The History of England
Jane Austen and Charles Dickens
December


(Yes, Christmas is here, and we are all falling down busy. When Amy, our resident historian, suggested this as our feature, it was like an early gift for me. A sweet little hardcover, her following review only makes you want to buy it and read it that much more!)

It’s December; it's the holiday season, so why buy a book called the History of England? Well, I'm a historian of 18th century Britain, so I don't require much prompting to pick up a book on the English history. However, it has made it particularly difficult to write this review, because for me, there’s no justification necessary to buy a book on English history. Nevertheless, this one did catch me by surprise; I found this little gem of a book last year while trying to get copies of all of Jane Austen's works. Appealing to both my love of English history and to my love of Austen, it was worthwhile investment. So, earlier this year when Pat was trying to find a good book for our December feature, I immediately reached for this book. With the popularity of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, The Tudors, and even David Starkey's Monarchy series (Starkey also wrote the introduction to this book), I assumed that it was an appropriate choice.

For those acquainted with the early modern period, it's a delightful account of the political intrigue in the developing English nation, but for those only familiar with the literary figures, it offers a particularly interesting perspective, as two of England's best-known fiction writers venture into non-fiction. Part Austen, part Dickens; it's an entertaining account of English history told through the prose of two eminent writers of the English language.

First, Austen's "reign of Henry the 4th to the death of Charles the 1st" written at the age of sixteen, as she explained, "by a partial, prejudiced, and ignorant Historian", is a delightful compendium of vignettes of the Kings and Queens of England. Clearly, she knew her history, but she presents it in such a charming manner that you cannot help but smile, even if the historical facts are somewhat disturbing. For instance, she describes the reign of Charles the First, "Never certainly were there before so many detestable Characters at one time in England as in this period of its History; Never were amiable men so scarce. The number of them throughout the whole Kingdom amounted only to five..." Austen's history is rarely found in print, and so it's a welcome addition to any Jane Austen collection.

The Dickens extract, taken from a much larger children's History of England series, is far more recognized than Austen's, and it is markedly different. Whereas Austen's section boasts the young, female perspectives that were ever-present in her novels, Dickens's work admittedly seems more complementary to a lesson in Mr. Gradgrind's class in Hard Times. It offers a detailed account, more akin to a history book, but yet still manages to maintain the Dickensian voice that remains such a staple of the popular images of 19th century England, and arguably, Christmas.

At $16.00 (after our discount), it's a welcome addition to any library, and it makes a great stocking stuffer for any literature-lovers or historians on your list.

World War Z
An Oral History of the Zombie War
Max Brooks
November


World War Z was a perfect feature for Halloween. Not only is it about Zombies, but it is one of the best Alternate History novels I have read in years. But there was a problem. Wires got crossed on the publication date, we got it late and I had to bump my November Feature to October. But my biggest concern was in making this stellar book the Feature during the month of November – the month we honour Rembrance Day and the many soldiers who have died and are dying for our freedom and ideals – is that I would offend veterans and current soldiers by appearing irreverent on this most solemn occasion.

This is definitely not the case! This book may appear silly and satirical, but it is not. Undead (and you are thinking, totally unreal), the odds are still overwhelmingly hopeless, neighbour turns on neighbour, political decisions fall apart at ground level, desperate sacrifices are made and surprising heroes rise from the ashes. This is just too good a book to pass by for any reason. And the narrative is totally compelling.

The Zombie War is ten years in the past and Max Brooks (the author) has compiled the stories of those who have managed to survive and rebuild. From the outbreak of the virus is a small village in China to the foot soldiers in Russia who are given orders to kill with no explanation. Israel closes its borders and Canada draws people to the north and the cold climate that slows the enemy down. Decisions are made to sacrifice whole states in the U.S. so that the rest of the country might survive (shades of Coventry!) Each interview is more compelling than the last and an oral history of this apocalypse is created that draws you in and never lets you go.

Brooks shows stunning power as a writer as he creates and explores so many diverse individual histories and explores these characters with an efficiency and subtlety that's like the best wartime photos. I am not saying that this book is Paris 1919. All I can say is that as ridiculous as this plot might seem to you, you are turning down an extraordinary read if you choose to dismiss it and walk away.

And I will take this opportunity to say a sincere

Thank You

to all the many soldiers and veterans out there this

Remembrance Day.

All our best.

The Thirteenth Tale
Diane Setterfield
October


Biographer Margaret Lea returns one night to her apartment above her father's antiquarian bookshop. On her steps she finds a letter. It is a hand-written request from one of Britain’s most prolific and well-loved novelists. Vida Winter, gravely ill, wants to recount her life story before it is too late, and she wants Margaret to be the one to capture her history. The request takes Margaret by surprise–she doesn’t know the author, nor has she read any of Miss Winter's dozens of novels.

Late one night, while pondering whether to accept the task of recording Miss Winter’s personal story, Margaret begins to read her father’s rare copy of Miss Winter's Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation. She is spellbound by the stories and confused when she realizes the book only contains twelve stories. Where is the thirteenth tale? Intrigued, Margaret agrees to meet Miss Winter and act as her biographer.

As Vida Winter unfolds her story, she shares with Margaret the dark family secrets that she has long kept hidden as she remembers her days at Angelfield, the now burnt-out estate that was her childhood home. Margaret carefully records Miss Winter's account and finds herself more and more deeply immersed in the strange and troubling story. In the end, both women have to confront their pasts and the weight of family secrets. As well as the ghosts that haunt them still.

(from the publisher)

Adrift in Caledonia
Nick Thorpe
September


ONE clear morning in May, Nick Thorpe left his Edinburgh flat, ducked off the commuter route and hitched a ride aboard a little white canal boat, heading west towards the sea.

It was the first mutinous step in a delightful boat-hopping odyssey that would take him 2500 miles through Scotland’s canals, lochs and coastal waters, from the industrial Clyde to the scattered islands of Viking Shetland. With no transport of his own, the optimistic writer relied on an eccentric cast of sailors, visionaries and nautical nomads, boarding anything from a fishing trawler to a rowing tub to a yellow submarine.

Writing with characteristic humour and candour, the award-winning author of Eight Men and a Duck plots a curiously existential voyage, inspired by those who have left the warm hearth for the promise of a stretched horizon. Whether rowing a coracle with a chapter of monks, scanning for the elusive Nessie, on the rocks with Captain Calamity or clinging to the rigging of a tall ship, Thorpe weaves a narrative that is by turns funny and poignant - a nautical pilgrimage for any who’ve ever been tempted to try a new path just to see where it might take them. Part travelogue, part memoir, Adrift in Caledonia is a unique and affectionate portrait of a sea-fringed nation – and of the drifter’s quest to belong.

Bad Monkeys
Matt Ruff
August


Matt Ruff is my favourite author and he has never disappointed me. I can say he is my favourite by being a fraction of a hair’s width above people like Christopher Moore, Neal Stephenson, Tim Powers, Neil Gaimen and Mark Millar. He blew me away in 1988 with his first novel, "A Fool On The Hill". He was a student at university in Ithaca, New York, and the book was perfect. I shook my head and thought "First novel, this good, just a one shot wonder". Nine years later "Sewer, Gas and Electric" was published and I cringingly gave it a whirl, expecting to be sadly disappointed. Not a chance: as different from the first as it could be and even smarter, but in a totally different way. Next one, "Set This House In Order" in 2004 and I got worried; he was speeding up … now anything could happen. But once again . . . Wow! Only three years later and we get "Bad Monkeys".

Now I can review this and I will, but all I can say is Just Buy It!

Jane Charlotte is in the psychiatric wing of Las Vegas Clark County Detention Center. Accused of murder, she claims to be from a secret organization that takes care of irredeemable criminals or "bad monkeys". How the Department For The Final Disposition of Irredeemable Persons knows that they are, in fact, irredeemable is outlandish enough that Dr. Vale is trying to determine if she is crazy or has an warped agenda all her own. She is intelligent, capable and appears as sane as he is, but what follows is a wild ride that is filled with so many twists and turns you are dizzy and blinking when you arrive screeching to a final shocking conclusion.

Matt Ruff is an exceptional writer. He is witty and subtle, with a grasp of characterization and motivation that is truly amazing. He blends together many strange and diverse elements but at the same time isn’t showing off. There is nothing worse than a writer who spends the whole novel trying to show you how clever they are; with Matt Ruff it’s as if he is as surprised as you are how it all turns out. You have to read him. Any of his books is a perfect introduction. But Bad Monkeys is a ripping, romp that is perfect to take away with you on vacation.

In conclusion, I will start as I began – JUST BUY IT!

The Pale Blue Eye
Louis Bayard
July


Louis Bayard's first novel, "Mr. Timothy", made my Christmas three years ago. It was one of our best Feature picks of all time, then one of my staff, Amal, read it, glowed about it to everyone who came through the door and sold close to 100 copies in six months. When The Pale Blue Eye came out in hardcover, I grabbed it, then reading that it took place at WestPoint Military Academy in 1830, put it on my "To Be Read" pile. Even with Edgar Allan Poe as a character I was leery to read it. With everything going on overseas (supporting our troops in Afghanistan notwithstanding), I was loathe to read any of the pomp and glory, manifest destiny propaganda that might under shade the book.

My assumption was WRONG (make note, it can happen). This novel is not that book or anything like it. The Pale Blue Eye is the story of a retired detective's investigation into the hanging suicide of a young cadet in the early days of this Military landmarks history. Augustus Landor is rightly suspicious when he is politely dragged from his small cottage to view the body -- which having disappeared after discovery, was returned having had its heart cut out. Landor must work discreetly under delicate conditions to quietly and quickly clear up this potentially scandalous and politically disastrous situation. Once viewing the poor corpse he quickly proclaims it murder. Surprisingly the commander, Colonel Thayer, insists on further investigations regardless of the outcome. With the help of a young Edgar Allan Poe, Landor begins his search for the killer with some lethal obstacles scattered across a rapidly disappearing path.

The "Sherlockian" comparison is not amiss. Considering the time period and Bayard's simple yet compelling style and our hero's obvious weakness amidst canny intelligence and observation, the comparison is justified. But it is Bayard's brilliant style that sets this novel up as a dynamic read. Slowly unwinding a complex plot, it is his characters that infuse his novels with perception and with almost surgical skill he defines his era and their motivations with precision and grace. This is no disappointment after the outstanding debut of Mr. Timothy. Bayard shows that he can handle any historical narrative with a unique take and sheer entertainment.

The Military background? It is subtle and timely reminder of the glowing ideals and great dreams that drove America's early architects. -- a sociological and political experiment in the New World – one that with a bit of luck will not fail in the end.

Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet
Joanne Proulx
June


(Ferret leapt on this book when it came in and liked it so much that he volunteered (or was "volunteered") to do the review. His eclectic reading tastes make a fascinating list, but bring up the name “Flashman” and he waxes truly poetic)

A long time ago, in a land far, far away I learnt the joys of reading. Back then it was really difficult to get boys to read; it was a "sissy" thing to do (I guess some things don't change much, just the derogative). I found my way via the likes of Lloyd Alexander, Tolkien, and the extremely hip S.E. Hinton. S.E. Hinton's "The Outsiders" easily beat out "The Secret World of Og" by Pierre Berton as the read of choice in my grade four class. We were a cool class!

The attraction of Hinton was that she was one of the few – and maybe the first – to tell us stories at that age that spoke to us as opposed to down to us or even way off in some cute prose. Joanne Proulx's "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" reminds me greatly of the connection I made with Hinton's characters. Proulx gives us believable characters, even when the main protagonist has an ability to predict death. They are not always likable. There is one episode where a character – not the writing – so ticked me off with his stupidity that for a short time I wasn’t sure I wanted to carry on. These characters have serious substance and can affect the reader.

Prophet follows the story of Luke Hunter – a slacker par excellence & pothead to boot – whose life changes the night he rambles off a colourful and sarcastic prediction of the death of a good chum. His dull small town life is turned off kilter once the town, press and church find out his predictive abilities. Fear and confusion follow - of his own and others – and yes even love, of which he seems to have a knack of making a complete bollocks. Further unbidden visions exasperate his fragile attempts at keeping his frail ego in place. The story then follows a bizarre yet believable set of events running from a preacher's intervention, a doctor's over-medications to Luke's surviving friend's antics climbing taller and taller structures.

Don’t read into this spiel that this is a kids book – though I suspect that it could garner quite a following with older teens. At the book launch at The Manx on Elgin St. at Frank (hey, is that a plug?) Ms. Proulx explained why she chose a seventeen year old boy as her protagonist for a reason. Who is more isolated than a seventeen year old boy who won't open up to anyone? Had she chosen a forty year old woman, the character would have talked out all her issues with any myriad of friends and the story would have fallen short. The character choice was event driven rather than genre. This is a novel aimed at anyone isolated in their grief and frustration at a life that is out of control.

As an aside Joanne Proulx is a local Ottawa author and was kind enough to drop by and sign all copies of her book in stock. I have no idea why, but I get a charge out of reading local authors; doubly so in this case as I found Prophet a story whose characters I could easily connect with. So sit back with your medication of choice and enjoy the ride – it is well worth it.

The Observations
Jane Harris
May


When you read a lot of books, I mean a lot of books (after over 20 years selling them and loving them) that is the definition of a lot! Many plots blur together and you will get fifty pages in and think “oh, right. It’s that kind of book”. So what stands out in my mind for many novels I’ve read is the characters, the people who walk through the pages illuminating my life with their range of reactions, examination and choices. The sheer entertainment factor also makes them stand out I my mind – and Bessy, the narrator of The Observations is a perfect example. I am not likely to forget her too soon.

Bessy Buckland, a young women from Glasgow in 1863 is on her way to Edinburgh looking for work . She doesn’t quite make it there when she lands a job as a maid in a “Big” house. Her mistress, so impressed that she can read and write gives her a journal to record everything that happens to her. And odd things do keep happening to her. But soon she discovers that her mistress is reading her journal as she, herself, writes a book examining the lower classes and how they think -- called fittingly Observations. The indomitable Bessy is shocked and hurt by the views of herself by a woman who seemed to befriend her and she has begun to care about. Deciding to exact a small revenge she begins filling her journal with stories to titillate and confuse the Mistress that has betrayed her – and opens up a box of dark secrets that keeps the plot skewering to the final end.

Bessy is an amazing character: funny, witty, wise in the ways of the world but totally vulnerable to the emotions of a world beyond her experience. She tells her story within a story with such aplomb she makes you wish she lived next door and could take her to the pub for a pint. Harris as a first time novelist has debuted with a skill and grace unmatched by some authors with a bibliography as long as your arm. While some might claim that a first person narrative is a cop-out, Harris’ undeniable skill at pacing and plot twists defies that. This is just a damn good read.

Having just discovered as I write this that The Observations has made the Shortlist for the Orange Prize this year, I offer my congratulations to Ms. Harris and wish her the best of luck. Can’t help but feel a bit clever too...

A Dirty Job
Christopher Moore
April


Christopher Moore is a Saint. He is not about to be canonized in any known church in our lifetimes (especially the Irish Catholic world I was brought up in), and it is not always easy to document the miracles this writer is capable of – but just watch any customer who picks up one of his books and starts to browse through it, no matter how sedate or humourless they appear – and watch the chuckles and guffaws ensue. Bawdy, poignant, irreverent (I mean this is the man who brought us Lamb – the Gospel According to Bif, Christ's Childhood Pal), heartbreaking and cheeky, Moore incites so many emotions in one paragraph, let alone a novel, that he is a master miracle worker.

A Dirty Job is the perfect example. Charlie Asher and his wife are having a baby, As a Beta Male and passionately in love with his wife, Charlie is having a nervous breakdown trying to prepare for every contingency (no matter how wildly impossible) that the birth might require. Unfortunately he isn’t even remotely prepared for Rachel to die, leaving him alone with baby Sophie. Heartbreaking, right?

But what Charlie is even more unprepared for is the seven foot man dressed head to tow in mint green that he finds in her room when she passes over. Then, just as he is trying to come to terms with raising his baby daughter on his own he discovers perfect strangers are dying at his feet, strange voices are coming out of the sewers and items in his second-hand shop are glowing a bright red that no one else can see. He finally tracks down the man from Rachel's hospital room, Minty Fresh who explains to him that he has become one of San Francisco's Death Merchants and somehow his Introduction Text has gone AWOL. Fresh explains that it is up to the Death Merchants (as he calls them) to find the soul vessel of a dying person and make sure it gets into the hands of a person who needs it. And that the balance must be maintained to keep darkness from rising from the Underworld to claim all life. Weird and scary, right?

But throw in Celtic gods of Death, a lesbian sister who steals his suits, a daughter that starts to show she takes after her dad, two giant Hell Hounds, the Emperor of San Francisco, his Goth part-timer who has the Book, the police who believe he is causing the murders in the city, Russian and Chinese nannies, Buddhism and squirrel people – mix it up with the staggering pathos of loss, outrageous satire and a wild humour that takes you by such complete surprise (I warn readers not to read him on a bus or while eating) – you believe this man can walk on water.

This is my second favourite Christopher Moore novel next to "Lamb" and a tough call to make at that. If you have read any of his other eight novels you will be a fan already. If you haven’t, I will warn you that while you might be astonished at his irreverence and the different types of humour he displays, you will always be amazed at what gets you laughing so hard people stare. When you think of all the myriad of stupid ideas people have based their faith on (The Flat Earth Society, Heaven's Gate) someone who can make you laugh, make you cry and make you look at life from a rather peculiar but funny perspective can’t be that much worse.

Havoc in its Third Year
Ronan Bennett
March


Well, it is March and time for the greening of the world. Hopefully. With the Spring Equinox approaching and Saint Patrick's Day marching into our sight, Guinnesses' brandished, orange and green worn with pride, we are all Celts at heart. I like to choose an Irish author for March, and Ronan Bennett came to mind with his fascinating novel, (even more timely now), of political and religious intolerance.

In a small nameless town in Northern England in the early days of the 17th century, John Brigge is a farmer who wears many hats. A coroner and governor of a nearby village, he is called to investigate the murder of a child by its mother – an Irish tinker. A covert Catholic in an increasingly violent Puritan administration he helped to power, Brigge is an honest man of compassion and faith. The charges against Katherine Shay are circumstantial and a crucial witness missing. Ignoring his desire to be home with his expectant wife, he begins an investigation that draws him into bitter intrigue and a path more dangerous than he can acknowledge.

This is a wonderful novel of layers within layers. Written partially in the vernacular of the time, Bennett smoothly moves to an almost contemporary style when dealing with the personal issues the characters must confront. He paints the harshness of the Cromwellian society against such a keen backdrop of humanity that it almost breaks your heart. This novel asks you, with grace and deftness to examine your own heart, your own fears of "difference" never detracting from a well executed plot, peppered with satire and increasingly complex characters.

A fabulous read, Havoc In Its Third Year should be re-discovered no matter what the time of year or the nationality of the author.

The Water Devil
Judith Merkle Riley
February


Since I wrote the review for A Vision of Light, our feature last June, Pat asked me to write the review of our February feature, The Water Devil — the third and final book in the Margaret of Ashbury series — and I graciously accepted. The trilogy, A Vision of Light, In Pursuit of the Green Lion, and The Water Devil, is absolutely tremendous; they are well-researched, well-written, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Set in late medieval England, the series follows the story of Margaret of Ashbury, whom God granted the power to heal others, a power she calls the "vision of light". Although The Water Devil is the third in the series, it's a great stand-alone novel. In fact, one of the accomplishments of this book is that it's constructed as an independent work that happens to have the same characters as the earlier novels.

In this book, we find Margaret settling into married life with her third husband, formerly Brother Gregory but now called Sir Gilbert de Villiers, and their three children—their son Peregrine, born in France at the end of In Pursuit of the Green Lion, and her two devious, ill-behaved daughters, introduced in A Vision of Light, from her previous marriage to Master Kendall.

Although they are holy terrors, I have to admit Margaret's two young girls, Cecily and Alison, are my favourite characters. Very few authors can ably develop strong, appealing child characters, and after reading all three books, I think that this is Merkle Riley's specialty. The characterization of children in the books is pure genius.

Looking back at my review for A Vision of Light, it was the descriptions of the scenery and the medieval world that captivated me. However, in The Water Devil, the characters come to life. In the other books, the grand scenes and journeys, though beautifully rendered, dwarfed the characters. And in this book, we are engrossed in their lives. It makes a great conclusion, as these characters that we have come to know and love ride off into the sunset.

It's February; hearts, candies and flowers are everywhere you look. Retreat from the hallmark-holiday to your castle, manor, or flat, and enjoy this book. Celebrate the Saint's day in style with medieval historical fiction. It's romance, it's history, and most of all, it's wonderfully entertaining fiction.

The Secret Supper
Javier Sierra
January


The truly odd thing about preparing to do this review was checking out what other sources had to say about the book. Everything was good, something I already knew having read it, but no one mentioned -- I mean no one -- on The Secret Supper website (www.thesecretsupper.com, which is understandable) or on the book’s blurbs (not as always understandable as they want to sell the book at all costs) or in the Times, The Guardian, etc.

I mean it would be obvious to compare this book to "The Book That Shall Not Be Named" or "The Author That Also Shall Not Be Named" -- which is a great conspiracy all on its own. But other than being a literary thriller, something that "The Book That Shall Not Be Named" can only lay partially claim to (and to which end of that I can not possibly say...), The Secret Supper is so different in tone, thought, style and substance that I think most of us who have read the book are loath to write about them within the same paragraph.

Sierra seems to have been off in his own world when he was writing this novel. Sequestered away on the Costa del Sol researching and writing this work he seems to have had no awareness that a possibly similar type of story was taking the world by storm. The Secret Supper was launched quietly into Spanish speaking countries and became an instant bestseller. Now translated into English and by Alberto Manguel no less (ha! to the lit snobs), The Secret Supper takes you into a world of riddles and art history with gentle skill and sweet seduction. The author seems to have the faith in his reader's intelligence that we will pay attention and enjoy the journey itself as the story unravels.

Father Agostina Leyre is an inquisitor sent to Milan from Rome in 1497. His superiors have been receiving cryptic warnings from the "Soothsayer", a man from inside the Milan hierarchy that warns of a heretical sect rising in the city led by none other than Leonardo da Vinci. The famed and mercurial artist, under the patronage of the Duke has been working on the Last Supper as a fresco on the cathedral's walls. His accuser claims to have indisputable proof that da Vinci and his supporters are hiding secret messages in all his paintings that will launch a rebirth of the Cathar faith and bring the Church of Rome to its knees. Amidst the politics of the already suspect court, Father Agostina must investigate the accusations and discover too the identity of this well-placed informant.

Much closer in style to Umberto Eco, than "The Author Who Shall Also Not Be Named", The Secret Supper is a deftly written, well plotted piece that envelopes you in this world of medieval intrigue and religious mysteries. But it is his investigations into the enigmas hidden in these great works of art that fleshes out this novel.

This is a good entertaining read on many levels. You don't have to feel guilty for having enjoyed it. And don't blame me if you immediately want to go out to a gallery and stand very, very close to the paintings for hours.