"All You Need is Ove"

I wish I could take credit for the catchy title but I must confess I filched it from the back cover of my latest read. It was A Man Called Ove, originally written in Swedish by Fredrick Backman. What a book!

Here we are, six or seven weeks into 2016 and I may very well have just read my favourite book of the year! 4.5 stars folks - and from a historically frugal star giver.

Where do I start? For one thing the main character is truly unforgettable, a quintessential curmudgeon with a heart of gold. Then there is the underlying romance which rates up there with all the Romeos and Juliets you can think of in literature. There are many other relationships throughout displaying love in all its many forms. I couldn't put it down but then I had to put it down to prolong the reading. I didn't want it to ever end.

I read it at the beach but it is not a beach book per se (at least not the way I think of that genre). It is extremely well written and often very funny. A lady came up to me and asked my how it was as she belonged to a book club and wondered if it might make a good choice. I hope no one noticed the tears streaming down my face towards the end. Don't be put off by that - it was a happy sad, if that makes any sense!

Here's a passage that shows the author's cleverness with words;

     "Cat out! No animals in cafe!" Amel slashes at the consonants
      so that they hop about like naughty children caught inside
      the sentence."

Don't you love that?
Penny

Beach books

Sometimes I have a need to read something that won't tax this old brain of mine too much. The type of book that most people appear to be reading as I look around and spy on them at beaches. I have yet to see someone reading Shakespeare. I see lots of mysteries or legal thrillers or romances.

Full disclosure here. I read more than one book at a time. I know - my bad. Anyway a beach book fits in nicely with whatever I'm reading even if I'm not at the beach. I seldom pull quotes from these types of books or have to consult a dictionary. This is not to insult them. It's just that they are mostly composed with simple, concise language and a story that moves along nicely.

Some of my favourites have been works by Maeve Binchey and Elizabeth Berg. I tend to like British authors, mostly female and I like thrillers too and authors like Dean Koontz.

I just finished This is Your Life, Harriet Chance! written by Jonathan Eviston. The narration is like that of the old TV show when the host recalls moments and people from the guests' pasts. It mostly works though I think it could get on your nerves were the book any longer. We learn some shocking things about Harriet's past. She is also visited by a ghost like figure that is her deceased husband. (Surprisingly I didn't mind the author including that character in that manner.) She is carrying his remains in a yogurt container to disperse while on an Alaskan cruise. Overall I liked it but like I said I'm glad it was short!

By the way - I did not read it at the beach.
Penny
This sunbather appears to have put down his book for a little afternoon siesta!

Sanibel Island, 2014

The Illegal by Lawrence Hill

A few years ago I read Lawrence Hill's The Book of Negroes and thought it was a decent read, thus, I anticipated digging into his latest, The Illegal. On paper (pun intended) it had all the ingredients of a good novel. There is a nice variety of characters, some likable and some not - just the way it should be! The plot is great and the intersecting story lines are interesting enough. There is nothing off putting in the language and no other obvious faults. So why wasn't this a satisfying read for me?

Arguably the most important element of any book is that certain "je ne sais quoi". It's what captures you when you first begin a book. At its best you find yourself reading way past your bedtime because you can't put the darn book down. This book did not grab me. Now, to be fair, it's certainly not the author's fault. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this particular book at this particular time. It happens.

I really wanted to like this work because at the time I decided to read it it was on the long list for the upcoming Canada Reads. I just learned that it will indeed be a finalist and will be debated by the panel so I am grateful to know at least one of the books. I'm not inclined to read any of the others unless perhaps one of my book friends gives me a compelling reason to do so.

I really must put more thought into why I appreciate some books more than others. I feel I am not being very fair to the writers - a group of people I truly admire and respect.

Here's the shortlist for Canada Reads 2016:

The Hero’s Walk by Anita Rau Badami (Vintage Canada)
Celebrity defender: Filmmaker Vinay Virmani

The Illegal by Lawrence Hill (HarperCollins)
Celebrity defender: Olympic medalist and humanitarian Clara Hughes

Birdie by Tracey Lindberg (HarperCollins)
Celebrity defender: Entrepreneur and adventurer Bruce Poon Tip

Bone and Bread by Saleema Nawaz (House of Anansi Press)
Celebrity defender: Social entrepreneur Farah Mohamed

Minister Without Portfolio by Michael Winter (Penguin Canada)
Celebrity defender: Actor and former pro wrestler Adam Copeland

I can't wait to see what happens!
Penny

Books and Journeys

Aren't most novels about the human journey through life? Perhaps we enjoy those whose characters most resemble our own circumstances or maybe we prefer the ones where the experiences are least like our own?

Some books are more literal in this regard. One that comes to mind is The Unlikely Pilgrimage of  Harold Fry. And then there is one of my recent reads entitled Carrying Albert Home: The Somewhat True Story of a Man, His Wife, and Her Alligator. 

Make no mistake - that alligator is a main character in the story. Elsie babies the damn thing and calls him her "little boy". He's allowed onto the sofa to cuddle with Elsie and is often noted as smiling with his "toothy grin". Elsie has another issue as well. She can't get over her obsession with an old boyfriend called Buddy Ebsen - yes the one and only Jed Clampett! Homer finally gives his wife an ultimatum after fleeing another attempt by Albert to bite him - either Albert goes or he does. She reluctantly agrees but only if they drive Albert back to Orlando from whence he came. Albert was a wedding gift from the aforementioned Buddy Ebsen! Their adventures en route to Florida are quite amusing. It's hard to believe this book is based on stories told to the author by his parents. Did I mention the rooster? He has no name and is part of the adventures too. He liked to sit on Albert's back for no apparent reason.

I gotta say it was really pretty good and there are several laugh out loud moments. Elsie, who is quite a mean wife has the most personal growth from the trip south. She says, "I have come to understand I'm on a journey that is more than a journey". And perhaps more profoundly, "Maybe that's what life is, Elsie said, "Mysteries atop mysteries. We think we know everything but we don't know anything, not really." Wouldn't it be strange if Albert knew? Or maybe the rooster? They know what life means and what it is for but can't tell us except to show us." "And we don't even realize they're doing it and don't pay any attention," Elsie said."

A recommended read!
Penny

My Christmas Gift

Common Ground by Justin Trudeau

Nobody buys me books. Why would they? If there is something I feel like reading I probably have it already. It is the one area of my life where money is no object. If I want it, I buy it - it's as simple as that. I must admit I indulge myself rather frequently.

Everyone that is except my dad who bought me Common Ground this past Christmas. Dad was doing what dads do best - giving me something that would be good for me. One should learn about their Prime Minister whether one agrees with his/her policies or not. Okay, so I gave it a go and I'm not sorry I did. I took a stroll down memory lane when Trudeau recounted incidents in his childhood years, spoke of his mother, or talked about his father's politics. It's a quick read, in clear prose and written in a style that would appeal to most readers. I feel like I know him and his ideas a little bit better now.

A few years ago dad gave me Living History by Hillary Clinton claiming it should be required reading by me as she was destined to be the first female American president. That is still to be determined, but again I read something that may never have been on my reading wishlist.

Yes, I liked both of these books but truth be told I read them only because they were gifts and particularly because they were from my dad. It makes me wonder, however, if there isn't some undue pressure placed on the recipient when they are gifted a book? I enjoy giving books as presents but perhaps I need to rethink this practice?

Penny

I'm guessing that Hillary Clinton's book follows Bill's on my shelf - 2 shelves below Furby

A New Year and a New Blog!

Greetings everyone in blogger land.

I have had it in my mind for sometime now to do a blog about books and reading. I've been inspired by my friend Betty whose book blog I read with great interest.

Whenever I finish a book I feel like I want to share my impression and I sometimes do that in the back of the book (in pencil, of course - although some would say it a sacrilege to write in books at all). I do not want to write what you'd call a review, only just a few comments. You, my friends will be the readers of said comments.

So how do I begin? Well, I should start off with something I've just read I suppose but instead I will tell you about last year's reading. I went over my records to find all the books to which I gave 4 or more stars out of 5. I must state here that I am a very stingy star giver. That's something I intend to change in the future. (One might say a resolution of sorts.)

In 2015 I read 47 books and only 7 of them got 4 or more stars. Percentage wise it doesn't seem like I read very many great books and I think I did. That's why I've got to get a little more generous with the stars. Also surprising to me was the fact that 5 of those books were non-fiction.

Two 4 star reads in fiction were The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, a book not everyone loved, and the other was Stoner by John Williams. If I told you the plot of Stoner you would think it likely a bore. You could not be more wrong. This book was a master class in writing. I often couldn't put it down. Arguably the best book I read in 2015 was Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis. It got 4.5 stars! It won the Giller prize so I guess others think it was pretty good too!

The list of non-fiction 4 star reads from 2015, in no particular order:

Soul of a Lion: One Woman's Quest to Rescue Africa's Wildlife Refugees by Barbara Bennett
One for the Books by Joe Queenan
Turn My Mourning into Dancing by Henri Nouwen
The End of Religion: Encountering the Subversive Spirituality of Jesus by Bruxy Cavey
Kiss Guide to Yoga by Shakta Kaur Kalsa

Those who know me personally will think that list sums up a lot of my interests rather well!

Penny