The Hypnotist - Lars Kepler

I was actually really looking forward to this book.  I had heard many good things and its capacity to be a good page-turner made it a logical follow-up to Ann Patchett's amazing State of Wonder.  Or so I thought...  In the end, I came to realize that I've perhaps reached my Nordic crime fiction saturation point.  All these dark and gloomy heroes in dark and gloomy settings are getting a bit tiring.  In a nutshell, this book is about a hypnotist who finds out people's deep, dark secrets and this ticks them off (some more than others) and so the story begins/flashes back.  It's not a bad book, it's just didn't knock my socks off either.

Battle of the Network Ann(e)s

There are two Ann(e)s who I find to be "go to" authors: Anne Tyler and Ann Patchett.  So, this November, I was feeling particularly lucky to be reading both The Beginner's Goodbye (Tyler) and State of Wonder (Patchett).  So, who won this epic battle?  Ann Patchett, by a long shot!

The Beginner's Goodbye tells the story of a man who lost his wife in a tragic accident.  He begins seeing her soon after.  Ghost, hallucination, take your pick.  The story essentially shows him coming to grip with both her death and the failings of their relationship.  To me, it came across as a bit "twee" and was not up to some of my favorite Tyler works, such as Saint Maybe and Breathing Lessons. 2/5

State of Wonder is a far more interesting tale which explores issues related to medical ethics, culture, class, and friendship.  It begins with a pharmaceutical research finding out that her colleague and friend has died on a trip to South America.  She is tasked with bringing his body back, but perhaps more important to her boss and significant other, is finding out more about the medical research taking place in the small village that her friend had visited (he too had been sent to find out more about this research).  She goes on an epic journey that I loved and could not stop reading.  Highly recommended!!  5/5 Stars

Of note, State of Wonder was up to the incredibly difficult task of awesome holiday read!!  So do take it away or let it take you away :).

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.

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.