Cover to Cover: January 2011

Monday, January 17, 2011

Arriving Soon: The Newest Book in the Earth's Children Series

On March 29, 2011, Jean M. Auel's latest novel in the Earth's Children series will be released. Entitled, The Land of Painted Caves, this book continues the story of Ayla, her mate Jondalar, and their daughter Jonayla. Auel's website calls it "the culmination fans have been waiting for." As Auel is now about 74, this quite likely will be the final book in the series.

Waiting for? To me, waiting for is a phrase that I measure in units of months - a year or two at maximum. This series has been over three decades in the making! Now, I didn't read The Clan of the Cave Bear in 1980 when it was released but I did begin the series several years ago concluding with Shelters of Stone in 2002 when it was first published.

Don't get me wrong. I loved this series. Exceptionally well written and researched with great characters and a prehistoric storyline. I do feel now like I may need to go back and re-read the series in order to get prepared to enjoy the story in context again. This is a big reading commitment as the novels are quite lengthy. And what if I'm let down? Should Ayla stay where I want to remember her?

I'm apprehensive because of the last great series that I loved (-ish )by Diana Gabaldon. I adored Outlander through the Drums of Autumn (the first four books in the series) and felt that was where the series should have concluded (In fact, these four novels are amongst my favourites and I would most happily reread them). I limped through The Fiery Cross and although I purchased A Breath of Snow and Ashes, I have never had the energy to open its cover. I really lost the Jamie -Claire magic and could not find chemistry with the idea of furthering the story through their daughter, what's her name. I was also quite exhausted trying to remember back to all of the intricate plot twists with the multiple time lines, the genealogy... as a reader, I knew it was time for me to move on - or I guess to actually stop- and keep these characters intact with my own conclusions.

However, I have to say that I found all of Auel's books to be strong, each building on the story while adding a new dimension to engage the reader. Auel's site allows you to read the first three chapters of this latest story as a preview. I'm going to read through those 51 pages to see what my recall is like almost a decade since I last met up with Ayla and Jondalar, or, to see if I feel that I may be able to read and enjoy this story for its own merits.

Here is a quick overview of the series. I really did enjoy reading them and have faith that Auel will deliver once again.

1. The Clan of the Cave Bear 1980

2. The Valley of Horses 1982

3. The Mammoth Hunters 1985

4. The Plains of Passage 1990

5. The Shelters of Stone 2002

Monday, January 10, 2011

The Book of Negroes

In 1978, I was 12 years old and I borrowed a copy of Alex Haley's, Roots, from the public library. I had seen some episodes of the television mini-series on TV and had wanted to read the book to get the story from start to finish. Although there were many pages in that novel that were difficult to read, I couldn't put it down. Some of the events that unfolded between those pages have stuck fast with me throughout my lifetime and came rushing back when I read The Book of Negroes. It was probably one of my earliest forays into the genre of historical fiction. I was equal parts fascinated and horrified to discover that although the characters were fictionalized, the larger events themselves had occurred. The conditions on the ship during the voyage from Africa to America, and the slave auction were the two events that most affected me. They would come to haunt me again in The Book of Negroes.

Many years later, I heard that Haley was suspected of plagiarism for parts of Roots and had paid out a settlement in a lawsuit brought against him by another author. It appears that his genealogical research for the novel also fell under suspicion. Nevertheless, I was influenced and moved by this story. In a time period when elementary education (We didn't talk about these things in my 1978 grade 6 classroom. In fact, I seem to recall my teacher asking me if I had my parents permission just to read the book.) seemed to shun the discussion of social justice, it made me think about historical events and explore them from something other than the Wonder white bread euro centric point of view.

Well, I need to get where I'm going with this blog post and that's to discuss Lawrence Hill's, The Book of Negroes (Someone Knows My Name).

The second book that I have read in 2011 comes from a Canadian author and contains sections which occur in Nova Scotia over two hundred years ago. I had waited so long to read this novel that I feared that I would be underwhelmed by it once I finally read it. For those of you that follow this blog, you know my tendency to build up my anticipated reads into literary utopia's.

This novel does not disappoint. I was just as mesmerized by this story as I was over 30 years ago with a similar read and subject.

Hill had me by page 7.

"Let me begin with a caveat to any and all who find these pages. Do not trust large bodies of water, and do not cross them. If you, dear reader, have an African hue and find yourself led toward water with vanishing shores, seize your freedom by any means necessary. And cultivate distrust of the colour pink. Pink is taken as the colour of innocence, the colour of childhood, but as it spills across the water in the light of the dying sun, do not fall into its pretty path. There, right underneath, lies a bottomless graveyard of children, mothers and men. I shudder to imagine all the Africans rocking in the deep. Every time I have sailed the seas, I have had the sense of gliding over the unburied."

The Book of Negroes tells the story of Aminata Diallo, an 11 year old African girl from the village of Bayo, who is captured and sold into slavery. Aminata's story extends from Africa, to South Carolina, to New York, to Nova Scotia, to Africa and finally to England. It is a story of losses and gains. Gains in the face of suffering and loss. Remembering who you are and where you come from. Aminata proves herself to be a brave and self reliant character. I think her ability to endure a lifetime of tragedy, and to persevere, is heavily influenced by her literacy skills. She is literate in a time when it is dangerous to be so, yet her ability to read and write secure her work and a means to provide for herself, and her books are her companions and salvation in the lonely years away from her family.

I don't want to say much more. Either you have read and enjoyed this novel already or you are hoping to read this and then I shouldn't say too much. The awards and accolades, buzz and hype are right on the money with this one.

Visit Lawrence Hill's website

Friday, January 7, 2011

The Bishop's Man

The first book that I read in 2011 was the 2009 Giller Prize winner, The Bishop's Man, by investigative journalist Linden MacIntyre.

Rather shamefully, I have to admit that I have not read much (any) Canadian literature since taking an undergrad course of the same name at Western in the late 1980's.

I remember that I had to read the two big Canadian Margaret's - Atwood and Laurence - preferring Laurence. The only book that I enjoyed (remembered) from the syllabus was The Diviners.

So I figured that it was time to do some reading in my own backyard, and decided to start the new year with novels by Canadian authors. I was somewhat apprehensive about reading The Bishop's Man because of the sensitive subject matter. But I found that MacIntyre masterfully alluded to the darker issues, leaving most details to the reader's imagination and control. I enjoyed reading this novel even though it was way outside of my usual reading comfort zone - the timeframe changes at warp speed and loose ends are not really tied up. Some books require more energy be expended by the reader and that usually results in a better understanding of the author's intent. This book definitely made me think about the theme of contrition from the perspectives of several characters and I found it to be a worthwhile read.

MacIntyre said to the CBC:
"I thought it was time for someone to take a deep look at the impact of sexual abuse on a lot of people, not the least of which are the priests who have to continue to represent this church, in spite of the bad behaviour and deviance of other priests," he said in describing the inspiration for his book. The Bishop's Man is about "a priest who goes into the business idealistically, who realizes that priests also have feet of clay, and it leads him to a personal crisis," MacIntyre said. Father Duncan, the first-person narrator, has been his bishop's dutiful enforcer, employed to check the excesses of priests and to suppress the evidence, but he is forced to examine his own past under the strain of suspicion, obsession and guilt. The book is set in Antigonish, a place that MacIntyre calls one of most religious communities in Canada."

The Bishop's Man was published around the time of the scandal in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. In 2009, Bishop Raymond Lahey was arrested for having pornographic images of children on his laptop. What was even more disturbing was that Lahey had been the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of St. John's (a position also known as the Bishop's man) and had himself just months before announced the $15 million dollar settlement between the Diocese of Antigonish and the sexually abused victims (dating back to the fifties) of the diocese priests named in a class action lawsuit.

The prize jury said that MacIntyre's book was "a brave novel, conceived and written with impressive delicacy and understanding." I agree.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

100+ Reading Challenge 2011

The only challenge that I have decided to join this year is the 100+ Reading Challenge 2011, which is hosted by My Overstuffed Bookshelf. (Click on this link for details)

This challenge will be quite an ambitious one for me as I read just 49 books in 2010, in my first year of book blogging. I know this means I will have to double that number - but, last year I only hoped to finish 26 books, so, who knows?

I will list my books on my blog's sidebar, and link to my reviews after they are posted.

1. The Bishop's Man by Linden MacIntyre
2. The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill

Monday, January 3, 2011

Happy New Year! 2010 Recap

It's been many months since I have posted anything on this blog and my sincere apologies. It was an incredibly busy fall at work, and for a few months the majority of my reading was strictly for work or courses. Eww!

It also seemed that for a long while I was in a reading response slump. It was the season of reading neutrally. Everything I picked up seemed just mediocre to me. Funny, because many of these books appeared on several favourites lists (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - - sorry to Jenny, she says that every time she recommends something, I am underwhelmed by it - - so maybe its just me; Fall of Giants - disappointing for Follett - thin characters entombed in a history text, honestly, there was so much time devoted to the description of the ammunition -just how many words do you need to say "bullet"? -sigh).

However, I ended the year on a high note with Girl in Translation, a debut novel by Jean Kwok. Basically, the story of a mother and daughter who come to America from Hong Kong after it had returned to Chinese rule. Brilliant!

Over a year ago, I challenged myself to read 26 books in 2010. I then enthusiastically joined a bunch of book challenges of which I completed precisely zero. I got about half way through each challenge and what I found out about myself as a reader is that I simply cannot schedule or plan my reading. One book sometimes leads me to the next, or I hear about a book in a blog post, or posted on someone's TBR list and the next thing you know, I have to read it too. (Like my dieting pledging- you know, the "I swear I'm going to start my diet on Monday, because we're doing that thing Friday night ... and I have to find some exercise clothes that cover both the moose in my caboose and my front bum! so definitely Monday - and then, what you will see with me will be complete devotion" pledge.)

However, not only did I reach my goal of 26 books, I almost doubled it! So, I think that the challenges did help me and the posts were fun to do. For 2011, I resolve to read 100 books. I only need to join one challenge, the 100+ Books 2011 Challenge - more on this in my next post.

Here is a list of the 49 books that I completed in 2010. Some books are linked to reviews I have posted and many were selections for challenges I participated in:

Top Ten Reads of 2010

1. The Help
2. The Forgotten Garden
3. Angela's Ashes
4. Girl in Translation
5. The Shifting Fog
6. Say You're One of Them
7. Her Fearful Symmetry
8. The Lace Reader
9. The Crimson Petal and the White
10. Life

Bottom Five Reads of 2011

1. The Kite Runner (I know some of you are raising your eyebrows right now, sorry, didn't dig it) 2. Mr. Peanut (What was that?)
3. Finger Lickin' Fifteen (I know, what was I hoping for with this title? - but if you have read the early Janet Evanovich, you will know what I mean)
4. Wolf Hall (Oh dreary 9000 pages of Thomas Cromwell - and historical fiction is my thing)
5. The Postmistress (The Guernsey Potato Peel Pie Society wannabe)

Books I Am Still Dying To Read But Didn't In 2010

1. The Distant Hours
2. The Book of Negroes (Thanks to Heather, who is bringing this to me tomorrow)

January