I know this post should have gone up sooner since the debates for Canada Reads begin today… but I procrastinated reading Fall On Your Knees and procrastinating writing this review. Why did I procrastinate? Tammy kept saying, “It’s so depressing, I’ve put it in my basement and just want to forget it’s there.” Which made me not want to read a depressing book after finishing the delightful Nikolski by Nicholas Dickner.

I have to admit, yes it was a somber story, but it is quite brilliant writing. I enjoyed the characters, how honest they were, and how real they were. At times I felt the book dragged on, but by the end, I was fully satisfied. My favourite character is Mercedes because I think that she is an unsung hero of the family. I was also constantly in awe of how she maintains faith while questioning the ways of her God.

At the start of the 20th century, James Piper sets fire to his dead mother’s piano and heads out across Cape Breton Island to find a new place to live, eventually eloping with 13-year-old Materia Mahmoud, the daughter of wealthy, traditional Lebanese parents. And so, from early on, Ann-Marie MacDonald establishes some major themes: racial tension, isolation, passion and forbidden love, which will gradually lead to incest, death in childbirth, and even murder.

At the centre of this epic story is the nature of family love, beginning with the Piper sister who depend on one another for survival. Their development as characters — beautiful Kathleen, the promising diva; saintly Mercedes; Frances, the mischievous bad girl, who tries to bear the family’s burden; and disabled Lily, everyone’s favourite — forms the heart of the novel. And then there is James, their flawed father.

[From the publisher, Random House]

At our book club discussion we basically agreed that it was well written, depressing, and wasn’t going to win Canada Reads 2010. I know this sounds pessimistic, but honestly, Fall On Your Knees‘ somber subject matter is not for everyone. Ann-Marie MacDonald deals with incest, faith, murder, pregnancy, and racism. The book really crosses a number of terrains and comes out the other side.

Honestly, I don’t get what the big deal is about Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture. Although I found the writing witty I didn’t really get the point. Besides “understanding” the generation and telling these 20-somethings’ story, what was the point? Nothing really happens in the book and I’m not sure why it was picked for Canada Reads 2010.

I think my favourite thing about the book was the inscription; I picked the book up at a local secondhand bookstore (MacLeod’s in downtown Vancouver) and the following was written on the title page inside:

To Sean of:
Generation X

From Mom & Dad
of Generation Grey Hairs Remember

Easter 1995

At book club yesterday, there were a couple people who read and enjoyed it when it first came out. So I asked “why did you enjoy it so much?” One person said that it was probably something to do with feeling misunderstood, and Coupland, in talking to and about that generation, really identified with their feelings. Another common frustration was the side notes in the margins. The only time they seriously bothered me was when they didn’t relate back to the novel at all. Sometimes I could reread the asides and see how the witty definitions related to the story… but when it didn’t it annoyed me to a degree.

I think the main problem is that I’m from a whole different generation, not that unlike generation X-ers, but just different enough to not “click” with the book. I am now curious to read Generation A, Douglas Coupland’s latest novel (published September 2009 by Random House). Right now, we are living in a very digital and connected society and I’d be curious to read Coupland’s Generation A to see if I connect with the sentiments in a way that generation X-ers did with Generation X.

P.S. If you haven’t vote for your predicted win and your favourite book for Canada Reads at the Canada Reads Challenge, go vote! CBC also has a poll on their website. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast, or the videos, or listen live! The debates begin tomorrow, Monday, March 8th!

Dante thinks high school is an earthly version of hell. She hates her new home in the suburbs, her best friend has moved away, her homeroom teacher mocks her and her mother is making her attend a social skills group for teenage girls. When a stranger shows up at school and hands Dante a flyer that reads: Woof, woof. You are not a dog. Why are you going to obedience school?, Dante thinks she’s found a soul mate. Someone who understands. Someone else who wants to make real changes in the world. But there are all kinds of ways of bringing about change…and some are more dangerous than others.

[back cover copy, Orca Book Publishers]

This is an engaging book about a young girl (formerly named Emily) who is trying to find herself within an oppressive high school and disappointed mother. She has an interesting journey and although the content is a little mature (maybe 12+) the writing is very accessible. The book is written from Dante/Emily’s point of view which was bang-on for the voice and age of the character.

I don’t have much more to say without giving anything away; it’s really about Dante’s personal journey. I enjoyed the book and it was a quick, engaging read for me. The writing was fast-paced and the teenage voice was very real. I was also very impressed with how Robin Stevenson deal with the GLBT content and proud that a BC author and publisher put this in a YA novel.

Click here to read the first chapter (PDF link)

Initially I was apprehensive about Nikolski, written by Nicholas Dickner, because it was translated from French. Translations can go one of two ways and I was worried that a lot would be lost in translation. However, I was pleasantly surprised as the translator, Lazer Lederhendler, transformed the French writing into eloquent English. This was very impressive because there are several plays on words as well as witty banter.

The story itself is more of a character journey than a standard plot-based story (as many of these Canada Reads books seem to be). I loved all the little details that would crop up later as well as the decisions of these unique and surprising young characters.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy will be defended by Samantha Nutt during Canada Reads 2010.

I finished this book several weeks ago but wanted to wait until after I met with our book club to discuss it. I missed the last discussion for Good to a Fault, so I was very excited to join in on The Jade Peony gathering. I’ve just returned from our discussion, but I will do my best to convey my before, during, and after feelings. It’s amazing how much your ideas can change once discussing a book!

My initial impression of the book was general enjoyment and actually a little bit embarrassed for the way Canada treated immigrants. I enjoyed how Wayson Choy examined Vancouver’s Chinatown from the perspective of three young children, as each take their turn to narrate the novel. I thought the novel was well-written and had some valuable insights into living in Vancouver as a Chinese person in the ’30s and ’40s. We got to see how a girl-child was treated, the middle-boy, and the youngest boy.

Chinatown, Vancouver, in the late 1930s and ‘40s provides the setting for this poignant first novel, told through the vivid and intense reminiscences of the three younger children of an immigrant family. They each experience a very different childhood, depending on age and sex, as they encounter the complexities of birth and death, love and hate, kinship and otherness. Mingling with the realities of Canada and the horror of war are the magic, ghosts, paper uncles and family secrets of Poh-Poh, or Grandmother, who is the heart and pillar of the family.

Wayson Choy’s Chinatown is a community of unforgettable individuals who are “neither this nor that,” neither entirely Canadian nor Chinese. But with each other’s help, they survive hardship and heartbreak with grit and humour.

[from the publisher, Douglas & McIntyre]

At book club, we started by talking about all our favourite characters. The discussion was very organic and sometimes we strayed far from topic (which I enjoyed too). I think my favourite was Jook-Liang and Monkey King (Wong Suk) and their relationship. A lot of people really liked Poh-Poh (Grandmother) as she is a very strong character and represents “old China” as well as being part of Vancouver. I think Stepmother is a very underrated character. There was some discussion about her role and position in the family as “second wife” and even her own birth children call her “Stepmother”.

Should this book win Canada Reads 2010? My first, gut response was no. My thought-process was: The Jade Peony won the City of Vancouver Book Award in 1996 and I think this book would be a great selection for the Vancouver Public Library’s One Book One Vancouver... but I don’t think that it is something that all Canadians “need to read”. I think that this is definitely something that Vancouverites and Lower Mainland residents should read and reflect upon.

But upon discussion with the book club, it was brought up that the books that win Canada Reads don’t necessarily have anything to do with Canada, they are just written by Canadian authors. With further discussion, I came to feel that this could be a good book for all Canadians to read… because really, who is Canadian? It is one of the points brought up by the children: “Am I Chinese or am I Canadian?” One of the great things about Canada is that we are a mosaic, you can be Canadian as well as something else — Chinese, Japanese, Ukranian, Croatian, Korean, etc.

The Jade Peony is all about characters and their environment. You would have a very different story if you took the book to Eastern Canada and tried to make it work there. Because it is a story of immigration and being from somewhere — a story of identity — you’d be hard-pressed to change the location. I think that it works and it opens your eyes to a whole different side of Canada and the government’s treatment of immigrants during this era. It is a story that would touch many Canadian people, whether they were born here or not, or their parents immigrated here or not.

The question of identity is never really answered by Wayson Choy in the novel, and I think that is okay. It is a continuing struggle to find out “who am I”, not just as an immigrant, or a Canadian, but as a person. At book club, one person teaches ESL and she related a story where her students were talking about a Canadian person they saw on the bus. She asked the students, “what made the person Canadian?” and they couldn’t really answer. To open their eyes to the lesson, she brought in several other teachers with different heritage and backgrounds and asked if they were Canadian or not.

I don’t really have an answer for “what is Canadian” or which book should win Canada Reads (I haven’t even finished all the books yet)… but I will say that The Jade Peony certainly opened my eyes to a part of Canadian history that I had forgotten. I was reminded about what I learned about the Cariboo Goldrush and the building of the CPR, and the Chinese Head Tax, and the Japanese Canadian internment… but it really is a different fact when you read a novel from the point of view of child experiencing these things within their own family. It’s an honest, yet confused portrayal of the time and the experiences of the people. I really enjoyed The Jade Peony for those reasons.

In addition to our “real life” book club, I’ve also joined the online Canada Reads Challenge! [Fun fact: another person from "real life" book club also joined the online challenge!]

I have been intending to read Jane Austen for many years, and with my recent trip to Bath I thought I should read some as soon as possible. Jane Austen spent a great deal of holiday time in Bath as a young woman, and then lived there for several years with her mother and sister after the death of their father. Austen’s experiences in Bath greatly influenced her novels, and both Northanger Abbey and Persuasion take place in the city of Bath.

The local library branch in Manchester only had Pride and Prejudice, but as this is one of Austen’s more well-known works, I didn’t think anything of it. I began reading immediately and found it slow for the first hundred pages. The language is certainly a hurdle (having just finished reading something more modern and for a younger audience), but after a while I began to enjoy Austen’s style of writing and subtle humour.

For those who don’t know anything about Austen (I was one of them), Pride and Prejudice was written in 1796-97 (originally called First Impressions) and published in 1813. It is the story of the Bennett family, particularly Elizabeth Bennet, our outspoken heroine, and the second-eldest daughter of five. As the novel opens, a wealthy gentleman rents the estate near the Bennet’s and we are shortly introduced to Mr. Bingley, his sisters, and his friend Mr. Darcy. As time progresses, Elizabeth’s older sister Jane and Mr. Bingley begin to fall in love. When Mr. Darcy (who comes off as cold, privileged, and superior) realizes his friend fancies someone not on par with their rank, he removes his friend back to their London home.

This is where the book begins to pick up. A local regiment is stationed in town and Elizabeth becomes friendly with Mr. Wickham, an officer. It turns out he grew up with Mr. Darcy and that there is much behind Darcy’s cold demure. As the novel progresses, there are many letters and excursions as Jane and Elizabeth travel (separately) with their aunt, uncle, and visit their cousin near London. Elizabeth keeps running into Mr. Darcy at every turn, who cannot help but become infatuated with Elizabeth. When he proposes, he declines vehemently due to his aloof actions thus far as well as his ‘injustices’ towards Mr. Wickham. Deeply affected by Elizabeth’s accusations, Darcy writes her a lengthy letter explaining his positions. The next time they meet, Darcy is much changed and Elizabeth soon realizes that she has deeply misjudged him.

It was at this point that I found the book difficult to put down. Whenever I wasn’t reading, I kept feeling like I was missing or forgetting something. At times (earlier in the book) I felt that the writing was extremely passive; most of the interactions and conversations took place without direct confrontations, or it was via letter. Once certain events occurred, it felt like the urgent letters and the female’s passive actions were more suspenseful than annoying. I really came to like the characters, particularly Elizabeth, and felt that Austen was able to portray everyone with both pros and cons. This honest portrayal of characters really resulted in a compelling novel as characters interacted with one another. I definitely intend to read more by Jane Austen.

Robert Langdon is back again for his third adventure. In true Langdon style, he has been lured to Washington DC under false pretenses and becomes swept up in a race to save his close friends’ life while being pursued by the authorities. Sounds juicy and gripping eh? It was!

Although I knew exactly what I was getting, and the adventures are getting slightly formulaic, Dan Brown still delivered a gripping novel. Occasionally the plot felt a little obvious, but I was still intrigued by the puzzles and secrets Langdon uncovered in The Lost Symbol. A couple times I smiled at a good plot twist and for the most part it was an easy plot to follow, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In a gripping, fast-paced thriller, you want to be able to easily and quickly comprehend the plot. I finished the book in about four days (days with ample reading time).

I enjoyed learning about symbols and magic squares and a new form of science called Noetics (really real!). The Lost Symbol revolved around Freemasonry and the legends of a hidden knowledge located in Washington DC. Robert Langdon’s close friend (and prominent Mason) has been kidnapped by a man who insists that Langdon decipher the clues that will lead him to “enlightenment”. The parallel storyline involves the Mason’s sister, who is conducting her research of Noetic Sciences at the Smithsonian Centre. The man who kidnapped her brother also wants to destroy her controversial research.

Visit the Wikipedia page for The Lost Symbol for links and information about all the symbols and secrets! Note: Pictured is the UK cover as I borrowed this book from my boyfriend’s dad while I was staying in England… however, the link is to the publisher’s Canadian site.

SPOILER ALERT: This is the second book in the Hunger Games series. If you have not read it, or haven’t finished The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, DO NOT read this post!

I have been wanting to read Catching Fire ever since I finished The Hunger Games in August. I resisted mainly because of my huge TBR pile. However, with the holidays, I got a chance to read it. Here is the synopsis of Catching Fire (and I must say, it does a good job of meeting this hype):

After winning the brutal Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen returns to her district, hoping for a peaceful future. But Katniss starts to hear rumours of a deadly rebellion against the Capitol. A rebellion that she and Peeta have helped to create. As Katniss and Peeta are forced to visit the districts on the Capitol’s cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. Unless Katniss and Peeta can convince the world that they are still lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying…

I flew through the book in three days! I would say that Catching Fire isn’t quite as compelling as The Hunger Games, but that is often the case with series; the second book has to deal with all the cliffhangers and strings the first book left hanging. But Catching Fire was certainly a good transitional book, and even though it can’t stand alone without The Hunger Games, it sets things up well for the third book.

I really enjoyed the story, and the directions that were taken in regards to the Capitol’s choices and the District’s reactions. I enjoyed the symbolism that the mockingjay took on and what it came to represent. I liked the twist at the end with District 13, the Gamemakers, and Haymitch.

I’m very glad that we have to wait at least a year for the next book because then the author, Suzanne Collins, and her editor(s) have time to work on it. I think that Stephanie Meyer lost that memo with Breaking Dawn, the final installment of the Twilight series. Although J.K. Rowling took a lot of time between the Harry Potter books and didn’t lose much hype. It certainly appears to be a delicate balance, especially if the series is optioned for a movie … which I don’t doubt it will be.

Good to a Fault by Marina Endicott is one of the contending titles for Canada Reads 2010. The Canada Reads website has my favourite synopsis:

Marina Endicott’s compelling novel Good to a Fault begins with a bang — two cars collide at an intersection. As the story unfolds, the lives of all those involved are unalterably jolted, too.

The driver at fault is 43-year-old Clara Purdy, who works at a Saskatoon insurance company. Affluent but unfulfilled, she has spent years nursing her dying parents and now finds herself alone.

The other car is home to an impoverished family on its way to Fort McMurray, Alberta, in search of a new start. The mother, Lorraine, the only one who’s injured in the accident, ends up in the hospital.

Feeling that she wants to do what’s right — and also that she’s to blame for the situation — Clara chooses to help not only Lorraine but also her sullen husband, their three children and the grumpy grandmother, Mrs. Pell. Clara’s decision brings chaos and complications into her life, along with powerful new emotions, both rewarding and painful.

I flew right through the book, seamlessly jumping between the narrators and following the story eagerly. It is a quintessentially Canadian novel and I think it has a very good chance to win Canada Reads 2010. The characters feel Canadian without their stories relying on taking place in Canada. I think it has something to do with Clara’s generousity, the children’s love, or even Lorraine’s understanding. Either way, the characters were compelling and pulled me in immediately. I was a little disappointed with the end, but at the same time realize why it was ended that way.

However, the story doesn’t have to be Canadian, so I think a wide range of audiences would enjoy it (and could perhaps be an arguement to vote it off Canada Reads). My only complaint, which is very minor, is the character’s names changing through the book. Darlene became Dolly, which was fine as she said it was her nickname already. But Clara became “Clary” in both dialogue, reference, and personal thoughts. I found this odd because it started as just the kids affectionately nicknaming her.

I picked up this book as part of our Canada Reads book club but unfortunately I’ll be missing the discussion on Sunday January 9th. So I also decided to join in the online Canada Reads Challenge! Two birds with one stone.

Read an excerpt from the publisher, Freehand Books.

I opted to read this book as part of My Friend Amy’s Newsweek Challenge. Basically Newsweek came up with a list of “50 Books for Our Times”, so a bunch of us (close to 100 book bloggers) decided to each read a book and review it. Here’s how Newsweek described it:

What we do need, in a world with precious little time to read (and think), is to know which books—new or old, fiction or nonfiction—open a window on the times we live in, whether they deal directly with the issues of today or simply help us see ourselves in new and surprising ways.

Well I think Kim by Rudyard Kipling lived up to that — Kim didn’t deal directly with the issues, but it was always an underlying point. I’m not totally up-to-date on all my world history and military information, but Rudyard Kipling definitely slipped his own commentary in there.

Kim is about an orphan boy named Kimball O’Hara living in India. He grew up on the streets of Lahore and is known by the villages as Friend of all the World. When a travelling lama comes into Lahore, he knows his life is changing. The lama is searching for a River to wash away his sins, and when Kim tells him of his father’s prophesy, the lama knows they’re meant to be together.

Sometimes I had trouble following the long, poetic prose of Kipling, but I just needed to make sure I read when I had time to immerse myself. The descriptions of India and its people certainly shows Kipling’s love for his home as well as being very informative about India’s culture, history, and religions. Once I got into it, I really enjoyed reading about Kim and his story.

I think Newsweek picked this as one of the “books for our time” because of the second plot line involving “The Great Game”. It is a historical plotline without shoving the facts at you; in fact, rarely is anything mentioned outright. As I mentioned before, I’m not up on all my world history, so I visited Wikipedia and learned about The Great Game — which is what they called the rivalry between the British and Russia in Central Asia.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Kim and would be interested in brushing up on my history and then reading it again. I think that a lot of the subtle commentary was lost on me.