Reading life
Jan. 2nd, 2018 08:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tvordljGosh, been awhile since I updated my reading list. I guess I will do that just to finish off the 2017 books read before I start on 2018. Still participating in the Goodreads group CAnadianContent where there will be another Bingo reading challenge this year as well as a year long Read Across Canada challenge. I'm definitely going to participate in the Bingo challenge and give the cross Canada one a good try. At least for the provinces that have fewer choices, it means I find books or authors that are new or that I haven't read before and i discovered after this year's challenge, there can be some real hidden gems. I am glad I'm reading across Canada, one for each of 10 provinces and 3 territories and not the USA! I think if you were going to challenge yourself to Read Across America, you'd want to choose a state from each coast, and north and south borders, Alaska and Hawaii and then choose another 6 or 8 states from across the map. Or you could find a train route from the east coast to the west and follow that on the map, choosing the states that way. Anyway, I'm focussing on Canadian Lit and it's a lot more straight forward.
So, yes, 2017 books, the last of them behind the link
I Am a Truck - Michelle Winters
Shortlisted for the Giller prize this year, a husband goes missing , a wife who was devoted to him tries to make a life for herself without him. What really happened to him?
Today I Learned it was You - Edward Riche
A send up of municipal politics in St. JOhn's, Newfoundland. Enjoyed this one. The blurb talks about a man that decides to live in the woods and starts turning into a deer. The book is not about that, though it's in the back ground and you do find out what that's about as well.
The Icarus Girl - Helen Oyeyemi
8 year old girl, mixed ethnicity between British and Nigerian, finds a new friend, apparently imaginary but not always benevolent. It's a bit uneven and I wasn't sure if the child was medically ill, psychologically ill, or what else was going on. Debut novel written when Oyeyemi was only 19.
Church of Marvels - Leslie Parry
A newborn infant is found abandoned. Two sisters are separated. A sanitorium is not a good place to be in the late 19th c. Four characters end up with their lives connecting. Liked the book and the time period, late 19th c. New York/Coney Island.
Minds of Winter - Ed O'Loughlin
Another Giller shortlisted book. Alternates between present day in the far north of Canada and following an artifact from the days of Franklin's ill-fated attempt to find the Northwest Passage up through the decades. Very long book, lots of characters, lots about the polar explorers which is interesting. First half better than the second half
MacBeth - Jo Nesbo
Modern day re-telling of the play. Takes place in a northern Scottish city with the players part of the local police, political, and drug dealing gang arenas. Pretty good, I thought.
The CanadianContent group on Groodreads has monthly challenges and December's was to read Christmas related books. I found a bunch of free or cheapies on Amazon Kindle, hoping to finds something that was a bit less typical, or something with a little difference, with varying results but I was pleased enough overall with what I did find to read.
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus - L. Frank Baum
story of the origins and life of Santa Claus by the man that brought you the world of Oz. Wonderful story, great one to read to your kids. Even better if you could find an old illustrated edition.
Miss Kane's Christmas - Caroline Mickelson
Light and fluffy, novella, Santa's daughter is set a task to bring the Christmas spirit to a widower and his family.
Gods of Howl Mountain - Taylor Brown
Netgalley ARC for review, Bootlegging in North Carolina, in the 1950s post Korean war where Rory has lost a foot and lives with his healer grandmother. Secrets, violence, survival. Great writing and characters.
The Brands Who Came for Christmas - Maggie Shayne
Another Christmas read about a family of sisters and a single mother. The "good girl" finds herself pregnant after what turned out to be a one night stand. Typical romance novel but I did like the characters and it wasn't too cheesy even if it had a predictable end.
A Grosvenor Square Christmas - Anna Campbell
Four short stories centered on an annual Christmas ball held in a house in Grosvenor Square, London between the early to mid 1800s. The ball had a reputation of bringing together one romantic couple every year and these stories are about some of those. Not bad, actually. Like the time period. Four different authors for the short stories and most were very well written. Only one of the four I wasn't as keen on.
All Our Wrong Todays - Elan Mastai
Time Travel. If you change something, the future changes, too. Boy does it ever! Interesting take on the concept.
Mistletoe and Murder - Carola Dunn
Christmas in Devon, 1923, in a remote country house, small group of people. Could be an Agatha Christie sort of story but the protagonist is a 20-something woman who's the daughter of a nobleman and married to a police inspector.
And that's it. I read 100 books in 2017. I find i read a lot more now since I have my ereader. It's so easy to carry around with me and read anywhere. I can also read on my phone via the Kobo or Kindle apps or Overdrive for library books. I do have a stack of about 8 paper books on my bedside table and another 4 or 5 books that I've borrowed from a cousin that I really need to read through and get back to her. G. gave me the hardcover edition of the new Ken Follett for Christmas and I'm looking forward to getting into that as well. With paper books, I keep them for my bedtime reading rather than carrying them around with me.
I've already started my 2018 book list, finishing one yesterday that I had been reading.
The Clockwork Dynasty - Daniel H. Wilson
sort of Steampunk but maybe leaning more towards scifi since it really doesn't take place during the Victorian era. It had some inconsistencies but overall not bad. The Avtomats were far more interesting than the present day human character.
So, yes, 2017 books, the last of them behind the link
I Am a Truck - Michelle Winters
Shortlisted for the Giller prize this year, a husband goes missing , a wife who was devoted to him tries to make a life for herself without him. What really happened to him?
Today I Learned it was You - Edward Riche
A send up of municipal politics in St. JOhn's, Newfoundland. Enjoyed this one. The blurb talks about a man that decides to live in the woods and starts turning into a deer. The book is not about that, though it's in the back ground and you do find out what that's about as well.
The Icarus Girl - Helen Oyeyemi
8 year old girl, mixed ethnicity between British and Nigerian, finds a new friend, apparently imaginary but not always benevolent. It's a bit uneven and I wasn't sure if the child was medically ill, psychologically ill, or what else was going on. Debut novel written when Oyeyemi was only 19.
Church of Marvels - Leslie Parry
A newborn infant is found abandoned. Two sisters are separated. A sanitorium is not a good place to be in the late 19th c. Four characters end up with their lives connecting. Liked the book and the time period, late 19th c. New York/Coney Island.
Minds of Winter - Ed O'Loughlin
Another Giller shortlisted book. Alternates between present day in the far north of Canada and following an artifact from the days of Franklin's ill-fated attempt to find the Northwest Passage up through the decades. Very long book, lots of characters, lots about the polar explorers which is interesting. First half better than the second half
MacBeth - Jo Nesbo
Modern day re-telling of the play. Takes place in a northern Scottish city with the players part of the local police, political, and drug dealing gang arenas. Pretty good, I thought.
The CanadianContent group on Groodreads has monthly challenges and December's was to read Christmas related books. I found a bunch of free or cheapies on Amazon Kindle, hoping to finds something that was a bit less typical, or something with a little difference, with varying results but I was pleased enough overall with what I did find to read.
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus - L. Frank Baum
story of the origins and life of Santa Claus by the man that brought you the world of Oz. Wonderful story, great one to read to your kids. Even better if you could find an old illustrated edition.
Miss Kane's Christmas - Caroline Mickelson
Light and fluffy, novella, Santa's daughter is set a task to bring the Christmas spirit to a widower and his family.
Gods of Howl Mountain - Taylor Brown
Netgalley ARC for review, Bootlegging in North Carolina, in the 1950s post Korean war where Rory has lost a foot and lives with his healer grandmother. Secrets, violence, survival. Great writing and characters.
The Brands Who Came for Christmas - Maggie Shayne
Another Christmas read about a family of sisters and a single mother. The "good girl" finds herself pregnant after what turned out to be a one night stand. Typical romance novel but I did like the characters and it wasn't too cheesy even if it had a predictable end.
A Grosvenor Square Christmas - Anna Campbell
Four short stories centered on an annual Christmas ball held in a house in Grosvenor Square, London between the early to mid 1800s. The ball had a reputation of bringing together one romantic couple every year and these stories are about some of those. Not bad, actually. Like the time period. Four different authors for the short stories and most were very well written. Only one of the four I wasn't as keen on.
All Our Wrong Todays - Elan Mastai
Time Travel. If you change something, the future changes, too. Boy does it ever! Interesting take on the concept.
Mistletoe and Murder - Carola Dunn
Christmas in Devon, 1923, in a remote country house, small group of people. Could be an Agatha Christie sort of story but the protagonist is a 20-something woman who's the daughter of a nobleman and married to a police inspector.
And that's it. I read 100 books in 2017. I find i read a lot more now since I have my ereader. It's so easy to carry around with me and read anywhere. I can also read on my phone via the Kobo or Kindle apps or Overdrive for library books. I do have a stack of about 8 paper books on my bedside table and another 4 or 5 books that I've borrowed from a cousin that I really need to read through and get back to her. G. gave me the hardcover edition of the new Ken Follett for Christmas and I'm looking forward to getting into that as well. With paper books, I keep them for my bedtime reading rather than carrying them around with me.
I've already started my 2018 book list, finishing one yesterday that I had been reading.
The Clockwork Dynasty - Daniel H. Wilson
sort of Steampunk but maybe leaning more towards scifi since it really doesn't take place during the Victorian era. It had some inconsistencies but overall not bad. The Avtomats were far more interesting than the present day human character.
