Fahrenheit 451

Title: Fahrenheit 451
Author: Ray Bradbury
Publisher: Del Rey
ISBN-10: 0345342968
ISBN-13: 978-0345342966

Review:
There comes a time when you feel that you should read some of the "classics" and be better off for doing so.  This isn't one of those times.

I am a big fan of science fiction, and I know that many people will disagree with this review, but I found that Ray Bradbury was writing two distinct kinds of books with Fahrenheit 451.  On one hand, he was trying to write a suspenseful, dramatic, yet bleak science fiction novel; almost the forbearer of cyberpunk.  On the other hand, he seemed to be trying to write a literary masterpiece.  This is where I was having the problem.  I found that his descriptions of scene and characters to be over the top poetic, while the story itself was quite simplistic.  I also found that he could have developed both plot and characters a lot better than he had.  For instance, Clarisse and Faber could have developed into wonderful characters that offered great insight into Montag, but instead, Clarisse was killed very early on, and Faber just kept whining about being a coward.

So in closing, let me be brief, unlike Bradbury.  "Hmmmmm....No sir, I didn't like it."

Fauna - Alissa York

I'm on a roll with books.  Fauna by Alissa York was excellent, if hard to describe.  It tracks the life of seemingly disparate characters, who are "lost" for one reason or another.  As the book progresses, the characters' interest in wildlife is revealed as their common connection.  I don't want to give much away as there is a mystery that runs through the book, but I do highly recommend picking this up.  I found it hard to put down as York's writing is both compelling and thoughtful.  I'm looking forward to her next book, which should be arriving shortly.

5/5 Stars

Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before

Title: Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before
Author: Tony Horwitz
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

ISBN-10: 0805065415
ISBN-13: 978-0805065411

Review:
We were having dinner at a friend's a while back when the topic of conversation got around to books (Kristie and Barb are in a book club together).  When I was asked about books, I mentioned that I tend to read non-fiction more than fiction and as a result was handed Blue Latitudes.

As the subtitle suggests, this book is about following in the tracks of Captain Cook's three voyages around the world.  The author and his clearly alcoholic friend spend about 18 months of their life visiting the sites that Captain Cook "discovered" and claimed in the name of England.  When I think about his "Discoveries", I can't help but think that in virtually all cases, the places he discovered were already populated with people...for hundreds if not thousands of years.  To me it is like "Discovering" an apartment building with tenants already inside, then claiming they owe you rent.

Despite my issue with colonialism, the book itself is quite good.  Throughout the book, the author gives a historic telling of how Cook came to the lands he "discovered"; discussing many of the hardships along the way as well as delving into the character of Cook himself.  Interspersed with this history is the author's own stories of visiting the places that cook visited, interviewing the indigenous peoples, and discussing the ramifications of Cook's visit in terms of history.  While I felt that the author himself held Cook in extremely high esteem, he didn't pull any punches when including the interviews from those who's lives were inevitably affected by Cook.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to those who are interested in a bit of history, and the fallout from that history.  Give it a go, you may like it.

Incident Report - Martha Baillie

Fresh from immersing myself in Lemon, I picked up the Incident Report.  Lemon was going to be a hard act to follow, so I was surprised when I just raced through this one.  The narrative device in this book is a unique one.  The story is told through a series of incident reports by a librarian (Miriam) at a branch of the Toronto Public Library.  Miriam's job and life are revealed in tiny snippets, but by the end I felt that I knew her quite well and sympathized with her plight.  This is a credit to the writing talents of Martha Baillie, who is able to convey a lot with a little.  As a librarian, I was also able to laugh and cringe at the situations in which she found herself.  Do pick up this book if you're willing to try out a slightly different narrative device--I think it really works.

4-Stars

Lemon - Cordelia Strube

I had a great time reading this book.  The main character (Lemon) was a joy.  She was quirky, and her sense of humour really clicked with me.   I would definitely qualify this book as more character-driven than plot-driven, but because Lemon was so great, it totally worked.  The supporting characters were also really strong, and because this story was written in the first-person, you got to know them from Lemon's unique perspective.  A fantastic coming of age story that will resonate with most!  Canadians will also enjoy the local references.

4-Stars

My Year-ish in Books Rated

While I just started this blog recently, I have kept reasonable track of the books I've read in the last year (or so).  Obviously, I'm not going to be able to remember heaps of detail, but I'm going to rank them on a five point scale, indicating my overall feeling towards that book.  1=Don't bother; 2=If you have nothing else to read, you can give it a go; 3=Give it a go, but no guarantees; 4=Definitely worth picking up; and 5=You MUST read this book.

Alligator - Lisa Moore: 4 Stars (A very innovative book for those who like their fiction a little off the wall.)

Late Nights on Air - Elizabeth Hay: 5 Stars (A fabulous portrait of Canada's north.)

The Big Why - Michael Winter: 5 Stars (Yet another great example of Newfoundland fiction and laugh out loud funny in parts.)

Girl Who Stopped Swimming - Joshilyn Jackson: 3 Stars (Enjoyed enough at the time, but don't really remember much about it now.)

Come Thou Tortoise - Jessica Grant: 5 Stars (More laugh out loud funny, but also a compelling exploration of how different people grieve.)

Fear the Worst - Linwood Barclay: 3 Stars (A thriller that would work well as a beach read.)

Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway: 4 Stars (Insight into a war I knew very little about.)

People of the Book - Geraldine Brooks: 3 Stars (All around entertaining to read, but doesn't stick with you.)

Story of Edgar Sawtelle - David Wroblewski: 5 Stars (Could not put this down!!!)

Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen: 5 Stars (A rousing story in an unusual setting)

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (full series) - Stieg Larsson: 4 Stars (Entertaining and memorable. Compelling characters)

Bishop's Man - Linden MacIntyre: 3 Stars (Found it tough going, likely due to the heavy topic - sexual abuse in the Catholic church.)

13th Tale- Diane Setterfield: 4 Stars (Rousing mystery--really drew me in.)

The Disappeared - Kim Echlin: 3 Stars (Much like the Bishop's Man, very heavy and this made it hard for me to enjoy.  Beautifully written though.)

Winter Vault - Anne Michaels: 4 Stars (Very poetic, while still being very readable.)

Enslaved by Ducks - Kiernan: 3 Stars (Poster child for entertaining but forgettable.  What a great title though.)

Heart Specialist - Claire Holden Rothman: 5+ Stars (An amazing story that reads incredibly well.)

Sweetness in the Belly - Camilla Gibb: 3 Stars (Didn't grab me the way I expected, though still a solid read.)

Loving Frank - Nancy Horan: 3 Stars (Compelling, but I found it hard to relate with the characters.)

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - Mary Ann Shaffer: 4 Stars (An entertaining read from start to finish.)

Angel's Game - Carlos Ruiz Zafon: 3 Stars (Good while it lasted.)

The Great Perhaps - Joe Meno: 2 Stars (Found the characters trying and the plot somewhat lacking.)

Under this Unbroken Sky - Shandi Mitchell: 4 Stars (A stark tale of life on the Canadian prairies that I had trouble putting down.)

Seance - John Harwood: 3 Stars (Great mystery that I enjoyed while I read it, but it hasn't stuck with me.)

The Little Stranger - Sarah Waters: 5 Stars (I really enjoyed being in this world created by Sarah Waters.)

That Old Cape Magic - Richard Russo: 3 Stars (Usually love Russo, but this one didn't grab me quite as much as his others.  He does have a great deal to live up to though as Empire Falls is an all time favorite.)

The Factory Voice - Jeanette Lynes: 3 Stars (An interesting world while you're in it.)

Blame - Michelle Huneven: 4 Stars (Unlike anything I'd read before--an interesting exploration of the fall out from drinking.)

Reading by Lightning - Joan Thomas: 4 Stars (A book I appreciated even more after I had finished it.  In essence, the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.)

Home - Marilynne Robinson: 2 Stars (Expected to love it, but just didn't.  Not sure why there was so much hype.)

The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton: 4 Stars (A real page turner that I wouldn't hesitate to pass on to others.)

What Was Lost - Catherine O'Flynn: 4 Stars (Would have been five, but the first part of the book was just so much stronger than the second.  Nonetheless, well worth picking up.)

Prince of Tides - Pat Conroy: 5 Stars (Wow--his writing just is "the south".)

The Other Hand - Chris Cleave: 4 Stars (An interesting and unique story.)

Mistress of Nothing - Kate Pullinger: 4 Stars (An excellent, historical read)

The Passage - Justin Cronin

Just couldn't get through this one.  The first three-hundred pages weren't bad; in this section, you learned about the evolution of the so-called virus.  After that, I just lost all interest.  It resembled this frontier-type story, where the characters were protecting themselves against the virus-carriers.  So, I skimmed the last four-hundred pages and called it a day.  I can't fault the writing of the author, it's just a story that failed to capture me.  It reminded me, in some ways, of Stephen King.  So, if you enjoy his books, it may be worth picking this one up.

1/5 Stars

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

I unabashedly loved this book!  It was such a great read.  The main characters were sympathetic and compelling, while the supporting characters created great drama (admittedly, the bulk of these characters were far from sympathetic).  While the topic is challenging, the book was written in such a way that you just fly through it.  It was really hard to put down at night.

This book tells the story of three women from Mississippi who pull together to tell the stories of domestic help in the southern context.  The challenges associated with this task are brilliantly described here.  I don't want to give much more away, but I do encourage you to pick this book up.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

5/5 Stars

What The Dog Saw: And Other Adventures

Title: What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (October 20, 2009)

ISBN-10: 0316075841
ISBN-13: 978-0316075848

Review:
This is my third Malcolm Gladwell book; beginning with Tipping Point, moving on to Blink, and then this one.
What the Dog Saw is a series of 19 essays that Malcolm Gladwell had previously published in the New Yorker magazine.  So, if you wanted, you could probably go to the library and look up past issues if you don't want to buy the book :-)  Now that I'm thinking of it, he gets two commissions for the same story!  That sneaky bugger.

I know a lot of people use the phrase "I couldn't put it down" when describing books, and I've always hated that saying.  Having said that however, I couldn't put it down!  Ok, that is a bit overstated, but I found this book to be really quite interesting, and it took me less than a week to burn through it.  For me, that is a whole lot-o-reading.  Through the course of the book he takes on some really interesting and diverse topics such as Dog Training, Financial Collapse, 911, Lat Bloomers vs Innate Tallent, etc.  (I don't know why I capitalized those...)

The only essay that I found kind of snore-ish was the one about Wall Street traders.  All of the others, I found extremely interesting.

Stone's Fall by Iain Pears

This was a fascinating book.  I loved the way that the author brought the entire story together in 3 discrete sections.  Each section was told by a different character.  The story began in the “present” (within the book this is 1909) and then moved backwards in time with each new character.  This was an interesting technique as each subsequent character knew a little bit more about the mystery than the first (with the last character being Stone, the man who fell and therefore we finally find out the actual why behind the fall).  Another aspect of this book that I enjoyed (surprisingly) was the insight it provided into the corporate and financial world.  The author provided details in a way that made it central to the story and so you really immersed yourself in those details.  While only the first character can be viewed as truly likeable, Pears still creates characters with whom you engage and in many instances sympathize.

On the whole, I highly recommend this read.  Just be prepared to devote a fair chunk of time to it.  Thanks to Jackie at Farm Lane Books for putting me on to this one.

4/5 Stars