May 2014 - What Are You Reading?

My latest read was a bit of a disappointment: Does Your Mother Know? by Maureen Jennings. I've read her Tom Tyler series and a couple of the Murdoch mysteries, but this one -written in the present time- had too implausible a storyline for me.

I'd taken out both books from the same series from the library at the same time, so thought I'd see if the second one was any better-no. The K Handshape by Maureen Jennings

I'm just finishing up The Stand by Stephen King - the uncut version. Quite a slog (about 1400 pages - this should count as 4 books) but worth it. I read it when it first came out back in the 70s (the ''short'' version) and really enjoyed it. It was just as good this time around. I'll be starting on What Dreams May Come by Richard Matheson next.

The Funeral Owl by Jim Kelly. A very well written mystery novel-discovered too late that this one is actually the 7th in the series, so I've just requested the 1st one from my local library. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

I started a re-read of The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence today. It's one of those books I re-read often. I can't think of a Canadian writer that I like as much.

A fantastic read by one of my favourite authors. All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews. I loved this book, and it affected me deeply, probably because I have a close family member who also battles with mental illness.

Hi, Kim from KW. Hope I can chime in here…
Reading Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda and it won't even take me a day I think. Started last night at bedtime and am about halfway through. Hard to put down.
Lots of non-Cdn books in between but I have a big selection of Can-Lit here at home as my 1st year lit prof in uni insisted his whole read list be Canadian although it wasn't a course requirement - it was for him. Love him for it still.
LOVE Stone Angel. One of my all-time faves.
Love most things Atwood.
Been reading and re-reading my Robin Sharma books and though they aren't fiction, they are definitely Canadian.

I'm starting Johnson's Life of London by Boris Johnson

>7 Kimberley73: Welcome, Kim! Nice to hear from you. :) I'd be interested to know the titles on that reading list!

Currently reading The Bridge Over the River Kwai, by Pierre Boulle, but I might switch to The Beautiful Mystery, by Louise Penny, for a change of pace.

Just read Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese. He is such a wonderful writer. I also have about four other books on the go but they don't seem to interest me enough to finish them quickly. I was happy enough to put them down when Medicine Walk became available at the library.

>6 ted74ca: Miriam Toews is one of my favourite authors too. She has such a sense of fun even when writing about serious topics.

>7 Kimberley73: Welcome Kim. I've puzzled over "KW" and simply can't think where it could be. I hope you can help my addled brain.

Some more crime fiction: The Shadows in the Street by Susan Hill. I like Susan Hill's writing very much-I just can't stand the detective in this series!

I just finished What Dreams May Come by Richard Matheson - very different from the movie but very interesting. I'm just about to start Fluent in 3 months by Benny Lewis.

12 I love the crime fiction from Susan Hill. I am waiting patiently for the next one in the series!

I finished a mystery translated from German, The Other Child by Charlotte Link. I quite enjoyed it and plan to read her other book. I can't remember when I last posted, but my book previous to that was from the short listed " Orange Prize" , Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. It was very dark, but an interesting portrayal of Iceland in the 17th Century. Currently I am reading a fabulous book from the Orange Shortlist, The Undertaking by Audrey Magee. Really worth getting it from the Book Depository!

I already read two by Canadian authors this month:
- Unless / Carol Shields
- Come Barbarians / Todd Babiak

I don't think I have any more planned by Canadian authors for the month.

I'm about to start my ER book, My Accidental Jihad by Krista Bremer

>14 vancouverdeb: I just downloaded an e-copy of Burial Rites from the library and am looking forward to it!

re: comment #11:
hi vivienne -- i think 'KW' means the kitchener-waterloo area, if kim is in ontario. :)

re: comment #6 -

hi ted. i also read all my puny sorrows recently and loved it so, so much! i found it an outstanding achievement, and feel pretty certain it will remain my favourite read of 2014. :)

right now, i am reading the imperfectionists by tom rachman, and i am really enjoying it. i am finding it quite humorous at moments, and i am really liking the different eras and perspectives of newspaper publishing.

Been on a bit of a reading binge lately:
The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell. I liked this one very much, dark and gritty, yet moments of humour. Loved the 3 different perspectives.
Three Graves Full by James Mason. Probably was supposed to be a thriller, but I enjoyed it for its humour.
The Line Painter by Claire Cameron. Parts of this one dragged a bit for me, but I still thought it was good.

I, too, really liked The Imperfectionists.

I'm about to start Stoner by John Williams

I finished Frog Music, mostly enjoyed it but got a bit impatient with all the switches in time, excessive I think.
I loved The Golem and the Jinni and I'm on to Astonish Me.

I'm starting the Last Knight of Malta by Thomas Freller and Gabriele Von Trauchburg, having just returned from there.

Just finished Coventry by Canadian author Helen Humphreys. It was a lovely short novel about the destruction of Coventry England in WWII (if it's possible for a war novel to be "lovely".)

25 Joyce, I really loved Coventry , as well as one of your latest reads, Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. For the moment I'm reading a mystery translated from "the German, The Watcher by Charlotte Link. Finished the short listed Orange Prize book, The Undertaking by Audrey Magee. 5 stars. What a unique perspective on WW11. Well worth the read.

Thanks… Gosh the reading list was so long ago…
I am sure I could list a few though because they are still on my library shelves.
As for me and my house - Sinclair Ross
The Tin Flute - Gabrielle Roy
Two Alice Munros - Friend of my youth, Lives of Girls and Women
The Stone Angel of course, Margaret Laurence

We must have read an Atwood or two - I read most of her early books so I don't remember which we course material.
I also took an amazing course called "English Speaking Theatre in Canada" and every playwright was Cdn and the subjects were so much closer to my heart because of it. Brilliant.

Sorry KW is Kitchener Waterloo.

Greetings KW! That's my neck of the woods as well (although I am currently chilling in sunny Florida).

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

>18 JooniperD: & >28 Kimberley73: Thanks. I should have been able to figure that out myself but I was way off target :)

Kimberley, Lives of Girls and Women was the book that started my love for Alice Munro.

Love Anthony by Lisa Genova is the latest refugee from the TBR shelves.

Just finished reading Someone Knows my Name by Lawrence Hill and started The Lighthouse by P.D. James.

With an election underway in Ontario, and federal Liberal and Conservatives already placing ads about the Liberal leader, I've plucked Shopping for Votes by Susan Delacourt from the TBR shelves.

All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews. Also, just finished The Son by Jo Nesbo.

Finished a novel today that I loved: Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese. Don't know why I've never read anything by him before; the prose was exquisite.

Finished Longbourn by Jo Baker. Puts the romantic notion of living in the Regency era into perspective.

Started Orphan Master by jean zimmerman

Just finished Stone Diaries by Carol Shields which was wonderful.

Finished 2 today that I've had on the go for a while:

Garnethill by Denise Mina. I've read a couple from Mina's Alex Morrow series before and liked them, but I hadn't read any of her earlier novels. I thought this one was good-I liked the characters and enjoyed the dark humour. Definitely not a "cozy" mystery. I just checked my local library listings and while they have the 3rd in this series, they don't have the 2nd one. Frustrating!

and

Put On by Cunning by Ruth Rendell. Not one of her best, a bit boring in fact.

Finished The Watcher by Charlotte Link. She is a german author and so far the title will work . Quite a good psychological mystery, if a little long and slow paced for my liking. The Chapter's Bookstore in my city is closing at the end of May -so sad - but I purchased a few books at 60 % off. One of them is One Pair of Feet a humourous, fast paced look at becoming a nurse during WW2 by Monica Dickens. Not a literary feat at all, but a fun , fast paced memoir. She was Charles Dickens great granddaughter.

I'm reading Accusation by Catherine Bush

Started and finished Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius as my bus book, so my next bus book will be a reread of The Laughing Policeman.
At home I'm starting one of the science books I borrowed recently from the library, Cascadia's Fault, a book about the potential for a major earthquake on the west coast of North America.

A so- so read: kind of a mystery/suspense/family dysfunction tale: Strange But True by John Searles.

I've started an ER book, Paper Tigress: A Life in the Hong Kong Government by Rachel Cartland

Loved Longbourn. Mixed my love for Downton Abbey with my crazy love for Jane Austen in a lovely way!

My fave bookstore closed yesterday. Went out of business. (Very sad face). A silver lining was that in the end they sold all the final stock for $1 a book so I went to the CDN section and just grabbed whatever I didn't already have without really investigating the topics much. Should be a cool little project to see if I find some gems I never would have tried otherwise.
Still gonna miss the shop immensely.

You must be talking about Booksmart. I was glad that they waited until I returned from vacation to officially close but I will miss it terribly. On a positive note, there is always the Book Vault in Stratford that is comparable (although a bit of a drive).