Bones of the Moon, Jonathan Carroll.
Featured May 2002
Anyone reading these pages, or speaking to me in the store, will know I am utterly devoted to this man.
"Land of Laughs" (his first novel) was a feature last year, as was "The Marriage of Sticks". I was so excited to see they had reprinted Bones of the Moon that I ordered up a couple of boxes to make it our feature for May. So excited I didn't notice the new cover. This is going to be a tough sell to our market. The cover has a graphic novel look to it and the big, honkin' quote by Stephen King won't help it here at all. So you're just going to have to Trust Me. Carroll is one of the most unique and truly gifted writers working today. I always say that if he was from South America and translated from Spanish he would be revered. There is actually no way to classify his work. Magic Realism. Appealing Dark Fantasy. Literary Fabulist. Who knows? Or in my mind, who cares. This man writes compelling works showcasing characters with insight and humanity. He's just better than sliced bread.
Bones of the Moon tells the story of Cullen James -- a woman haunted by dreams -- literally. As they spill over into her real life in New York City she must come to terms with her own past and the things we all leave unfinished. Horrific, startling and funny, Bones of the Moon is vintage Carroll with all the things to delight and confuse the reader. If you're tired of reading the same old, same old, take a break and take a chance. It's worth it.

Kissing the Virgin's Mouth - Donna Gershten
Feature April 2002
Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favourite writers. When I saw her name attached to the creation of the Bellwether Prize, I leapt at a chance to read the Prize's first Fiction winner. Just as Ms. Kingsolver rarely disappoints me, neither did this book.
Guadalupe Magdalena Molina Vasquez, the narrator of this fictional biography is described on the blurb as wife, scoundrel, courtesan, mother. She is all that and more as she tells us her fractious life story while sitting on the rooftop of her beautiful home as she describes it, "waiting for blindness". From the worst barrio of a coastal Mexican town, Magda uses her fierce intelligence and preternatural instincts to create a series of new lives. But the survival skills she learns extract a steep price. One that is capable of destroying each new chance she takes, including the love of a daughter she worships.
While the plot might sound like an Isabelle Allende novel, Gersten's literate writing is clean and simple with an overwhelming subtlety. The harshness of barrio life is heartrending. The place of women within such a rich and beautiful culture is devastating in our modern times. And Magda herself - a picture of survival we in middle class North American comfort cannot touch.
I look forward to her next book now with as much anticipation as Kingsolver's. Truly a winner.

My Dream of You - Nuala O'Faolain
Feature March 2002
   We could not let March go past without featuring an Irish writer. After all, our windows are clogged with green books, shamrocks and beer mugs. And there is this awful glittery top hat-thing that no member of the staff will put on – even for money. But the book that landed in my lap a couple of weeks ago would have been featured no matter what the time of year.
   O’Faolain hit the bestseller lists with her first book "Are You Somebody: The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman. While "My Dream Of You" has the feel and pacing of a good biography (and is in fact tied into an actual scandal during the early nineteenth century) it still remains a touching story of personal reconciliation with a past and a home that both defines and haunts you.
   Kathleen de Burca left Ireland for school in London thirty years previous and never went back. A travel writer for an English news service, she has settled for a life of continent hopping, research and casual sexual encounters – all without passion – all without really engaging her experiences. Truly bereft after the sudden death of her only friend, she decides to retire and return to Ireland to write a book on a famous divorce case that rocked British Society during the final years of the Irish Famine.
   O’Faolain writes like a dream even when subtly examining the absolute horror of this time period: from the place of women in Irish Society, to the cruelty of the evictions, the contempt of the gentry and the all pervasive hopelessness. But at the heart of it, Katherine is the touchstone as she quests to find the truth in her own life and in the story that has obsessed her for many years.
   An exquisite blend of historical and contemporary concerns that echo with love and loss – "My Dream Of You" resonates flawlessly with the reader. Slainte!

Confessions of a Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella
Feature February 2002
   I've been trying to figure out the best way to start this review and all I've really come up with are fancy ways of saying: "Sorry, guys, this is definitely a chick's book, but the perfect Valentine's Gift for your partner." Part Bridget Jones Diary, part Jane Austen-style romance, Confessions of a Shopaholic is one of those wicked British farces we all love on this side of the pond.
     Rebbeca Bloomfield is a shopping junkie. No way around it, this woman is obsessed. Ironically, she works as a financial journalist and while telling people how to manage money in these difficult time - she is throwing her Visa and Bank Statements away on the premise: if she can't see them they don't exist. As her schemes to get herself out of debt spiral out of control we are charmed by her creativity, mesmerized by her amazing rationalizations and frightened by some profound similarities to ourselves. A wonderful satire of our consumer driven culture, Confessions of A Shopaholic is also a gentle reminder that we can't buy happiness. Mind you sometime you can rent it for short periods of time.
     Oops! Did I say that out loud?
Recommended with a box of chocolates.

La Cucina - Lilly Prior
Feature January 2002
    When I told Sharon, one of our staff that I was reading this book with an eye to our Feature in January, she expressed some concern that a novel about the sensuality of food might not be the best choice for January traditionally a month where books on diet and getting (back) into shape outsell most other categories. Too late. I was half way in to a tantalizing little read that makes you savour the luxury of good food and brings home the point that sexuality and lust are not the domain of the young and fit.
     Rose Fiore is a nice girl from a rural community in Sicily. When her lover is killed to save his family.s honour she runs away to the city, where she takes a job at a library as a book shelver. Twenty five years later, she is the library.s virago, pitied as a spinster, ensconced in her anonymity expending her passion in her love of food and cooking. Suddenly an Englishman enters her life and awakens great change. She agrees to give him cooking lessons and he begins her own education in the art of passion, the joy of life lived to it.s fullest and murder.
      The comparisons to Like Water for Chocolate are superficial at best. Closer in my mind to Joanne Harris. Chocolat with it.s cast of quirky, lovable and slightly mad characters. But also the strong writing, gentle wit and ardent storytelling make this a comfy sexy treat after the stress of the holidays. Oh, and there.s a little of the .Sopranos. thrown in too.
     Get a nice big glass of rich red wine and enjoy.

As Meat Loves Salt - Maria McCann
Feature June 2002
   I was taunted with this book when it came out in hardcover. Beautiful cover. Fascinating storyline. Right up my alley. But events and new releases conspire. I would pick it up, almost take it home, then something else would pop into view and away I went. When it was released in trade this month, visions of a feature danced in my head. But would it be something I could recommend highly? Was the writing up to par? Was it just another pretty cover and a good blurbist? No way. This debut novel by U.K. writer McCann is everything I looked for, and more.
   Set amongst the politics and personalities of the English Civil War, As Meat Loves Salt is a novel of gritty realism and overwhelming characterization. Jacob Cullen is a Royalist servant chaffing under the bridle of his worthless masters. A body found in the estate pond rapidly transports Jacob and his family into Cromwell's heady battle -- a battle no less violent and demanding than Jacob's own descent into his own personal hell.
   Jacob, our narrator, is not a good man. A borderline psychopath, murderer and rapist, it is not that he is not deserving of his fate. But told through his eyes we experience this world and it's characters by their actions, not his perceptions. This subtlety draws you in and holds you transfixed. As Meat Loves Salt is one of the finest historical thrillers I have ever come across. Dark and juicy, it stays with you long after you put it back on the shelf.

Test Pattern - Marjorie Klein
Feature July 2002
   It's 1954 and in small town America, everything is right with the world. At least on the surface. The war machine is grinding to a halt -- and all that really threatens the picture perfect future is the grumbling of the Cold War and the advent of television. Now all the things you didn't know you needed to be happy are brought right into your living room with the guarantee of true contentment and an even brighter future (guess they hadn't counted on Survivor).
   One of these new oracles of entertainment and promise has just arrived in the Palmer household. For the Mrs. (Lorenna) it conjures up dreams long put aside of becoming a tap dancer. For her husband (who is sinking deeper and deeper into a pit of depression) it feeds his fear of failure. For eleven-year-old Cassandra it is a true portal into the future as she witnesses the actual events in the convoluted lines of the test pattern: Kennedy's assassination, Chernobyl, and the first landing on the moon. Also, unfortunately - talk shows. And while no one else seems to see these weird messages, her erratic behaviour becomes increasingly ignored in a family spiraling out of control.
   This description does not do either Klein's sweet writing or this book justice. Surprisingly funny, charming and poignant, Cassie herself brings to mind the simplicity of the time with a powerful insight into the adult world around her. Surrounded by a diverse and weirdly wonderful cast, Test Pattern is the perfect summer read. Easy to get into and hard to put down

Yeats Is Dead - Joseph O'Connor
Feature August 2002
   Well, of course he is. And as the body count rises in this satirical and witty mystery, so is just about everyone else.
   Somewhat like Finbar's Hotel, Yeats Is Dead is a novel written by fifteen Irish authors (opening with Roddy Doyle and closing with Frank McCourt). But unlike the charming "Finbar's", "Yeats" is a bloody war reminiscent of movies like "Snatch" and "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels". Set in the bleakness of a gritty urban Ireland, "Yeats" is peopled with bad cops, the mob (i.e. two hard old women with too many connections), randy Ministers of Justice and a nun. And what it all boils down to is the search for a secret final novel of Ireland's greatest son -- James Joyce.
   It's amazing how each chapter, written by a new author introduces characters while exploring layers of those seen previously or now dead. Editor O'Connor keeps a nice reign as the book moves from heavy-handed crime noir to surreal burlesque comedy without a hitch. And while visual and visceral, it's got "soon to be a major motion picture" written all through it.
   It's a wild ride and a perfect getaway for a hot summer weekend.

The Olive Farm - Carol Drinkwater
Feature September 2002
   O.K. So I picked up this book because of the author's name. I grew up on the BBC series "All Creature's Great and Small" and am still desperately seeking the third (and final) season on video where Ms. Drinkwater played "Helen", James Herriot's wife. Plus I'm a big fan of Peter Mayle's "Provence" books and Frances Maye’s “Under The Tuscan Sun”. So based on these qualifications I started to read praying it wouldn't be too disappointing. I was more than pleasantly surprised to discover a charming and inviting story told by a warm and unguarded narrator.
   “The Olive Farm” is Drinkwater's story of running off to the south of France with a new husband, a new family and no money. Well, no money to speak of when it comes to buying a severely derelict olive farm. Caught up in the romance of the countryside and the magic of France, they launch their impossible dream to the consternation of friends and family. If the lack of running water, a plague of bugs and brambles, convoluted land sale deals and two adolescent girls aren't enough to deal with … there is the weather, fires, quirky neighbours and the whole roller coaster process of having just married a stranger that makes this memoir an inspiring series of comedic and poignant episodes.
   Drinkwater has no compunction in showing us her frailties and fears. She is a passionate and naïve writer who entertains us with visions of luscious landscapes and rich, sumptuous food--and the people of France’s dedication to it. But this is a story as much about love, triumph and growth as it is about the birth and renovation of a dream. We feel everything along the way. We share acutely in each new failure, each new victory … as well as her affectionate insights into the people and the country around her. And unlike Mayle’s worldly wit, sophistication and seemingly endless pockets, “The Olive Farm” is a D.I.Y of gigantic proportions with true heart. There is nothing held back here and at the end you feel you know the land and the author particularly well - and a lot about olives too.

Prince Ombra - Roderick MacLeish
Feature October 2002
   This was kind of a departure for me. Normally I choose a new adult release in a trade format that just blew me away. This month's feature is still a trade size, has been out of print since 1994 and has just been republished as part of a new juvenile line with Tor books. But it met my major criteria. I read it originally in hardcover in 1982 as an adult novel. It became my second favourite book in the eighties. The reprint in the nineties reminded me again how much I loved it and now, nearly twenty years after it's original release I still can't believe it's even better than I remembered.
   Throughout history in times of crises a hero has been born. Born with the heart of a hero and with the full knowledge that he must battle this great evil. Each battle is different. Many have been won and many have been lost. Unfortunately for Bentley Endicott his time comes when he is just eight years old living a pretty ideal childhood in small town New England. Having lived with the knowledge of his predecessors all of his short life, it is with the help of the teacher he was promised (a child psychiatrist) and a young playmate (an almost autistic genius only he understands) that Bentley is able to face down the enemy.
   While this could sound like Stephen King territory, Prince Ombra runs closer to Ray Bradbury ("Something Wicked This Way Comes"), Ann Arensburg and Alice Hoffman. Written for adults with all the mythic charm and resonant characters that touch us deeply, this is also a great Halloween read for any young person who loved Harry Potter (yes, I know, most of the know world).
   A consummate All Hallows treat -- the only trick (which we found out after I chose it) is that it has been edited for the juvenile release without any indication on the copyright page. Still a remarkable book.

My Name Is Red - Orhan Pamuk
Feature November 2002
   Ever had life get in the way of a good book? I know, it’s pretty much a rhetorical question. I was transfixed with this novel on the first page, but life, the universe and all manner of things possible have got in the way of me finishing the damn thing (60 pages and I’m turning off the phone tonight!). But I’d recommend this novel on the strength of the first chapter alone

   This book is amazing! A murder mystery, a love story and a fascinating examination of the philosophical conflict between Islamic symbolic illumination and Christian realism in sixteenth century Istanbul. A packed little book narrated in turns by Black, the character investigating two murders in the small art community, one of the corpses, the murderer, a dog, a coin and a tree. It’s a true Arabian Tale told with style and humour. All of this on top of the fact that it was translated from Turkish – a smoother more sophisticated translation I have yet to see -- hats off to Erdaq M. Guknar for a job well done.

   Move over Umberto Eco and Iain Pears. This wonderful novel belongs right in between The Name of The Rose and Instance of The Fingerpost.

Lost - Gregory Maguire
Feature December 2002
   In the spirit of Christmas (no pun intended – o.k. maybe a little) I decided to choose a ghost story in the tradition of Christmas past, present and future. The neat thing is that it wasn’t too hard to find one – not only in spirit but somewhat based on Dickens classic haunting. And who better to do it than the author who reinterpreted the Wizard of Oz (Wicked) and Cinderella (Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister) in novels that have wound up on so many Book Club lists.

   Winifred Rudge is a writer of children’s books and one underground classic of dark astrology. Distorted by events in her past she returns to the family house in London to the home of her great-great grandfather – rumoured to be the inspiration for the notorious Ebenezer Scrooge. Upon her arrival she finds her cousin missing and two strange workman renovating the flat. But stranger still are the bizarre and persistent rappings that come from behind the wall being slowly torn down. The investigations into her cousin’s whereabouts soon lead her down the trail of a fictitious Jack the Ripper and her own infamous ancestor – but also downwards to the truth she has never really faced in her own life.

   Written with wit and compassion -- and a cast of truly offbeat but sensitive characters, Maguire’s Lost is a thoughtful and eerie treat to curl up with after the stockings are filled.

   And from all of us here at Perfect Books ….

"Have A Merry Christmas and a Wonderful Holiday Season"