When the Old joins the New – Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore

Published on: September 24 2012

By: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Number of pages: 288

Reading attempt: 2

Reading time: 4 ½ days

Rating: «««

Advice: Read it if you like books about books or if you are in an “in-between” books period

Also available in French as: yet to be published

The context

I bought this book a while back; my guess is probably when I came back from Portugal last September.  At the time I hadn't read anything except my guidebook for the past two weeks and I was desperate to put my hands on something good.  As I was, yet another time, touring around different bookstores, I came across Robin Sloan’s book and it intrigued me: a book about books.

Let’s just say that based on this fact alone, buying the book was a done deal.  I didn't get far the first time I tried reading it.  I guess I just wasn't ready or in the mood for it.  But now, in between Ken Follett’s, I think the timing was perfect.

The story

Set mainly in San Francisco during the Great Recession that happened only a few years ago, we follow Clay Jannon who after losing his job as a web-designer, is in desperate need of a steady paycheck.  As his criteria for the perfect job go from several to non-existent, he ends up at Mr Penumbra’s 24-hour bookstore where he lands a job as night clerk.  But this bookstore is no ordinary store as he soon realizes.

First, not only does it sale everyday books to very rare paying customers, some individuals also come in repeatedly, checking out books that turn out to be impossible to read.  Clay concludes that there is more here than meets the eye and he will, with the help of his friends and modern technology, crack open this mystery, only to find out that the secrets extend far beyond this single bookstore.

The review

This book already had my vote when I first bought it.  I mean let’s face it: this is a book about books and the mysteries and secrets they may hold.  If you are obsessed by books as much as I sometimes may be, you are bound to find something interesting in it.

Although the story line, humanity’s everlasting search for immortality, is nothing new, the simple fact that the characters, especially the “Average Joe” Clay Jannon, show some sort of self-deprecation brings humor to this complex story plot.  By this process, the author shows that the story doesn't take itself too seriously bringing in some welcome lightness.

Its main characters, “Ordinary” Clay Jannon and “Grandfatherly” Mr Penumbra, both lead the way through this maze with their allies.  Every character is as realistic as can be as they all come with their qualities and visible flaws.

But do not be fooled by this easy style because as Robin Sloan allies all you normally need to make a good book (a good story plot full of twists and complexities with realistic characters), the author makes this important point: it is and will always be possible to have a balance in-between the Old and the New and this balance might forever coexist.    His point is frequently repeated in this book as the characters will have to use both modern technology as well as old books to crack this 500 years old mystery. Throughout the book, he also makes a point of showing that both vectors have their advantages and limitations, reinforcing his point of view about the cohabitation of these two information mediums.

And yet, as every person has its flaws so does every book, this one being no exception. The technical jargon about computer programming and the programming techniques described in this novel were a little complicated to understand and the concepts of their use difficult to grasp.

Moreover, the fast paced story plot made it at times feel as if all this puzzle solving and mystery cracking was a tad bit too easy for the characters.  The struggles they had didn't seem as convincing as they should have.  This feeling is further reinforced through the too perfect ending; which is why the book ended up feeling a little flat to me, hence its rating.

This being said, even though this book doesn't end up being as memorable to me as I first thought it would be, it remains a good book that showcases an interesting point of view about the future and the preservation of the old and new knowledge.

As always, keep reading all of you bookworms and book lovers out there.  Let me know what you’re reading or how you found it.  Who knows, you might inspire me my next great read.

Until next time

Ladybug

A work of rare beauty – The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Published on: June 29 2010

By: Berkley Mass Market

Number of pages: 983

Reading attempt: 1

Reading time: 20 days

Rating: «««««

Advice: It’s a must read!!!!!

Also available in French as: Les Piliers de la Terre

The context

I have been hearing the name of Ken Follett for a while now, whether it is related to his previous thriller novels or his more recent historical ones.  But lately with his new book trilogy “The Century Trilogy” and “World without End” now out on DVD, it’s becoming more and more of an actual talk than a simple whisper or murmur.  This is how I convinced myself to finally buy the book ... last summer.

As you see, I didn't exactly throw myself into it right away.  Actually it took a push from one of my friends who had just finished reading the “sequel” a short time ago.  Looking back on those last 3 weeks, I have to say that I owe her many thanks, because the last 21 days have brought me nothing but amazement.

The story

This is twelfth-century England; a country divided by a war of succession in-between the weak-minded nephew of the last king and his last legitimate child, a woman.  Their fight will touch many: some will acquire power and wealth only hoping for more, others will be betrayed and destitute and seek revenge over those who wronged them.

The main theater, the impoverished Kingsbridge priory and its new prior, who is desperate to bring back the old glory of his institution with a new and modern cathedral.  But others do not see eye to eye with him and will stop at nothing to interfere in his plans and those of his allies.

The review

This novel is a thing of beauty.  Rarely do you fall on a book that’s got everything working for it: a great story line, riveting characters, extraordinary writing style and thorough historical details.

The story plot is action-packed and features such themes as despair, treachery, corruption, betrayal and love.  The author also depicts here a fine reconstruction of what twelfth-century life was like.  The result makes for a book that is quite dense and complex where you can never guess what will happen later on, which makes it a powerful and undeniable page-turner.

The small downside is that it is a tad bit slow to start and that some of the technical jargon concerning the architecture and the building of the cathedral might discourage some.  The ending also tends to draw on a little, even though every single conflict is resolved.

As for the characters, the author makes it clear that he has great insight into people behavior as his creations come alive on the paper as well as in our imagination.  The author also adds a layer of complexity to his story through the intertwining of his characters’s lives.  This effect is achieved through the over description that is made of their thoughts and their feelings.  The result is simply magnificent as you are powerless to hate those who have a despicable and dark nature and love the heroes even through their rough patches.

This novel is not doubt a long-term commitment, but I can assure anyone who will take this path that it will be worthwhile and that there are no disappointments whatsoever.  You will be completely and utterly immersed in this book until you resurface at the very end of it.

As for those who still aren't sold on reading it and those to whom the thought of a thousand page-long book gives a hive, you could always settle for the eight-episode TV series, now available on DVD.  As I have seen it, I can say that it is a fairly good compromise, although you will lack in story detail and the directors took some creative liberties and tempered a little with the original story line.

As always, keep reading all of you bookworms and book lovers out there.  Let me know what you’re reading or how you found it.  Who knows, you might inspire me my next great read.  But for now, I am preparing myself for yet another tour of Ken Follett’s world... this one without endJ

Until next time

Ladybug

Feel good and foodie books – The School of Essential Ingredients and The Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister

Published between: October 18 2010 and January 29 2013

By: Putnam

Average number of pages: 264

Reading attempt: 1 per book

Average reading time: 2 days per book

Rating: «««

Advice: Light reading. Perfect for a rainy day or a vacation

Also available in French as: “L’École des Saveurs”, the second title is yet to come

The context

Have you ever had a week, or even a day, where you feel like total crap?  A moment where you hate your job and wish you’d have chosen a different career?  An instant where you’re under the impression that your life as no meaning whatsoever, where you feel utterly alone?

I believe we all go through a phase like this sometimes.  As a matter of fact, this is probably what pushed me towards Erica Bauermeister’s books in the first place.  My first encounter with her was last January while I was stuck at home on sick leave. Talk about feeling like crap!!!!!  

While surfing on the net, I received a notice from Indigo (yet again) concerning the arrival in store of “The Lost Art of Mixing”.  Reading the synopsis instantly made me smile: a foodie book!!!!!!!  What else could bring me more pleasure than this?  I ordered the first book “The School of Secret Ingredients”, and then its sequel... and the rest is history J

The story

Both books are built in a similar fashion: a collection of characters gravitate around a restaurant, its owner (Lilian) and the way she is able to touch people through her food.  Each section addresses a more specific character through a decisive moment in his or her life, his or her relationship to Lilian and how it came to be.

In “The School of Secret Ingredients” the characters are Lilian’s eight cooking students.  Each of them have their own lives and have come to the restaurant seeking a specific recipe for something beyond the kitchen.

In “The Lost Art of Mixing”, some of the original characters are back as their lives collide and mix with those around them.  Others are there to join them as they create a family of their own, one that is chosen, not given.

The common review

The author has chosen here a winning style where the background story moves forward through the eyes of the different characters that make it.  The result is reader friendly and relatively light, exactly what you need when you’re feeling blue.

As those books are mainly about the people that make them, Erica Bauermeister is quite gifted at quickly drawing us in with each character portrait.  For even though the time spent with each one may seem short, the author has a way of packing it with as much details about their situation as possible without making the book appear too dense.  She is able to give us just the right amount so that we don’t lose interest or feel like something is missing.

Last but not least, this is not solely a book about its characters; it is also a book about food.  It is a celebration of the love many of us have for food and how it affects every single one of our senses.  I for one found my stomach growling and my dinner menu plans changing many times a day while reading about some of the food that is prepared.  Just speaking of it right now, makes me want to change my dinner plan for tonight... again!!!!!

As always, keep reading all of you bookworms and book lovers out there.  Let me know what you’re reading or how you found it.  Who knows, you might inspire me my next great read J

Until next time

Ladybug

A testimony of loss and undying love – Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala

Published on: March 5 2013

By: McClelland & Stewart

Number of pages: 245

Reading attempt: 1
Reading time : 6 days

Rating: «««

Advice: This is not “The Impossible”

Available in French as: yet to be published

The context

Just like “The Dinner”, the idea to read this memoir came to me through an email advertisement coming from a certain English bookstore...okay it came from Chapters & Indigo bookstore.  There I said it.  Although it will come as no surprise to you that I receive daily advertisement s from this bookstore as well from Kobo eBook store and amazon.ca and amazon.com.

Needless to say that yours truly is guaranteed not to run out of book review subjects or inspiration for a long time J

The story

Just like the above advice states, this memoir is nothing like the story plot of the movie “The Impossible”.  As a matter of fact, they only have the same starting point: the 2004 east-Asian tsunami.

On the morning of December 26 2004, the author, her husband, her children and her parents are the witness of the approaching wave.  As they flee for their lives, water engulfs them and they are separated.  She will never see any of them alive again as she is the sole survivor.

The review

As I’m just finishing this book, I have to admit that it is not what I thought it was going to be at first... and yet I am not disappointed.  Unlike the happy-ending “The Impossible”, Sonali Deraniyagala’s heartbreaking memoir is a poignant account of the darkest aspect of this natural disaster.

It is a haunting chronicle of loss as the author becomes parent less, childless and husband less in an instant.  I was always on the brink of tears as I explored, through her words, the depths of her grief at having lost everyone she hold dear and every person that help define her as an individual, and also the depths of her guilt at having survived against all odds while they didn't.  The extent of her pain is quite tangible and you can’t help yourself but feel it deep within.

This memoir is also a touching tribute to the happiness those she lost brought her along the years she lived among them.  It is a testimony of her undying love for her family as she reminisces the defining moments of her life that are associated to either her husband, her boys or her parents.  She opens up about her family life, her love life in all its details and simplicity and shows us what it means when we say that happiness lies in the little things and that we should cherish life’s daily gifts.

Sonali Deraniyagala’s strength here lies in the description she renders so that we may understand the importance each of their lives had for her and never forget them or the impact these lives and their loss had on her own life.  A heartfelt chronicle written by a courageous woman who, event seven years after the event, keeps the memories of her loved ones alive and will continue to do so.

As always, keep reading all of you bookworms and book lovers out there.  As for myself, I will try and make my mind up on my next great read: Erica Bauermeister or Gillian Flynn, what will it be?  Stay tuned to find out...

Until next time

Ladybug

Shocking family evening – The Dinner by Herman Koch

Published on: February 12 2013

By: Crown Publishing Group

Number of pages: 292

Reading attempt: 1

Reading time: 2 ½ days

Rating: ««« ½

Advice: Not one to read lightly

Also available in French as: Le Dîner

The context

The first time I heard about this novel was when I was browsing through a French book brochure.  I have to admit that at first, I did not think much about it.

A couple of months later, I received an email notice from a bookstore mentioning this book and how they were highly recommending it.  Reading their synopsis, I got intrigued and decided to give it a try.  After all, who would not be intrigued by a novel that poses this statement:

                What would you be willing to do to save the ones you love?

The story

Divided into the five parts of a dinner, the novel starts by slowly telling the story of two brothers and their wives having dinner in a hip and chic restaurant in the Netherlands.  Based on this premise, the narrative, given here by one of the brothers (Paul), seems quite simple if not common.

Until, the dinner reaches its climax and we learn the true reason behind this family reunion: the sons of brothers Paul and Serge have committed what Minny in “The Help” would qualify as a “terrible awful”.  As the extent and consequences of this “terrible awful” are revealed, the parents argue on how they should react  and how to deal with this matter, even if it means going against all moral principals ... even the law.

The review

The book format plays here a good part in my appraisal of it.  Paul’s first-person narrative is easily readable and intelligent.  Moreover, Paul’s monologue is brutally honest in the description he makes of his son’s and nephew’s terrible act but also of who he is as an individual and how he might inadvertently have influenced this act.

Another good point in its favor (and also the main reason why this is not a book you should read lightly) is that the author’s aim here is not the obvious moral and ethic response we would have at first expected.  The author is here shocking, if not provoking, in the lack of moral compass his characters depict, through their lies and deceits.  The solutions they envision to settle the “terrible awful” here lack even the basic legal ethic:

·         solving violence with violence,

·         taking the matter into their own hands

·         or even setting the matter aside completely.

Moreover, the author portrays here through the behavior of his characters, just how normal these potential solutions are to them as they truly consider each and every one of them.

As you go through an array of emotions that span from disbelief and lack of understanding to anger and rage at the injustice that is openly displayed, it becomes impossible to put the book down for good and leave the story unfinished.  In fact, you feel quite compelled to return to its pages in order to discover what the final outcome will be or how the whole matter will unravel.

Because even though this novel is frightening, shocking, provoking and even disturbing in its depiction of the immorality some people may show towards the legal and ethic system in place, we can’t keep away from asking ourselves just how far we would be willing to go to protect the people that are dearest to us.

Whether you will read this book and experience pleasure or disgust is entirely up to you.  The only sure thing is that it is bound to leave a lasting feeling on anyone who reads it.

As always, keep reading all of you bookworms and book lovers out there.  Until next time J

Ladybug

Small town folks, big and dense book-The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

Published on: September 27 2012

By: Little, Brown and Company

Number of pages: 503

Reading attempt: 1

Reading time: 14 days

Rating: « ½

Advice: Borrow it but brace yourselves with patience because the wait will be long

The context

When I found out last summer that Rowling was publishing her first adult book, I must admit that I didn't exactly know what to think.  Having had so much success with the “HP” series, why would she want to change audience, or genre?

Feeling ambivalent, I decided to wait and see what other people would think of it.  Bad idea ... Turns out the reviews were pretty mixed: either they loved it or hated it.  This was only adding to my confusion and my dilemma: should I or should I not read it.  One thing was certain; I wasn't going to buy it.  So, once more I put myself on the waiting list of my local library and 4 months later, I had the book in hand and started reading.

The story

The story plot here is simple: a man, Barry Fairbrother, suddenly dies and leaves is Parish Counsellor Seat vacant, ergo the casual vacancy.  Based on those premises, the people of the small town of Pagford will have to fill that vacancy while their lives go on more or less as they always have.  

Though, nothing is more wrong, for Rowling's novel is all about lies and deceits, intrigues and disasters.  As she pulls back the surface story, she exposes the lives of all the main citizens of Pagford in all theirs flaws and little secrets.  Secrets that might have been better left alone...

The book review

Even though I kept in mind that this was Rowling’s first adult novel and that she was entitled, just like any other first time author, to make mistakes, I must admit that I didn't particularly enjoy reading it.  Moreover, I kept putting it down and finding myself excuses to do anything but read it.  In this particular case, reading didn't feel like fun anymore, it felt more like work, which I already do plenty of.

The one good thing I have to say about this book is that this is mainly the story of the people of Pagford.  This is where the strength of the J.K. Rowling as we have come to know her in the “HP” series, is.  Her characters, although numerous, all bring their contribution to the story and help it move forward as they evolve and follow their paths, whether for better or worse.  They are all of them distinct in their own way.  I particularly liked her teens, which as we know seems to be her forte.  Although her adults are also well built, at the end of the day you feel naturally drawn to these teens and their lives, especially in my case to the central teen character, Krystal Wheedon who leaves a lasting impression event after you’re done reading the book.  She might not look like it at first, but as you read on you find out just of vulnerable and sensitive she is and you find yourself hoping that she might just get what she has always been looking for: a real family and a home where she feels safe at last.

Now what I didn't really like is the fact that the story, although mainly about the characters, remains difficult to follow and the pacing might have a lot to do with it.  The pacing here is that of our normal lives where some days are over packed with activities or action and others where nothing really important happens.  It is okay in real life, but in a book, it makes the reading tedious and I got easily bored.  Should the book have been shorter, it might have worked, but here the length creates a dragging effect and some scenes were definitely too long and even, at times, unnecessary.

Moreover, Rowling tries to recreate here the likes of our society in its every detail, but to a smaller scale, making the book heavier and denser that it should be.  She tries to treat every subject:

·         drug use

·         parental abuse

·         living in poverty

·         the ill-being of teenagers and their “Firsts” : job, love, loss, ...

·         the narrow-mindedness of some small town folks

·         the need for better social services and how some people truly depend on them

·         ...

In my opinion, she only ends up, at times, by scratching the surface.  Though, I have to applaud her for using crude language and exposing at times, something raw and dark.  She does not shy away from what we all know to be the truth.

All in all, I believe the author might have tried to put too much in one book and that a more thorough editing process might have solved the problem by making the book shorter and lighter.  Let’s all hope that this will be the case in her next book.

As always, keep reading all of you bookworms and book lovers out there.  Until next time J

Ladybug

La loterie, à ses risques et périls - La liste de mes envies de Grégoire Delacourt

Publié le : 18 avril 2012

Par : J.C. Lattès

Nombre de pages : 186

Tentative de lecture : 1

Temps de lecture : 3h

Côte : «««

Conseil : on l’emprunte

Le contexte

Il existe plusieurs moyens d’acheter des livres de nos jours : en magasin, en ligne, par correspondance, par catalogue et même en pharmacie et en tabagie.  Pour ma part, je préfère bouquiner et acheter en magasin ou en ligne. Néanmoins, étant abonnée à un site d’achat par catalogue, je me dois d’y faire un achat par saison.

L’hiver dernier lorsque j’ai reçu mon catalogue, je suis tombée par hasard en le feuilletant sur le livre de Grégoire Delacourt et ça m’a tout de suite mis la puce à l’oreille.  Cependant, étant procrastineuse de nature dans certains domaines (dont les achats par catalogue) j’ai attendu jusqu’à la date finale avant de faire mon achat.  Ne trouvant rien de plus intéressant, c’est donc cette petite plaquette qui m’est parvenue par la poste quelques jours plus tard.

L’histoire

L’auteur raconte ici l’histoire de Jocelyne (Jo), qui plus jeune rêvait d’une grande carrière de styliste dans le domaine de la mode et bien sûr du prince charmant.  Maintenant âgée de 47 ans, Jo est propriétaire d’une mercière dans une petite ville de province en France où elle habite avec son mari des 21 dernières années, Jocelyn.  Elle est également l’auteure d’un blog sur la dentelle qui jouit d’un certain succès.

Un jour, pour faire plaisir à deux jumelles de sa connaissance, elle s’achète un billet de loto.  Elle le fait davantage pour leur plaire que parce qu’elle y croit réellement.  Mais quelle n’est pas sa surprise d’apprendre que c’est elle, et non les jumelles maniaques de loto, qui remporte cette fois la cagnotte.  Maintenant millionnaire, elle possède désormais assez d’argent pour assouvir tous ses désirs. Néanmoins, elle hésite devant l’opportunité, se méfie de cette argent tombé du ciel et décide premièrement, d’attendre avant d’encaisser le dit montant, mais aussi de n’en souffler mot à personne.

La critique

L’auteur a créé ici un petit bijou, alliant un rythme relativement lent, mais sans passage à vide, à l’exploration de la question suivante :

Participer à la loterie comporte-il davantage de risques que de bénéfices?

Il explore le sujet à travers le cheminement de Jocelyne qui résonne de part son réalisme et sa sensibilité.  À l’intérieur de cette femme aux abords simple, se trouve un esprit analytique, mais aussi une âme remplie de la sagesse des années.  Nous n’avons qu’à songer à la teneur de chacune de ses listes et à l’ordre logique dans lequel elle les dresse :

·         La liste des besoins d’abord

·         Celle des envies ensuite

·         Puis celle des folies

·         Pour terminer avec sa « dernière liste » qui s’avère être un amalgame des diverses éléments composant les dites listes.

L’auteur a également su capter toute la complexité des émotions et des sentiments au féminin, d’autant plus que le roman est écrit au « Je ».  Ainsi, on sent que Jocelyne est une femme qui aime sincèrement et complètement son Jo même s’il est loin d’être parfait.

On la sent également très désemparée et vulnérable lorsqu’elle nous parle de la perte d’une de ses filles, Nadège, en bas âge et comment cela a failli mettre fin à son mariage il y a de cela bien des années.  C’est aussi presque palpable lorsqu’elle visite ou nous parle de son père qui, ayant fait un AVC, vit emprisonné dans des boucles de 6 minutes de présent.

Enfin, on la sent encore et toujours ambivalente face à toute cette richesse qui lorsqu’elle la révélera au grand jour risque fort bien de changer à jamais sa vie tel qu’elle la connait, mais aussi de modifier la perception que les gens ont d’elle.  La situation tournera-elle à son avantage ou son désavantage?

De quoi nous questionner nous-mêmes s’il n’y aurait pas plus à perdre qu’à gagner à jouer au loto?

Mon seul petit bémol est ici purement monétaire; je trouve que c’est un peu cher payé  (25$) pour la taille du volume (moins de 200 pages). Cela dit que vous l’achetiez ou l’empruntiez, il en ressort que l’on passe tout de même un bon moment dans ces pages.

En terminant, continuez à lire amateurs de livres et lecteurs de tous âges.  À une prochaine fois

Coccinelle