Numbers Reading Challenge Completed

Hosted by Callista of SMS Books.

Jan 1- August 1, 2009

Read 5 books whose titles have a number in them. This includes written numbers like "one" and numbers like "10th" or "first".

Reading options from books on hand with those completed highlighted or linked to reviews:

The Rabbi's Cat 2**** by Joann Sfar

Tales of the Ten Lost Tribes***** by Tamar Yellin

This One and Magic Life**** by Anne Carroll George

The Fifth Child**** by Doris Lessing
Three Men in a Boat***+ by Jerome K. Jerome

Completed August 1, 2009

Plenty of books left in the stacks to participate in the next Numbers Challenge. Details coming in December, 2009.

A Thousand Rooms of Dream and Fear by Atiq Rahimi

2666 by Roberto Bolano (quit after 160 pages)

Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden

Tightrope: Six Centuries of a Jewish Dynasty by Michael Karpin

1988 by Andrew McGahan

1959 by Thulani Davis

26a by Diana Evans

The 210th Day by Natsume Soseki

One More Year by Sana Krasikov

One Day of Life by Manlio Argueta

The Sound of One Hand Clapping by Richard Flanagan

Gould's Book of Fish: A Novel in Twelve Fish by Richard Flanagan

Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali by Kris Holloway

Strand of a Thousand Pearls by Dorit Rabinyan
Two Solitudes by Hugh MacLennan

Thirty-three Swoons by Martha Cooley

Three Junes by Julia Glass

Four Meals by Meir Shalev

Five Boys by Mick Jackson

Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris

The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The View from the Seventh Layer by Kevin Brockmeier

Sixty Lights by Gail Jones

Second Nature by Alice Hoffman

The Seventh Beggar by Pearl Abraham

Twelth Night by William Shakespeare

Billiards at Half-Past Nine by Heinrich Boll

The Book of Ten Nights and a Night: Eleven Stories by John Barth

Elephant Memories: Thirteen Years In The Life Of An Elephant Family by Cynthia Moss

The Necklace: Thirteen Women and the Experiment That Transformed Their Lives by Cheryl Jarvis The Sixteen Pleasures by A Novel Robert Hellenga

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey

And the Policeman Smiled:10, 000 Children Escape from Nazi Europe by Barry Turner

The Hungered One: Early Writings by Ed Bullins

Twenty Years at Hull-House by Jane Addams

Lovers and Cohorts: Twenty Seven Stories by Herbert

One, by One, by One: Facing the Holocaust by Judith Miller

One Writer's Beginnings Eudora Welty

The Doctor With Two Heads: And Other Essays by Gerald Weissmann

One Potato Two Potato by Anita Virgil (poetry)

Two Hemispheres by Nadine McInnis (poetry)

One Stone by Barbara Pelman (poetry)

One Hundred Poems from the Japanese by Kenneth Rexroth (poetry)

From my library, already read and recommended:

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel Diane Setterfield

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger

Three Views of Crystal Water by Katherine Govier

Instances of the Number Three by Salley Vickers

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn

The Sixth Day and Other Tales by Primo Levi

Three Lives by Gertrude Stein

Five Skies by Ron Carlson
Beethoven Was One-Sixteenth Black by Nadine Gordimer

Forty Words for Sorrow Giles Blunt

The Terrible Twos by Ishmael Reed

The Third Life of Grange Copeland by Alice Walker

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

When I Was Five I Killed Myself by Howard Buten

One Child by Torey Hayden

The Fifth by Son Elie Wiesel

Fifth Business by Robertson Davies

The Three Evangelists Fred Vargas

The Anguish of the Jews: Twenty-Three Centuries of Antisemitism by Edward H. Flannery

TSS Week in Review

The Sunday Salon appears here.

I've read a great deal in the past week or so. Here are my opinions about some of them:

84.The Mysteries of Glass***** by Sue Gee (UK) 2004 (346 pages)

I loved it. A perfect Victorian novel about a young assisting minister who finds himself emotionally attached to a woman he cannot have or even show affection toward, and the crisis of faith that ensues. Very smooth writing with the natural elements so well described, it put me in mind of Hardy's Return of the Native. I must read more by this author. Highly recommended.

86.Shipwrecks***** by Akira Yoshimura (Japan) 1982 (180 pages)

Translated from the Japanese. A very good story about a small Japanese fishing village whose dangerous secret is that it takes advantage of its rocky coast to lure ships inshore to sink. They retrieve the cargo, usually foodstuffs, and it keeps them from starvation. But one day they take something from a wrecked ship that brings retribution and terror to the people of the village. Well written, an excellent story with a strong Gothic sense. Highly recommended.

87.This is How**** by M.J. Hyland (UK) 2009 (377 pages )

I read Hyland's previous novel Carry Me Down****, about a troubled boy, which was nominated for several literary prizes. I really enjoyed her psychological insights into human behaviour and wanted to read more by this author. This Is How is narrated by a man who inadvertently (so to speak) commits a crime and goes to prison. It's an odd story about a not entirely likable bloke, which I found interesting and well written, but am not certain that I actually enjoyed the experience. I suspect that the failure lies with me. I'm not very sympathetic toward young people (he's 22) who expect everything in life to go their way. Other opinions on this book will help you decide if it's for you.

88.The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly***** (France) 1997 (157 pages)

Translated from the French. A true story told by a paralyzed writer and editor who could move only one eyelid after a massive stroke. A remarkable memoir that is touching and as life-affirming as it gets. Highly recommended.

89.The Sign for Drowning****+ by Rachel Stolzman 2009 (194 pages)

Four and a half stars. About a single woman who adopts one of the deaf children she teaches. This woman saw her sister drown when she was a child and first learned sign language in order to (in a child's way of thinking) talk to her dead (silent) sister. The story steps back to show us the tragedy and the lives of her family in trying to recover from it. She wonders if she is right to adopt this child as she herself is a hearing person. Self doubt persists as she encourages the girl in her education and continues to face her own past. A very enjoyable read. Highly recommended. A fuller review will be posted soon.

90.Conceit***** by Mary Novik (Canada) 2008 (403 pages) The best historical fiction I've read for quite a while. Highly recommended. A brief review appears here in a new feature. A fuller review will be posted soon.

Today I'm reading Silver Birches by Adrian Plass (UK) 2009, previously published as Ghosts in 2002.

How are you spending your Sunday?

Comments, questions, opinions, reading recommendations, or links to reviews are always welcomed. I'd love to read them. No Spoilers though please.

Show Me 5 Saturday

Hosted by Alipet813 at That's A Novel Idea.

A brief description of a book you have read or reviewed during the week.

Each Saturday you will post the answer to these questions. The number indicates the number of answers you will provide.

1. A book you read and/or reviewed this week (you name 1 book)
2. Words that describe the book (2 descriptive words)
3. Settings where it took place or characters you met (name 3 places or characters in the novel)
4. Things you liked and/or disliked about it (4 likes or dislikes)
5. Stars or less for your rating?
1.Conceit by Mary Novik (2008)
2.Historical fiction
3.17th century Elizabethan England; Pegge Donne (John Donne's strong-willed youngest daughter), John Donne's family and associates.
4. Rich in historical details of food, clothing, social customs, court gossip etc. Recognizable quotes from the literature and great writers of the times. An intelligent woman's experiences of major historical events such as the Great Fire of London in 1666, and changes in the monarchy. Smooth writing that is easy to read and puts you right there. There is nothing about this book that I did not thoroughly enjoy.
5.Five stars. The best historical fiction I've read for quite some time. Highly recommended. Don't miss this one.

Comments, questions, opinions, reading recommendations, or links to reviews are welcomed. I'd love to read them. No Spoilers though please.

Library Loot

Hosted by Eva at A Striped Armchair and Marg at Reading Adventures.

I had a three week spell when no books came in for me at the library. I was too ill to do much anyway so it worked out okay. But I really missed doing LL posts.

Loot read:

79.Three Men in a Boat (Not to Mention the Dog)***+ by Jerome K. Jerome (UK) 1898, Paperback 169 pages

Very witty, sometimes tongue-in-cheek humour, about the tribulations of three male friends boating along the Thames and camping out on a two week holiday. Good for some laughs and a very good sense of the time period (late Victorian). Recommended.

80.And Let the Earth Trembles at its Centers***+ by Gonzalo Celorio (Mexico) 2000 Paperback 152 pages

DNF 50/152 pages. I finally hit my stride and began to understand things on page 32. But I'd fiddled with it in small bits, losing focus during illness until it became overdue. The novel has been called "a literary history of Mexico City". I will try it again in the future.

81.The Wilderness**** by Samantha Harvey UK 2009 Hardcover 372 pages.

Shortlisted for the Orange Prize, it relates a man's personal experience of Alzheimer's. Very good, recommended.

83.Addition**** by Toni Jordan (Australia) 2008

Very good. About a woman whose life has fallen apart and her obsessive-compulsive disorder of counting everything in order to function at even a basic level. She also has a fascination with Nikola Tesla which adds much to the story. It's an eye opener about the OCD but ultimately an uplifting read about the effects of tolerance. And for those who need it, there's romance in there too. Addition was nominated for an award and it made the Richard and Judy list in the UK. Recommended.

85.The Signal**** by Ron Carlson (US) 2009

I previously read Five Skies by this author and wanted more. He's a very good writer, his protagonists are men who are flawed but trying hard to be stand up guys. This story is a about a backpacking hike into the wilds of the Wyoming mountains with his now ex-wife. They've made this trip annually for nine years and she's agreed to do it one last time. He's been in jail since his conduct got out of hand after she left him. He's hoping to regain some repect from her, but there's something he's not telling her and their hike will take a terrible turn because of it. Recommended.

This week's loot:

This is How by M. J. Hyland (UK) 2009

I read Hyland's previous novel Carry Me Down, about a troubled boy, which was nominated for several literary prizes. I liked her psychological insights into human behaviour and hope to enjoy this one too. It's about a man who commits a crime and goes to prison, that's all I know or want to.

Novel About My Wife by Emily Perkins (New Zealand) 2009

A psychological thriller that won the $10,000 Montana Medal for fiction in the Montana New Zealand Book Awards. Judges convener Mark Williams, from Victoria University, said the book - about the death of a pregnant ex-pat who has buried her past - was " Highly assured fiction by a writer working at the height of her powers. It registers the minute nuances of class, concealment and reserve in domestic English life."

Haunting Bombay by Shilpa Agarwal (India) 2009

Journey Without Maps and The Lawless Roads by Graham Greene (UK) non fiction

Ulysses by James Joyce (Ireland) 1927

I've been reading it online at the Gutenberg Project, but that gives me headaches, so I've had to get a physical copy for Dovegrayreader's Climbing Mount Ulysses group. I also did something odd while I was sick and apparently ordered audio cassettes of the book too. I must have been thinking that listening and following the book at the same time would make it more comprehensible. I've never "listened to a book" and hate the idea but I may give it a whirl, you just never know.

Reading the Ceiling by Dayo Forster (Gambia/Kenya)

It takes place in an African nation and involves the choices a young woman currently has for her own future. The author was born in Gambia and now lives in Kenya; this is her first novel.

An After-Dinner's Sleep by Stanley Middleton (UK) I saw mention of this writer's recent death, he was highly praised and I hadn't heard of him before. I thought I'd try one of his novels. This was the only one my library had but I made a purchase request for Holiday, considered one of his best. I'll let you know if I get it.

What did you pick up at the library this week that's got you excited?

All comments, questions, opinions or links to reviews are welcomed. I'd love to read them. No Spoilers though please.

What are you reading on Mondays?

Hosted by J. Kaye at J. Kaye's Book Blog





Books completed last week:

83.Addition**** by Toni Jordan (Australia) 2008

Very good. About a woman whose life has fallen apart and her obsessive-compulsive disorder of counting everything in order to function at even a basic level. She also has a fascination with Nikola Tesla which adds much to the story. It's an eye opener about the OCD but ultimately an uplifting read about the effects of tolerance. And for those who need it, there's romance in there too. Addition was nominated for an award and made the Richard and Judy list in the UK. Recommended.


84.The Mysteries of Glass***** by Sue Gee (UK) 2004 (346 pages)

Loved it. A perfect Victorian fiction about a young minister who finds himself emotional attached to a woman he can't have, and the crisis of faith that ensues. I must read more by this author. Highly recommended.




85.The Signal**** by Ron Carlson (US) 2009 (200 pages)

I previously read Five Skies****+ by this author and wanted more. He's a very good writer, his protagonists are men who are flawed but trying hard to be stand up guys. This story is a about a backpacking hike into the wilds of the mountains with his now ex-wife. They've made this trip annually for nine years and she's agreed to do it one last time. He's been in jail since his conduct got out of hand after she left him. He's hoping to regain some respect from her, but there's something he's not telling her and their hike will take a terrible turn because of it. Recommended.

86.Shipwrecks***** by Akira Yoshimura (Japan) (180 pages)

A very good story about a small Japanese fishing village that takes advantage of its rocky coast to lure ships inshore to sink. They retrieve the cargo, usually food, and it keeps them from starvation. But one day they take something from a wrecked ship that brings retribution and terror to the people of the village. Well written, an excellent story with a strong Gothic sense. Highly recommended.

Currently reading:

The Entropy of Aaron Rosclatt by James Sandham (Canada)

Next up:

This is How by M. J. Hyland (UK) 2009

I enjoyed Carry Me Down**** by this author, which was nominated for an award two years ago.

Plum Wine by Angela Davis-Gardner (US) 2007

Set in 1960s Japan.

Novel About My Wife by Emily Perkins (New Zealand) 2009

A psychological thriller that won the $10,000 Montana Medal for fiction in the Montana New Zealand Book Awards.

What are you reading this week?

I welcome questions, comments, opinions, reading recommendations, links to books I've read, reviewed, or mentioned. I'd love to read them.

What are you reading on Mondays?

Hosted by J. Kaye at J. Kaye's Book Blog

Books completed last week:

79.Three Men in a Boat***+ by Jerome K. Jerome (UK) 169 pages

80.And Let the Earth Trembles at its Centers***+ by Gonzalo Celorio (Mexico) DNF 50/152 pages

81.The Wilderness**** by Samantha Harvey (UK) 374 pages

82.Into the Beautiful North****+ by Luis Alberto Urrea (Mexico) 343 pages, review to follow

Last reviewed:

The Last Samurai***** by Helen Dewitt

The Angel's Game**** by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Molly Fox's Birthday**** by Deirdre Madden

Currently Reading:

Addition by Toni Jordan (Australia)
.

Ulysses...the Irish one

Next up:
.

A Lucky Child by Thomas Buergenthal (US)

The Entropy of Aaron Rosclatt by James Sandham (Canada)

The Translucent Tree by NobukoTakagi (Japan)

What are you reading this week?

I welcome questions, comments, opinions, reading recommendations, links to books I've read, reviewed, or mentioned. I'd love to read them.

Mailbox Monday

Hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page

In the mail this week:

The Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez

non fiction (2008), set in Afghanistan

via Bookmooch

The Mysteries of Glass by Sue Gee

also via bookmooch

The Book of Unholy Mischief by Ellen Newmark

a gift from Marcia at The Printed Page

Thank you Marcia

31 Hours by Masha Hamilton

Hardcover:240 pages

Unbridled Books (September 8, 2009)

ISBN-10: 1932961836

ISBN-13: 978-1932961836

Jonas is isolated in an apartment near the Brooklyn Bridge, and on a devastatingly confused path toward violence. His parents and his girlfriend have just 31 hours to reach him. A woman in New York awakens knowing, as deeply as a mother's blood can know, that her grown son is in danger. She has not heard from him in weeks. His name is Jonas. His girlfriend, Vic, doesn't know what she has done wrong, but Jonas won't answer his cell phone. We soon learn that Jonas is isolated in a safe-house apartment in New York City, pondering his conversion to Islam and his experiences training in Pakistan, preparing for the violent action he has been instructed to take in 31 hours. Jonas's absence from the lives of those who love him causes a cascade of events, and as the novel moves through the streets and subways of New York we come to know intimately the lives of its characters.

Doesn't this sound like an exciting story? I received 31 Hours from Caitlin at Unbridled Books. (She's a sweetheart as publicists go. You might get an arc if there are any left, by asking nicely.) Watch for my review in September.

About the Author: 31 Hours is Masha Hamilton's fourth novel, following the acclaimed The Camel Bookmobile. She is also a journalist who has reported most recently from Afghanistan, and from the Middle East, Russia and Africa. She lives in Brooklyn.

I read and reviewed The Camel Bookmobile, which I enjoyed immensely. I am also a reader for the Camel Book Drive in the The Year of Readers 2009 charity effort.

______________________

What did you get in the mail that's interesting?

.

Please leave comments or links if you've read or reviewed any of these books. I'd love to read them.

Friday Finds

Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading




A Time To Dance A Time To Die by John Waller

Hardcover: 267 pages
Publisher: Icon Books (January 2008)
ISBN-10: 1848310218
ISBN-13: 978-1848310216

Product description

"In July 1518 a terrifying and mysterious plague struck the medieval city of Strasbourg. Hundreds of men and women danced wildly, day after day, in the punishing summer heat. Their feet blistered and bled, and their limbs ached with fatigue, but they simply could not stop. By the time the epidemic subsided, heat and exhaustion had claimed an untold number of lives, leaving thousands bewildered and bereaved, and an enduring enigma for future generations. This book explains why Strasbourg's dancing plague took place. In doing so it leads us into a largely vanished world, evoking the sights, sounds, aromas, diseases and hardships, the fervent super naturalism and the desperate hedonism of the late medieval world. Not only a fascinating historical detective story, "A Time to Dance, A Time to Die" is also an exploration into the strangest capabilities of the human mind and the extremes to which fear and irrationality can lead us."

About the Author

John Waller is an historian of medicine at Michigan State University. Educated at the universities of Oxford and London, he is the author of several other books, including The Real Oliver Twist (Icon, 2005), The Discovery of the Germ (Icon, 2002) and Fabulous Science (OUP, 2002). He lives with his wife and daughter in Michigan.

____________________________

I just know I'll be in the mood one day to read something other than my usual literary fiction and this should be fascinating.

Is this something you'd read? If you have please let us now what you think. What did you find in the way of interesting books this week?

Today's other Post: Haiku

Haiku Friday

Hosted by Jen at It's a Jen's Life

I write haiku in the Japanese tradition, not counting syllables or always restricting them to a three line form.

Haiku are about images and the five senses, they do not use the poetic devices of Western literature. Read them very slowly, one line at a time, and do not think with your mind, but visualize and engage all your other physical senses. Enjoy.

Here are three haiku that were chosen as winning entries in The Herb Barrett Award anthology Prairie Sunset (2000) edited by Denver Stull.


slow drip
of the garden tap
the sparrows take turns



charcoal
drawing the tree
it was



and just to prove that I can write one in the 5-7-5 rhythm in English:



plum blossoms falling
the gardener softly singing
in my father's tongue



I am happy to announce that winning copies of The Tree It Was will be going to Marie at The Boston Bibliophile and Serena at Savvy Verse and Wit. I'm sorry I don't have more copies for everyone. E-mail your mailing addresses please ladies.

But I do have a spare copy of Through The Spirea, the 1998 anthology of winning poems for the Herb Barrett Award anthology, 36 pages, and edited by Michael Dylan Welch. Followers may enter to win by indicating that they'd like to be included in the draw.

*All of the poetry on this page is copyrighted by Sandra Fuhringer and may not be used without permission from the author. E-mail me.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday

Hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre publication can't-wait-to-read selection is:

The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova

Hardcover 560 pages
Little, Brown and Company (January 12, 2010)
ISBN: 0316065781
ISBN: 978-0316065788

Product Description

"Psychiatrist Andrew Marlowe, devoted to his profession and the painting hobby he loves, has a solitary but ordered life. When renowned painter Robert Oliver attacks a canvas in the National Gallery of Art and becomes his patient, Marlow finds that order destroyed. Desperate to understand the secret that torments the genius, he embarks on a journey that leads him into the lives of the women closest to Oliver and a tragedy at the heart of French Impressionism.

Kostova's masterful new novel travels from American cities to the coast of Normandy, from the late 19th century to the late 20th, from young love to last love. The Swan Thieves is a story of obsession, history's losses, and the power of art to preserve human hope."

About the Author Elizabeth Kostova is the author of the international bestseller The Historian. She graduated from Yale and holds an MFA from the University of Michigan, where she won the Hopwood Award for the Novel-in-Progress.

New Crayons

Hosted by Susan at Color Online.

"Remember when you were a kid and getting new crayons was a big deal? Getting new books holds the same kind of magic for some of us big kids. Every week on Sunday, I post what's new in our box. I think crayons are a pretty cool metaphor for multicultural lit. I hope you'll share what you picked up from the library, store, or in the mail too."

New this week:




The Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez (Afghanistan)

via Bookmooch










Haunting Bombay by Shilpa Agarwal (India)

from the library








Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea (Mexico)

ARC from Little, Brown and Company

Which books by authors of colour, or that celebrate racial diversity, came your way this week?

Reviews of interest:

A Mercy by Toni Morrison (African America)
Becoming Abigail by Chris Abani (Nigerian)
What We All Long For by Dionne Brand (African Canadian)
Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden (Native Canadian)
Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Columbian)
The Seamstress by Frances de Pontes Peebles (Brazilian)
The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Spanish)

If you've read or reviewed any of these books, feel free to comment or leave links to reviews. I'd love to read them. No spoilers please.

Haiku Friday

Hosted by Janice at It's a Jan's Life.

I write haiku in the Japanese tradition, not counting syllables or always restricting them to a three line form.

Haiku are about images and the five senses, they do not use the poetic devices of Western literature. Read them very slowly, one line at a time, and do not think with your mind, but visualize and engage all your other physical senses. Enjoy.

Three more of my haiku that were chosen for The Herb Barrett Award anthology Through the Spirea (1998) edited by Michael Dylan Welch:


in the long grass
of the old orchard
surveyor's stakes


and these two recieved Honourable Mention:


winter moonlight
the music box plays
all by itself


midnight rain
the vacancy sign
is turned off


My giveaway of two copies of a The Tree It Was (2002), a 16 page chapbook of my own haiku is still open to followers of my blog. Winners will be announced in this column next week. Rules and entry are here.

*All of the poetry on this page is copyrighted by Sandra Fuhringer and may not be used without permission from the author.

Friday Finds

Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

This week's finds:

Remember the first book? I thought I'd found a copy cat cover until I saw the author's name. It's her new novel.

Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery

Paperback 160 Pages
Europa Editions (Aug. 25, 2009)
ISBN 10:1933372958
ISBN 13:9781933372952

From the Publisher:

"In the posh building made famous in The Elegance of the Hedgehog, the greatest food critic in the world is dying. Revered by some and reviled by many, Monsieur Pierre Arthens has been lording it over the world's most esteemed chefs for years, passing judgment on their creations, deciding their fates with a stroke of his pen, destroying and building reputations on a whim. But now, during these his final hours, his mind has turned to simpler things. He is desperately searching for that singular flavor, that sublime something once sampled, never forgotten, the Flavor par excellence.
Gourmet Rhapsody is a charming voyage that traces the career of Monsieur Arthens from childhood to maturity across a celebration of all manner of culinary delights. Alternating with the voice of the supercilious Arthens is a chorus belonging to his acquaintances and familiars-relatives, lovers, a would-be protégé, even a cat. Each will have his or her say about Monsieur Arthens, a man who has inspired only extreme emotions in people."

Muriel Barbery was born in 1969 in Casablanca . She studied philosophy at the Ecole Normale Superieure and worked for many years as a philosophy teacher in France . Her New York Times bestselling novel The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Europa Editions 2008) has been published in over twenty languages. Barbery now lives in Japan and is working on a third novel.

I enjoyed The Elegance of the Hedgehog and I'm looking forward to reading this one too.

____________________________

Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

Hardcover 528 pages

Harper Collins Canada (November 3, 2009)

ISBN 10:1554684757

ISBN 13:9781554684755

From the Publisher:

"Born in the United States, reared in a series of provisional households in Mexico, Harrison Shepherd is mostly a liability to his social-climbing flapper mother, Salomé. From a coastal island jungle to the unpaved neighborhoods of 1930s Mexico City, through a disastrous stint at a military school in Virginia and back again, his fortunes never steady as Salomé finds her rich men-friends always on the losing side of the Mexican Revolution. Sometimes she gives her son cigarettes instead of supper.

Life is whatever he learns from servants putting him to work in the kitchen, errands he runs in the streets, and one fateful day, by mixing plaster for famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. Making himself useful in the household of Rivera, his wife Frida Kahlo and exiled Bolshevik leader Lev Trotsky, young Shepherd inadvertently casts his lot with art and revolution, and the howling gossip and reportage that dictate public opinion.

A violent upheaval sends him north to a nation newly caught up in the internationalist good will of World War II. In the mountain city of Asheville, North Carolina, he remakes himself in America's hopeful image. Under the watch of his peerless stenographer, Violet Brown, he finds an extraordinary use for his talents of observation. But political winds continue to throw him between north and south, in a plot that turns many times on the unspeakable breach-the lacuna-between truth and public presumption.

This is a gripping story of identity, connection with our past, and the power of words to create or devastate, unfolding at a moment when the entire world seemed bent on reinventing itself at any cost."

Sounds like an exciting and intriguing story.

________________________

The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk

Hardcover 560 pages

Knopf (October 20, 2009)

ISBN-10: 0307266761

ISBN-13: 978-0307266767

From the Publisher:

"A sweeping, emotionally charged novel of the nature of romantic attachment and the strange allure of collecting- this is Orhan Pamuk’s greatest achievement. It is Istanbul in 1975. Kemal is a rich and engaged man when he by chance encounters a long-lost relation, Fusun, a young shopgirl whose beauty stirs all the passion denied him in a society where sex outside marriage is taboo. Fusun ends their liaison when she learns of Kemal’s engagement. But Kemal cannot forget her: for nine years he tries to change her mind, meanwhile stealing from her an odd assortment of personal items, which he collects and cherishes- a “museum of innocence” that he puts on display to tell the heartbreaking story of a love that shaped a life."

This is Orhan Pamuk's first novel since being awarded the Nobel Prize in 2006. I have read Snow and enjoyed it very much. And I've recently acquired a copy of My Name is Red, which won the 2003 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. I hope to enjoy The Museum of Innocence soon.

What did you find that's got you excited about reading?

My Favourite Reads

Hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books.

"Each week features one of my favorite reads that I finished before I started blogging. I'm not reviewing the books, just giving a brief description (most likely the publisher's blurb) and telling you why the book is a favorite."

Do you have any old favorites that you haven't had a chance to blog about yet? Or some older reviews that you would like to feature? Please join us."

The week I chose:

The Last Samurai by Helen Dewitt

Paperback 544 pages

Miramax (2001)

A young boy in London searches for the identity of his father by reading up on and searching out famous scientists and artists when his intellectual American mother refuses him any information about who he is. A single mother, Sibylla Newman, somewhat eccentric, has her hands full trying to support them by transcribing manuscripts and keeping a very gifted child stimulated and fulfilled. Ludovic, the kind of child that could read in three languages at the age of four, is determined to confront the man he thinks might be his father. Sprinkled throughout with scientific and literary references this book is a masterpiece of originality and a hoot as well. Sibylla's obsession with a Kurosawa film of the same name explains the title, not the Cruise film. This was one of the best books I read that year. It tells you how much I liked it that I went out and purchased a copy. Five stars. Highly recommended.

Comments, questions, links to reviews are always welcomed. I'd love to read them.

Booking Through Thursday

Hosted by Deb.

What’s the most serious book you’ve read recently?

It's a tie between two books I recently reviewed. Both are chilling in their reality despite being novels.




Little Bee****+ by Chris Cleave

Becoming Abigail***** by Chris Abani







If you read either of them I'd love to know what you think. If you reviewed them please leave a link and I will put it in the post of my review.

The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón - Afterwords

Afterwords is my review. Forewords about the book may interest you too.

Hardcover: 544 pages
Publisher: Doubleday (June 16, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0385528701
ISBN-13: 978-0385528702

"...if Shadow of the Wind is the nice, good girl in the family, The Angel’s Game would be the wicked gothic stepsister."

That's how Zafon describes this novel of high suspense about books and writing, desire and ambition. It seems he's planned a series.

"to give each book a different personality, to show some of the same characters at different times in their lives. Since these books were, in part, about the world of literature, books, reading and language, I thought it would be interesting to use the different novels to explore those themes through different angles and to add new layers to the meaning of the stories.

...four different novels. They would be stand-alone stories that could be read in any order. I saw them as a Chinese box of stories with four doors of entry, a labyrinth of fictions that could be explored in many directions, entirely or in parts, and that could provide the reader with an additional layer of enjoyment and play. These novels would have a central axis, the idea of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, set against the backdrop of a highly stylized, gothic and mysterious Barcelona.

The Angel’s Game is a new book, a stand-alone story that you can fully enjoy and understand on its own. But if you have already read The Shadow of the Wind, or you decide to read it afterwards, you’ll find new meanings and connections that I hope will enhance your experience with these characters and their adventures.


The Angel’s Game has many games inside, one of them with the reader. It is a book designed to make you step into the storytelling process and become a part of it. In other words, the wicked, gothic chick wants your blood."

I have not read The Shadow of the Wind, this is not my usual genre. So I quote extensively because his explanation, though overblown, explains it all much better than I can.

I enjoyed the story. Its minor characters are so well developed that I often found them much more interesting than David Martin, our young writer. Their feelings and motivations seemed more fleshed out. After getting into writing David puts out a series of potboilers that the public eats up but are known only under a pen name. David can write well, he even writes a great book for a friend and no one knows him as the writer of that book either. The Sempere and Sons Bookshop figures large in the story, so does the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, and a woman he will do anything for. An offer from a French editor to write the book of a lifetime, a book that can change the world, lures our protagonist into the dark, gothic side of ambition. There is an element of fantasy to the novel which threw me, only because nothing outside the real world ever happens in my usual reading, so I didn't clue in to what was happening on one level. I suspect that Zafon's readers like that he will go in any direction to sustain a story. And it's certainly an interesting story.

It's set in Barcelona, about two decades earlier than The Shadow of the Wind. The story moved quickly enough that it did not feel like a long novel, it made you want to know what's going to happen next. The novel is a mystery but a highly evolved one, with intrigue, romance, tragedy, and with much more at stake for our protagonist than is usual. I think people are going to enjoy this book for the most part. It's not perfect, but it's a fun read. Four stars out of five. I recommend it.

Have you read The Angel's Game? What did you think? Any plans to read it? If you've reviewed it, leave me a link, I'd love to read it.

Have you read other books by Zafon, and which do you recommend? The Shadow of the Wind-did you love it or hate it? No Spoilers please.

Cover Attraction

Hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page who says:

"I love beautiful, or interesting, cover art so every Wednesday I post my Cover Attraction for the week along with a synopsis of the book. Everyone is welcome to stop by and post a link to their favorite weekly book cover."

This Week's Cover Attraction:

A Better View of Paradise by Randy Sue Coburn

Summary:

"A Better View of Paradise explores the tender bond between fathers and daughters, ponders the delicate nature of healing, and celebrates the redemptive power of forgiveness and love. Thirty-six-year-old Stevie Pollack has come into her own as a celebrated landscape architect. Her designs, famed for their evocative natural beauty, reflect her upbringing amid the splendor of Hawai'i. But when critics blast her latest efforts and her boyfriend abruptly ends their relationship, Stevie seeks solace in her roots among the dazzling flowers, and comforting traditions of the islands and their calming waters. Still, in the back of her mind, Hawai‘i holds troubling memories of a childhood with Hank, her emotionally distant father, and a reserved British mother. Despite her irascible father’s presence, the trip home promises Stevie a welcome departure from her trials on the mainland. But the shocking news that Hank is dying forces the pair’s reunion into high gear. As father and daughter attempt to rekindle their bond, Stevie discovers sides of Hank she never knew, including family secrets that have shaped their lives. And what started as a holiday escape for the beleaguered architect becomes a chance for transformation, one as exciting as it is uncertain. Inspired by her father’s insight, and energized by the attentions of an attractive local veterinarian, Stevie learns to surrender her inhibitions and seize the day."

Edited: I just had to post this comment left by Ms Coburn, the author of A Better View of Paradise:

Randy Sue said...

"So glad you all like the cover! Although I wrote the book, all the credit belongs to Random House designer Victoria Allen and photographer Randy Faris. This is my third book and my favorite cover, hands down."

______________________________________

The Bird Catcher by Laura Jacobs

Summary:

"Margret Snow is the quintessential New York woman. She dresses the windows of Saks Fifth Avenue by day and mingles in the downtown art world by night, always searching for her niche in a city intent on capturing Then Next Big Thing as it flies into view. Married to Charles, a professor at Columbia, and living on the Upper West Side, the backdrop to Margret’s life is made up of the poetic rhythms and colors of the Manhattan day: slow-running buses, the gray morning light striking the Hudson, the winter landscape of Riverside Park, the endless round of gallery openings, cocktail parties and grand dinners in the palatial apartments on Manhattan’s upper east side. Against this metropolitan whirl, Margret and Charles pursue a lifelong hobby of bird watching, a passion for which was kindled by her grandfather during long-past summers near the shore in Gloucester, Massachusetts. As they shuttle between their Manhattan apartment, birding in the city's parks, and weekends out of town in their house near Cape May, a violent upheaval pushes Margret beyond the boundaries of her hobby. Overnight, she becomes an art world sensation and just as suddenly has fame ripped from her. As Laura Jacobs proved in her first novel, "Women About Town", she understands the natural habitat of the New York Woman in all its complexity. In The Bird Catcher she moves deeper into that territory with the story of a remarkable woman who is as rare and special as the birds that fill the skies above her."

Don't these covers entice you to take a second look at the book and consider reading it? They do for me.

TSS The Sunday Salon July in Review

Salon Sundays may be found here.

Books read:

71.Ben, In the World by Doris Lessing (178 pages)
72.Home Repair by Liz Rosenberg (328 pages)
73.The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (466 pages)
74.The Jewel Trader of Pegu by Jeffrey Hantover (243 pages)
75.Little Bee by Chris Cleave (272 pages)
76.The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar (367 pages)
77.No Such Creature by Giles Blunt (273pages)
78.Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre Madden (232 pages)
79.The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (531 pages)
80.Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome (205 pages)

Pages read: 3,095

Books reviewed:

Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre Madden (Ireland) Orange Prize shortlist 2009
Little Bee by Chris Cleave (England)
No Such Creature by Giles Blunt (Canada)
The Jewel Trader of Pegu by Jeffrey Hantover (US)
A Mercy by Toni Morrison (US) Orange Prize longlist 2009, Nobel author
Ben, In The World by Doris Lessing (England) Nobel author

New

Alphabetical Index of all Books Reviewed
Current Reading Challenges on a single page-click on baby reading in sidebar
Completed Reading Challenges on a single page-click on woman reading in sidebar
Poll on rating reviews, still open, sticky note at the top of the home page

Giveaways:

The Jewel Trader of Pegu by Jeffrey Hantover Ended July 27, winner was teabird.
No Such Creature by Giles Blunt until Aug.3
The Tree That Was by Sandra Fuhringer until Aug.13

Challenges completed:

Summer Vacation 12/6 trips through books, 6 reviewed
Classics Challenge 4/4
Library Challenge - 50/50 borrowed books
Pub Challenge 9/9 books published in 2009
Themed Challenge - 4/4 books on music
The 2nd Canadian Book Challenge - 28/13, 12 reviewed

New Challenges:

Japanese Literature 3
Color Me Brown
What an Animal II
Literary Road Trip
A Well Rounded Challenge
Random Reading Challenge
Popular Penguins Reading Challenge
Martel-Harper 3 What's in a Name? 2
The 3rd Canadian Books Challenge

Weekly books and reading features:

What Are You Reading On Mondays? 4
Mailbox Monday 1 Library Loot 2
Waiting on Wednesday 2
Wondrous Words Wednesday 1
"Read 'Em Yet?" Wednesdays 1
Booking Through Thursday 1
Haiku Friday 1
Cover Attraction 1
Salon Sunday 2

What's on Your Nightstand? (monthly)
Orange Prize 2009, all nominees, winner, and books read
Forewords:The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

August's upcoming reviews:

The Angel's Game by Carlos Luiz Zafon (Spain)
Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea (Mexico)
The Translucent Tree by NobukoTakagi (Japan)

What did you read or write about in July?

Questions, opinions, reading recommendations or links to reviews are welcomed. I'd love to read them.

New Crayons August 1

Hosted by Susan at Color Online.

"Remember when you were a kid and getting new crayons was a big deal? Getting new books holds the same kind of magic for some of us big kids. Every week on Sunday, I post what's new in our box. I hope you'll share what you picked up from the library, store, or in the mail too."

New this week:

The Latino Five

* B as in Beauty by Alberto Ferreras

* Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea

* Hungry Woman in Paris by Josefina Lopez

* The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos by Margaret Mascarenhas

* Houston, We Have a Problema by Gwendolyn Zepeda

Won from Claire at kiss a cloud in the Hachette Latino Book Month Giveaway in May. Thank you Claire and Hachette.

I have several reading challenges going that I can use these for, including the Color Me Brown for August Challenge at Color Online, Diversity Rocks, LibraryThing Authors, or Spice of Life.

Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver

From Publishers Weekly:

"Taylor Greer and her adopted Cherokee daughter Turtle, first met in The Bean Trees. Now six years old and still bearing psychological marks of the abuse that occured before she was rescued by Taylor, Turtle is discovered by formidable Indian lawyer Annawake Fourkiller, who insists that the child be returned to the Cherokee Nation. Taylor reacts by fleeing her Tucson home with Turtle to begin a precarious existence on the road; skirting the edge of poverty and despair, she eventually realizes that Turtle has become emotionally unmoored. In taking a fresh look at the Solomonic dilemma of choosing between two equally valid claims on a child's life, Kingsolver achieves the admirable feat of making the reader understand and sympathize with both sides of the controversy, as she contrasts Taylor's unalterable mother's love with Annawake's determination to save Turtle from the stigmatization she can expect from white society. Alice's resolve to help her daughter takes her into the heart of the Cherokee Nation and results in an astonishing but credible meshing of lives. In the end, both justice and compassion are served. Kingsolver's intelligent consideration of issues of family and culture--both in her evocation of Native American society and in her depiction of the plight of a single mother--brims with insight and empathy.

Won from Color Online, thank you Susan.

Which books by authors of colour or that celebrate racial diversity came your way this week?

If you've read or reviewed any of these books, tell us what you thought or leave links to your reviews. I'd love to read them.

What an Animal II Reading Challenge

Hosted by Kristi at Passion for the Page.

July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009

Read at least 6 books that have any of the following requirements:

an animal in the title
an animal on the cover
an animal plays a major role
a main character is (or turns into) an animal
It can be any type of animal (real or fictitious)--dog, cat, monkey, wolf, snake, insect, hedgehog, aardvark...dragon, mermaid, centaur, vampire, werewolf...you get the idea.

Completed books are highlighted or link to reviews:

Little Bee by Chris Cleave
Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre Madden
No Such Creature by Giles Blunt
Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome

Other choices on hand:

The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey (monkeys on cover)
Water For Elephants by Sarah Gruen
Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson

Won't you join us? It's an easy challenge and you'll have fun doing it.