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.

Fatal Grace - Louise Penny

I have a new guilty pleasure in the form of Louise Penny.  I can't get enough of her mysteries.  I've mentioned to others that I really enjoy her main detective, Armand Gamache.  I suspect this is primarily because he is different from most other literary detectives.  He's a nice guy, who happens to be a really good detective (no dark, flawed personality lurking beneath the surface).  Like Penny's previous novel, this one is set in the small Quebecois village of Three Pines and is filled with the same quirky and engaging characters.  To sum up the story, an unwelcome and disliked newcomer (not without cause) to the village is murdered.  Gamache's team is assembled and descends upon the village.  The twists and turns associated with a mystery case ensue and my Saturday afternoon disappears.  A great piece of escapist fiction!

The Larnach's - Owen Marshall

I read this book in anticipation of a trip to Otago, where we plan to visit the Larnach Castle.  I was interested in knowing more about the family that lived there and this book fit the bill.  Unfortunately, I didn't love the rambling style (read like a journal entry).  And, while the characters initially appealed, they quickly grew quite tiring.  My issue with the characters however, can not be blamed on author Owen Marshall as this is an account (though thfictionalised) of real people.

Essentially, this tells the story of a young bride who marries the much older William Larnach and subsequently falls in love and pursues an affair with his son Dougie (with very severe consequences).  The two characters in many ways seem oblivious to the consequences of their actions, so I struggled to form a connection with either of them.  The book is told from the perspective of the bride Conny and Dougie, each of whom ultimately seem very self-involved.  I did initially appreciate the suffragist angle related to Conny, but even that could only take her character so far before she became distasteful.

I suppose that I'm happy that I did this read in advance of our trip, but don't know that I'd recommend the book to anyone else.

Latest and Greatest Reads

A quick run down of books I've read since our whirlwind trip back to Canada.  I've been fortunate to read some winners.

My Name is Mary Sutter

This is a book that deserves to be read in one or two sittings.  I had actually taken it back to Canada and found that I couldn't really get into it as I was reading it in fits and starts.  Once I had time to sink into it, I really enjoyed it.  Mary Sutter is a favorite in my "females who kick butt" category.  Taking place during the civil war, Mary is a midwife who pushes hard to become a surgeon.  The war provides an interesting backdrop for a woman on a relentless quest to fulfill her dream.

The Lightening Field 

An excellent Canadian debut by Heather Jessup.  I might never have discovered this book, but a fellow Kiwi-Canadian brought a copy along to her book club.  It turned out she had attended the same academic institution as Heather and was keen to read a book by her friend.  I'm glad she did as this book tells a fantastic tale of family trials, alongside the Canadian airplane the Arrow.  This plane is a legend in Canada as it was an engineering marvel that fell victim to budget cuts (allegedly--though there are other suspicions).  I loved learning more about the story of the Arrow and its dramatic fall.  

Still Life 

Loved this book and am so happy to know that I've got heaps of Louise Penny books ahead of me.  This is a mystery novel that takes place in a small Quebec hamlet, with all the quirks that go along with small town life.  The characters are vivid, the mystery well described, and with a great twist at the end.  Run, don't walk to the library and/or bookstore and get this book.  Perfect for a rainy weekend or a beachy holiday.

Denniston Road

I was talking to a co-worker about visiting the west coast of New Zealand's South Island and she asked if we'd visited the old coal mining town of Denniston (which I hadn't).  That got us on to the topic of this book and she kindly lent me a copy.  This is a fantastic history of life in a bleak New Zealand coal mining community.  Patrick's descriptions really made me feel like I was right there and I enjoyed reading the story from multiple viewpoints.  Worth a read to get a feel for New Zealand's mining history.

Round-Up of the Recent

Historical Fiction

Birth House - Ami McKay - 5 Stars

Virgin Cure - Ami McKay - 5 Stars

The Conductor - Sarah Quigley - 4 Stars

The Report - Jessica Frances Kane - 4 Stars

Crime Fiction

Containment - Vanda Symon - 4 Stars

Bound - Vanda Symon - 4 Stars

A Darker Domain - Val McDermind - 4 Stars

It's Not You It's Me or Is It? - Curiosity by Joan Thomas

In my two experiences of Joan Thomas books (Reading by Lightening and now, Curiosity), I always start out strong and think "wow, this is going to be a great book". Yet, somehow by the end, I'm always looking forward to being done.  I don't know if it's that they're too long, but I'm perplexed by this reaction as I don't shy away from long books (and at 400 pages, this is hardly a "chunkster").  The story itself follows the path of an early female archaeologist (Mary Anning) and how her social class and to some extent gender prevent her from achieving the success she's earned and deserves.  A related story explores her relationship with another scientist of the day: Henry de la Beche.  All in all, an interesting read but not a riveting one.

A friend of mine mentioned that Tracy Chevalier has also tackled Mary Anning--perhaps I'll have to give that book a try.

Books with Some Weight on Them: Fall of Giants and the Leopard

In Fall of Giants, Ken Follett crafts an amazing portrait of the US, Wales/England, France, and Russia both before and during the first world war.  He explores class structures and how the war begins to break these down.  It takes 800+ pages to do, but it goes quickly and is a journey well worth taking.

The Leopard by Jo Nesbo also falls into the "chunkster" category and while I enjoyed the mystery and the flawed character of Harry Hole, I thought that the length could have been reduced.  In particular, the writing at the beginning might have been a bit tighter.  Just a slightly lower BMI and this book could have gone from good to great.