Blood Brothers of Louisbourg by Philip Roy: Review

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Two young men. Two different cultures. Brothers from another mother (literally).

Jacques is dragged from his home in France by his father to the Fortress of Louisbourg in the New World to make Jacques “a man.” Jacques just wants to read his books and play his violoncello. He has little choice in the matter though.

Two-feathers is a young Mi’kmaw man searching for his father, a man he believes is a brave warrior among the French people. He’s set out on his own to the Fortress determined to discover this mystery man.

For this brief period of time, the two men’s lives will intersect, unbeknownst to them both. While struggle to find their own identities, the inhabitants of the Fortress live on borrowed time.

Living in Cape Breton, I’ve been to the reconstructed Fortress many times. It’s a place perpetually stuck in the years before the Siege. Jacques and Two-feathers both arrive at the Fortress at this time. In 1745, British forces took Louisbourg. Both men can see how unprepared the French are for an invasion. Jacques is a terrible soldier, any idiot can see that, except his father. On the other hand, his other son, the one he’s never met, is everything he could have hoped for. Though they’re very different, they’re both good boys. They also have very different ideas about their father. Two-feathers hopes to find some glimmer of familiarity, something to make him proud. Jacques knows he has nothing in common with his father. It was very interesting reading these boys’ differing perceptions and their experiences. I was glad that they both sort of get what they need.

I enjoyed reading Blood Brothers in Louisbourg, but there were a couple of things that would have made the experience better. First, I though it was too short. I know I’m not the demographic for the book and maybe short is what the young’uns want, but the time frame felt too condensed and rushed. Though I thought Jacques and Two-feathers were well drawn characters, others could have used some fleshing out, particularly Celestine. She seemed to be more of a plot point than a person. Still, I thought it was an excellent little book and appreciate the local cultural aspect.

Recommended!

Friday Bookish Buzz Is Back, Baby!

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Ha! Looked like I disappeared, didn’t it? But I’m back in business, gathering the linkies for the Fridays. Here’s a look at what I found like week. Enjoy!

*The cat in this week’s post wouldn’t be friends with Franzen: all the cats he’d like to kill (allegedly).

*Well, that didn’t take long. Lauren Graham’s debut book headed for TV.

*Scarlett “She Who Shan’t Be Named” Johansson sues French publisher.

*The Daily Beast is not so impressed with Revenge Wears Prada.

*1984 gets a bump in sales because of the NSA.

*Lea Michelle to write a memoir/how-to/style guide. ok. *shrugs* I’ll probably buy anything titled Brunette Ambition.

*Etsy Love: These Jane Austen cards from Blue Sky Inking are amazing!!! I love everything in this shop.

That’s it for this week. Hopefully I can keep this going again!

Cards On the Table by Agatha Christie: Review

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As always, there’s a murder. Mr Shaitana, a guy with a Snidley Whiplash moustache and a penchant for the macabre, gets stabbed at his own dinner party in full view of a tableful of bridge players. The players are so enthralled by their game no one notices the crime committed right under their noses. Or didn’t they?

Present at the party are four crime solving experts: Superintendent Battle of Scotland Yard, Secret Serviceman Colonel Race, detective novelist Mrs Oliver, and private detective Hercule Poirot. Also present are four potential murderers, all with secrets they keep hidden. The crime solvers commit to finding the killer, using their own unique skills. Whether it’s women’s intuition, methodical investigative methods, or psychological analysis the killer will be found!

First, how dumb is it to murder someone in a roomful of detectives?! Like, really? Dumb move, murderer; you know you’re going to get caught. That’s the thing about mysteries, criminals are always doing really stupid things like that (or confessing to crimes without a lawyer, like on every episode of Castle ever). However, I thought it was interesting that Poirot had some competition. I liked seeing how each one went about trying to solve the crime. Of course, Hercule Poirot is the only one who can really figure it out. Mrs Oliver cracked me up. Was Christie making fun of herself in that character?

The ending of Cards On the Table was not what I expected. I can sum it up with this gif.

See more on Know Your Meme

So, that’s another Christie under my belt.

It’s a Wrap! Armchair BEA

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Mmmmm….wraps…

So…Armchair BEA was a lot different for me this year. My Real Life, or I should say non-virtual life, has been pretty busy. I’ve been helping out behind the scenes of Armchair BEA too, while still trying to post on the topics (if I had something to say) and visit bloggers who’ve been visiting me. I haven’t been able to do much visiting on my own. I do want to say

Thank you to all who have come over to comment!

I've tried to visit you back. I hope I did!  

It’s been a blur. What did I even post about? Who knows?!!! Now it’s time to get back to normal. I should read something. Probably. But we have Netflix now because I wanted to watch the latest season of Arrested Development, so…. see you next month!

Now for no reason at all here are the Beastie Boys.

Non-Fiction: The Truth Is Out There

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I’m not a big lover of non-fiction. When I think of non-fiction, I tend to think of true crime, celebrity bios, and war stories. It’s silly. Non-fiction is much more than that, I know, but that’s where my mind goes. I do read some non-fiction though. The non-fiction I enjoy is something that’s a bit offbeat, different, or funny. Here’s a list of some of my favorites.

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The Black Count by Tom Reiss. This is the biography of Alexandre Dumas’s (The Count of Monte Cristo) father, an eighteenth century man with a black mother and white father. His life could have been the plot of one of his son’s books, and in fact, he was the inspiration for Edmond Dantes.

 

Bossypants by Tina Fey. Tina Fey. I laughed until I cried. I listened to this one on audiobook. I was glad I was alone at the time. I recommend the audio. It’s the full Fey experience.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and Other Concerns by Mindy Kaling. I’ve really come to like Mindy on her new show, The Mindy Project. Mindy was most definitely a girl like myself as a kid. Studious and concerned about getting in trouble.

Record Collecting For Girls by Courtney E Smith. Loved this book about being a female music lover and how to become a collector of great music. Lots of interesting stories in this one.

One more. The Canadian Housewife: An Affectionate History by Rosemary Neering. It’s not easy being a woman today and it was even harder in the days before electricity. This book looks at the different eras of the Canadian housewife.

I hope you’ve found something that appeals to you on my list!

Developing Into…Something

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As I mentioned yesterday, I’ve been book blogging for six years. I started out just wanting to discuss books with other readers, then I had ambitions, and now… I don’t. As Amy pointed out, sometimes you reach a plateau. I’ve reached mine. Since this time last year, I’ve been finding it hard to concentrate on reading and blogging. I don’t want to give it up though. I’ve made friends I don’t want to give up and I still want to talk about the books I love.

However, life changes and blogging has to change with it. I don’t have ambitions to become a “pro” or break into the publishing business anymore. I rarely accept review copies these days. I just want to read what I want to read. I’m ashamed to say that I don’t visit my book blogging friends as much as I should. Am I just lazy? Or is it that blogging was such a big part of my life that it took over and now I need a break?
There is a pressure (internal mostly) to post often, to not lose that audience that you’ve built, to come up with new and interesting ideas. But you know what? You don’t have to. You can slow down, blog when the mood strikes you. You might not have thousands of followers by doing this but the ones you have will stick with you because they like you and what you have to say. And that’s something.

Welcome, Armchair BEA Peeps!

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An explanation. Armchair BEA:

If you're a book blogger who can't attend Book Expo America and the Book Blogger Convention in New York this May, you don't have to miss all the fun - this virtual convention is the place to be!

Hi! Welcome to my blog, if you’ve never been here before. Today is the day Armchair BEA participants introduce themselves and answer some questions. I’m Chris of Chrisbookarama. I’ve been blogging for six years so I feel like I’ve introduced myself a lot over the years for various reasons. In fact, here’s my post from last year’s Armchair BEA. Have a gander. Anyway, I’m just going to go with one question.

What is your favorite book you have read so far in 2013? 

I loved The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin. It’s not a new book by any means and everyone knows about The Stepford Wives but the book really surprised me. I was totally sucked into it and it creeped me out! I’m going to recommend it to everyone, especially fans of horror. I hope you’ll give it a read.

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As you can tell, I don’t always read and review new books. I like reading the classics. Classics are some of my favorite books. I probably have a favorite classic in every genre. If I could recommend some classics based on a non-classic reader’s preferences, I’d choose:

• Sci-Fi. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Meet the monster.
• Horror. I would have said Dracula by Bram Stoker, but after reading Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, I’d have to go with that one.
• Gothic Mystery. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte or The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.
• Romance. Probably Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, although it’s so much more than a romance, it has a HEA ending so I think it counts. Or The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery
• Dystopian. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Is there hope for humanity?
• Chick Lit? Can chick lit have a classic yet? I think it can. Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding.
• Short story. For those with short attention spans. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
• Non-fiction. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. Love him or hate him, he knew Paris.

So there it is. Welcome to my Armchair BEA post!

The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson: Review

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I can’t really “review” The True Deceiver. What is it about? What does it mean? The introduction calls The True Deceiver Jansson’s “most subtle works”. I’d agree with that. It sneaks up on you. I’m sure it’s stuffed with symbolism that went right over my head.

To sum up the plot (if there is one), Katri decides to ingratiate herself into the life of a reclusive artist living in her village. She can’t do it with kindness. Katri isn’t known for kind. She’s a cold, cunning, yet terrifyingly honest young woman. Anna Amelin, the artist, is an older lady who draws flowery rabbits for children’s books. Her only contact with the village is through the deliveries of the only grocery store. Katri, replaces the delivery service with herself and her brother, Mats. Slowly, Katri becomes a part of Anna’s life, never completely liked but depended upon.

Anna and Katri are polar opposites. Katri, cynical and suspicious; Anna, childlike and trusting. They end up influencing each other, for better or worse. Mats is in the middle, though he’s unaware of it. Katri is overprotective of her younger brother, while Anna relates to his love of reading and his innocence. This causes friction between the two women.

In the end, the women have changed through their interactions with each other. Is this a positive or a negative? I’m not sure.

The writing is quite simple but deceivingly so. It feels as if every word is a part of a puzzle that the reader has to put together. I know I missed a lot. I will have to read it at least a couple more times. It’s very different from The Summer Book, which I loved. I don’t know how to feel about The True Deceiver. I definitely respect the book and Jansson, but it left me feeling confused.

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Lazy Sunday Thoughts Are Trying to Blog

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Ok, so I’ve gotten off my schedule. And I might as well forget it for next week since it’s Armchair Bea! I should be working on my posts for that. But first…

I bought some books at the library sale. I found a few interesting things. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Cakes and Ale, The Moon and a Sixpence, and The Glass Castle

I want to ask Penguin what it was thinking in the 1970s. Both covers for the W Somerset Maugham books are icky. One is p0rny and the other super-racist. Seriously, Penguin. I can’t read these in public.

This also arrived in the mail.

It was a good book week!

Some grammar humour for you. The Lonely Island discusses semi-colons. Yes, I know, I know, but wait until the end. It’s worth it. (Oh yeah, and swears.)

Later!

Changes. The Only Thing David Bowie and I Have In Common

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I’m a working lady now. I have to be out of the house before everyone else, after many years of me sending them all on their way. It’s not an easy adjustment. My body is all, “Wtf?” Saturday I was wide awake at 5:30 am and fell asleep at 10pm. On a Saturday. I have to record my shows and reading is nearly impossible. Will this last forever? I hope not.

So, the only book I managed to finish was True Deceiver by Tove Jansson. It was a thinker, so my opinion about it is all over the place. I should have read Dan Brown’s new one instead. My brain is broke.

I did manage to watch my TV shows though.

• Revenge’s season finale was actually interesting. I have hope for Season 3. I’m like a sad girl with a bad boyfriend. I keep believing it will change if I just stick around long enough. C’mon, Revenge, don’t do me wrong!
• The Elementary finale was wack! Seriously, what is happening there? Moriarty. What?! I still love Watson though. I have thoughts I will share at a later date. She is my fashion guru. She rocks a pair of 4 inch heels.
• ABC released the last 8 episodes of Don’t Trust the B- In Apt 23 on iTunes. Since it would cost me $$$, I only downloaded the last episode (cheapcheap). I did not like where it went. At. All. So now I don’t care about it anymore. Boo.

 

Hey, have you signed up for Armchair BEA? It’s coming soon. May 28-June 2. You better get on that!

I better go. I have to freeze my butt off at a BBQ!