by Erin Bow
This is a young adult book that I heard about when CBC interviewed its B.C. author. The story sounded interesting so I picked up a copy. The book was well written but I was shocked by the violence in the book-- people fear witches and burn them at the stake. A little girl is attacked and her hair is cut off and they try to cut off her ear. The main character is set on fire by someone who is afraid of her. I would really be careful about recommending this book for a young person.
The girl agrees to sell her soul to a witch/magician. In return, her cat get's the ability to talk. The cat ends up being quite an amusing aspect of the book.
I thought the story was okay but I felt it dragged on a bit until the conclusion. I think the story could have been edited down a bit.
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Black Diamond
by Martin Walker
This is the story of Bruno, a police officer in the town of Saint Denis in the Dordognne region of France. This book attracted me because I have travelled in this area of France and really loved it.
The book was interesting because I had visited the area and could visualize or was familiar with some of the places he mentions in the book. However, the book was also a well written mystery story. It portrayed life in a small provincial town and the small town politics that occur. The story involves a number of attacks on vietnames and chinese establishments in the area. Are the towns getting caught up in inter gang rivalries? Plus, is someone interfering with truffle shipments -- this threatens the reputation for truffles that the region is so proud of. It was a quaint but entertaining story.
This is the story of Bruno, a police officer in the town of Saint Denis in the Dordognne region of France. This book attracted me because I have travelled in this area of France and really loved it.
The book was interesting because I had visited the area and could visualize or was familiar with some of the places he mentions in the book. However, the book was also a well written mystery story. It portrayed life in a small provincial town and the small town politics that occur. The story involves a number of attacks on vietnames and chinese establishments in the area. Are the towns getting caught up in inter gang rivalries? Plus, is someone interfering with truffle shipments -- this threatens the reputation for truffles that the region is so proud of. It was a quaint but entertaining story.
The Coroner's Lunch
by Colin Cotterill
This is the first book about a 70+ year old coroner in Laos, who becomes an amateur sleuth. The story is quite funny. The book makes fun of the communist government and officials in Laos. The coroner has a two helpers, a young nurse who longs to be his apprentice and a young boy who has Downs Syndrome. He also has a croney he consults with.
The story describes how he goes from being a bored, reluctant coroner who longs to retire but who keeps getting reminded that in a communist country there is no retirement. It shows how he works his way around the administration, avoiding what he doesn't want to to and getting what he wants in the end.
It was an entertaining read, very interesting because of the exotic local. I would certainly read other books in this series.
This is the first book about a 70+ year old coroner in Laos, who becomes an amateur sleuth. The story is quite funny. The book makes fun of the communist government and officials in Laos. The coroner has a two helpers, a young nurse who longs to be his apprentice and a young boy who has Downs Syndrome. He also has a croney he consults with.
The story describes how he goes from being a bored, reluctant coroner who longs to retire but who keeps getting reminded that in a communist country there is no retirement. It shows how he works his way around the administration, avoiding what he doesn't want to to and getting what he wants in the end.
It was an entertaining read, very interesting because of the exotic local. I would certainly read other books in this series.
Friday, 23 December 2011
Death Comes to Pemberley
by P.D. James
This is the latest book by the famous mystery author. It is a departure from her normal stories. It is written as a mystery sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. This could be a risky step, taking on a work by another famous author. However, James has done a wonderful job of capturing the language of Austen, the characters from the original book, and weaving a mystery tale out of the original story. I thought she did a wonderful job a representing life in England in Austen's time and reflecting the class consciousness of the characters. She brought in enough information from the original story but no too much and then she went on to embelish the tale. Interestingly, she has made Lizzie a little less angelic than Austen portrays her.
I was curious about the book and wondered if James would be able to pull it off and I would say she did a very admirable job!
This is the latest book by the famous mystery author. It is a departure from her normal stories. It is written as a mystery sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. This could be a risky step, taking on a work by another famous author. However, James has done a wonderful job of capturing the language of Austen, the characters from the original book, and weaving a mystery tale out of the original story. I thought she did a wonderful job a representing life in England in Austen's time and reflecting the class consciousness of the characters. She brought in enough information from the original story but no too much and then she went on to embelish the tale. Interestingly, she has made Lizzie a little less angelic than Austen portrays her.
I was curious about the book and wondered if James would be able to pull it off and I would say she did a very admirable job!
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Paris Vendetta
by Steve Berry
I bought this book thinking it was a mystery but it was really more of an action/thriller like the Da Vinci code and written in a similar style.
The story involves an ex-U.S. Justice Department agent who has settled for life as a bookseller in Copenhagen. He finds his life interrupted by a young American who breaks into his store followed by some people intent on killing him. The young man is a friend of the booksellers friend and sponsor so he sets off with the young man to the home of their joint friend. They find out that the Dane has killed two intruders, one of whom had killed his son.
The story then develops with two different people who are trying to track down the location of what they believe is a treasure left by Napoleon for his son. They are trying to decipher clues in coded text to determine the location of the stash. One of the people is a corsican whose family was wronged by Napoleon the other is an unscrupulous collector. The two people while they are competing to find the treasure are also developing a plot to distabilize the world and profit from the consequences. There are also conspiracy theorists involved in the story and double-crosses.
Of course, the Americans save the day, coming in to France and taking over the case to stop/interfere with terrorist attacks. This was an okay read but it is not my cup of tea, I like books that are more mysteries with analysis of clues and character rather than "shoot-em"/'blow-em-up" action.
I'm glad I bought this book on the discount table, wouldn't have wanted to pay full price for it!
I bought this book thinking it was a mystery but it was really more of an action/thriller like the Da Vinci code and written in a similar style.
The story involves an ex-U.S. Justice Department agent who has settled for life as a bookseller in Copenhagen. He finds his life interrupted by a young American who breaks into his store followed by some people intent on killing him. The young man is a friend of the booksellers friend and sponsor so he sets off with the young man to the home of their joint friend. They find out that the Dane has killed two intruders, one of whom had killed his son.
The story then develops with two different people who are trying to track down the location of what they believe is a treasure left by Napoleon for his son. They are trying to decipher clues in coded text to determine the location of the stash. One of the people is a corsican whose family was wronged by Napoleon the other is an unscrupulous collector. The two people while they are competing to find the treasure are also developing a plot to distabilize the world and profit from the consequences. There are also conspiracy theorists involved in the story and double-crosses.
Of course, the Americans save the day, coming in to France and taking over the case to stop/interfere with terrorist attacks. This was an okay read but it is not my cup of tea, I like books that are more mysteries with analysis of clues and character rather than "shoot-em"/'blow-em-up" action.
I'm glad I bought this book on the discount table, wouldn't have wanted to pay full price for it!
Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton: A Biography
by Edward Rice
This is the story of the life of the amazing adventurer and prolific author Richard Francis Burton. The book is well written, well researched and very interesting and tells the story of the life of an amazing man.
Burton was an incredible invididual, curious, intelligent and able to endure incredible hardships to see and experience the things that interested him. He was also very stubborn and free to express his true feelings and this alienated alot of people. His attitude caused him no end of difficutly getting the respect he deserved, postings he sought and support for his projects.
He reporedly learned more than 27 languages and dialects, kept detailed notes of most of his journeys, however, there are a couple of periods of his life that are shrouded in mystery and people speculate on what he was doing. There is also speculation that he may at times have been working as an undercover agent for the government, not just engaging on personal journeys.
He spent time in India and became a Hindu, then later became a Muslim and made a pilgrimmage to Mecca. He not only documented his journeys in copious detail including many of the sexual rights and practices of the cultures but he also translated many famous works including the Arabian Nights and Kama Sutra.
He suffered many illnesses and while on his quest to find the source of the Nile he was paralyzed and blind for a time, but her persevered and went on to experience many other hardships. It was incredible to hear about the hardships he endured and yet he kept going and was not deterred from further adventures and hardships.
In his later years he married a woman he loved and who adored him and they spent a number of wonderful years together, not always in the greatest conditions.
It was amazing that he did not get the support he needed for what he wanted to do. There was infighting in the East India Company and the military and it seems his enemies always seemed to be more powerful than his supporters. He never made it to a rank beyond Captain but he was eventually Knighted. However, he always struggled for money, never receiving posts that paid a decent amount and not receiving much of a pension.
Shockingly, his wife burned much of his notes, and writing upon his death. People speculated that she wanted to destroy the sexual/pornographic material but people wonder what else might have also been sacrificed to the flames.
Burton was an incredible, if difficult to deal with, individual. His life story is amazing and the book certainly does justice to him.
This is the story of the life of the amazing adventurer and prolific author Richard Francis Burton. The book is well written, well researched and very interesting and tells the story of the life of an amazing man.
Burton was an incredible invididual, curious, intelligent and able to endure incredible hardships to see and experience the things that interested him. He was also very stubborn and free to express his true feelings and this alienated alot of people. His attitude caused him no end of difficutly getting the respect he deserved, postings he sought and support for his projects.
He reporedly learned more than 27 languages and dialects, kept detailed notes of most of his journeys, however, there are a couple of periods of his life that are shrouded in mystery and people speculate on what he was doing. There is also speculation that he may at times have been working as an undercover agent for the government, not just engaging on personal journeys.
He spent time in India and became a Hindu, then later became a Muslim and made a pilgrimmage to Mecca. He not only documented his journeys in copious detail including many of the sexual rights and practices of the cultures but he also translated many famous works including the Arabian Nights and Kama Sutra.
He suffered many illnesses and while on his quest to find the source of the Nile he was paralyzed and blind for a time, but her persevered and went on to experience many other hardships. It was incredible to hear about the hardships he endured and yet he kept going and was not deterred from further adventures and hardships.
In his later years he married a woman he loved and who adored him and they spent a number of wonderful years together, not always in the greatest conditions.
It was amazing that he did not get the support he needed for what he wanted to do. There was infighting in the East India Company and the military and it seems his enemies always seemed to be more powerful than his supporters. He never made it to a rank beyond Captain but he was eventually Knighted. However, he always struggled for money, never receiving posts that paid a decent amount and not receiving much of a pension.
Shockingly, his wife burned much of his notes, and writing upon his death. People speculated that she wanted to destroy the sexual/pornographic material but people wonder what else might have also been sacrificed to the flames.
Burton was an incredible, if difficult to deal with, individual. His life story is amazing and the book certainly does justice to him.
Cain
by Jose Saramago.
Saramago is my second favourite author after Coetzee. This is his last book, published, posthumously.
His previous book about an elephant was a disappointment but this one certainly reflects his intelligence and wicked sense of humour.
The book is about Cain (of Cain and Abel). In this story Cain kills his brother and is sentenced to wander the earth by God. However, while he wanders, he doesn't just wander in space he also wanders through time to be present at other significant biblical events, Abraham and Isaac, Tower of Bable, Noah's ark, etc.
Saramago plays with the bible stories, for e.g. implying that there were other people on earth at the same time as Adam and Eve, which probably is more in line with the true development of homo sapiens.
The story is basically about Cain challenging God and his authority and decisions (unfair and irrational) and in the end it seems that Cain is able to outsmart God. I found it a clever and engaging story.
Saramago is my second favourite author after Coetzee. This is his last book, published, posthumously.
His previous book about an elephant was a disappointment but this one certainly reflects his intelligence and wicked sense of humour.
The book is about Cain (of Cain and Abel). In this story Cain kills his brother and is sentenced to wander the earth by God. However, while he wanders, he doesn't just wander in space he also wanders through time to be present at other significant biblical events, Abraham and Isaac, Tower of Bable, Noah's ark, etc.
Saramago plays with the bible stories, for e.g. implying that there were other people on earth at the same time as Adam and Eve, which probably is more in line with the true development of homo sapiens.
The story is basically about Cain challenging God and his authority and decisions (unfair and irrational) and in the end it seems that Cain is able to outsmart God. I found it a clever and engaging story.
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