206 Bones – Kathy Reichs

Forensic Anthropologists take what they see and what is around them in a crime scene as well as other places and interpret what happened when or who they came into contact with after the person has died.

Anything can be taken into account – things such as childhood illnesses and interpret the data to see if it is relevant to the case or not and into their deaths.

Temperance Brennan wakes in a dark, cold, musty smelling place.  Although it is the middle of winter in Montreal she is oblivious to where she is and how she had gotten there.  As her mind focuses on how she came to be there, there are cases that she has been working on that may or may not have relevance to the predicament she is in now.

As you may know Dr. Brennan from her television show, this is a different side to her you may not know about.

I love these sorts of books that keep you guessing throughout the story.  How interesting the characters they weave into the storyline to not only keep you guessing, but how intricate and complicated they can become.  From the front pages of national newspapers, to the headlines on the evening news, they keep you gripped to the book or reader wanting to know who did it and how they did it.

Kathy Reich’s is also behind the series “Bones” as a producer on television, whom they also use Brennan as well as the main character.

Temperance on T.V. and in her books have 2 different sides to them – I see her more flawed in the books as she is on the T.V. show, the detectives she is paired with are somewhat similar but in the same breath different as well where one wants to tell her his feelings for her and the other has had a relationship with her and wants to continue to do so.

Wonderful plot, writing, sequencing and definitely gives her presences to be a force to be reckoned with – not only in the book form but on the television screen as well.

Simon and Schuster

 

Hush Hush – Becca Fitzpatrick

I have to say, I keep getting more and more impressed with some of these vampire based books lately that I have had the privilege of being able to read.  I haven’t fully committed to being on the train yet that is leaving the station anytime soon, but, there is some really great writing out there.

Nora is one of those people who really don’t take chances.  She’s more of the type that plays it safe, responsible and smart to boot.

But things certainly changed when she met Patch…

She is paired with Patch in Biology class after her bff gets nailed for talking in sex Ed class, so after the football teacher changes the seating arrangement Nora has Patch sitting next to her while he’s more the back of the room type, being inconspicuous.

Every time she tries to stay away from him, she is around him – the restaurant, school, about town; she realizes there is something about him that is trouble and knows to stay away, but she can’t exactly stay away from him if he is around the same places she is right?

Weird things start to happen.  She feels as though there is someone in her house when she is all alone watching her, invading her thoughts, feeling of being followed in the mall.  Not only is she feeling uneasy of not only Patch but also of a new transfer from a private school that is interested in her – a bit too much.

Her thoughts are always on Patch.  Are her feelings real, or just a harmless teenage crush? And how far is she ready to go or how far is she ready to fall?

Here in Canada, Simon and Schuster had a sidewalk chalk artist depict the front cover of the book on the streets of Toronto during the launch

Amazing artistry isn’t it ! I was awed when I watched and viewed it come to life.

Becca’s Website

Hush Hush Book Website

Simon and Schuster

If you want to see pictures as well during the transformation of the block of sidewalk, then go to the Simon Says blog and check them out !

What a GREAT afternoon talking about books!

Recently, I had the great opportunity of being part of a wonderful blogging tour of Cathy Marie Buchanan’s debut historical fiction novel The Day The Falls Stood Still.  Yesterday, she was at the Niagara Falls Library giving a talk about her book, the factors that made her write a book about the Niagara Falls, the characters behind it, and talked a bit about her latest work that she is working on which is based in Paris, France.  My son actually wanted to come with me as well, he said he wanted to learn more about the area, and when we made our way back home he said that he enjoyed it, he learned some neat facts, and he was glad he came along.

Here are a few pictures ….

Here is the phone chat we had with some great bloggers along with Sandra Gulland, Cathy and some others

My Q and A with Cathy

My Review of The Day The Falls Stood Still

Next up is an Author reading by Nino Ricci and his book The Origin of Species this coming Tuesday with my friend Lisa.  I’ll try to get pictures of that as well.

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much – Allison Hoover Bartlett

Is there any thing you do to get more books? Is there anything that you would do to get them? Sell your first child? Rob a bank? Find any means possible to get the ones you wanted with ignoring the consequences until you were caught?

Well read this book, and you will learn about the one man who did exactly that, but spent time in jail for doing it.

Gilkey has stolen a fortune in rare books from around the country.  Unlike most thieves, most steal for profit; He stole for the love of the books themselves.

Obsessive? Absolutely, but the man who caught him and tracked him for years is equally obsessive; with catching  Gilkey and sending him to prison, albeit, for a short time, but he eventually got his man.

Through the stories about these two equally eccentric characters, the story is told in a humorous yet intelligent way.  She is plunged deep into the rare book scene in this fictional account of how Gilkey got away with what he did, and the man who is responsible for catching him and throwing him into jail.

I admit, I am not possibly that mad for books, but there are people who will do just about anything to get their hands on such rare species – and just about for any price they deem appropriate.

Burning Books – The fact that any ancient text – the fearsome urge to destroy or suppress books is an acknowledgement of their power and not only that of august, scientific, political, and philosophical texts, but that of small quiet books of poetry and fiction as well, which nonetheless hold great capacity to change us.

Penguin / Viking

The Twisted Heart – Rebecca Gowers

Kit, who is a graduate student in literature  is literally obsessed with her work is about to have a change.

She decides on a whim to go across town to go to some dancing classes she came across.  She meets Joe as she is leaving halfway through the first lesson.  She dismisses him and thinks nothing of it, but when she returns the next week she isn’t so sure, but decides to see where it goes.

Once they are more comfortable with themselves, things from their lives start to emerge.  Joe’s life is more complicated then he first admits to;  A brother who is flawed and mentally incapable of sorts, while Kit comes across an intriguing part of her research – she is researching about Dickens which will or would change her thesis.

The complications in this novel, as well as the early writings of Dickens were as if they were taken from a modern day life.  The complexities of their lives in the present, with the lives of those in the past collide to give questions and answers some have been answered and some not, how the past collides with those of the present  who are or at least Kit is questioning whether it is the right fit or not.

The real question is, are we all like this until we have hit or stride, or it is the nuance of keeping on until we get something that we think is right for us individually, and then be able to let go?

Are there always twists and turns such as the ones that Kit and Joe experience in all of our relationships that we have to navigate through.  Will it be smooth sailing to speak when we first meet and start dating a new person? or will it be complicated and the real question is the person worth it?

HarperCollins

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Finish the Answer FUN!

I was at the library today, and I know that so many of you are very frequent visitors to your local library, and this question came to my mind…

So finish answering the question with your own fun ending !

They know me so well at the library when……

or

When I walk in the door of the library or log into my account online this song plays…..

Let’s have some fun with this!

Heat Wave – Richard Castle

I am wondering how many of you have watched the ABC show Castle on television?  Last season, Richard Castle and Detective Beckett has this uncanny spark between them, that spurred Richard penning his latest book based on Beckett, which is titled Heat Wave.  Somewhat based on the other characters as well, Richard spins a web of intrigue and suspense to keep you going, along with some steamy scenes that haven’t happened on the show.  So, without further ado, here is my review.

A New York well known real estate agent falls to his death in Manhattan.  A woman narrowly escapes an altercation with her lover on the street shortly after.  How are they connected?

There isn’t really a whole lot of space in New York especially downtown Manhattan, but with a record breaking heat wave and subsequent rolling blackouts hit, murders are happening, and they need to find out who is doing them, and the reason behind it.  Really, isn’t there always a reason behind it?

Detective Nikki Heat and her reporter/writer tag along Rook comb the city for clues in the unbearable heat and humidity along with other team members (who are just as zany as on the show) to hunt down the killer or killers before they strike again.

Then of course in the background is the relationship and chemistry of Nikki and Rook.  Between the show and the book, the romance isn’t as restrained in the book as it is in the show.

I liked the book, there was some cheesy moments, but it was a well constructed work of fiction.  Similar to the show workings, if you enjoy the show, then you will definitely like the book.

HarperCollins / Hyperion

ABC – The Show Castle

Update – Do I Need a New Bookcase, or Do I NEED a new bookcase ?

It has been a bit hasn’t it since I last talked about the new bookcase I was getting from CSN Office Furniture hasn’t it?

Well, after a glitch that was thrown my way, and finally getting around to posting the before and after pics its been a busy one for sure.  But I have to say that the 4 shelf bookcase I received is great.  It isn’t as large as my 5 shelf bookcase, but it is doing it’s job quite well.  It was super easy to put together with only needing a screwdriver and some minimal assistance to put together.

So these were the BEFORE pictures…

And these are the AFTER Pictures

MUCH better I think! What do you think ?

Thanks again to Jason of CSN Office Furniture for allowing me to be able to do this, he was great and the customer service he showed me was excellent.

Update – Online Book Club – Corduroy Mansions

I was curious, what everyone is thinking about the book so far? Are you enjoying it? Are you thinking what will happen next? What is it about the book or the writing that you are finding humorous and quirky about the characters?

Since it is an online book club, what are your thoughts on the whole thing so far, is there anything that you have found lacking in the novel to date?

Is Freddie actually as smart as the other human people in the book like I am thinking right now? Are there some that are hankering for real trouble if they get caught doing what they are doing?

I would really like to know what you think.

If you haven’t already gone to the telegraph’s booksite, then just below are the links.

Here the links to get caught up, you can download them (podcast – iTunes) or as a document to read along with all of us who are.

Telegraph Paper Online Book Club

Follow Freddie de la Hay on Twitter

Suddenly – Bonnie Burnard

Have you ever had those types of women group type relationships that have gone on for 20-30 years where you have shared everything?  This book is one of those types of books.

Three women friends have been best friends for the last 30 years, along with their husbands who just followed the status quo.

Dinner dates out together, summers on the beach at the cottage.  Going through all of life’s events as they come and go with time; – children, affairs, the differences of opinion along the way.  You and your girlfriends share everything even a catastrophic illness.

Through the entire book, which recounts many of the past and thoughts as she lay in her hospital bed dying through her journals she has kept over the many years are cathartic in a way.  She wonders if any of her children will read them and understand; or if more questions will be asked.

Through the entire book, as she recounts the many memories and the history of their relationships, what she did wrong, what happened the good times and bad, wanted me to be in the group as well.

It is or was for me a glimpse into a strong woman’s life, her friends, their spouses, and the trials and tribulations that came along with sharing, cajoling, and laughing their way through the years.

Will they survive after she is gone? Will they be able to move past their grief and begin to live again without her? Will her best friends want to read the journals before or after her children has taken the chance to read them?

I really liked this book.  With the autonomy, but yet the togetherness of the set of characters is one aspect that sets it apart.  The grief, the coming to terms with, the illness itself, that one overcame and beat but makes her succumb from all of the characters made them all take a look back on themselves and the events they all were together for, which sometimes wasn’t all great, but gave you time of thought and personal reflection that is not only relevant, but also worthy of discussion.

The author Bonnie Burnard was the Scotiabank Giller Prize winner for her bestselling book The Good House in 1999, and has won many other awards for her work.

HarperCollins

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Eyewitness Soldier – Simon Adams

Please welcome my favorite guest blogger my son Nick, as he gives his review of this book that he really likes and it is quite evident here at home, where he looks at it a lot.

Eyewitness Soldier is one of those books that is great for one that is wanting to learn about soldiers.  Actually, all of the eyewitness books are awesome for this.  They have loads of information, plenty of pictures, and this one has a clip image cd-rom that can be used on your computer, for making different things that you may like.

Here are some other things he liked about the book:

• Shows different types of soldiers – uniforms, equipment.
• Shows the different types of soldiers – platoon, battalion, companies and more.
• Talks about specialized soldiers such as mercenaries and how they participate on conflicts.
• Also shows the ranking system from Private and up, selections and differences.
• Again, it comes with a clip art cd-rom, to use with your own personalized projects.
• The different types of operations – attacks, formations.
• Has many informative on – Special Forces, SAS, Marines, Green Beret, German Units that were used in the Olympics.
• There is also a HUGE wall poster that is also included (full size) with a little bit of everything from the book.

Suffice to say, this is one book he will be referring to again and again for a long time.

DK Books

The Soccer Book – The Sport, The Teams, The Tactics, The Cups – David Goldblatt

When this book came to my door, I was excited for my son who received it, but I had absolutely no idea how great and fact filled this books was.  It is absolutely filled with illustrations about every facet of the game of soccer, the rules, the history, the tactics, the skills,  EVERYTHING.

The covers of the book itself is even patterned as a real soccer ball as well to give it even more authenticity.  At a whooping 399 pages, this book will not soon leave your home if you have multiple children that are crazy about the sport of soccer.

My son Nick who has graciously lent his thoughts about the book as well.

• Even better than any other soccer book I have read
• Has every single little detail about soccer you would ever want to know and then some

His Favorite features are:

• The maps of countries, locations, the illustrations of accessories, equipment
• History of how soccer became such a phenomenon
• Statistics
• Championship Cups
• Rules, different types of soccer
• REALLY GREAT BOOK ! If you love soccer

Last and final thought from Nick – This book TOTALLY blew my mind !

DK Books Canada

Ecoholic – Your Guide to The Most Environmentally Friendly Information, Products, and Services – Adria Vasil

Do you or have you ever wondered what it takes in terms of resources to make certain things that we use every day?  Have you wondered since the topic of Global Warming has been more and more prevalent in the news and all over that could we use less, another product, or do without? Well this is the book that will help you to make some decisions about the products you use, some you may want to stop using and some alternatives that are not only healthy, but better for the environment.

Here are a few examples;

• Every year, it takes 3.5 billion GALLONS of oil and about 250,000 trees are used to make the plastic and cellulose in disposable diapers.

• Researchers have found that Splenda can take up to 7 years to breakdown in waterways.

• Millions of CONDOMS are said to slip into bodies of water every YEAR, thanks to sewer overflows and all of the men and boys who flush them down the toilet.

• An investigation into drinking water in 24 major US towns turned up traces of Epilepsy drugs, painkillers, and Prozac to name a few.

Now, you will just have to go out and buy the book to see what else you can do to help the environment, I admit, when I read it, I was quite scared about what we use and what it does to the earth.  Let’s try to do our part to save the only place we call home – Our Earth.

Ecoholic Website

EcoholicTV – Adria’s ant attack! from NOW Magazine on Vimeo.

Spooner – Pete Dexter

From the beginning, Spooner was difficult.  When he was born in the back office of a rural doctor’s office along with his twin who died, it was difficult even in the best of situations back in 1956.  Even after the birth, she has even thought of it being the other way around, Spooner should have died and the twin that did should have lived.

Completely opposite from his older sister Spooner was always getting into trouble.  From the break-ins at the neighbours next door with the theft of cheese, and then urinating in a pair of shoes then placing the shoes in the freezer ( yes, you can laugh) in the middle of the night undetected.  His mother had just about enough of him, and started dating a man.  His name was Calmer.

Calmer for the most part was a loner, quiet, inquisitive, smart.  He was enlisted in the Navy when one day while burying a former member of the Navy which all goes so horribly wrong; he is discharged and off on his own.

Spooner’s mother and Calmer start dating and eventually marry.  Calmer has always taken Spooner under his care and tried to show him time and time again the right way of doing things, but then again Spooner hasn’t always been the sharpest tool in the shed.  But when it came to sports – football, baseball, he was fantastic.  After being signed to play ball after high school and being seriously injured he had to stop his sports career and start anew….well, in a different place anyways.

Eventually, Spooner becomes a reporter for newspapers, and carves out a bit of a niche for himself, he isn’t a great one, but, he does as well as he can.

I think in all honesty, Spooner was one of those boys where not just one thing clicked with him.  It was a multitude of things racing around his head not knowing where or what he would do next.  His father died shortly after he was born and then Calmer entered the picture;  taking over what his real father never really had a chance to achieve given the short life.  Calmer was the patient, caring one who had Spooner’s best interests at heart.  But in the end, was Calmer just tired out from the antics? Wondering if it ever got through to him? Some have said or even if you look at the Author’s bio at the end of the book, it has some striking similarities to what the book was all about.  Somewhat true elements about both Spooner and the author?

You make your own assumptions…

Listen to excerpts

Q and A with Author Thad Carhart

A great big Thank you to Thad Carhart for taking time of his busy schedule to be able to answer a few questions!

• What was it that made you pursuing a degree in Anthropology? and then turn it into books? – I initially decided to study anthropology because of my interest in language and linguistics. Soon, however, I became interested in social and cultural anthropology, and studied the multiple myths and stories that native peoples of the American southwest generate, transmit, and periodically renew. This fascination with the importance of story-telling, along with my enjoyment of the history of the American West, gave me a strong motivation to use that experience in creating my own narrative using themes of cultural overlap as a thread.

• What is your current state of mind? – It’s fair to say that my current state of mind is one of “watchful waiting”. Since my new book, ACROSS THE ENDLESS RIVER, has just been published in the U.S., I feel like a parent with a newborn, and some of those same  emotions cycle through my system: pride, relief, concern, anticipation, and an abiding affection for my characters and their story that is close to love.

• What or who is the greatest love of your life? – It’s the pat answer, of course, but in my case I’m lucky enough that it’s true: my wife.

• What is your motto if you have one? – Carpe diem — Seize the day.

• Who inspired you most in your pursuit of writing? – A friend and very fine writer, Alberto Manguel, encouraged me at the outset when I was first writing about my experiences in Paris. Those accounts eventually became the heart of my first book, THE PIANO SHOP ON THE LEFT BANK, and Alberto showed me the importance of multiple re-writes, careful research, and  unflagging persistence.

• Who are your favourite authors? And why? – I’ve always loved Marguerite Yourcenar’s work. Her “Mémoires d’Hadrien” is one of the finest pieces of historical fiction I know, a complete and compelling recreation of the world of the Roman Empire as seen through  the eyes of one of its chief actors. I recently reread Anna Karenina in the new English translation, and it opened my eyes all over again to Tolstoy’s genius. The sense of place he creates, and the underlying mood of his characters that he suggests with an economy of means, is enthralling. I learn more about the writer’s craft from ten good pages of his than I do from many other entire books. It also reminded me how dependent we are on our translators for sensitive and resonant versions of many of the greatest books.

• If you were to die and come back as anything you would like what would it be? – I don’t subscribe to the notion of literal reincarnation — it troubles me to think that any one of us might reappear as a cockroach! But if I had to make another lap under another form, I’d want to have wings. And no flightless birds, please. A stormy petrel, say, soaring for weeks at a time over the limitless ocean (but a seafood diet would definitely get old fast…)

• What is it about the topics that you talk about in your books that intrigued you to write about them? – The whole idea of living at the intersection of languages and cultures has always fascinated me, probably because I moved a lot as a child, and had lived in both France and Japan by the time I was a teenager. We all have to figure out for ourselves how we’ll fit in to the world we grow into as children, but when that involves different languages and social codes form the one’s we initially knew, then things become more complicated… and, potentially, more interesting. How do you figure out the code of appropriate behavior? What compromises are you willing to make? Can you combine aspects of two or more worlds and make sense of your way forward? What path, between two languages and cultures, can you fashion for yourself? These are all questions that continue to interest me, and that have an increasing resonance in today’s world.

• What do you consider your greatest achievement? – Like most writers, I think, I feel as if my greatest achievement is the last thing I’ve written, in my case, my new novel ACROSS THE ENDLESS RIVER. It will of course have a life of its own, but right at the moment of publication, it’s difficult to let go. But I’ve already started my next book, and I expect that to be my next  “greatest achievement.”

• Is there one period among your education as an anthropologist and now that you see as your favourite and why? – My time as a student when I studied the tribal peoples of the North American Great Plains was a favorite, both for the richness and variety of the tribal lore, but also for the opportunity to visit the American West. It is one of the world’s great landscapes, and one of the saddest in many ways, now that the great herds and the nomadic peoples who followed them are almost gone. But its power continues to inspire me, and I was very happy to research the parts of ACROSS THE ENDLESS RIVER the dealt with the American frontier in the 1820s.