A mingling of threads - Reads

To tea with mitts!

The Birth House

Author: Ami Mckay

IBSN: 0676977723

Publisher: Knopf Canada

CBC has a good interview & article on the book. Chatelaine has an excerpt on their website. Bookclub.ca has an author interview, and a bookclub guide. Quill & Quire have a review.  the author Ami McKay is featured by the the publisher in their The New Face of Fiction programme.

The author's website has a scrapbook page make sure you roll-over the photos and check out the The Occasional Knitters Society, Midwifery in the 1900's,The Conception of the Novel, The Halifax Explosion, and Tealeaf reading. The author also writes a blog called Incidental Pieces.

This book is set here in Nova Scotia so the sayings, traditions, locations and the history are familiar to me; however, I believe those from away who read the book would be as charmed by the story as those of us who live here.

Scots Bay is located on Cape Split (some say at the crook of God’s finger) in the New Minas Basin - which is the location of the world’s highest tides. Many Mi'kmaq Kluscap (Glooscap) legends are associated with this area; one is the belief of a gateway between this world and the spirit world at Cape Split.

The tidal currents in this location produce an audible ‘roar’ which is aptly called the ‘Voice of the Moon’, since its the gravitational pull of the Moon which causes the tides.

I highly recommend this book it is funny, sad, maddening, passionate, and well... really good.

In addition, there is a recipe for the groaning cake.

By the way wondering about my title for this post... well you'll have to read the book to find out what it means.

Reading on the East Coast.

Hauntingly told and beautifully wrought

Author: Niall Williams

ISBN: 0330433962

Published by: Picador

At a small, local, independent book store called Frog Hollow Books the sign on the shelf said:

"One of our favourite books by one of our favourite authors "

What more could you ask for as an endorsement of a good book? They were right you know... I'll be going back to buy his other books. I love finding a new author to read.

The publisher says:

Deeply-felt, beautifully-told, and written in Niall William's lyrical, lilting prose, Only Say the Word offers both acceptance of the past and hope for the future.

The author Niall Williams has a website.

Reading on the East Coast.

Tasty

Author: Sarah-Kate Lynch

ISBN: 0446696277

Published by: Warner Books

I'll confess now I'm often drawn to novels which feature food. I began reading By Bread Alone yesterday and after the first two chapters I knew I wanted to read more by this author. I had to go into town in the afternoon while there I stopped at Coles to buy Blessed Are the Cheesemakers.

(Do you remember The Life of Brian when members of the crowd mishear a statement ?) I loved Monty Python's Flying Circus.

The writing in By Bread Alone is laugh out loud funny and yet at times will also evoke real sadness and tears. The main character is charming, she seems carefree and happy yet she is hiding a great grief. 

"Everyone thought she was so carefree, so happy, so strong, so resliant - why, she even thought that herself - but Pog knew otherwise. And he wanted to help her, God knew he wanted nothing more, but he did not want to push her, to break her, to open the fine delicate cracks he knew had invaded her hardened outer shell ever since that terrible, terrible day. He could not, would not, do any thing to risk losing her, his gorgeous, garrulous, glutinous wife. She was all that had kept him going since then. She was all that kept any of them going. "

The author Sarah-Kate Lynch has a web site.

The publisher has this to say about the books.

Reading Group  guide for By Bread Alone and one for Blessed Are the Cheesemakers.

By Bread Alone was one of those books I read straight through until I was finished.

Settling in on the East Coast with a slice of homemade bread, a slice of cheese, a cup of tea, and a good book.

A five bone review.

Puppet

Author: Joy Fielding

ISBN: 0770429580

Publisher: Seal

As a reader I'm often gifted books which I'm told I must read as it is the best book ever. They are often not. I also receive books as gifts for birthdays, Christmas and such. When people ask about gifts I say just give me a gift card I'll buy my own books. Yet, I still get books from well meaning folks like my Mother.

"I saw it in the grocery store and thought you would like it."

"Everyone was talking about it at Bridge."

So I end up with an assortment of books I would not have bought myself. Sometimes 'cus I'm a book snob. Sometimes because I've read other books by the author and disliked their style. Though sometimes these gifted books can surprise me and I'll find a new author to read.

Holly (my new puppy) offers her review first. A good chew. First few pages the best. The cover was yummy.

The book as reviewed by Holly.

In general after I've read a book it will still look as if it were new. I hate lending books as they are often returned looking like the Holly reviewed book above.

I would not have bought the book Puppet myself if I had seen it in the store. I vaguely knew Joy Fielding was Canadian. I do read mainly Canadian authors, yet I never sought out her books as I thought they were of the romance variety. I was half right it is a romantic suspense novel. Her books are classified as psychological suspense featuring modern women facing external and internal demons. At first glance the story seemed engaging.

...Then comes the news that will shatter Amanda's untouchable world: her mother, who has always held a strange power over everyone she encounters, has shot and killed a complete stranger.

The book brings up events in the main character's family life and her memories of growing up. Yet they are never fully explored or explained. The story touches the surface and skates over issues. It left me wondering and wanting to know more. I had questions and no answers. I was not surprised by the ending. It was a light read for after the holidays. So as you can see Holly liked the book better than I did. We give it a five out of ten bones.

Puppet is reviewed at The Best Reviews. Over My Dead Body! magazine has an Interview with Joy Fielding. Information on the publisher website. Joy Fielding has a website.

Reading on the East Coast.

Crafty Cats

Author: Helen Levchuk

Illustrator: John Bianchi

ISBN: 0882404156

Publisher: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company

I'm at my wits end in an effort to distract my two young rambunctious boys. They seem to have very short attention spans, and require a variety of toys and activities or they invent their own fun. Their idea of fun can often be destructive. It has become increasingly tedious for me to re-roll up the toilet paper, clean up shredded paper towels and replace the shredded shower curtain liners (4 at last count). They love all paper products and will not hesitate to ripped apart a bag of potatoes, not only is there the fun of the paper ripping and floating, potatoes roll! Yummy Julien's baguettes in their paper sleeves have been gnawed and destroyed before I even get a morsel. Tasty tomatoes still on the vine (from Pete's) serve two purposes - fresh greens (later to regurgitate on Mommy's bed) and roll-y things that splat. Stacks of books are apparently great scratching posts. A made bed is more fun rumpled. My lovely, April Cornell, embroidered lace sheers, I found them at the treasure trove La Cache, apparently beg to be climbed... did you hear my scream? 

This weekend during an unsupervised 24 hours a bag of mainly Fleece Artist - Mo & Curlylocks was woven through 9 rooms on three floors.

So, I went rummaging through my book cases and found my copy of Doris Dingle's Crafty Cat Activity Book.

This is a funny book. Although seemingly written for an adult i.e. there are crafts which require a liquor store bag or wine cork and whilst you make said toys the wine is consumed. All in all is a kid friendly craft book (..'cept hic the wine drinkin part...hic). There are some knitty crafts, paper crafts, easy sewing, all use inexpensive often free supplies, lots of fun activities for the kid in us all.

There is a Gordie Garter Snake in the works as you read this post. 

I'm owned by three cats on the East Coast. The yarn survived.

Deep scars...

The Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat

ISBN: 1-4000-3429-9

Published by Vintage

This is what the the publisher has to say.

We meet him late in life: a quiet man, a good father and husband, a fixture in his Brooklyn neighborhood, a landlord and barber with a terrifying scar across his face. As the book unfolds, moving seamlessly between Haiti in the 1960s and New York City today, we enter the lives of those around him, and learn that he has also kept a vital, dangerous secret. Edwidge Danticat’s brilliant exploration of the “dew breaker”--or torturer--s an unforgettable story of love, remorse, and hope; of personal and political rebellions; and of the compromises we make to move beyond the most intimate brushes with history. It firmly establishes her as one of America’s most essential writers.

Reviews say. Read another review at Curled Up With A Good Book or bookreporter.com.

There is an excerpt here, along with a book club discussion guide.

A Conversation with Edwidge Danticat.

Reading on the East Coast.

A tale is spun.

The Nettle Spinner By Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer

ISBN: 0864924224

Publisher: Goose Lane Editions

Book Description
Once upon a time, a young peasant girl subdued a rapacious count by weaving stinging nettles into cloth. Like the resourceful nettle spinner of the Flemish folk tale, the heroine of Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer’s first novel must find a way to deal with sexual violence. Alma, a tough-minded young loner, has spent several summers planting trees with a gang of filthy former hippies, idealistic students, and transients. By day, she and her fellow planters bake in the sun, tormented by mosquitoes and blackflies. By night, they escape from their toil with booze, dope, and sex. In an emotional tailspin after a love affair and a rape, Alma flees to an abandoned mining camp, where she constructs for herself and her unwanted baby a bizarre — and increasingly ominous — new world.

From the Publisher
A stark, vigorous, and sophisticated weave of folklore and gritty realism

Author Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer's website.

A review at January Magazine.

I began reading this book on Friday morning and finished before noon. Although I knew the the Fairy Tale of The Nettle Spinner and guessed at the conclusion of this book I was still compelled to read it from cover to cover. Some parts are wonderful - the tree planting camp, the re-telling of the Nettle Spinner fable, however for me less compelling are the mining camp passages.

As a side note if you have never experienced blackflies the descriptions in the book could not be any more realistic....

Writer Ariel Gordon wrote a review of The Nettle Spinner in the Winnapeg Free Press. She has posted a copy of the review in her Blog, scroll down to the May 11th entry. Her review sums up my thoughts on the book.

Reading on the East Coast.

a drunk, a boy and a cat

Matthew Flinders' Cat by Bryce Courtenay

ISBN: 0670041319

Publisher: Viking

This is the story of a drunk, a boy and a cat. It is two stories in one...the tale of how the friendship between an engaging alcoholic-lawyer-become-street-person (Billy O'Shannessy) and the heartbreaking, bright, but troubled, boy (Ryan) ultimately saves them both. And it's the tale told by Billy to Ryan of Trim, the cat that sailed with Australia's great explorer, Matthew Flinders.

The author Bryce Courtenay's website

The publisher has this to say, these details about the book and author and has this excerpt on their website. I've also read Jessica a few years ago.

Great reading, his writing reminds me a tiny bit of James A. Michener... he does the same epic type stories.

Reading on the East Coast.

Summer reading.

The Summer That Never Was by Peter Robinson

ISBN: 0771076037

Publisher:McClelland & Stewart

Read an excerpt on author Peter Robinson's website.

Peter Robinson is a new author to me. I heard him recommanded on several of the CBC book panels, so knew I wanted to read his books. I love reading a new author because I can read everything he has written to-date without waiting. I've already read In a Dry Season & Aftermath (Canadians will recognize a parallel in the Aftermath story to a horrific case several years ago... especially in light of the fact one of the people involved was released from jail today).

These are great mysteries for Summer reading.

Reading on the East Coast.

escape through reading

 

Sylvanus Now by Donna Morrissey

ISBN: 0143014250

Published by: Penguin Canada

I love Donna Morrissey's writing. Her novels are breathtakingly beautiful; the East Coast voice in particular that of Newfoundland is strong and true.

Set on Canada’s Atlantic coast during the 1950s, Morrissey’s newest novel discusses the strong connection that exists between love and nature.

"You've got to lose yourself in something before you can find the wonder of it." - Sylvannus

The Quill & Quire review.

You can listen to Shelagh Rogers interview (scroll down to May 30) Donna Morrissey on Sounds Like Canada.

Read what the publisher's site has to say about Sylvanus Now, the reviews, an excerpt, and the reading guide.

Her first two books are Kit's Law and Downhill Chance

escape on the East Coast