Tuesday, October 29, 2013

The Summer Is Ended and We Are Not Yet Saved by Joey Comeau

The Summer Is Ended and We Are Not Yet Saved by Joey Comeau

Just in time for Halloween!  This book reads exactly like a summer camp horror film.  It’s a short, fast-paced gore fest and the perfect accompaniment to such horror film classics like Friday the 13th and Halloween.

Martin and his mom, a very close pair, live a quiet and fun-filled existence in Halifax.  Martin’s mom left her home in Nova Scotia while pregnant and has never been back.  She works at a beauty counter in a local department store and takes jobs doing special effects makeup for horror movies whenever she can get a gig.  The gig of a lifetime has just been awarded to her and she wants to go to Toronto but doesn’t know what to do with her son Martin.  Martin has an idea.  He begs his mom to let him go to Bible Camp near his grandparent’s house, the same camp his mom attended years ago.  He makes it seem like he really wants to go, but all he wants is to make sure his mom has the horror movie makeup opportunity of a lifetime. 

Camp seems okay.  There is chapel, cookies, campfires and chess.  Unfortunately there is also carnage and cleavers.  Seems like one of the staff is a little off…very off…and making a bloodbath of the camp.  Will any survive?

The Night Guest by Fiona McFarlane

The Night Guest by Fiona McFarlane

Ruth Field is living alone with her two cats in a seaside cottage in Australia.  She and her late husband moved to their summer home some years ago and she misses him terribly.  Her two sons have moved away (to New Zealand and Hong Kong) and Ruth despises driving so she rarely leaves her home except for her weekly trips to town for provisions.  Then Frida, a government-sent home health aide, arrives on the scene ready and willing to help Ruth in any way she can.  But where did Frida come from?  Is the government really sending health aides out to the elderly for no fee?  Is Frida as wonderful as she seems?

This book really keeps you on your toes.  The novel begins with Ruth swearing she hears a tiger in her living room.  She has the reader half convinced that something is visiting her house in the night.  But Ruth isn’t exactly a reliable narrator.  Her memory doesn’t seem to be as sharp as it once was.  She remembers her youth, and youthful romances long ago in Fiji, but she forgets things Frida has told her.  Or does she?  What is truth, who to trust and what exactly is going on are questions that you’ll find yourself wondering while reading this book.

Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat

Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat

The main story in this novel of interconnected stories and lives focuses on the daughter of a local fisherman, named Claire of the Sea Light, who goes missing.  Her mother died giving birth to her and every year on her birthday her father talks to the local fabric merchant about adopting Claire and giving her the life her father is incapable of providing.  He is terrified that he will die and Claire will be left alone with no one to care for her.  Claire, however, has other plans.

While the main story ends happily enough, there is a lot of despair and misery surrounding the everyday life of the inhabitants of this small Haitian town.  The reader really understands Haiti and the struggles of the people of the town.  Stories involve prominent townsfolk (the very few with money), fishermen, gang members, shop keepers and local radio personalities.  The audiobook is wonderful because the reader really keeps you in Haiti with her slight accent and her poetic reading of the French phrases interspersed in the narrative.  This is a glimpse into the life of a town where life is at once fleeting and precious.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Longbourn by Jo Baker

Longbourn by Jo Baker

Another Pride and Prejudice rewrite?  Really?  Do we actually need, or even want, another one?  I would normally scream NO but in this case I have to say YES! 

This is the story of what the servants of the Bennett household at Longbourn are up to while the events of Pride and Prejudice are taking place above stairs.  It’s a fascinating look at the day to day operations of the kitchens and household as well as the personalities of these famous literary personages towards the help.  (One or two interactions will surprise any Austen fan!)  The author does a wonderful job keeping the reader informed of the events in the famous novel that are running concurrently through quotes at the beginning of each chapter and the events the servants must attend to like the visits, the dinners and the balls.

For those who like historical fiction this would appeal.  True, the Bennett household never existed, but it’s a great way to understand how the common folk lived during the time.  We see the toil of laundry, the work behind every casual request and even a glimpse of the war in Spain.  This book really made me appreciate my washing machine and running water.

A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy

A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy

As you can probably tell from the selection of books on my blog I’m not a huge fan of cozy reads.  However, that said, I do love Maeve Binchy and am deeply saddened that this was her last novel.  Reading one of her books is like curling up with a cup of tea next to a roaring fire.

This book is all about an old mansion-like house in Western Ireland that is renovated to be an inn where people will get away for a week to relax, stroll, and take in the local flavor.  All the people there are there for different reasons: giveaway winners, retirement gift, getting to know you vacation, etc.  How they get to Stone House and what happens while they are there, makes up the narrative.  Of course all of these stories have a way of interconnecting which makes it all the more enjoyable.  Best of all, not every story has a happy ending, that way the whole is not too, too sweet, yet sweet enough.

Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford

Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford

William Eng, residing in an orphanage in Seattle, hasn’t really been holding out hope of ever seeing his mother again.  He remembers her and vaguely knows the circumstances of her leaving, but since he hasn’t gotten word from her in many years, and assumes she is dead, he is resigned to life as an orphan.  Being the only Chinese boy in the orphanage isn’t easy, but he does have two very good friends.  One day the nuns take all the boys to the cinema to see a movie to celebrate their birthdays (to make things easier the nuns “give” all the boys the same birth date).  One of the trailers advertises Seattle’s Own Willow Frost and the live appearance she will make in a few days time.  Imagine William’s surprise to see his mother up there on the screen.  Of course, he starts making plans to see his mother and find out the story of their pasts.

I really enjoyed Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet but in my opinion this one didn’t live up to its predecessor.  I found William too perfect.  For a boy in his circumstances he is amazingly, unbelievably, happy and well adjusted.  He is, quite simply, a joy.  While his mother’s life has been extremely hard and very sad, she did a wonderful job shielding the boy, and maybe that’s why he was so wonderful…but I didn’t buy it. 

This would probably be an enjoyable read, but the audiobook is not for everyone.  The narrator did a great job with the voices, but it was weird hearing an adult speak in a (pretty darn convincing most of the time) child’s voice.  

Friday, October 18, 2013

The Winter Warrior by James Wilde

The Winter Warrior by James Wilde
Reviewed by W. Keith McCoy, Somerset County Library System

William the Conqueror (or the Bastard as the English referred to him) was ruthless in his takeover of that sceptered isle in 1066.  Many resisted, none as viciously as Hereward, rogue son of a minor landowner.  Using the wild fen country as his base, Hereward cobbled together a motley crew of guerrillas to slash at the Norman usurpers. This particular novel (second in a series, but able to stand on it own) details the gory tit-for-tat of this rebellion, and is salted with much deceit and twists of plot.  The reader can see Hereward grow as a tactician, but the angry, out of control renegade is never far below the surface.  Based on an actual historical figure who may have been the model for Robin Hood.  This can easily be paired the recently published Sworn Sword by Aitcheson, which covers the same time period from the Norman viewpoint. Verdict: Readers who like history mixed with battles, and who prefer a good dose of action and character, will enjoy this second installment.

Originally published in Library Journal!

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Help for the Haunted by John Searles

Help for the Haunted by John Searles

Sylvie Mason grew up in an unconventional household.  She is the good younger daughter: obedient, thoughtful and a believer in her parents and their ideals.  Ruth is the problematic older daughter: argumentative, disobedient and a skeptic, to put it mildly.  Sylvie and Ruth's parents help the haunted; they aid families dealing with demonic and ghostly haunting of both places and people. 

One night Sylvie’s parents are called out to the local church in the middle of a snowstorm.  Sylvie is bundled up, sitting in the car waiting for them to exit the sanctuary.  Then she hears two loud noises.  She runs into the church and sees her parents, dead, and then all goes dark for her as well.  This is the story of what Sylvie saw that night and how her testimony will seal the fate of a former client of her parents.  It is also a story about belief and the power, both healing and destructive, of family.

This is the perfect read to get you in the mood for Halloween.  It’s a creepy and suspenseful thriller fans of Michael Koryta will most likely enjoy!

Sworn Sword by James Aitcheson

Sworn Sword by James Aitcheson
Reviewed by W. Keith McCoy, Somerset County Library System

History may favor the victors, but in the case of the Norman Conquest, we tend to remember the English, who lost at Hastings in 1066.  In this novel, the first in a proposed series, and set not quite three years after the monumental battle, the victorious Normans are still loathed by the native English. Tancred a Dinant, a knight in service to a Norman Earl, is on patrol near Durham, when the locals revolt and storm the city.  Durham is quickly taken, Tancred wounded, and he recovers in York.  There another earl commissions him to lead his wife and daughter to safety before the rebels lay siege to that fortress.  But moving the women is not all:  there is also a secret message to deliver, with some treachery mixed in.  And who is the woman in the convent?  The author mixes history and fiction together well, the characters are engaging, and there is plenty of battlefield excitement.  Verdict: Those who enjoy Bernard Cornwell’s books will also revel in the details and derring-do of Aitcheson’s view from the invader’s side.

Originally reviewed in Library Journal!

Monday, October 14, 2013

Cartwheel by Jennifer duBois

Cartwheel by Jennifer duBois

Lily Hayes decides to do her study abroad semester somewhere different – Buenos Aires, Argentina.  She is in love with the place, the people, and the language.  She does all she can to blend in.  Yet Lily is not one to blend.  She stands out – her personality, her build, her wardrobe – yet she doesn’t see it that way.  She thinks she’s fitting in fine.  But her awkwardness is something her family has come to terms with and understands without realizing they know this about their daughter.  All of these facets of Lily’s personality take center stage when she stands accused of brutally murdering her roommate, another study abroad student.  Just because you aren’t likeable does that mean you’re a killer?  When there are multiple stories, which one is believed?  Why do the personalities of the victim and accused even matter in a murder trial?    

This novel will be especially intriguing for those who followed the Amanda Knox trial.  The author pulled the circumstances from life (the trial of an American study abroad student accused of killing her roommate) but the similarities end there.  In the afterward the author puts it very simply.  Amanda Knox was rumored to have done a cartwheel in the interrogation room, which was later proven to be a falsehood.  This is the story of a girl accused of murdering her roommate who DID do a cartwheel in the interrogation room.  You can start drawing your own conclusions from there.

Monday, October 7, 2013

11/22/63 by Stephen King

11/22/63 by Stephen King

What if there was a magical place in the back room of a diner in a little town in Maine which led to September 9, 1958.  What would you do?  Take a stroll down Main Street and stop for a root beer?  Make some “lucky” bets?  (Is it truly a wager when you know the outcome?)  Just sit on a street corner and watch the awesome cars go by?

What if you are introduced to this “rabbit hole” by a man who had a grand plan?  He has done all the research, but didn’t quite make it to 1963 and had to come back to the present (2011) early.  Would you take over his mission and live five years of your life in the past to prevent the assassination of JFK?  That’s exactly what Jake sets out to accomplish.

As usual, Stephen King tells a great story.  Fans will appreciate the nods subtle, and not so subtle, to his other fiction: It, ShawshankRedemption and Christine.  It is a time commitment, it’s a huge book, but alternating between the audiobook and the print I finished it in a week.  Once you get into the story you really want to keep reading to see how Jake’s life in the past unfolds.

The book will make you think, especially about the butterfly effect.  How do your actions, small and large, affect the future?  If you could change the past, should you?  Were the good old days really that good?  What would you do?

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Dexter’s Final Cut by Jeff Lindsay

Dexter’s Final Cut by Jeff Lindsay

Dexter gets a taste of Hollywood in the latest series entry, and he loves it.  The life of an actor (or at least consultant to the stars) suits Dexter.  He likes the high life.  He likes being a bodyguard to a starlet with a scary serial killer as a stalker.  He likes not having to be concerned about paying the mortgage or navigating the pitfalls of being of married with children.  Dexter could get used to this life.  But life often has a way of sending a curveball when you least expect, or want it.

I have to admit, this one grossed me out a bit.  Doesn’t happen very often, but listening to the discovery of the first body, and all the description that went along with that discovery, made me squirm a little.  That doesn’t mean I’ll stop listening to the series on audiobook.  There is something wonderfully creepy about Dexter speaking directly to you; helps that the author reads his own books and does a great job.

I will tell you this.  The books are NOTHING like the series.  If a person died in the books, they were alive in the series and vice versa.  That is, until now.  The ending of this one is a shock and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Human Remains by Elizabeth Haynes

Human Remains by Elizabeth Haynes

Annabel is a bit of a loner.  She lives alone, keeps to herself at work as a police analyst and spends her free time bringing groceries to her mother and playing servant to her cat.  When her cat disappears into the yard next door, Annabel follows the cat up the neighbor’s back steps.  Kitty ran into the house through a broken pane in the door and an unmistakable order is escaping through that opening.  Not wanting to call the police unnecessarily (working as a civilian at the police office she knows how busy weekends can be) she enters the house and finds the decomposing body of a neighbor she thought moved away months before.

Unsettled by her gruesome weekend find Annabel searches the police files to see how many other decomposing bodies have been found in the area.  There have been more than twenty in the current year, and it is until early fall.  The most found in any other given year are around ten.  What’s going on?  Why are these people stopping to care for themselves and starving to death in homes stocked with food?  Could something sinister be happening?

This is the third book of Haynes available in the United States.  I really enjoyed her first (In the Darkest Corner), thought her second was okay (Dark Tide) and thought this one was wonderfully creepy.  I am awaiting her fourth!