An Absence So Great by Jane Kirkpatrick

rating: ***

publisher: WaterBrook

An Absence So Great by Jane Kirkpatrick continues where the excellent A Flickering Light left off. Small-town girl Jessie has honed her photography skills thanks to preparatory apprentice work at the Bauer Studio. In possession of her own camera and fleeing the budding mutual attraction she shares with the very married FJ Bauer, Jessie strives to carve her own path in a society where women’s professional roles are limited.

I really enjoyed the unique premise of the story--- especially in the canon of Christian Historical fiction. Rarely is the romance pursued a forbidden one bordering on an extramarital affair--- a heartbreakingly valid one, here, at that. The story also resonates truth: with striking verisimilitude ( we can thank the source, Kirkpatrick’s feisty great grandmother, for this page turner).

As featured in the first book, photographs and Jessie’s comments on their light and technique and also their back-story help transplant the reader into Jessie’s world.

While Jessie is a flawed character ( refreshingly and believably so), I rooted for her as she endured the prejudices of the era: including one section of the novel when Jessie has trouble securing a bank loan for her own studio because of her sex and the rather harsh treatment given her by FJ’s wife as well as her sternly religious mother.

A real story well-drawn and expertly told, I was pleased to read another erudite addition of Kirkpatrick’s ever-growing bibliography of excellent fiction.

Congratulations to Jane Kirkpatrick for her Christy nomination for the first book in the series. Read my review of A Flickering Light here

Thanks to WaterBrook for the review copy!

She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell

rating: ***1/2

publisher: Bethany House

She Walks in Beauty is another superior offering from one of the most gifted writers in the Christian historical vein.

First off, I must apologize for the lack of posting. I have been traveling for work the entirety of the past month and jaunting from coast to coast in my beautiful country of Canada for appointments is exhilerating but also exhausting. Nonetheless, I have been reading a tonne!

The book begins as Clara's over-bearing aunt fires her governess and true confidante smashing all Clara's hopes of attending Vassar College by instead arranging for the societal education befitting a young woman on the heels of her debut. Clara is primed and primmed and petted to capture the spotlight of New York's gilded circles and secure a wealthy husband.

The wealthy husband her family chooses is the heir to the De Vries fortune, a past enemy that Clara is used as a pawn to capture--- to right past wrongs and restore the family fortune once lost.

In a manipulative and gaudy game of tainted money and secrets, dipping into the garish hovels of Mulberry Street and waltzing with the likes of the Vanderbilts become the thread that pieces together Clara's world.

As per usual, Mitchell perfectly captures the historical climate and her research is impeccable. Like A Constant Heart and Love's Pursuit before it, a particular era of fashion is explored to emblemize the societal restrictions placed on women and as a particularly resonant symbol of female repression. Here, the corset is seen as a torturous contraption for female suffering. Indeed, some of Mitchell's accurate descriptions of its effect on women---be it through female "hysteria" or more gruesomely violent physical effects will leave readers cringing.

Mitchell, here, does not play with mutiple narration in the same way as her previous two historicals. Rather dual voices counter Clara's first person narrative: the societal newspaper praising the merits of lavish debutantes in an elite column and the Tattler: a sort of 19th Century tabloid. Both provide an interesting counterbalance to Clara's perspective and offer an enlightening and time-specific lens.

Mitchell's evangelism is again subdued. The great theme of sacrifice and undconditional love in Love's Pursuit is replaced by the message of Christianity through hymns: referred to as Clara's mother's "theology." A personal passion of mine, I was delighted that so many stanzas were interwoven throughout the story.

While I applaud Mitchell's ability to appeal to a secular readership with a subtle gospel, I found this an almost cloaked representation of Christian fiction: working more as a good, moral tale rather than an explicit gospel message. As such, I found it lacked the emotional punch of Lynn Austin's novels or even Love's Pursuit.

Nonetheless, Mitchell is a brilliant writer and this story, as always, is excessively readable.

I cannot wait to read more of her work!

Many thanks to Bethany House for the review copy

[ on a slightly more superficial note, I adored the romantic lead in the story and a certain scene involving a rare and valued copy of Byron and a pressed bunch of pansies... read for yourself!]

Blogging for Books: Here Burns my Candle

Remember Liz Curtis Higgs’ last series that made us fall in love with Scotland ( for some of us, it just deepened our love for Scotland ) while aligning critical historical events with sweeping Biblical undercurrents and themes? Remember that?

Well, I was ECSTATIC to hear that Higgs was going to be taking pen to reimagine my absolute favourite story in the Bible during the time of Bonny Prince Charlie and Jacobite Rebellion.

Here Burns My Candle tells the first half of the story of Ruth.

I have loved the Book of Ruth since childhood. A self-proclaimed hopeless romantic, I find it the most romantic love story in the whole of scripture. Moreoever, above its sweet love story and message of sacrifice and loyalty, it imminently ties into the lineage of Christ and elicits the powerful truth that the Bible and all of its events divine connect like the pieces of an intricate puzzle.

So, needless to say, I was delighted and anxiously awaited this book for a long time. Because it tells the first half of the Ruth story ( the next will be available in 2011--- how can I wait?), we don’t quite get to the most romantic part of the Ruth story ( the Ruth-Boaz relationship). Instead, we are given a compelling history of the Dowager Lady Marjory and her integral relationship with her daughter in law, Lady Elisabeth. Though political tensions are taut and Marjory and Elisabeth’s differing views on crucial points strains their relationship, the stems of the loyalty and consistency; the “whither thou goest” from the Biblical story is sternly asserted through commonalities of faith.

As is the case with Higgs’ previous foray into 18th Century Scotland, I was off-turned by the dialect: choppy and distracting and integrated at odd times throughout the novel, it felt almost “cut and paste” in its hindrance to a fluid narrative.

Elisabeth sometimes seems too perfect and Donald is somewhat unnecessarily flawed; but their relationship and human foils are indeed believable.

I especially enjoyed learning more about Marjorie, her past and how her inability of letting go shapes and defines so much of her personality.


I eagerly await the next installment.


Thanks ever so much to WaterBrook for the review copy.


Explore the story of Ruth in a myriad of way:

Through non-fiction The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules by Carolyn Curtis James ( I found this remarkably empowering and historically erudite)

Through fiction: Unshaken by Francine Rivers ( my favourite in the Lineage of Grace sequence) ; Ruth of Moab by Author Wright; The Garden of Ruth by Eva Etzioni-Halevy
[ there are numerous re-tellings of Ruth out there; quick searches in your library or through internet searches will help]


And, oh yeah, read the Book in the Bible online: Ruth

Hear No Evil by Matthew Paul Turner

rating: ***

publisher: WaterBrook Press

Hear No Evil: My Story of Innocence, Music and the Holy Ghost by Matthew Paul Turner is one of the most enjoyable non-fiction books I have ever read by a Christian writer. Perhaps because I so related to some of the threads in the story.

While Matthew was raised Fundamental Baptist, I was raised Pentecostal and ( though younger than Matthew) believe we crossed through the same generation of Christian music: Amy Grant, DC Talk, Sandy Patti, Petra and, of course, Michael W. Smith.

I also grew up in a household where secular music was forbidden. I could not buy the latest New Kids on the Block or Tiffany CD and NewsBoys and DC Talk were seen as suitable replacements so that we didn’t “feel the void”, as it were.

My first concert was when DC Talk opened for Michael W. Smith at Massey Hall here in Toronto.

What I enjoy about Turner’s overtly truthful style is that it casts a very knowing, satirical and whimsical look at some of the sheer absurdities of Christian culture, without being negative.

Yes, crazy childhood memories of really awful music confronted me, but I didn’t feel my reverence toward my now-evolved Christianity waning in any way, fashion or form. If anything, I found this book inspiring and powerful. Turner has indeed undergone some severe moments of embarrassment and utter oddity----- a lot of them very universal to evangelical Christian homes in the 1980’s and 1990’s, Indeed, I nearly spewed my orange juice across the table when he mentioned his university music journalism class when he wondered aloud what the big deal with Bob Dylan was, having never heard him before.

I especially enjoyed a vignette with a raucous friend assuring Turner that the hottest girls were Pentecostal: as this was the denomination I grew up in, I found it extremely funny.

Then, of course, there were the rules placed and the glaring eyes cast--- on moments such as when Amy Grant’s “Heart in Motion” arrived and even though it featured a few Christian songs nearing the end tracks was more-or-less secular.

I remember members of my church congregation scoffing “Baby, Baby.” My parents, however, were a little more lenient on this score and I saw that Heart in Motion tour in concert as well.


It brought back a slew of memories: some good, some bad: the Dove Awards, Release Magazine, really bad styles---- the malleability of Christian artists to conform to whatever musical style is hip at the moment (i.e., DC Talk---from rap to grunge to alternative). It cast a knowing eye on some of the double standards of the music industry.

And, above all, it was written by an extremely articulate and knowing voice: at times funny and heartbreaking.

I LOVED this book: it was tight and taut and very readable. I loved its opening when Turner asserts he can spot a Christian rock artist from a mile away; I love Turner’s boyhood assertion that he will not only land a spot on Star Search but become the Christian Michael Jackson and I love the end when he is sitting in an Easter Service at a familiar church and begins speaking to a man turned away from his own church because he is a homosexual. What opens on a note of wise and telling, yet very real and very sardonic observation ends with a cadence of redemption.

I really loved this book.


I highly recommend reading it alongside Turner’s Churched: One Kid’s Journey Toward God Despite a Holy Mess

I also follow Matthew Paul Turner’s blog

And check out the Christian Culture Survival Guide

Blogging Through Foyle's War with Rachel and Jess and JEN: A Lesson In Murder

Friends! We have a new addition to our Foyle's War club. Meet JEN

By now, I think you know the drill:

So, Foyle's War isn't really a book ---- but who cares because it is written by Anthony Horowitz who is brilliant AND it gives you the same experience as reading a really thoughtful and complex novel because it is a fabulous and engaging character piece. Perhaps, I would say, some of the best writing in television. EVER.So, Jess and Jen I are coupling our insane infatuation with the show from a.) a fangirly, giddy standpoint b.) a reverence for wonderful writing, characters and mood and pulling them together in one conversation.We are both simultaneously watching from the beginning of the series and chatting afterward ( note: Jess and Jen live in Colorado and I live in Toronto )

And away we go....

Episode 3: A Lesson in Murder [a.k.a. as Hello David Tennant, we knew if we gave you enough time, you would show up]

Jess: First of all, let's take a moment to greet our guest stars. Hello, David Tennant and Sophia Myles! It's kind of funny that you're in the same episode of Foyle's War, even though you don't have any scenes together, since in a year or two you'll be in a Doctor Who episode together!


Jen: The conscientious objector's widow was absolutely lovely with how graciously she dealt with the trauma of losing her husband, knowing that there had been a severe injustice committed against him, and knowing that the cause she so deeply believed in was written off as irrelevant and cowardice. I thought she was wonderful. David Tennant, while always endearing was a little odd for me in this role...I subconsciously was waiting the entire time for him to randomly lick something. Don't ask me why.


Jess: I liked Milner's connection with Sophia Myles' character in this episode. I also like that, when Foyle announces he's arresting Sophia Myles' mother for the murder of her husband, she just nods and says, "Okay, let me pack a bag." Loved that.


What else happened in this episode? A conscientious objector was mistreated and hanged himself, Foyle used tricky interrogation tactics to get the policeman/guard responsible to confess, and we see Foyle discussing strategy and logistics with the Home Guard elite, (at least, I think it was the Home Guard) showing that on top of solving murders and whatnot, he's also one of the three or four guys in charge of Hastings' defense. Because he is awesome.


Rachel: What else? That adorable little boy who is sent out to the country for safety purposes and is subsequently killed. (Hello! Break your heart!) Well, it breaks Sam’s heart: we see her crying. Which is depressing because I don’t want ANYTHING to hurt our Sam. Also, cute connection between Sam and the little boy and, come to think of it, Sophia Myles and the little boy. Heartbreaking when the father returns and learns of his son’s death. HEARTBREAKING!


Jen: While the whole deception and arrogance on the bad guy front is always a reoccurring theme in crime based shows, I thoroughly enjoyed how this episode contrasted the "evil" of Mr. Gascoigne's plot line with the obvious innocence of the little boy constantly observing and taking notes and eventually being the Gascoigne family's undoing. I love that both Mr. & Mrs. thought of him as a useless pain while generally alluding to him being stupid and it was his cleverness that exposed and solved the whole plot line.




Rachel: Also, we get a flashback into the early life of our fair Foyle: apparently Rosalind Foyle and Christopher Foyle frequented the Italian restaurant Carlo and his son own and run. I love that Sam weasels her way into dinner with Foyle and they are both strongly warned about the lasagna. I am always interested to see how rations effected eating out.


Jess: I like seeing Foyle's life outside the police station.


Rachel: Then, Carlo’s son has a crush on Sam and it is adorable to watch Foyle watching the two of them. Also, Foyle ( and the audience) get to see Sam with her hair (literally) down for the first time--- when she goes to a dance with Tony. I really enjoyed that subplot of the story and the developing repartee between Foyle and Sam.


Jen: I love Sam and how willing she is to do whatever she can to support the people around her. She is so open and generous and just lovely. And I love that she's obsessed with food. I love a heroine-type gal that I can relate to.


Rachel: Milner was around in this episode, too, though not as much. Oh, and in the ongoing theme of “I HATE EVERY WOMAN THAT PAUL MILNER IS WITH THROUGHOUT THE SERIES: ESPECIALLY JANE MILNER”: Jane Milner leaves to stay with her sister because she is a rotten cow.

Jess: Milner's wife is AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL TO HIM. Ohhhh, that whole dinner scene in which she doesn't want to see his leg and how paperwork is all he can handle these days and she's just running off to Wales and abandoning him and I WANT TO PUNCH HER IN THE FACE. She's horrible.

Jen: Though it has already been stated quite well, I don't think it can be said enough: Jane Milner is evil. I have a difficult time restraining my language when talking about her. I may be calling her horrid names in my head...things that rhyme with 'bore' and 'hitch.'
And finally, because it must be said: FOYLE MAKES MY HEART SMILE.

**Rachel: OBLIGATORY ANDREW SENTENCE**

You all that this was the cat's meow? Wait 'til we get to Eagle Day: then we really knock your socks off!

in which I am EXCITED

Kids,

I am quite excited about a few books soon to be available:

First, Scout, Atticus and Boo by Mary McDonagh Murphy: view it here

Secondly, the wait is soon over ( thank goodness ) for the first Richard Jury novel in THREE whole years! Get that here

Thirdly, one of Christian fiction's absolute best, most erudite, glorious, talented, wonderful and sparkling writers, Siri Mitchell, has taken her penchant for exploring the theme of clothing and appearance in different time periods ( see the use of makeup in A Constant Heart and dresses in Puritan Massachusetts in Love's Pursuit) to take on the Victorian period in She Walks in Beauty. Buy that over here

And even though this keeps getting flitted around from date to date like a pesky hummingbird ( as is usually the case with Catherine Webb's delectable series), the wait, I should hope, is soon over before the first Horatio Lyle in two years. The Dream Thief, apparently ( this could change at any moment, bah humbug!) publishes in June.

Just a few of the many yummy books the horizon.

If you can wait 'til the Fall, there is a NEW LYNN AUSTIN ( I yipped about it at my Christian Fiction site last week )

Pre-order While We're Far Apart

And I think that is all I have to say.

Cheerio!

New Lynn Austin New Lynn Austin LA LA LA LA LA LA!

Well LOOKIE HERE!

October brings us this lovely book by our favourite Lynn Austin:

SYNOPSIS:

In an unassuming apartment building in Brooklyn, New York, three lives intersect as the reality of war invades each aspect of their lives. Young Esther is heartbroken when her father decides to enlist in the army shortly after the death of her mother. Penny Goodrich has been in love with Eddie Shaffer for as long as she can remember; now that Eddie's wife is dead, Penny feels she has been given a second chance and offers to care for his children in the hope that he will finally notice her and marry her after the war. And elderly Mr. Mendel, the landlord, waits for the war to end to hear what has happened to his son trapped in war-torn Hungary. But during the long, endless wait for victory overseas, life on the home front will go from bad to worse. Yet these characters will find themselves growing and changing in ways they never expected--and ultimately discovering truths about God's love...even when He is silent.

w00 h00!

Blogging Through Foyle's War with Rachel and Jess: The White Feather

So, Foyle's War isn't really a book ---- but who cares because it is written by Anthony Horowitz who is brilliant AND it gives you the same experience as reading a really thoughtful and complex novel because it is a fabulous and engaging character piece. Perhaps, I would say, some of the best writing in television. EVER. So, Jess and I are coupling our insane infatuation with the show from a.) a fangirly, giddy standpoint b.) a reverence for wonderful writing, characters and mood and pulling them together in one conversation.
We are both simultaneously watching from the beginning of the series and chatting afterward ( note: Jess lives in Colorado and I live in Toronto )

Episode 2: The White Feather

Rachel: I am always really impressed at how well all of the story lines interlock:

-Fierce hatred and traitor-ship ( is that a word?) with Guy Pearce and his blackshirt crowd clashing with the fierce patriotism of the Dunkirk fishing boat crew
-The “victimization” of Edith: the young girl bullied into cutting wires by her horrible mother ---vs. David ---an innocent victim of a battle he did not fight ( when he is shot by a German bullet across the channel)
-The clash of ideas: Stanley’s hatred of his parents and his reverse-Freudism and Milner exploring the Protocols of the Elders of Zion out of sheer desperation.


Jessica: Watching that one, I just couldn’t imagine how frightened you must be to do what Edith did – to cut telephone wires so that when the Germans arrived in a few days they hopefully wouldn’t throw you in a camp because your grandfather was Jewish.
And the fishing boats going to Dunkirk! Oh! It just makes me want to cry with how awesome those people were. I think I need a book or a documentary on it or something, because that has got to be one the most amazing wartime stories I’ve ever heard – hundreds of English fishing boats crossing the Channel to rescue British soldiers trapped at Dunkirk. OH.


I love Foyle’s confrontation with Milner, how Foyle never outright condemns Guy’s ideas but you can read the disgust all over him (again and again, this is what blows me away about Michael Kitchen – how you always know exactly how Foyle feels despite the fact that he never, ever says it). Milner’s quiet despair. He feels lost and confused and just wants someone to explain it to him. “I don’t understand what it was for.” And Foyle’s response to this: A gentle understanding. He doesn’t try to explain, knows he can’t – he just needs Milner to be on his team, 100%, and maybe that’s exactly what Milner needs—a team to be on. And what better team than Foyle’s team? NONE.


I think my favorite moment in that episode, though, is when Foyle is talking to Stanley after Stanley’s mother is killed. Stanley says he knew the chick from Whitehall came out of the room, because he smelled her. And Foyle’s eyebrows shoot all the way up into his hairline, and he’s like, “…smelled her?” It cracks me up just thinking about it.

Rachel:I also love when Sam and Foyle meet Milner’s wife for the first time. Also, Foyle’s face, resolute yet still moved, when Guy mentions Andrew getting shot down over the channel

Jessica:I like how Andrew is used in the episode even though he’s not in it. Guy tries to use Andrew to emotionally blackmail Foyle, which just makes him angry. But then the fact that Foyle has a son the same age as David is all that’s necessary for David’s father to know that Foyle completely understands what he’s going through—all the explanation necessary for Foyle to attend his funeral. Just as mentioning Andrew is the surest way for Guy to destroy any sympathy or understanding Foyle might have had for him, mentioning Andrew is all that’s needed to form a bond between Foyle and David’s father.

Rachel: This great big war finally reaching poor, unsusceptible Hastings. As it always does----
The moment we think that Hastings is “safe” ---all being on the edge of the front and not near enough to be affected, that is when the war enters: be it by bomb, or a bunch of ships scraping the casualties and wounded from the other side.

a DICKENS meme! ( is it my birthday? )

thanks to our friend, Dickensblog because this is super duper fun......

Which Dickens character are you secretly in love with? Secretly? There is no secret. I am in love with so many. Alright, Arthur Clenham ( Little Dorrit ), Sydney Carton (A Tale of Two Cities), Mortimer Lightwood (Our Mutual Friend), Herbert Pocket (Great Expectations) and, of course, Alan Woodcourt (Bleak House)

Which Dickens character would you most like to be? Amy Dorrit (without the poor house past ) so I could run away with Matthew MacF....erm... Arthur Clenham ( see 2008 BBC series)

Which Dickens character do you think most resembles you? That is a tough one! So many to choose from. There are elements of myself in so many characters. I certainly identify with Bella's (Our Mutual Friend ) need for security and I have definitely had an unrequited crush on an older guy (a la Little Dorrit). Maybe I'm Agnes (David Copperfield)

Which Dickens book have you read the most times? GREAT EXPECTATIONS (like, once a week. I have an emergency copy at the office. 'Tis pathetic).

How old were you when you read your first Dickens book?erm..... 12-13

What is the worst Dickens book you've read? OMG. Did anyone like Dombey and Son? Seriously? Anyone? Shoot me.

What is the best Dickens book you've read? This is SO hard because they all mean something so special to me and I connect with so many on different levels. Then, there is the fact that they each evoke a certain emotion and moment in my life and characters I identify with and they reflect my mood at different times. I have a Dickens book for each temperament. That being said, last year I decided once and for all to pick a Favourite Dickens--- because I get asked this ALL OF THE FRAKKIN' TIME ( being a Victorianist and all) and my response is now, solidly, Great Expectations. I go further into my passion for GE over on my Christian fiction blog ( scroll down past the Meissner book)

What Dickens book would you most like to see made into a new movie and/or miniseries? Please dear god I was hoping they would do a decent Great Expectations. I have liked elements of numerous adaptations but they have never quite got it right, y'know?

What Dickens book would you least like to see made into a new movie and/or miniseries? Dombey and Son --- because I would have to shoot myself. Stupid. Stupid. D and S.

What is the most difficult Dickens book you've read? Little Dorrit --- it was assigned in a fifth year specialist course in Uni. that was JUST on Dickens. I wasn't in the mood. But, I seriously love it. Like, seriously.

What is your desert island Dickens book? what? Just one? Great Expectations.

In Which I Read Really Dumb Books with a Really Lame Excuse: "Work Travel"

Hey kids,

I have been traveling quite extensively for work --- all flights over the country and such --- and this shall continue through the 13th of March. And, yes, I love travel --- esp. Canadian travel ( which is basically what I do for work being, you know, Canadian and notwithstanding that trip to California for a conference but I digress... ) but I am not a great flyer ( the height thing and I don't get along ) and I find countless nights in hotel rooms can ware you a bit. That being said, I am getting used to it --- and shall continue to because my job will require a lot of travel during the Spring.

Oh wonderful world of publishing!

The other thing about travel is that it takes me away from my beloved Toronto. And I always am a little sad looking at the CN tower diminish outside the window of a plane as we take off from Pearson and in the evenings after my nightly gym trip/swim when I am betwixt the bleach-smelling sheets flipping aimlessly through channels trying to decipher what shows are on when in a weird time zone, I miss Toronto. I usually spend a few moments conjuring up the city in my mind: my safe, happy zone.... a favourite intersection; the ramble of the streetcar down college; the lights from the skyscrapers on King West winking down on me.

But, oh! that has NOTHING to do with books.

Okay, so I have been reading crap. But, I am allowed. Because, it's called AIRPORT fiction for a reason. No one reads " real books" on a plane. No one ( well, sometimes me, but who am I kidding).

So, first Really Dumb Book: The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham (purchased at Pearson airport. Reading Duration: one flight to Edmonton; one room service meal; one taxi ride):

Madeleine Wickham is Sophie Kinsella. I hope we all know that by now---- perhaps, Sophie Kinsella is Madeleine Wickham as Madeleine Wickham is Kinsella's real name and.....

whatever....

So, the book has a dark side. Fleur is desperate to establish a wealthy, comfortable life. Abandoned at a young age and stripped from a life of luxury she had grown accustomed to, she vows to always be comfortable. Stunning, flame-haired and 40, Fleur succeeds by crashing funerals and seducing recent widowers: allowing them a brief glimpse of love and passion---often after their years of comfortable marriage; their fantasies and desires and youthful passion hanging on a shelf somewhere in their posh Brit mansions....

Fleur spends their money and leaves them almost flat--- her goal--- an American Express Gold Car in her name....

Fleur may sound conniving and malicious ( and she is) but I enjoyed her penchant for designer hats and her ability to sneak into the life of decent widower Richard--- a suave and kind man just realizing he never really knew his wife and pining for love.

I also really enjoyed the subplot featuring Fleur's teenage daughter Zara and Richard's gentlemanly 16-year-old son Antony.

Second Really Dumb Book: Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella (purchased: emergency Coles run in the Edmonton City Centre; Reading Duration: one airport wait in Edmonton; one Milestones meal in Calgary; one stint near a Booster Juice waiting for an editorial meeting)

First off, I read and loathed Shopaholic but I always admitted that Sophie Kinsella was clever. I rarely read the chick lit genre to begin with--- but, should I stoop, it MUST be British. Seriously. Unless it is some Christian novel that I have received for review. Because, if it isn't British chick lit then what is the point of reading it? ( I also accept chicklit from Ireland or Scotland or Wales--- the entire UK).

And I must confess, this was a good escape. It made me laugh. Let's throw Amy Adams and Jack Davenport in and call it a movie.

Emma, our spunky and surprisingly real heroine, is a bored marketing assistant for the Panther Beverage corporation who ruins her chance at promotion by a huge mistake at an executive meeting in Glasgow. On the flight back to London, terrified of turbulence and three-sheets-to-the-wind, Emma tells her deepest, darkest secrets to the stranger sitting aside her. The stranger ends up being the Jack Harper--- the biggest wig in the Panther Bev Co and its posh CEO---- their "meet cute" in the plane triggers his knowing ( and oddly loving ) every flaw she has. Emma's dirty office secrets are now in his possession, as are her secret Starbucks trips, her sex life and the size of her knickers....

I really appreciate Kinsella for crafting Emma's success in work and love on her instinct and honesty. Emma does what she feels and Jack's interest in her arises from her refresing ability to treat everyone the same.

Fluffy and cute with smart and witty lines, this is a well-plotted chicklit that mazes and turns in agreeable fashion to its predictable end.

Want more Confessions of Rachel's Work Traveler Tendencies?:

alright.

a.) I eat my weight in Jelly Bellys looking for a Sweet Factory kiosk at every airport

b.) I currently have the Second Season of Everwood in my suitcase which I pull out and watch on my laptop in the evenings.

Stay tuned for the next edition of Rachel Reads Really Dumb Books ( especially because I have a Catherine Cookson in my purse.... SCORE!)

Blogging through Foyle's War with Rachel and Jess: the superficial Julian Ovenden edition

You all find me in the midst of some epic Western Canadian travels for work. I write this from my hotel room in Edmonton, AB.

So, Blogging Through Foyle's War with Rachel and Jess** shall continue --as I find time to upload all of our goodies and our brilliant dissections of this miraculous television show.

But as I prepare and format, I want to leave you with something also very important to anything Blogging Through Foyle's War: the superficial Julian Ovenden edition----complete with Julian Ovenden's smoother-than-Starbucks-caramel-frappucino-singing voice (CLICK HERE TO HEAR). Yum.

I mean: who knew that Andrew Foyle took singing lessons on the weekend when he wasn't flying his spit? Not I.

But, DARNIT ---they sure paid off! Hats off to the Hastings constabulary for supporting this wonderment of music and song....
( the fact that he is good-looking, I assure you, has NOTHING to do with this post---- nothing! Nothing whatsoever in my superficial little mind... NOTHING--- I mean!, I don't even notice his smile [who would] or his eyes or the fact that he cleans up nice in his RAF uniform or the fact that he has a delicious accent or.....)
*blog truncated because I turn into puddle of goo*
**note: this post is a little more Rachel and a little less Jess---she's on a cruise right now, don't feel too badly for her---she's more of a Milner girl anyways....

CANADA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I AM CANADIAN!

I LIVE IN the BEST COUNTRY in the WORLD

I LIVE IN A COUNTRY with an UNBELIEVABLY COMMUNAL SPIRIT

I LIVE IN A COUNTRY THAT SUPPORTS IT'S ATHLETES ---whether they win or not!

I LIVE IN A COUNTRY WHERE an UNPRECEDENTED 18-1 in WOMEN'S HOCKEY INSPIRES A SPONTANEOUS ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO THE OPPOSING TEAM!

I LIVE IN A COUNTRY WHO THROWS AN OPENING CEREMONIES in a DAZZLINGLY humbling and TONGUE-in-CHEEK way....

we can make fun of ourselves and THAT --- on top of our class, our sportsmanship, our quiet but exceedingly important role on the world stage---- is the key to our brilliance...

I AM CANADIAN!-----

not only do we have the BEST literature and music, a gripping history, an amazing future and a wonderful spirit--- we have more OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES GOLD MEDALS than ANY OTHER COUNTRY EVER

and our men's hockey team kicks ass.

Dear Vancouver 2010, I will miss you....

CANADIANS --- keep the pride. The ball is rolling, the momentum is building... let's be loud and proud EVERY DAY OF OUR LIVES!

woot!

Blogging through Foyle's War: with Rachel and Jess

So, Foyle's War isn't really a book ---- but who cares because it is written by Anthony Horowitz who is brilliant AND it gives you the same experience as reading a really thoughtful and complex novel because it is a fabulous and engaging character piece. Perhaps, I would say, some of the best writing in television. EVER.

So, Jess and I are coupling our insane infatuation with the show from a.) a fangirly, giddy standpoint b.) a reverence for wonderful writing, characters and mood and pulling them together in one conversation.

We are both simultaneously watching from the beginning of the series and chatting afterward ( note: Jess lives in Colorado and I live in Toronto )

 Ep. 1 THE GERMAN WOMAN

Rachel: Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.


There is SO much in this episode--- it almost makes my brain explode. It is a pivotal episode in the series; sets the mood and setting of the show and establishes all sorts of character background and relationships.


It is marvelous. Anthony Horowitz says in an interview that he always writes like the rings of a tree. I find this fascinating and every carefully plotted, well-executed, overlapping story line is proof of his genius in this method. For instance, you know that every plot thread in Foyle is somehow going to connect: whether overtly, or slowly knitting together.

I really want to start The German Woman with a few key notes of the beginning of the series:
First, I think it is very interesting that the series begins with a pastoral shot: beautiful, lush England, a picnic setting, two people having a wonderfully romantic time, the camera panning and then, at the last, the shot of the barb wire trapping them into this world we will soon learns as Hastings and this war that we will soon see all contained ( with a few exceptions) in this community and suddenly all idealism is shot. It’s rather fabulous. I also think that we should draw our attention to the relevance of the title and its dichotomy: there are two German women in the story line and one could argue both were murdered: one in the traditional “revenge”-type plot --- with direct criminal intent; the other as a result of the harrowing prospect of internment—a woman victim of horrible circumstances. Both murder, in a sense, just in different ways.

Next, I enjoy how the series begins with our lead character wanting out of his surrounding. The main premise of the story is DCS Foyle’s work as a policeman in a world overthrown with chaos ….. the detective story begins with the detective wanting out of his surrounding and, ironically, wanting to do more for the war effort.Interestingly, after that introduction to Foyle and his world, we will see the series unfolding with Foyle being a very important part of the war effort---- just in a slightly different way. What he does in the micro-world of Hastings often ends up effecting the macro-world of England and the war.




Jess: Wow. I'm not sure what else to add to that incredibly insightful introduction to the series. I guess I'll just have to go personal, rather than academic.
What always strikes me deepest about this series is how thoroughly they set up life in WWII England. Just how everyday people lived during the war. Not the soldiers, but the soldiers' families back home. All the fear and prejudice and hope and opportunism andkindness and struggle wrapped in surviving, in waiting to see if your country would be invaded, if your loved one would come home, if your rations would hold out.


To your point about there being two German women, that's kind of true. The second, the woman in the internment camp, is actually English. But because she's married to a German, she gets treated as though she wereGerman. She married the "enemy" (even though he's a refugee who fled Germany), thus she is the enemy.


Rachel: and we’re going to tip our cap at two very special guest stars: Rosamund Pike and James McAvoy and that guy from Our Mutual Friend who plays the murderer and whose real name I might never know. We are also going to take one moment for Sam Stewart who is just about the most adorable thing to ever walk the face of the earth. Finally, I would like to have a moment for Foyle’s countenance when he learns Andrew is going to war and then ANOTHER moment for their shared laughter over the perfect trout (isn’t it perfect that Foyle’s pastime is fly fishing: so classical and harmonious---so HIM!) and then another moment for the smile that turns into distress as soon as Andrew’s back turns out the door. Any other moments, Jess, before we move on?




Jess: The introduction of Milner and his perfect eyebrows definitely deserves a moment. Also deserving of a very long, reverent moment? His super sexy shadowed jaw the first couple times we see him in the hospital. I don't think we ever see it again, but day-amn Milner, that was nice.
Also related to Milner, the way the episode lays the groundwork for his troubled marriage by mentioned how his wife has only come to see him once since he returned to Hastings, and how his relationship with Foyle begins - Foyle gives Milner exactly what he needs to pull himself out of his PTSD depression but does in a way that is neither coddling nor hard. He simply, straightforwardly tells Milner he needs a sergeant and does Milner want the job, yes or no? Milner proves he is actually good at this police thing, and the dynamic detecting duo is born.


Again more about Milner, because apparently I am his champion today. I love that the show uses his relationship with his wife to show what so many soldiers probably went through up on returning home. Couples got married in a hurry before they shipped off, before they really knew each other. And then, when the man comes home, broken by war - physically and/or emotionally - suddenly both parties realize how little they know each other, how little they have in common, how little they've really invested in this relationship they're now stuck in. I can't imagine how common Milner's situation was. (Note: This does not excuse his wife for being so incredibly awful that I am overcome with the desire to punch her every time she's on screen. She's so horrible to him.)

Rachel: Let’s tie this up then with two summarizing thoughts:


--Everyone hates Milner’s wife

--Anthony Howell has the least boring eyebrows I have ever seen.

Like Foyle? Jump in our conversation!

Stay tuned for A Lesson in Murder when Blogging Through Foyle with Rachel and Jess RETURNS

The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer

Courtney and I read this together and then decided to blog about it together ( with some casting .... enjoy!)

Courtney: I haven’t read any Georgette Heyer in a while and I’m always pleasantly surprised by her books when I pick them up just because of how fun they are. I found The Corinthian to be a lot more fun than some of the others I’ve read just because of the crazy hijinks that were involved – girls dressed as boys getting into scrapes, murder, theft, running away in the middle of the night, oh joy! What a great escapist novel, and how perfect for the February blahs. You’ve been devouring your way through her books – how did you find this one compared to the others that you’ve read?

Rachel: I really liked the pace of this one. There was lots of adventure and it didn’t take her very long to catapult us into the plot. Plus, she kept the whole cloak-and-dagger motif running rampant throughout the story. Like you, I really enjoyed the hijinks— and the image of carriages running helter skelter at a dizzying pace. This was sheer fun. Some of the books of hers I have read have serious undertones — like These Old Shades ( a great romance of redemption, in a way) and Black Sheep ( where the theme of women as marriageable commodities is pretty abundant ) —- but The Corinthian—well—- it was as of Heyer was writing with her tongue in her cheek.

Courtney: Yes, she does tongue in cheek very well. One thing that I noticed with this book is how much the quality of her writing improved from earlier books – this one is about 20 years into her career as a novelist, and you can really tell the difference. There’s more depth, more maturity in the writing (not necessarily the content, but certainly the writing style), etc. That’s one thing that is so much more noticeable when you can pick and choose your way through an author’s whole catalogue of books, as opposed to having to wait for the next one to be released.

Rachel: I also get the sense that Heyer was writing first and foremost for her own enjoyment. I love books like that because they allow the author’s personality to seep through. To continue your noting of her depth and maturity, I also feel she improves her grasp of how to tell convincing historical fiction. Whereas her early works had the tendency to lapse into encyclopediac knowledge now and then ( in an almost cut and paste fashion), the regency details in the Corinthian were more implied and ingrained so you had a keen picture in your mind’s eye and got a feel for the period without it being bludgeoned over your head with numerous factoids. Can I also just throw the word verisimilitude in here because I never get to use it? Thanks.

Courtney: I just had to look up “verisimilitude.” Google tells me that it is “the quality of seeming to be true or real.” But I can really see how this applies to The Corinthian. It does appear that she knows a lot of what is going on in the regency period, and it is sometimes surprising (in the case of this book, for example) to realize that she didn’t experience it herself. While this was a fun romp, it still does touch on some of the issues that would have been relevant at that point in time – specifically expectations of women who spent unchaperoned time with men, the difficulties families face with financial issues, and the necessity of women to make a good marriage. As much as I love reading regency books, I really don’t think I’d want to live in a time where it was depended on me to marry well just so I could secure my family’s financial stability!

Rachel: What I liked about this particular novel is that Sir Richard was facing the same impending threat of a loveless marriage to secure his family’s financial gain and to hold up in society. It is rather refreshing to see a man have the same expectations thrust upon him. It immediately set the stage for an understanding friendship between Sir Richard and Penn. I rather enjoyed this. Richard immediately understood Penn’s dilemma and I think, in part, that was why he was so eager to jump and save her. He knew what it felt like to have this unsavoury future looming afore him.

Courtney: Well, that plus he was completely smashed when he came across her attempting to run away in the first place. That might have had something to do with it, haha. I love the relationship that Penn and Sir Richard have right from the beginning in this book – she’s adventurous and naïve, and he is amused by her and knows that she needs protection in her wild and crazy schemes. I love that she puts him in situations he doesn’t feel comfortable with at all (hello, stagecoach?) and that he lets her do this. And that he goes out of her way to protect her without caging her in or patronizing her for her naïveté.

Rachel: He treats her like an equal— and I suppose she is— in humour and in situation and circumstance. But, I think he smiles at her out of his eyes the entire time and doesn’t always take her seriously. But, I am not altogether sure he completely takes life seriously so this is just another one of his many charms. I also enjoy the hint of rogue he has. In fact, talking about him makes me want to cast him. Jack Davenport?

Courtney: Mmm. I was just watching The Wedding Date last night and he is in it. He would definitely be able to pull off the rogue aspect, and we’ve already seen him in that same sort of time period in Pirates of the Caribbean. He could pull off being Sir Richard. What about Penn?

Rachel: I really like the idea of Carey Mulligan (Bleak House, An Education, Dr. Who) as Penn. \

Courtney: Is that Sally Sparrow? She looks a bit old for the role… I don’t know too many young females in acting, so this part is a little hard for me. What about Alexa Vega or Eliza Bennett? Actually, Eliza Bennett probably looks a little bit too young. Oh, what about Rachel Hurd-Wood? She’s rather adorable.

Rachel: What’s REALLY funny is that when you said Eliza Bennett I was thinking of the “real” Eliza Bennett ( which, in my crazy mind, was automatically Jennifer Ehle ). Alexa Vega!

Courtney: Yeah, I remember thinking that quite a bit when I read her name in the credits for Inkheart! Oh, Jennifer Ehle is such a wonderful actress. And Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, mmm… Anyway! Tangent! I hate to say this, but I think if they were to make a movie out of this, it would actually be better as a 2 hour movie than a 4 hour miniseries. As much as was going on, it felt like not everything was necessarily needed to make this a good story. Not that it dragged on, but it just wasn’t all that important to furthering character development or pushing the story to a climax – like the meeting between Penn’s aunt and Sir. Richard.

Rachel: What they should do is a BBC series featuring two hour episodes of each Heyer novel. They could totally squeeze this into two hours. I mean look at the ITV Northanger Abbey— that worked brilliantly. As did the ITV Persuasion ( Unfortunately, I have nothing good to say about the ITV Mansfield Park so I am just not going to say anything at all…..)
Penn’s aunt! Sir Richard! How Lady Catherine de Bourgh-esque was that pivotal moment. Good God Georgette Heyer! You’re like mango gelato. You are the sweetest confection in the world. And you ruin me for real life…. And so do your men with their boots and cravats and eye glasses hanging from dainty chains! Back to Jack Davenport ( because isn’t that just the best segway??? ) he has a delicious voice. I have a feeling Sir Richard would have a delicious voice.

Courtney: He really does have a delicious voice. And I imagine Sir Richard would too, especially when he is amused at Penn. And Jack Davenport could totally pull off Sir Richard’s bored attitude that seems to intimidate those he doesn’t care a fig about. Mmm, I totally want to rewatch all the Pirates of the Caribbean movies now, darn it!
What did you think of all the secondary characters? I loved me the thief they met in the stage coach. He was a lot of fun.

Rachel: I loved the thief and I loved the rather portly relative whose house Sir Richard visits at the beginning of the story— the one who tries hard to emulate Sir Richard’s flair with a cravat ( his name escapes me right now )

Courtney: The sister’s husband?

Rachel: Yah. That’s him. He was super cool.

Courtney: Yeah, he was pretty awesome. They were all mostly awesome; in fact, there were only two characters that I DIDN’T like – Penn’s childhood friend (again, the name is not coming to mind) and the girl he’s in love with. I have no patience for silly little people like them. I was especially aggravated when whats-her-name told her father that she met Penn for a romantic rendezvous instead of whats-his-name. This girl came across as being way too flakey, and I have no stomach for characters like that.
Before I start going on a rant, I need to change the subject.
How about the last moment when Penn and Sir Richard finally both admit and realize that the other is in love with them? It is up there with the awesome endings of Rilla of Ingleside and North & South, as far as my favourites go.

Rachel: I also loved the last moment. The thing with Georgette Heyer is she always leaves the romantic climax until the very last page. You know it is coming but she makes you wait and wait and THEN …. Then she ties it up with a happy bow ( same with North and South, eh?)
I really enjoyed the ending and the discovery of love which, really, when you think about it had been there since Sir Richard first saw Penn—all inebriated and blurry and cleaned her up and whisked her away.…

..
Courtney: Oh, he obviously loved her from the beginning. And she was in love with him from that point too even though she didn’t realize it until later. But all-in-all a satisfying end to a good book then. Yay!

Blogging For Books: Beneath A Southern Sky ( Deborah Raney)

NOW THIS is a fun blog tour! A grab bag of goodies from the Value Fiction WaterBrook is promoting to help us through bleak March days!

From the Publisher:

Beneath a Southern Sky by Deborah Raney – Daria Camfield is expecting her first child when her husband Nate is reported dead on the mission field. Devastated, she returns to the States and soon marries again. But two years later Nate is found alive in the jungle. How can Daria possibly choose between he two men who love her?

My take:
Beneath a Southern Sky by Deborah Raney is a contemporary romance featuring a headstrong woman faced with the most difficult dilemma of her life: new love with the man she has married having been widowed in Columbia or renewed love with the man she initially married, long thought dead, who has suddenly come back to life.

The harrowing opening chapter preludes Daria’s difficulty and ropes you in to find out whom she will chose, how, and what life journeys she will learn along the way.


Deborah Raney is a prolific Christian writer whose Vow to Cherish was adapted into an acclaimed made-for-tv movie. Her grasp of human emotions and her longing to portray the complexities of the human heart is quite pronounced here.

Raney also shakes the usual Christian fiction conception of love: something sought after, found and tied up nicely with a ribbon. Instead, love is found in a very unexpected way and coupled with a sacrifice of immeasurable proportion that will shake all characters with its ramifications for years.

A tightly plotted and deftly-woven yarn outside of the genres I usually read in the Christian industry. Thanks to our friends at WaterBrook for passing this along


I recommend finding a copy quickly--- especially because WaterBrook has such fabulous bargain fiction up for grabs!

Casting Georgette Heyer: These Old Shades edition

These Old Shades is one of Georgette Heyer’s classics. It is a wonderful, romping, rollicking plot of mixed identities and melodrama and girls dressed as boys and love slowly blossoming and cravats and conspiracies and oh! la! ...all things gloriously regency.

The Duke of Avon, Justin Alistair, is often called Satanas by the elite members of the ton: he has known so many women, has conquested so many conquests, blah! Blah! Has a good hand at cards, cares nothing for no one and drowns in his nonchalance. But one night while wandering the streets of Paris he saves a street urchin from the abuse of his older brother.

Avon sweeps the kid from the streets and adopts him as his page. Leon, with his pale skin and reddish curls becomes quite the favourite of society. For who knew Avon to be so charitable with those unfortunate?

Turns out, Leon is actually the adorable French creature Leonine who may or may not be the illegitimate child of someone very significant in Avon’s past.

He’s twenty years older than she; she has lovely hi-jinks and adorable broken English; she worships the ground he walks on and has sworn her devotion for life; he thinks she should be set up with his rapscallion brother Rupert … and… oh yes! There is a KIDNAPPING


So much fun! And so much fun to cast. Casting Georgette Heyer today we’re going to have to toss the role of Avon to our friend Richard Armitage.

Well-played Richard.

Casting Georgette Heyer's Black Sheep

My friend Courtney did the seemingly impossible: she gave me a book as a gift.

This is usually hard for people because they never know what I have or have not read ( I have read pretty much everything it seems) or what I will like and they generally shy away from tempting me with anything but a Chapters/Indigo giftcard.

Not Court. Nope. She found a winner (a few years ago, it would seem ) and held on to her treasure and just knew that she could pop it out at the right time and I would love it.


And I did.

Ladies and gents, I give you the Regency Barney Snaith ( of LM Montgomery's The Blue Castle) Miles Caverleigh from Georgette Heyer's DIVINE Black Sheep

Now Miles, adorable Miles, is part Barney/ part Rhett Butler- --- all delicious regency fun: his boots are too tall for society; his cravat too loose and he has this infuriating habit of making our prim and bright heroine, Abigail Wendover, giggle at the most inopportune moments.

Oh Miles!


But Miles, dear Miles, sees a spark in dear Abby ( who is actually eight and twenty and very very much on the shelf. You see, bloggosphere, no one has "made up" to her ---or out with her in 20th Century vernacular---in EONS and she is being left to wither away whilst caring for her invalid, hypochondriatic sister and the neice who wants to run away with a scoundrel! a rake! a rogue....


oh it is DELICIOUS! and it is all about mature love ( because Miles once eloped with his heart's desire all but twenty years ago, don't you know, and he knows that Abby and he have a preternatural connection and..... )....and I WISH L M Montgomery had been alive to read some of these sentences:


I give you:


"He had nothing to recommend him but his smile, and she was surely too old, and had too much commonsense to be beguiled by a smile however attractive it might be. But just as she reached this decision he spoke, and she glanced up at him, and realized that she had overestimated both her age and her commonsense"



AH AH AH

and there is MORE.....


"She was aware suddenly that her heart, in general a very reliable organ, was behaving in a most alarming way"


and then....


"She had been attracted by his smile, but no smile, however fascinating it might be, could cause a cool-headed female of more than eight-and-twenty so wholly to lose her poise and her judgment that she felt she had met, in its owner, the embodiment of an ideal."




Abby is smart and resourceful with a winsome sense of humour; Miles just enough parts rakish and gentleman with a hidden fortune and a desperate need to win the heart of fair maiden ( and with a dash of sarcasm and a sardonic smile which screams Barney!) and the whole blasted thing is bloody enchanting.

Seriously.

I timed it out so I didn't gobble it wholly and spread over a few pints in the Distillery ( here in Toronto ) on a train ride for work, on the subway and before bed and, seriously chickadees, I am going to start again. From the top.


BECAUSE I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK!

It is precisely what this woman of eight-and-twenty ( who has fallen hard for a smile more than once, don't y'know) needs to subdue the January chill.


I am all aflutter...

and the best part.... THE CASTING!


why yes!


Jack Davenport as Miles Caverleigh. Won't he be divine?



( I realize this post has no real literary merit and I don't very much care... I have jelly beans aside me, a friday evening devoid of commitment and a heart full of love for a fictional man.... again)

new post: JD SALINGER

Dear world,

stop pretending you like ---or GET--- The Catcher in the Rye. Now that he's dead and there is no chance of him hovering Banquo-like over your shoulder as you pretend to hum harmoniously with his disembodied words--- you can tell the FRAKKIN' TRUTH

you don't like that book

you never liked that book

you don't understand that book

you admitted to saying "oh yes! I love that book!" just because you were afraid to admit you DIDN'T LIKE IT

( you now acknowledge that the aforementioned was a trend that caught on like wildfire after a view sardonically and dishonestly constructed to throw the literary world off forevermore. With banishments! and sneers! extensively expanding its popularity thereafter)


Yes, world, you can now admit ( as you will now find the courage to admit for another book you secretly despise ---that little ditty known as Ulysses by James Joyce) that you are befuddled and bedraggled and would rather read SIDNEY SHELDON because BY GOD! Sidney Sheldon is bad writing but at least you BLOODY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON!...


and ... and ... furthermore....


not EVERYTHING needs to MAKE a BOLD statement on the HUMAN CONDITION



and your life doesn't need to be populated by a James Dean rebel named Holden.

nope.

you're moving on.


RIP Salinger. I hope all they find in that secret safe the media is all excited about is decade old Jelly Bellys.

TYNDALE TYNDALE HAS A NEW SITE!

I received an exciting email from our marketing friends at Tyndale yesterday informing me of the launch of a new website on February 1st! What a great start to the month.

Here are some of the features we can expect to see:

• A list of all Tyndale authors and their blogs, Facebook and Twitter accounts, etc.


• A place where you can share stories about Tyndale products that have had an effect on your life


• To celebrate the launch of this new site, Tyndale is giving away four books a day in the following categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Bibles, and Kids.

Cool, eh?

visit http://www.tyndale.com/ on February 1st ( or before---- why wait to check out their great books and catalogue? ) to learn and see more ( and win prizes)

huzzah!

Thicker than Blood by C.J. Darlington

rating: ***

publisher: Tyndale

First off, it is nice to kick off my return from a holiday hiatus from blogging with a new author.

Thicker Than Blood by C.J. Darlington smells of old books and promise and is a welcoming frosty January read.

I must admit I have been impressed with C.J. Darlington’s tenacity in promoting her book. She has used an author’s seemingly most valuable marketing resource ( the internet) to tweet, facebook and blog about her first novel.

Moreover, I was eager to read the book because Darlington had won a major first writing award from Tyndale House for it. I think that is incredible and I congratulate her on her meticulous work. You glean from her bio and from the book itself that this is a labour of love and interest that has been lulling around in Darlington’s mind for a long while.

Christy is overcoming an addiction to alcohol and addressing issues of loneliness and the abandonment of love when the unthinkable happens: her beloved job at an Antiquarian bookstore and her burgeoning friendship with co-worker Hunter is disrupted but the sinister doings of Vince, an old flame.

Christyfinds herself drawn back to her roots--- and in particular the sister she has not seen in years ----to try and patch together the fragments of a life she learns is still valued: as valued as the first edition Twains and Hemingways she finds at auction.

Overtly Christian and filled with themes of redemption and grace, Thicker Than Blood is a thesis on the power of family, God and change ….


I commend Darlington on her first-hand knowledge of the antiquarian book world. I found Hunter and Christy's forays into auctions and appraisals fascinating and Darlington’s fascination with the world was meted out in a true and sustained fashion throughout the novel.


There were a few “rookie”moments that trailed the book:

First, the shaky transition from Christy's story and life to May’s didn’t flow smoothly. Secondly, the dialogue at times seemed forced and stiff as if taken straight from a Writer’s How-To guide.

Finally, Darlington doesn’t have a convincing grasp of anything secular: possession, tumultuous relationships, alcoholism: these all seemed like inserted bits of research and were not naturally ingrained in the novel.

Darlington is proud of her home-schooled Christian heritage but in this rare fact a writer’s background adds a friction and strips some of the validity and natural fruition of some very importantly bold and over-arching themes.


I am in no way suggesting a writer become “method” in obtaining this sort of information--- but when it is forced it is something very noticeable and can detract from the book’s potential to slip into the secular realm.


I was so happy for the chance to review this book because Darlington’s personality and passion shine through: two things I grant great merit to when discovering an author for the first time.


The book was not pitch-perfect but it does show some great seeds of potential. I look forward to reading more from Darlington---especially if infused with her first-hand and erudite knowledge of the antiquarian book world.

I would very much like to thank C.J. Darlington for the opportunity to read her promising first novel.

Visit C.J. here; follow her updates on the Christian culture world at TitleTrakk and follow C.J. on twitter!

To Dance at the Palais Royale by Janet McNaughton

This book has been sitting on my shelf for years and I never picked it up. So, preparing for a bus ride to London for a long weekend, I tossed it in my bag and read it while waiting for the bus then finished it on the bus. It is a quick, lovely, languid read.

Aggie leaves her large family and domestic role as a housekeeper in Scotland to move to Canada in the late 1920s. Toronto's elite hanker after the idea of British and Scottish domestic workers and Aggie has no trouble securing a position in the Deer Park area of Toronto ( near St. Clair West and Yonge).

I live in Forest Hill ( very near where the Stockwood`s mansion would be fictionally set )and felt that I was transported back to a city I love in Aggie`s time. The streetcars rumbled, yes, but over tracks still primitive and new; Royal York on Front Street had not finished completion; Union Station ( which McNaughton describes as a hallowed, hollow cathedral ) stood loftily as the biggest building Aggie had ever seen and the mythical Sunnyside park near the harbour was filled with stands selling redhots; dance pavilions; mirth and merriment.

McNaughton spins us into a world of colour and prosperity in a booming post-war Canada. Aggie meets Rose, an indelible flapper; Rodney a posh Queens undergrad who shirks his father`s stock business to pursue history and Rachel, a domestic servant like herself sponsored by an upstanding man named Moshe: who saves her from the travesty of liquidation and hardship in pre-Nazi Poland.

This world: the markets and kiosks of Spadina when clashed with the ferries to Center Island; the upscale Rosedale mansions; luncheons at the King Edward and traipses around Eatons and Simpsons is a finely rendered friction.

McNaughton does well at painting the often invisible line between classes ( and the internal skepticism of jewish residents and other immigrants like Rachel) as Aggie weaves in and out with little more than a fancy dress and a few well-thought lies.

Having experienced all corners of bustling Toronto: prejudice, social injustice, women`s burgeoning roles, sexual awakening and a strengthening independence, she is able to carve her own world and leave her own stamp on the booming city: this includes meeting a wonderfully painted Newfoundlander named Will with a sing-song dialect and a lackadaisical way about him.

Each dialect from each of the worlds Aggie visits ( including her own Scotch dialect ) are perfect.

The story is brilliantly told and unfolds so subtly you are swept up in its simple beauty.

I heartily hope that McNaughton abandons the more stark and futuristic novels of her recent distopian fiction and returns to more yarns like this one.

Beautiful, historical, full of promise. Ending on a shrill, high note that even the lingering Stock Crash ( waiting around the corner like a tiger with teeth pried open ) can sever and mute.

WONDERFUL!

Highly recommended