"Thoughts of Joy...": Canadian

Showing posts with label Canadian. Show all posts

Monday, January 28, 2019

KINGDOM OF THE BLIND

Author: Louise Penny

Genre: Mystery, Three Pines Series #3

Published: 2018

Personal Rating: 4/5 (very good)

Format/Narrator: Audiobook/Robert Bathurst

Yearly Count: 4

From Goodreads:

When Armand Gamache receives a letter inviting him to an abandoned farmhouse outside of Three Pines, the former head of the Sûreté du Québec discovers that a complete stranger has named him as an executor of her will.

Armand never knew the elderly woman, and the bequests are so wildly unlikely that he suspects the woman must have been delusional - until a body is found, and the terms of the bizarre will suddenly seem far more menacing.

But it isn't the only menace Gamache is facing. The investigation into the events that led to his suspension has dragged on, and Armand is taking increasingly desperate measures to rectify previous actions. As he does, Armand Gamache begins to see his own blind spots - and the terrible things hiding there.

Another successful read by Louise Penny. Even though I haven't loved (definitely liked, though) every single addition to this series, I am always excited at a new release and know that it's going to be another nice visit with the people of Three Pines. This one had two big storylines and both were very good. I was fully on to one of them, but that didn't hamper my enjoyment.

Thoughts of Joy

Sunday, August 29, 2010

BURY YOUR DEAD

Author: Louise Penny

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Series #6
Published: 2010
Personal Rating: 3.5/5 (good)
Yearly Count: 77

From the back of the ARC:

In Bury Your Dead, Penny peers deeper into the psyche of her beloved Inspector Gamache, unveiling a broken man coming to terms with his buried grief and guilt.

It is Carnival in Quebec City and Gamache has come not to join the celebration but to recover from an investigation gone wrong. But death is inescapable, even in the sanctuary of the Literary and Historical Society - where an obsessive historian's quest for the remains of the founder of Quebec, Samuel de Champlain, ends in murder. Could a secret buried for nearly 400 years be so dreadful that someone would kill to protect it?

I adore Louise Penny's writing style. It's quiet, introspective and smart. This book, however, was extremely slow for me mainly due to the focus point of the plot - Champlain, the founder of Quebec. I simply had no interest in him; therefore, I didn't enjoy a great portion of the book.

The draw was whenever the scenes shifted to the village of The Three Pines or when a recent memory of a past investigation was remembered. So, I am among the few that were not thrilled with this latest edition to the series, but I am ever so thankful that the last quarter of the book was excellent. (Guess where most of it resided?) Unanswered questions were addressed, and it ended on a good note.

My thanks go to LibraryThing Early Reviewers program and Minotaur Books for sending me this ARC. Bury Your Dead is scheduled to be released on September 28, 2010.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

THE BRUTAL TELLING

Author: Louise Penny

Genre: Mystery, Series #5

Published: 2009

Personal Rating: 3.5/5 (good)

Yearly Count: 114

Please Note: While being thankful for the opportunity to receive and read this ARC, I feel the need to post the blurb from its cover. However, in my opinion there is usually too much disclosed. Read at your own discretion.

From Louise Penny's Website:

Chaos is coming, old son.

With those words the peace of Three Pines is shattered. As families prepare to head back to the city and children say goodbye to summer, a stranger is found murdered in the village bistro and antiques store. Once again, Chief Inspector Gamache and his team are called in to strip back layers of lies, exposing both treasures and rancid secrets buried in the wilderness.

No one admits to knowing the murdered man, but as secrets are revealed, chaos begins to close in on the beloved bistro owner, Olivier. How did he make such a spectacular success of his business? What past did he leave behind and why has he buried himself in this tiny village? And why does every lead in the investigation find its way back to him?

As Olivier grows more frantic, a trail of clues and treasures from first editions of Charlotte’s Web and Jane Eyre to a spider web with the word “WOE” woven in it lead the Chief Inspector deep into the woods and across the continent in search of the truth, and finally back to Three Pines as the little village braces for the truth and the final, brutal telling.

This series has such a distinct atmosphere. On the surface it has a low-key feeling, but underneath it has high emotions that run deep. In this 5th book of the series, the story line stays close to home, so we find out a little bit more about the people that reside in the village.

Even though I'm a huge fan of Louise Penny's, I found this plot to have less draw than the others. For me, there just wasn't enough mystery there that compelled me to want to read until dawn. However, the characters still kept me interested. I feel like I know them and was so excited to visit with them again. Gamache had a few subtle comments that made me grin as usual, and I enjoyed hunting for clues along with the team. It was good, but not great.

Thank you Minotaur Books for sending me this ARC.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

A RULE AGAINST MURDER

Author: Louise Penny

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Series #4

Published: 2009

Personal Rating: 4.25/5

Yearly Count: 17

Vacationing in Quebec at Manoir Bellechasse, chief inspector Armand Gamache and his wife become acquainted with the members of a family who are gathered for a reunion and the installation of a statue in honor of their deceased father. Unfortunately, a member of that family is crushed to death by the statue and Gamache finds himself no longer on vacation.

As much as I love Three Pines, I thoroughly enjoyed this vacationing location, but more importantly, I loved how Penny weaved the lovely village into the story line. The mystery of how the death occurred contained a plethera of complex and dysfunctional suspects, creating a unique cast of characters.

I like Gamache. He is a smart, compassionate man. The simple truths he speaks make me pause a moment, and then, there are the more profound statements that I consider bits of wisdom and like to ponder. He's a great character.

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

THE SCREAM

Author: Rohinton Mistry

Genre: Fiction

Published: 2008

Personal Rating: 3.25/5

Yearly Count: 167

An old man shares his thoughts and feelings about the people and things around him.

I had been wanting to read A Fine Balance by this author, but just never built up enough courage to tackle such a lengthy book. When Dar from Peeking Between the Pages posted her review of this book, it sounded like a perfect fit for me. Better yet, after she generously sent me the book (thanks, again!), I discovered the actual story only consisted of 25 pages! :) What a perfect opportunity to get an introduction to this author. And, yes, I chose it now to "get-another-book-in" before midnight!

In the end, it turns out to be a good taste of what Mistry can do with words. It was an odd story, but one that I could feel. The old man expressed himself very well, which provoked several emotions in me. This has encouraged me to read A Fine Balance. It's sitting on my shelf - just waiting.

* Recommended By: Dar from Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

33rd Challenge Completed!

This was a fun challenge for me. I did not join it last year because I didn't think I knew any Canadian authors, so I didn't pursue it. Using the book lists from last year's challenge, I was able to come up with ample books to choose from for this year. My ratings ranged from 1.5 to 4.25, meaning my pleasure varied; however, that's not an indication of my overall feelings towards the challenge. I actually had a very good time gathering and reading books by many new-to-me Canadian authors, several of which I plan to continue with their series.

I have one confession to make - I sort of wimped out at the end. I did not plan it this way, but my last three books are short graphic novels all by the same author. Once I became aware of the books, I was going to count the three of them as one (trilogy). BUT, after further thought, I decided it was legit and I'm calling the Canadian Challenge completed!

Thank you John from The Book Mine Set for hosting this challenge.

The 2nd Canadian Book Challenge Reads:

Anne of Avonlea (Montgomery)

Charley's Web (Fielding)

The Penelopiad (Atwood)

Gallows View (Robinson)

Runaway (Munro)

Moral Disorders and Other Stories (Atwood)

The Cruelest Month (Penny)

Hate You (McNamee)

Forty Words for Sorrow (Blunt)

Bad City Bad Blood (Chercover)

Griffin & Sabine (Bantock)

Sabine's Notebook (Bantock)

The Golden Mean (Bantock)

Here is my original list of books with links to my thoughts.

Favorite:

The Cruelest Month(Penny)

Least Favorite:

Penelopiad (Atwood)

THE GRIFFIN & SABINE TRILOGY

GRIFFIN & SABINE

Published: 1991

Yearly Count: 141

SABINE'S NOTEBOOK

Published: 1992

Yearly Count: 142

THE GOLDEN MEAN

Published: 1993

Yearly Count: 143

Author: Nick Bantock

Genre: Graphic Novels

Trilogy Personal Rating: 3/5

Amazon.com Editorial Reviews:

Few books are more romantic than this trilogy, nor more surreal. Griffin Moss is a rather doleful, lonesome, gaunt, and haunted postcard designer in London. Sabine Strohem is an illustrator of stamps living on an island in the South Pacific. One day Griffin gets an extraordinary letter from Sabine revealing that she knows all kinds of things about his life and work--somehow, she can share his soul from afar. They start exchanging love letters, yet it remains an open question whether Griffin and Sabine are two hearts that mystically beat as one, or simply illusory.

After reading all three books, I'm still left uncertain as to what was really happening. I loved reading the postcards and letters, but I didn't enjoy the artwork very much at all. My curiosity kept me turning the pages to see where the story was leading. I remain curious and will pick up the next three to see where this relationship ends up.

* Recommended By: Tanabata from In Spring it is the Dawn

Monday, November 03, 2008

BIG CITY BAD BLOOD

Author: Sean Chercover

Genre: Crime Novel

Published: 2007

Personal Rating: 4/5

Yearly Count: 140

Once a Chicago reporter, now a private investigator, Ray Dudgeon is hired to protect a Hollywood manager, Bob Loniski, from the bad guys. The real B-A-D bad guys. The guys that are part of Chicago's organized crime, type of bad guys, and all because Bob saw something he shouldn't have. Ray discovers a whole boat load of trouble as he gets in-between the two.

This was a very good debut and well-deserving of the Shamus Award that Chercover recently won for the Best PI First Novel. The main character, Ray, is a tough character, yet with a soft side, too. His sense of humor was appealing to me and his two buddies added some depth. I ended up getting somewhat tired of people teaching each other lessons, but overall a very good suspenseful read - well done. The second in the series Trigger City just came out last month (October, 2008).

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

FORTY WORDS FOR SORROW

Author: Giles Blunt

Genre: Thriller

Published: 2001

Personal Rating: 4/5

Yearly Count: 136

Ontario, Canada - Algonquin Bay to be exact, had a missing girl and Detective John Cardinal was doing everything in his power to find her. To his avail, Cardinal eventually got kicked off the case after spending too much time and energy in a "runaway" case. Six months later (now), the girl's body is found and Cardinal feels vindicated; however, driven again to find the killer.

There was much that I liked about this thriller - one being the true to life dialog. It felt very real to me. I was highly interested in the chase and the side plots. The characters didn't necessarily stand out as really likable or not, but just people - realistic people with flaws and a desire to do what's right. Also, I liked the very beginning of the book (mainly the author's style - the words flowed easily), but then it slowed down for me. Once I hit the middle, it picked up and I was hooked.

What I didn't like was the fact that it slowed down and there were scenes and conversations that were brutal. I cringed (actually more than cringed) many times. Unfortunately that sometimes goes along with thrillers - a nature of the beast. Despite the gruesome violence, I will pick up the next in this series titled The Delicate Storm. I really want to revisit this Canadian town.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

HATE YOU

Author: Graham McNamee

Genre: YA

Published: 1999

Personal Rating: 2/5

Yearly Count: 132

Alice, a high school student, holds onto the hate that she feels towards her abusive father. Circumstances make her address her hate straight on.

This book was chosen for the Canadian Challenge due to my enjoyment of Acceleration by the same author. Unfortunately, the message that I think was trying to be conveyed was not clearly executed in the plot. I did like the characters, but they were trapped in that plot and it wasn't working for me. It may work for teens though!

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

THE CRUELEST MONTH

Author: Louise Penny

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Published: 2008

Personal Rating: 4.25/5

Yearly Count: 128

Just for entertainment, the villagers of Three Pines, Quebec, perform an event-free seance. Due to the lack of excitement, they decide to venture to a bigger venue - the Hadley House, to rid it of evil spirits. Instead of bringing back someone from the other side, they unfortunately send one of their own. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team are called in to investigate whether it was a natural death or if it was murder.

One aspect that I really enjoyed about The Cruelest Month was the subplots. Gamache's personal life was explored more, as well as other main characters. I was not all that thrilled with the main topic of the book - seances, evil spirits, witches, etc.; however, the mystery was a good one to follow. And, ultimately, my final thoughts on the book are higher than the second book in the series, A Fatal Grace.

I am very fond of Penny's style - cozy mysteries with substance. I read, somewhere, that Penny's writing resembles Agatha Christie. Being that I've only read a few pieces of AC, I'm no expert, but from what I have read - there definitely is a similarity. With AC's popularity and success, that's one huge compliment to Louise Penny!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

MORAL DISORDER

Author: Margaret Atwood

Genre: Short Stories

Published: 2006

Personal Rating: 3/5

Yearly Count: 126

The Bad News

(ss) Yearly Count: 17

An older couple go about their morning rituals.

The Art of Cooking and Serving

(ss) Yearly Count: 18

An eleven-year-old becomes responsible for the care of her expecting mother, then much of the baby's care when it's born.

The Headless Horseman

(ss) Yearly Count: 19

While driving to visit their ailing mother, two adult sisters reminisce about a Halloween costume the older sister made during their childhood.

My Last Duchess

(ss) Yearly Count: 20

A high school couple analyze the poem, The Last Duchess, in preparation for a final exam.

The Other Place

(ss) Yearly Count: 21

A female adult travels from job to job and place to place. Eventually she settles down and marries Tig.

Monopoly

(ss) Yearly Count: 22

Tig and Oona decide to live in an open-marriage.

Moral Disorder

(ss) Yearly Count: 23

Tig and Nell move to another farm. They are excited to grow vegetables and raise animals.

White Horse

(ss) Yearly Count: 24

Nell's friend gives her and Tig a horse. Lizzie (Nell's sister) comes for a visit when she's not feeling very encouraged about life.

The Entities

(ss) Yearly Count: 25

When they decide to sell the farm and move back to the city, Nell and Tig befriend their real-estate Agent, Lillie.

The Labrador Fiasco

(ss) Yearly Count: 26

Nell goes to her parents' home for a visit.

The Boys at the Lab

(ss) Yearly Count: 27

An adult woman is taking care of her 90-year-old, bedridden mother. They reminisce while looking at old pictures.

Being that all these short stories were related, I don't understand why they weren't considered a novel. Adding some dates onto the titles would have made it an easier read, because on occasion I had difficulty figuring out exactly what characters were being portrayed. A new scenario was developed for each story and some of them were interesting, but others I wondered why it was chosen as an important piece to the puzzle. Throughout the book, I did experience a range of enjoyment; however, I didn't find anything spectacular. I did discover that I prefer short stories to be just that - short stories, not chapters in disguise.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

RUNAWAY

Author: Alice Munro

Genre: Short Story

Published: 2004

Personal Rating: 3.5/5

Yearly Count: 125

SOON

(ss) Yearly Count: 11

Another story of Juliet . . . she takes her 13 month old little girl (Penelope) to visit the relatives. During the visit she is confronted about her parenting skills.

SILENCE

(ss) Yearly Count: 12

And one more - Juliet's daughter (Penelope) has grown up and is now making decisions for her own life. Juliet learns to deal with those decisions.

PASSION

(ss) Yearly Count: 13

Grace returns to Ottawa Valley to visit where she worked one summer as a waitress when she was 20-years-old and remembers her relationships.

TRESPASSES

(ss) Yearly Count: 14

A woman befriends a couples' daughter.

TRICKS

(ss) Yearly Count: 15

Robin meets a man and they decide to meet again one year later.

POWERS

(ss) Yearly Count: 16

Nancy narrates her story that involves a small group of friends, one of which can see things that are hidden.

Overall, including Runaway and Chance, I liked Runaway and understand the draw of Munro. Her style is very unique, but teeters between intriguing and annoying. The intriguing nature of her stories is derived from her ability to drop tidbits of the story without giving a full picture - which is actually annoying. Also, more often than not, I found the endings to be okay, but they didn't leave me totally satisfied. Maybe that's her intent - keep you thinking of the "what ifs" after you close the book. No matter, she definitely has a gift, one that obviously has touched many. I could have done without the Juliet stories, but I liked the diversity of the rest. I will read more.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

CHANCE

Author: Alice Munro

Genre: Short Story

Published: Runaway, 2004

Personal Rating: 3.5/5

(ss) Yearly Count: 7

Juliet meets her soulmate on a train ride in the second out of eight short stories in Runaway.

I didn't find myself as captivated by Chance as I was with the first story Runaway, but it still had me curious. I somewhat related to Juliet, so was eager to discover her story. Once again, Munro did a great job in keeping my interest with her characters.

RUNAWAY

Author: Alice Munro

Genre: Short Story

Published: Runaway, 2004

Personal Rating: 4/5

(ss) Yearly Count: 6

A young woman feels trapped in her marriage is the general synopsis of the short story titled Runaway, which is the title of the collection as well.

This was my first experience reading Munro and I'm surprised in one sense and not in another. I'm surprised that the story didn't have a clear cut, defined path. I wasn't sure where it was going because it revealed the story line in little doses or dropped hints. I'm not surprised that this is probably why she is such a successful short story writer, especially being that I was immediately drawn into the story and setting. Once I was fully engaged with the characters, the story ended! I should have expected it because, after all, it is a short story. :) The closing scene wasn't all wrapped up and tied in a bow, but it wasn't left open-ended either. A couple lingering thoughts continue to roam around my mind.

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

GALLOWS VIEW

Author: Peter Robinson

Genre: Mystery

Published: 1987

Personal Rating: 4/5

Yearly Count: 116

Seeking a calmer existence than their residence in London, England, Inspector Alan Banks relocates with his wife and two children to Eastvale, a quaint town in Yorkshire County. While some aspects of their life in Eastvale are peaceful, Inspector Alan Banks continues to be faced with the same depravity and crime that he experienced in London. A Peeping Tom, random violence and murder are what Alan must tackle, along with personal issues that could clutter his mind and heart.

While I am happy to have met Alan Banks, I'm not so sure that I know him very well. The lack of background information left me uncertain as to who Alan Banks really is. I know what he does, I know who he lives with, I know his hobby, but I don't feel like I got to know what drives him, what makes him tick. I'm thinking that's a good strategy in setting up a series - can't divulge too much in the first book, right? Other than that, I really liked Gallows View. The mystery kept me curious in its complexity, and learning about the town and its surroundings was pleasant.

I'm not sure where I first discovered this author, but I'm glad I did. The only daunting aspect is that this year he published his 18th book in this series. Yikes! I have 17 more to catch up! That's okay though, I'm up for the challenge. :)

Sunday, August 17, 2008

THE PENELOPIAD

Author: Margaret Atwood

Genre: Mythology

Published: 2005

Personal Rating: 1.5/5

Yearly Count: 108

The Penelopiad is the retelling of The Odyssey (Homer) from Penelope's perspective. In the Odyssey, Penelope is Odysseus's wife and her cousin is Helen of Troy. Odysseus goes off to war for twenty years, then comes back and kills Penelope's 12 maids and suitors.

Blah. I went on a short road trip and thought this would be perfect (3 CDs). It was perfect - in length, but flawed in story. I like retellings from another character's perspective; however, I do not like mythology at all and this did not convince me otherwise.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

CHARLEY'S WEB

Author: Joy Fielding

Genre: Suspense

Published: 2008

Personal Rating: 3.5/5

Yearly Count: 92

Charley, a single mom of two, writes a weekly column for the Palm Beach Post. She receives a letter from a young woman named Jill who is a death row inmate. Jill has enjoyed Charley's column over the years, so she presents the idea of Charley writing her biography. This biography would include inside information that did not come out in court regarding the crime that has put Jill behind bars. This could be Charley's big break - a non-fiction book! Charley has a decision to make.

I thought this had a very interesting premise and I enjoyed both the beginning and the middle. The ending, however, was a disappointment mainly due to its predictability. Although, I didn't like the narrator of this audiobook either. She was too dramatic and unnecessarily changed her voice for the children characters which was ridiculous. That produced negative and annoyed feelings in me. So, reading Charley's Web would be the best option.

Friday, July 04, 2008

ANNE OF AVONLEA

Author: L. M. Montgomery

Genre: YA Fiction

Published: 1909

Personal Rating: 3.75/5

Yearly Count: 90

This sequel to Anne of Green Gables finds Anne learning the ropes as a school teacher and Green Gables inhabiting some little people. As Anne remains bestfriends with Diana, new friendships blossom with old and new neighbors. And - Anne's dreaming never ceases.

I found this sequel to be a little less enjoyable than the first. I like Anne and the rest of the characters and will eventually continue with the series, but I wasn't drawn to her as I was before. Maybe it's because she's growing up and acting more mature while I was anticipating more of the younger Anne - I don't know, she did have some impulsive moments. Anyway, I'll be more prepared for the next book.