The Tiger, by John Vaillant

A wonderful and enlightening read by Canadian author, John Vaillant. Well written, artfully paced, it was a joy to read. I love they way other topics are so deftly woven into the fabric of the story. Yes, you get a suspenseful story of a Siberia or Amor Tiger stalking human prey, but you also get a better understanding of the former Soviet Union, anthropology, hunting mentality, travel literature and so much more.

Along with the Tiger, and its victim, Markov, one of the most compelling characters is Yuri Trush. The book allows him to develop wonderfully as a character. You come to know him and like him. I can believe that Brad Pitt would indeed want to play this character in the movie version of this book. The suspense builds like some kind of Stephen King novel, but this is a true story!

Award Winners

I'm so excited to hear that Patrick deWitt's novel, The Sisters Brothers was awarded the GG for fiction. I'm currently reading Half Blood Blues, by Esi Edugyan -- the Booker Prize winner -- and with this announcement, I now have two award winning titles to read in the near future. All is well in my world. Good thing too, because I've had a dearth of good books lately.

The Cellist of Sarajevo, by Steven Galloway

I finished this book last night and I'm still absorbing it. It struck me particularly hard, because I remember the siege and contemplating what I could do to help. I wasn't sure I could be a relief worker, or a volunteer. It was so inconceivable that such a modern city to be reduced to such a degree. It still is...

This book, like the music I imagined in the book, moved me greatly. Each character seemed to represent a different musical refrain or movement. The characters were ordinary people trying to survive in extraordinary times as they struggles to maintain their dignity and their humanity.

I don't even know what book to read next because how can I give a new book a chance with this one still echoing in my mind.

Here is the summary:

This brilliant novel with universal resonance tells the story of three people trying to survive in a city rife with the extreme fear of desperate times, and of the sorrowing cellist who plays undaunted in their midst. One day a shell lands in a bread line and kills twenty-two people as the cellist watches from a window in his flat. He vows to sit in the hollow where the mortar fell and play Albinoni's Adagio once a day for each of the twenty-two victims. The Adagio had been re-created from a fragment after the only extant score was firebombed in the Dresden Music Library, but the fact that it had been rebuilt by a different composer into something new and worthwhile gives the cellist hope. Meanwhile, Kenan steels himself for his weekly walk through the dangerous streets to collect water for his family on the other side of town, and Dragan, a man Kenan doesn't know, tries to make his way towards the source of the free meal he knows is waiting. Both men are almost paralyzed with fear, uncertain when the next shot will land on the bridges or streets they must cross, unwilling to talk to their old friends of what life was once like before divisions were unleashed on their city. Then there is "Arrow," the pseudonymous name of a gifted female sniper, who is asked to protect the cellist from a hidden shooter who is out to kill him as he plays his memorial to the victims. In this beautiful and unforgettable novel, Steven Galloway has taken an extraordinary, imaginative leap to create a story that speaks powerfully to the dignity and generosity of the human spirit under extraordinary duress.

The Camel Club, by David Baldacci

As mentioned in my earlier post, on occasion I try to read outside my regular reading preferences. First it was Mansfield Park, and then I moved to the 21st Century and popular author David Baldacci. I didn't even ready the publisher's blurb, below. I went in blind and within the first few pages I knew this would be the last Baldacci novel I would read. This has to be one of the most testosterone filled books I have ever read. It is retchingly American -- it was reminiscent of the movie, Independence Day. When one of the main character's brake lines were cut, I thought I would scream. In time, however, I was better able to accept the premise, the stock characters, and cliches. In fact, at the end, I wanted to see how the author was going to wrap up everything nicely, and he did -- all the loose ends were tied up into a nice bow.

So at this point, I believe I can take a break from expanding my reading horizons and enjoy books for the sake of enjoying them. Part way through The Camel Club, I started the Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway and I'm thoroughly enjoying. It's interesting how both books deal with terrorists and the horrors or war, and yet they couldn't be more different. Yup, I've expanded my reading horizons but I'm going to continue to explore the many wonderful authors that appeal to my reading preference. Sometimes you have to travel to new lands in order to fully appreciate familiar territory.

Publisher's blurb:
Existing in the fringes of Washington, D.C. the Club consists of four eccentric members. Led by a mysterious man known as "Oliver Stone," they study conspiracy theories, current events, and the machinations of government to discover the "truth" behind the country's actions. Their efforts bear little fruit until the group witnesses a shocking murder, and become embroiled in an astounding, far-reaching conspiracy. Now the Club must join forces with a Secret Service agent to confront one of the most chilling spectacle ever to take place on American soil -- an event that may trigger the ultimate war between two different worlds. And all that stands in the way of this apocalypse is five unexpected heroes.

Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen

I thought it would be a good idea to try to expand my reading horizons -- read a classic -- and become enamoured with Jane Austen. In University one HAD to read Austen, and I don't have particularly good memories of the feat. I thought the passing of time could have changed me enough to savour Austen's style. It didn't really work out that way... Reading Mansfield Park made me realize that I'm truly a post modern gal. Yes, I have to admit that Austen certainly offered some pretty amazing character studies, but the pacing was difficult for me. Furthermore, I could not accept the premise that first cousins could / would marry!

Summary:
The story chronicles the life of Miss Fanny Price. A poor girl of little consequence and even less wealth is is taken in by her childless aunt and immediately installed in the house of the third aunt, the Lady of Mansfield Park. Fanny could see the hypocrisy and selfishness of her social circle, and rises about it demonstrating "virtue and constancy" in a harsh world.

The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise, by Julia Stuart

The Dewey Diva's promoted this book saying you had to read for no other reason than its surprise ending. I'm not sure if the ending is the most memorable aspects of this novel but the characters certainly are wonderful. Balthazar Jones and his wife, Hebe, are a poignant pair and demonstrated such mourning, that I almost stopped reading this work. Reverend Septimus Drew and his love interest Ruby Dore are delightfully funny. The friendship between Hebe and Valerie Jennings is wonderful to witness -- low key, but exhibits such depth. And the courtship between Valerie and Arthur Catnip is charming. Mix in some ghosts, zoo animals, a tortoise and a treasure trove of lost items from London's Underground, and you will be thoroughly entertained. Oh, living in the Tower of London is an experience, as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and its characters. I'm not surprised that I enjoyed it so much. I just noticed that the inside cover promotes it to be in the tradition of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Chocolat.

The Ape House, by Sara Gruen

I didn't expect to enjoy this novel -- perhaps because the cover wasn't particularly appealing, but I was pleasantly surprised. In the end, I actually cared about John and Amanda, as well as Isabel, and of course, the apes. There were a number of touching moments, and the pacing was good. Yes, the bad characters were very bad, and the good had overcome a host of obstacles. There was even a stripper with a heart of gold (sorta), and a cast of other character types, but it was enjoyable and engaging. It was a lovely read for a long road trip...

Publishers blurb:

Sam, Bonzi, Lola, Mbongo, Jelani, and Makena are no ordinary apes. These bonobos, like others of their species, are capable of reason and carrying on deep relationships - but unlike most bonobos, they also know American Sign Language.

Isabel Duncan, a scientist at the Great Ape Language Lab, doesn''t understand people, but animals she gets - especially the bonobos. Isabel feels more comfortable in their world than she''s ever felt among humans… until she meets John Thigpen, a very married reporter who braves the ever-present animal rights protesters outside the lab to see what''s really going on inside.

When an explosion rocks the lab, severely injuring Isabel and "liberating" the apes, John''s human interest piece turns into the story of a lifetime, one he''ll risk his career and his marriage to follow. Then a reality TV show featuring the missing apes debuts under mysterious circumstances, and it immediately becomes the biggest - and unlikeliest - phenomenon in the history of modern media. Millions of fans are glued to their screens watching the apes order greasy take-out, have generous amounts of sex, and sign for Isabel to come get them. Now, to save her family of apes from this parody of human life, Isabel must connect with her own kind, including John, a green-haired vegan, and a retired porn star with her own agenda.

Little Bee by Chris Cleaves

This books was recommended to me by a colleague. She described it as one of the best books she ever read, and I tend to agree that it is highly moving, disturbing and like the novel Blindness, illustrates the strength of the human spirit -- at its worse and best... I wish I had never read the rape scene. I'm not sure if I can ever erase the horror this passage created.

I was wonderfully written. I particularly like the way Cleaves alternatives the narrator between chapters and the way he has the story unfold. Intriguing, horrifying, beautiful and moving are just a few words that come to mind when thinking about this book. My colleague did not lead my astray by recommending this book.

Summary: Sarah Summers is enjoying a holiday on a Nigerian beach when a young girl named Little Bee crashes irrevocably into her life. All it takes is a brief and horrifying moment of crisis -- a terrifying scene that no reader will forget. Afterwards, Sarah and Little Bee might expect never to see each other again. But Little Bee finds Sarah's husband's wallet in the sand, and smuggles herself on board a cargo vessel with his address in mind. She spends two years in detention in England before making her way to Sarah's house, with what will prove to be devastating timing. Chapter by chapter, alternating between Little Bee's voice and Sarah's, Chris Cleavewholly and caringly portrays two very different women trying to cope with events they'd never imagined. Little Bee is experiencing all the fullness and emptiness of the rich world for the first time, and her observations are hopeful, charming and piercing: "Most days I wish I was a British pound coin instead of an African girl," she says: "Everyone would be pleased to see me coming." Sarah is more cynical and disheartened, a successful magazine editor trying to find meaning in the face of turmoil at home and work. As the story develops, however, we learn about what matters most to her, including her fierce, protective love for her funny little son ("From the Spring of 2007 until the end of that long summer when Little Bee came to live with us," Sarah says, "my son removed his Batman costume only at bathtimes."). Sarah is trying to find herself as much as Little Bee is -- and, unexpectedly, each character discovers a ray of hope in the other. What follows when Little Bee comes back into Sarah's life is a powerful story of reconciliation and healing, but it is mixed in with a generous helping of satire about the daily difficulties of modern life. This is a novel about important issues, from refugee policy to the devastating effects of violence, but more than that, it does something only great fiction can:Little Beeteaches us what it is like to live through experiences most of us think of only as far off disasters in the news. As ever, the author says it best: "It's an uplifting, thrilling, universal human story, and I just worked to keep it simple. One brave African girl; one brave Western woman. What if one just turned up on the other's doorstep one misty morning and asked, Can you help? And what if that help wasn't just a one-way street?"

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

French author, Muriel Barbery, writes an engaging and inspiring novel that is both rich and succulent, full of nuances and humour. The use of language is divine -- I had to look up such words as incunabulum and kolkhoz. I loved the language, as well as the characters. It was lovely... I'm almost sad that it is finished.

From Booklist: In a bourgeois apartment building in Paris, we encounter Renée, an intelligent, philosophical, and cultured concierge who masks herself as the stereotypical uneducated “super” to avoid suspicion from the building’s pretentious inhabitants. Also living in the building is Paloma, the adolescent daughter of a parliamentarian, who has decided to commit suicide on her thirteenth birthday because she cannot bear to live among the rich. Although they are passing strangers, it is through Renée’s observations and Paloma’s journal entries that The Elegance of the Hedgehog reveals the absurd lives of the wealthy. That is until a Japanese businessman moves into the building and brings the two characters together. A critical success in France, the novel may strike a different chord with some readers in the U.S. The plot thins at moments and is supplanted with philosophical discourse on culture, the ruling class, and the injustices done to the poor, leaving the reader enlightened on Kant but disappointed with the story at hand.

The Lost Painting

What a slog this books was to read. I enjoy the works of Caravaggio and thought this would be something similar to Girl with a Pearl Earring. I was very wrong. First of all, it's non-fiction but it presents itself as fiction. I was so disappointed, and so glad to finish this completely dire text.

Publisher's blurb:

An Italian village on a hilltop near the Adriatic coast, a decaying palazzo facing the sea, and in the basement, cobwebbed and dusty, lit by a single bulb, an archive unknown to scholars. Here, a young graduate student from Rome, Francesca Cappelletti, makes a discovery that inspires a search for a work of art of incalculable value, a painting lost for almost two centuries.

The artist was Caravaggio, a master of the Italian Baroque. He was a genius, a revolutionary painter, and a man beset by personal demons. Four hundred years ago, he drank and brawled in the taverns and streets of Rome, moving from one rooming house to another, constantly in and out of jail, all the while painting works of transcendent emotional and visual power. He rose from obscurity to fame and wealth, but success didn't alter his violent temperament. His rage finally led him to commit murder, forcing him to flee Rome a hunted man. He died young, alone, and under strange circumstances...

After Hours event

Another successful "After Hours" event featuring the Dewey Divas took place last Monday, June 20th, 2011. With more than 80 people in attendance, the atmosphere was electric.

The Bishop's Man

The Bishop's Main by Linden MacIntyre: I facilitated a book club discussion using this work. Most people struggled with some aspects of the story line, but all were in agreement that this was a brilliant piece of Canadian literature.

One of my personal favourite parts of the book was the author's skill in demonstrating Father MacAskill's alcoholic decline. By having MacAskill act as the narrator, the reader was kept in denial, and didn't recognize the main character's decline. At one point, it becomes glaringly evident to the reader that MacAskill isn't coping well. I remember the shock I felt when I realized that he was an ancoholic. At the same time, I realized that there were plenty of hints preceding this point, but I didn't put it together. He was such a good person and I made allowances, just as the community was compensating for him.

This is a deftly written, provocative, funny and haunting work.

The publisher's blurb:
The year is 1993 and Father Duncan MacAskill stands at a small Cape Breton fishing harbour a few miles from where he grew up. Enjoying the timeless sight of a father and son piloting a boat, Duncan takes a moment's rest from his worries. But he does not yet know that his already strained faith is about to be tested by his interactions with a troubled boy, 18-year-old Danny MacKay.

Known to fellow priests as the "Exorcist" because of his special role as clean-up man for the Bishop of Antigonish, Duncan has a talent for coolly reassigning deviant priests while ensuring minimal fuss from victims and their families. It has been a lonely vocation, but Duncan is generally satisfied that his work is a necessary defense of the church. All this changes when lawyers and a policeman snoop too close for the bishop's comfort. Duncan is assigned a parish in the remote Cape Breton community of Creignish and told to wait it out.

This is not the first time Duncan has been sent away for knowing too much: decades ago, the displeased bishop sent a more idealistic Duncan to Honduras for voicing suspicions about a revered priest. It was there that Duncan first tasted forbidden love, with the beautiful Jacinta. It was also there that he met the courageous Father Alfonso, who taught him more about spiritual devotion than he had ever known back home. But when an act of violence in Honduras shook Duncan to his core, he returned home a changed man, willing to quietly execute the bishop's commands.

Now, decades later in Cape Breton, Duncan claims to his concerned sister Effie that isolation is his preference. But when several women seek to befriend him, along with some long-estranged friends, Duncan is alternately tempted and unnerved by their attentions. Drink becomes his only solace.

Attempting to distract himself with parish work, Duncan takes an interest in troubled young Danny, whose good-hearted father sells Duncan a boat he names The Jacinta. To Duncan's alarm, he discovers that the boy once spent time with an errant priest who had been dispatched by Duncan himself to Port Hood. Duncan begins to ask questions, dreading the answers. When tragedy strikes, he knows that he must act. But will his actions be those of a good priest, or an all too flawed man?

Winner of the 2009 Scotiabank Giller Prize, Linden MacIntyre's searing The Bishop's Man is an unforgettable and complex character study of a deeply conflicted man at the precipice of his life. Can we ever be certain of an individual's guilt or innocence? Is violence ever justified? Can any act of contrition redeem our own complicity?

The Post Mistress

Postmistress, by Sarah Blake
I waited for close to a year to read this book, so I did so with much anticipation. I had heard good things about it and I was hoping for something as engaging as The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Instead, I found this work unsatisfying and contrived.

Here is the publisher's blurb:
In 1940, Iris James is the postmistress in coastal Franklin, Massachusetts. Iris knows more about the townspeople than she will ever say, and believes her job is to deliver secrets. Yet one day she does the unthinkable: slips a letter into her pocket, reads it, and doesn't deliver it.

Meanwhile, Frankie Bard broadcasts from overseas with Edward R. Murrow. Her dispatches beg listeners to pay heed as the Nazis bomb London nightly. Most of the townspeople of Franklin think the war can't touch them. But both Iris and Frankie know better...

"The Postmistress" is a tale of two worlds-one shattered by violence, the other willfully na?ve-and of two women whose job is to deliver the news, yet who find themselves unable to do so. Through their eyes, and the eyes of everyday people caught in history's tide, it examines how stories are told, and how the fact of war is borne even through everyday life.


The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein
A heart-wrenching but deeply heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope--a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it

Secret Shoppers: Service Lessons for Libraries

This presentation was given during OLA's Super Conference 2011. This year's them was Collaboration.

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Secret Shoppers: Service Lessons for Libraries

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