The Honey Queen - Cathy Kelly

one sentence summary:
The town of Redstone has an eclectic cast of characters who interact with each other as only small town people can.

review:
This was a heartwarming read, full of people struggling with life that in the end find happiness. The writing is quick and the descriptions of setting are fantastic. The characters are all connected in unexpected ways and there is a personality for everyone to relate to included in the story. I enjoyed the read, it made me smile to myself a lot. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a light, happy read.

8/10

One Hundred Names - Cecelia Ahern

one sentence summary:
Kitty is a disgraced reporter and her mentor has just died leaving her the task of finishing one last story.

review:
This is a beautiful story, it is uplifting and enthusiastic about people. It strives to show that every person has good within them and everyone has a story worth listening to too! I found myself smiling with every turn of the page. The characters are all fantastic. I recommend everyone read this, it is good for your soul.

9/10

The Watchers - Jon Steel

one sentence summary
An unlikely group team up to fight against evil...

review
I really wanted to like this book, I loved the style of the writing, I loved the descriptors of the setting but I HATED all of the characters. I know I was supposed to feel sympathetic and relate to them but I didn't. I tried to, but they were such crap I couldn't get over it. The plot was interesting but Steele let the details get in the way, the story could have been better told at half the length (much like my opinion on LotR). The pacing we terrible, 100 pages of descriptors followed by 5 pages of moving the plot forward, rinse repeat. It was so frustrating because I wanted to enjoy it but just couldn't

4/10

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making - Catherynne M Valente

one sentence summary:
September is 12 and she is tired of her boring old life so goes on a grand adventure.

review:
This is a brilliant story, it reminds me of a cross between Phantom Toll-Booth and Caroline. It is so well written that even though it is a children's book I am going to have to recommend everyone take the time and read it. The characters are all unique, there are no stereotypes or tropes to be found on the pages of this thrilling little story. The writing it self is beautiful, with poetry like prose on every page. With each new character comes a new adventure. Do yourself a favour and read this (also a great gift if you don't know what to get a 7-10 year old or for a baby shower... every kid should have this on their book shelve).


10/10

Wit's End - Karen Joy Fowler

one sentence summary:
everything has gone wrong in Rima's life and she has moved into her eccentric godmother's house.

review
the writing was good but the story was fragmented, there were entire side stories that could have (and probably should have) been removed by the editor. The characters all felt only half developed but they all had much potential, I guess it felt rushed, like if only Fowler had taken a bit more time with it it could have been fantastic. The plot was great and the ideas were all really well plotted out.To me it feels like she had an idea playing in her head for years and then her publisher put her on a way to short time line to finish it. Still good enough I don't regret reading it

5/10

Ape House - Sarah Gruen

one sentence summary:
when greed takes over people can do terrible things for their own entertainment.

review:
this was a really well thought out and beautifully executed story, I particularly enjoyed the main characters and their platonic relationship (nice for a change) with each other. I also learned a lot about Bonobos, they are fascinating creatures and they were the highlight of the book. Humans, I have concluded are terrible creatures and the world would be a lot better off with out us. I recommend reading this if you don't mind being pissed off at the world for a bit and are looking for a great, well written story.

9/10

Songs of Willow Frost - Jamie Ford

one sentence summary:
tracing on two converging time lines the life of a 12 year old boy and his mother from before the had her baby we find a story of strength and sorrow.

review:
I really really really enjoyed this story, that said the writing was a bit scattered from time to time and I feel that a stronger editor could have refined the novel to near perfection. I loved the historical aspects of it, I felt fully submersed in 1920's Seattle and leaving the novel behind took a while every time I had to put the book down. The story was mostly heart breaking but in a beautiful and forgivable way. I recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for something good to read.

8/10

Lake of Dreams - Kim Edwards

one sentence summary:
a woman returns home after years away and is amazed by the changes that have occurred and through them comes to terms with her past.

review:
I enjoyed this novel, the main character is a woman who had moved far away from home to avoid having to deal with her family drama. She returns to her home town and is amazed by all of the changes that have taken place. I hated her for large portions of the book but once she started realizing how stupid she was being my opinion of her turned around. It is well written and the characters are all well thought out and develop along with the story. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys well written stories of self discovery.

8/10

Darkborn - Alison Sinclair

One Sentence Summary:
There are two races, one born of light the other of darkness, they coexist but what happens when something threatens both races??

review:
This was better than I expected it to be. The characters were fairly stock, not a lot going on with most of them but there are enough entertaining quirks that they kept me interested in what was happening to them. And that was the strong point of the book, a fast paced plot that keeps the pages turning. I recommend this to you if you enjoyed the Hunger Games series.

8/10 middle/high school (the people who like hunger games)

Bleak House - Charles Dickens

one sentence summary:
Possibly the best look at Victorian England a modern reader can take.

review:
like all of Dickens work (god, I am starting to feel like a parrot with this string of reviews on the classics), the characters are all brilliantly developed, the plot is clever and the prose and language alone make it worth reading. I recommend this to anyone who wants to read a wonderful novel with beautiful language unlike anything that is written now a days.

7/10

David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

one sentence summary:
follow David Copperfield as he lives out the dream of every impoverished writer.

review:
Dickens was one of the greatest writers in the English language, this novel is no exception (in fact he said it was his favourite). The characters are all brilliant and the prose, as always are gripping. The plot is well designed and the setting is perfectly flawed. Copperfield is the every-man of those who think of themselves as artists. I recommend this to anyone who wants to read a poignant story of a man raising himself up by the bootstraps and making something of his life.

6/10

Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

one sentence summary:
an orphan grows up

review:
Dickens proves once again that he is brilliant at making characters who the reader loves and/of hates. The plot flows without any glitches and it is easy to get drawn in to. The prose are a beautiful treat to read and because of this the  novel has become a classic that every lit class reads. Dickens uses what we now think of as stereotypical orphan plots in the original and unique ways that today's authors only wish they could. I recommend it to any one who enjoys reading good writing.

7/10

The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens

one sentence summary:
an exclusive club report the details of their personal adventures and the people they meet to each other.

review:
This is one of those books that you can keep around and read over and over. You can pick it up on a shitty day, open it randomly and read a few pages of genius. I may be too much of a fan of this but I honestly think it is the best character study ever written. It is hilarious in its attention to detail, the details of the people and the things they do. It is all so perfectly written that even a few pages of it is sure to wash even the worst story telling off your brain. It is like a palette cleanse for the readers soul. I recommend this to people who consider themselves readers.

8/10

Emma - Jane Austen

one sentence summary:
A young woman feels that she knows best about not only her love life but her friends as well, she does not.

review:
The funniest read of the Summer of Jane Austen, Emma was remarkably similar to me, trying to make everything perfect for everyone without even knowing what would make me happy. The wit in the writing is brilliantly entertaining, and, as always the characters and plot development are top shelve. I recommend this to any awkward teenage girl who has no friends and is wondering why.

6/10

House Rules - Jodi Picoult

*post #2 for today, just so you don't think everything by Picoult is awful*

One Sentence Summary:
The next Sherlock Holmes is a boy with Asperger Syndrome, or is he the next Moriarty... (dun dun duuuun)

Review:
This was a well written look at the world with a teenage boy with Asperger's as our central focus. Picoult did a brilliant job of putting an autistic child at the forefront without it becoming too much of a gimmick, she makes it clear just what kind of an impact a special needs child has on his whole family and the community around them. A lot of the plot is implausible and ridiculous but if you can ignore that it is a really interesting study of a struggling family. I did not approve of the debate about vaccination that was threaded through the novel. VACCINATE YOUR KIDS! I recommend this if you enjoy family dramas / soap operas.

7/10

Angelfall - Susan Ee

one sentence summary
Angels have been sent to earth to destroy the modern world. A true apocalypse.

review
I was surprised at how well written and well thought out this book was. It is categorized as young adult but has more violence than the Hunger Games series by far. The plot is enthralling and fast paced. The characters are very sympathetic (I dare say I feel more for Penryn (this book) than I did for Katniss (hunger games)) and well written. The novel also touches on mental illness and some of the less glamorous aspects of a post-apocalypse world that most novels skim over.  If this quote makes you squeamish I do not recommend you read this book, "six butter knives stick out of his chest in a circular pattern. Someone has drawn a powder-pink lipstick pentagram with the knives at the end of the points. Blood bubbles up...My mother is safe. She has purposely missed his heart, and he will slowly bleed to death." I highly recommend this novel to anyone who still want's to read it after reading the above quote. It is beautiful and haunting, violent and full of compassion. It is an all around good read.

8/10

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - James Joyce

one sentence summary:
an "artist" is born, see the process as never before

review:
a really interesting character study, told from the third person perspective. The language was beautiful and oft times harsh and jilting. I found the religious aspect of it a fascinating look at the levels of irrational insanity people can reach, when given a frame work of religion (just look at West Burrow Baptist). The way in which an individual comes to term with their own beliefs is something that I enjoy having the chance to watch unfold and Joyce has done a brilliant job at putting that struggle to paper.  I would hate the main character for being a pretentious twat should I have met him in real life. This is often listed on lists of great literature, it is that but it is only literature, I would not recommend this to a casual reader.

6/10

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S Thomas

one sentence summary:
overindulgence leads to insanity
review:
This is a great work of American Fiction, it aptly throws the reader into the hedonistic drug culture of the 1960/70's. IT is a highly entertaining read full of unbelievable circumstances and outrageous claims, which when coupled with the drug induced feeling of the work it is one of the most fascinating novels I have read in a long time. I recommend it to anyone who wants an in depth look at the world of indulgence without actually doing the drugs. The writing is fantastic.
8/10

The Stone Diaries - Carol Shields

One Sentence Summary
Daisy lives the typical middle class suburbia life
Review
This is a well written look at the mundane. Making the mundane into a fascinating story about a woman who is trying to make her own way in the world into a character study of the commonplace. The writing is beautiful prose and the story is worth reading. Though the story is not always happy it is worth reading if you enjoy reading for the sake of writing without a particular action packed story.
8/10

If you enjoyed this check out these other Canadian authors:
Alice Munro
Margaret Atwood
Michael Ondaatje

Half Blood Blues - Esi Edugyan

One Sentence Summary:
1940 Paris, a Black German citizen arrested and never seen again, 60 years later he is being honoured for his contribution to jazz.


Review:
I enjoyed this book, the story is told from the perspective of an elderly black man reflecting on his past as a jazz musician in Paris in the 1930-40's.  I loved all of the characters and enjoyed the perspective it was written with. I learned quite a bit about what it was like to be black in Europe in the lead up to and beginning of WWII. A read that is well worth it.

8/10

Notable Quotes:

"Folks think a lifetime is a thing stretched out over years. It ain't. It can happen quick as a match in a dark room."

"It's like that, I guess, when the past come to collect what you owe."

"I guess mercy is a muscle like any other. You got to exercise it, or it just cramp right up."

"The cabbie's eyes sort of glazed over. Canada kills any conversation quick, I learned long ago. It's a little trick of mine."

If you enjoyed this you should read:

Sarah's Key - Tatiana de Rosnay
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
The Help - Kathryn Stockett To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee