Benevolence

I chose to read Cynthia Holz's Benevolence during a summer month, and that, to me, was a mistake. The atmosphere of this novel lends itself to winter reading. There is nothing light or airy about the content of the novel; rather, Benevolence is all about insecurities, lack of communication, secrets, and life lessons. It is a dark and cold book.

The novel is based around the lives of multiple characters. Ben, the poetic organ-donor psychiatrist, aches for a child, and is seemingly a lonely and lost man. Molly, Ben’s overbearing and aging mother, is a woman must come to the realization that perhaps a major part of her life is based upon a lie. Finally, Renata, Ben’s psychologist wife, is a woman who desires a child as well, and, despite her ability to solve problems, is unable to foster intimacy with her husband. Each character undergoes a paradigm shift when they interact with a new person they come to care about.

I enjoy reading this novel. Holz has a fluid style of writing, and the story of each character was captivating. My only criticism is that perhaps the novel could have been tightened better, as some chapters took a long time to get to their essential point. Yet, reading this novel still made me want to pursue other works by Cynthia Holz.

More information about the author and her works can be found here.

3.5/5

Information:

Benevolence Cynthia Holz Knopf Canada (2011), Hardcover, 320 pages

The Happiness Project

Gretchen Rubin's book, The Happiness Project, is a quirky half memoir half self-help book on happiness. It falls a little into the category of "The Reality Television of Books: When People Write Gimicky Stuff"; however, this doesn't mean that the book is crap, rather, it's quite the opposite.


This is Rubin's month-by-month quest to bring happiness into her life. She tackles different areas of her life every month, and, while doing so, goes about opening herself up to new experiences while being true to her own self-interest. Rubin's thesis, that is possible to be more happy, is proven throughout, and, as Rubin discovers, her own personal happiness creates more contentment in the lives of her family and friends.


Rubin's quest for happiness caused me to reflect on how I turn happiness away from my own life. Can be snarky? Check. Is overly sarcastic and scathing? Check. Avoids doing new things? Check. This list could go on and on. Are these things that I should avoid doing? Perhaps. Maybe I'll give my own happiness project (which Rubin pushes on her blog) a whirl, and see the damage (ha ha) that it does.


It was interesting to see that Rubin cites numerous sources. I liked that there were quotes from people like Saumel Pepys and the Dalai Lama. Doing research on how other people interpret happiness and on what brings them happiness is necessary for this type of project. It helps to bring deeper meaning to Rubin's work, and also helps to avoid this book from becoming a trite self-assertion. 


So yes, I liked this book. I'd recommend this book to others. Rubin's style of writing is easy-to-follow,. The book is engaging and perfectly suits the sunniness of spring. It's not a Pulitzer Prize winner, but it is still very good and very happy.


4/5


Information:

The Happiness Project: Or,  Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning,  Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun Gretchen Rubin Harper Paperbacks (2011), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 336 pages

The Boy in the Moon

According to the cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome website, CCF (as it is more commonly called) can be diagnosed by some of the following symptoms:

·         • a distinctive facial appearance;

·         • unusually sparse, brittle, curly hair;

·          • skin abnormalities;

·          • heart malformations present at birth (congenital heart defects)

·          • growth delays

As a reader of The Boy in the Moon, I offer you some more information about CCF:

There is no cure for CCF.

It is a genetic condition that a child is born with.

It will be seen as a disability for the child’s entire life, and will cause society to view the child 

(and the eventual adult) differently.

It is extremely rare, and the severity of it can differ from child-to-child.

It impacts lives.

It is CCF that has made Walker Brown who he is, and it is Walker Brown who is the raison d’etre for The Boy in the Moon.

The Boy in the Moon is a memoir, by Ian Brown (Walker’s father). Brown is a reporter for Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe and Mail. Brown had frequently written articles about his son prior to writing this book, and had thus familiarized Canadians with his family’s challenges.

The book examines the relationship that Walker has with his father, his family, and the world at large. This book is Brown’s search for the meaning of Walkers life in our society that has distinct and opinionated views on disabled individuals.

CCF has shaped the Brown family in many ways. The parents, Ian and Joanna Schneller, have been forced to abandon dreams for a “normal life” for both their son and daughter. The parents are permanently attached to their son - in a way that parents of “normal” children will never be – and sometimes suffer guilt for abandoning their son (when placed in a group home) or perhaps even causing his condition. It is CCF that has forced the Brown family to seek solace and support of other advocates for the disabled, and has allowed them to create valuable bonds with other CCF parents. And yet, it is CCF that allows Walker to see the world as it truly is: simple in its joys and mysteries.

It is Walker’s view on the world which Brown desperately grasps at with this book. He wants to insight into his son and his sons actions. Their communication is limited to smiles, grunts, and hits; however, they are still able to understand one another at an almost primordial level. It is Walker that brings about Brown’s search for enlightenment, and who is Brown’s passion for life.

I received this book as part of the Early Reviewers Program, and I voraciously read it. Brown’s writing is hauntingly eloquent, and this book will be, I suspect, read and re-read. The journey of the Walker and his family is one that will not easily be forgotten.

Book information:

The Boy in the Moon: A Father's Journey to Understand His Extraordinary  Son Ian Brown St. Martin's Press (2011), Hardcover, 304 pages

The Passage

The most recent book read was a novel, The Passage, by Justin Cronin. As I'm on my way out to Saskatoon, I'll post a longer review later; however, I will state that I did like this book. I wasn't super into it always (oh god, I sound one of my teenage students) as I read it; yet, upon finishing said novel, I've gone back to re-read certain passages and chapters. These characters stuck with me. I'm excited for the sequel.

The Walking Dead Six

Last night my order from Amazon.ca arrived. Inside the package was a copy of Three Day Road and The Walking Dead Six. Three Day Road I’m going to have to read for my students’ grade twelve novel study, and so I’m putting aside for now. Basically, I want to save up my brain power before I undertake the arduous task of coming up with questions for them, analyzing theme, looking for symbolism, et cetera. Instead, I reached for my copy of The Walking Dead: Book Six, and promptly finished it this morning.

It’s a quick read, as most graphic novels/comics are, and can be finished easily in one-to-two sittings.

The aesthetics of this book are beautiful. It’s a hard cover masterpiece, and is completed by glossy pages. There are even colour graphics thrown in and creator notes at the back. The quality of this design adds to the pleasure of reading it. The publishers didn’t skimp when making the book, and that is the reason for the book’s somewhat hefty price-tag of $30.00 plus dollars. It’s not cheap in either way.

I enjoyed the book, but perhaps not as much as the previous books (ok, well I have the fifth book and also the compendium). I found that these comics focused more upon human relationships, and that age-old struggle between civilization and savagery, rather than lots of good ol’fashioned zombie killing. Because of the exploration of the human aspect, I found the plotline to be slow-moving and a little bit dull. There was no suspense in Alexandria for me, there was only boring conversation between tired and contrived characters. Robert Kirkman, quite simply, there wasn’t enough of Michonne wielding her katana!

The only “exploration of human relationships” that I found truly compelling involved Dale and Andrea. I suppose I was interested in this because I felt like I knew Dale and Andrea from the previous books. Andrea was the smart but a little screwed up woman who was in love with a kind and caring older man. The age discrepancy in their relationship and their feelings toward it made sense in the fucked up post-apocalyptic world. And so, I was saddened by Dale’s misfortune, and my heart hurt for Andrea and her grief. Of all the relationship deaths in this story, this one was the most tragic and heartfelt.

After reading The Walking Dead: Book Six, I’m still looking forward to the next compilation in the eventual seventh book, and I’m also in anticipation of the second season AMC’s The Walking Dead.

3.5/5

[THE WALKING DEAD, BOOK SIX]The Walking Dead, Book Six  By Kirkman, Robert(Author)Hardcover On 26 Oct 2010) Robert Kirkman Image Comics (2010), Hardcover

Fixing Delilah Hannaford

Whenever I read a teen novel, I ask myself, “Will my kids enjoy this book? Is there enough drama, tension, romance, and angst in here that they will be able to relate to? Is this a quality book for teens?”  And, when reading Fixing Delilah Hannaford, I asked myself these same questions. Thankfully, all the questions were answered in the affirmative – this novel is the quintessential great read for adolescents.

Our protagonist, Delilah Hannaford, is troubled. She’s been caught shoplifting, cutting class, and going around with a “non-boyfriend”. The only route to her redemption lies in taking a cathartic family vacation to Maine, and dealing with not only her grandmother’s death but also unanswered family skeletons. Of course, no summer is complete without a cute boy, so Delilah meets one, and romance ensues. I won’t give away the ending, but I will say that Delilah becomes more mature as the summer progresses.

The author, Sarah Ockler, has written a quality novel. This book is powerful, enticing, and moving. I would recommend it to any  young audience, or any adult who has an interest in teen literature.

4/5

Information:

Fixing Delilah

Sarah Ockler

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (2010), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 320 pages

My Last Duchess

I just finished reading My Last Duchess. I found the book to be a bunch of easy-reading malarkey, which I suppose should have not surprised me given that said book was marketed as a "historical romance". The author, Daisy Goodwin, had borrowed much of her plot from A Portrait of a Lady, but, unlike James, Goodwin was unable to make the story truly compelling. I found the book to be weak and unremarkable.

The heroine of this novel, Cora Cash, is a self-absorbed American heiress, that seemingly escapes an overbearing mother in order to marry a ludicrous prig, the Duke of Wareham. As you might have guessed, I have little sympathy for Cash or the "conflicts" that she finds herself to be embroiled in. Cash's lack of personality and her boring marriage doesn't really leave me rooting for her when threats arise.

This book is the type of book you buy in an airport, read on the plane, and then never bother looking at again.

2/5 

Information:

My Last Duchess Daisy Goodwin Headline Review (2010), Paperback, 448 pages

A Storm of Swords

As some background, I should say that I loved “A Game of Thrones” and literally tore through said book. I read the novel in a day, and I don’t think I ate, slept, or spoke during those 24 hours of reading. Needless to say, I was excited to read “A Clash of Kings”, but I found the book to be depressingly disappointing. I struggled to complete it, as I found the plot boringly diluted and the characters to be self-absorbed prigs. It reminded me of how television shows often set up for a really great episode by having a weaker episode featured the week prior, and “A Clash of Kings” certainly was the weaker. When the time came to read the third in the “Song of Fire and Ice” series, I was slightly apprehensive about reading “A Storm of Swords”, and worried that I might be losing interest in the series. Thankfully, my expectations were met and exceeded by this novel.

“A Storm of Swords” is a wonderfully action-packed book that is infused with lust, conflict, religion, and political intrigue. Martin’s characters continue to struggle with their morality and the choices that they have made in the past. Jaime Lannister, the kingslayer, is an example of this, as he begins to examine the role he played in murdering the  Targaryen king. Events in this book cause Jaime Lannister to shift his perspective, and thus become a fascinating character. Betrayal also runs strong throughout. Perhaps the most shocking act of betrayal involves Lord Frey and the tragic Stark family. I remember being shocked and horrified by how those events played out. Murder is everywhere, apparently, and none of Martin’s characters are sacred.

After having finished, “A Storm of Swords” last night, I eagerly began “A Feast for Crows”. Let’s hope the fourth is just as good as the third.

5/5

Information: 

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3) George R.R. Martin Bantam (2003), Mass Market Paperback, 1216 pages

A Storm of Swords

I'm not ready to officially review this epic novel yet, because I'm not done reading it; however, I will state that I'm really enjoying it thus far (much more so than A Clash of Kings). The writing is detailed yet entertaining, and I'm completely addicted to finishing this book.

Thanks Jamie, for this great birthday present!