Pages: 144 pgs.
Ages: 15+
First Published: Sept. 1, 2009
Genre: YA, graphic novel, realistic fiction, manga
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

Yeah…This is where I live.

Reason for Reading: Cybils nominee.
Summary: Kit is an inner-city kid. Everybody around him is someone, they all have labels. Hi brother is ‘talented and gifted’, his mom is the ’single mom’ even his dad is the ‘deadbeat dad’. He figures he’s not anything. His brother argues with him all the time. He can’t help but argue with his mom feeling like she just doesn’t get him. Then there’s a group of 4 outsider kids who taunt him daily and they can’t even figure out what to label him, emo? loser? Kit does have one thing in life that gives him great joy though and that is the stray cats in his neighbourhood. He’s befriended them all, given them names, and steals cat food from the local corner store as he pays for one can. The girl from the group of kids who taunt him, Jess, befriends him, she’s the artistic one, and after a while she really gets Kit and the whole cat thing and she draws a picture for him, his manga avatar - Katman. When trouble hits the fan, Jess, is there with him to deal with what seems an impossible situation.

Comments: This was a great story. I don’t usually go in for teen reality fiction but this story grabbed me right away. Kit is a character that one feels for right away and teens will identify with. The book has a great plot (which I won’t give away) that makes the book hard to put down until you’ve finished. The book is peopled with eccentric characters such as Vinod who belongs to the religion of Jainism, an autistic teen nicknamed Bleep, and the local crazy cat lady. Ultimately, the underlying theme of the book is caring. It sounds kind of corny written down like that but trust me, it’s not. The book asks how many people really care these days? Care about something, about someone, about doing something or believing in something? A very powerful story.

I recommend the book for older teens, say 15 and over because of some harsh language. It is not used frequently at all but does appear now and then and the profanity is more of what I would call the hard variety.

My only problem with the book is that every so often after the manga character Katman is introduced we are occasionally shown a 3 or 4 page wordless manga comic about this character. It is a continuing pattern throughout the book and the manga storyline continues. I guess I’m not cool enough because I just didn’t understand the meaning of this, at all. I have no idea what the manga story was about. I understand the significance of the creation of Katman to Kit; it is a defining moment for him and Jess. But the wordless manga comic story arc that runs in between the real plot has me baffled. Hence a 4 instead of a 5 rating.

Monte Becket enjoyed rapid success with his dime-store novel, but after six years, could not pen another book. His family befriended their quiet neighbor, Glendon, who asked Monte to travel west with him to find Glendon’s estranged wife. Not knowing that Glendon was a former outlaw, Monte agreed to go. Within a day of their journey, Glendon’s past came back to haunt him – his presence alerted to a traveling policeman – and Monte must make a choice: help his fugitive friend make peace with his past, or turn around and go home. Striking out from his usual “safe” personality, Monte chose to accompany his friend, trying to stay one step ahead of the law along the way.

While it was Glendon’s quest for redemption, I quickly learned that it was Monte’s quest too: a quest to become a better person, enjoy his literary success and make peace with his writer’s block. Monte’s journey was deeply personal – he was a character I could root for, despite his mistakes.

Along their journey, the gentlemen meet interesting characters and landmarks. Enger drew real-life men all facing decisions that would forever alter their lives. Mix in a Wild West that was becoming less wild, and you have a wonderful juxtaposition of how things were and are.

Beautifully written, So Brave, Young and Handsome would be perfect for a book discussion. Even the title alone could be a 10-minute discussion. Enger’s themes, characters and descriptions made this novel unforgettable and enjoyable. I would recommend this book to anyone who looks for these elements in their reading. ( )

Enzo is a dog – but he is not just any dog. Enzo is a philosopher and an observer of humans…he is a dog with the soul of a man. He lives with Denny Swift, a semi-professional race car driver, and Denny’s beautiful wife Eve and daughter Zoe. Enzo’s story begins at the end, and then rewinds to the beginning and works forward again. It is a simple story, really…the story of a family seen through the eyes of their dog; but Enzo’s insight into the human condition is what turns this simple story into something special. Like his owner Denny, Enzo loves car racing and he takes what he learns from the sport (through Denny) and uses it as a metaphor for living one’s life.

This is what Denny says. He says racing is doing. It is being a part of the moment, and being aware of nothing else but that moment. Reflection must come at a later time. - from The Art of Racing in the Rain, page 14 -

I must admit, I was very reluctant to read this book – not because I didn’t think it would be a great read (I heard Garth Stein speak last year at the San Jose Book Club Expo and immediately bought The Art of Racing in the Rain afterwards); but because I knew it would make me cry. And it did. Enzo is a wonderful character and his view of life, and ultimately of death, is tender and moving. Stein makes the reader embrace his characters. For me, it was easy to believe that a dog could think and feel as Enzo did…and so I internalized his story and it became real for me. Despite my tears, Enzo’s story is not all tragedy and sadness. There is joy, exhilaration and hope in the novel as well. There are many messages embedded in The Art of Racing in the Rain, but one of these seemed the most important: we are what we manifest.

Such a simple concept, yet so true: that which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny. Be it through intention or ignorance, our successes and our failures have been brought on by none other than ourselves. - from The Art of Racing in the Rain, page 43 -

As Denny and his family face challenges and tragedy, this concept (’that which we manifest is before us‘) becomes a recurrent theme. Another recurrent theme is facing our darkest fears in order to overcome them. For Enzo, it is a stuffed zebra who embodies evil intent…and now I know why Garth Stein inscribed my book: “For Wendy, Beware the zebra!”

There are many beautiful passages in Stein’s novel. His writing is graceful and insightful. Enzo’s ruminations on life, on what makes a good human, and the state of our souls upon death…are simple, tender and thoughtful.

Here’s why I will be a good person. Because I listen. I cannot speak, so I listen very well. I never interrupt, I never deflect the course of the conversation with a comment of my own. - from The Art of Racing in the Rain, page 101 -

We could learn a lot by listening to our dogs, perhaps.

The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautiful novel on many levels. Readers who love animals will certainly be drawn to Enzo. This is a novel about family, love, loyalty and spirituality. It is about overcoming obstacles and moving forward through tragedy. But mostly it is about our connection to others – whether they be beast or human. Those readers who have recently lost a beloved pet will find this a tough read at times, but it is worth the journey.

Highly recommended.

Twelve year old Daniel lives with his father, Dominic Baciagalupo, in a logging camp along Twisted River in Coos County New Hampshire. Daniel’s father is the cook for the loggers and has been raising his son alone ever since the boy’s mother drowned in the cold, rushing waters of Twisted River. One fateful night, Daniel mistakes his father’s girlfriend Jane for a bear and accidentally kills her. Frightened that the town’s chief law enforcement officer (a drunk with a history of beating women) will not believe their story, Dominic and Daniel flee to Massachusetts and make their new lives in the heart of Boston’s North End. What follows is the story of not only Daniel and his father, but also the tale of Ketchum – a surly, big-hearted river driver with an independent streak who remains the duo’s friend for years.

Beginning in 1954 in New Hampshire, the novel spans more than fifty years (ending in 2005) and moves from Boston to Vermont to Iowa to Colorado and finally to Toronto. As with all Irving novels, the characters drive the narrative…and Last Night in Twisted River is full of memorable characters. My favorite is the gritty Ketchum whose libertarian politics and belief in street justice (not to mention his avoidance of technology except for his beloved fax machine) make him one of the more lovable and humorous characters of the sprawling novel.

Last Night in Twisted River is classic John Irving story telling at its best. Filled with quirky characters and marked by Irving’s signature meandering style, the novel is big, lush and captivating. I have long been a John Irving fan and so I know that when I open one of his novels I must give myself up to the story and simply go along for the ride. No one tells a story quite like Irving, and in Last Night In Twisted River the story is about life with all its ups and downs, unexpected events, and relationships which surprise us. Wound through the pages of this novel is the idea of fate, chance happenings, and the idea that we cannot always map out our lives.

We don’t always have a choice how we get to know one another. Sometimes, people fall into our lives cleanly – as if out of the sky, or as if there were a direct flight from Heaven to Earth  the same sudden way we lose people, who once seemed they would always be part of our lives. – from Last Night in Twisted River, page 550 -

Last Night in Twisted River is also about fathers and sons – a common theme in Irving novels – and how parental relationships shape who we become. Daniel becomes a famous author, and Irving has a little fun with his readers by inserting a bit of himself into the character (who has a tendency to overuse semi-colons in his writing).

All that was true the cook thought. Somehow what struck him about Daniel’s fiction was that it was both autobiographical and not autobiographical at the same time. - from Last Night in Twisted River, page 230 -

Readers who love Irving’s early work (The World According to Garp, A Prayer For Owen Meany, and Hotel New Hampshire), and who were swept away by his controversial novels (The Cider House Rules and A Widow For One Year) will not be disappointed in his latest novel. In Last Night in Twisted River, Irving has brought together all his powers as a storyteller. Despite its length (more than 500 pages), I wanted the book to go on and on. When I turned the final page, I was not ready to say good-bye to the characters I had grown to love. For readers waiting for Irving’s next great novel, the wait is over.

Highly recommended.

Pages: 275
Ages: 10+
First Published: Sep.8, 2009 (Can)/ Sept.22 (US)
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

Six hunting hounds had perished in previous experiments.

Reason for Reading: Arthur Slade had a new book out and I was thrilled to find out it was the start of a series. I had been wanting him to venture out into a series. I received a review copy from the publisher, Harper Collins Canada.
Summary: Modo is an orphan taken in by Mr. Socrates and kept house-bound for the first thirteen years of his life where he is trained in body and mind. Modo is a hunchback with a terribly disfigured face which is so repugnant to look upon that Mr. Socrates does not allow mirrors in the house until he decides Modo is old enough to see his reflection. Once Modo has been trained to be one of Mr. Socrates secret agents he is sent out into the world where he uncovers a diabolical plot of the mad scientist Mr. Hyde. While investigating he meets Octavia Milkweed and together they must save the orphans of London and the city itself.

Comments: My review could end here and now with one word, brilliant. Arthur Slade comes up with some absolutely amazing plots and this book tops them all. A compelling read, that kept me turning the pages almost faster than I could read them. Modo is a wonderful character, one whom the reader bonds with instantly and feels compassion for, making him a superb hero. Octavia is a strong, yet feminine female hero and the two make for a dynamic pairing.

Slade’s writing is as strong as ever. The book contains some quite disturbing scenes which made for a scary read at times but at others the humour is high which gives this quite dark story an even balance of light moments. I loved everything about this book and could simply gush over it. It’s got everything you could hope for in a great read. If you like dark tales set in alternate Victorian England featuring mad scientists working with steam engines, clockworks and human bodies this will certainly be a must read for you! I can hardly wait for the next book to see what direction the series takes. The Hunchback Assignments will appeal to both boys and girls (as well as adults) equally. Recommended

Pages: 149
Ages: 13+
First Published: Jul.21, 2009
Genre: graphic novel, science fiction
Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

It was a pleasure to burn.

Reason for Reading: Cybils nominee

Comments: At this point I think it’s fair that no summary of Fahrenheit 451 is needed. I’m a fan of the novel having read it a handful of time plus I’ve seen the 1966 movie a couple of times. Obviously, I was no stranger to the plot when I sat down to read the graphic adaptation. I was very pleased to find a very faithful adaptation to the novel had been rendered. It’s amazing to see a novel transformed with a minimal amount of text and the addition of graphics to tell the same story. Though one hopes an adaptation will never replace the original, this is a beautiful compliment to it.

The illustrations are very interesting and match the mood of the story done in a limited palette of colours using a trio of colours plus black for the most part though occasionally going down to 2 colours plus black at times. He uses warm reds, yellows and oranges for the fireman scenes while reverting to cool blues, greens and purples for the rest of the book. It sets a dark, oppressive feeling without the need for a narrative to do so.

I can’t quite give this a rating of 5 as I know Mr. Bradbury’s work can’t be equaled but Tim Hamilton has done an excellent job in bringing the novel to the graphic format in a stunningly faithful rendition.

Pages: 344
First Published: Jul.7, 2009
Genre: graphic novel
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

mmm…oohh.. that’s good…

Summary: The book opens with a man watching, presumably, a pornographic movie, when his building is hit by lightning and catches fire. Such is how we meet Asterios Polyp, 50 year old architect. He grabs a few trinkets and as he rushes out the door we see he has a room full of videos, each one marked with a consecutive day of the week which appear to go on for years back. Through a series of flashbacks we follow Asterios’ past and present as with the cash he takes a bus to however far it will get him, ending up in a hick town where he gets a job as a mechanic and rents a room in the house of his boss.

Comments: The book is a study in self. It is hard for me to review this book critically as I have never studied philosophy and that is the main theme running through this book. The first thing to enter my mind was existentialism and after googling it, I found it fit the situation perfectly in my mind but I also so the opposite happening as well, so another google brought up the term nihilism. The amazing thing about this graphic novel is that the illustrations follow suit in a gripping display a graphic brilliance to fit the atmosphere of the pages.

For characters, the book is sparse. Asterios himself is self-centered and egotistical. His Asian wife is his opposite: warm, tender and loving. Otherwise the book contains a handful of eccentric characters, who while also being wrapped in their own self manage to do so without the know-it-all, “I’m always right”, attitude of Asterios. My favourite character was the garage owner’s wife, Ursula Major a buxom, large, pipe smoking, luxurious blonde woman who follows all the Pagan religions and thinks she is part Indian because she was a Shaman in a past life.

I haven’t read anything by the author before so I didn’t know what to expect and I must admit I thought it was quite weird to begin with but then things started making sense, I started understanding Asterios’ character and I really enjoyed the book in the end. Speaking of the end, it’s quite a shocker too.

I would especially recommend this book to anyone who knows a thing or two about philosophy. You’ll get a whole lot more out of it than I did but nevertheless, I took what I could from it and was pleased with the read.

Pages: 431
First Published: Sept. 22, 2009
Genre: post-apocalyptic, science fiction (no matter how much the author denies it)
Rating: 3/5

First sentence:

In the early morning Toby climbs up to the rooftop to watch the sunrise.

Reason for Reading: Atwood’s new book.  Borrowed from my library.

Summary: A plague has wiped out the majority of the world and the God’s Gardeners cult had been preparing for the end-times (the Waterless Flood) all along. Two women, who were members of God’s Gardeners have survived the plague. One, Ren, because she was in an isolation unit (almost like an apartment) where she was recuperating after being abused by one of the patrons in the sex club where she worked and possibly contaminated. The other, Toby, had locked herself in the beauty spa (heavily secured corporation run) she was the manager of the night the plague hit full force. The story is told from three points of views. Ren’s and Toby’s with both of them telling their present situation and remembering their past life with the God’s Gardener’s. The third point of view comes from the past and follows the God’s Gardeners year by year through sermons given by Adam One which end with a hymn.

Comments: I really enjoyed Oryx and Crake and dived into this book as soon as it came into the library for me. The book was a quick read. I always find Atwood’s writing to flow so naturally her books are often hard to put down, and this was no exception. Ren and Toby are full, realistic characters, quite opposite in nature from each other but both emotionally draw the reader into their lives and thus the book. Atwood’s feminist side shows through here as we see a comparison between the two women. Ren has been treated kindly then thrown aside and later used and abused by men because of her good looks while Toby has been used and abused and later ignored by men because of her plain looks.

The God’s Gardeners cult was pretty creepy in my opinion. Atwood has created a religion which is Old Testament based, yet Pagan in nature and is full of Saint Days. While the group believes in an Old Testament God, they are eco friendly by worshipping animals and nature and are strictly vegan. Near the beginning she has a St. Mowat of the Wolves day and I said to myself, “Oh, Lord please do not let her have a St. David Suzuki day in here or I’m going to through this book across the room”. He did appear, but fortunately it was near the end of the book and I held back my urge.

I would suggest reading Oryx and Crake first. The books are not dependant on each other but this one does reference many things from the first book and you are going to wandering around in the dark as either no explanations, or only brief ones are given. A very quick explanation of the events of the first book are summed up for you at the crucial point in Year of the Flood but a reader will be missing out on a whole book’s worth of insider information if they journey into this without having read Oryx and Crake first.

Ultimately though, I was disappointed with book. It was a good enough book. Fans of Oryx and Crake will have to read it to find out the rest of the story. But I just didn’t get into the story that much. It wasn’t a page turner, even though it read quick enough. The plot kept moving forward but there never was any real suspense, reveals, moments of great emotion or climax even to satisfy. Well, there is a climax and an ending but they are small and weak and I ended the book with a “hmmph”.

1. Take Laurie to her one-month wellness appointment.
2. Visit Galigani in the hospital, find out what happened to him.
3. Find George.
4. Interview Kiku (bring own water!).
5. Call Winter Henderson re: hippie chick alibi.
6. Read the parenting book from library.
7. Find the parenting book from library.
8. Oh yeah, diet, exercise, clean car, be good mom/wife, cook clean, and all that jazz. - from Bundle of Trouble, page 124 -

Kate Connolly is on leave from her job because she has just given birth to her baby daughter, Laurie. But her maternity leave quickly becomes complicated following a call from the San Francisco medical examiner’s office investigating a dead body found floating in the Bay. When Kate discovers the dead man is the husband of a high school friend, and then that friend turns up dead, she becomes immersed in the case. Kate does not let the lack of formal training as a private investigator deter her…and with baby in hand, she pieces together the clues to solve the case…and remove her own husband from the suspect list.

Bundle of Trouble is Diana Orgain’s first mystery novel…which I would classify as “cozy.” Lighthearted and a bit predictable, the story makes for a quick read. It veers down a different path from most books in this genre because of its protagonist Kate…whose first role is as new mother, and who gives a new meaning to multi-tasking.

Orgain writes firmly in Kate’s point of view, my only quibble was her use of questions as internal dialogue which wore on me after awhile. Although Orgain’s protagonist is certainly likable, I had a hard time relating to Kate having no children of my own – not a fault of the author, but something to consider in terms of the target audience for this book. Bundle of Trouble was a bit cutesy for me – but in fairness to the author, it is not supposed to be deep literary fiction, and I will admit to not always loving books from this genre.

Despite these minor flaws, Orgain has created an entertaining and comical debut novel which cozy-mystery lovers will enjoy. Penguin will be publishing more of Orgain’s Kate Connolly mysteries…in fact, the next book in the series (Motherhood Is Murder) will be available in the Spring of 2010.  The Maternal Instincts Mystery Series juxtaposes child development with Kate Connolly’s development as a P.I.  Bundle of Trouble represents the first six weeks of baby development; Book Two represents month two, etc… Read more at the author’s website.

Matthew and Marissa Bishop are expecting their first baby, and Marissa has decided she must have the old cradle she was once rocked in and which disappeared with her mother six years before. Matthew reluctantly agrees to locate Marissa’s mother and retrieve the cradle…but he has no idea where his search will take him. As Matthew travels first from one small town to the other on his quest, he begins to uncover the secrets of his wife’s family which stir memories of his own childhood he believes he had long ago put to rest. Set in the midwest, The Cradle is a novel about loss, belonging, love, and the tenuous threads that bind us to each other.

The Cradle is actually two parallel stories: that of Matthew and Marissa, and that of an older couple Renee and Bill who are seeing their nineteen year old son off to war in Iraq. Told from these two perspectives, the novel jumps back and forth in time and alludes to connections between the couples. It is not until close to the end that Somerville weaves together the disparate narratives and leaves the reader with a satisfying conclusion.

I was pleasantly surprised by Somerville’s debut novel. My initial reaction is that this would be a “light” read, a bit of romance, more chick lit than anything deeper. I could not have been more wrong. Somerville has a firm grasp of what makes a literary novel throb with life – strong and conflicted characters, internal struggle, and themes which delve deeply into what make us human. I found myself drawn to Matthew, a character who has been damaged and yet elevates himself through the simple act of caring about others.

The Cradle is full of hope and answers the questions: What brings us happiness? What completes us? It is not the material goods we acquire or think we need, rather it is our connection to others which brings us joy. I was deeply moved by this simple, yet compelling novel. I hope that Somerville has many more such stories to share with us.

Highly Recommended.