The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

I stayed up late on Saturday night to finish this book. I read this book during silent reading time in my two classes over the past 2.5 weeks. But it became so intense on Friday that I just had to bring it home to finish it. The Couple Next Door is certainly a book that fits my style because it's an adult contemporary suspense mystery thriller fiction. (Enough adjectives for you? !!)  This is not the kind of book to win any literary awards or to really challenge your intellect. But it's still a great book. It's a real page-turner and I couldn't put it down.

The mystery of this book is what happens to Cora. Cora is Anne and Marco's 6 month old baby daughter who is taken from their home one evening while her parents are next door celebrating their neighbour's birthday. Anne and Marco are immediately the prime suspects, but it's difficult to see them as responsible because they are so terribly distraught and worried. However, throughout the plot, we begin to learn a variety of both Anne's and Marco's secrets and indiscretions. These secrets become more and more intense and scary and lead to more suspicion on the couple. We begin to see that these seemingly perfect adults have far too many motives for kidnapping their own daughter.

The final 50 pages of the book is pure suspense with new information being revealed on every page. It's virtually impossible to put the book down in those final pages because I just had to find out what was going to happen. It was intense and interesting. It was worth staying up late even though I am paying for it today!

I love thriller, who-done-it books and I enjoyed this book very much. I especially liked reading that the author, Shari Lapena, lives in Toronto. I'm not sure if she was born in Canada but she lives here and it's always nice to read books by Canadians.

I have to say that, like many thrillers, this book is a little predictable in some instances. I easily figured out a few of the twists and anticipated the final, "shocking" twist on the last page. However, there were certainly some surprises that I did not see coming. I don't want to spoil any of the details because it's not fair to give away the surprises. You should read this book for yourself to see just how engaging it is. The characters are believable and real in their complexities. The plot twist and turns quite frequently, keeping the reader engaged and enthralled.

I needed to read this kind of page turner since my last few books were more literary and flowery. They were good books, but it's been too long since I read a book that I couldn't put down. I have seen this book in Ms. Plourde's library and in Chapters and have wanted to read it for a while. Although I have a stack of other books I should have read first, I grabbed this from the library and I'm so glad I did.

Pick it up. You won't be disappointed!

Ru by Kim Thuy

For a novella of only 140+ pages, I should have zipped through this read. But I didn't. Once again, I struggled. Perhaps I'm just too tired when I read at bed time now because I would get 5 pages in and have to hold my eyelids open. Don't get me wrong. I liked the book, but it just didn't captivate me.

Ru by Kim Thuy is the 2015 Canada Reads, a Giller Prize, and a Governor General award winner. And it deserves these awards. It's such a powerful and beautiful story about a Vietnamese Canadian woman recounting her life, beginning in Vietnam with her wealthy, aristocratic family, then to her family's journey out of war-torn Vietnam to Malaysia in a horrendous refugee camp, and then on to Quebec, Canada. I suspect that much of this story is based on Thuy's own life as she also hails from Vietnam.

This story is written poetically and each chapter is incredibly short. The trouble is that it's difficult to finish reading at the end of one chapter because each chapter flows into the next. I think the reason it took me so long to read the book is that I often had to re-read chapters in order to remember what happened. It's an episodic book, meaning that each chapter is a short story or anecdote about an event or person. But then that episode connects to the next chapter is an oddly compelling way.

I highly recommend this book because it's just so unique. I don't think I've ever read a book so poetic, creative, and interesting. I learned a lot about the war in Vietnam, refugee camp life, and immigration to a new country. I was fascinated at the ease with which the main character recounts her life struggles. At times, I was often shocked at how cavalier she was. She describes some pretty horrific events, including child molestation, with such deep, clarity, and detachment. I suppose the only way to overcome the traumas she did is by detaching oneself from its harshness.

Ru will challenge you intellectually. You will learn a lot, question humanity, and appreciate your comparatively easy life. Read it! It's a must!

The Wind Wielder by Leona Hass

I finished The Wind Wielder by Leona Hass this weekend. I've put it down a few times so it's taken me longer to read than it should have. It's a short book of less than 200 pages and it's a young adult fiction reading level so I should have zipped through it.  But it was a strange book and I just couldn't seem to connect to it. Mind you, science fiction and fantasy aren't really my favourites.

This book is about a 16 year old girl named Selene who possesses wind powers. She is one of many humans who has these "elemental" powers. Her mother and uncle also possess wind powers. Her uncle Jarod is a leader in the council for elementals who helps elementals control and utilize their powers properly. However, Selene hasn't learned how to do so yet and, as a result, gets into serious trouble. Selene also meets Lillian, a fire elemental, and Jeremy, an earth elemental. Both of them are trapped in some kind of barrier and Selene is determined to save them. To do so, she must unlock her repressed memories. What she unlocks is both freeing and frightening. Selene soon learns that she is a serious danger to herself and her loved ones and must, therefore, learn to control her powers.

I chose this book because one of my Grade 10 students from last semester discussed it in her oral exam. She raved about this book because her mother wrote it. When I learn about local authors, I do my best to read their works because I feel it's important to support our community. Writing a book is no easy task, especially when Hass has a full-time teaching career, children to raise, and a life to lead. So, kudos to her for following her dream and writing her first book.

Now, here's my dilemma: I've been contemplating whether or not I should actually write a blog about this book because I hate to negatively critique a local author, someone I may actually meet. I also worry about whether Hass or her daughter, my former student, will read this. I don't want to offend anyone. But, in keeping with the requirements of my Grade 11 students' assignment for blogging, I must be honest and forthright. I have to model the behaviours I expect from my students, right?

This book is good and worth the read. However, as an English teacher, I struggled with it because there are several errors. For example, on many occasions, Hass uses the incorrect word such as "founding" instead of "finding". In some cases, those errors can be confusing because the incorrect word completely changes the context of the sentence. I also found that the plot moves too quickly without enough explanation. Suddenly Selene is dreaming something and then she is quickly saved by her uncle or by Jeremy, without any real explanation of how she is saved or what danger she is in. I had a difficult time following the timeline since Selene flashed back often, but then would wake up in real time. The book needs another 100 pages at least to fully explain each event. It's too short making it choppy and confusing. The book needs much more revision and editing. It appears to be a first draft.

The conflicts resolve too easily and quickly. At one point, Selene appears to be dying and, by all rights, should die, and yet she miraculously survives because of Jeremy. I just couldn't buy it all.

Nonetheless, I think this book has great potential and I do recommend it. Give it a try. Maybe someone who isn't a picky English teacher will be able to see past the many errors more easily than I can!

The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer

I have to admit it. I have never read any of Stephenie Meyer's most famous works: The Twilight Series. Nope, I just can't bring myself to read them. I haven't even watched any of the movies. My daughter Isabella is NOT named for the main female character. (Isabella comes from my mom's aunt and is a name I had picked out long before Twilight was even a thought in Meyers' head.)  I know that as an English teacher, I should be more open minded about literature, but I am not at all interested in reading about a vampire love story. No offence to those of you who do. Just not my thing!

So, when my husband gave me The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer for Christmas, I was a little surprised. He despises anything Twilight related. But, he'd heard good things about the book and it was one of the top picks at Chapters.  He chose it because this book is not at all about vampires. It's an adult fiction book, unlike Twilight which is a teen fiction series.  I read the summary of the book on the inside cover and was instantly intrigued.

It took me much longer to read this novel than I planned. I started the book at the beginning of March and zipped through the first 300 pages quite quickly. Then, we left for our St. Lucia trip. I did not bring The Chemist with me, even though I really wanted to continue it. It's a hard cover book of 520 pages, which meant its weight was not worth it! I did not want to lug around this huge, heavy book on what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation. So, I grabbed a small paperback book for our trip and left The Chemist on my headboard. But I went right back to it when we returned to Sudbury.

The Chemist is about, go figure, a chemist (I know: no big surprise there!) who works for a top secret CIA department that doesn't even have a name. This chemist's job is to torture suspected terrorists using unique chemical concoctions in order to retrieve information to take down terrorist acts and organizations. However, when the book begins, she is on the run from this department because her superiors are trying to kill her. She doesn't actually know why they're trying to kill her though. She realizes that she must have heard or learned of something so top secret that everyone involved must be killed, but she has no idea what that something could be.

Because she is on the run, she does not really have a name. She changes her name over and over every time she relocates. For much of the novel, she goes by the name Alex, so I will stick to that name, rather than continuing to just say her and she.

Alex is manipulated into returning to the department for one last information (torture) session. The suspected terrorist, Daniel, however, becomes someone far more complicated than any other suspect she's ever encountered. She is drawn to him and becomes entangled in his life in a desperate attempt to save their lives. For much of the novel, they are on the run from this agency and danger lurks around every corner, no matter how much planning and preparing Alex does.

I do recommend this book, giving it 3/5 stars. It starts out really well. It's intriguing, fast-paced, suspenseful, and unique. Meyers' writing is elevated and clear. The problem is that the book is 520 pages and the second half drags. It becomes predictable and repetitive. So, before the March Break, I would have raved about this book. But since returning, I can't be quite as enthusiastic. But it's still a good book, just not a great one. If you're looking for a plot-driven, suspenseful, quick read, give this one a try. I will certainly give Meyers' other adult fiction novels a try.

Fade Away by Harlan Coben

   

     March Break reading at its best and easiest! I quickly zipped through another Harlan Coben book while in sunny St. Lucia last week. I am a HUGE Coben fan and have read several of this fantastic books. Fade Away by Harlan Coben is one of Coben's early works and it's been on my bed side book table for a long time. It was a great vacation getaway book for the pool side and plane rides.

     Fade Away is another of Coben's Myron Bolitar series. Myron Bolitar is a character Coben has written several books about and recently, Coben created a teen series about Myron's nephew Mickey. Any book by Coben and any book about Myron Bolitar is sure to satisfy. Myron is a former NBA basketball star whose career ended before it really began when he was injured in his first pre-season game. Myron is now a sports agent. Windsor Horne Lockwood III, better known as Win, is Myron's best friend, business partner, and crime-solving master. In any Myron Bolitar book, these two men work together to solve some kind of mystery such as a missing person or murder.

     Myron is an altruistic character who is always trying to right the wrongs of the world. Win is not nearly as caring, though he will defend Myron to his death. In this book, Myron's long-time basketball rival Greg Downing has gone missing. The owner of Greg's NBA team hires Myron to play on the team as a way to "get in good" with Greg's teammates and try to locate Greg. In his search, Myron uncovers a murder, a few affairs, a gambling debt to New Jersey mobsters, and a long list of secrets that no one wants revealed.

     As usual, Myron gets himself caught in a number of dangerous situations, in which Win always manages to save him. As with all of Coben's books, the suspense is intense and the pages quickly turn in Fade Away. His books are difficult to put down because they are action packed and plot-driven. Coben will not likely win any prestigious literary awards in his career. However, I think that's irrelevant because his books are purely entertaining and enjoyable. I'm an unusual English teacher because I don't really care for flowery language and imagery. I like PLOT. I like books that are plot and character driven, not theme or setting driven. I like books that keep my attention for each and every sentence, as Coben always does.

     Coben's characters, particularly Win, are incredibly sarcastic and witty, something I thoroughly enjoy because I have the same wry sense of humour. I am often chuckling or gasping on every page because of Coben's humour and suspense. I always recommend Coben to my students and friends, especially for reluctant readers who just need a book they can't put down.

     While I would normally recommend ANY Coben book to every person, I do not recommend this one to you IF you have never read a Coben book. If you are new to Coben, start with something like Caught, Live Wire, Drop Shot, or Promise Me because they are more recent. Fade Away is a great book; however, because it's set in the early 1990s, the references to car phones, floppy disks, and old-school security systems may not mean anything to a young generation who has never lived with these technologies. However, if you've read Coben, go ahead and grab this novel. You won't be disappointed. I give this novel 4/5 stars. And I give Coben 5/5 stars for his sheer talent!

Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden

 

     YES! I finally finished this book! When I finish a book like this, one that is incredibly deep and challenging, and takes me months to read, I say that I conquered it. So, I've finally CONQUERED Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden, the "beast" as I've been calling it. I don't want to dissuade you from reading it though, because it's actually a great book and I highly recommend it.

     Let me explain why this book is so challenging. To begin, Boyden's writing is lyrical and literary. Almost every sentence creates such vivid pictures in your mind because of Boyden's use of intense imagery. Each line is chalk full of literary devices including metaphors, anecdotes, symbolism, and alliteration, to name a few. While this type of writing is brilliant and unique, it can be difficult to read 380+ pages of it because you have to decipher each line's meaning.

     To continue, Boyden's writing is challenging because it is not something that can be zipped through. It's not a quick read at all. It's taken me MONTHS to read this book! Normally, I would have given up on a book this deep and challenging, but it's just so good, that I couldn't stop. Now, mind you, I only read this book during silent reading in my classes so I didn't devote enough time to it.

     Furthermore, Three Day Road is challenging because of the content. Let me provide a summary and explain why it's difficult to follow.  The story is told from two different perspectives, flip-flopping from chapter to chapter. The longer chapters are told from Xavier's perspectives and then the next chapter moves to his Aunt Niska's perspective. They are Cree Native Canadians in the early part of the 1900s before, during, and after WWI.

     Xavier, or X, is travelling with Niska in a canoe by river. Xavier has just returned from war, wounded, addicted to pain medication, and forlorn. He recounts his time in the war with Elijah, his best friend. Most of the book is X's flashbacks to the war and Niska's flashbacks to her early life.

     In their past, Xavier's parents die and Niska learns about her sister's disappearance and decides to rescue X from a residential school. Elijah, another residential school student, wants to join X and his aunt so he escapes from the residential school too. The three live together in the wild, feeding off the land, learning to hunt, and practicing traditional Native life. When they become adults, X and Elijah decide to enlist in the war. The majority of the flashbacks in the story recount their time as soldiers, primarily in the trenches. Wow! What an experience. They become snipers and X describes Elijah's descent into madness as he becomes more and more successful at murdering the "Fritz".

     Boyden clearly did a great deal of research into WWI and Native Canadian soldiers. This book highlights the successes of Natives and focuses on something that most history text books of the past do not: the amount of Natives who participated in the war and how valuable they were. I did not know much about this aspect of trench warfare so, as I've mentioned in previous blogs, I love when a book teaches me something new about a topic in which I thought I was well versed.

     This book also includes a lot of Cree language, which was interesting. The chapter titles are in Cree with an English translation underneath.

     There are two things that I did not particularly like about the book, so here is my warning to you. For one, the book is incredibly violent. As I mentioned, Boyden is a talented writer who creates phenomenal imagery in his readers' minds. So, when describing the violence of the war, such as scalping the enemies, it can be a little much to take! There are a number of very disturbing scenes, including one with an innocent mother and child. However, I completely understand the need for this violence, as it accurately depicts what WWI was like. I thought I understood the atrocities of trench warfare, but now I know much, much more!

     For another, I did not like Boyden's choice to give away one of the main characters' fates at the beginning of the novel. I don't mind when an author foreshadows an event, but in this case, Boyden directly tells his audience what happens to a character at the beginning of the novel. Of course, we don't learn until the end of the book how this character received this fate, but we still know his fate nonetheless.

     Also, there are a few very graphic sexual scenes in the novel. Their inclusion is necessary for the plot development, but some people may not appreciate them, so that is the reason why I am warning you.

     I do highly recommend this book because it's beautifully written, insightful, educational, and deep. If you read this book, your reading level is elevated and you too can also say that you conquered this beast! Give it a try. Boyden's writing is worth the challenge!

How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With by Clarice Rutherford and David H. Neil

     

     While I am not a huge fan of non-fiction - I prefer fiction and historical fiction - I read How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With by Clarice Rutherford and David H. Neil because I have a new puppy in my family. Santa brought my daughter Isabella an 8 week old Landseer Newfoundlander / Italian Spinone puppy on Christmas morning. Isabella named the puppy Sparkles, which is both cheesy and adorable. Sparkles is now 16 weeks and HUGE! She's likely over 40 lbs by now. Thankfully, she's a really well behaved, sweet, cuddly, and loving girl. However, it's been about 7 years since I had a puppy in my house, so I figured I needed to read this book and refresh my training skills. Mrs. Kirwan, a good friend and colleague, welcomed a puppy into her family this past summer, so she lent me the book. It's a great, quick, informative, and helpful book.

       Writing a review or blog about this book is rather challenging for a number of reasons: there is no plot to analyze, no characters to decode, no themes to unravel, and no setting to explore. It's a basic how-to guide in raising and training young dogs. The book is, however, very useful and engaging. So, while I would never have picked this book off a shelf without having Sparkles in my life, it's a great book for those who have puppies. I highly recommend it, but only for those who have new puppies. I even recommend it if you have had several puppies in your life and you know very well how to train them. This book still provides some great tips and suggestions.

       One thing I loved about this book is that it describes what your dog's movements, facial expressions, and body language really mean. I had no idea that a dog's yawn rarely means that she's sleepy! It actually means that she's bored, nervous, uncomfortable, restless, or frustrated. Quite the eye-opener for me!

       This book is an excellent resource guide because the chapters and sub-headings are clearly labelled and it's easy to flip to a particular section or tip that you are interested in. I read the book from cover to cover, following from birth to 12 months. However, you can easily read the book in whatever order you like. You can begin at the age your puppy is or read only the chapters you think you need. I do recommend that you read the introduction and at least skim through the parts you think you may not need because chances are, these other chapters will be helpful and informative too.

       When we received Sparkles, she was 8 weeks old, as I mentioned, but I still read the chapters about the first 8 weeks. It even begins with how to choose a puppy, which I obviously didn't need because we picked Sparkles out when she was 2 weeks old. Nonetheless, this chapter was still interesting and educational. I love reading any kind of book where I learn something new.

       I also learned about how much the first 8 weeks of a puppy's life can shape whom she becomes. I mean, I guess that's pretty obvious; it's just like human babies. The first few weeks are crucial to proper development. But it was still helpful in understanding why certain dogs behave the way they do in later years. It is directly correlated to their formative weeks.

       In conclusion, I enjoyed this book immensely and recommend it to new puppy owners. It's well worth the reading time and money to purchase it.

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

I just finished The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. It has been on my to-read list for a long time, but I actually purchased the book for my dad's girlfriend. She and I share books often, as we're both avid readers. When I gave it to her at Christmas, she had just finished reading it a few days earlier. So I kept it for myself. And I'm so glad I did! 

What a great book! I highly recommend this book. It is a historical fiction about slavery and abolition in the early part of the nineteenth century. The book is about Sarah Grimke, based off the real Sarah Grimke who was one of the first female abolitionists in USA.  The fictional Sarah is 'gifted' a 10 year old female slave on her 11th birthday. Hettie, referred to as Handful, is supposed to be Sarah's maid.

The two actually develop a strong bond, a strange friendship, and a unique relationship. Each chapter moves from Sarah's to Handful's perspectives and follows their lives for over 35 years. Sarah is unlike most Southern girls and actually despises slavery. As a result, she becomes an abolitionist in adulthood. Doing so creates incredible challenges. She is even banned from her hometown!

I highly recommend this book because these two girls are so believable, likable, interesting, rebellious, intelligent, and loving. It's impossible not to love them! They are flawed, yet kind, intelligent, yet naive, and compassionate, yet fierce. 

I know quite a bit about slavery and abolition from years of studying it. Well, at least I thought I did! But I learned so much more from this book. I discovered many things I did not know anything about, particularly the kinds of unique and hellish punishments slaves received. 

What I LOVE about reading historical fictions is that you get the human perspective. You get to feel what it's like to live these lives, endure these tragedies, and suffer these inhumanities. You get to see people's lives from their perspectives. You get to experience their joys, sorrows, and triumphs. 

This book has it all. Read it. You won't be disappointed!