We are back in Vancouver. After two weeks away, the garden was a wee disaster. I've spent three half days and have at least another four to six hours before it's under control. On a positive note, we are eating fresh beets, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and raspberries on a daily basis! Our plan is to make cucumber kimchi this week.
BLOG POSTS LAST WEEK
Poetry Friday August 16, 2019
Helping Mayor Patty by Fran Manushkin & Laura Zarrin (Illustrator)
Some Places More Than Others by Renée Watson
NOVELS
Wool by Hugh Howey
I'm not a huge science fiction fan, but ended up absolutely mesmerized by Wool. It feels at times like a western novel set in a post apocalyptic society. The world building is spectacular. The book is chock full of fabulous characters. As much as I despised one of them, I appreciate how Howey portrayed him as a sympathetic, albeit twisted, individual trying to do the right thing. Unfortunately, we all know that this is how to pave the road to hell, and this is pretty much the reality here.
I'm left with this question. Can evil ever work on the side of good?
How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny & Ralph Cosham (Narrator)
I was on the edge the whole time I listened to this book. At the same time as it references Quebec history, (this time with a fictionalized version of the Dionne quintuplets), it reads like le Carré spy novel with all the intrigue and back stabbing going on in the Sûreté.
I sure am happy that the next book in the was available because I am devouring this series.
Louise Penny is Canadian. 🍁
The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James by Ashley Herring Blake
I had a hard time with this book. Let me start by saying that someone I am close to had a double lung transplant recently, so as I read this I couldn't help but wonder how realistic the medical related situations would be. Rejection is a huge worry for at least a year. In addition there are other side effects to worry about including kidney failure and diabetes from all the the drugs. That first year, monitoring your vital signs on a daily basis is so critical, that it's hard for me to accept that a 13 year old girl wouldn't take it more seriously than Sunny does. I really liked Kate, Sunny's guardian, who is a responsible adult with Sunny's best interests at heart. I wasn't so enthusiastic about the mother who didn't seem to understand Sunny's medical situation and seemed to be more interested in befriending her than acting as an adult.
I empathize with Sunny's desire to start a new life after her surgery, but it didn't always work for me. Even though I think most of the difficulties are realistic, there was too much angst in her relationships with Quinn and Margot for me.
I expect the target audience won't be nearly as critical as I am and will love this.
The Golden Tresses of the Dead (Flavia de Luce #10) by Alan Bradley & Jayne Entwistle (Narrator)
Flavia and Dogger have set up their own detective agency. When a severed finger is discovered in her sister Ophelia‘s wedding cake, their first assignment begins. It soon turns out that this is just the start of a case that involves con artists, missionaries and murder. I am loving that Flavia seems to be maturing and appreciate Dogger more and more. I sure hope this isn't the last book in the series. On a positive note, there is a rumour that a Flavia television series in the works for CBC.
Alan Bradley is a Canadian who now resides on the Isle of Man. 🍁
POETRY
Finding Baba Yaga by Jane Yolen
This story is a mash up of the modern and the traditional. It’s both specific and universal. My acquaintance with Russian folk lore is minimal, but I am acquainted with the original Baba Yaga tales. Vasilisa the Beautiful is new to me.
There’s a dreamlike quality to this novel in verse. I am left thinking it’s a meditation of sorts about what it means to be a woman in any time.
CURRENTLY
I'm listening to The Way Home by Louise Penny. On my device I'm rereading Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga. I am one third into Carnival Catastrophe by Natalie Lloyd and still reading Now You're Logging! by Bus Griffiths, a graphic novel first published in 1978. I'm liking it, but it's dense with lots of logging vocabulary to figure out. After all the research I've done, I'm hyper aware of all the ways men can get hurt in the woods, so I'm full of fear as I read this!
UP NEXT
I had to send books back to the library unread. It's very distressing. I hope to find time to read the pile of picture books I have here as well as Finding Orion by John David Anderson, Friday Barnes, Under Suspicion by R. A. Spratt, and Just Call My Name by Holly Goldberg Sloan.
PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS
#MustReadIn2018 16/25
#MustReadNFIn2018 10/12
25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 18/25
25 books by Canadian Authors 42/25
Big Book Reading Challenge 9/4
Goodreads Reading Challenge 261/333
BLOG POSTS LAST WEEK
Poetry Friday August 16, 2019
Helping Mayor Patty by Fran Manushkin & Laura Zarrin (Illustrator)
Some Places More Than Others by Renée Watson
NOVELS
 |
| 4 stars |
I'm not a huge science fiction fan, but ended up absolutely mesmerized by Wool. It feels at times like a western novel set in a post apocalyptic society. The world building is spectacular. The book is chock full of fabulous characters. As much as I despised one of them, I appreciate how Howey portrayed him as a sympathetic, albeit twisted, individual trying to do the right thing. Unfortunately, we all know that this is how to pave the road to hell, and this is pretty much the reality here.
I'm left with this question. Can evil ever work on the side of good?
 |
| 5 stars |
I was on the edge the whole time I listened to this book. At the same time as it references Quebec history, (this time with a fictionalized version of the Dionne quintuplets), it reads like le Carré spy novel with all the intrigue and back stabbing going on in the Sûreté.
I sure am happy that the next book in the was available because I am devouring this series.
Louise Penny is Canadian. 🍁
 |
| 3 stars |
I had a hard time with this book. Let me start by saying that someone I am close to had a double lung transplant recently, so as I read this I couldn't help but wonder how realistic the medical related situations would be. Rejection is a huge worry for at least a year. In addition there are other side effects to worry about including kidney failure and diabetes from all the the drugs. That first year, monitoring your vital signs on a daily basis is so critical, that it's hard for me to accept that a 13 year old girl wouldn't take it more seriously than Sunny does. I really liked Kate, Sunny's guardian, who is a responsible adult with Sunny's best interests at heart. I wasn't so enthusiastic about the mother who didn't seem to understand Sunny's medical situation and seemed to be more interested in befriending her than acting as an adult.
I empathize with Sunny's desire to start a new life after her surgery, but it didn't always work for me. Even though I think most of the difficulties are realistic, there was too much angst in her relationships with Quinn and Margot for me.
I expect the target audience won't be nearly as critical as I am and will love this.
 |
| 5 stars |
Flavia and Dogger have set up their own detective agency. When a severed finger is discovered in her sister Ophelia‘s wedding cake, their first assignment begins. It soon turns out that this is just the start of a case that involves con artists, missionaries and murder. I am loving that Flavia seems to be maturing and appreciate Dogger more and more. I sure hope this isn't the last book in the series. On a positive note, there is a rumour that a Flavia television series in the works for CBC.
Alan Bradley is a Canadian who now resides on the Isle of Man. 🍁
POETRY
 |
| 4 stars |
This story is a mash up of the modern and the traditional. It’s both specific and universal. My acquaintance with Russian folk lore is minimal, but I am acquainted with the original Baba Yaga tales. Vasilisa the Beautiful is new to me.
There’s a dreamlike quality to this novel in verse. I am left thinking it’s a meditation of sorts about what it means to be a woman in any time.
CURRENTLY
I'm listening to The Way Home by Louise Penny. On my device I'm rereading Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga. I am one third into Carnival Catastrophe by Natalie Lloyd and still reading Now You're Logging! by Bus Griffiths, a graphic novel first published in 1978. I'm liking it, but it's dense with lots of logging vocabulary to figure out. After all the research I've done, I'm hyper aware of all the ways men can get hurt in the woods, so I'm full of fear as I read this!
UP NEXT
I had to send books back to the library unread. It's very distressing. I hope to find time to read the pile of picture books I have here as well as Finding Orion by John David Anderson, Friday Barnes, Under Suspicion by R. A. Spratt, and Just Call My Name by Holly Goldberg Sloan.
PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS
#MustReadIn2018 16/25
#MustReadNFIn2018 10/12
25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 18/25
25 books by Canadian Authors 42/25
Big Book Reading Challenge 9/4
Goodreads Reading Challenge 261/333
I haven't read The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James. It's good to know your thoughts. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteI don't think most people will be as critical about Sunny as I am!
DeleteThanks for sharing those thoughts about Sunny. Yes, students are very forgiving with the medical details in general, but I wish they didn't have to be. I am also distressed when I turn in books I haven't read. :)
ReplyDeleteI really hope you enjoy Other Words for Home, Cheriee. And I’m very much looking forward to reading Carnival Catastrophe. I have Finding Orion by John David Anderson checked out, but I’m afraid I might have to return it before starting only because I’ve suddenly realized how many of my #MustReadin2019 books are still on deck. I am going to have to really focus on these titles if I want to finish my challenge by December 31st. Your comments on The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James are so helpful, allowing me to consider the medical side of this story. I just remember thoroughly enjoying the development of the relationships and Kate’s love of Sunny. I felt the mom’s personality was believable only because of how messed up she was with alcohol — having experienced alcoholism primarily with in-laws, I can see how that maturity level and selfishness might be realistic for someone who had never been forced to take responsibility the way Kate had. Not that I liked it in the least. Thanks for all these shares and I hope you have a wonderful reading week!
ReplyDeleteI think I might be over critical about The Mighty Heart, but it's hard not to be sometimes when you know a lot. I listened to Other Words for Home first, so this is really just a read for my own education about writing novels in verse. I too have many books to read to meet my mustread goal!
DeleteWool is a book that was recommended to me a long time ago, and I've never gotten to it; thank you for sharing your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteHappy reading this week :)
I became interested in reading Wool after joining the big book challenge. Everyone there who had read it or was reading it praised it.
DeleteI like reading about all the mysteries you've been reading as well. I'm a mystery fan although I seem to have drifted away from the tough detectives to more fluffy cosy stuff lately... Anyway, I know both Penny and Bradley have good stuff -- I should catch back up with them.
ReplyDeleteYay!!! So glad you liked Wool - I knew you would! Just such a well-written and compelling novel. So, you have to read Shift and Dust to find out what happens next!! So happy you enjoyed it :) One of my favorite series.
ReplyDeleteHad to laugh at your garden being neglected for 2 weeks. It's been SO hot here all summer (and with my illness which makes me heat intolerant) that weeds in our flower gardens are waist high now! I am anxiously awaiting cooler temps so i can start working to clean it up.
Enjoy your books- and all those fresh veggies!
Sue
2019 Big Book Summer Challenge