Nickelini Reads 2016

Books Read in 2016



June

36. The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories 3, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, wirrow, and others
35. A Little Stranger, Kate Pullinger
34. The Women in Black, Madeleine St John
33. The Bookshop, Penelope Fitzgerald
32. One Good Story, That One, Thomas King
31. The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov

May

30. The Sleeper & the Spindle, Neil Gaiman
29. Dancing Girls, Margaret Atwood
28. Life & Times of Michael K, JM Coetzee
27. Blaming, Elizabeth Taylor
26. Infidelity, Stacey Mae Fowles
25. All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr

April

24. The Quotable Hitchens: From Alcohol to Zionism, Christopher Hitchens
23. The First Horseman: Disease in Human History, John Arbeth
22. Though the Keyhole: Sex, Scandal and the Secret Life of the Country House, Susan C Law
21. Darcy's Story, Janet Aylmer
20. Mr Darcy & the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman, Maria Hamilton
19. Deadly Jewels, Jeanette de Beauvoir

March

18. The Gum Thief, Douglas Coupland
17. Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Katherine Boo
16. Eminent Hipsters, Donald Fagen
15. Seducing Mr Darcy, Gwyn Cready
14. Jane Austen Cover to Cover, Margaret C Sullivan
13. Exercises in Style, Raymond Queneau
12. Sanditon and Other Stories, Jane Austen
11. How to Write . . . Shoshanna Evers, ed.
10. 99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style, Matt Madden

February

9. Among the Janeites, Deborah Yaffe
8. Bestsellers: a Very Short Introduction, John Sutherland
7. Afterimage, Helen Humphreys
6. Moloka'i, Alan Brennert

January

5. If You Want to Write, Brenda Ueland
4. Girl with Green Eyes, Edan O'Brien
3. Freshwater: a Comedy, Virginia Woolf
2. Cold Earth, Sarah Moss
1. Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man, Seigfried Sassoon

Book Stats 2016 (updated monthly)

Author's Nationality

UK: 11
Canada: 6
Ireland: 1
US: 13
France: 1
South Africa: 1
Russia: 1
Australia: 1
Mixed: 1

Author's Gender

Female: 21
Male: 14
Mixed: 1

Year First Published

1790-1817
1928
1938
1947
1962
1967 **
1976
1977
1978
1983
1985*
1993
1994
2000
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007 x 3
2008
2009
2011 x 2
2012
2013 x 4
2014 x 4
2015
2016

*material in book was written in 1923 & 1935
** written 1930s

Travelling with Books (where these books took me)

Kent, Edwardian-era / Greenland, 2009 / Isle of Wight, late Victorian period / Ireland, 1950s / Molokai, Hawaii, 20th century / Sussex, 1860s / England, 1790 - 1817 / Paris, 1947 / Pittsburg, PA, 2008 / North America, 1950 - 2012 / Mumbai, 2008 / Vancouver, 2006 / Montreal, 2015 / England, 1810 / England, 1810 / England, 1760-1830 / WWII France & Germany / Toronto, 2013 / England, 1970s / South Africa, 1980s / Canada, 1970s / Fairyland / Moscow, 1930s / Canada, 1992 / East Anglia, 1959 / Sydney, 1950s / London, Las Vegas & Vancouver 2004 /

2015 Reading Year Stats and Review

I read 68 books in 2015, which is lower than my usual number. This, in part, was because I quit listening to audiobooks.

Nationality of authors:
UK: 26
Canada: 13
US: 17
Australia: 3
Assorted authors or unknown: 3
Ireland: 1
France: 1
Rhodesia: 1
Austria: 1
The Netherlands: 1
Germany: 1
Denmark:1

Of 68 books, I read 64 different authors; 42 authors were new to me.

Female: 37
Male: 28
Books with multiple authors, both M & F: 3

Fiction: 50
Non-fiction: 18

Year First Published (2015 I read many more new books than I usually do)

1854
1896
1910
1926
1950
1954
1965
1967
1970
1973
1976
1977
1979
1984
1988
1992 x 2
1994
1995
1996
1999
2001
2002 x 2
2004 x 2
2005 x 3
2006 x 2
2007 x 2
2008
2009 x 5
2010 x 2
2011 x 3
2012 x 4
2013 x 5
2014 x 7
2015 x 5

Travelling with Books:

Charting an author's nationality doesn't necessarily tell me anything about the book (for example, Rohiton Mistry is Canadian, but you'd never know that because his books are about India). I also like to note where and when a book is set. So this year I started tracking where my books took me. It's sort of fun. In chronological order:

London 2007 - Montreal 2010 - Fairyland - England 1810 - England 1810 - China 1930 - London 1996 - Paris 1950 - London 1997 - Canada 2010 - England 1810 - USA 2014 - England 1810 - Toronto 1970 - Montreal 2014 - Fairyland - England 1810 - England 2000 - Rhodesia 1945 - London 1960 - England 1813 - London 1960 - London 2014 - Utah 2005 - Fairyland - Utah 1860 - Ireland 2000 - Western Australia 1990s - Ontario early 20th century - London 1883 - London Underground 2012 - Mexico 2010 - London 2008 - El Paso, Texas 1987 - Shropshire 1896 - San Francisco & London 2009 - Southern England 2000 - Canadian wilderness 1970s - Fairyland - Vienna 1920 - Silicone Valley & Bellevue, Washington 1990s - Wiltshire 1970s - European beach resort 2014 - Norfolk 2014 - Southern England 1910 - Forests of England & Scotland 2012 - Biblical times - Cortes Island 2013 & Tokyo early 2000s - Island off Wales 2000s - Southern England 2013 - England early 20th century - England various times - North America 1492 to 2014 - Industrial England mid-19th century - Maine 1989 - Cornwall & London 1940s - Denmark & Greenland 1990s - New York City 2015 - Kent Edwardian era

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When I look back on the year, the books that stand out for me were not necessarily the ones that I rated highly, and some that I thought were very good have since been almost forgotten. That leads to this list of my most memorable books of 2015, based on enjoyment factor and not quality (in chronological order).

Bridget Jones's Diary (reread) and Bridget Jones: the Edge of Reason, Helen Fielding
The Children Act, Ian McEwan
The Swimming Pool Library, Alan Hollinghurst
North of Normal, Cea Sunrise Person
Summer House with Swimming Pool, Herman Koch
Gossip from the Forest, Sara Maitland
Gut, Giulia Enders
The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins
Black Water, Joyce Carol Oates

Glad to have found you here again.

Love your opening image!

Dropping my star here!

>3 Nickelini: The books that stand out for me were not necessarily the ones that I rated highly

I have had a similar experience when contemplating my own annual reading. In some cases my long term emotional memory overtakes the critical analysis quite starkly. I'm thinking in particular of Hilary Mantel's A Place of Greater Safety. I was very critical of her writing, but the fact is that it was very effective in putting across the story. It made me rethink exactly what it is that I ought to be evaluating. The jury is still out I'm afraid.

I love your opening image. It reminds me of my daughter as a little girl. I would send her outside to play, and she'd be on the swing or in some corner with a book.

>1 Nickelini: Love your opening pic.

I too liked Summer House with Swimming Pool and also Koch's The Dinner though slightly less. I look forward to more translations.

>I quit listening to audiobooks
I missed knowing this. Is there more to tell?

well, it's about time you got a thread going here. Just kidding of course. Look forward to what you read and your commentary, as always.

>9 detailmuse:>I quit listening to audiobooks
I missed knowing this. Is there more to tell?

Well . . . I download books to my phone through the public library. The app is really awkward for finding books, and sometimes I'd spend 30 minutes scrolling endlessly and not find anything (the sorting and search are useless, so many books I've never heard of and very little description, so it didn't encourage me to just try something). I just got tired of wasting time looking for something to listen to.

I used to listen to books when I did chores like cleaning and painting, and often when I went for my walks. During chores this year, I listened to either YouTube videos or podcasts (Slate audio book club is my favourite). For walking, I now use SILENCE. For the first half of 2015 I was working on a novel, so I'd think it through while walking and then come home and write.

>11 Nickelini: Silence is the best for solitary walks. You get to be wherever you are, rather than just passing through it. It's the best way to think.

>11 Nickelini: how's your novel going? I love hearing about people's writing activities.

Good to see you back with us, Joyce!

>11 Nickelini:, >12 SassyLassy: I agree about silence and walking, I have had occasions of exciting creativity.

>11 Nickelini: Is your library app Overdrive? I like it except the selections outside of genre fiction are limited, especially audio. And I too gave up on browsing, I pretty much search for a specific title. But audio CDs are tedious to load and sometimes their track names are nonsense and sorting them to play in order becomes a nightmare. I'm still on the fence about audiobooks in general ... I just don't bond/commit/pay close enough attention with them. Thanks for your reply.

>15 detailmuse: I used to use Overdrive, but then I changed phones and was having problems getting the new app to load, so I just switched to one called OneClick. My library offers both. They are very similar. You're right about the CDs -- I think they mess up the track names for a reason (copyright violations, perhaps?). Once in a while I will listen to CDs, but they are a lot of steps before you can start listening.

I've had many wonderful hours weeding my garden and stripping wallpaper--when I've had audio books to listen to. I will go back to them one day I think, but for now I'm happy listening to podcasts.

>13 AlisonY: how's your novel going? I love hearing about people's writing activities.

Currently staled! One of my resolutions for 2016 is to pick it up and complete my first draft. It's funny how it really took on a life of it's own last spring. I had the whole thing mapped out, and when I wrote through to the end, I realized that I'd only written half a novel, and the really interesting stuff came after where I had first planned to end it. And then one of my major characters got very dark. It wasn't what I sat down to write.

>17 Nickelini: you'll get there. Go for it!

Good to see you here! Good luck with the novel. I've heard other writers say their work can take on a life of its own. Stick with it.

>19 VivienneR: I've heard other writers say their work can take on a life of its own.

I've heard this too. When it started happening to me, I was amazed at what came out of my fingers. I find that I start writing something light-ish, and it gets rather dark . . . .

I finally finished a book! I was actually done last week, but haven't had to time to collect my thoughts.

1. Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man, Siegfried Sassoon, 1928


Cover comments: detail from George Derville Rowlandson's painting Over the Hedge. Nice, but why is it so distorted?

Comments: Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man is the first in a trilogy of a fictionalized autobiography of Siegfried Sassoon. As you'd expect from the famous poet, the language is lush and gorgeous -- I restrained myself and copied only enough to fill 5 pages in my reading journal.

There isn't much plot here -- just a series of events in the life of a young man living at the edge of high society. His life is consumed by sports -- cricket in summer and fox-hunting and point-to-point in their seasons. Sassoon paints a Hardyesque view of his Edwardian world in the years before WWI. The last section of the book covers enlisting and going off to war, but these years are covered in detail in the following books of the trilogy.

Recommended for: Readers who--like me--romanticize the English countryside, people who enjoy books like A Month in the Country, and anyone interested in the years leading up to WWI. There is a serious amount of horsey talk, which I loved, but may bore others to tears.

Why I Read This Now: I started this on Boxing Day, when my Facebook feed filled up with pictures and reports on the fox-hunting happening in the UK. It took me so long to read because I had to put it aside to read a book for my book club (that I didn't finish).

Here's one of my favourites from a few years ago:



Rating: 4 stars

Enjoyed your review of Memoirs of a fox Hunting man I have read extracts from the book but not the whole thing. Great picture - hunt dogs can be so soppy.

You've sold me with the comparison to A Month in the Country.

>21 Nickelini: I've added this one to my wishlist, for the same reason Kay said.

Edited to fix post #.

I just found Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man on my bookshelves yesterday. Bought it last year then promptly forgot about it. Now I'm looking forward to it all over again.

>25 VivienneR: You made me laugh.

I could keep you laughing, I'm sure there are more where that came from!

>21 Nickelini: I didn't know Sassoon had written a biography, fictional or not. (And, no, I don't know all that much about him at all, other than he was a WWI poet... and that may be why) Noting- although I might be more interested in volume 2.

2. Cold Earth, Sarah Moss, 2009


Cover comments: I like it.

Comments: Six people from Europe and the US meet on an archaeological dig in Greenland. Their task is to find out what they can about the isolated Norse settlement that disappeared 800 years earlier--climate change? Disease? Raiders? Starvation? When they arrived, an alarming virus was quickly spreading back home and each in the group is worried about their family and friends. News that filters in through their intermittent internet connection worries them further. But that is in the background--for now they are concerned with getting through the dig, and specifically about their group member Nina, who is becoming increasingly unhinged by nightmares of the Medieval Greenlanders they have discovered were murdered. She is convinced there are ghosts in the camp, and when things are moved and strange sounds are heard, it slowly begins to look as if it might not be her imagination.

Finally, they lose all contact with the outside world, and with winter fast approaching, the ill prepared group with insufficient provisions struggles not to succumb to group hysteria.

I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. It was unusual, and once it got going, there was good tension (in part achieved by the chapters getting shorter and shorter). It was also a lot creepier than I expected. The sense of place was well executed, as the West Greenland setting popped into life.

However, the book had some serious faults. The one that bothered me the most was that it was told in the form of letters by the various team members. I like the different narrators, and first person is fine, but the letter format was a complete fail because most of the text was not written in a way that anyone has written a letter, ever. For example:

I had more or less stopped crying when I found the others kneeling around the laptop as if it were an oracle. Ben's face was red and even Ruth looked mildly interested int he unflattering blue light coming off the screen.
"What is it?" I asked.
Yianni looked up. "it's not good, " he said. "You won't like it."
I put my hands over my ears and shut my eyes. "then don't tell me. I don't want to know."
"Nina? Listen to me."
"I don't want to know."
Someone put a hand on my shoulder. I opened my eyes."

And then all of a sudden it would jolt into actual letter format and voice. No. No one anywhere at anytime ever writes letters like that. The conceit of the letter yells "contrived."

The other problem was that I found too many flat out errors. Some readers have pointed out how wrong Moss gets the dialogue of the American characters, for example, but there were lots of other errors too. There was enough about this novel for me to like it though, and I pushed my concerns to the background enough to enjoy Cold Earth.

Rating: 4 stars. This is another one of those books that earns ratings all over the scale. Readers who disliked it found the characters (especially Nina) extremely unlikeable, said it started too slowly, and found the ending rushed. They wouldn't be wrong. But I forgave it those flaws and had a good time with it.

Recommended for: readers looking for something different.

Why I Read This Now: "Cold Earth" sounded like a good, chilly January read.

"Cold Earth" sounded like a good, chilly January read.

You've convinced me. I love books that take place in settings like that.

I'll admit that when I was reading Cold Earth I was enjoying it far too much to notice the inconsistencies.

Great review of Cold Earth

Cold Earth sounds interesting, even with its flaws. Nice review.

3. Freshwater: a Comedy, by Virginia Woolf, 1923 & 1935; illustrations by Edward Gorey, 1985


Cover comments: love it!

Comments: Virginia Wool wrote this intentionally silly 3-act play in 1923 and abandoned it. She revised it 12 years later, and it was performed once at a Bloomsbury social event. It then disappeared until it was discovered in a drawer after Leonard Woolf's death. Clearly it was never meant to be seen by anyone outside the Bloomsbury circle.

With that in mind, I can't judge it too seriously. It's zany, it's frivolous, and that's about it. Woolf is clever in creating this entertainment about her great-aunt, the photography pioneer Julia Margaret Cameron with her friends Alfred Tennyson, painter George Fredrick Watts, and actress Ellen Terry, and makes them sound like something out of Bloomsbury.

This edition includes both the performed 1935 version, and the earlier 1923 version. They are very different but compliment each other. There are also extensive notes that show the true events behind the farcical bits of the play.

Freshwater: a comedy introduced me to the Tennyson lines:

"The moan of doves in immemorial elms,
And murmuring of innumerable bees."

How fabulous is that!

Rating: 3 stars for the play plus one star for the fabulous Edward Gorey illustrations = 4 stars.

Why I Read This Now: I remember that today is Virginia Woolf's birthday, and then I saw this at the top of my TBR.

Recommended for: people who think Virginia Woolf is always serious.

Portrait of GF Watts by Julia Margaret Cameron titled "The Whisper of the Muse" (1865)

How have I never heard of this? Sounds fun, and with Edward Gorey illustrations to boot!

People who think that Virginia Woolf is always serious should also read Orlando ;)

Great review of Cold Earth, Joyce. I'll read her latest novel, Bodies of Light, this week.

4. Girl with Green Eyes, Edan O'Brien, 1962


Cover comments: the design says late 80s. Really, I have no opinion. Dated in the wrong way, but not terrible.

Comments: Girl with Green Eyes (aka Lonely Girl) is the second in O'Brien's semi-autobiographical Country Girls Trilogy. At the end of the last book, we saw Cait and Baba flee their Irish village and start their young adult lives in Dublin. That's were Girl with Green Eyes picks up. Cait soon takes up with an older, non-Catholic man who is estranged from his American wife, and pretty much everyone she knows flips out. Her drunken abusive father comes down to Dublin to force her home, and later, a posse of drunken village men attack the couple. The infantilizing treatment and assumed ownership of a 21 year old woman is appalling.

Cait is naive and immature, but she is realistically drawn. Baba isn't as much of a bully in this second novel, probably because she isn't around as much.

I enjoyed this more than I expected to, and perhaps even more than the first novel, The Country Girls. I will eventually find a copy of the third novel to see how this story wraps up.

These books make me very, very glad that I didn't live in Ireland in the 1950s.

Why I Read This Now: Always looking to read more Irish literature and it was on the 1001 Books list.

Recommended for: readers who like books set in the mid-20th century and in Ireland.

Rating: 4 stars.

Enjoyed your review of Girl with Green Eyes

Hadn't heard of that Virginia Woolf book before - enjoyed your review.

Girl With Green Eyes sounds great - haven't got to The Country Girls yet, but will do one day.

>34 Nickelini: "The moan of doves in immemorial elms,
And murmuring of innumerable bees."

How fabulous is that!

Yes fabulous! That second line especially (onomatopoeic!), and also curiously hard to read.

5. If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit, Brenda Ueland, 1938 (new introduction by the author, 1987)


Cover comments: fairly typical cover for a writing book

Comments: Ueland, who taught creative writing for years and years, believes that anyone can become a writer, that we are all unique and all have stories to tell. The main message of this slim book is to turn off your inner critic, shut out all the critical voices in your life (teachers, parents, spouses, friends), and just write. You can apply her principles to any creative endeavour, not just writing -- her advice will also help painters, musicians, anyone creating, actually. She says the most important thing is to be truthful to yourself and don't try to please others with your creative project. A gabillion copies If You Want to Write have been sold, and readers have loved and praised this book for 80 years. Carl Sandburg said it is "the best book ever written about how to write."

Who can disagree with all that? It's the good part.

BTW, Carl Sandburg and her were friends, so make out of that what you will.

Now for my real opinion. For such a short book (179p), it's surprisingly repetitive. Ueland explains how she is one of those writers who hates the outline, which is fine . . . but if you're not going to outline, you really need to focus on the edit. She rambles along and uses footnotes on almost every page. The info in the footnotes could have easily been edited in to the text, or just discarded, as it added little. There were pages of her quoting William Blake, and Van Gogh, and she talks about "the Russians" a lot. By a lot, I mean way too much idolizing, not so much detail.

Here is an example of a typical passage that had me rolling my eyes: "Great art, said Tolstoi, is when a great man who has the highest life-conception of his time tells what he feels. (Tolstoi himself was one of those although he did not know it.) Then the infection is universal. Everybody understands it and at once.*
* I think Blake meant this same thing too, when he called Jesus and artist."

That just makes me scream for so many reasons. Even if one think that's an amazing thought (which it's not), it can be said so very much better.

Throughout the book she says "I hope to talk about that later," and I didn't keep track, but I don't think she ever did. I was convinced she didn't, in fact, when I got to the "outlines are a nightmare" section.

Here's another tidbit of wisdom from Dame Ueland: "Tolstoi, Ibsen, Blake, Goethe, Thomas Mann and all great men, known or unknown, famous or obscure,--they are great men in the first place and so they cannot say anything that is not important, not a single word. Their writing, their art is merely a by-product, a cast-off creation of a great personality."

Oh, please.

I soldiered on, looking for the good bits amongst all her noise, but after a while, I realized that I had an image of this woman lecturing me with a pointed finger. It was rather uncomfortable, yet on I went. I noticed that she seemed pretty impressed with herself and all the fabulous advice she was sharing with little me, and then it struck me that the finger-wagging professor and morphed into Lady Catherine De Burgh. (shudder!)



Recommended for: Yes, many have found If You Want to Write inspiring. But her advice is not unique, and is better said elsewhere. If you are looking for an inspirational book about writing or creating, I suggest Bird by Bird (Anne Lamott), Negotiating with the Dead (Margaret Atwood) or even On Writing (Stephen King).

Why I Read This Now: I like to buy books about writing more than read them. Thought I'd plow through the stack this year. Picked this one first because Ursula Le Guin (I think) recommended that it was the only writing book anyone needed. She was wrong.

Rating: one cranky tin star.

Enjoyed your review of Girl with Green Eyes, which reminded me that I want to get to O'Brien very soon.

Also enjoyed your review of If You Want to Write, though I suspect your take on it is more entertaining than the book itself.

I've only read one book by O'Brien, Wild Decembers, and liked it well enough that I know I want to read more. Your review of Girl with Green Eyes has put her back on my radar. I have August is a Wicked Month on my Kindle, and have put it into my "Read Soon" Collection.

I almost spit out my coffee while reading your review of If You Want to Write. I love your snarky reviews. :)

Great review of If You Want to Write, Joyce! The excerpts sound like something a more intelligent version of Sarah Palin might say, though.

>42 rachbxl:, >43 NanaCC:, >44 kidzdoc: Thanks everyone! Glad I could entertain you.

>43 NanaCC: - I tried Wild Decembers and couldn't get into it, but I think it was just the wrong book at the wrong time. I'll try again. August is a Wicked Month is hard to find. I think it's out of print. So if you read it, I will be most interested in your thoughts and whether or not it's worth hunting down.

Enjoyed your excellent review of If you want to write

>41 Nickelini: funny - loved that review. Don't think any of us will be reading that one in a hurry!

>41 Nickelini: echoing above, but that was fun.

6. Moloka'i, Alan Brennert, 2003


Cover comments: a lovely cover, but then I'm partial to the Hawaiian motif.

Comments: This work of historical fiction spans the years 1891 to 1970, and centres on a native Hawaiian girl who contracts Hansen's disease (aka leprosy) and grows up in quarantine on the island of Moloka'i.

I've wanted to learn more about the lepers of Moloka'i since I learned about them many years ago. Unfortunately, and despite the obvious extensive research the author did, this book fell flat for me. My biggest complaint that Moloka'i is one of those too-common historical novels where the characters are distinctly 21st century Americans dressed up in historical and cultural costumes. Furthermore, the author didn't engage me in their lives. I was bored throughout the almost 400 pages. The only reason I made myself finish is that I had just abandoned last month's book club book because it was too boring, and couldn't go to another meeting saying the same thing.

Why I Read This Now: Book club. I actually have owned the novel for several years, so I can't blame my book club for picking a lousy novel. I had bought it to have on hand in case an impromptu trip to Hawai'i came up (sounds silly, but it has happened more than once in my life, so I'm always hoping it will happen again).

Recommended for: this book gets a lot of glowing reviews from readers, so if the topic interests you, ignore my opinion. I think it might have been okay to read while I was on vacation in Hawai'i as a typical beach read.

Rating: It's not a BAD book, but I'm not going to give it many stars.


The Moloka'i coastline

I could use an impromptu trip to Hawaii.

Too bad the book wasn't good. There are other bad Hawaiian books that get recommended. Maybe for some readers the wow of Hawaii's history is enough to make an otherwise average book worthwhile. It is quite a wild history.

>50 dchaikin: There are other bad Hawaiian books that get recommended.

I know! I've yet to read a good book set in Hawai'i. So much potential from all sorts of angles, yet . . .

Maybe I need to write one.

I loved a short story collection called Island Fire by two Harstads. Touchstones not working. But I couldn't finish The Shark Dialogues - yuck!

But anyway, yes! Write one.

>49 Nickelini: The Colony: The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai is a good non-fiction book on Molokai.

>53 KarenElissa: Thanks, I've taken note of it and try to get a copy before my next impromptu trip. ;-)

An impromptu trip to Hawaii sounds lovely!

I recognize Moloka'i--my sister-in-law was reading it one vacation, and while like you the topic interests me, something about the book made me steer clear. Sounds like I made the right choice. It also sounds like your book club is in a slump!

Well, whilst the book might have fallen flat for you, that gorgeous picture just brightened up my morning (remind me again why I choose to live in a country with 360 days of greyness?).

I would also like an impromptu trip to Hawai'i.

The "modern people just dressed up" is my biggest complaint about historical fiction.

7. Afterimage, Helen Humphreys, 2000


Cover comments: nothing about this cover speaks to the novel, which is a shame, especially considering that there are actual images described in detail that they could have used. Even if exact images are under copyright, there were lots of related possibilities. Nothing about this honours the novel.

Comments: Only February, and this is the second book I've read this year based on the Victorian photographer Julia Margaret Cameron (the first was Freshwater by Virginia Woolf, and before reading I didn't know this about either of them).

Humphreys was inspired by an exhibition on Cameron's photos of her maid and muse Mary Hillier that she saw at the Art Gallery of Ontario in the 1990s (as an aside, LT friend Torontoc took me to see the Picasso exhibit there in 2012--maybe I'll write a novel about it one day?).

This is a highly fictionalized account of their relationship. The novel is divided into sections based on an actual photograph. Humphreys is a beautiful writer, and Afterimage just oozed atmosphere. At times it was fascinating, but other times boring, I think perhaps suffering from not much plot. In the end, I liked it rather well.

Rating: 4 stars. Liked, didn't love, it.

Why I Read This Now: I had three Humphreys novels in my TBR pile so planned to read one this year, and when a Humphreys group read came up this month, I figured the time was now. (I've previously read The Frozen Thames and Coventry)

Recommended for: readers who enjoy lush writing in historical fiction.

Julia Margaret Cameron's photograph with Mary Hillier posing as Sappho:

Nice choice, I think I might like reading Afterimage.

8. Bestsellers: a Very Short Introduction, John Sutherland, 2007


Cover comments: This is fine. It's part of the vast Oxford University Press "A Very Short Introduction" series, which I believe all have similar covers, so I expect as a group they would look quite nice.

Comments: Sutherland discusses what "bestseller" even means, and then traces a high-level history of bestsellers in the US, followed by a shorter section on the UK. I'm used to a fair amount of intelligent wit from Sutherland, which I guess was edited out to make this "very short" (it's 116 small pages).

Recommended for: someone who wants a very short introduction to bestsellers?

Why I Read This Now: it was a book in my bag that I pulled out when riding transit or waiting in line.

Rating: a bit dry and flat.

9. Among the Janeites: a Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom, Deborah Yaffe, 2013


Cover comments: Rather fun, although I do wonder at the decision to use such garish colours.

Comments: Journalist Yaffe, herself a Jane Austen fan going back to her childhood, explores the strange world of Jane Austen fandom. She attends numerous JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America) events, including the annual dress up (cosplay) ball, a guided Austen tour of England, authors who write sequels to the novels, scholars, fanfic writers, and a slew of people who have some unconventional ideas about Austen and her books. Yaffe wove in many fascinating details and usually got things precisely right, occasionally not. When she loses herself in journalism, the book is fabulous. Occasionally her authorial voice would chirp in with her judgemental smug superiority, and I found that grating.

If there is a theme to this, it's the thing that I've noticed about fans of Jane Austen. They all love Jane dearly, all feel a special connection and a special understanding, but do not necessarily agree with each other on what those connections and understandings are. She describes "the divisions among Janeites -- academic purists versus Colin Firth fans, pretentious poseurs versus true enthusiasts," the fans who only want to read the books, and the fans who only want to see the films. Personally, I have no use for the Austen fans who view her as a spinster with perfect manners who drank tea and wrote sweet romances about very proper people. Blech.

Overall, this was delightful (even when the author was unlikeable).

Recommended for: JA fans, people interested in cultural studies and fandoms.

Rating: Fun and interesting. 4.5 stars.

Why I Read This Now: I deserved a good Jane Austen inspired read. Of the zillions in my TBR pile, I'm not sure why I picked this one. I guess it looked fun.

12. Sanditon and Other Stories, Jane Austen, Everyman's Library Edition 1996 (originally written between 1787 & 1817)


Cover comments: this Everyman's Library Edition cover is pleasing. The painting is Portrait of a Woman in a Cave by Louis Leopold Boilly 1805, which you can see in real life at the Musee des Beaux-Arts, Lille, France. I wonder if this painting was picked because this book is a collection of minor works and Jane Austen juvinelia that has figuratively been kept in a cave?

Comments: This book is made up of what is known as Jane Austen's minors works, which are two unfinished novels and a novella ("Sanditon," "The Watsons," & "Lady Susan"), the three volumes of her Juvenilia, and some scattered Miscellanea. I bought it only to read "Lady Susan," but it's a lovely edition indeed, and I decided to give the other pieces a try. What an unexpected delight. I will follow this post with detailed comments about the various components of this collection.

Rating: Oh, soooooo close to 5 stars. 4.87 stars. Five stars wasn't quite accurate, considering that I didn't love, or even like, absolutely everything in this book. But what I liked, I really liked.

Recommended for: going in to this, I thought it was strictly for the Jane Austen completest, which I didn't consider myself. Of course, the completest does not need the encouragement.

I highly recommend it for two other groups: first, for fans of 18th century British lit -- you know, that fun period before the stuffy Victorians, and second, Jane Austen fans who keep her in "a tiny box of preciousness" (to steal a phrase from a GoodReads reviewer) and think she's all about fine manners and polite people. Time for them to see Jane Austen's adultry, petty theft, female drunkeness, and other distasteful behaviours. Really entertaining stuff.

Why I Read This Now: This 500 page book is made up of a million little pieces, and for me that works better with lots of breaks in between and not in one fell swoop. I started last summer with the idea to attempt the bits before finishing with the scandalous "Lady Susan," which is what I set out to read.

Details to follow . . . .

>62 Nickelini: sounds like this is a wishlist book for sure.

>62 Nickelini: Hmm, will keep an eye out for this. I've really enjoyed all the Austen's I've read thus far despite thinking for many years she would not be for me - probably because of the assumption of preciousness which I don't find her minor works really hold to either.

As promised, here are my details on the Everyman’s Library edition of Sanditon and Other Stories. I was enthused to read Lady Susan, but was afraid that the rest of it might be a chore. It seemed potentially worthwhile, however, to at least give the rest a try, and I’m very glad I did.

Part One includes Austen’s two unfinished novels and an unpublished novella. Note that other writers have published "finished" versions of the two novels.

Sanditon, 69 pages. Austen was working on this novel when she died in 1817. It was first published along with the biography written by her nephew James Edward Austen-Leigh (1871). The manuscript is owned by King’s College, Cambridge. In the Introduction, Sanditon is described as “the real find in this collection.” On first reading, I don’t agree (although I am open to changing my mind on future rereading). That is not to say that it’s bad. It was actually more polished than I expected, although it still needed work. But it certainly didn’t read like a first draft. There were a lot of characters, some of them brilliantly Austenesque, but the heroine wasn’t introduced until page 11, so I didn’t get much of a feel for her.

The Watsons, 54 pages, written sometime between 1803 & 1808. Some scholars think that she stopped working on it after the death of her father. It was first published in the 1871 biography by James Edward Austen-Leigh. Part of the manuscript is at the Bodleian Libraries, Oxford and part of it owned by the Pierpont Morgan Library, in New York City.

This novel is darker than the later, better-known novels as it shows the grimmer side of life for unmarried women in the late 18th century. Some of the scenes reminded me of the Portsmouth section of Mansfield Park. Despite the more serious elements, I found this delightful and I was sad when it ended too soon. Luckily, Austen told her sister Cassandra the plan for the novel, and so we know generally how it wrapped up.

The story follows Emma Watson, who had been raised by rich aunt, after she returns home when the aunt’s new husband doesn’t want her. After a genteel and gracious life, she now lives with her impoverished widowed father and many sisters and several brothers who she has to get to know. She attracts the eye of the young, handsome, rich and socially awkward Lord Osborne, who appears to be a proto-type for Mr Darcy. The ball scene in The Watsons is reminiscent of ball scenes in Pride and Prejudice. Emma Watson had the potential to be a favourite Austen heroine had her story been written. This was one of my favourites in this book.

Lady Susan, 72 pages. Written in 1795 when Austen was just 19 yrs old. One wonders how this young, sheltered virgin knew so much about wickedness, but then perhaps Austen isn’t the demure lady that some of her fans think she was ( / smirk). This epistolary novella was first published in 1871 by James Edward Austen-Leigh, and then a revised version in 1926. The manuscript is owned by the Pierpont Morgan Library.

Lady Susan, Austen’s highest ranking heroine, is bit of a hussy. She’s in her mid-to-late 30s, and instigates dalliances with much younger men. And married men. Shocking, I know. This book has more in common with Les Liaisons Dangereuses than later Austen novels. Although the writing isn’t quite as accomplished as we expect from Austen, it didn’t disappoint, despite its rushed ending. I’m very excited that there is a movie coming out this May. It stars Kate Beckinsale and they renamed it “Love & Friendship” which is slightly confusing, as Austen has used that title elsewhere for a completely different story.

Part Two

The Juvenilia. Written 1787-1795 (age 12 – 20)

Austen wrote these bits and pieces to amuse her family. They are full of melodrama, understatement, and superficial characters. We are already starting to see her loaded sentences and wit. Some readers don’t know what to make of this, and dismiss it as silly, foolish, and overly-emotional. It’s evident by the reader reviews at GoodReads that many who call themselves Austen fans don’t get parody or that she “dearly loves to laugh.”

VOLUME THE FIRST (First published 1933, now at the Bodleian Libraries, Oxford)

“Jack & Alice” is my favourite in this section. Austen was about 15 when she wrote this zany tale of adultery and drunkenness (lots of drunkenness). I read somewhere that her heirs suppressed it as these were unsuitable topics for a girl her age to know about. At least they didn’t destroy it. Take note that there is no one in this story named Jack.

“Jack & Alice” has one of my favourite Austen quotes: “Charles Adams was an amiable, accomplished & bewitching young Man, of so dazzling a Beauty that none but Eagles could look him in the Face. “

Other stories (and short plays) in this volume are: “Frederic & Elfrida,” “Edgar & Emma” (a very short story featuring a family with more than 20 children), “Henry & Eliza,” “Mr Harley,” “Sir William Montague,” “Mr Clifford,” “The Beautifull Cassandra” (sic), “Amelia Webster,” “The visit,” “The Mystery,” “The Three Sisters” (another highly amusing one), “Detached Pieces,” & “Ode to Pity.”

VOLUME THE SECOND (First published 1922, now at the British Library)

Love and Freindship (sic) is an epistolary novella written about a 55 year old woman that Austen wrote when she was 15. There is lots of “running mad” and fainting. Also illegitimacy and theft. Very unAusten-like.

Another favourite of mine is The History of England, which she wrote at age 16. It covers Henry IV (1399) through Charles I (1649) and is a poorly-veiled propaganda piece for Mary, Queen of Scots (and thus, also very anti-Elizabeth I). Rather silly, indeed.

Also included: Lesley Castle (another epistolary piece), a “Collection of Letters” (made up fictions, not actual letters) & “Scraps.”

VOLUME THE THIRD (First published 1951. I have conflicting information on ownership. It’s either the British Library or the British Museum)

"Evelyn" has a dreamlike, almost gothic, feel. It’s the closest you’re going to get to SciFi in Austen.

"Kitty, or the Bower" is 51 pages long, and shows an increasing sophistication of thought.
Also included, under Miscellanea are “A Plan of a Novel,” published opinions on Mansfield Park and Emma from the 19th century, some “Verses” (unremarkable, although surprising to see Austen mention Lake Ontario and Niagara Falls, considering she rarely mentions anything outside of England, particularly North America), and some “Prayers.”

Also interesting throughout all these bits and fragments is the development of Austen characters. We meet some new ones, and also some who reminded me a lot of Caroline Bingley, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Lady Catherine DeBourgh, Emma Woodhouse, and Catherine from Northanger Abbey, among others.

Even at a young age, it is evident that Austen never wrote for “such dull elves as have not a great deal of ingenuity themselves.”

Excellent review and information about Sandition and other stories You make it all sound so attractive.

I have still got Mansfield Park to read and so I will think about going further when I have finished that.

13. Exercises in Style, Raymond Queneau, 1947. Translated from French by Barbara Wright, 1958


Cover comments: suits the book well enough.

Comments: This book tells the same very short story, which was originally 1/3 of a page long, over and over again in 99 different literary styles. Some of them are terrifically clever, some are gibberish ("ards midda one day tow r platform you the rea saw . . . "). Despite my English degree, some of the techniques were previously unknown to me, so I looked them up so I could tell what effect the author was going for. A very interesting exercise in writing, but not much narrative thrust or character growth. But of course, that would be a silly thing to expect from this book. I read about four or five entries at a time--it would get annoying to read much more.

Recommended for: people who like experimental writing, lovers of word play, writers.

Why I Read This Now: it's a 1001 list book that's about writing.

Rating: incredibly clever, but I can think of some other approaches that would have worked better than the nonsense ones.

14. Jane Austen Cover to Cover: 200 Years of Classic Covers, Margaret C Sullivan, 2014


Cover comments: I find it funny that a book about cover art has ugly cover art itself. It's the saccharine blue colour that I dislike, combined with the rows of books, and I think it looks like a hideous 1980s bedspread (one that I would have though ugly back in the 80s). Once you open the cover though, this is just lovely.

Comments: This gorgeously presented book charts the journey through 200 years of the highs (and lows) Jane Austen's published works. As someone who has a passion for art equal to my passion for books, I feel like this book was made just for me. The commentary on the covers is entertaining -- observant, interesting, and snarky when appropriate. Thanks to LTer Japaul22 for letting me know about this book.

Rating: 5 stars

Recommended for: people interested in the history of publishing, artistic readers, Jane Austen fans. This books would make a fabulous gift.

Why I Read This Now: I pick this up and read now and again, but the last time I decided to just read it all the way through.

I think this is my favourite cover:


Not sure what scene this is -- perhaps Wickham seducing Georgiana? Although that wasn't actually a scene, but just something discussed. Hmmm.

So glad you liked Jane Austen Cover to Cover! I enjoyed your comments on Sanditon and Other Stories.

Of Austen's juvenilia, the only one I've read is Love and Freindship (sic), which has been anthologized in the NAEL for some time -- it is truly silly and satiric. Interesting comments on the unfinished works.

I always enjoy your reviews of Austen and book covers.

Afterimage sounds interesting. I've banned myself from buying books at the moment, but have added this to my wishlist for that inevitable moment when my good intentions crumble!

>67 Nickelini: This one sounds the sort of thing that would appeal to me. I'd never heard of it before. I often find it hard to resist word play.

>68 Nickelini: Fantastic idea for a book. It could be done for any number of classics. I agree about the cover of the book. Very passive. Not very eye catching at all. Also, the drama of your favorite get the mind working about where a scene like that occurred.

15. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity, Katherine Boo, 2012


Cover comments: Okay, I guess. It's a child in a slum, so that fits. Doesn't make me wonder what's going on or draw me in. And the title of the book, which is very clever, comes from a wall that blocks the slum from the Mumbai airport that had an ad for ceramic tile that said "Beautiful forever . . . beautiful forever . . . beautiful forever." In other words, the slum was BEHIND the wall that said BEAUTIFUL FOREVER. Could they not have put this on the cover?

Why I Read This Now: Book club

Comments: Behind the Beautiful Forevers is a non-fiction book that is written like a novel, going in and out of the heads of several children and women that live in a Mumbai slum. It highlights not just the horridness of their lives, but also the corruption they have to negotiate every time they turn around (often with devastating consequences). Katherine Boo is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. Behind the Beautiful Forevers won the National Book Award. Critics praise it. Readers love it. I found it to be a slog.

Maybe because I read -- and was absolutely slayed by -- A Fine Balance, and I've also read Planet of Slums, which someone here on LT said made her "curl up in a fetal position under a table" after she read it. Does it help to read about helplessness over and over? Am I a terrible person for not thinking this was great?

Recommended for: everyone in the western world who has never read a book about poverty in India.

Rating: is it even ethical to rate a book like this? "Two stars because I expected her to make me feel all the feels, and she didn't." "Five stars because I'm so happy that I just have to go to my mind numbing job every day. I'm so blessed." No, that's ridiculous!

16. Seducing Mr Darcy, Gwyn Cready, 2008


Cover comments: This cover is meant to be funny. And it is.

Comments: One day I was browsing the internet and discovering the zillions of retellings and books inspired by Jane Austen. So I narrowed my search to "Mr Darcy," which reduced the number of books to mere millions. In that pile, I found Seducing Mr Darcy, which caught my eye because it claimed to be "hilarious." Hmmm, that sounded interesting.

I was extremely disappointed then when the first chapter turned out to be amateurish and clunky. Sigh. But I persevered. And it quickly got much better. It's like the author forgot the first chapter in her edit.

Quick synopsis: Scholar-ornithologist Phillipa (Flip) has to read Pride and Prejudice for her book club, although she'd rather be unwinding with some steamy pulp fiction-- something about a marble sink in Venice and a shirtless hunk. She goes to a magical masseuse, and ends up in a very steamy scene with Mr Darcy, sometime before he meets Elizabeth Bennet. When Flip returns to real life, she finds that copies of Pride and Prejudice have changed and that she's messed things up. She meets a dark, handsome, British Austen scholar and they try to undo her mess.

Is this like Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series with sex? (I don't know-- I've never read them). It's a little like "Lost in Austen." Was it hilarious, as promised? Well, I did laugh out loud for real at least six times.

Rating: For what this is, I think it was pretty good. There was even a little rather intellectual bit about what readers do in our minds and imaginations with characters. This looks like a dumb book, but it wasn't.

Seducing Mr Darcy won some Paranormal Romance award. I didn't even know that's a thing (the genre or the award).

Recommended for: readers who like bending the classics.

17. Eminent Hipsters, Donald Fagen, 2013


Cover comments: Mmmmkay, I guess. The black is really glossy, and the swash for the title is rough, so that's sort fancy. Well, this book was ridiculously expensive for only like 150 pages, so thanks for that. The photo isn't identified -- was this a young Donald? It is symbolic though, with him hiding his face and all, because if you think you're going to learn any Steely Dan secrets here, you'll be disappointed.

Comments: This was sold as a memoir, but it can only be called that in the loosest sense. The first half is a series of essays (some previously published I hear) about the various cultural influences from the 50s and 60s that led Donald Fagen to become half of the jazz-rock band Steely Dan (those would be the "eminent hipsters" of the title). There is one bit about going to Bard College in the late 60s, where he met Walter Becker, had Chevy Chase play drums in their band, and get arrested in a drug sweep by G. Gordon Liddy (you can't make this stuff up).

The second half is sort of a journal of his road trip touring North America in 2012 with Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald. Many readers have complained that these bits are the ramblings of a grouchy old rock star who hates his fans, so I was prepared for that. Instead what I found instead was a snap shot of a man suffering from a very real anxiety and both mental and physical health issues. He probably shouldn't tour, but then again, I saw Steely Dan in 1996 and it was a life highlight, so I appreciate the sacrifice to his health.

Recommended for: serious music people (fans and musicians), readers interested in US culture from the 50s & 60s (and life on the road for an aging rock star).

If you're looking for the influences of all those cryptic, bizarre, intellectual and just downright amazing Steely Dan lyrics, you won't find it here. However, as the writer of those same lyrics, I have to say that Donald Fagen is one fine writer, so if you're interested, this is a good read.

Rating: Liked a lot of it. Didn't love it.

Why I Read This Now: It was something completely different.

>75 Nickelini: Rating books about meaningful subjects is hard! I just read a book about the effects of war on a child, but it wasn't very well written. How to rate that? Important and timely topic, yes, but does the writing (this is a novel, and not a personal account) take greater or lesser precedence than the subject matter? Do authors get a pass when they choose certain subjects?

And I'm a sucker for chick-lit based on Austen's novels. I will have to consider this one. I will say that they usually are not very good, and yet I still read them.

>78 RidgewayGirl: And I'm a sucker for chick-lit based on Austen's novels. I will have to consider this one. I will say that they usually are not very good, and yet I still read them.

I find going in with low expectations helps. But sometimes I'm just in that mood, and then they are fun. Sort of like a night on the sofa with a bag of potato chips.

>75 Nickelini: I felt much as you did about this book. I guess it might impress other readers who haven't read anything about the lives of the poor in India, but for me, it was more of the same. Plus I felt the author wanted to inspire some kind of action, but she never really made any suggestions. I gave it 3.5 stars; could have been lower, in retrospect.

>78 RidgewayGirl: This is why I stopped assigning personal essays to my freshmen. A horribly written essay, full of clichés about an accident in which you were driving and your best friend was killed, or one about your beloved grandma's agonizing death from cancer--how do you grade that appropriately without the student feeling their experience has somehow been diminished or dismissed?

My problem with Behind the Beautiful Forevers was that it was so successful at being narrative nonfiction that I kept forgetting these were real people and real situations. It read too much like fiction and I wanted more facts and fewer stories.

Having seen the slums in various Indian cities I am not inclined to read a book about them. I can understand your conflict as to how to rate the book.

Eminent Hipsters might well be one for me excellent review.

>82 japaul22: I found the fiction aspects a bit odd, although the author's explanation at the back helped.

>83 baswood: I think you're all clear to skip this one! But if you see a copy of Eminent Hipsters you should give that one a try.

>65 Nickelini: what a wonderful commentary on the Austen scraps.

>75 Nickelini: I liked your rating of BtBF. I listened to it, and it was a very strange experience...and also kind of dull. But I felt she made the effort to do an important thing and had a lot of success based on the wide readership.

>77 Nickelini: I've always been curious about Fagen, but of the 60's/70's Fagen.

>67 Nickelini: Exercises in Style sounds interesting and I'm 3-for-3 in your "recommended for" category so onto the wishlist! Seems to be a new edition available, easier to find and adds some new styles.

18. The Gum Thief, Douglas Coupland, 2007


Cover Comments: Douglas Coupland was a visual artist before he became an author. Although he didn’t design this cover, it clearly says “Coupland novel.” Even my husband, who doesn’t pay attention to such things, identified it as such. Let’s just say I like Coupland as a writer much more than as an artist.

Comments: I really enjoyed this (much more than his cult classic Generation X or the critically acclaimed Microserfs). Yes, this is the Douglas Coupland novel about the “losers who work at Staples,” but there is so much more to it than that. And if that sounds to you like a dumb or boring premise for a novel, well I guess The Gum Thief isn’t for you.

Middle-age Roger—whose life has pretty much collapsed—starts a friendship with co-worker Bethany, a 24 yr old goth girl. They don’t speak in person, but instead write to each other in a notebook left in the staff room at Staples. Interspersed with this are emails, notes, and letters from other characters, a few creative writing exercises on “toast being buttered—from the toast’s point of view” (sounds awful; it isn’t), and my favourite: a book that Roger is writing called “Glove Pond.” “Glove Pond” is a terribly written novel inspired by “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” and it is unintentionally hilarious (on Roger’s part--Coupland, on the other hand, knew exactly what he was doing, of course). It all adds up to a layered narrative that I found compelling and fun to read.

As with much of Coupland’s work, The Gum Thief is deceptively breezy. And with Coupland’s work, it’s full of sharp observations and pop culture ephemera. As in his other novels, he writes somewhat sad, lonely characters, but while some readers find him too depressing, I see the humour and hopefulness that he always injects in his stories.

The Gum Thief was nominated for the IMPAC Dublin award.

Recommended for: readers who like postmodern novels and dark humour.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Why I Read This Now: It’s been in my TBR for 7 years and it told me the time was now.

>85 dchaikin: I've always been curious about Fagen, but of the 60's/70's Fagen.

I understand. I think that Fagen might stay hidden forever, unfortunately.

>86 detailmuse: The new edition sounds interesting. I'll keep an eye out for it.

>87 Nickelini: The Gum Thief sounds interesting--I'll keep an eye out for it.

Great reviews! In catching up I found some to add to the wishlist (Eminent Hipsters, for sure), and one from my tbr shelf that I can pass on to someone else (Behind the Beautiful Forevers).

19. Deadly Jewels, Jeannette de Beauvoir, 2016


Cover comments: although this follows the overdone clichés of "woman walking away" and "headless woman," something about it draws me in. It goes well with the cover of the author's previous book, Asylum.

Comments: In Jeannette de Beauvoir's Asylum, I learned about the horrific real life events of the Duplessis orphans while reading a murder mystery set in current day Montreal. In Deadly Jewels she again skillfully uses the technique of blending little-known history into fiction to tell the story. This time it’s the British crown jewels, which were secretly shipped to Montreal for safekeeping during WWII. Deadly Jewels involves the murder of a doctoral student, the tunnels under the city of Montreal, neo-Nazis, the occult, and some Holocaust survivors.

The main character, Martine LeDuc, publicity director for the city, is sympathetic and likeable, but I have to admit I’m developing a bit of a literary crush on her side-kick, the suave détective-lieutenant Julian Fletcher. As with her earlier novel, the city of Montreal actually becomes a living, breathing character, with the author's colourful and clear descriptions of the city and its bilingual culture.

Rating: This was a fun, interesting read. Although characters from de Beauvoir’s first novel return, you can read Deadly Jewels without having to read Asylum first (although I recommend that book too). 4.5 stars.

Recommended for: mystery lovers, readers who like books set in Montreal

>91 Nickelini:

Interesting review and an interesting new author for me. My poor TBR mountain. :)

>91 Nickelini: Oh, Deadly Jewels goes on the wishlist for sure! I'll have a look for Asylum too.

>92 AnnieMod:, >93 VivienneR: I hope you read it. I'd like to hear what others think.

Joyce, I just learned there is a movie version of Lady Susan coming out. It's called 'Love and Friendship' and stars Kate Beckinsale and Chloe Sevigny.

>95 Cariola: I know! I'm watching for it and wonder if it will even play here. It was at Sundance last fall, so I thought I might find it online, but so far my online movie sleuths haven't had any luck finding it.

I think it's still making the rounds of film festivals. I found out about it from my daughter; it's showing at the Nashville Film Festival.

20. Mr Darcy and the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman, Maria Hamilton, 2011


Cover comments: Nice enough but pretty ho hum.

Comments: This is what I've learned is called a Pride and Prejudice "variation." As someone who thinks P&P might be the most perfect of novels, of course the world doesn't need any other versions. However, I'm glad this exists because it was fun.

The novel starts with Mr Darcy, on his way out of Kent, licking his wounds after Elizabeth Bennet rebuffs him. From there the story goes off in a new direction. This Darcy decides to actively try to correct his past errors and become the gentleman that Elizabeth expects. Most of the novel is set at Longbourn and Netherfield. Wickham is only mentioned, and Lydia is a very minor character. The focus is fully on Darcy and Elizabeth, which is just fine with me.

I think that overall the author has a good grasp of the characters and the language of Austen (without getting silly). Much of this novel is from Darcy's point of view, which I always enjoy hearing. I think the author had some interesting insights on some of the characters, and she painted a very likeable version of Charles Bingley. On the downside, by the end of the novel I was getting a little tired of Darcy's repeated apologies when he didn't quite say the right thing to Elizabeth -- not the best likeness of her that I've read. I think he could have kept just a little of his snootiness, and told her to deal with it. But that's a quibble and didn't get in the way of my enjoyment.

In the end I think this is one of the better P&P take-offs that I've read.

Recommended for: fans of Pride and Prejudice who are open to playing with the characters and story. Jane Austen fans who are dull elves and speak in cliches like "Jane Austen would be spinning in her grave" should skip this one. Also, as in P&P, there is lots of sexual tension, and there are also scenes of light seduction that stops well before it gets into the realm of erotica. On that note, readers who prefer a perfectly chaste Austen experience will not like this book.

Why I Read This Now: well, I was perfectly happy reading Grapes of Wrath and a book on the history of disease, but then this sort of fell open in my hands. Grapes of Smallpox? what was I reading again? Sometimes one can be too serious.

Rating: lots of fun if you're in the mood and aren't expecting War and Peace. 4 stars.

>98 Nickelini:. I'm not sure which would be more fun - the book, or your review. :)

21. Darcy's Story, Janet Aylmer, 2006


Cover comments: same old, same old. Sort of pleasantish, but very expected. Like the whole book.

Rating: Ugh. 1.5 stars.

Comments: The subtitle of Darcy's Story is "Pride and Prejudice told from a whole new perspective." As it says on the back cover, Mr Darcy is an "intriguing enigma," and promised to tell the story from his point of view. Sounds fun to me. Except, no. Aylmer quotes long passages directly from Pride and Prejudice and in a clunky manner, attempts to make it Darcy's story. Except she doesn't add anything that a close reader of P&P wouldn't figure out on their own. Further clunkiness ensues when she writes things like Darcy explaining to his cousin Col. Fitzwilliam that Lady Catherine is their aunt. Ugh ugh ugh.

Steadfastly, Aylmer does not waiver from the canonical version of P&P. In a few places, the story demands that she fills in gaps and is forced to make something up, but she then justifies it in the lengthy author notes at the end.

I'll give her a nod for writing in response to the novel and not one of the film versions. At least she did that. However, this is a poorly written shuffle of the original words from P&P and it adds absolutely no new insights into the characters or the story.

Janet Aylmer is the author's pseudonym. I wouldn't let my name anywhere near this dreck either.

Why I Read This Now: I pick up these Jane Austen rip-offs when I see them at used book stores or on remainders tables. I was sorting through my pile of them, and saw that this one had blurbs from Andrew Davies, the writer of the 1995 P&P miniseries, and from the curator of the Jane Austen House at Chawton (now that I reread them, I see their praise is tepid). Mostly I was avoiding Grapes of Wrath.

Recommended for: I imagine that she kept those readers in mind who freak out at the smallest liberty taken in an Austen rewrite (those who always claim in their reviews that "Jane Austen is spinning in her grave."). Not sure this would even appeal to that crowd though, because I think they'd agree with me that this is entirely pointless. Those readers who want to have fun with their Austen pastiches, and don't mind liberties taken, can safely skip this.

I'm a sucker for those Austen riffs, but only the modern ones. And, boy, is the quality generally poor, with just enough exceptions to keep me trying the next one, like a rat in some malicious experiment. I've just picked up Reader, I Married Him and I somewhat expect the Brontës to join Austen in this trend and for me to read many more crap books.

>100 Nickelini: Thank you for saving me from this one. :)

I think Janet Aylmer has written a whole slew of Austen spin-offs. I started one and couldn't get through it.

Edited to add: Nope, that was Linda Bergdoll. Her main way to update was simply to toss in a lot of graphic sex. I think I gave away Darcy's Story unread. If it's in a box somewhere, I won't bother with it.

One that I did rather like (but not love) was Pamela Aidan's three-part spin-off. It has been a long time, but, as I recall, there's a lot about what happens to Darcy in the time after Lizzie chews him out and he leaves.

>101 RidgewayGirl: - I'm glad there are a few of us who read these (usually) craptastic books. I can see getting into the Jane Eyre/Wuthering Heights versions as well. And I sometimes threaten to rewrite The Tenant of Wildfell Hall from the POV of the husband and show how her judgmental uppityness drove him to drink.

>102 NanaCC: No problem!

>103 Cariola: Linda Bergdoll -- I read her smash hit Mr Darcy Takes a Wife. So, so bad. So bad that I thought it was fun. But sooooooo bad. I also read Pamela Aiden's trilogy last year. The first and third books were okay -- she had some interesting insights at least. A bit preachy. The middle book was dross.

Yeah, don't bother with Darcy's Story. It will just annoy you.

>104 Nickelini: Oh, that would be wonderful. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is my favorite English novel. I love how despicable and yet alluring Huntingdon is.

The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck , 1939


Cover comments: this is an old Penguin mass market paperback. Dated in its layout, but the painting (by William Low) is actually rather nice.

Comments: The Grapes of Wrath is considered Steinbeck's masterpiece. It won the Pulitzer Prize. I've loved other books by him. The Grapes of Wrath has made every sort of top 100 books list out there. It is the next book for my book club.

Despite all of that, I could not make it past page 60. The biggest problem is that I just have no interest whatsoever in this story. But I wasn't interested in the story of Cannery Row either, and that turned out to be a 5 star book for me. So I tried, I really did. But when I ran into pages of dialogue that was nothing but dialect and dropped word endings (". . . we been havin'. Dust comin' up an' spoilin' ever'thing so a man didn't get enough crop to plug up an ant's ass. An' ever'body got bills at the grocery." That's a sample from page 60. Just. can't. do it for another 521 pages. The descriptive bits are indeed masterful, but any time a character opens his mouth (all hims so far), my eyes glaze over. No point in going on.

Why I Read This Now: I've been in this book club for 12 years and this season has been outstanding for books I disliked -- I've hated the last 4. I trust next year can only be better.

Recommended for: I'm sure this is as fabulous as its reputation and deserves to be on every must-read list. At this point, I'm just nowhere near the head space required for this one. Life is too short to read books that aren't clicking.

>106 Nickelini: oh no. This is one of the last books languishing on my TBR pile as I'm buying very little since discovering the library again. I've opened the first page a few times and then set it back on the shelf again. Your review isn't encouraging me to dust it off any time soon.

>107 AlisonY: I'm clearly one of the few people in the world who didn't like this. And who knows, maybe if I'd forced myself it would have started to click. It's just hard when the premise just turns me off. So if you think it sounds interesting, you might love it.

>106 Nickelini: I think most of the books merits rely on the fact that it is a pretty accurate description of what happened to the Dust Bowl farmers during the Great Depression and how they struggled to survive. Which may not be so interesting to us today. But you'd probably like the movie with Henry Fonda.

>109 Cariola: My parents both grew up surviving the dust bowl Great Depression in Saskatchewan. I got to hear their stories. Over and over again. On that subject, I'm good.

>109 Cariola: Just saying that it probably has more sociohistorical than literary significance.

I was just browsing comparisons of my library to the Legacy Libraries. Apparently Tupac Shakur read this one. Probably assigned it in high school.

I really did not like Grapes of Wrath, though I'm not a huge Steinbeck fan to begin with. I don't think you're missing much.

>111 Cariola: Just saying that it probably has more sociohistorical than literary significance.

That's good to know. I was feeling a little guilty, but that's because I like to at least try to read "the greats" and tackle the traditional cannon. But if it's not a great because of literary significance, then I don't care so much.

>112 japaul22: I don't think you're missing much.

Better and better. I did like Mice and Men, East of Eden and especially Cannery Row. I think I can check Steinbeck off as "done."

>113 Nickelini: I did like Mice and Men, East of Eden and especially Cannery Row.
Me too, and also especially Cannery Row. Disliked Travels with Charley which felt preachy and is a pet peeve of mine: fiction billed as nonfiction/memoir. I'd intended to read Grapes of Wrath until you wrote, dialogue that was nothing but dialect and dropped word endings ... I subvocalize enough when reading and that dialect is torture. So now I only have much interest in Sweet Thursday, someday.

>106 Nickelini: Glad to read there are more people who don't like The Grapes of Wrath. I finished it, but it went on just as you described the first 60 pages.
I am a fan of Steinbeck, though. I really loved East of Eden, Cannery Row and Of Mice and Men.

I loved The Grapes of Wrath, and it set me off on a reading tangent that was fascinating to me, but if you're not feeling it, there's no point in forcing yourself to read further. It doesn't get more cheerful or light-hearted as it continues.

>116 RidgewayGirl: Count me as one who liked The Grapes of Wrath, but wouldn't it be boring if we all liked the same books?

>117 cabegley: Horrible. Imagine the discussions. We'd all agree about which parts were best and then we'd be forced to chat about our children or our pets just to have something to say.

22. The First Horseman: Disease in Human History, John Aberth, 2007


Cover comments: I love this cover. Colour + art = my sort of thing

Comments: This is a short text from my daughter's history course at uni last year. It focuses on four pandemics in history: The Black Death in Europe (1347-1350), the American Holocaust-- Smallpox (1518-1670), Bubonic & Pneumonic Plague in India & China (1896-1921), and AIDs in Sub-Saharan Africa (1982-2007). Each section is divided into two parts. The first looks at the event, the disease, social consequences, etc. and the second section is key primary sources from the time. All very interesting and readable. This is a history text, not a science text, which aligns with my way of learning.

Why I Read This Now: it caught my attention.

Rating: At least four stars. There aren't any reviews of this in LT, and only one other rating, which is one star. This baffles me--that rating would mean the book was horribly written (definitely not) or flat out wrong (also not). I'm guessing that person either had to read this for a class that he hated, or something in the text offended his colonialist white privilege.

Recommended for: readers interested in the topics.

I am so suggestable- I would probably think that I had some of the symptoms of every disease.

>120 torontoc: Ha ha ha! You're so funny. I didn't worry too much the Black Death, smallpox, or AIDs. But when I was 12 and read Sunshine, I was sure I had bone cancer in my knees.

I read Grapes of Wrath when I was a teenager and ate it up, as I did almost anything that illuminated a period of history. Then I tried to read it again a couple of years ago when my husband was in a stage production. I found it stilted and creaky. I couldn't get through it. The play however was great.

There must be a reason why that book was called The First Horseman, it sounds very interesting.

>123 baswood: Something to do with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, maybe?

>123 baswood:, >124 Cariola: I can't remember if they said-- possibly, but the book is downstairs and I'm lazy. I think it's yes, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, since the first horse (the pale rider), is death.

22. Through the Keyhole: Sex, Scandal and the Secret Life of the Country House, Susan C Law, 2015


Cover Comments: Perfect cover for this book.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Comments: Through the Keyhole is a tightly focused look at the one of the particular stresses changing English Society between the years 1760 and 1830. There was the Industrial Revolution, the war in North America*, the French Revolution, and the Napoleonic wars, but the problem discussed here is the “epidemic of adultery” among the upper class.

(*I tried to find out what Brits call the War of American Independence, and all I could find was “we don’t learn about it and don’t think about it.” Any Brits who want to shed more light on this please speak up.)

The aristocracy were considered the rightful and natural leaders, and were held up as the moral example for the lower classes to emulate. Further, their right to rule depended on legitimate bloodlines. But many in the aristocracy were jeopardizing this role with their libertine behaviour.

In 18th century Western Europe, marrying for love rather than money was becoming more popular. For the upper classes, marrying well was a social and family duty that still took precedence over personal preferences. The dynastic alliances they formed were deemed necessary for the stability of the country. Thus, it was still common for wealthy families to marry off their 17 and 18 year old daughters to powerful or wealthy older men. This resulted in many unhappy marriages, and with the change in cultural habits that allowed women to socialize without their husbands, the temptation to have an affair and give in to the “fashionable vice” often won over integrity, and duty.

At the same time, the commercial press was flourishing, and sex scandals sold newspapers. This was the birth of the British tabloid—there was even a sex scandal in 1757 involving Lady Di, a distant ancestor of 1990s tabloid darling, Diana, Princess of Wales. While fascinated by the lifestyles of the rich and famous, the growing middle class were also disgusted and the purpose of the aristocracy and their elite privilege came under serious scrutiny. To quell the situation, there were several attempts to curb adultery through legislation. To some degree, this must have worked, as there developed “a new sense of propriety ... in public attitudes, as the easy-going libertinism of the Georgian and Regency periods began to fade away into what would eventually become Victorian prudery.”

Through the Keyhole is a very readable and interesting look at 18th century English society written by a historian and journalist. She has a nice balance of anecdotes and factual information.

Interesting note:

I learned about this book when it came out last year from an article in The Telegraph titled “Jane Austen’s real Mr Darcy Unmasked by Historian“ and one in The Daily Mail titled “Is this the real Mr Darcy? Letters 'prove' that tall, dark and brooding aristocrat whose wife's adultery scandalised polite society was the inspiration for Jane Austen's hero.” Except the book doesn’t talk about this at all! It does cover the man in question, John Parker, 1st Earl of Morley, but the only mention of Jane Austen is about Mansfield Park. Very weird indeed!

Here are the two articles in question:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/11569673/Jane-Austens-real-Mr-Darcy-unm...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3059021/Is-real-Mr-Darcy-Letters-prove-t...

Recommended for: Highly recommended for people interesting in the time period (I’m looking at you, Jane Austen fans. )

Why I Read This Now: it’s been at the top of my TBR since it was published.

through the Keyhole, Sex scandal and the secret life of the country house doesn't look like being a runaway best seller. There are only three LT members owning the book despite it's title.

War of American Independence is known here as a minor colonial skirmish - (joke). I think I know it by the title of The War of American Independence.

>127 baswood: doesn't look like being a runaway best seller.

I guess it's just a little too specialized. Everyone else's loss though--it's a great book.

Thanks for your info on the Name of the War.

Through the Keyhole definitely goes on my wishlist. Is Georgianna of Devonshire mentioned at all? I read an interesting book (loved the material though I found the writing a bit hit or miss) about her and her circle a year or two ago and found it fascinating.

>129 japaul22: Indeed! The Duchess of Devonshire has 9 entries in the index. I agree that she's fascinating.

How about Lady Caroline Lamb? There's another one I'd be surprised if she ignored. And certainly Lady Emma Hamilton must be included.

>131 Cariola: I'm not sure about those, actually. She was very focused on using cases to illustrate a point--it wasn't a collection of bad behaviour. They may have been mentioned though and just not in the index because 1. the index is skimpy, or 2. they are known by a different name (it seems all these people have multiple names due to marriage and titles).

One person I discovered was Frances Villiers Countess of Jersey. There is a book about her coming out later this year that I may track down.

Interested in any recommendations for other books about these people that you've enjoyed.

>122 janeajones: Tell me more about your husband's play. He isn't in the picture, I gather

25. All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr, 2014


Cover comments: Love the colours, interesting picture

Rating: 1 star

Why I Read This Now: It was my book club selection for January. I didn't finish it in time for the meeting (got to page 217) but gave it another try since I'd invested so much time in it already. At book club, out of 8 people, 6 loved it. It's very popular. It won the Pulitzer.

Comments: Okay, I'm throwing in the towel on this one. I read to page 361 out of 530 (68%), and since I know what happens, I see no hope that this will turn into a book I like or even see as worth reading. 361 pages is double the length of many excellent books I've read, so I'm counting this as read.

I wasn't interested in this story in the first place, and it turned out to be as uninteresting as I expected. The book is written in very short chapters, which I like. However, it switches between characters every single time, and on top of that, switches time lines. I was getting whip lash and it just felt pointless and gimmicky. The story about the orphan German boy in Nazi-training was the more interesting of the two, the little blind French girl was just dull.

I had to quit when I was no longer merely bored, but became irritated.

I'm even irritated by the title. It's deepity -- it seems deep, but really isn't. It sounds forced. Like most of this book.

I have no idea why this book is so loved.

I mentioned it to my aunt, who likes WWII fiction, and she found a copy and loved it because it was "intricate." I see that, and some of the intricacy was sort of cool. But some of it was silly, and whatever was cool wasn't enough to rescue the rest of this one for me. And I've never read a book set in St Malo, France, so I did like that setting. That's all.

Recommended for: almost everyone loves it, so if you think it's your thing, give it a try.

I'm even irritated by the title. It's deepity -- it seems deep, but really isn't. It sounds forced. Like most of this book.

Yes!!!! I have this book on my shelf because my mom read it and liked it and passed it along. I'm determined not to read it at this point though. I'm sure that once the buzz has died down in a few years I will have no regrets about not reading it.

As you know, I wasn't overly fond of this one either. Same old same old, in my opinion. Been there, done that.

>126 Nickelini: What a coincidence to see your review. Last night I was looking for another book online, and your title appeared in the "Others like you ordered...." bit. It did look intriguing and now you've confirmed that this is another book to look for.

A good novel I read about Emma Hamilton is The Volcano Lover by Susan Sontag. For nonfiction, I also liked Nelson and the Hamiltons: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jack-russell-2/nelson-and-the-hamilto...

As an aside, I didn't learn about the 'War of American Independence', which puts a positive spin on it; I learned about it as the 'American Revolution', which puts a different spin on it entirely.

>137 SassyLassy:

1. I'm wondering what book you were looking at that made Through the Keyhole come up as a suggestion.

2. Susan Sontag on Emma Hamilton? That's a combination I didn't expect. Definitely looking into that one.*

3. American Revolution was the only name I knew it as for most of my life. Definitely what we learned in school, but then I think our history class had royalist leanings. ;-)

*ETA - over 1,000 copies here on LT. How did I not know about this book?

26. Infidelity, Stacey May Fowles, 2013


Cover comments: Excellent in both style and symbolism. Suits the novel in a clever way. The inside of this book is also pleasing in design, with the page numbers on the side of the page. Well done, David Gee.

Comments: While helping her fiance cater an event, hairdresser and risk-taker Ronnie meets Charlie, who is the new writer in residence at the University of Toronto. They begin an affair. This book is not a romance, so you can see from the beginning that this is not going to have a happy ending. Charlie is married and has a son with autism, Ronnie has been struggling with fertility problems.

I struggle to describe this book adequately. Let me just say that I didn't like any of the characters, yet I really enjoyed reading it and breezed through it in a couple of days. I think the fact that I cared so much about a book where I didn't care for the characters says that this is a well-written story.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Recommended for: readers who like books with realistically drawn people and situations.

Why I Read This Now: After enjoying Though the Keyhole: Sex, Scandal and Secret Life of the Country House, I saw Infidelity in my TBR pile and figured I was still in the mood for some bad behaviour by married people -- better in print than in real life, right?

(BTW -- what's up with touchstones lately? For this novel, it thought I wanted Mockingjay. Similarities? Both books have words. That's about it. )

>134 Nickelini: does anyone like All the Light We Cannot See? I haven't read a good review of it yet despite all the hype.

>140 AlisonY: Evidently -- average 4.5 star rating here at LT. Lots of 5 star reviews. My dislike is perhaps unfair -- I can tell it's the sort of book I'm unlikely to enjoy, but read it only because of book club. I'd probably have liked it better if I wasn't under duress.

>138 Nickelini: The book I was looking for was James Lees-Milne. It doesn't sound exciting as such but this was a man with the National Trust who had affairs with many of the English establishment, including Harold Nicolson, who then married in his forties, and whose wife then had an affair with Vita Sackville- West. Given the connections with the world of architecture, art and gardening, and with those in the world in which he moved, it sounded like an interesting book.

The Sontag/Hamilton connection was one that intrigued me when I saw it on a bookstore shelf, so the cart it went.

The touchstones are indeed wonky lately.

>142 SassyLassy: - Oh! I need that. I read a book by James Lees-Milne a few years ago -- Some Country Houses and Their Owners (Penguin English Journeys series). It was fabulous! Thanks for introducing me to that book.

"Forced" was a big part of my problem with All the Light We Cannot See too. Although I was totally bored by the German boy's story instead of the other one. :)

>143 Nickelini: It was on sale in paperback on Book Depository yesterday. The North American prices were outrageous. Your enabler says "Act Quickly".

Joyce, you will appreciate this article from The New Republic, titled "One-Armed Nazis and Albino Children: The Year's Surprise Bestseller Turns the Holocaust into a Sentimental Mess."

>146 Cariola:

A very interesting article. I don't entirely agree, but I see his point.

However, there's no way Werner was Albino. Or if he was, the author did no research whatsoever on Albinism, and missed every single detail about what life is like for someone with the condition. I don't remember Werner ever being called Albino. Perhaps they said he had fair skin and white blond hair. That's not the same thing (says someone with similar colouring).

>147 Nickelini: I think the reviewer just took such a dislike to the book that he wasn't too concerned with details.

>148 Cariola: I try to guard against that. I think it weakens one's case.

27. Blaming, Elizabeth Taylor, 1976


Cover comments: I'm not too keen on the latest editions that Virago Modern Classics has designed for Elizabeth Taylor's novels, although I guess it's okay. None of the characters in the book look like this woman, so I'm not sure what this picture is all about.

I prefer the old classic green cover:


Comments: Middle aged Amy is on a cruise with her husband in Turkey when he suddenly dies. Martha, an American living in London helps her get back to England, and they form an unusual friendship. Oh dear, I'm not describing this very well.

Taylor is a master at writing relationships and round characters. Her observational skills remind me of Jane Austen. I absolutely loved this book; however, as with another Taylor I loved (Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont), it was depressing. But still fabulous.

Blaming is on the 1001 books list.

Why I Read This Now: I love mid-20th century books written by British women.

Rating: 4.5 big shiny stars

Recommended for: readers who love books with well drawn characters.

I need to give Taylor another try. I read A View of the Harbor and didn't really like it, though I can't remember much about it or why I didn't like it anymore (and this was only 3 years ago). I typically enjoy that era of writing, though, so I'll try again at some point.

>151 japaul22: Well, she's a pretty subtle writer. Maybe you were in the mood for something more robust at the time. As much as I love this sort of book, I'm definitely not always in the mood for it.

Yes, that's possible. Though I don't remember specifics of the book, I do remember the general tone and I'll wait for a time when I'm ready for it to try her books again.

28. Life & Times of Michael K, JM Coetzee, 1983


Cover comments: Yawn. I looked at the other covers used for this book, and there isn't a single one that I like. This isn't the worst.

Comments: Life & Times of Michael K begins when Michael K is 31 and ends a year or two later. So much for life and times.

Michael is born with a cleft lip and his single mother, who worked as a maid, abandoned him to an institution in Cape Town. He grows up to become a city gardener, but his mother gets ill and tells him he must take her back to her rural birthplace to die. In this alternate South Africa, civil war is raging, and martial law is imposed. Without travel permits and documentation Michael learns to live under the radar and become as much of a non-person as he can be. Early on their trip, his mother dies. Michael tries to live off the land and hides on an abandoned farm in the veld. He is captured, put into a camp, escapes, lives off the land, captured, repeat. His only goal is to tend his garden.

When I was reading this, I thought "This is unlike any book I've read before," but then I realized that while that is true, it also reminded me of every book set against apartheid for its setting, and Bartleby the Scrivener for the main character, Kafka for the 'K' and also a man lost in a system he doesn't understand, Being There for a deceptively simple man who just wants to garden, the film "The Gods Must Be Crazy" for a man who doesn't value western possessions and also who can't live under society's restrictions, and even "District 9" for the incompetent South African authorities.

One aspect that I found really interesting is that although this novel is obviously a chastisement against South African apartheid, race is never mentioned. There is one sentence that identifies Michael as "CM" (coloured male), but that's it.

Life & Times of Michael K is short, the language is clean and simple, and the story packs a strong punch. It is on the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list and won the Booker Prize in 1983. Coetzee also won the Pulitzer Prize.

Recommended for: highly recommended for a wide audience.

Why I Read This Now: I was moving some books and decided to read the first page of each of them. This is the one that caught my attention.

Rating: Although I thought this book was very good, it's not really my thing, so I'm going to give it 4 stars.

Thats a nice idea to read the first page of a pile of books to see if you want to read further. Do you do that in bookshops?

Hmm, one page would not be enough for me to make a decision on a book. Maybe 25. I need to do this as the books are starting to pile up again (and I'm not even using the swap sites anymore).

>155 baswood: - I do sometimes, if I'm unfamiliar with the book.

>156 Cariola: I just did this to get a quick impression and see if anything struck my fancy. If I've given it 25 pages I'd consider the book well started and that I'd committed myself to read it.

If I read the first paragraph or first page of a stack of 10 books, I can say "well, today this one seems the most interesting."

A coworker of mine said that you should be able to open a book to a random page, read that page, and know whether it was worth reading or not. I don't know that I agree. I mean, you can probably tell if it's not worth reading in some cases, but even that I'm not entirely sure about. And if you opened to the middle section of Cloud Atlas, you'd certainly get a false impression of what the entire book would be like. (Although if you were 100% sure you would not be able to deal with reading any of that, then I guess it would still have been a good test.)

Noting the Elizabeth Taylor book - sounds like my kind of depressing read!

29. Dancing Girls, Margaret Atwood, 1977


Cover comments: oh look, a woman's back and obscured face. How unique (insert eye roll here). That said, as a group these late 90s McClelland & Stewart covers look nice on the book shelf.

Comments: Atwood's first short story collection is made up of 14 stories that show an experimental period in her development as a writer. The Cambridge Introduction to Margaret Atwood notes that these stories "are characterized by a sense of miscommunication, or by the sense of an event happening slightly offstage. The heart of several of these stories is an inexplicable departure, a failure to connect events and disappearances, or a lack of communication about the importance of events."

I very much enjoyed the stories "Rape Fantasies" and "A Travel Piece," which seemed livelier than the others. "The War in the Bathroom," "The Grave of the Famous Poet, and "The Resplendent Quetzal" also had interesting things to say. The rest of the collection I did not care for at all. "The Man from Mars" is popular with many readers, but I was frustrated with how incredibly dated it was, and "Hair Jewellery" was such a word salad that I couldn't finish it. I'm afraid too many of these stories were overly-vague and lacking in context, which in turn made them pointless and dull.

Note that my 1998 edition has two different stories than the original Dancing Girls. Gone are "Betty" and "Sin Eaters," and they've been replaced by "Rape Fantasies" and "The War in the Bathroom."

Why I Read This Now: I try to read an Atwood a year as I have many of her books in my TBR pile. There was an Atwood read over at the 75 Books Group in April, which is when I started this. I have a Short Story Category in my Category Challenge. Dancing Girls is a Virago Modern Classic.

Recommended for: Atwood completists.

>134 Nickelini: I read this earlier this year and gave it a 4-star rating. When I read your review I realized that there is little I remember about it, a sure sign of a less-than-stellar book. I've since downgraded my rating to three stars. I once spent a vacation in St Malo - with many history lessons about their WWII experience - and I believe it was the nostalgic revisit to the city that prompted my original rating. That part still applies.

>161 VivienneR: All the Light We Cannot See did make St Malo look like a fabulous place to visit, and that sort of thing always increases my liking of a book if I've enjoyed that location too. I'm envious that you got to go there! One day . . .

30. The Sleeper and the Spindle, 2014, Neil Gaiman, illustrations by Chris Riddell


Cover comments: beyond gorgeous. The writing and the rose vine are printed on a vellum dustjacket, and the sleeping princess is printed underneath on the book cover itself.

Comments: This is a retelling; a dark, twisted take on "Sleeping Beauty," and , as we slowly learn, "Snow White." Not a damsel in distress to be found, all the princes are off being heroes somewhere else, and there are even zombies. The illustrations are fabulous. I enjoyed this illustrated book very much indeed.



Recommended for people who like fairy tale retellings, people who like fairy tales with kickass females, and people who appreciate illustrated books.

Some readers were disappointed that 1) there wasn't much character development. Hello! It's a fairy tale -- flat characters are one of the hallmarks. That's sort of like faulting Charles Dickens for his lack of car chases. And 2) some readers are upset that this isn't a lesbian retelling, which they expected because of this picture:


Sorry, in this story, a kiss is just a kiss.

Rating: 4 shiny, twinkly stars.

Why I Read This Now: I borrowed it in March and it doesn't take 3 months to read a 66 page book.

>I'd probably have liked it better if I wasn't under duress.
I read All the Light We Cannot See NOT under duress and DID like it more than you did -- i.e. 2 stars instead of 1!!

Interested in your review of Blaming, I've wanted another by Taylor after Mrs. Palfrey.

>154 Nickelini: I was moving some books and decided to read the first page of each of them
After I've gathered prospects for books to take on a vacation, I do this (first few pages) to finalize.

31. The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov, 1967 (written in the 1930s), translated by Mirra Ginsburg


Cover comments: It's striking, and different, and relevant to the story, so I guess that's pretty good.

Comments: Satan and his entourage arrive in 1930s Moscow, subsequently, wild and crazy things start to happen everywhere.

I expect Russian literature to be dour, serious, and difficult, and I'm happy to say that The Master and Margarita was none of those. It was humorous, but a bit to frantic and manic for my tastes. I adored the two chapters, 'Azazello's Cream' and 'Flight,' where Margarita turns in to a witch. In fact, I liked them so much that I immediately went back and reread them.

I had to question why this is considered an important example of magic realism, since most of the magic was of the traditional black magic type. I see though that it's a subversive piece of political satire, which is one of the strongest marks of magic realism, so yes, I agree that it's MR after all.

My edition didn't have notes, so I didn't have the option of getting bogged down in all the allusions to Stalin and the Soviet system. I didn't worry about it.

Why I Read This Now: I've been listening to podcasts about mythology of the ancient world, and have bumped in to Satan and Hell. What I've always learned about these two topics is very different from the historical record, and so I looked in my TBR pile to see if I had any relevant books. The Master and Margarita was at the top of the list, and the same day I discovered this, I read Avidmom's excellent review and was encouraged to give it a go.

Recommended for: a wide audience. It can be read on many levels. The Master and Margarita is on many of those "must read' lists.

Rating: a bit of a mixed one for me, so 3.5 stars.

32. One Good Story, That One: Stories, Thomas King, 1993


Cover comments: Great cover for this book. The coyote trickster makes several appearances.

Comments: Thomas King is a master storyteller, and this collection of 10 short stories highlights his various styles. My favourite is when he uses a straightforward tales with a touch of magic realism, such as "Totem," or even sci-fi ("How Corporal Colin Sterling Saved Blossom, Alberta and Most of the Rest of the World As Well"). Simply written, but subversive, clever, funny, and politically incorrect. I'm not as keen on his first person narrated stories where he uses dialect, short choppy sentences, and lists.

This collection contains the wonderful story "Borders," which I first read at university, and is one of my all-time favourite short stories. I think I'll add "Totem" to that list too.

Thomas King is considered a prominent voice in Canadian First Nations culture, even though he grew up in the US, and is half-Cherokee and half-Greek.

Rating: Although I quite disliked a few of these stories, the others were so strong that overall I give this 150 p book four sparkly stars.

Recommended for: everyone, but a sense of humour is required.

Why I Read This Now: my book club is meeting on King's non-fiction the Inconvenient Indian which I didn't like much, although I think it's an important book. I want to go and talk up his strong points.

33. The Bookshop, Penelope Fitzgerald, 1978


Cover comments: Love the quietness of this, love the old books, love the typeface, absolutely love the colours. It's also part of a set of Penelope Fitzgerald novels done in this style, and they of course look super together.

Comments: A short, quiet novel about a widow who moves to a small town in East Anglia in 1959 and opens a bookshop. Unfortunately, no one in the town wants a bookshop, and in fact, the proprietor herself doesn't even seem to be that keen on it. The ending is very sad.

Some stunningly beautiful writing, but overall I didn't like The Bookshop as much as other Fitzgerald novels I've read. It was nominated for the Booker Prize.

Recommended for: people who like sad, quiet novels.

Why I Read This Now: I have several Fitzgerald's on my TBR pile. Needed to scurry back to England after the last few books I've read.

34. The Women in Black, Madeleine St John, 1994


Cover Comments: Adorable!

Rating: Four and three-quarters stars. This is my favourite book this year so far. Loved it.

Comments: This charming novel, set at Christmas in a sophisticated department store in Sydney, Australia in the late 1950s, revolves around a small cast of women who work in the cocktail frock department. There isn't all that much of a plot, but it's just interesting to see their different lives and their struggles. I love this camera-like snapshot of the time and place -- it was fun to compare the Sydney I remember from the early 80s with the 1950s version (written in the 1990s), although I don't think you have to have ever been to Sydney to love this story. Subtle, lovely writing, interesting and unique characters, and a touch of humour made this a fabulous book that I was always happy to sit down and enjoy. Unfortunately, it appears to be out of print, but I was lucky to run across a used copy.

I must say, I've never read a book that used the word "frock" so many times. Here in Canada, we use some British terms and some US terms, but "frock" is one that we use only ironically. I was baffled and amused at the dress sizes, which had been replaced by standard numbers before I got to Oz:

Patty Williams's frock was an SSW as we know, whereas Fay Baines was an SW, but Miss Jacobs was a perfect OSW, especially around the bust." After running into people being referred to by their dress size and continuing to puzzle, my friend Google steered me to an Australian vintage clothing website that explained:

XXSSW = Extra, extra slim small woman.
XSSW = Extra slim small woman.
SSW = Slim small woman.
SW = Small woman.
W = Woman.
XW = Extra woman.
SOS = Small(?) outsized
OS = Outsized.
XOS = Extra outsized.
etc

Wow. That's bizarre. Still not sure what those terms mean, but I get the idea. No idea what size I'd be.

Why I Read This Now: Felt like an Aussie book, have wanted to read this one for years.

Recommended for: readers who like charming books and don't need a lot of action or car chases.

>165 Nickelini: where are you finding the mythology podcasts?

Catching up from too far back to admit to, so i'm not even commenting on all your old reviews except to say that I totally agree on All the Light We Cannot See (i thumbed a few reviews)

>165 Nickelini: glad you liked M&M, and interesting about the magical realism. I'm not sure that's what he had in mind.

>166 Nickelini: interesting about Thomas King

Interesting on Fizgerald and especially on Madeleine St John.

>169 dchaikin: where are you finding the mythology podcasts?

I go into the podcast area of my iPhone and search whatever topic I'm interested in, for example "Zoroastrianism" or "Hell" and see what comes up. It's been a wide range of sources. One that I like is BBC In Our Time: Culture, and another is the Mythicist Milwaukee Show. Both of these do a lot of other topics too, but they have lots that interests me.

>169 dchaikin: glad you liked M&M, and interesting about the magical realism. I'm not sure that's what he had in mind. Good point, since it's probably one of the first examples of magical realism. I'm sure he didn't say "hmm, I'm going to write some subversive political satire where the unreal becomes real, because magical realism is a good way to express that." Yeah, I'd say you're right on that one.

Oddly I had never thought to search podcasts in this way. Think I was missing a whole world. Thanks!

>168 Nickelini: The Women in Black onto the wishlist, I like the period and stories set in workplaces. Amazon and my library system both have it. haha probably should be a reward only after I read Zola's The Ladies' Paradise from my TBRs :)

Also interested to think about searching podcasts by topic.

>165 Nickelini: I'm glad that you (mostly) liked The Master and Margarita. I re-read that first chapter over and over. The Women in Black sounds great.

35. A Little Stranger, Kate Pullinger, 2004


Cover comments: I like this cover, and the tulips are even a minor element in the story, but it looks a bit self-published. It isn't.

Comments:Fran is struggling with being stuck at home with a toddler. Her perfect life in London, married to her childhood sweetheart isn't so perfect anymore. On a whim, Fran flees to Las Vegas, where she meets Leslie, who is fleeing demons of her own. The two end up back in Vancouver, where Leslie lives and where Fran grew up.

There is some lovely writing in this, and it's highly readable--so much so that I almost missed my stop on the train. The weakness of the book is that some of the themes and tangential threads are a bit thin, and there are a few too many coincidences for my liking. But overall it was a good read and I look forward to more from Kate Pullinger.

Why I Read This Now: rearranging a bookcase and this one didn't fit back in; also, I have several books by this author in my TBR pile.

Recommended: people who like stories about dysfunctional families. Readers who lose their shit when a fictional mother abandons her child (even temporarily) should stay away from this one.

36. The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories 3, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, wirrow & others, 2013


Cover comments: suits the book but the art inside is much better

Comments: Well isn't this just the most delightful thing ever. 72 "stories" that combine a sentence or two with art to tell a story, by a wide range of artists and poets. Some are deep, some silly, some dark, some playful. I will definitely hunt down Volumes 1 & 2.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Why I Read This Now: my daughter was organizing her book case, I saw this, and read it.

Recommended for: people who like whimsy and illustrated books.

Please join me at my new thread for the second half of 2016.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/226530