Library Loot

Hosted by Eva at A Stripped Armchair and Marge at ReadingAdventures.

October has been a bust for me health wise so this is my only LL post for the month.

Library books read this month:

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

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. Hyland does seem very good at portraying the loneliness of even hardened young men though. Other opinions on this book may help you decide if it's for you.

Jonita at The Book Chick reviewed This is How more fully here and featured it in a recent My Favourite Reads post here.

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

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.

91.Silver Birches**** by Adrian Plass (192 pages) UK

Actually Christian fiction, which I didn't know until after I'd read it. A group of young adults who knew each other as teenagers get together for a weekend. They look at how far they've come and how they've changed (or not) in their behaviour toward the world and each other. Well written and very interesting if you don't mind references to their commitment to Christ and Christian principles.

92.All in the Mind***** by Alastair Campbell (297 pages) UK

The best thing I've read in a month. My review here. I wept near the end and that's unusual for me. A very good story about a committed psychiatrist who tries very hard to help his patients. But when troubled himself, who can he go to when everyone thinks of him as the best in the business? A story I would read again, also unusual for me. Highly recommended.

93.A Short History of Women***+ by Kate Walbert (239 pages) US

I loved her previous novel, The Gardens of Kyoto***** and just had to read her new novel. A Short History of Women is a generational tale about five American women, which was good, but it is not my favourite kind of story.

94.Novel About My Wife***+ by Emily Perkins (279 pages) UK

95.An After-Dinner's Sleep***+ by Stanley Middleton (224 pages) UK

96.The Lace Reader***** by Brunonia Barry (390 pages) US 2006

Don't miss this one, good writing and a great story.

Library books read during the weekend read-a-thon, three of which are highly recommended:

98.After the Fire, a Still Small Voice****+ by Evie Wyld (397 pages)
99.Dancing Backwards***+ by Salley Vickers UK (261 pages)
100.In the Lake of the Woods***** by Tim O'Brien US (303 pages)
101.The Music Room****+ by William Fiennes UK (216 pages)

So, fewer posts from me for the time being, but each packed with good reading ideas and recommendations.

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

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

Copy Cat Covers

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 is actually copy cat covers I came across:

I acquired The Saffron Kitchen by Yasmin Crowther (UK/Iran 2007) recently via Bookmooch, then saw I Sweep the Sun off Rooftops by Hanan Al-Shaykh (Lebanon 1998) while browsing The London Review of Books online bookshop. I can't imagine why the original book went with such a washed out look. It's a book of short stories about women and their lives in various places of the Arab world. The half hidden face and a head scarf that shows little hair and yet emphasizes the curves of the face are very suggestive I thought. But the soft green and gold of the scarf, and the colours of the face restored in the second cover are even lovelier on the book itself than in this picture. Both stories sounds interesting though and I look forward to reading them.

What book cover caught your eye this week?

What are you reading on Mondays?

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

Books recently completed :

93.A Short History of Women***+ by Kate Walbert US (239 pages)
94.Novel About My Wife***+ by Emily Perkins UK (279 pages)
95.An After-Dinner's Sleep***+ by Stanley Middleton UK (224 pages)
96.The Lace Reader***** by Brunonia Barry US (390 pages)
97.The Entropy of Aaron Rosclatt***+ by James Sandham Canada (193 pages)

During the weekend Read-a-thon:

98.After the Fire, a Still Small Voice**** by Evie Wyld Australia(397 pages)
99.Dancing Backwards***+ by Salley Vickers UK (261 pages)
100.In the Lake of the Woods***** by Tim O'Brien US (303 pages)
101.The Music Room****+ by William Fiennes UK (216 pages)

Up Next:

31 Hours by Masha Hamilton
Laish by Aharon Appelfeld
Summertime by J.M. Coetzee
The Bird Catcher by Laura Jacobs

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.

Dewey's Read-a-thon Introduction

Hosted by Trish and Hannah
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Where are you reading from today?

My living room in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

3 facts about me …

I've lived by means of dialysis and/or transplant since my own kidneys failed 33 years ago.

I have always detested shopping.

I'd rather read than eat.

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?

Three or four. I'm a careful reader so not a really fast one. I like to enjoy every word.

After the Fire, a Still Small Voice by Evie Wyld AUS(397 pages)
Dancing Backwards by Salley Vickers UK (261 pages)
In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien US (303 pages)
The Music Room by William Fiennes UK (216 pages)

Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon?
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This is my chance to get back into blogging after two months of illness and computer problems. This is my fourth read-a-thon. I 'm just happy to have a reason for the family not to disturb me about anything for a day or so. I read as much as my energy allows.

If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?

Don't compare your accomplishments in reading to what others have done. Our circumstances are all so very different. At any point where it's not fun any more, stop and do something else or go to sleep. The idea is to have fun.

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 Book you read and/or reviewed this week
2 Words that describe the book
3 Settings where it took place or characters you met
4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it
5 Stars or less for your rating?

1.All in the Mind***** by Alastair Campbell (297 pages) UK 2008

2.Psychological fiction

3.Dr.Martin Sturrock, a dedicated psychiatrist whose patients include Emily, a traumatized burns victim, Arta, a Kosovan refugee recovering from a rape, David Temple, a long term depressive, and others.

4.Likes: An inside look at the mind of a psychiatrist who worries about whether he's doing his best for his patients; what he really thinks and feels about them while he battles or ignores his own personal problems. A revealing of the strangely dependent relationship between a psychiatrist and his patients. Written in easy to understand language and told with compassion, the story made me weep, a rare event for me.

Dislikes: A boring cover that looks like a photograph taken forty years ago. Since the story happens in the present day I found it misleading. My copy is the first one shown. I found the second cover online, which isn't so bad, but the book deserves better.

5.Five stars. The best novel I've read in a month. Highly recommended.

Friday Finds

Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading

What great books did you hear about / discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!

I look forward to reading this literary mystery:

The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault
Hardcover: 384 pages
Dell Publishing (September 29, 2009)
ISBN - 10:0553807331
ISBN - 13:9780553807332

Product description:

The dusty files of a venerable dictionary publisher . . . a hidden cache of coded clues . . . a story written by a phantom author . . . an unsolved murder in a gritty urban park–all collide memorably in Emily Arsenault’s magnificent debut, at once a teasing literary puzzle, an ingenious suspense novel, and an exploration of definitions: of words, of who we are, and of the stories we choose to define us. In the maze of cubicles at Samuelson Company, editors toil away in silence, studying the English language, poring over new expressions and freshly coined words–all in preparation for the next new edition of the Samuelson Dictionary. Among them is editorial assistant Billy Webb, just out of college, struggling to stay awake and appear competent. But there are a few distractions. His intriguing coworker Mona Minot may or may not be flirting with him. And he’s starting to sense something suspicious going on beneath this company’s academic facade. Mona has just made a startling discovery: a trove of puzzling citations, all taken from the same book,The Broken Teaglass. Billy and Mona soon learn that no such book exists. And the quotations from it are far too long, twisting, and bizarre for any dictionary. They read like a confessional, coyly hinting at a hidden identity, a secret liaison, a crime. As Billy and Mona ransack the office files, a chilling story begins to emerge: a story about a lonely young woman, a long-unsolved mystery, a moment of shattering violence. And as they piece together its fragments, the puzzle begins to take on bigger personal meaning for both of them, compelling them to redefine their notions of themselves and each other. Charged with wit and intelligence, set against a sweetly cautious love story,The Broken Teaglass is a tale that will delight lovers of words, lovers of mysteries, and fans of smart, funny, brilliantly inventive fiction.

About the Author

Emily Arsenault has worked as a lexicographer, an English teacher, a children's librarian, and a Peace Corps volunteer. She wrote The Broken Teaglass while living in rural South Africa, to pass the long, quiet evenings in her mud brick house. She now lives in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, with her husband.