After I finished The Winter Vault I went on a bit of a junk food reading blitz. Suffice it to say, I really didn't know why that book was a Giller Nominee... oh well, there is no accounting for taste! Anyhow, I just finished And Another Thing, by Eion Colfer which is the 6th in Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy trilogy... yes, it's trying to be that cute. The book fit well in the series in tone and plot and character. Colfer did a nice job.
I still need to find the 5th Giller Nominee.
I have also been reading a lot of plays - submitted ones and ones for my class. Here is a sample (but not all of them):
The Rez Sisters
Les Belles Souers
Hosanna
Leaving Home
Vimy
Perfect Pie
Lion in the Streets
Village of Idiots
The Threepenny Opera
Cabaret
Nine
The Penelopiad
Ali and Ali and the Axes of Evil
and a whole bunch more...
Monday, February 8, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Struggling...
Still working on The Winter Vault. It is slow going because there is no pull through this book. Not really enjoying it and hoping it will be done soon. Maybe tonight. It is a good one to get me to sleep...
Friday, January 8, 2010
If I'd Been the Only Judge...
of the Giller Prize, then The Golden Mean would've won. Okay, I still have 2 of the books to read, but I am 30-40 pages into The Winter Vault and let me just say, it's no Fugitive Pieces! I have no idea what this book is going to be about. I have to invest in the characters before I invest in the book and so far it reads like a history book... save that for a little later, when I am committed. At this rate I am going to be putting it down without finishing.
The Golden Mean was really good, and it broke the previous feeling I had about The Canadian Novel after reading The Bishop's Man and The Disappeared. Perhaps it was because the story was more linear and concrete, but whatever the reason, it was very engaging and interesting and even though my concept of what the golden mean was very different and never even brought up int he book, that's okay. It was an interesting take on Aristotle and Alexander the Great and that period of time. Interesting note: I was prepared not to like it because I saw this TV interview of all 5 nominees and Annabel Lyon seemed defensive and a bit abrasive, but perhaps she was just nervous (or maybe she is abrasive, but a very good writer!).
The Golden Mean was really good, and it broke the previous feeling I had about The Canadian Novel after reading The Bishop's Man and The Disappeared. Perhaps it was because the story was more linear and concrete, but whatever the reason, it was very engaging and interesting and even though my concept of what the golden mean was very different and never even brought up int he book, that's okay. It was an interesting take on Aristotle and Alexander the Great and that period of time. Interesting note: I was prepared not to like it because I saw this TV interview of all 5 nominees and Annabel Lyon seemed defensive and a bit abrasive, but perhaps she was just nervous (or maybe she is abrasive, but a very good writer!).
Monday, January 4, 2010
Why Wasn't that one a Giller Nominee?
I just finished Waiting for Columbus by Thomas Trofmiuk and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. It took me a bit to get into it but I think that had more to do with the fact that I was so busy when I started it. I finished it this morning. Very, very, very good. It was waaaaaaaaay better than The Disappeared! Hmmmmm.... Who makes those decisions?
I got 2 more of the Giller nominees and have started The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon. I'll let you know how that goes. So far so good.
I got 2 more of the Giller nominees and have started The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon. I'll let you know how that goes. So far so good.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
The Disappeared - Giller Nom #2
So I whipped through Kim Echlin's The Disappeared in one day/evening. It was a small book that could have been even smaller since so much of it was aching love for the disappeared. I was not disappointed with it, but not thrilled either. I get it, I get it... he was wrongly ripped from you and you love him with the aching love of a 16 year old even though you are 27ish and also 50ish looking back. Not sure if I would have read it if it hadn't been on the Giller List. I also noticed a similarity in the 'Canadian Literature' style of writing between this one and The Bishop's Man. Tangled memories, emotive writing, a mystery, blah, blah, blah... Okay. So I wouldn't say either was bad, I thought The Bishop's Man was better, but I am curious to see if I notice the same 'tricks' in the other 3 nominees...
I think my real challenge with The Disappeared was that I really didn't like the main character. I think it is stupid and selfish what she did in the book and I didn't think that an adolescent love affair should be the basis for the extremity of her choices. If I knew that person I would slap them and say 'get over it', 'do something productive, like Will or even like Serey!'. She was just a whiner who put herself and others at risk.
I think my real challenge with The Disappeared was that I really didn't like the main character. I think it is stupid and selfish what she did in the book and I didn't think that an adolescent love affair should be the basis for the extremity of her choices. If I knew that person I would slap them and say 'get over it', 'do something productive, like Will or even like Serey!'. She was just a whiner who put herself and others at risk.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Read the Giller
I finished The Bishop's Man last night. I stayed up to finish it because I wanted answers. They came, not what I expected exactly. It was good. It took me a bit longer to get into it than I would have liked, but once in (about 1/5 of the way in) I was totally in. I recommend. I am going to read The Disappeared next. It's one of the other nominees. I will let you know if I agree with the choice of the winner once I get through all 5 nominees, but I will have to go out and buy the other 3 first.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Christmas Books - 2009
I just finished Bone by Bone by Carol O'Connell. Very good. She writes so well.
And now onto the Christmas books. I asked for the Giller Nominees for Christmas and received 2 of them (The Bishop's Man and The Disappeared). I have started The Bishop's Man by Linden MacIntyre since it won and all that. I am only a few pages in, so I will report back later on that. I got a book on Musicals and a book on Screenwriting and the next book in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (written by Eoin Colfer since Douglas Adams has passed on). My Mom gave me the 2nd book by the author of The Time Traveller's Wife (Audrey Niffenegger?) and my brother gave me one of Carrie Fischer's autobiographies. In addition, I got some Indigo Gift Card $$ so I can go buy more books. A good haul.
I was happy, too, that both boys got several books for Christmas. Oliver got the next 2 Wimpy Kid books and he has been reading them. He also got another Encyclopedia Brown book. Ah! Memories of my childhood! It was good to see him reading on the recent trip to Olds. A true 'Strand'.
And now onto the Christmas books. I asked for the Giller Nominees for Christmas and received 2 of them (The Bishop's Man and The Disappeared). I have started The Bishop's Man by Linden MacIntyre since it won and all that. I am only a few pages in, so I will report back later on that. I got a book on Musicals and a book on Screenwriting and the next book in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (written by Eoin Colfer since Douglas Adams has passed on). My Mom gave me the 2nd book by the author of The Time Traveller's Wife (Audrey Niffenegger?) and my brother gave me one of Carrie Fischer's autobiographies. In addition, I got some Indigo Gift Card $$ so I can go buy more books. A good haul.
I was happy, too, that both boys got several books for Christmas. Oliver got the next 2 Wimpy Kid books and he has been reading them. He also got another Encyclopedia Brown book. Ah! Memories of my childhood! It was good to see him reading on the recent trip to Olds. A true 'Strand'.
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