Bus Books to the Rescue

As one might have noticed, I've not really reviewed anything for over a year despite my post in September stating all that would change. Turns out 2014 wasn't a particularly good year for writing. As we're now well into 2015, it's time to get stuck in.

Having said that, I haven't actually read much so far this year as two women in my life are expecting new family members in the next few months, and I've committed to large stitching projects for them both. This takes up a great deal of my time, but I've found I can squeeze in a few chapters during each morning's bus commute and even sometimes on the way home. It's not ideal as it's difficult to really dive in, but, as is oft said, 'better than a poke in the eye'.

A good short-ish commute Bus Book ought to be interesting enough that the reader can tune out other passengers. Ideally the book would either have short chapters or contain a decent number of chapter breaks, and in my case, it shouldn't be a romance, too dark, too intense, and shouldn't be so funny that I annoy others with my laughing. Generally, when in doubt, I'll grab a mystery as they typically fit the brief. However, my last selection Hell or High Water promised these, but turned out to be quite different.

The catalyst is a mystery, but the story is far more complex. It delves into the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, race and gender relations in New Orleans, and family struggles. I quite enjoyed the author's ability to describe life for the inhabitants of pre and post Katrina New Orleans and how poor management of defences and subsequent resources led to prisoners of major crimes (i.e. murderers and sex offenders) being set free and never recaptured as they managed to find a way to live off-grid.

In using a strong, vocal, protagonist who tells-it-like-it-is, and who isn't afraid of confrontation, particularly in situations where there are flagrant inequalities, injustices, and a lack of fair play. The tension and frustration that the main character experiences are palpable to the reader. In this, Castro should be commended.

The problem, is that the novel is sold as a mystery, but truly it's a fiction with an underlying mystery that doesn't get much attention. While I did manage to correctly predict 'who done it', the ending was a surprise; one that I'm not completely on board with. As a result, all the wonderful work the author put in, and the investment the reader makes in the character and her story were completely undone by one short scene.

I'm not sure this book would suit everyone. It's a bit noir, a lot of description, and slow on mystery resolving. However, if the reader is into finding out more about deeper localised cultural issues and race relations then I'd recommend it. As for a Bus Book, it's okay, but I found I sometimes couldn't read it first thing in the morning, was a bit too dark for the start of a day.

Rating: 3 beignets out of 5

Long time coming

Turns out I've either read or listened to 67 books so far this year. I've reviewed a grand total of 1.

Some may wonder at that, but I'll be honest, it was beginning to feel like a chore. So, I stopped requesting books, and tried to catch up on my own desired reading. I also discovered that my library offers mp3 audiobooks, that I can download and listen to at work or wherever it suits. Admittedly, this has introduced me to books I'd not normally read. It also made me realise that some books are truly only meant to be read (but understand that this not possible for everyone, so applaud that so many are available).

In the past few weeks I've been thinking that I do miss reviewing books, so I'm going to start again. However, I'm not guaranteeing that all the books I encounter will be reviewed, but I reckon I'll write a bit about some of the 66 I've neglected.

d~

Getting Your Curiosity Mojo Flowing

At the beginning of some presentations at work, on of the Vice-Presidents, the one who initiated the projects, gave a bit of a talk and mentioned a couple/few books. One of these The Power Of Why by Amanda Lang caught my attention. As someone who is big on testing out potential scenarios on new programs 'what ifs' really, I liked the notion of asking why. They're similar questions, but Lang's is more about general discovery and at which point, or why we stop asking why. Since I often am told not to worry about the what ifs, I found that being encouraged to read a book about why would probably help me with my own troubles.

Turns out I'm right, but probably for the wrong reasons. I approach it in a way that should be more like asking why. Nonetheless, enough about me and more about this great book. Through some self-discovery, Lang realises that preventing ourselves from asking why at any level of our lives, but particularly in business, is posing more limits on what is possible than any other thing. She suggests that we are constantly needing to, in post-modern parlance, control/alt/delete and restart thinking from scratch. This ensures more well rounded responses, and seeing how what we do affects us and others, but from a different perspective.

In the first 150 pages I simply read. However, something she wrote must have triggered something, because suddenly I had a stack of blue sticky notes and whenever a 'why' about something regarding a process our company uses popped up, I'd write it down. The VP is going to be a bit surprised when I give him the sticky note filled book back tomorrow.

The point that Lang strongly makes though, and every example she provides supports it, is that we do really need to reconnect with our inner child, not only to have fun in our lives, but so that we can reduce the number of limitations we've set for ourselves without actually realising it. That by not limiting ourselves, we open up to a lot more of what's 'out there'.

One thing she did conclude is that often, we are best at fixing or creating things when we don't know anything about that thing. Successes breed in ignorance. So, if you're looking to fix something that you've no business fixing, don't stop yourself! Try to fix it, because all those who wanted to fix/create it before you, and know about that thing, are likely to have set limits. You on the other hand, don't even know you're meant to limit yourself. So have at it. In my opinion, the best advice ever.

I never thought I'd say this about a non-fiction business type book, but here we go: 5 out of 5 eurekas.

War In Afghanistan And The Art Of Honour

It's no secret that Afghanistan has probably been the one place in the world where there is always conflict within its borders and from without. Yet, no one, either within or without has been able to find a way to give the land peace. Steven Pressfield's The Afghan Campaign demonstrates this through the eyes of a young soldier joining the fight, while making it clear that this is a modern allegory.

Matthias follows in his brothers' footsteps and joins Alexander's army. When he arrives, he is told that he's unlikely to fight for very long, that likely it would all be over by the end of the season. Three years later, Alexander makes his way toward India, but leaves behind one third of his forces, most of whom are married to an Afghan woman, simply because he could not trust the peace of that land.

Written in the first person, we see Matthias struggling with notions of right and wrong, morality and justice. Mostly though, he struggles with honour and how it is perceived in vastly different ways by the Afghans, the military decision makers, philosophers, poets, authors and his mates. The author clearly shows how war changes the meanings of everything, by just about everyone.

I doubt anyone would disagree that war changes a person, full stop. But Pressfield is using Matthias to help explain to people with loved one in conflict, what goes on in the minds of a combatant and that each has a different point of no return. A moment where something so significant happens that the individual cannot see themselves going back to a life such as the one they had prior to war. It serves to help those not at war to understand just what it takes to make a person shut down emotionally and to some degree, intellectually.

Some might be a bit put off by some of the more modern sounding words and terms, but for those that aren't bothered by this so much, and who enjoy military fiction, I expect this might be a good fit. There is minimal swearing, and it's used to good effect - meaning, not gratuitous.

I would rate this book at more than 3 yaboos (out of 5) but I don't know if I'd go so far as to give it 3.5. As a reader of a lot of military fiction and non-fiction, little of this was new. So in that sense it was a really good story, but it didn't awe me. This is unlikely to be the experience of all readers.

Taking on 2014

I ended 2013 with over a dozen books to review, some of which I'd read in May. I decided not to review them because it wouldn't be fair. The memory isn't as good as it used to be and some of them paled in comparison to others I read afterward.

I have resolved to do better this year and am hoping to review books within a week of reading them. With any luck, it'll work.

I leave you with a couple reader type things happening in 2014:

The 50 Book Pledge
Canada Reads

The Music Of War

When I was in highschool we were encouraged to read Canadian authors, and in those days it seemed like there were only four: Margaret Atwood, Alice Munroe, Margaret Laurence, and Pierre Burton. No doubt there were others, but I didn't really know who they were and truth be told, I didn't do much to enlighten myself. Something tells me that I wasn't the only one ignorant of my own country's numerous authors, as in 2002 the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) inaugurated a new annual event - Canada Reads. For the 2014 version, the process began with the public voting for up to 10 books from a list of 40 (though I'm not certain where the 40 come from) and this list is whittled down to the top ten, whereby the public got to vote again for the top books. Of these, 5 are selected and a few months later they are each defended by a Canadian public personality/celebrity. The public then votes 'off' one of the books per week, until there is a winner. I became familiar with Canada Reads only a few years ago, while at University where I didn't have time for pleasure reading. This time though, I've decided to participate and in the first round I voted for nine: one a professor at Uni had loaned me to read over summer break; two I already had on my list to read; and the other six were books I'd never heard of but appealed to me. Of those nine, only one made it to the top five. This review is about one of the two I had already wanted to read.

Set during the Siege of Sarajevo in 1992, Steven Galloway's Cellist of Sarajevo was inspired by a cellist who played a particular piece at the same time, everyday for twenty-two days after a building was mortared killing twenty-two people. The story itself is about the meaning behind this action and how news of it spread in the streets by people who were attempting to get a food and water while doing their best to avoid being shot at. It shows the difficulty of individual movement, the need for compassion even while so very difficult to give, and the internal battles each individual must face daily simply to exist.

This isn't a love story amid the detritus of war, nor is it a survivor's tale. It is about honouring those who are killed without real cause. It is allegorical of what is still going on today. How bombs fall to make a point, but kill those who would rather just get on with their day - peaceably. What I particularly like about this novel is how different types of violence are portrayed. Everyone understands the physical violence that comes from war, but there are other types of violence, structural, daily and political - all of these are woven into the tale, through the few characters described, and how they push through it, either by acceptance or rejecting it.

While this story is set during a siege, I would not call it a war story in the sense that war is described. This isn't a military tale, it is the story of those besieged and attempting to live another day. Therefore, I recommend this for anyone interested in both military fiction and literature. I give this book 4 dogs crossing the street out of 5.

Serious Comedy

Occasionally as readers we stumble across a work that we can't put down despite how it picks away at the deepest parts of our being and pinpoints the spots where we are most sensitive. This becomes doubly so when considering that the reader selected the book for two reasons: she enjoyed the author's prior novel; and the author is a comedienne. There's no argument that comedy often identifies uncomfortable truths about ourselves and we learn to laugh through it, but one should not expect that just because a comedienne wrote a book, that novel is going to be humorous.

In Oh Dear Silvia, Dawn French explores how family, friends and employees cope and adapt to the loss of someone who was, decidedly, a force of nature in their lives. Silvia Shute is in a coma, and the reasons why she is that state and how it effects those around her is slowly revealed throughout the novel. The story exposes loves and hates, successes and disappointments, as well as the subtle sacrifices one makes to prevent loved ones from coming to the worst of harms.

If, as a reader, you are expecting 'French and Saunders'or 'The Vicar of Dibley' type comedy, then you're in for a disappointment. That isn't to say there aren't any witty or funny scenes, expressions, or characters. Just that it is not a 'humour' book per sé . If you're seeking a book that is brilliant for its own merit then this might be a great fit, especially if you've no fear of crying. The realities of how differently each individual reacts to the loss of a loved one, even if temporary, is brilliantly achieved and written.

I suppose that I'd describe this book as one that ensnares the reader's emotions long before she realises they should even ensure an escape route or has time to lock them away. Perhaps this will scare some potential readers off, which is not my goal. I reckon everyone should read it, but not everyone will like it. It's probably one of those books one has to be open to reading, rather than a question of taste.

For the sheer pleasure of the encounter I give this book 5 beech trees out of 5.