out yesterday that I'm going to El Salvador in the summer on another school trip, this one with Habitat for Humanity. We are going with a neighbouring school, and will be gone for 10 days to build houses in a small rural community. This will be unlike any traveling I've ever done - Europe is my only experience beyond North America. Has anyone been to El Salvador before? Anyone worked with Habitat for Humanity? I don't really know what to expect!

>86 Cait86: - Ooh, lucky you! I love traveling and was in Italy (Florence, Chianti, and the Cinqueterre) last fall.

I've done local projects with HfH - it's exhausting but so rewarding.

Your travels sound wonderful! My husband has lots of family near Pisa (in Lucca), and it's a very beautiful area. I hope you enjoy it. I've never been to El Salvador, but what a wonderful experience it will be. I've always wanted to go work for Habitat for Humanity but so far I haven't been able to convince my family.

Cait your trip sounds wonderful. I've been to Assisi and Pisa, Pisa just for the morning to do the tall round thing but Assisi for 2 days. It's just beautiful around there. And good on you for doing the HfH work. You'll have to read lots of El Salvador books to prepare!

Oh my gosh! All those cities in one week and with a couple dozen high school students, too? How, um, exciting? The HfH trip to El Salvador sounds positively restful, by comparison. ;-)

Cait, interesting reviews.
I agree with your My Antonia review.

#76 Cait, it was the writing that made it a 5 star read for me. At the time I thought it was perfection.
(ETA: I say "at the time" because sometimes I return to a book and like it less the second time.)

Well, I'm back from an exhausting but rewarding trip! The kids were great, very well behaved and interested in everything we did. Highlights for me were definitely their desire to try new foods - we took some students to a lunch of mussels in Monaco, and another group tried escargot in Nice, and both were a success! Paris was beautiful with great weather, and I managed to get some browsing time at Shakespeare and Co., and bought Wide Sargasso Sea. It rained quite a bit, but the kids were troopers and rarely complained. Assisi was as gorgeous as you all said, and Rome was crazy busy, because we were there on the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, so that was quite the experience! Florence is still my favourite, and I am seriously considering taking a year off of work (we have a great thing as a teacher in Ontario where you can take only 80% of your salary for 4 years, and then take the 5th year off and get the other 80% that you have accumulated over the past 4 years) to live in that area, or travel around Europe in general. Might as well do this while I am young and single!

Cait - that all sounds wonderful! I was thinking about you and wondering what you were up to. My niece, who is in grade 11, just left for her spring break trip through Spain.

#93 - Hi Joyce! Spain, wow, that sounds like a great trip - definitely somewhere I want to go in the future. I'm hoping next year to take kids to the UK for a literature/theatre trip, though we are also floating the idea of a trip to Kenya, so I might go on that one... Really, I'll travel anywhere!

Two reviews for Belletrista to link to:

Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck: http://belletrista.com/2011/Issue10/reviews_7.php

The Shape of Him by Gill Schierhout: http://belletrista.com/2011/Issue10/reviews_17.php

Enjoy :)

I just ordered a copy of Visitation and am really looking forward to it. And I agree with you about Florence - I'd love to spend an extended period of time there. I visited last September for work and am dying to go back.

#96 - Enjoy Visitation - it blew me away. As for Florence, after two visits there are still lots of things there I want to see, so returning is a must!

Book #12 - The Winter King

Source: My Bookshelves

Why I read it now: It was a random decision.

Rating: 2 stars

Bernard Cornwell's The Winter King is the first in his trilogy of books dealing with the story of King Arthur. Our narrator, Derfel, is a Saxon orphan who was adopted by Merlin, a one of Arthur's confidantes and chief fighters. The story opens when Derfel is in his old age; he has become a monk, and is engaged in writing down Arthur's story. He tells it to his queen, Igraine, and their conversations interject the main narrative of Arthur's rise to power.

Cornwell makes his Arthur not a king, but a warlord entrusted with the life of the infant king Mordred. Arthur's goal is to unite the tribes of Britain under one peaceful ruler, and to hold back the Saxon invaders. Meanwhile, the mysterious Merlin is searching for the Treasures of Britain, thirteen objects that will allow their possessor to summon the British gods, and restore Britain to its rightful place.

I've read a fair amount of Arthurian literature, and I have to say, Cornwell's version of the story is far from my favourite. Derfel is a lifeless narrator, with little personality and even less insight into Arthur's character. He spends chapters talking about how Arthur's decisions resulted in war and grief, and that Arthur's defining trait is his ambition, but then remarks that Arthur was the greatest man he ever knew. To me, Cornwell's Arthur is an idiot - he marries Guinevere in secret and moans about how much he loves her, when clearly she is interested only in his power. Really, he is quite pathetic.

Lancelot is another character who I dislike. In The Winter King, he is not a dashing soldier, but a lazy man who is scared of fighting. He is smug and haughty, and his good looks are his only positive feature.

So, what about this book is good? Well, I suppose it is quite historically accurate. However, this means that it is rather unpleasant as well. Cornwell fills his pages with violence, rape, descriptions of urination and filth, and makes Britain altogether unattractive. Realistically, it probably was fairly horrible, but for me, this didn't make for good reading. The descriptions of battle were well done, and I enjoyed the sections where Derfel discusses tactical strategies and the soldiers' religion of Mithras. However, these sections were few and far between, and as a result, this book took me weeks to read. Even though my OCD personality will flinch as I write this, I know that I will never read the other two books in this trilogy. This Arthur is not my Arthur, and it disappointed me - so much, in fact, that it may be time for a reread of The Mists of Avalon.

Glad your trip went well! We loved Florence also. We were there just a few days and would like to go back.

Book #13 - Pride and Prejudice

Source: My Bookshelves

Why I read it now: For the Austenathon in the 75 Book Challenge

Rating: 5 stars of course! This is one of my favourite books, and it gets better with every reread

Basically, this is a perfect novel - it makes me laugh, it makes me cry, and I always want to begin it again as soon as I finish it.

Book #14 - The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West

Source: Kindle

Why I read it now: I wanted a quick read

Rating: 5 stars

I will probably come back and write a real review tomorrow, but for now just know that this is a beautiful novella about a WWI soldier suffering from memory loss, and the three women who love him.

Hi Cait, I really enjoyed reading your review of Wuthering Heights and the subsequent conversation. While my take on Heathcliff is quite different from yours (and I prefer the "staid" Austen types as romantic heros!), I agree it's a wonderful book and it's great that it had such an impact on you.

And I plan to join you in May (is that right?) for the Austenathon read of Mansfield Park, as it's one of the two main Austens I haven't read (the other being Persuasion).

Well, I obviously never returned to write that review of The Return of the Soldier.... and given that I can only barely remember it right now, it might not be the 5 star read that I originally thought it was.

#102 - Thanks for dropping by Rebeki - I'm enjoying the conversation on WH over on your thread. We are definitely reading Mansfield Park starting May 15, and I will post the thread on your thread once it gets set up. I've never read Mansfield Park either, so I'm really looking forward to it!

Alrighty, a couple of books to get caught up on:

Book #15 - Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

Source: A new puchase

Why I read it now: I wanted a quick read

Rating: 3 stars

Pure fluff. This is really the only brain candy series I read, so I don't feel too guilty spending a morning in Harris' supernatural world. Sookie is amusing as always, and even though Harris' writing is nothing to get excited about, I generally enjoy my time spent with Eric, Bill, and all of the other men in Sookie's life.

Book #16 - Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Source: Kindle

Why I read it now: I know this story so well, but I can never remember if I've actually read the novel before. It turns out that I hadn't - I've just seen various film versions so many times that I felt as though I had read the book.

Rating: 4 stars

I love the story of sisters Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy - it is heartwarming, the characters are interesting, and the story is comforting in its familiarity. While I always love Jo the best in any of the film versions I've seen, Amy captured my heart in the actual novel.

On the downside, Alcott is very preachy, trying to teach morals at every turn, and I quickly learned to skim these parts.

I've also read a couple of novels for an article I'm working on for Belle, but you all will have to wait for the issue before I tell you about them!

I'm currently in the middle of Patti Smith's memoir, Just Kids. I'm not really a non-fiction reader, but this book is totally pulling me in. Smith writes with a voice that is totally accessible while still being intelligent, and her description of life in NYC in the late '60s, when she was a poor artist who lived to create, is inspiring (and also a bit crazy). I've yet to reach the point at which she turned to music and became a success, so I am looking forward to that.

She is very honest, but not at all vulgar - she focuses much more on her artistic relationship with Robert Maplethorpe than she does on their sexual relationship.

I often feel as though I was born at the wrong time; I love everything about '60s and '70s culture, and something about Smith's free-spirited life makes me want to embark on my own adventure... but I am far too practical for that!

#103 - Thanks, Cait!

I'm also pleased to see how much you're enjoying Just Kids. I'd seen good reviews of it and was then prompted to buy it after reading rebeccanyc's comments on her thread. I really must get round to it soon!

>104 Cait86: The moral content of Little Women is indicative of most 19th century American literature. Women, in particular, were expected to be the moral compasses of the family.

>105 Cait86: oh, psyched about that!

>106 Cait86: The past always seems more romantic than the present:-)

Just Kids is one of my favorite reads so far this year; glad you are enjoying it too. I thought the insight it provided into how artists feel compelled to be artists was fascinating.

Great opportunity for a special year, Cait! What is it about Florence that makes you love it so?

> 107 - Link is posted on your thread!

> 108 - Interesting about Little Women, Lois. I'm not a big reader of American lit, and what I have read is mostly 20th century, so Alcott was my introduction to morals and society at that time period. I've read some English novels from that same time period though, and find it interesting that they are far less moralistic, despite the assumption that Victorians were prim and proper.

Yes, Just Kids paints a rather idealistic picture of 1960-70s New York. It just makes my life seem so.... normal, I guess - which really, is not a bad thing, most of the time. I do love my job, my friends and family, my hobbies, my ability to travel every summer, but I doubt I will ever do anything that is worth writing a book about, and sometimes that irks me - though I am sure, as I get older and settle down, I will be more appreciative of my good fortune. It's the youthful part of me that still wants to do something big with my life.

> 109 - I agree, Rebecca. I think we all have something in us that we are compelled to do, and Patti and Robert were lucky that they were able to realize their dreams.

> 110 - Hi Bonnie! Oh, Florence is just lovely. It's a small city, not overwhelming, and feels quite intimate (unlike Rome, which is quite big and noisy - full of interesting things, but not a place I would want to live). Florence is filled with beautiful art, the architecture is impressive but not ornate (I find Paris very ornate - pretty, but not my taste), and the winding streets welcome pedestrians who like to wander. The food is incredible - it's not as tomato-based as it is in the south. Lots of cheese, truffles, veggies, prosciutto, olive oil, legumes - yum! The markets and shopping are great too. It just has this vibe that I love, and is one of those places that I feel at home in. Oddly enough, I feel the same way about London, but it is a totally different kind of city - strange how certain places speak to us!

Book #17 - Just Kids by Patti Smith

Source: Kindle

Why I read it now: Well, it fit in with my quest for the March/April Knights of the Roundtable Challenge (read from a genre you don't normally enjoy - non-fiction), and I had read lots of good reviews here on LT, and I'm looking for new non-fiction for my students to read (this one, in the end, is too academic for my classes).

Rating: 5 stars - a favourite for the year

Patti Smith's Just Kids joins the very short list of non-fiction that I have read and enjoyed. Her memoir of her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe, and their lives in New York City in the '60s and '70s, initially appealed to my love of that time period; what drew me in was Smith's inspirational prose on art and music.

Smith moved to NYC to follow her creative dreams, and Mapplethorpe rescued her from life on the streets. Though they were both very poor, living with little food in tiny hotel rooms and unfurnished apartments, their love for each other, and their reciprocal artist-muse relationship kept them alive. They were artists who felt compelled to create, and they challenged each other to experiment with new mediums and subjects. Mapplethorpe eventually reached success with his photography, and Smith with her music, though she is also an accomplished artist and poet. Though they did not last as a couple, Smith and Mapplethorpe were soul mates, and friends until Mapplethorpe's death in 1989.

I found Smith's writing inspirational - her musings on finding her place in the world, finding her purpose, made me examine my own life. She followed her dreams, and her belief in her own success proves her to be a far braver person than most. Just as Smith found motivation in the musicians and artists of her day - Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Andy Warhol - future performers are sure to look to Just Kids as a defining moment in their own creative careers. I may not be an artist, but I too find great inspiration in the music and words of Classic Rock icons - and definitely in those of Patti Smith.

>112 Cait86: Cait, I hadn't been interested in Just Kids but your review makes me think I might like it. I saw it at the library the other day - now I wish I had added it to the pile I checked out!

#112 Excellent review of Just kids. I have just recently bought it and now I know I am going to love it when I get to it later in the year.

Thanks for the link to the Mansfield Park read, Cait! This will be my first LT group read and I'm looking forward to it. I'll probably start a week after the official starting date.

Great review of Just Kids - I'm really, really impatient to read it now, but need to read The God of Small Things for my reading group and Mansfield Park first, while keeping up the momentum with War and Peace, which I recently started!

>111 Cait86: - that's an interesting take on Florence. It is a beautiful city but most of the time the city is swamped by tourists (the only way to avoid them is to go during the winter). I never felt I could rest there until late at night when the buses had departed and the wine was flowing freely.

>112 Cait86: - you may like to get a hold of Patti Smith's The Coral Sea - it's a recording of her epic poem about Mapplethorpe. Just her voice and the great Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine) on guitar.

111 - that's an interesting take on Florence. It is a beautiful city but most of the time the city is swamped by tourists (the only way to avoid them is to go during the winter).

I've been there in November and there were still lots and lots of tourists!

was in there in Nov too (2000). Tourists, yes...but no crowds. We had rain and yucky weather too, but I don't remember minding.

Hey, I was there in Nov 2000. The weather was beautiful and on the weekend the Ponte Vecchio was as crowded as I've seen it in July. I took my kids for a walk over the Arno and up the hill and got completely lost. Probably my favourite Florence memory.

Too funny Joyce! We were there Nov 6-12 (I know because our wedding was Nov 5). Honestly, I wouldn't swear on my memories about the weather, but I remember 60 and rain (oh, your from Vancouver...hmmm). Can't recall anything about Ponte Vecchio, although I'm sure we crossed it at least once (prob twice). What I recall is that the museums were line-less, no wait at Ufizi or the Accedemy. So, we (you and I) were in parallel but different worlds at the same time. :)

Apologies Cait for hijacking.

Still hijacking, Cait!

You've got me pulling out my photo album . . . we left on November 2nd and arrived on the 3rd. My husband's family lives in Lucca, which is about 40 min west of Florence. It was warm (always around 18 C) and showery most of the week we were there--I remember lots of thunderstorms. I have my ticket stub for the Uffizi--Friday Nov 10, 3:15 PM. You're right--no lineups! I waltzed right in. The next day, Saturday, was a glorious sunny day. My pics from the Sunday are filtered sunshine. The following week we were in Perugia, Sienna and back in Lucca and it was grey and warmish. (When I say warm I mean autumn warm, not summer warm. It's all relative.)

Looking at my pics makes me want to go back! We're planning to in 2012 and I didn't think I really wanted to go, but maybe I do after all.

This thread is killing me. I was in Florence last fall and fell in love with it. I took a side trip to Lucca and love that city as well. I really want to go back, as I had an experience similar to Cait's of feeling very "at home" there. The hordes of tourists didn't bother me much. The weather was perfect (this was late September), the food was unbelievable, and the architecture/scenery was gorgeous. Sigh...

>111 Cait86: We really enjoyed Firenza/Florence also. We were there in 2005. I loved that they restricted the old city center to pedestrian and taxi traffic (much like Brugge). It made everything much less hectic. Among other things, we went to the science museum and saw Gallileo's middle finger!

One of the things I love about Florence is that the Uffizi is a perfect size for a museum. You can see the whole thing and not be exhausted at the end.

Wow! Go to work for a day, and you can miss a lot around here! :)

> 113, 114, 115 - Katie, Barry, and Rebeki, I hope you all get the chance to read Just Kids - it tops my list of fav books for the year.

> 116-124 - Hijack away! Yes, Florence is touristy, but touristy cities never really bother me. I live in a tiny beach town on Lake Erie, and we are swamped from May-October with cottagers and day-trippers, not to mention motorcyclists (we are a haven for bikes on every Friday the 13th - one of which is this week. Our town fills up with bikes, Main Street is closed and becomes a bike lot, it is basically one big party). So I guess I am just used to crowds of people. It's nice to read everyone's memories of Florence - you are all making me want to go back too!

> 124 - The Accademia is so nice and small too, the perfect size for a museum. I hate the Louvre, but love Paris' Orangerie and the Rodin Museum, which are both very manageable.

One of the things I love about Florence is that the Uffizi is a perfect size for a museum. You can see the whole thing and not be exhausted at the end.

Rebecca -- yes! It's my favourite museum of all because of that. And it has several of my very favourite paintings (Birth of Venice & Primevera . . . be still, my heart).

Joyce, we were practically on the same trip. We were in Sienna too, around Nov 10 (??), it was a very rainy day. As for the Uffizi, we went after lunch in the Piazza della Signoria which included a somehow very strong bottle of wine (I think it was just one)...and then we stumbled through the museum and got to the end and then turned back around and picked our favorite rooms and hung out in them a while, especially the ones with Botticelli's, and then, quite happy in some state of wonder stumbled out. I keep thinking we should have gone back while sober. I hadn't really thought of it before, but I guess it is a nice size. We had the Accademia to ourselves...we wandered around the city quite a bit, go lost a few times, somehow still managed to bump into something we had read about somewhere....pardon, just remembering...

oh, and 18 C is 64.4 F, so we agree on about everything except what warm is... :)

Well, like I said, warm is relative . . . it was 10 C in Vancouver at the time. But 18 C in summer would be cold!

>125 Cait86: ha ha, my hometown on the Maine coast was swamped each summer with Canadians, mostly from Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick.

So, who is organizing the Club Read trip to Florence?

Lois - I didn`t know you grew up in Maine. A good friend of mine grew up in Kennibunk.

>127 dchaikin: - Sienna is lovely, as San Gimignano, where they filmed Tea With Mussolini.

Talking about Maine, I just saw some pictures of Maine Coons - they are huge. Best statement was the suggestion they are not 'lap cats' - which seems self-evident since they would crush your legs.

> 129 - Well, if Joyce is already going to Italy in 2012, maybe we could all join her? I'm sure your husband's relatives have room for us all, right Joyce! :)

>130 Nickelini: Ayah, grew up in Maine. That's why I'd didn't need translation for Tinkers, Olive Kitteridge, A Brother's Blood...etc :-)

Well, if Joyce is already going to Italy in 2012, maybe we could all join her? I'm sure your husband's relatives have room for us all, right Joyce! :)

Ha ha! Funny you say that!

I've been to Italy four times--the first time we stayed with hubby's aunt and they were wonderful. But they put so much effort into making our stay comfortable that it made me feel a little uncomfortable (insisting we take their bedroom, spending outrageous money on food, etc. Plus, their bathroom is very weird--which over a few weeks makes me crabby).

The second time I didn't want to stay there and we stayed with hubby's very close cousin, which was much better. But he's now moved to Canada.

The third time we had little kids and stayed back at his aunt's. I swore I wouldn't stay there again, yet on trip 4, there we were again. This time the four of us were too big for their bedroom and it was really, really uncomfortable (the food was still unbelievable, though! But the bathroom was even weirder).

To make matters worse, he has a more distant relative (Dad's cousin) that has a huge house with lots of room, beautiful bathrooms and a swimming pool, and who would love to have us, but it would be political suicide to stay there . . . so next time we go, we're renting our own place just like every other tourist from Canada!

So, no, sorry, no relatives. Unless family politics clear up and then it's party at the pool!!

>134 Nickelini: - his Dad's cousin isn't Silvio Berlusconi? :D

No - but hubby just got his Italian citizenship and is now threatening to vote for Berlusconi!

I am intrigued - what is weird about that bathroom

>134 Nickelini: The problem with the bathroom, was it the three seashells?

#138 - Okay, I don't get that.

> 139 - Me either, but I'm still curious about the bathroom!

Okay, well since it's your thread . . . actually, it's all rather bizarre but complicated to explain. Here's just one of the things that bothers me though. In the tub/shower, there's a beautiful window (you know how fabulous windows in Europe can be), and it has this high-gloss finish on the wood frame. The shower is one of those hand-held ones, but you can hook it up. Well, after spending half an hour drying off the walls,window etc. after my shower, hubby tells me that his relatives don't actually use the shower like that and they just hold it. So to wash your hair you have to put it down and turn it off while shampooing, and then your kneeling there in the tub shivering. That's okay for the occasional shower, but after two weeks I just want to walk into a regular shower, thank you very much. That's the easiest part to explain--the other things that bother me are too weird to even get into. And also, he has a cousin that disappears into the bathroom for 2-3 hours at a time.

>138 avaland: Have you not seen "Demolition Man?" Here is the first time the "three seashells" are mentioned (a terribly violent but hilariously funny movie).

http://youtu.be/rBI8uCKi2lI

ETA that we never learn what the 3 seashells are for...

Throw another hat into the ring for the love of Florence. We were also there on our honeymoon though we had been there once before.

> 141 - LOL at odd bathrooms! When we took kids to Europe over the March Break, checking out the hotel bathrooms was one of their favourite adventures. One room had a bathroom where the shower wasn't divided from the toilet. The boys came to the general consensus that this would speed up the morning process considerably - why, one could brush one's teeth, shower, and... well, you know... all at once! :)

> 142 - I've never seen that movie either. Boy, does Sandra Bullock look young!

> 143 - Florence would be the perfect spot for a honeymoon!

Note: this post contains SPOILERS about Jane Eyre.

Book #18 - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Source: Kindle - though I have a hard copy as well

Why I read it now: I decided that after several failed attempts over the years, I had to finally finish it!

Rating: Oh, this is tough.... I guess 4 stars - which means it was a great book that I would reread, but not a favourite (4.5 stars) or a truly unforgettable, sentimental read (5 stars). So yeah, 4 stars.

When it comes to the great Bronte debate, I fall firmly in Emily's corner. Wuthering Heights (which I reread and reviewed earlier this year) is a 5 star novel for me, and a book that changed my life.

That said, I'm no longer a Charlotte-hater. I have finally succeeded, after failing over and over in the last ten years, to read Jane Eyre - and really, I'm not sure why it took me so long to get through it. I like writing from the Bronte's time period, I find comfort in implausible plot coincidences, I root for underdog heroines, and I like Gothic houses containing bad men who are good at heart, if only they can find the right woman. Jane Eyre has all of this.

So why, then, is this only a 4-star book (for me)? Why does Charlotte lose out to Emily?

In the end, I think it is because Emily Bronte took big risks. Her characters are extreme - Catherine and Heathcliff are horrible people - her setting is extreme, and the love felt by her main characters is extreme. She did not do things half-way. Everything about Wuthering Heights is complex, from the use of language to the narrative of a story-within-a-story. This means that people tend to have extreme reactions to the novel: we love it or hate it.

Jane Eyre is not extreme (at least, not in my opinion). Jane is a nice character, moral, admirable, etc. She stands up for herself, and takes life into her own hands. Basically, she is the perfect role model. Hell, she is even plain - a normal looking girl who gets a romance, a role model for all plain girls to embrace. But, for all this goodness, she is kind of boring. I never really feel her passion for Mr. Rochester, and I never really understand his love for her (Bronte explains it - I just don't buy it). Oh, and really, if Bronte wanted to make a big deal about how a plain girl could still get a wealthy, respectable husband who loved her, why did she have to make Rochester ugly? Heathcliff certainly isn't ugly!

Besides that, Jane is kind of a ninny. Really, did ever a more self-righteous, moral character ever live? What kind of idiot takes off with no money? She just wasn't the brightest decision maker.

Complaints aside, I get why people like this novel (I just don't see why people love it). Bronte's writing drew me into the story, and despite knowing the basic plot, I still got tingles at the mysterious goings-on at Thornfield Hall. The basic plot is a good one - but again, I don't think it is extreme as Wuthering Heights. Everything works out in the end, Jane gets her happiness, and Rochester is a better man for loving her. How original.

So here is my question for people who love this novel - what do you see in it, that you don't see in dozens of other books? What makes it unique? That is the part I'm struggling with - I enjoyed my reading experience enough to give this book 4 stars, but cannot see to find the spark of greatness that will push it into my favourites category.

Post away - I'm really interested in your opinions!

Just testing to see if the "Reply" button inserts under the message being replied to

ETA - It doesn't - so why is it there?

Because it's always been there? Tim has always been adamant about not having threaded replies although I've never seen him give a reason.

Robert

Book #19 - Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

Source: My bookshelves - I bought it in March when I was in Paris, at the famous Shakespeare and Co.

Why I read it now: As a follow-up to Jane Eyre

Rating: 4 stars

Review to follow - I'm having trouble with it at the moment!

I'll be waiting for your review of Wide Sargasso Sea, which I read for the same reason. I didn't much enjoy it, and I'm eager to hear about the four stars.

Robert

#148. I was in Shakespeare and Co last October. It is an interesting bookshop and of course I could not resist buying. I read Wide Saragossa Sea a long time ago and remember really getting into it and thinking it was quite an important novel; worth it's place in the canon.

OK, some comments on Wide Sargasso Sea:

In brief, it is the story of Mr. Rochester's first wife, born Antoinette Cosway. Antoinette is the daughter of a rich slave owner and a vivacious mother; her father's death plunges the family into poverty, and the emancipation of slaves in Jamaica makes the Cosway's a disadvantaged, between-two-worlds group of people. Antoinette's mother remarries, and her new husband, Mr. Mason, does not understand the hostility in Jamaica. Eventually, tragedy strikes the Cosway/Mason family, and Antoinette's mother succumbs to grief.

Years later, Antoinette is married to Mr. Rochester, and the reader hears of her descent into insanity from her new husband. Antoinette's instability is called into question, and Mr. Rochester may be the one who is in fact mad. However, given his dominant position in society, Antoinette becomes Bertha Rochester, destined to spend her days in the attic of Thornfield Hall.

So, why four stars? Well, I generally enjoy novels that give voices to silenced characters, and Antoinette's story is a fascinating one. Rhys creates this emotional, intelligent woman, and then shows how society crushes all of her spirit. She also sheds light on racial and colonial tensions in the 1800s, as Antoinette is neither a native of Jamaica, or an English woman - she is somewhere in between. Her life is not easy, and she puts up a gallant fight against Mr. Rochester. His character is quite different from the misunderstood man in Jane Eyre, and I no longer view him merely with sympathy. He treats Antoinette terribly, believing in rumours and lies over the words of his wife. This filling-out of his character makes his eventual transformation and fate in Jane Eyre all the more poignant.

I also admire Rhys' writing style. She uses the sparse, difficult prose that I enjoy, writing in a stream-of-consciousness narrative that jumps from image to image, forcing the reader to pay attention. She succeeds in mirroring Antoinette's life and character with that of Jane Eyre - both women had horrible childhoods, both lost parents, both were educated away from home, and both fall in love with Mr. Rochester. That Jane's life turns out much happier is proof of Rochester's change in personality.

Jane was not really a character I cared to cheer for; Antoinette is someone who I wanted to succeed. The fact that I knew her story would be a sad one did not stop me from hoping that things would change, and life would get better.

My main quibble with Wide Sargasso Sea is that it is quite short, and I would have liked to keep reading - there is much of Antoinette's life that Rhys barely touched on, and I wanted a more thorough treatment of her life. Other than that, I really enjoyed this novel, and felt it added significantly to my enjoyment and appreciation of Jane Eyre.

Book #20 - Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Source: My bookshelves

Why I read it now: I felt like reading a book of short stories

Rating: 4.5 stars

Interpreter of Maladies is Jhumpa Lahiri's debut collection of short stories, and it won the Pulitzer Prize in 2000. Comprised of nine narratives, it centres mostly on Americans of Indian descent. Indian culture is at the forefront, and many of the stories deal with the differences between India and America. The title story, about a man in India who is an interpreter in a doctor's office and a part-time guide, serves as a metaphor for the entire collection, as Lahiri's characters all suffer from some sort of "malady" - physical, emotional, or spiritual.

The opening story, "A Temporary Matter", about a couple trying to find each other again after losing a baby, and "Sexy", about an American girl having an affair with a married Indian man, were the stories I most enjoyed. All nine narratives were complex, filled with well-rounded characters, and strong enough to stand alone. In fact, these are some of the best contemporary short stories I've ever read.

Lahiri's newest collection, Unaccustomed Earth, is just as strong as her first, and it continues with the same themes. She seems to be an author who knows her subject matter well, and sticks with it. Her stories, despite these heavy similarities, are never boring or trite. I have her novel, The Namesake, still sitting on my TBR, and look forward to reading it soon.

Thank you for your take on Wide Sargasso Sea.

Robert

Thanks Cait86 for your thoughts on Wide Sargasso Sea. Now I remember why I liked it so much. The short stories by Jhumpa Lahiri look interesting. I will search them out.

>153 Mr.Durick: and 154 - Thanks Robert and Barry for taking the time to read my comments.

Book #21 - No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod

Source: My bookshelves

Why I read it now: This might sound silly, but I am trying to read an entire stack from my TBR. No Great Mischief was on the same pile as Interpreter of Maladies, and Rebecca, which is my next book.

Rating: 4 stars

No Great Mischief is the story of the clann Chalum Ruaidh, a massive, many-branched family of Scottish Highlanders, who relocated to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in the 1700s. Told by Alexander MacDonald, a contemporary member of the clann, this family saga takes the reader through turmoil and sorrow, all with an underlying message of the endurance of humanity. The novel moves mostly between Alexander's childhood in Cape Breton, his stint as a miner in Northern Ontario, and his present life as an orthodontist in Southern Ontario (very close to where I live, actually!), but it also dips into the past, and tells the story of the clann Chalum Ruaidh's move to Canada.

MacLeod's storytelling is wonderful, and the unfailing spirit of his characters was moving. The reader has the sense that this family has come through many hard times, and will face more difficulties in the future, but through it all they will survive. Their familial bond is what keeps them going - for as Alex's Grandma says, "We are all better when we are loved."

For the most part, MacLeod's writing was beautiful as well, and his descriptions of Cape Breton make me want to plan a roadtrip to the Maritimes. The only thing I disliked about his writing was his propensity for sentence fragments. Many a time I had to reread a sentence to grasp the meaning, and often these sentences were not complete. I guess this is just his style, but I found it jarring.

I'm a big fan of Canadian Lit, and I haven't read a lot of it this year, so No Great Mischief was a nice return home for me.

Good review of No Great Mischief, Alistair MacLeod. I think its always a bit special when a book's scenario takes place near where you live or in a place that you know well. You can certainly judge if the writing is good enough to capture the essence of a place.

Catching up. Really enjoyed your comments on Jane Eyre - you keep on reading these books I know I loved but don't quite remember! (I see you have Rebecca coming up; that's another).
Re Jhumpa Lahiri, I'll be interested to see what you think when you've read the novel as well. I think she writes beautifully, but by the time I'd finished the novel and the two short story collections I really felt I never wanted to read anything ever again about educated Indians living in the US! I love her writing but I'm really hoping she'll start to write about something else.

(>141 Nickelini: At the risk of re-opening the whole Italian bathroom conversation, I'm intrigued by Joyce's you know how fabulous windows in Europe can be - can someone tell me what I've been taking for granted all my life?)

#141 At the risk of re-opening the whole Italian bathroom conversation, I'm intrigued by Joyce's you know how fabulous windows in Europe can be - can someone tell me what I've been taking for granted all my life?)

Since I made the comment, I'll answer. All across Europe I found that windows were really nice. They were made of high-quality finishes, and they felt very solid. Often they tilt and turn and open in multiple ways. Always a cool experience to approach a European window and see what delights it will offer. If it only opens one way, at least it will feel nice doing it. That certainly isn't the standard in North America. The standard window here is much flimsier and generally slides in one direction. We've replaced most of the windows on our house, but the one I'm sitting beside at the moment is a 1950s aluminum-framed piece of garbage. Ugly to look at and to touch.

Cait, loved your thoughts on Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea. Jane Eyre is one of my favorites so maybe I can answer some of your questions. What I love is the interiority of Jane's life. Few things I've read are so much inside the head of the main character - not that this makes them bad, it's just what I love about JE. Granted, it also helps that I'm both small and plain.

Wuthering Heights I need to re-read. I hated it in high school because I just could not understand why these crazy people kept dealing with each other. :)

Wide Sargasso Sea - what made it for me was how vivid the setting was. She writes atmosphere beautifully.

>159 Nickelini: Thanks, Joyce! It's always interesting to see what people notice when they visit somewhere. Imagine how boring it would be if everything were the same everywhere!

>157 baswood: - Thanks!

>158 rachbxl: - I hope Lahiri expands a bit too. Her stories are excellent, and I enjoy that she is writing about what she knows, but I think maybe she needs to take a risk or two. Her website hasn't been updated since 2009, so I have no idea of she is even working on a new book.

>160 janemarieprice: - Thanks, Jane! I enjoyed your take on Jane Eyre. I hope you reread Wuthering Heights one day :)

Movie Review - Midnight in Paris
- written and directed by Woody Allen

I saw Midnight in Paris last night, and since it has inspired me to "follow down the rabbit hole" with some reading, I thought I'd write a bit of a review.

I really enjoy Woody Allen's movies, and Midnight in Paris is no exception. It stars Owen Wilson as Gil, a hack Hollywood writer who is vacationing in Paris with his fiancee Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her parents. Gil idolizes 1920s Paris, when literary and artistic greats like Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Picasso, Dali, and Gertrude Stein hung out, swapping ideas and creating masterpieces. He longs to move to Paris and write a novel, while Inez wants to live a comfortable life in Malibu. One night, a drunk Gil is invited into a car by partying strangers. He joins them, and ends up in the 1920s, where he spends time with his idols. Night after night he returns, drawn by the beautiful Adriana (Marion Cotillard), who lives in a world far superior to Gil's present.

Paris acts as another character in the film; the first five minutes of the movie are shot after shot of Parisian scenes, from the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre to numerous cafes. Even though I was just in Paris in March, watching this movie made me long to return. Add to the beautiful cinematography a script full of literary and artistic references, and a score composed mostly of Cole Porter songs, and you have two hours in a world that seems perfect.

I've since ordered Hemingway's A Moveable Feast, about his time in Paris, and would love recommendations for other books dealing with this time period. Anyone have any recs??

The film sounds excellent, Cait. I will have to look for it.

I haven't read either one, but a bunch of my LT friends have been reading A Moveable Feast and then The Paris Wife by Paula McLain right afterwards (or vice versa). McLain's book is told from the perspective of Hadley, Hemingway's wife at the time. Apparently, it covers their courtship, marriage, move to Paris, artistic life, and then, of course, Hemingway's betrayal of Hadley. It's supposed to be quite good - based heavily on Hemingway's own writings, biographies, writings of his contemporaries, etc.

Yes Midnight in Paris was an excellent Woody Allen film. Not too deep but with some sort of message about being happy or not being happy in your own time and place. The grass is always greener perhaps. Paris looked wonderful and the shot towards the end of the film of Shakespeare and Co. one of the most famous bookshops in Paris was really neat.

Recommendations - well anything by Colette, I read The Vagabond, Colette recently which takes place during the second time slip period of the Film; The turn of the century. If you have not read any Colette prepare to be astounded.

*huff and puff* I'm trying to catch up on your thread, and there have been so many interesting conversations that I don't know where to begin.

Let's see... I love Florence because of the quality of the light. There is something golden and soft about the sunshine that makes everything it touches seem to glow.

Have you heard the Pat Benatar song "Wuthering Heights"? I thought she got the mood right: haunting and desperate.

I've been noticing lots more spin-off novels of classics. Is that a new phenomena or am I just catching on? Since you just read Little Women, I wonder if you have read March, Geraldine Brooks novel about Mr. March and what he was up to while away from home. Also, if you think of Louisa May Alcott as too prim, you might want to try some of her gothic thrillers. I hear they are quite different. I'm trying to find a copy of her Hospital Sketches, which document her time as a nurse.

If I ever get to the movies again without kids in tow, I would like to see Midnight in Paris. Both you and Barry wrote glowing reviews. I'm usually not an Owen Wilson fan, but this sounds like a different role.

Have you heard the Pat Benatar song "Wuthering Heights"? I thought she got the mood right: haunting and desperate.

Do you mean Kate Bush? (Pat Benatar is a rocker): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3gKKiTvjs

Nope. I meant Pat Benatar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH-oiBAubg4.

Cait - We just saw Midnight in Paris tonight, our first movie in a theater in ages. The choice was partly inspired by your review here (#163). How fun, loved it. Perhaps it's time to check out A Moveable feast.

Cool--I had no idea that Pat Benatar had done a cover of that song. I'd never have put those two artists together in a sentence before. Her version has such a happy carefree feeling compared to the original. And while we're talking about the song, I was disappointed when I learned recently that when Kate Bush wrote it, she hadn't even read the book.

>164 katiekrug: - Thanks for telling me about The Paris Wife, Katie. I hadn't heard of it before.

>165 baswood: - I agree Barry - Midnight in Paris wasn't deep, but it was charming. I'll look for some Colette.

>166 labfs39: - Hi Lisa, thanks for visiting my thread! I liked both version of "Wuthering Heights" - I'd never heard either before. I haven't read March; I read Brooks' People of the Book and hated it, and have stayed away from her ever since. Maybe I should give her another go?

>167 Nickelini: and 168 - Thanks for the links!

>169 dchaikin: - I'm glad you liked the movie, Dan. I'll let you know when I get to A Moveable Feast.

>170 Nickelini: - Oh, that's disappointing, Joyce. It kind of makes me enjoy the song a bit less.

Life, and Reading, Update: Four more days of work until summer vacation - woohoo! I have a ton of exam marking left to do, and report card comments to write, and then life becomes nothing but books, walks through my beach town, and other lazy, summery activities.

I'll be away from July 8-17, in El Salvador building houses with Habitat for Humanity (see Post #86). I'm bringing my Kindle, and hope to do a bit of reading on the plane, and at night once the kids have gone to sleep (though that might be wishful thinking...). I have a bunch of classic novellas to read, and some new stuff that I am excited to get to - A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht, Skippy Dies by Paul Murray, and One Day by David Nicholls, which I bought after seeing the movie trailer.

I also finished a quick summer book:

Book #22 - Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares

Source: Kindle - a new purchase

Why I read it now: I wanted something easy to read, and this book was just released.

Rating: 3 stars

I loved The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series when I was in high school, and so when I read through LT that Ann Brashares had written a fifth novel, I had to buy it for nostalgic reasons. This book, Sisterhood Everlasting, is not a YA novel like the first four, but instead is being billed as an adult novel. It takes place ten years after the last Sisterhood books; Lena, Tibby, Bridget, and Carmen are now 29, living separate, not so happy lives around the world. Their friendship is still important, but they have lost touch and talk rarely - something that they do not know how to fix. Tibby, living in Australia, send the other three tickets to Greece, and the girls head off to Santorini for a reunion. There, tragedy strikes, and the rest of the book is the emotional struggles of the characters, all tied together with an unbelievable happy ending.

While the Sisterhood books were solid YA fair, Sisterhood Everlasting is the type of maudlin adult novel that I rarely read. It was far too internal, with each character whining for chapters on end. These are characters I grew to love in my teen years, and it was frustrating to find that, ten years later, they are still having the same problems and fears. Didn't they ever learn anything? Didn't they ever grow up? I guess the answer is no. Add to that a few plot developments that I just hated (really Brashares? Did your plot have to go that way?), and, while I am glad that I read this for nostalgic reasons, it will not be a novel that I reread.

#171 Mmm. No, I personal would not recommend March. I thought the plot was completely unbelievable, as well as annoying to someone who grew up on the Alcott books. I only mentioned it because it is another spin-off book, and it did win the Pulitzer, so there must be people who enjoyed it, even if I didn't.

> 173 - Thanks for the further info on March - I appreciate your opinion on it, and probably won't make an effort to find a copy!

Hooray!! Today is officially my first day of summer vacation! My last day of work was yesterday; report cards are done, my classroom is cleanish, and I saw the top of my desk for the first time since Christmas (I am a bit of a slob). My colleagues and I went to see Bad Teacher yesterday, thinking that if anyone would find it funny, it would be a bunch of teachers, but it was horrible. We were the only people in the theatre (I guess people don't normally watch movies at 1:30 in the afternoon on a Thursday :)), so at least we could voice our mutual disgust without bothering anyone!

Happy summer everyone - here's to lots of good books, sunny days, and no work until late August!!

I liked March. I liked it enough to go out, buy, and read Little Women which I also liked. I am prejudiced by an interest in the 1800's Concord intellectual milieu and in how America became America in the whole century. That prejudice alone would not have made me like the writing and the characterization, however, and I am not prejudiced in favor of the author whose People of the Book left me cold.

Robert

Happy summer, Cait! congrats on completing another year. :o)

Congratulations, Cait! What plans do you have for your summer vacation?

#176 I wonder if I would have liked March more if I read it before Little Women. Since you are more familiar with the Transcendentalists, would you say that the character of Mr. March was a faithful portrayal of Bronson Alcott, upon whom Mr. March is supposedly based?

P.S. Feel free to shoo us off your thread, Cait, if the question does not interest you. :-)

>176 Mr.Durick:, 179 I liked March well enough and, although she based Mr. March on Alcott, I think it a bit of a romanticized view, but I'd probably have to reread it to really say much further than that. Alcott was the most eccentric of the Concord gang, many of his ideas were impractical and "out there", though a few could be considered perhaps "ahead of the time" (there is a bit of debate of whether he might have have bipolar disorder or was mentally ill in another way). However, I come to the family through the study of the women, particularly his wife, Abbie May, so I'm not a big Bronson sympathizer. I do remember not being thrilled about how Marmee was portrayed at the beginning of the book...

I think I had more fun with Joyce Carol Oates's A Bloodsmoor Romance which is part spoof/homage to the Alcott family in an indirect sort of way.

>176 Mr.Durick:, 179, 180 - Great discussion about March, one that I enjoyed reading, even if I don't think I will pursue the book. Discuss away - I am totally fine with thread hijacking!

>177 GCPLreader: - Thanks Jenny - have a great summer?

>178 kidzdoc: - Thanks Darryl! Once I get back from El Salvador, I have zero plans for the rest of the summer, which is exactly what I wanted. I am going to read a ton, and spend time on the beach, and that is about it!

I think Avaland has it right there. I would add that Emerson thought Alcott worth his support, but I don't think it is this Alcott that we see in March. I might have to have the relevant texts in front of me to be sure of what I'm saying.

Robert

>182 Mr.Durick: That is true about Emerson, but I also think they saw his eccentric side (a side his family suffered greatly for). Abbie May's brother encouraged her to divorce him. It was she who had to beg off their friends and relatives for food or money to survive. And during that nutty time at Fruitlands, it was she who, to avoid starvation in the coming winter, told him that she and the girls were leaving the commune with or without him (I got married at Fruitlands, btw). It's really a fascinating family story, but, as a woman, I found in infuriating to discover how much of his reputation was made on the back of his wife, his daughters and his generous friends. OK, I'll get off my soapbox now:-)

Book #23 - One Day by David Nicholls

Source: Kindle - a new purchase

Why I read it now: I saw the trailer for the movie, and it looked cute.

Rating: 4 stars

One Day is the story of the friendship between Dexter and Emma, two college students in Edinburgh who meet on graduation night. They have an instant connection, and spend the next day, July 15, together. The book then jumps one year in the future, again to July 15. Dex and Em are still friends, writing letters and postcards to each other, Emma working a crappy job in a Mexican restaurant in Covent Garden, and Dexter traveling the world. Each consecutive chapter picks up on their lives every July 15; sometimes, this day is momentous, and other times it is just a normal day. Emma's life slumps after college, and she has a few years of boring jobs and zero romantic success. Dex is instantly successful, and becomes a TV presenter on an entertainment show. Women throw themselves at him, and he has a string of beautiful girlfriends. Eventually, their lives switch positions - Emma becomes a teacher and writer, and Dexter succumbs to alcohol, loses his job, and is one of those people who used to be famous.

Both main characters are wonderfully drawn, with their good and bad qualities. Dex goes through several years as a self-indulgent ass, and Em's lack of confidence in herself is frustrating. Their friendship is never perfect, but it is always entertaining. Of course, I knew how One Day would end from the first page, because all books about two totally compatible people always end the same way, but this did not detract from my enjoyment of the story.

One Day is better than your average romance; I wouldn't give it any literary awards or anything, but its structure does make it more ambitious than I expected. It was compelling enough that I read it in two sittings, and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another novel by Nicholls. One Day is a quick, quirky summer read that is better than typical beach novels, and I'm glad I read it.

Oh, and the movie, starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, looks really good, and I think David Nicholls adapted the novel himself. It opens August 19, and I will definitely be seeing it!

Very nice review, Cait!

Thanks, Darryl!

--------

Book #24 - Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga

Source: Lois/Avaland

Why I read it now: For a Belletrista review

Rating: 4.5 stars

http://belletrista.com/2011/Issue12//anth_9.php

Book #25 - The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

Source: My bookshelves

Why I read it now: For a TIOLI Challenge in the 75 Book Group

Rating: 4 stars

Slower to start than the first novel, but a great thriller once it got going. I think I continue to be the only reader who finds Mikael Blomkvist a more compelling character than Lisbeth Salander, though I do enjoy what they both bring to the story.

Book #26 - The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

Source: Kindle

Why I read it now: For a TIOLI Challenge in the 75 Book Group

Rating: 4.5 stars - a memorable read for the year

Lots of reviews already exist for this book, though they tend to be divided between those who loved its complex structure, and those who found it too disconnected. I am of the former group; I thought Obreht's movement between past and present, and between three distinct yet connected narratives was brilliant. I know I will reread this in the future.

Very nice review of Nervous Conditions, Cait; I need to move it up my TBR list. And I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed The Tiger's Wife, which I'm hoping to read this month for Orange July.

>187 kidzdoc: - Thanks Darryl, I really enjoyed Nervous Conditions. Actually, I've had quite the string of excellent books lately!

Book #27 - O Pioneers! by Willa Cather

Source: Kindle

Why I read it now: For a TIOLI Challenge in the 75 Book Group

Rating: 4.5 stars

Willa Cather is now on my list of favourite authors. O Pioneers!, while not quite as good as My Antonia, was a beautiful story of a farming family in Nebraska. Alexandra, the oldest Bergson child, is left in charge of the family and the farm when her father dies. The family farm endures a few hard years, but Alexandra's business sense means that the family is eventually very successful. Of course, life isn't perfect, and Alexandra's responsibilities lead her to have a very lonely life.

O Pioneers! has a great cast of characters, when taken as a whole, but unlike My Antonia, I didn't really find that any of the characters stood out as being the one I loved - I liked them all, and shed a tear or two over some tough times, but Alexandra didn't quite have the spark that Antonia did. Still, a wonderful book - highly recommended!

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Book #28 - From the Land of the Moon by Milena Agus

Source: Kindle

Why I read it now: For a TIOLI Challenge in the 75 Book Group

Rating: 4.5 stars

I will send you off to a past issue of Belletrista, to read Tad's excellent review of this gem of a novella: http://belletrista.com/2011/Issue10/reviews_5.php

Book #29 - Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

Source: Kindle

Why I read it now: I needed a bit of Brain Candy reading after lots of really good, but really literary, reading

Rating: 3 stars

The Sookie Stackhouse books serve their purpose - they are a welcome break from the more serious reading that I tend to favour, and they only take a few hours to read. This wasn't a standout in the series, but it was fun.

I've been doing a lot of reading lately, and finished a few books for Belletrista, but I'll wait until my article/reviews are published before letting you know about what I've been up to! :)

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I'm currently in the middle of Far to Go by Alison Pick, which was longlisted for the Booker Prize today. I try to read as much of the longlist as I can, and so the "Booker Dozen" will take up most of my late-summer, early-fall reading. Far to Go is excellent so far; it is the story of a Jewish family living in the Sudetenland in 1938, right when things where starting to really ramp up in Europe. I'm a fan of Holocaust/WW2 novels (that sounds a little odd, but there you go), so I figured I would enjoy this book. The main character is Marta, the gentile governess of Pepik Bauer, and her feelings towards her employers, and Jews in general, seem very realistic to me. She goes back and forth - on one hand, she considers the Bauers to be her family, but on the other hand, she is living in a world where Jews were considered the enemy, and Hitler the saviour of the German people. Even though I think/hope Marta will make the right decisions in the end, it is good to see her waver. So often in Holocaust novels people are very black and white - they are either Jewish supporters or not. I think that the average person, however, probably found the issue much more complicated than that, and had to work out how they felt about the things going on around them. The narrative structure is interesting too, as it moves between past and present, third- and first-person, and also includes letters. I like variation in voice, so I'm good with the transitions, even if they are a little jarring at first.

I'm a fan of Holocaust/WW2 novels (that sounds a little odd, but there you go)

Me too. But I never know quite how to phrase it. I also just read and enjoyed From the Land of the Moon. Far to Go was already on my wishlist, but I appreciate the mid-book commentary. It sounds like a more nuanced look at the average German. I hope I can get a copy soon.

>192 labfs39: - Far to Go was good, but not great, in the end. I was a bit disappointed in the ending.

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Book #30 - Far to Go by Alison Pick

Source: Kindle

Why I read it now: It is on the Booker Prize Longlist

Rating: 4 stars

Review to come...

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Book #31 - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling

Source: My bookshelves

Why I read it now: It was time for a reread

Rating: 5 stars - a sentimental favourite

I have read this book.... oh, about 20 times I think. I grew up with Harry - when this book was released in 1997, I was eleven, though I don't think I first read it until 1999. As an HP book, this is actually only a 3-star read, as I think it is one of the weakest in the series, but as a sentimental favourite, it is 5 stars for sure. After seeing the final movie last week, I had an overpowering urge to reread this entire series, as I think the last time I read the all seven books was 2008. I should finish Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets today, but after that I promise to alternate HP books with a bit more serious reading!

Book #32 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

Source: My bookshelves

Why I read it now: It is the next book in the series

Rating: 5 stars - a sentimental favourite

My least favourite in the series, but still, a wonderful piece of my childhood.

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Book #33 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling

Source: My bookshelves

Why I read it now: Still continuing my reread

Rating: 5 stars - it would be more, if I LT ratings went higher

My favourite in the HP series - the first book where it seemed like so much more than a kid's series. Sirius is introduced, Lupin too, and we get more about Harry's parents. The new classes are interesting, Hogsmeade is a welcome diversion, and the Marauder's Map just might be the coolest thing Rowling ever invented. Lots of fun!

That's the end of my HP-marathon for a few days :)

186, 187, 188 I've been meaning to read Nervous Conditions too, and also From the Land of the Moon.

194 - Azkaban is my favorite as well. :)

My hubby and I got the urge to rewatch the movies. Finished Chamber of Secrets a few nights ago. No matter how long they make the movie, there is always so much that is left out!

>195 rebeccanyc: - I think you would like both, Rebecca.

>196 janemarieprice: - Hi Jane! Ever since finishing POA, I've wanted to move on to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but I am trying to restrain myself.

>197 labfs39: - I agree, and I try to separate the movies from the books, but it is just so hard. Same thing with The Lord of the Rings movies - I rewatched them this week, and there are so many things I wished they hadn't changed.

Book #34 - Snowdrops by A.D. Miller

Source: Kindle

Why I read it now: It is on the Booker longlist

Rating: 3 stars

A "meh" book, and certainly not Booker-worthy, in my opinion. Billed as a crime novel, Snowdrops is actually the confessional blabbering of a middle-aged British lawyer living in Moscow who becomes infatuated with a young, beautiful Russian girl named Masha, who is way beyond his league. That alone should have let the slightly pathetic lawyer know that something was up, but it took Miller's stereotypical, totally-void-of-morals narrator about 75% of the book to figure out what I assumed in the first few chapters - that there was more to Masha than it seemed.

So, boring characters, dull plot - but good writing. Maybe even great writing. Certainly Miller is very good at describing Moscow, and Russia in general. I felt the cold, saw the dirty streets, and understood the general corrupt nature of the city. However, even the best-written novels need developed characters and engaging storylines, and Snowdrops had neither.

#199 - I've got Snowdrops out from the library but it's at the bottom of the pile.

Bleh. I have Snowdrops on my Kindle, but I'll drop it to the bottom of my Booker list.

Heh - I like the review of Snowdrops! I am very impatient of that sort of male wish-fulfilment thing whether it happens in books or films, so I'm crossing the book off my wishlist...

We were just talking about Snowdrops with some friends—absolutely identical reaction.

>200 katiekrug:, 201, 202 - Well, other people have liked Snowdrops much more than I did, so don't let one reviewer stop you from reading it! I really wasn't impressed though...

>203 TadAD: - It's nice to hear that Tad. After reading Suzanne's (Chatterbox) comments, I was beginning to think that I somehow went into the book with the wrong frame of mind or something. In the end though, I guess this type of novel just isn't my thing.

Book #35 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Source: My bookshelves

Why I read it now: Reread

Rating: 5 stars

Not one of my favourite books, but still excellent.

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Book #36 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Source: My bookshelves

Why I read it now: Reread

Rating: 5 stars

One of my favourite books, up until the end sequence, which I hate. I love the DA scenes, Fred and George's escape, and Ron's quidditch adventures.

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Book #37 - The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt

Source: Kindle

Why I read it now: Booker Longlist

Rating: 3.5 stars

I don't know what is going on in the heads of the Booker judges this year, but they certainly did not choose typical Booker-books! I thought this "comedic western" was ok, though the cuteness of it kind of bored me after awhile.

Book #38 - The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

Source: Kindle

Why I read it now: Booker Longlist

Rating: 4.5 stars

Julian Barnes' short novel is a beautiful meditation on memory, and the parts of our lives that we choose to forget. Tony, the narrator, opens by describing his final year of high school. He and his two friends were typical cynical teenagers, thinking themselves much smarter than they actually were, full of grand plans for their lives. Into Tony's circle comes Adrian, smarter than the rest, a boy full of philosophy and big ideas. Following high school, each boy goes his separate way. Tony meets a girl, Veronica, and spends a weekend at her parents' house, where he feels out of place. Later, Veronica meets Tony's friends, and seems to like them all more than she likes Tony. Predictably, she breaks up with him and begins dating Adrian.

Years later, Veronica's mother leaves Tony a bit of money and some documents in her will. Mysteriously, Veronica refuses to give up one of the documents. As Tony attempts to get what is rightfully his, he begins to dredge up old memories. Did he ever love Veronica? What role did he play in Adrian's life? What, in the end, has been the point of his very mundane existence?

Honestly, as someone in her twenties, I'm not totally the correct audience for this book. Tony talks about being young and having all kinds of grand hopes for his life. He remembers waiting for his life to start, imagining the exciting things that are certain to happen to him. I identified with this quite a lot, but then when, in the next breath, he basically said that youth don't know what they are talking about, and that life never really "starts" - well, that I didn't understand so much. However, this distance between my experiences and that of the narrator did not hinder my enjoyment of the novel.

Barnes is a terrific writer; The Sense of an Ending is very rhythmic, with just the right amount of repetition. The whole thing fits together beautifully, and Tony's voice was never boring. It takes a lot for me to enjoy a first-person narrative, and Barnes won me over immediately. Tony wasn't perfect, but he also wasn't so flawed that he was unlikeable. He was at times very honest, and at other times totally unreliable, and it was fun trying to decipher what I could believe.

The Sense of an Ending is the first Booker novel this year that has struck me as worthy of the prize, and I would be very disappointed if it didn't at least make the shortlist. I will seek out more of Barnes' work in the future, and look forward to rereading The Sense of an Ending.

Book #39 - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling

Source: My Bookshelves

Why I read it now: Reread

Rating: 5 stars

One of my favourites in the series, because of Dumbledore's prominent role, and the very funny relationship between "Won-won" and Lavender. Plus, I really enjoy Harry's trips into the pensieve, and the entire, heartbreaking final sequence.

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Book #40 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

Source: My Bookshelves

Why I read it now: Reread

Rating: 5 stars

Another fav - PoA, HBP, and this are my top three, and DH contains the best chapter in the entire series, IMO, "The Prince's Tale". When I read that chapter for the very first time, it just about broke my heart. It changes so many of the things that we think we know about the HP universe, and leads into another heartbreaking chapter, "The Forest Again". I don't find the camping chapters the slog that many people do; I rather enjoy the calmer moments in the journey to hunt the horcruxes. If the book had been all action, it would have seemed completely unrealistic. The aimless wandering and moments of discord experienced by the trio add a level of plausibility to the plot, I think. In fact, it is the chapters with less action (besides the ones mentioned above, "The Silver Doe", "In Memoriam", and "The Tale of the Three Brothers") that stand out for me - sure, Gringotts and Godric's Hollow are very exciting, but I prefer Rowling's exposition to her action. She does an excellent job of maturing her main characters, and includes a lot of touches that hark back to the beginnings of the series.

And so my reread of my absolute favourite series of all time (with the Anne of Green Gables books coming in a close second) comes to an end. When DH was published in 2007 I was thrilled to read the conclusion of Harry's journey, to finally have all my questions answered, but I was also quite sad, as it meant the end of a major part of my childhood. Though I was 21 when Rowling finally finished the series, reading these books always makes me feel like a kid. They are magical, touching, and full of wonderful characters and imaginative places and objects.

Good review of The sense of an Ending. It sounds like a book I will like.

OK, lots to get caught up on - I moved last week, so things have been a bit crazy on my end. Life is back to normal now, and back to work too! My students all survived their first week of school, and I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend of reading.

>208 baswood: - Barry, I actually thought of you as I was reading The Sense of an Ending. I would be quite surprised if you didn't like it.

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Book #41 - A Cupboard Full of Coats by Yvvette Edwards

Source: Kindle

Why I read it now: Booker Longlist

Rating: 4 stars - more like 4.25 though

An excellent debut novel that I liked much more than I suspected I would. I'm a bit sad it didn't make the shortlist, actually.

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Book #42 - My Animal Life by Maggie Gee

Source: LT Early Reviewers

Why I read it now: see above

Rating: 3.5 stars

Maggie Gee's memoir would have been so much better if she had just stuck to writing about her life. Born to complex, imperfect parents who didn't always make the right decision, and living her twenties in the '60s, Gee has led an interesting life. She writes about her rather trying childhood and subsequent sexual rebellion in her early adulthood with the right amount of sarcasm and self-awareness, and I enjoyed the backstory into her parents' families as well. Where this book falls apart, however, is in Gee's desire to give the reader advice on various aspects of life. I don't look to an author to teach me how to raise children, or how to navigate the confusing world that is dating - I just want to read about his or her life. I can learn my life lessons on my own, thanks, and last I checked, writing novels does not give one an automatic degree in psychology or sociology. Also, Gee's overarching metaphor is that her life has been like an animal's, and that humans are really not that different from other living creatures. I get this, and it is an admirable stance to take, but I didn't need to be reminded of it on every single page. After a while, I found myself yelling "I get it!" at the pages of the book. Yes, animals deserve our respect. Yes, lots of life is about luck. Thanks tips.

So, skim the sections where Gee dispenses her advice, especially the last chapter on souls, which is rather ridiculous, and just focus on her coming of age story. Actually, if you want a better exploration of life in the '60s, sexual freedom, and art, read Patti Smith's Just Kids.

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Book #43 - Tamarind Mem by Anita Rau Badami

Source: TBR Shelves

Why I read it now: For a Belletrista article

Rating: 4 stars

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Book #44 - The Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami

Source: Lois/avaland

Why I read it now: For a Belletrista article

Rating: 4 stars

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Book #45 - Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? by Anita Rau Badami

Source: Lois/avaland

Why I read it now: For a Belletrista article

Rating: 4.5 stars

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Book #46 - Tell it to the Trees by Anita Rau Badami

Source: Publisher

Why I read it now: For a Belletrista article

Rating: 5 stars

I read these for books for an article and review for the latest issue of Belletrista. All four are worth-while reads, with the last two landing on my memorable reads list for the year. Reading this many books by one author over the course of a few months was an interesting experience, as I really saw how Badami has grown in her writing. I now count her as one of my favourite authors.

My article can be found here: http://belletrista.com/2011/Issue%2013/features_1.php
The review of Tell it to the Trees (which you should all read! The book, I mean) is here: http://www.belletrista.com/2011/Issue%2013/reviews_2.php

>202 wandering_star: I've heard you say that before. And 'impatient' is an interesting reaction. I am probably more like 'annoyed'. :-)

Cait, glad to hear Badami's new one is so good. I haven't read Nightingale yet, but I've had it here since in came out in CAN.

I hope you get around to reading Badami's newer novels, Lois. She just keeps getting better with each new novel.

Book #47 - Running in the Family by Michael Ondaatje

Source: TBR

Why I read it now: I went to a talk given by Ondaatje the other night, and decided it was time to read his memoir

Rating: 4 stars

A brilliant little book, highly poetic, and openly less of a memoir and more of a fictional account of the author's family and life in Sri Lanka. Ondaatje mixes poetry in with his prose, including the fantastic "The Cinnamon Peeler".

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Book #48 - Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

Source: Kindle

Why I read it now: 75 Book Challenge TIOLI - Primary Colours challenge

Rating: 4 stars

A great book, particularly in the way that it starts rather slow and stand-offish with the characters (they are called by their first and last name by the narrator for quite some time. Only as the hostages and captors get to know each other does the narrator start referring to people by their first names only), and progresses to a place where the line between "good guy" and "bad guy" basically disappears. It would have been a 5 star book if not for the horrific ending, which was jarring and rather harsher than it needed to be, in my opinion.

I enjoyed Running in the family as well. What a crazy family but brought to life by Ondaatje. I am currently reading The Cinnamon Peeler which is a book of his selected poems.

Book #49 - Down from Cascom Mountain by Ann Joslin Williams

Source: Early Reviewers

Why I read it now: See above

Rating: 3.5 stars

Down from Cascom Mountain opens with the main character, Mary, searching through the forest for a lost girl. Seventeen, Mary is the only female crew member at the local lodge. Earlier that day, a young man died in the woods of Cascom Mountain, and Mary, after carrying him down to the lodge, tries in vain to find his girlfriend. Years later, Mary returns to the mountain with her new husband, Michael. Here, history repeats itself - Michael falls while hiking and dies, and Callie, a crew member at the lodge, helps to carry his body out of the forest. Stricken with grief, Mary remains in her parents' house on Cascom; slowly, she begins to deal with her pain and live again, befriending Callie, Tobin (a neighbour boy with troubles of his own), and Ben (the forest ranger).

Williams does a good job fleshing out the personalities of the secondary characters, particularly Callie, who I quite enjoyed. The narration flips between characters, and Callie's voice was the most authentic. Her boy-troubles and adventures with her fellow crew members formed the most interesting sub-plot; in contrast, Mary's dealings with her father-in-law were rather boring, and Tobin's difficult family life needed more detail. Ultimately, the ending fell flat - it was too neat, and moved in leaps and bounds, where the rest of the novel was more of a stroll. Suddenly it was over, and I wasn't really sure what had happened. More attention to this section of the novel would have helped a great deal with my overall impressions - a bad ending can ruin what would otherwise be a perfectly good novel.

Not that this wasn't enjoyable - Williams can write, and every time I started a chapter narrated by Callie, I was sucked in. All-in-all, an OK book, but one that I won't be reading again.

Going back to Bel Canto - for what it's worth, the book is roughly based on a real event in Peru, and the ending is consistent with the its true counterpart.

Cait - I wanted to say how much I appreciated your review of Tell it to the Trees by Anita Rau Badami. It was a great review on Bellestria.

I had read Can You Hear the Nightbird Call by the same author several years ago , and so when I saw Tell it To the Trees in the bookstore I grabbed it up right away. I'm just about 30 pages in to Tell it To the Trees and it's really captured me!

Anyway, just popping by to say thanks for the review and letting you know I'm enjoying her book very much. Nice to meet you!

>215 dchaikin: - It was interesting to learn about Patchett's use of the Peru incident when writing Bel Canto, and I understand the violence of the ending. The epilogue, however, I cannot seem to get over - it really, really did not fit with the rest of the book, IMO.

>216 vancouverdeb: - Thanks Deb, I'm glad you read Belletrista, and I'm glad you enjoyed Tell it to the Trees!

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I am quite behind on LT, hence my late replies. Life is busy! I finished two more books in September:

Book #50 - The Lost Girls by Jennifer Baggett

Source: TBR

Why I read it now: Random decision

Rating: 4 stars

An excellent travel book about three women in their late-twenties who quit their jobs to travel the world for a year. I love to travel, and these women made me want to take a year off too! The narrative switches between each character, and the writing is pretty good, as far as travel writing goes.

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Book #51 - On Canaan's Side by Sebastian Barry

Source: TBR

Why I read it now: Another Booker novel

Rating: 2 stars

To be honest, I didn't quite finish this - I disliked it that much. Barry's writing is long-winded, with one sentence lasting the length of an entire paragraph. The main character, Lilly, was dull; her life was full of tragedy, but I never really cared. I don't think I'll be reading anything else by Barry.

Book #52 - Gillespie and I by Jane Harris

Source: New - Kindle

Why I read it now: I read Deborah's (Cariola's) review in Belletrista, and wanted to read this right away.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Why Gillespie and I was overlooked by the Booker judges this year I will never understand. It is, in my opinion, everything a Booker novel should be - challenging in structure, richly written, entertaining, and thought-provoking.

Harriet Baxter is an aging English woman reflecting back on her life. In her present day, the 1930s, she is in her 70s, never married, living with a series of "companions". Her current "girl" (who is in her fifties) is rather odd, but the two women initially coexist with only minor problems.

Harriet is writing her memoirs, focusing on her time in Glasgow in the 1880s, when she befriended the Gillespie family: Ned, a brilliant but overlooked artist; Annie, Ned's wife and another skilled painter; Elspeth, Ned's mother; and Sibyl and Rose, the Gillespie children. Walking one day through Glasgow, Harriet watches as an older woman falls and stops breathing. Having taken a first aid course, Harriet uses her knowledge to save the woman, whose dentures had slipped to the back of her throat, cutting off her air supply. This older woman, who turns out to be Elspeth, expresses her gratitude by calling socially on Harriet. Soon the Gillespies are an important part of Harriet's life, her greatest friends in an unknown city.

Things run rather smoothly until Sibyl, the older Gillespie daughter, begins acting rather oddly. Vulgar drawings appear on the walls of the Gillespies' apartment, guests at a party fall ill after drinking the punch, and Sibyl's mental health is called into question. Then, tragedy strikes the Gillespies, and the second half of the novel focuses on a complex legal trial.

The narrative frequently returns to Harriet's present, where life with her companion is steadily worsening. Past and present begin to collide, and Harriet's reliability is called into question.

Gillespie and I is a complex novel full of detail. The characters are exquisitely drawn, particularly Harriet, who is one of the more compelling narrators I have come across in some time. Her ability to gain the reader's trust - much like she does the Gillespies' - ensures that the novel delivers surprise after shocking surprise. I never lost interest in this door-stopper of a novel, and I will watch for Harris' next novel with anticipation.

Very interesting. I have an audiobook of The Observations which I should try first before adding this to my wishlist, but your review is very intriguing - thumbed!

Excellent review of Gillespie and I. I have added the book to my to buy list. I like to read the odd door-stopper.

I hadn't heard of Gillespie and I, but I'm certainly going to look for it now!

I've got both Observations and Gillespie and I. I'm just short 1 book to finish my 75 books -so the minute I finish that , I'll be onto one or the other of those door stoppers.. maybe sooner! Thanks for the great review - thumbed.

Great review of Gillespie and I, Cait. I'll probably read it in December.

Where did you get Gillespie and I? Amazon has the hard cover edition for $38+!!!!, Book Depository has it unavailable for the US, and the paperback isn't going to be available until January?

Thanks everyone! I hope you all enjoy Gillespie and I as much as I did :)

>224 rebeccanyc: - Rebecca, I bought a copy for my Kindle - only $10. Too bad the price is so extravagant for the hard copy.

>224 rebeccanyc: I bought my copy of Gillespie and I in London last month.

#224 - Rebecca -- Amazon.ca has a paperback copy for $17 something.

Well, a lack of nominations may make it easier to find Gillespie and I, so I'm happy. Going to put it on my ebook library list. Sounds like a good book for a book group, though not mine--they usually like much lighter fare.

#227, Thanks, Joyce. I may hold out for January since I don't foresee having time to read it before then. But it's good to know that if I have a compelling urge to read it sooner, I can get it at a reasonable price.

The Globe and Mail has a few great essays this week. One, on the lack of "Canada" in Canadian fiction, was particularly interesting - http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/books/are-canadian-writers-canadian-eno...

So it got me thinking about how we define books. What is more important - where a book is set, or the place from which the author comes? In today's world of technology and travel and movement, can we really try to define one country's literature? I'm thinking, for example, about Steven Galloway's The Cellist of Sarajevo. Galloway was born and raised in British Columbia; I'm not even sure if he has ever been to Sarajevo, never mind being an actual Bosnian writer. Yet he describes the city and the feelings of its people with such beauty, and, in my mind, accuracy. Over in Reading Globally, I only count books towards a country if the author is from that country. However, if someone wanted to use Galloway's book as an example of Canadian literature, I'm not sure I'd agree - even though he is most definitely Canadian. So, does the literature of a country need to be books written by authors who live there, and who write about that country?

Thoughts?

I struggle with this question when tagging my books in LT. I don't have a good answer or systematic way of addressing it. I guess I lean toward a gut feeling, subject to change after actually reading the book. I recently read Galloway's book and while I wouldn't characterize it as "Bosnian", I also don't think it's "Canadian". I think sometimes people confuse book vs. author when the two can be very different. I see a lot of mention of CanLit on LT and while I am no expert, I would think that CanLit would encompass a uniquely Canadian perspective written by Canadian authors (or authors who have spent considerable time in Canada)...

So, does the literature of a country need to be books written by authors who live there, and who write about that country?

My initial response is no. I'm sure that I've read great books written about a place from someone who hasn't lived there, although I can't think of any off the top of my head. Although it wasn't one of my favorites, Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan was set in Germany and its characters were largely African American; did she ever live there? And, some of my favorite novels are set in multiple countries, such as Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín (Ireland, Brooklyn), Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie (Hiroshima, Karachi, NYC), and On Canaan's Side by Sebastian Barry (Dublin, Chicago, Cleveland, Washington DC, Long Island). Most of the action in Tóibín's and Barry's novels takes place in the US; are they Irish novels, or American ones? I'd say both. Where would you place a novel such as The Tiger's Wife, written about an unnamed Eastern European country whose author is Bosnian yet is an American citizen?

When I tag my books, I tag them by the country of origin of the author, although in certain cases, if the author has lived somewhere else for a long time, I may include both. For example, for Teju Cole's Open City, I tagged it as both Nigerian literature and US literature. Of course, my tags are for me, so I can find books the way I think about them, so they aren't meant to be "correct" in some way, just helpful. Primarily, when I read, I'm interested in the perspectives of people from other cultures even if they're writing about the US, for example, so I tend to be more interested in the origins of the author than the setting of the story in identifying what "kind" of literature it is.

>231 katiekrug: - I like your point, Katie, about distinguishing book from author. Looking at, say, Margaret Atwood, some of her books are very Canadian: Cat's Eye, Surfacing, The Blind Assassin; but then, some, particularly her speculative fiction, really don't say anything about Canada at all. That said, I still think of Atwood as being about as Canadian as you can be.

>232 kidzdoc: - Half Blood Blues and The Sisters Brothers are two of the novels mentioned in the Globe essay, Darryl. They are both by Canadian authors, but neither is set in Canada. Interestingly, they have both been nominated for all three major Canadian literary awards (Giller, Governor General's, and Writer's Trust). I'm not sure what it says about our country that the best literature it produces is set elsewhere, and does not concern Canadians at all.

To Katie, Darryl, and Rebecca (and anyone else!) - how do you view American Literature? Does it has defining characteristics? Do the winners of American awards tend to be books that are representative of your country?

Same questions to everyone, really, regardless of where you live!

>230 Cait86: That is really an interesting article, Cait. Well-balanced, I think. I agree a bit with both sides of the discussion in it. Defining/describing Canadian lit has been difficult from the beginning, don't you think? There was a lot of controversy around Atwood's book Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature, for example. What do you think of Ondatjee's metaphor of Canada as a "great hotel"? re literature?

I love to read Canadian authors who offer a sense of place - Atwood and Ontario, Crummey and Newfoundland...etc. but there does seem to be a great amount of literature from immigrants, but, as they note in the article, that's happening all over the English-speaking world.

Do you teach Canadian Lit in your class? What books do the kids read?

>234 Cait86: - To be honest, Cait, I've never thought much about it before. I think like the literature of any country, there is some that is uniquely "American" in terms of themes, but a lot could really come from anywhere in the Western world. In that way, it would seem the world is shrinking and that the effects of globalization are felt even in art, as national boundaries and national character starts to blur.

>234 Cait86: - I think most national literatures lurch from perceived crisis to perceived crisis. i.e., why do our writers set their fiction elsewhere or in the past, why do they all write small middle-class novels, etc? Arguably the important factor in all literatures is not where or when the works are set but the number of first class works that are being produced - that reflects the strength of the indigenous culture in a more meaningful manner.

There is also the element that looking too much inwardly can be bad for literature as well - after the success of Trainspotting it seemed that every Scottish novel being published was yet another one about drink, drugs and deprivation regardless of whether that reflected the true make-up of the country. The disappointment of Scottish literature over the last few decades is probably due to a failure to look beyond the next street.

How do you view American Literature? Does it has defining characteristics? Do the winners of American awards tend to be books that are representative of your country?

Hmm. A better question for me is do I read American literature? I've finished 156 books so far this year, the majority of which were works of fiction, but I've only read five contemporary American novels. And, most of the American novels I prefer are those written by immigrants, such as Ha Jin, Dinaw Mengestu and Colum McCann, or minorities, e.g. Percival Everett and Maxine Hong Kingston. So I'm quite biased in the American literature that I read, and can't say what its defining characteristics are, although I would suspect that there are few if any of these characteristics.

I don't think I've read enough of the recent winners of the major American literary awards (Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, National Book Critics Circle Award) to comment on whether they are representative of the US or not.

Is there a common thread that links most American novels? I'd say no.

Thanks for all the responses, and sorry for my own lack of discussion lately. It was midterm week this week, so I was marking like a crazy woman, and now I am really sick - flu, I think. I'll come back when I'm feeling better and comment on everyone's messages.

OK, well I am finally back too 100% health, so some comments:

>235 avaland: - Hi Lois! I guess most of my thoughts on Can Lit come from university courses, where we very much gave it a definition - but they weren't on contemporary authors. Most of my focus was on post-WW2 literature, up to the 1970s. At that time, Canadian Literature was easy to define: preoccupation with nature, and with what the physical world can do to the mental world; concerned with nationality; often gritty and depressing in tone; a growth of female authors talking about gender; a general disposition to make things blurry (both in form and content); a breaking away from traditional structure... I could go on. I guess where I struggle is how we still retain these defining characteristics in a world that is more global. Personally, I side with Atwood, and think she got a lot right in Survival - but then, she is one of my favourite Can authors, and she obviously follows her own paradigm.

We actually do very little Canadian authors in school, sadly. We have Atwood as an option in one grade (a dystopia unit), and I read Canadian short stories with my grade 12s, but that is about it. Our curriculum is far less about the text, and much more about communication. Literature sometimes falls to the wayside, unfortunately.

>236 katiekrug: - Thanks for your perspective, Katie. I agree that sometimes literature is moving toward "West" and "East" divisions, rather than based on countries, though I'm not sure I think this is a good thing - seems a bit of a step backward.

>237 Jargoneer: - Interesting, Jargoneer, I've never really thought about it like that before. I guess that just as it is beneficial to read about places other than your home, it is beneficial to write about them too.

>238 kidzdoc: - Hi Darryl. I've been following your conversation on another thread about why you prefer not to read American novels, and found it really interesting. It's funny how the literature of our own country, which is arguably supposed to appeal to us as citizens of that country, can sometimes have the opposite effect. I personally really enjoy what I think of as "traditional" Canadian Literature, and I think it speaks to something in me that is uniquely Canadian. Atwood argued in the 1960s that American Lit was all about "the West" - the idea of a journey to a better place, a new life that held great opportunity, and settings where bravery and confidence was rewarded. Sort of the idea of the American Dream, I think. I can't really agree or disagree, not having read enough to make a cohesive argument myself.

Book #53 - The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis

Source: Lois/avaland

Why I read it now: For Belletrista

Rating: 3.5 stars

Read my review of this fast-paced thriller in the latest issue of Belletrista: http://belletrista.com/2011/Issue14/reviews_3.php

This issue is full of great reviews and articles - enjoy :)

Book #54 - The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Source: Library

Why I read it now: I read it to one of my classes

Rating: 2.5 stars

Meh. My students liked this, and I guess it was entertaining enough, but it certainly doesn't live up to Harry Potter or The Hunger Games.

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Book #55 - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

Source: New book

Why I read it now: I wanted something light to get me through a book funk. It didn't work.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Easily my least favourite in the Millennium trilogy, as this book needed some serious editing. The entire Erica Berger sub-plot was pointless, and in general I felt as though nothing happened. I still like Blomkvist better than Salander.

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Book #56 - The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery

Source: TBR

Why I read it now: Same reason as Book #55, except that this time, it worked - book funk is gone!

Rating: 4 stars

I've been feeling a bit off, reading-wise, lately. I have several books on the go, and I don't really want to read any of them. It's an odd sensation, not wanting to read, and I really dislike it. So I turned to Montgomery, the ultimate in cozy, feel-good authors, and flew through The Blue Castle. While not as amazing as the "Anne" or "Emily" books, The Blue Castle was exactly what I needed. I'm ready to pick up another book!

Book #57 - Various Positions by Martha Schabas

Source: New Purchase

Why I read it now: I read about this debut novel in The Globe and Mail, and wanted to read about it right away.

Rating: 4.5 stars

A phenomenal debut novel about the ballet world.

Georgia is a perfect young ballerina. Shy and socially awkward, she is most at home in a ballet studio, where she is the best in her class, flattered by the older girls and praised by her teacher. Then Georgia auditions for a prestigious ballet school, and dancing becomes her entire life. She works hard to please her teacher, Roderick, and looks down on her classmates, who at fourteen are a little boy-crazy. But the world of ballet is complex, and Georgia quickly makes one poor decision after another, obsessing over ballet, sex, and the secret of her parents' marriage.

Schabas is brilliant at creating a world that feels increasingly out of control - I saw problem after problem heading Georgia's way, but was powerless to stop them. Various Positions is very much a mirroring of ballet itself; the writing is elegant and controlled, but the world and characters are just barely holding on - like a ballerina poised on pointe shoes, one wiggle in the wrong direction could cause a dangerous fall. This tension is what makes ballet, and this novel, so impressive.

The one problem I had with this book is that at times Georgia seems far older than fourteen, while at others she sounds much younger. I guess this is actually fairly realistic, as youth who are very dedicated and successful at something are often very mature in the way they work toward goals, etc., but very immature in their social interactions. Still, I do think Georgia's voice was inconsistent.

Various Positions was a fabulous story that I gulped down in two sittings. It is Schabas' first novel, and I am already eagerly awaiting her second.

I have a few reviews to do before the end of the year, but no time today. Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy a day of family, food, and new books!!

Book #58 - Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Source: TBR

Why I read it now: We were talking about it at work, so I pulled it off my shelf

Rating: 4 stars

I think everyone but me has read this book already - to be honest, I saw the movie first, despite having owned the book for a few years. I really enjoyed it, and thought it was a quick, plot-based novel. Gruen isn't really a "literary" author, IMO, but I was entertained, which was exactly what I was looking for the other day.

Book #59 - All Yours by Claudia Pineiro

Source: Lois again!

Why I read it now: For Belletrista. My review will be in the next issue.

Rating: 4 stars

I read this back in November, and forgot to list it. I guess I will end the year having read 59 books, unless I can finish one more tomorrow. 59 is such an odd number that it bothers me - I just may push through the end of Suite Francaise, even though I really should be marking essays tomorrow!

I hope that anyone who is still reading this thread will follow me over to Club Read 2012: http://www.librarything.com/topic/128239

2011 Summary

Number of Books Read: 59
Fiction Reads: 54
Non-fiction Reads: 5
Number Left on TBR Pile: 160
Male Authors: 12
Female Authors: 33
Authors New to Me: 33

More than 1 Work: Stieg Larsson, Jane Austen, Willa Cather, Anita Rau Badami, Charlaine Harris, J.K. Rowling
*This is pretty representative of my reading - a mix of classics, contemporary, and comfort reads

Country of Origin

Canada: 12
US: 14
UK: 20
Sweden: 3
Denmark: 1
Russia: 1
Egypt: 1
Japan: 1
South Africa: 1
Germany: 1
Dominica: 1
Zimbabwe: 1
Italy: 1
Argentina: 1

Publication Year

2010s: 22
2000s: 16
1990s: 8
1980s: 2
1960s: 1
1950s: 1
1900-1950: 4
Pre-1900: 5

Ratings

5 stars: 14 (9 of which were rereads)
4.5 stars: 10
4 stars: 17
3.5 stars: 8
3 stars: 4
2.5 stars: 2
2 stars: 4

Top Reads – New

Visitation – Jenny Erpenbeck
My Antonia – Willa Cather
The Return of the Soldier – Rebecca West
Just Kids – Patti Smith
Tell it to the Trees – Anita Rau Badami
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson
The Sense of an Ending – Julian Barnes
Interpreter of Maladies – Jhumpa Lahiri
Nervous Conditions – Tsitsi Dangarembga
The Tiger’s Wife – Tea Obreht
O Pioneers! – Willa Cather
From the Land of the Moon – Milena Agus
Gillespie and I – Jane Harris
Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? – Anita Rau Badami
Various Positions - Martha Schabas

Top Reads – Rereads

Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
Harry Potter series

Biggest Disappointments

Snowdrops – A.D. Miller
Sisterhood Everlasting – Ann Brashares
The Diving Pool – Yoko Ogawa
Generation X – Douglas Coupland
The Winter King – Bernard Cornwell
On Canaan’s Side – Sebastian Barry