Lisa's Review: A Rule Against Murder

A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

This is the fourth book in Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache/Three Pines mystery series. 

Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache are on a relaxing get away for their anniversary at the secluded & luxurious lakeside Manoir Bellechasse. The rest of the lodge is occupied by the well-to-do Finney family who are there for a family reunion. After a good introduction to the personalities and quirks of all of the members of the Finney family and staff, a death (and possibly a murder) befalls someone at the Manoir. Of course, Gamache quickly calls in his colleagues from the Sûreté du Québec to investigate.

As with the earlier books in this series, I thoroughly enjoyed A Rule Against Murder. Penny's attention to detail and descriptive writing made it very easy to paint an exact picture of the setting and characters in my head. One of the things I have really enjoyed about the prior books was continuing to get to know the people and surroundings of Three Pines. Since this story does not take place in Three Pines, I thought I would miss that aspect, but found that having a change of scenery was a good thing (and Three Pines & its residents were not completely absent).  

This is my fourteenth book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

Lisa's Review: You Are Here

You Are Here (Around the World in 92 Minutes) by Chris Hadfield

My Rating:  4 of 5 Stars

During Chris Hadfield's five month mission being Commander of the International Space Station he orbited the earth 2,597 times & took about 45,000 pictures. In You Are Here, he presents close to 150 of his favorite shots.

The book is organized by continent and within each section, Hadfield presents a wide range of photographs - deserts, forests, bodies of water, cities at night, just to name a few. Each photo is accompanied by some sort of description - ranging from a simple descriptor of what/where the location is, to a more in-depth background of what we are looking at & how a particular land formation came to be. Some pages also contain fun & whimsical comparisons as to what a particular bit of earth looks like - like the brain-y hills in Paraguay with an eerie coloring that reminded Hadfield of something Frankensein might create or the channels & docks in Melbourne that seem to form the upper body of a dinosaur (the legs and tail of a t-rex are included below the picture to complete the image for the reader).   

I have to say, this is an impressive collection & I often found myself saying "that's so cool" (out loud) as I turned the pages. It is a great illustration showing how impressive, beautiful, and diverse this planet is. I think the following excerpt from An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth really sums up what Hadfield presents in You Are Here:

"The windows of a spaceship casually frame miracles. Every 92 minutes, another sunrise: a layer cake that starts with orange, then a thick wedge of blue, then the richest, darkest icing decorated with stars. The secret patterns of our planet are revealed: mountains bump up rudely from orderly plains, forests are green gashes edged with snow, rivers glint in the sunlight, twisting and turning like silvery worms. Continents splay themselves out whole, surrounded by islands sprinkled across the sea like delicate shards of shattered eggshells." page 1, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth

This is my thirteenth book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

Lisa's Review: Lone Wolf

Lone Wolf (Zack Walker #3) by Linwood Barclay

My Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

This is the third book in Barclay's Zack Walker series. Zack is called away from the city to his father's remote fishing camp in Fifty Lakes when it seems his father, Arlen, has gone missing and an unidentifiable body is found on his property in an apparent bear attack. We then meet the cast of characters: the various guests staying at the camp, Chief Orville Thorne - the less-than-effective chief of police, and the wacko-in-a-scary-way Wickens clan who are renting a house from Arlen, just to name a few.

As in typical Zack fashion, he quickly finds himself in the middle of a more complex and dangerous situation. Once again, Barclay has written a decent mystery in a clever & witty way. Just when a situation is getting tense, Zack manages to crack a good joke, whether it is just in his head or out loud. As with the previous two books in the series (Bad Move and Bad Guys), Lone Wolf is quite predictable, but I enjoyed it for what it is - an entertaining, light read that held my interest from beginning to end.     

This is my twelfth book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge. 

Lisa's Review: An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth

An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth: What going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and being Prepared for Anything by Col. Chris Hadfield

My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Col. Chris Hadfield is a Canadian astronaut who has been on three separate space missions. He has had an impressive career, but I had not become aware of him until his months as Commander of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2013. During this time my teacher friends often shared videos on social media of Hadfield demonstrating experiments & "normal" everyday activities in space, culminating with his popular performance of "Space Oddity" from space.  

The book, written after Hadfield's final ISS mission, is broken up into four main parts. First, in the Introduction, he describes the path he took to becoming an astronaut (one does not simply become an astronaut, especially if one is Canadian).  The other three sections describe the experiences of preparing to launch into space, living in space, then returning from space & integrating back into life here on earth. Throughout the book, Hadfield gives insights into how many of these experiences have influenced and taught him other life lessons.

This book was definitely an interesting read for me. I'm sure part of that had to do with the fact that I've always been intrigued & fascinated with the space program. But I also think that Chris Hadfield's style of writing had a lot to do with it too. His determination is inspiring & his stories are entertaining - he really kept me turning the pages.

"Square astronaut, round hole. It's the story of my life, really: trying to figure out how to get where I want to go when just getting out the door seems impossible. On paper, my career trajectory looks preordained: engineer, fighter pilot, test pilot, astronaut. Typical path for someone in this line of work, straight as a ruler. But that's not really how it was. There were hairpin curves and dead ends all the way along. I wasn't destined to be an astronaut. I had to turn myself into one." page 2

This is my eleventh book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

Lisa's Review: You Might Be from Nova Scotia If...

You Might Be From Nova Scotia If... by Michael de Adder

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
 
You Might be from Nova Scotia If... is a collection of humorous cartoons depicting what it is that makes Nova Scotians so...well, Nova Scotian.

Even though I moved from Nova Scotia to New Hampshire 18 years ago, part of my daily routine is to scan the Chronicle Herald (the daily newspaper in NS) online. Part of that daily scan includes checking out the editorial cartoon, often which is a creation of Michael de Adder. So when my parents gave me this book for Christmas, I knew there would be some great illustrations - de Adder has definitely put together a collection of amusing and thoughtful cartoons in this book.

A few of my favorites were:

 "You can pronounce Kejimkujik, Tatamagouche, and Musquodoboit."  ~ I would add that you might be from NS is you can spell them too.

 "You sing the answer whenever anybody asks for the number of a cab in Halifax."  ~ And now I can't get that Casino Taxi jingle out of my head!

 "You freak out if Nova Scotia is mentioned in an American movie."  ~ Yes, guilty...I still remember the Nova Scotian salmon reference in Ghostbusters.

This is my tenth book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

Lisa's Review: The Cruelest Month

The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

This is the third book in Louise Penny's Three Pines/Chief Inspector Armand Gamache mystery series. In this installment, spring has arrived in Three Pines and the residents are getting ready for the annual Easter egg hunt. When it's discovered there is a psychic as one of the guests at the B&B over Easter, the wheels are set in motion for a séance at the Old Hadley House to rid the house of its evil spirits. When the séance results in one of the guests being 'frightened to death', Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec returns to Three Pines with his team to investigate whether there is a murderer to blame. 

When I picked up this book I was thinking that for such a quaint, perfect little town, there sure is a lot of bad luck in Three Pines. Then I found myself laughing at Inspector Beauvoir's blunt observations, thinking to himself how the English & this place don't make sense:

"And what was with this case? Didn't anyone die a normal death in Three Pines? And even their murders weren't normal. Couldn't they just haul off and stab each other, or use a gun or a bat? No. It was always something convoluted. Complicated. Very unQuébécois. The Québécois were straightforward, clear. If they loved you they hugged. When they murdered you they just whacked you over the head. Boom, done. Convicted. Next." p. 79
 
The murder investigation plot of this book pretty much followed the same formula as the prior two books. A murder happens, Gamache & team arrive at the scene, interview all involved, we get to see our favorite characters & personalities, meet a few new ones, and determine that the murderer could be one of several people - all of which kept me interested. But I thought the more intriguing part of The Cruelest Month had to do with the side story involving dissent in the ranks with Chief Inspector Gamache and the Sûreté. Who can be trusted & who can't? That was the part that really kept me turning the pages. 

This is my ninth book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge. 

Lisa's Review: Where I Belong

Where I Belong by Alan Doyle

My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was looking forward to reading this book so much, I was afraid to start in on it as I knew I wouldn't want it to end. I was so very right about that!

I've been following Alan Doyle and Great Big Sea, since what seems like the beginning of time. I've seen them play countless times (seriously I couldn't even begin to count) - from their early days at the Lower Deck in Halifax all the way through to their 20th anniversary tour this past year. I have to say, after moving to New Hampshire 18 years ago, I've been thrilled with the frequency that they have passed through here.

But I digress...back to the book! I picked up my copy of Where I Belong at an author's reading, Q&A session, and signing in the Boston area. In the book, Alan tells many stories about what it was like to grow up in the small fishing village of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland - from cutting out cod tongues with the b'ys, playing hockey, wondering why there was a Catholic side and Protestant side of the village, to finding a passion for music, and many other things in between.

In addition to the stories, the book is has many pictures, a humorous Glossary of Terms for Mainlanders (you can find "cutting out tongues" and "b'ys" here), and some side stories. One of my favorite side stories is Alan trying to get his mother to explain how to make her amazing homemade bread:

"How do you make a loaf of bread, Mom?"
"Alan, honey, I don't know how to make a loaf of bread. I only knows how to make eight." p. 54

During the Q&A session I attended, a young girl (10-12ish in age) asked Alan something to the effect of whether he had any tips or suggestions on writing. Alan admitted that he isn't a great literary writer, but a storyteller. If he had to think of something that guided him through the writing of this book it was that what he wrote had to sound like how he would talk, it had to sound like him. After he wrote a particular section or chapter, if he went back to read it to himself and it did not sound like something he would say, then he would toss that out. After finishing the book, I would agree that this could not be more true. With every word I read, I could hear Alan's voice speak them in his distinct Newfoundland accent - it was like there was an audio-book version of the book playing in my head.

Well done Alan Doyle from Petty Harbour. I hope that there is another book down the road that tells stories of life on the road with GBS.     

This is my eighth book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

With Alan at his book signing - a genuinely nice guy.
His mother's advice of "Be good" has definitely followed him. 

Lisa's Review: No Safe House

No Safe House by Linwood Barclay

My Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

After laying to rest the mystery of why her family disappeared years prior in  No Time for Goodbye, we join Cynthia Archer, her husband Terry, and daughter Grace seven years later in No Safe House. Cynthia's overprotective tendencies are causing a rift with Grace who is now a teenager and hanging out with a less than stellar boyfriend, Stuart. One night, Grace finds herself with Stuart in the wrong place at the wrong time & things completely unravel from there.

There is plenty of action in this book - lots of criminal activity, murder investigation, running from the bad guys, trying to figure out who the bad guys are, etc. While I thought that No Time for Goodbye delivered a little more in the "keeping me on the edge of my seat" department, this sequel definitely kept me turning the pages.

This is my seventh book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

Lisa's Review: A Fatal Grace

A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

This is the second book in Louise Penny's Three Pines mystery series. In this book, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec returns to the tranquil town of Three Pines with his team to investigate the murder of CC de Poitiers. Particularly puzzling is the fact that CC was murdered in broad daylight, surrounded by a large crowd of townsfolk gathered to watch an outdoor curling match. Adding to the complexity of the investigation is the fact that CC was an awful individual & there isn't a single person who liked her.

As with Penny's first book in this series, Still Life, I thoroughly enjoyed her style of writing. Her descriptions paint a perfect picture of the scenes & characters in my mind (I would love to visit Three Pines, stay at the B&B, and eat in the bistro). I was also happy that some of my favorite characters from her first book returned here, and I had the chance to get to know them a little more.

I'll definitely keep going with this series & see what else comes to pass in Three Pines - and I'm definitely curious to see what unfolds in the storyline with Agent Yvette Nichol.

This is my sixth book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

Lisa's Review: No Relation

No Relation by Terry Fallis

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Meet Earnest Hemmingway (or "Hem" as he prefers to be called). Hem lives in New York City & has been a copywriter at the same firm for 15 years. Hem is having a very bad day - he lost his wallet, he was laid off from his job, and he returned home to find his girlfriend was moving out & moving on. 

Adding to his troubles is the fact that Hem aspires to be a writer & has the unfortunate burden of sharing his name with the famous writer, who Hem really does not like:

"I am Earnest Hemmingway. That other writer guy is just plain old Ernest Hemingway. I cling to my extra "a" and "m" to set me apart from the literary titan. Stripped of that extra "a" and "m", his name seems simple and spare to me, like his writing. His name almost seems incomplete, abbreviated, truncated. Conversely, my name is more complex and flowing, like my writing." p.26

"...but I much prefer the scenario where I'm haunted by Hemingway. That's just what it feels like. He hovers around me, trying to turn my long, flowing, ornate sentences into simple, barren, boring, First Grade prose." p126

I thought No Relation was an excellent, light read. It was a lot of fun & I found myself laughing out loud at many points. I liked the way Hem talked directly to the reader at points. I'd never really thought about what it must be like to go through life with the name of a famous person or character, but am glad I don't have to experience it. 

This is my fifth book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

Lisa's Review: Saints of Big Harbour

Saints of Big Harbour by Lynn Coady

My Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

The setting for Saints of Big Harbour is small-town Cape Breton, NS in the early '80s. The main character is Guy Boucher - a teenage boy, being raised by his single-mother, who innocently finds himself in the middle of the small-town rumor mill.

The story is told from the point of view of many characters - Guy (of course); his overbearing, alcoholic uncle Isadore; Alison Mason, Guy's English teacher (and Isadore's drinking buddy); Corrine, the popular girl that Guy would like to have as his girlfriend; Pam, Corrine's best friend; and many others.

I'd have to say I liked this book, but certainly did not love it. The overall feel of the book I found to be a bit depressing. In the synopsis from the cover, "As the story unfolds, so does a rich and often funny portrait of a community...", and in reviews I've seen many references of "hilarious", but I did not find humor here. However, I did like Coady's style of writing, and found the way the story unfolded through the point of view of several characters to be interesting & kept me turning the pages.   

This is my fourth book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

Lisa's Review: Still Life

Still Life by Louise Penny

My Review: 4 of 5 Stars

This is the first book in the Inspector Gamache mystery series. The book is set in the seemingly idyllic village of Three Pines. When sweet Jane Neal is discovered murdered in the woods, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team are called in to investigate the crime.

As Penny describes Three Pines and introduces the many characters in the book, I had an exact picture in my head of the village, and each of those characters - I felt like I knew all of them personally. I found the storyline to be entertaining & it kept me turning the pages. I'll definitely be looking to follow more of Inspector Gamache to see what other plots unfold in Three Pines. 

This is my third book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

Lisa's Review: February

February by Lisa Moore

My Review: 4 of 5 Stars

In February, Lisa Moore tells the story of Helen O'Mara, who becomes a young widow after the oil rig, Ocean Ranger, sank off the coast of Newfoundland. Her husband, Cal, worked on the oil rig and the tragic events left her with 4 young children to raise on her own.

The telling of Helen's story bounces around in timeline - from "present" 2008-ish, to the time when the oil rig sank in February 1982, to times before that with Cal, and times in between with Helen raising her children. Moore expertly balances this back and forth in timelines.

When I started reading this book, I didn't know much about the storyline. I read a book earlier this year by Lisa Moore & enjoyed it thoroughly, so picked this one off of the library shelf. I was pretty much sucked in from the start through to the end. I was a fan of Moore's style of writing in Caught, and that was even more so a factor in this book. Her descriptions, are vivid, and often left me thinking "wow!".  I was impressed with the way that she captured the real-life events of the Ocean Ranger tragedy, and makes the reader imagine what that must have been like for a surviving family of a crew member who was lost through the eyes of Helen.

This is my second book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

Lisa's Review: Terry

Terry: Terry Fox and His Marathon of Hope by Douglas Coupland

My Review: 5 of 5 Stars

Coupland's book is both a pictorial representation of some of the 100,000+ archived items from The Marathon of Hope and also snippets & stories about Terry Fox from a young adult, through his diagnosis,  Marathon of Hope, and the affect he had on many Canadians.

A brief history to what is presented in this book - Terry Fox is known as a Canadian hero (officially voted as Canada's Greatest Hero in 1999). In 1977, at the age of 18, Terry had his leg amputated above the knee as a result of a cancer diagnosis. While in the hospital, he hatched the idea of completing a run across Canada, from the East to West Coast - the plan was to run a marathon every day for 200 days, raising awareness and funds for cancer research along the way. His goal was to raise $1 for every Canadian ($24 million) in his Marathon of Hope. In 1980 he began his run. He was forced to stop 143 days & 3,339 miles later in Thunder Bay, Ontario as the cancer had spread to his lungs. Less than a year later he succumbed to the disease - by then his story & mission had affected the nation. According to the Terry Fox Foundation, as of May 2014 over $640 million has been raised for cancer research in Terry's name.

As a 10-year old, I diligently followed every news story I could about Terry & The Marathon of Hope. I cut out every story I could find in the newspaper & pasted them in a scrapbook. As I read through Coupland's book, I kept thinking to myself that it was like an excellently executed adult version of a scrapbook. The pictures of artifacts, journal entries, stories, letters, and tidbits of information were put together beautifully - it all transported me back to my 10 year-old self.

"Even though I die of cancer my spirit didn't die and that should influence a lot of people." Terry Fox, 12/22/1980.

This is my first book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

8th Canadian Book Challenge

Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, photo by Lisa North

The start of July means the start of another Canadian Book Challenge at The Book Mine Set.

Lisa and I both completed the 7th Canadian Book Challenge and are signing up for #8.

Canadian Book Challenge 8 has a new approach for the logo, there were a variety of images (all of Canada, obviously) you could choose from or you could use your own. We are using a photograph of Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia that Lisa took.  This logo is now an option, in addition to the original 8, for anyone who wants to participate in this challenge (it's a great way to learn about Canadian books and authors).