The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
Feature January 2004
   First released in England in 2001, The Eyre Affair has become a favourite of book clubs everywhere and launched a huge cult following (and two sequels). If you avoid science fiction because of it’s pulp reputation (shame on you) then it will probably make you feel better if I call the Eyre Affair “literary s.f. for the English Major”.

   In an alternative 1985, where the Crimean war never ended, Thursday Next is a literary detective of the Spec Ops division in London. SO-27 was created to deal with crimes of a literary nature -- authenticate forged previously undiscovered Shakespeare’s, to pursue gangs of criminals who counterfeit Coleridge, steal and sell Samuel Johnson first editions, crack the copyright laws and trade illegally. But now Thursday has hit the big time -- tracking down the evil Acheron Hades who is kidnapping characters from works of fiction and holding them for ransom -- plucky heroine Jane Eyre herself having just disappeared. Now she must find her way into the book and fix the damage before it is too late.

   This is a rollicking and fabulously read that will bring some true light and pleasure into the cold, bleak, frigid, rainy, icy and/or slushy days that are January (certainly here in Ottawa). Nicely written with wonderful characters, know that if you enjoy this one (and you will) it’s sequels Lost In A Good Book and The Well of Lost Plots are as good or better.

   They will also make you remember your first year English class with great fondness -- something I often forget when I think of Thomas Hardy.

Set This House In Order - Matt Ruff
Feature February 2004
   Fans of Matt Ruff’s previous novels will also enjoy this one, but as they’ll know, his books differ greatly from one to the next. In this novel, Andrew Gage, heir to a house of multiple personalities, strives to navigate a twisted network of desire, friendship, work, and still manage to fit in breakfast for seven personalities each morning.

   A book subtitled “a romance of souls” might seem an obvious choice for February, with Valentine’s Day looming, but this bears little resemblance to any other novel associated with the genre of romance. It’s a love story, but it isn’t. Andrew’s boss relentlessly attempts matchmaking between Andrew and his new co-worker Penny, but can’t quite get past her own relationship foibles, and no one falls in love. Or maybe some of Andrew’s and Penny’s personalities (or “souls,” as Andrew prefers to call them) start to fall in love, but are perpetually interrupted by other bits of themselves. This is a love story with speculative fiction kinks.

   Despite Andrew’s traumatic past, Set This House in Order is funnier than one might expect. It is reminiscent of the film Memento in places, for bizarrely funny moments of strangeness. Imagine driving a car, and suddenly switching personalilties to someone who didn’t know she was driving, or maybe how to drive at all.

   Neither a simple romance, nor an escapist fantasy, this is a well-crafted novel that rewards a careful reading. But be warned, once you start reading, it will be near impossible to put down.

   Our guest reviewer this month is Barb Davy. She joined the staff part-time this fall and leapt at the opportunity to offer up her review. Thanks, Barb – good work!

The Sea Kingdoms: The History of Celtic Britain & Ireland - Alistair Moffat
Feature March 2004
   It’s March and things are greening up around the place. Oh, we still have lots of snow, but there is the smell of spring to come and of course the wearing of the colours (and the priming of the drinking elbow) for the St. Pat’s celebration on the horizon. Whether you’re Irish or not, it seems to be a rite of spring passage and a lovely time to celebrate after the bleak winter months previous. So rather than highlight some Irish fiction, I thought I’d interest you in the book I tried to make our feature last March and couldn’t get the stock. And a Celtic History is the perfect thing – just in case you are celebrating and would like to know whom you are lifting your glasses to …

   The Sea Kingdoms is just the ticket. As a historian, Alistair Moffat is a fabulous tale spinner. It’s like sitting in the pub having a conversation with an academic who knows how to tell a story -- wandering slightly and not too linear in the telling, The Sea Kingdoms is a highly enjoyable little popular history that everyone can enjoy; and a strong reminder that in celebrating this somewhat commercial and trite holiday (No Oh, Danny Boy, please!) we should pay some tribute to the rich cultures that refused to die in the face of constant onslaught from invaders, religion and economics. It’s not just the Irish here, but all the Celtic tribes from Scots to Welsh to Manx and Cornish. It’s ancient myth and modern interpretation that blends seamlessly with humour and horror, poetry and speculation -- but most of all with a charming narrator who knows and loves his subject.

   So get yourself a Guinness, pull up a chair near the fire and listen to the soft thump and heartstrings of the fiddle and drum – then open the Sea Kingdoms and let Mr. Moffat tell you a tale.

Confessions of a Pagan Nun - Kate Horsley
Feature April 2004
   Coming out of March and the annual kick-up fore Saint Patrick’s Day I was probably still in the Irish frame of mind when I picked up this book to read. With it’s evocative and meditative cover it seemed a good choice for the changes spring brings and for the Easter celebrations. Neither an indictment of Christianity nor a pro “old faith” offering, Confessions of a Pagan Nun is the poignant story of life in the fifth century during the early baptism of Ireland to the waters of Christ.

   Gwynneve, a remote and studious nun who transcribes the texts of St. Patrick at a small convent, secretly writes her own history as well. The story of her mother, a herbal healer who taught her the mystic connections of the universe, Giannon the Druid who trained her in the bardic teachings of their people and made her his wife, her conversion to Christianity and her discovery of the evil that is pervading the convent and claiming the tortured soul of a novice.

   Horsley’s novel is written with a naiveté and lyricism that bewitches you with its simplicity. And considering some of the horrific events she witnesses the overall effect is still one of serenity and introspection. A lovely read that sets the mood for the month.

Sixpence House: Lost in a Town of Books - Paul Collins
Feature May 2004
   A man who loves books in a town full of books. That pretty much sums up “Sixpence House”. But more than that, it is an oddly endearing sort of travel book where the journey is not just to a small town in Wales, but also through the books the author stumbles upon once there.

   Paul Collins fell in love with Hay-on-Wye the first time he saw it and after several visits there, he and his wife decided to sell up their house and move there from the US. If you too are a romantic, book-loving type, you will have no trouble understanding why they might want to do this. For, Hay-on-Wye is a small Welsh border town that has approximately 1500 inhabitants and 40 used bookstores.

   Collins’ love for the place and the volumes he finds in it is the glue that binds this simple tale together. You want to wander with him around that corner, or into the next bookshop to see what he might find. His taste in reading is eclectic and because his focus in previous writing has been historical science, he dives into dusty old books that most of us would not even glance at. From these odd and forgotten volumes, Collins pulls out gems of wit and wisdom that he peppers throughout “Sixpence House”. Add to this the snatches of dialogue he records between himself and the odd assortment of people he comes across (including the eccentric “King of Hay”, Richard Booth, who was the one who started this ‘town of books’), and you have a book that is simply too endearing and amusing to put down.

   In fact, I was so convinced, that shortly after reading it I made a pilgrimage to Hay-on-Wye myself. Now, having been there, I would suggest that Mr. Collins has somewhat simplified and Romanticized the little town, but probably only due to his overt passion for the place. What he is bang on about, though, are the books. They are everywhere and inescapable. There are so many that you could never, in one lifetime, look at them all. In the two days I was there, I only managed to explore about 12 of the 40 bookshops – not to mention any of the other interesting and pretty little shops there – and even then it was a cursory, grab-and-run type of exploration. And while I did, happily, find many books that simply had to make the return trip home with me, I couldn’t help starting to get that sneaking suspicion that Paul had already got the best ones...

   Sadly, I never got to meet the “King of Hay”, but I did, too late, see a hand-printed notice pinned to the castle door saying: “Tea with the King – 3:00pm – Visitors Welcome – 5 pounds.” And I did rescue a book or two, in the driving rain, from the “Honesty Bookshop” outdoors in the castle grounds.

   All in all, I would have to agree with Paul Collins about the undeniable pull of the place. Once you have read his book, you will want to go there, once you have been there you will want to go again, once you have gone more than once, you might never want to come home. It certainly was hard for me to resist responding to the “Help Wanted” signs I saw in many of the shop windows.
Margo
(I chose this book when I found out it was releasing in paperback in May … such a treat of a book about our favourite subject. When Margo returned from her flying trip abroad I twisted her arm – very little force actually required – to give us her review of both book and place. Thank you Margo)

Ship of Fools - Gregory Norminton
Feature June 2004
   I was lucky enough to get a copy of this book in hardcover for Christmas a few years back when it wasn’t yet available in North America. Margo, who is a friend and works here at Perfect Books, got the opportunity to go to school with Mr. Norminton when she was in England. She glowed about the book and had him autograph a copy for me. When it arrived here in trade I couldn’t resist the chance to introduce people to this brilliant new writer.

   Norminton has written a fascinating collection of interwoven short stories based on Hieronymus Bosch’s painting of the same name. From an obese nymphomaniac to a sheltered nun—a glutton, an ingenuous monk and a fool – he tells tall tales, sad tales, bawdy and wise. A modern day Chaucer, Norminton is a contemporary stylist with an impeccable flair for blending these arcane stories with a twenty-first century wit.

   A young friend of mine is in the process of studying Chaucer and complains vehemently about having to learn an entirely new language just to read his books. I suggested she take a break, read this and she might appreciate coming at her work from a new angle.

   To finish off I’ll quote Margo’s very apt shelf-talker under the book: “A lovely read that feels like the best of dinner parties – full of stories and intriguing people”

Buddha Da - Anne Donovan
Feature July 2004
No review was written for this selection.

The Birth of Venus - Sarah Dunant
Feature August 2004
   A brilliant seven and a half pages open Sarah Dunant’s The Birth of Venus with probably the best prologue I’ve ever read. The inexplicable death of Sister Lucrezia and shocking discovery beneath her simple shift sets the stage for the secrets and revelations to follow in this seductive work.

   Set in Florence, Italy at the close of the fifteenth century, the magnificence of the Renaissance provides the backdrop for this tale of piety, passion, and painting. Dunant’s depiction of the wealthy Cecchi family during the rise and fall of this Golden Age reveals people in a place “eager to celebrate God and the Republic by creating opportunities for art.” The arrival of a young painter from northern Europe to decorate the family’s chapel gives hope to the bright young daughter, Alessandra, a girl unable to openly pursue the art she loves.

   As the enlightened politics of Medici fall to the exhortations of the monk Savonarola, a city formerly dedicated to displays of beauty begins to brutally condemn such indulgences. As the characters attempt to survive the changed destiny of their city from the “Athens of the West” to the “New Jerusalem”, betrayal, sacrifice, and persecution lead them to seek freedom in heretofore unimagined ways.

   The Birth of Venus is a beautifully- rendered novel that brings Florence, its people, and its art to life. A perfect summer read.

(Thanks very much to Julie, one of our newest booksellers who made the mistake of telling me how much she loved the Feature this month and I said “Great! You get to write the review. It’s good to be the boss).

Persepolis 2 - Marjane Satrapi
Feature September 2004
No review was written for this feature.

Sleeping In Flame - Jonathan Carroll
Feature October 2004
   Like many of the books that come home to live on my bookshelves, I was introduced to Jonathan Carroll's "Sleeping in Flame" by a regular bookstore customer. Now, don't get me wrong, staff at bookstores get a lot of recommendations, and I rarely have enough time or money to try them all -- but I always go and look at the recommendation. Book lovers are like that; we're always looking for the next vein of gold.

   In the end, I picked "Sleeping in Flame" off the shelf based partially on my customer's recommendation and partially on the fact that the book jacket boasted a "shaman with a fondness for sandwiches." It just sounded too quirky to resist. When I finished the book a few hours later, I phoned the bookstore and ordered everything I could find by this strangely compelling author.

   Chapter One of "Sleeping in Flame" opens with a melancholy statement about regret, by an average man musing aloud about his future with a woman whose life he's just saved. It's a beautiful and strange way to open a book. By the end of the first page, I'd decided I was going to like the main character; he's self-effacing, gently eccentric, and manages to maintain a sense of humour even when his life is turning inside out and slipping sideways into a fantastical fairytale world.

   The body of the story takes place in the modern everyday worlds of Vienna and Los Angeles—it's our reality, and everything's recognizable, which makes the fantastical and surreal plot elements all the more jarring. Photographs mean more than they should, gestures and words have hidden layers, and trips involve the suspension of disbelief. In the end, with all its romance, mystery, and magic, "Sleeping in Flame" is a richly literary fairy tale book for adults. It's a beautifully characterized and scripted story that should be read with a tall glass of Guinness, a short glass of Baileys, or a cup of mint tea. And a quilt.

(Mr. Carroll himself is somewhat of a reclusive author, himself gently eccentric. He lives in Vienna and doesn't travel very often. If you're interested in learning more about him and his writings, his excellent website is at jonathancarroll.com).

(Our guest reviewer this month is Sam. Sam has worked here longer than God and would work for books if she didn't have rent to meet and expensive collector's editions of certain dvd's to buy. Thanks, Sam!)

Blessed Are The Cheesemakers - Sarah-Kate Lynch
Feature November 2004
   In these slimming days down to Christmas – where everyone is eschewing those high-fat, high carb foods to fit into there party outfit and get a little ahead in preparing for the onslaught of turkey, Christmas cake and various goodies – I felt it necessary to honour my favourite month for the devil cheese – as now is when the best Stilton arrives on our shelves. Stilton, oatcakes and a wee dram. There couldn’t be anything better to get you into the Christmas spirit.
   Except of course, Blessed Are The Cheesemakers. A sweet and charming little novel, akin to Chocolat (Joanne Harris) and a distant cousin to Alice Hoffman and well set in County Cork, Ireland on an eccentrically populated dairy farm that produces some of the most magical cheeses in the world. This is all down to the two Great families that have produced and sold the variety of wondrous cheeses for many, many years – and much credence for the magic is given to the fact that the cows will only yield milk to pregnant, vegetarian teen milkmaids who sing refrains from the Sound Of Music as they work.
   But as the two remaining members of the families, Corrie and Fee find themselves getting on and in need of a new generation’s help – they turn to two unlikely candidates from separate ends of the earth to rescue them – and each other -- for the good of the Coolarney Blue – and with a little help from the “love” cheese called Princess Grace.
   You’ll discover more about cheese then you thought you ever would as well as a great cast of well-oiled, well-lived characters that will warm the cockles of your heart. An easy Christmas gift for anyone on your list – or buy it for yourself, cut a great wedge of your favourite cheese, pour yourself a drink and sit back and relax. Christmas always gets done … doesn’t it?

Mr. Timothy - Louis Bayard
Feature December 2004
   Bah Humbug? If the season is already starting to get you down (retail is always a pleasant nightmare) nothing will put you in the mood like this novel. Maybe it’s just that Alistair Sim’s version of a Christmas Carol is my all time favourite movie of the season or that I actually love to read Dickens (I say bah to the criticism that he was paid by the word), but Mr. Timothy updates a classic with real heart and wry humour.

   Tiny Tim Cratchit is now twenty-two and has fled his family since his father’s death. Bereft and still with a slight limp (even after all of Uncle “N”’s ministrations), Tim flees into the exceedingly seedy underbelly of London. Living at a brothel and teaching the Madame how to read and write, Tim is caught up in the deaths of two young girls whose bodies have been branded with an occult like mark. And in trying to head off the same fate for a young street urchin he has befriended, Tim risks body and soul to stop a sinister conspiracy of sexual depravity and murder.

   This is a true literary thriller written in the vernacular of the time but somehow fresh and current. Bayard’s characters are strongly drawn with a tip of the hat to Dickens, but still very much his own. I lingered over this novel for the sheer pleasure of the language and environs but got pulled faster and faster as events sped to a rapid conclusion. This is a perfect gift for yourself or someone else to curl up with on Christmas Eve. It will make the season for you. Highly, highly recommended!

   And on that note, Perfect Books would like to wish you all the Very Best of the Season and …(you knew I had to do it …) “God(s) bless us everyone!”