Diamond Dove by Adrian Hyland

This book is essentially a murder mystery, but its setting is what differentiates it from the pack.  The novel takes place in an aboriginal community in central Australia.  When a leader in this community is killed, an investigation to find the murderer ensues.  There are the obvious suspects, but this book delves deeper into land claim issues that may also have played a role in the death.

This was a solid book and I did think the tensions between the aboriginals and non-aboriginals was well described.   The only real problem that I had with the book is that it was authored by Adrian Hyland, who wrote the much revered Kinglake 350.  This wasn't quite at the level of that book and despite being a murder mystery did not evoke the tension and suspense of Kinglake.  However, it was Hyand's first novel, so it's perhaps not surprising that it wasn't perfect.  On the whole, well done and I'd consider reading the sequel.

Five Days at Memorial - Sheri Fink

In a nutshell

This book opens by describing the events that took place at Memorial Hospital in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, highlighting in particular the challenges that staffed face due to loss of power and rising flood waters.  Fink highlights the decisions that staff made regarding patient care and how these decisions would follow some of the nurses and doctors after Katrina.  In particular, Fink looks at the issue of euthanasia and its place in disaster response.  The second half of the book follows the investigation into potentially hastened deaths at Memorial and whether the medical professionals involved should be held responsible.  

Did I like it?

I wanted to like this book more than I did.  I expected it to be an amazing account of the events and to some extent it was, but there were so many characters that I found myself constantly trying to remember who was who.  This had the effect of "taking me out of the book" and hence, I never became immersed in the experiences of these doctors and nurses.  I do wonder if this book would have been better if I had read it in hard copy where I could easily have referred back to the list of characters.  Perhaps the Kindle is to blame for my reaction?  At any rate, while I didn't dislike the book, it failed to have the same impact as other non-fiction books (e.g., Spillover, Kinglake 350).

Will you like it?

If you find ethical dilemmas interesting, you may find the debate about euthanasia to be of interest.  I think, however, there are better books written about disaster response (e.g., the aforementioned Kinglake 350).

What else happened while I was reading this book?

Easter came and went.  We went on some amazing hikes.  Went heavy on the kids movies: Lego and The Muppet sequel.  The former was amazing, while the latter was just passable.

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

In a nutshell

Catton writes a tale of murder and intrigue that takes place on the South Island of New Zealand (primarily in Hokitika, but also in Dunedin).  The story is told through the eyes of 12+ individuals who have some knowledge that will inform the mystery.

Did I like it?

Catton is a very technically adept writer.  For me, however, I was not able to form an emotional connection with anyone in the book and therefore did not enjoy it as much as I would have liked.  Also, I did feel like 800+ pages was a bit long for the story she chose to tell.  

Will you like it?

Fans of literary fiction may like this one.  If you want a more traditional murder-mystery that is  a real page turner, this may not be the one for you.

What else happened while I was reading this book?

We enjoyed the best bits of summer with hikes on the weekend and walks home from work on weekdays.  

Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twang Eng

In a nutshell

Told in flashbacks, this book tells the story of a Malay woman who spent 
her early years in a Japanese internment camp.  In addition to exploring the time in the camp, the book also explores her later life where she becomes involved with a Japanese gardener while learning to build a garden to honour her sister.  The conflict between her anger at the Japanese people for what they did to her and her developing devotion to the Japanese gardener pervades the book.

Did I like it?

It was a bit slow, but I enjoyed it on the whole. Eng did a fine job of evoking the atmosphere in the Japanese garden.  The part about the tattoos, however, was a shade creepy (you'll know what I mean if you read the book).  The character of Magnus stands out as the most interesting (to me, he represented someone who had learned to forgive and that his had helped shape and better his life).

Will you like it?

If you like an atmospheric read that delves into a dark part of history, you will likely find this book appealing. 

What else happened while I was reading this book?

Waitangi Day 2014.  Made a great new recipe for sweet and sour fish.  Upped the distances on our runs (between 10 and 12 km) in preparation for Round the Bays.  Wally had eye and dental surgery which he came through like a champ.

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

In a nutshell

The book opens with the death of one of the local council members.  The remainder of this book explores the repercussions of his death both for the council, and the larger community.  It explores the fallout from a large number of perspectives.

Did I like it?

It was fine.  The beginning reminded me of Downton Abbey in that I was having to sort out the names and roles of many characters.  Getting all that straight took about 100 pages!!  I found the book a bit disjointed in that it was told by no fewer than 12 characters (possibly more).  This was a bit cumbersome in the middle section and almost had me abandoning the book as I couldn't see how the story could progress with so many voices.  I persevered and in the end, while I didn't love it, I didn't think it deserved the harsh criticism it received.  It was simply a middle of the road book. 

Will you like it?

Do you enjoy a character driven novel told from multiple perspectives?  Do you like reading about infighting (and all other sorts of fighting)?  If so, this may be the book for you.  It's not upbeat, but Rowling's writing style helps pull the reader along.

What else happened while I was reading this book?

We had an earthquake (6.2) - but no real damage.  Ate our first corn on the cob of the year (love you summer).  Took my annual tumble while running, with scrapes and bruises to show for it (sigh).  Leo found a hedgehog in our driveway (awesome).

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.

A little Iceland with that?

I recently found myself in the midst of an odd coincidence...  I somehow managed to read two Icelandic-themed novels back-to-back (this despite having never read a book set in Iceland before).

The first book was called The Tricking of Freya and although I'd had it on my to-read  list for quite some time, I was drawn to it recently because it was partially set in the Manitoba town of Gimli.  I recently had the opportunity to visit Gimli for my sister's wedding, so was keen to learn a bit more about this wee, beautiful community.  The Tricking of Freya describes the story of one girl's yearly visits from Connecticut to the shores of Gimli every summer from the time she is seven until she is fourteen.  She catches up with family while there, but her aunt's ultimate betrayal when the girl turns fourteen halts these visits.  It's not until she is thirty that she goes back and becomes intent on finding a cousin that she believes to exist (having been born to her aunt).  This journey takes from Gimli to Iceland, where things are ultimately resolved.

While the writing of this book was good and I really enjoyed the story, I did find the ending to be quite predictable.  If you can get past that, it is an enjoyable book.  3/5 stars.

I next picked up a "modern" re-telling of Jayne Eyre, called the Flight of Gemma Hardy.  It takes place primarily in Scotland, but we again find this heroine ultimately ending up in Iceland.

I particularly enjoyed the early parts of this book, where Gemma encountered much strife before she meets here "Mr. Rochester".  This book is a great adventure and would make a wonderful book to read while on holidays--either on a beach or curled up in front of a fire. 4/5 Stars.

Four More...

And here I find myself again with four books to review at once.  With that in mind, the goal of this blog post is succinct!!

The Cookbook Collector - Allegra Goodman.  This book was neither good, nor bad--it just was.  It tells the story of two sisters living in Berkeley/San Fransisco during the dotcom boom (and then bust).  As with many sisterly tales, the sisters are opposites in taste and manner.  One is a dotcom "genius", while the other is a somewhat flaky philosophy major.  The book follows the sisters' mutual relationships during this rather turbulent time.  3-stars.

The Informationist - Taylor Stevens.  This book was fine and is likely an appropriate beach/holiday read.  However, I have grown somewhat weary of seeing versions of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo character cropping up all over the show.  Give me something new!!!  2-stars.

The High Road - Terry Fallis.  I really enjoyed Fallis' previous novel "Best Laid Plans" and while "The High Road" isn't quite as good, I still rather liked hanging out with these characters.  From the unconventional Scottish politician Angus McClintock to his assistant Daniel Addision, these characters are all great.  Well worth picking up.  4-stars.

The Glass Room - Simon Mawer.  This was an interesting take on World War 2 and the Nazi Regime.  The house (which holds the glass room) is the focal point for this novel and we follow the home's story as its original builders are forced to flee due to the influx of Nazi troops.  Beyond just its original role as a domestic residence, the home becomes a home to Nazi experiments, and later to a physical therapy facility.  I liked the fact that Mawer found a way to breathe new life into the World War 2 genre.  4-stars.