Winter of the World - Ken Follett

Follett's capacity to create a world that immerses its readers in both the characters and settings is amazing. Winter of the World follows on from his earlier success with Fall of Giants.  In Winter of the World, Follett takes readers through the Great Depression and World War Two.  Interestingly, the main characters in this book are the children of the characters from Fall of Giants.  I enjoyed seeing the characters evolve from impulsive and sometimes shallow young adults into (mostly) mature and thoughtful adults.  While the era is dark, you still find yourself want to get wrapped up in Follett's world.  He takes you into compelling times, events and places, including: The Manhattan Project, Stalinist Russia, Hitler's Germany, the Spanish Civil War, and follows the ascent of Churchill.  It's a page turner with substance!  Recommended!!

A friend suggested this book to me and I've since recommended it to others.  The reactions are always fantastic -- it would seem to have universal appeal.  5/5 Stars

Forgotten - Catherine McKenzie

Amid some great books that I read over the Christmas holidays was Forgotten by Catherine Mackenzie.  It tells the story of a lawyer who goes to Africa after her mother dies only to become trapped there after a natural disaster.  When she finally returns home, she finds that she has been declared deceased.  The book then follows the challenges she faces after finding this out.  Conceptually, this sounds really interesting.  However, its exploration of this issue is quite shallow and the main character is unbearably self-centered.  On the plus side, it is an easy read. 2/5 Stars.

Mister Roger and Me - Marie-Renée Lavoie, Wayne Grady (Translator)

This book won the French version of Canada Reads and I can certainly see why.  At its core, it's a coming of age story.  Helen (or Joe as she prefers to be called) is a young girl growing up in a tough area of Montreal.  The author uses this device to touch on issues related to growing up poor, but also on the effects of changing mental health policies.  The characters are unique and interesting and while the story itself is quite bleak, Lavoie's tone keeps some levity in place.  A book well worth reading for its many nuances. 5-Stars.

Human Bobby - Gabe Rotter

This book has an interesting concept.  It tells the story of a man who had gone from being a doctor/husband/father to being a homeless person over the course of a couple of years.  Gradually, as the story moves on, the reader begins to learn what has happened to this man who had a life with such promise and Rotter does surprise.  My quibble with this book and it's a personal taste thing was the language.  It was peppered with slang that just grated on me after a while (though ultimately necessary for the plot device).  Nonetheless, it was a compelling book that I think many people would quite enjoy. 2-Stars.

The Chaperone - Laura Moriarty

I don't have too much to say about this book.  It was nothing special, but it filled in some of my holiday reading time and I didn't dislike it.  In a nutshell, it tells the story of silent film star Louise Brooks, while also telling and focusing more heavily on the story of a woman who accompanied Louise on the trip to the Big Apple that would secure her fame.  While there are a few twists and turns along the way, this book mostly offers a momentary diversion that doesn't stick with you.  Worth taking to the beach for a quick, painless read. 3-Stars.

The Cruelest Month - Louise Penny

I've given glowing reviews to Louise Penny's earlier two books and I'm not going to change that trend here.  I simply love the way she writes, creates a sense of place, and develops winning characters.  And I love that Armand Gamache's fatal flaw is his sense of honour.  I've read one too many crime novels where the lead character is a hard drinking jerk.

In Penny's latest book, the Three Pines murder takes place during a seance.  The victim is a seemingly well loved (if newish) member of the community, but that presumption starts to break down as the book evolves and the team investigates the crime.  An interesting side plot relates to a thread that has been present in the previous two novels.  Gamache's integrity led him to anger many high ranking members of the police force by arresting one of their own and many on the force are still committed to bringing Gamache down.  This all comes to a head in Penny's third novel.

Once again, I was captivated by Penny's world and can't wait to read the next.  I try to save them for my holidays as they are a guaranteed winner! 5/5 Stars.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home - Carol Rifka Brunt

This was one of my favorite books of 2012.   It tells the story of a young girl in the 1980's, who has just lost her uncle to AIDS.  The story centers around her burgeoning friendship with her uncle's partner, whom she only meets after her uncle's death.  The book is haunting in its portrayal of this era, with the AIDS panic at its full intensity.

I loved this book for a variety of reasons.  First, the sense of place in it was amazing.  I felt like I was living in 1980's New York.  Second, the protagonist (June) is an incredible character.  Rifka Brunt perfectly captures the awkwardness of adolescence and all its conflicting emotions.  Finally, it was a lovely story about friendship in difficult circumstances.

I recommend this book to everyone  -- it will stay with you long after you're done.

5/5 Stars.

Tainted - Ross Pennie

When I read about this book in the Globe and Mail, I got super excited.  I work in a public health context, so really, why wouldn't I want to read more about it in my time off ;)?

Tainted is described as a medical mystery and follows a Public Health Specialist as he tries to uncover the cause of a mysterious illness.  While it did not go into incredible depth, I did enjoy that it was science being used to solve this mystery.  The characters were engaging and it was a great book to escape  with over the Christmas holidays.

For something a little bit different, that is also a real page turner, I would recommend picking this up (particularly if you're a public health geek like me).

Bride of New France - Suzanne Desrochers

I had high hopes for this book as Quill and Quire had named it one of the top books of 2012.  Alas, it was not to be.

The story itself sounds quite interesting.  Desrochers tells the tale of one fille du roi (Laure Bausejour), who travels from Paris to become a wife in New France.  Her husband will be selected once she arrives.  As it turns out, her husband is not only crass, but also quite incapable of providing the necessities of life in a Canadian winter.  Laure's salvation (in some ways) comes in the form of a First Nations boy, with whom she will have an affair.

Sounds complling, right?  And yes, I did keep reading BUT Laure's character was simply so self-centered and insufferable that I found myself cringing at every turn.  So, if you don't mind an egocentric main character, you may enjoy this book.  It was interesting to learn more about this era in Canadian history.

2/5 Stars.