Milosz by Cordelia Strube

Having taken a creative writing course this fall at Ryerson University, I wanted to read a few of the instructor's novels. This is the second of Stube's novels that I read...I may read Lemon in the new year.

Here's a brief summary thanks to Goodreads.com:

Milo doesn’t quite have it all together. His acting career has stalled. His Latvian girlfriend dumped him. His miserable father has vanished. And Pablo and Wallace – and then Wallace’s mother too – seem to have moved in to his house. Really, the only person Milo likes is Robertson, the autistic eleven-year-old who lives next door. So when Robertson gets bullied and his dad moves out, Milo is finally spurred to action. Milo being Milo, though, even his best intentions go awry, and soon Robertson’s dad is in the hospital, Milo’s lost in the woods during an acting experiment and Gustaw, his dad, may have returned from the dead. 

As a endnote, I have to say that I enjoyed the creative writing course very much. Strube was a friendly and approachable instructor, who encouraged each student with their work. She listened patiently and encouraged all class participation. I found out that writing well is very difficult, and involves much effort. In the meantime, I will continue to hack along with my blog...It's no great demonstration of good writing!

Cheers!

The Book Thief Stole My Heart

The last novel for the year for my monthly book club, and I believe we may have saved the best for last with The Book Thief.

Summary thanks to Goodreads:

"It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still. By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found. But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jewish fist-fighter in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down."

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.  The group discussed this novel over lunch at our annual Christmas Book Exchange party. The vast majority of the ladies loved it, finding little fault with the writing or the gripping story.

I thought that it read like poetry at times; Zusak's prose is so beautiful. With Death as the narrator, The Book Thief is a creative and unique wartime story was written from the perspective of a young German girl.

Here is the author with his thoughts:

This novel should be mandatory reading in high school. It is not to be missed. 

Vaughan Public Library....Vaughan Reads: Flee, Fly, Flown by Janet Hepburn

I love my local library.  The Vaughan Public Library is a wonderful community resource, that runs a wide variety of programs. I've participated in many; some when my children were infants and I wanted a mom and baby morning out, some when I wanted to chat about a book that was read by others.  My public library is a treasure, and I am grateful that I have access to it.

Most recently, I am participating in the Vaughan Reads program which runs every year, and offers a city-wide book reading opportunity. This year's title is Flee, Fly, Flown by Janet Hepburn, and I can't wait to attend the author's reading and discussion group this November 19 at Pierre Burton Library.

Here's Amazon's summary of Flee, Fly, Flown:

Lillian and Audrey hatch a plot to escape from Tranquil Meadows Nursing Home, "borrow" a car, and spend their hastily planned vacation time driving to destinations west. They set out on their journey having forgotten that their memory problems might make driving and following directions difficult. Then they meet up with the unsuspecting Rayne, a young man also heading west in hope of reconciling with his family. Without minimizing the realities of old age, dementia, and frailty, Lillian and Audrey's story is rich with laughter, adventure, and hope.

 I found this novel to be a heart warming story of friendship, adventure and the struggle to maintain dignity while enduring the ravages of dementia. Hepburn successfully builds authentic characters with rich histories.

I really enjoyed the quest theme of making a trek through northern Ontario. This novel reminded my of Margaret Lawrence's Stone Angel. I recommend it.

The Barking Dog by Cordelia Strube

Sometimes, life brings us hopeless situations. While we all have our challenges, some have a lot more  than others.  Cordelia Strube's The Barking Dog drags us into a world that is plagued by hardship and sorrow.

Maybe it was THIS dog that was barking?!?

Greer Pentland is a middle aged mother and wife is struggling with countless challenges. She is buried in sorrowful circumstances. Here is an abbreviated list of the miseries afflicting the central protagonist:

-She's a Realtor (ok, that's not really a misery but I had to laugh, as we have something in common...)
-She has breast cancer
-Her son is a social recluse who is suffering from untreated depression and OCD
-Her son is also on trial for murdering 2 of his neighbours in his sleep
-Her ex-husband is constantly picking fights with her
-Her live-in aunt constantly argues with her son, and refuses a much needed pacemaker
-Her son runs over a cat while driving and refuses to drive again
-Her only friend has a speech impediment that makes him almost impossible to understand
-The girl next door, who is schizophrenic and in crisis is unable to cope with her circumstances

 Author and Teacher Cordelia Strube

-Her son kills himself in a car crash
-She kills herself.

Darker than dark, the complete absence of light is how I would summarize this novel. But I must stress that this novel is well written. The characters are well developed. The story is very depression though...like watching a train wreck in slow motion.

Now, here's what's interesting for me on a personal level. About 3 years ago while brushing my teeth and getting the lunch boxes sorted, I heard Cordelia Strube interviewed on CBC's Metro Morning. She was promoting the Creative Writing courses at Ryerson University as one of the instructors. Early that morning, one of Strube's comments captivated my interest. She said that she tries to coax her students to write the stories that they would never tell their parents.

I am now a student in Cordelia's class, and I have to say that she's a wonderful and inspiring instructor. She offers each student helpful direction with their writing, she is patient and she is generous of spirit. I hope that she continues to write and teach for many years to come. I am grateful to her for her writing and her encouragement. Thank you Cordelia!

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

The gift of a good book is my favourite thing. A book, carefully selected by an avid reader who has already enjoyed it, is the ultimate indulgence. Such was the cased when my friend Bev recently gave me The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Eat, Pray, Love was basically an exercise in frustration for me. I hated this novel because I found it formulaic, predictable and very simplistic. Coupled with the fact that everyone around me was raving about it, and despite trying many times, I just couldn't finish it. I gave up, and basically wrote the author off as a potboiler hack. (ok, so I have been known as a bit judgemental at times!)

The Signature of All Things is a fictional novel of a female botanist in the early 1800's.

Seeing each other regularly at our monthly book club, Bev and I have been friends for a few years now. We have enjoyed many books together, and I remember a particularly engaging discussion that flowed from our reading of I Shall Not Hate.


Signature was an epic novel, spanning the lives of both father and daughter botanists. It

Dickensian in nature, the reader is taken on a epic journey around the world over several decades.We are treated to an unhurried journey

There were a few parts that made me angry. Wanted to launch the book out the window during Alma's time in the cave in Tahiti...As though her activities there were really "all she ever wanted in her entire life..."  Please!!! Without giving it away, I will say that it's a pathetic weakness in Gilbert's writing to have positioned that scene as the pinnacle of Alma's life ambitions.  (For God's Sake, give me a break!!!)

The novel is unhurried. She takes her time to develop each character and build rich portraits.

That being said, I think this novel would have been improved with a critical editor, and an author who doesn't get bogged down in minutia.

It's a good read...but it's not epic.

Excrement Disguised as Fiction: The Thin Woman

OK, so I'm not sure how this book made it's way to me, but I guess it has something to do with my book club's reading list for the year. Every year, we put a reading list together that draws predominantly on the Vaughan Public Library's Book Club collection. This title was chosen as an easy read that is suitable for the summer vacation season. Surprisingly, this book turned out to be a tough read, but not for good reasons!

The Thin Woman by Dorothy Cannell, is a mystery set in north England and it the story of a fat woman who stands to inherit her cousin's fortune if she looses 40 lbs in 6 months.  She is called every possible demeaning "fat girl" slander, but because it's written from her perspective, I suspect that the reader is expected to accept this offensive narrative. It is poorly written, slow moving and the plot is painfully simplistic.

When I look at other reviews by readers on Goodreads.com, I lose faith in the abilities of my fellow readers to actually distinguish between well and poorly written material.  It's shocking to find that there are people who rate this as one of their favourite novels...How is that possible? What else have they been reading? Have they spent their lives reading Harlequin Romances, and branched out to this bottom feeding pot boiler? The most disturbing review that I found was written by an adult who's high school teacher recommended this novel to her as a teenage, and that she loved it. What kind of teacher recommends crap to a young student? Don't teachers realize and appreciate the influence that they wield with their students? How could anyone recommend this novel....I suspect, only someone who has never actually read anything that's well written.

We are all free to form our own opinions, and thus I respect other reader's opinions. However, I am really concerned about how this poorly written, and ill conceived novel could ever make it onto the Book Club reading list at VPL. Of all the award winning, well written and entertaining mysteries out there, I have no idea how this could be an offering for reading groups in Vaughan.

On to better reading!!! Please.

The Shipping News for a Second Time!

My family and I traveled to Newfoundland for a summer vacation this year. In preparation for this trip, I began to re-read this lovely novel that takes place in a small fictional fishing village. As a rule, I do not read a novel twice: there are too many books and just not enough time. But I made an exception on this one, and I'm glad that I did.

From my journal entry in May of 1995, I read Annie Proux's Pulitzer Prize winner and enjoyed it.  As  previously mentioned, I have kept a journal of my reading since January 1989.  It was great to flip back through the pages an find my note on this great book. Here's what I said about this novel nearly 20 years ago:

"A fabulous read about a small family that leaves their painful life in the US, and makes the small town life of Newfoundland their new home.  The story centres around the father Quoyle, who works at a small local newspaper covering the comings and goings of fishing boats in and around the island.

It's a terrific look at life in a small, isolated fishing village. There's a great perspective, since the novel is written from the outsiders point of view...like standing outside a cosy, warm home and watching a pleasant scene."

Now that I have visited Newfoundland, my second reading of this lovely novel was much enriched. References to fishing activities and coastal ways of live make more sense. I feel like I might have passed through Quoyle's adopted fishing village, and I know how the island looks when the fog rolls in. I understand what a salt box home is, and I have stood on a fishing slip. Here are a few of my pictures to Newfoundland, which might interest you and lead you to read this Pulitzer Prize winning novel.

Claudio and Trinity, Trinity Bay

Tiny Fishing Village in the Trinity Bay area

Near Bonavista

Trinity at Dusk

Woody Point, Gros Morne National Park

Old Saltbox Home at Woody Point

Socks for Sale at Trout River

Time with Dad in Twillingate 

"Iceberg Straight Ahead"

Low Tide in Wesleyville

In Praise of Value Village…yes again!!!

If you have read some of my blog, you will know that I like to hunt for books at Value Village.  It's the best place to dig up and discover new work that you might never have previously seen. Books are lumped onto the shelves with virtually no organization, leaving the reader to wade through random subjects and styles.

Here's the common book store trap: Once you have "Chapterfied" a book collection, the natural tendency for the customer is never to venture into new subject areas, thus never discovering new genres and authors. I call this the process of "Heather's Pickification" (a sad state for book retailers…basically the same condition as "Oprahfication".

VV is a great place to find fiction from around the world. What's being sold is what is being donated. New releases that weren't to a readers taste are just as likely to find their way onto the shelf as 10 copies of Stephen King's Tommyknockers. There are always great biographies and historical fiction, as well as murder mysteries and humour.  The romance section is bursting at the seams with Harlequins (never read one, but clearly, someone is still buying them!) The most expensive book on the shelf is $4.99.  And if you buy 4 you get one for free!!! Love it!

All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews

I have previously enjoyed Miriam Toews work...It's always upbeat, humorous and well written. Having heard the author interviewed on CBC, I was excited to pick up her new book at the library, and read it on vacation. 

Here's what it's about: 

"Elf wants to die. A lifelong sufferer of depression, she just wants to end her life. Yoli, her sister, wants Elf to live. Yoli loves Elf and she can’t understand how someone who has it all - beauty, charm, a wicked sense of humour, a brilliant career as a famous pianist, a loving husband - could want out of this life. Yoli has none of these things, and she is determined to keep her sister alive." (Thanks to Rhonda from GoodReads for this summary.)

In this passionate novel, Miriam Toews brings us the story of two sisters who are very different and yet, appreciate each other's experiences. They love each other, and share mutual respect. But at the core, they can't help each other. Toews creates an irresistible voice and mixes laughter with heartwrenching poignancy. I really enjoyed this novel and like her other novels, I find her writing a pleasure to read. It reads like poetry. 

If I were forced to find fault with this novel, I would suggest that it was slightly slow on the plot. I felt that there might have been room for more to happen with Yoli, her mother or Elf's husband. 

All in all though, I thought it was a good read.

Left Neglected by Lisa Genova

Having read Still Alice a few years ago, I was looking forward to Lisa Genova’s subsequent novel Left Neglected. 

Genova is known for mining into the subject matter of a novel, and researching all aspects. Her formal education is in neuroscience, and she is fascinated by the functioning and malfunctioning of the brain. Still Alice focused on a woman who discovers that she has Alzheimer's. It was a powerful novel that left me thinking that I was also suffering for sever memory loss every time I forgot where I put my car keys.

In Left Neglected, she drills into the life of a woman who suffers a traumatic brain injury during a car accident, and is learning to live with left neglect as a result. Genova takes the reader on a trip through the car accident, recovery and rehabilitation. She paint the picture of a woman who has to learn how to take care of herself again.

Sarah Nickerson is a success VP of HR for a consultancy in Boston. She is powerful and successful and entirely career oriented. She has 3 kids, but spends only about an hour with them a day. She is totally focused on her work, and everything else takes a back seat to her work.

Author Lisa Genova

While driving, she reaches for her cell phone and runs off the road. Her life is forever changed. There are clear lessons to be learned by Sarah's actions and the consequences of her choices. 

While, Left Neglected was a fast and enjoyable read, I found that Genova could be seen to be is simplistically preaching about our busy lives and how we need to slow down and really focus on the important things in our lives. The novel is somewhat predictable, and I was a little let down by the simple plot line. 

If you have to choose between Genova's two novels, I would strongly urge Still Alice. It was definitely more memorable.

The Rosie Project: Fun, Quirky Novel.

If you are an avid reader you may relate to my recent sentiment. I've had a stretch of reading that has left me flat.  I didn't feel up to blogging about those books; maybe I will get inspired in time, but I've been feeling a bit worn out with my reading and I have been in desperate need of a pick-me-up.

Just my luck, to find The Rosie Project waiting for me on my shelf, and it was just what the doctor ordered!!!

This is a quirky, creative and off beat novel about an autistic geneticist who decides that he needs to find a suitable wife, and thus begins The Wife Project. He carefully crafts a 300 point questionnaire which is scientifically based, and .

It's origins as a screen-play are evident. There are scenes in the novel that are clearly included for dramatic, visual impact. The slug out with Don and Rosie's father comes to mind most clearly.

Comical moments, where I did laugh out loud. Don practicing various sexual acts with a skeleton in his office, as the Dean pokes her head in …assumes that he is fixing the model.

Anyway, there are many laugh out loud moments and it really is an entertaining read.

The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud

Messud's 5th Book

What does it mean to be the Woman Upstairs? Well, for Claire Messud, it means that you are the quiet spinster that no one really knows, and who no one really cares about. It's the woman who is dutiful, and loyal to her responsibilities, but that is devoid of excitement and frivolity. The Woman Upstairs is Messud's novel about Nora Eldridge, a prim and proper school teacher who wants to be needed, and who needs to love someone.

In her vulnerable and raw state, she falls in love with a family: Reza, her young student, Sirena the artist, and her husband Skandar that academic. In Nora's way, she has a one-sided love affair with each of the family members, which ultimately leave her alone, empty and finally enraged.

Diorama: Nora's Chosen Art Form

Nora is a repressed artist of questionable skill. Her art is repressed, and contrived--not unlike the life
she has created for herself. She toils at making detailed dioramas (yes, those shoe box scenes that are very popular in grade 3). She gets little to no satisfaction from making them, and yet, doesn't seem to realize that she needs to find a more liberating form of artistic expression.

Cambridge: Nora's Hometown

This novel is a great character study of a middle aged woman who is trapped in an isolating life, of her own creation. She has every freedom imaginable, and yet she fails to find satisfaction and happiness. Her mother who has recently passed away warned Nora not to let her life pass her by without really savouring it. Before her death, she expressed her frustration at not experiencing more in her life and yet, Nora seems to be floundering through her years.

Claire Messud

This novel is a good character study, even if at times a little frustrating because Nora is really mixed up. I found that there were some really insightful bits too. But the one fatal flaw of The Woman Upstairs is that is has little to no plot. It is truly an encapsulation of 2 years of Nora's uneventful life. Now clearly, I'm no expert in writing, but no plot is a huge problem for a fictional novel. It leaves the reader a bit flat and wanting at the end.

Mr. Pip by Lloyd Jones--Forgot to post…but here it is anyway!

Here's a summary provided by Goodreads:

On a copper-rich tropical island shattered by war, where the teachers have fled with most everyone else, only one white man chooses to stay behind: the eccentric Mr. Watts, object of much curiosity and scorn, who sweeps out the ruined schoolhouse and begins to read to the children each day from Charles Dickens's classic Great Expectations.
So begins this rare, original story about the abiding strength that imagination, once ignited, can provide. As artillery echoes in the mountains, thirteen-year-old Matilda and her peers are riveted by the adventures of a young orphan named Pip in a city called London, a city whose contours soon become more real than their own blighted landscape. As Mr. Watts says, “A person entranced by a book simply forgets to breathe.” Soon come the rest of the villagers, initially threatened, finally inspired to share tales of their own that bring alive the rich mythology of their past. But in a ravaged place where even children are forced to live by their wits and daily survival is the only objective, imagination can be a dangerous thing.

So, my mother recommended this novel to me as a charming and heart warming read. For the most part (with a few glaring exceptions), we have similar taste in reading. But on this one, I have to say that it left me flat.

Now, I admit that I do most of my pleasure reading before signing off for the night. There are times in my life, when I fall into be, and really shouldn't be allowed to read. It is in these exhausted stupors that I read and (perhaps) don't see the novel in it's best light. I will not deny that this could be the case here, but here's what I didn't enjoy about the novel.

First, I thought that some of the characters were simplistic. The bible thumping mother…The white english teacher…

[SORRY…I WAS INTERRUPTED ON THIS BLOG ENTRY, AND NEVER FINISHED IT UP. NOW I CAN'T REMEMBER ENOUGH OF THE BOOK TO COMPLETE IT! I'M JUST GOING TO LEAVE IT LIKE THIS CUZ IT'S MY BLOG, SO I CAN!!!]

Journeyman…Sean Pronger Gets Around!

So I've neglected to blog for some time…not because I don't like to write, but because I haven't been reading all that much these days. I am a real estate agent, and this is my busy time of the year. Not too many days go by that I don't read, but spring and summer time are my busy work times, so I haven't finished as many books lately.

Sean Pronger's Journeyman has kept me company during these last few months. I bought this book as a Christmas present for Claudio. He's not much of a reader, but I have these secret hopes that he will, one day, find as much pleasure as I do from reading. (OK, I guess that's not likely, so I decided to pick up Journeyman and read it for myself.)

Manitoba Moose:
His Happiest  Time

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed Pronger's autobiography. It was an honest and entertaining story of a man who bounces from team to team and from league to league always with aspirations of making a living by playing professional hockey. Living a hockey life in the shadow of his younger brother Chris Pronger, Sean tells an entertaining story of his ups and downs. He is honest and self deprecating. He never overstates his talents, and he tries to be as honest as possible with his feelings about team mates and coaches.

This hockey story as a straight account of one persons attempts in the NHL and other lower leagues. I really enjoyed his gritty accounts of the locker room and team bus experiences (and charter planes when he's in the Big Show). These stories were funny and eye opening. They made me respect the  3rd and 4th line grinders a lot more than I had ever thought.

I've read Ken Dryden's book called The Game (see one of my previous blogs). Boy was that a pile of bullshit piled a mile high. What can you expect from Dryden: written by a lawyer turned politician, it was so contrived and manipulated, there was never any genuine stories that were believable.

This isn't the case with Journeyman. Here, the author makes every effort to keep it real, and to name names when necessary. Sean Pronger isn't an elected official, and as such, you get a real life account of the trenches. He isn't afraid to call certain coaches jerks (Pat Burns), and some trainers inconsiderate. He names certain players as selfish and spoiled. On the other hand, he also is very gracious in his praise for the players, coaches and agents who cared about the journeymen of the game.

Sean Pronger's Biz Venture

On a personal note, I wanted to mention that I thought it was wonderful that Sean didn't spend a lot of time discussing the merits of his younger brother's abilities. Sure we all know about the hockey superstar Chris Pronger, but that is not the subject of this book. Sean dismisses Chris quite authoritatively throughout the book, and justifiably. This is not the story of a superstar. It's the story of a player who lived in the shadows of the shining star. Sean allocates less than a chapter to the examination of his relationship with his brother. This amount of discussion is entirely fair given that it's his story, not Chris'.

I have experienced the force of nature that is created by a brother who makes a mark in the NHL. It creates a huge shadow for the siblings, and it sometimes shapes how they are treated by others. Without a simple greeting or introduction, "Hey, how's your brother?" is tossed out at the sight of the star's sibling. It really is sickening for the sibling after some time. It can really be offensive, and I appreciate Sean's honesty when it came to discussing this aspect of his family dynamic. I loved his honesty when he said he wanted to  fill in some of the people who see right past him without any consideration of his well being first. (Unfortunately, it's a common occurrence for many siblings of NHL stars.)

Found the quick video, and was tickled that it's from Springwater Library

in Ontario! 

Way to go Springwater!

Enjoy!

SUPER EXCELLENT!!! Popularity Papers; Words of (questionable) Wisdom...

This was my favourite from the series:
#3.

Just when I thought that kids fiction was getting a bit predictable and boring, along comes Amy Ignatow to show me a new face of children's literature.

MOM'S TAKE NOTE: Amy Ignatow's Popularity Papers shine like a beacon of creativity and fun. These books are unlike anything I have ever seen or read, and I am raving about them to everyone that will listen. If you have girls ages 8-12, these are a must read!

On with my book review of the Popularity Papers:

A few weeks before Christmas, I came across Amy Ignatow's Popularity Papers at VV, and I was fascinated by the colourful cover. Being entirely illustrated by hand, and the narrative being hand written dialogue between two twelve year old best friends.  Julie Graham-Chang is a budding illustrator, so she draws all the pictures to illustrate the narrative. Lydia Goldblatt is her spunky friend who tries out new things, gets into pickles and generally is a scream.

They see eye to eye on most things and enjoy similarly quirky humour.  They are totally honest with each other and are a refreshing couple of girls. At times, they see themselves as outsiders to the mainstream school population, but they have each other, and as such, they encourage and maintain each other's unique personalities.

My Daughter and I now have a
Trunk List too!!!

There are currently 6 novels that make up this series, and when I bought Popularity Papers #3: I didn't realize that I was starting in the middle of the series.  Didn't make much difference though, as each novel is a stand alone snapshot of Lydia and Julie's antics. I have since read them all, (out of order too), and I can whole-heartedly recommend these books for any girl ages 8-12. I'm going to admit that I loved reading these books too, and found myself laughing hysterically in my bed at Julie and Lydia's antics. At times, I feared I was laughing too loud and would wake the kids.

Amy Ignatow is incredibly talented. She not afraid of difficult subjects and describes that from the perspective of a twelve year old girl. She shows Julie and Lydia supporting and encouraging each other through these life experiences. There are moments of true tenderness and and insight from a girls perspective.

Turns out Jen Mattocks is the Doctor's
daughter!

There are belly laugh moments, like the one here about Jen Mattocks.

It's a Beautiful Thing to be 12 and
full of Sunny Hope.

Amy Ignatow's Facebook page is a bit of fun and worth checking out:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Popularity-Papers/212256315882?id=212256315882&sk=photos_stream

A Town Like Alice by Neville Shute

Thanks to Goodreads, let's get a quick summary of this novel:

"Nevil Shute’s most beloved novel, a tale of love and war, follows its enterprising heroine from the Malayan jungle during World War II to the rugged Australian outback.

Jean Paget, a young Englishwoman living in Malaya, is captured by the invading Japanese and forced on a brutal seven-month death march with dozens of other women and children. A few years after the war, Jean is back in England, the nightmare behind her. However, an unexpected inheritance inspires her to return to Malaya to give something back to the villagers who saved her life. Jean travels leads her to a desolate Australian outpost called Willstown, where she finds a challenge that will draw on all the resourcefulness and spirit that carried her through her war-time ordeals." 

An Author's Note follows this novel in which Shute suggests that he will come under fire for inventing the march of death for women prisoners in Malaya during the Second World War. History does not tell of this plight in Malaya in 1942. However, Shute explains that the real live experiences of the Dutch Mrs J.G. Geysel-Vonck in Palembang Sumatra was his starting point. Shute understood that Mrs. Geysel walked over 1200 miles carrying her baby  as a homeless prisoner of war. 

It was eventually discovered that Mrs. Geysel didn't actually make the long trek by foot, but was shunted from prisoner camp to prisoner camp by truck. Given Shute's Author's Note, I suspect that he knew that eventually, the historical accuracy of his inspiration would come to light. Even so, this work of fiction is captivating.

Shute also tells the reader that he has never previously used actual historical events in his novels, but has done so in A Town Like Alice because in his words: "...I have been unable to resist the appeal of this true story, and because I want to pay what tribute is within my power to the most gallant lady I have ever met."  in incredible tribute: The fictional story of a woman of strength, endurance, direction and humility. 

Loved this story and I don't fault Shute for his creative liberties. It's fiction and it's enjoyable reading. I highly recommend it.

Finding A Town Like Alice…In Baysville Public Library Of Course!!!

Remember the Flying Dragon on Bayview?

About four years ago, I was wandering around in Leslieville, and stumbled upon a gem of an independent book store: Flying Dragon Bookshop. As soon as I went in, and found the mounds of great reads, I knew I had found a treasure. I soon struck up a conversation with the owner, and she was happy to recommend a great book for my Book Club's Christmas Exchange meeting that December.

While we were chatting and going over possible selections, she mentioned to me that her favourite book of all time was Neville Shute's A Town Called Alice. Huge praise, I thought, considering the well-read source.  I asked for it, but sadly, she didn't have any in stock. I made a mental note to come back and get a copy the next time I was in the area.

Flying Dragon Bookshop was a Treasure

Time goes by, and as we have seen recently, independent bookshops are feeling the market crush of Amazon and Chapters. The next time I was in Leslieville, I was heart broken to see the once magical storefront empty, and the space stripped to the bare fixtures. Flying Dragon had flown away, and with it, another source of great reading and recommendations. No note in the window, and no sign of it some

I never forgot about the owner's recommendation of A Town Called Alice.  About 4 months ago, I popped it the Vaughan Public Library, only to find that there isn't a copy of this novel in their collection. Knowing that librarians can make almost anything happen if you ask nicely, I asked if there was a way to get me a copy of this title. After some digging, the librarian assured me that we could put in a request through the Inter-Library Loan program and find a library system in Ontario that might lend me a copy. Amazing…Good old fashion reciprocity between public service providers. I thought that didn't happen anymore!

Baysville: 50 Km South of Huntsville Ontario

Two weeks ago, I got the call that my book had arrived. I was thrilled and immediately dashed down to the library to pick up my long awaited book.

It's been a long time coming, and I can't wait to tell others about it. Thanks to Baysville Public Library for sharing…I haven't a clue where this book came from…But I'm grateful to them all the same!

Under My Tree This Year: Doctor Sleep

Christmas has always meant getting a good book or two as gifts from my family. Luckily, this year was no exception. I have fallen into the habit of buying myself a few books, wrapping them and popping them under the tree, so that on Christmas morning, I am never disappointed. In my opinion, it's better to take matters into your own hands if there is ever the chance that you might be disappointed in Santa.

This year, our family pulled names from a hat, and my dad ended up being my secret Santa.  As it turned out, not so secret though, because he just picked up the phone to see which book I wanted. Having just finished listening to the CBC interview of Stephen King and his son Owen King, I thought it would be nice to try Stephen King's most recent work, Doctor Sleep.

(Random thought--would it be intimidating to be a fledgling author with your father "Stephen King" watching on? Talk about a huge shadow under which to live. Mind you, I bet you'd have a little in with one or two publishers. Not sure. Owen King sounded pretty confident and grounded regardless. Maybe I should give his work a go.)

Now, I'm not a King fan per se, but as you may recall from my previous blog post in August 2012, I really enjoyed his historically based fictional account of the assassination of JFK in 11/22/63. It was my first kick at King, and I found it well written and very entertaining. When I listened to the interview on CBC, I learned that King had written The Shining. Doctor Sleep, as Stephen King explained in the interview, is the followup novel that presents Danny Torrence as an adult, and shows how the little boy in the movie has grown up. Now, I have never made it through the entire movie--it's just too scary. I sheepishly admit that I didn't know the movie was based on King's novel.

Having finished Doctor Sleep over the holidays, and I am going to suggest that it wasn't as good as 11/22/63. I know it's a totally different genre, and it's probably not fair to compare them two, but I was a little disappointed in Doctor Sleep. I've never read any of King's scary stuff and I wanted to be terrified, horrified, and disturbed. Sorry to say that I wasn't any of those things. In the end though, I did find it entertaining, and I would pick up another one of his novels for light entertainment.

I'm open to suggestions on which one I should read next.  I want it to be really scary. No half measures...I want to lose sleep...not be put to sleep.

I found this really funny interview with King speaking to a room of english university students. Thought I would include it, as an insight into King's mind.

Type Book Store in Toronto has a Dirty Little Secret at Night...

 

Here's what books do at night, when no one is looking!

Happy New Year to all the Girls of the World!!!

From the Toronto Star Saturday January 11, 2014

Timeless Values: I love you Major Pettigrew!!!

The first novel from Helen Simonson, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is a charming read. Like slipping on a pair of well worn slippers, it feels comfortable right from the start. Over the Christmas holidays, it was a pleasure to find this novel waiting for me at the end of the busy day.



Helen Simonson's website summarizes the novel in the following way

"When Major Pettigrew, a retired British army major in a small English village, embarks on an unexpected friendship with the widowed Mrs. Ali, who runs the local shop, trouble erupts to disturb the bucolic serenity of the village and of the Major’s carefully regimented life.

As the Major and Mrs. Ali discover just how much they have in common, including an educated background and a shared love of books, they must struggle to understand what it means to belong and how far the obligations of family and tradition can be set aside for personal freedom. Meanwhile, the village itself, lost in its petty prejudices and traditions, may not see its own destruction coming."

http://www.helensimonson.com/

Here is the author in discussion about her journey through the writing of this novel:

In a small, quaint English village Major Pettigrew is playing the role of stiff, traditionalist--his small village and his country club see him as old-school gentry. But as his friendship with Mrs. Ali grows,  he feels alienated from his old chums, and we discover that at heart, Major Pettigrew is a non-conformist. He is confronted with the reality that discrimination and ignorance abound in his happy little world, and he takes a stand that must surprise many.

This was an entertaining novel, and I really enjoyed the character development. Simonson does a great job painting a realistic picture with lots of details. I look forward to her next work.

In doing the research for this blog, I found a couple of entertaining video clips of the author speaking on a panel about making the shift from writing student to author. She has a good sense of humor. Check it out:  Simonson as Panelist