Canadian Children's Books - Not Your Typical Dragon ; Drumheller Dinosaur Dance ; Toads on Toast

Title: Not Your Typical Dragon

Author: Dan Bar-el; Illustrated by Tim Bowers

Publisher: Viking

ISBN: 9780670014026

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book:  Chosen because I saw it reviewed on the Perogies & Gyoza of a The Canadian Book Challenge 6 participant.

Comments:

A very cute book. Crispin's family has always been fire-breathing, and now that he's seven he'll join them in the ranks of fire-breathing dragons. Or will he? I really enjoyed Crispin's tale. It was different and fun (after all, he's not your typical dragon).

Canadian Book (Author from Vancouver, B.C.)

Title: Drumheller Dinosaur Dance

Author: Robert Heidbreder; Illustrated by Bill Slavin and Esperança Mel

Publisher: Kids Can Press

ISBN: 1553379829

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book:  Chosen because I saw it reviewed on the Perogies & Gyoza of a The Canadian Book Challenge 6 participant.
 

Comments:

Canadian Book (Set in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada; Author resides in B.C., Illustrators Ontario residents)

Words flow in a bouncy musical sort of way, with vocab (instruments as well as descriptors). Would make for a cute bedtime story. I read it twice in a row to the kiddos, but didn't fully appreciate it myself until I read it on my own later.

Title: Toads on Toast

Author: Linda Bailey; Illustrated by Colin Jack

Publisher: Kids Can Press

ISBN: 9781554536627

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book:  Chosen because I saw it reviewed on the Perogies & Gyoza of a The Canadian Book Challenge 6 participant.

Comments:

Adorable. When I actually sat down and read this I really enjoyed it.  It was clever, had a great ending, and was plain ol' fun.  Plus there's a recipe at the end for all those that enjoy that sort of thing.

Canadian Book (Author born in Manitoba and resides in B.C.)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Criminal

Title: Your Friendly Neighborhood Criminal

Author: Michael Van Rooy

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Series: Monty Haaviko, Bk 2

ISBN: 9780312606305

Pages: 324

Obtained: ILL library copy

Comments:

I read the first book in this series, An Ordinary Decent Criminal, for The Canadian Book Challenge 6. I read this one because I wanted to know how things went for Monty after the last book.  The only way to do that (without purchasing it) was ILL.

A smuggling ring is being set up to traffic people (refugee sorts) between Canada and the US, and Monty has been paid to help with making the route secure and the smuggling so quiet as not to be noticed by officials on both ends.  Too bad one of the original crew had a drug problem and a big mouth.  Now others want to use the route for more nefarious purposes (drugs, guns, etc.), and Monty needs to clear this issue up.

I think Monty is slipping. Oh he says he's gone straight, but he's does more and more criminal like activity as he goes. It's as if he thinks, "If it isn't for gain, or if it is for good, it's okay." Mmhm. Right. Nevertheless, I enjoyed seeing how he solves the situations he comes across. I have to say that the violence is pretty up there though. The willingness to torture, etc.  Somehow, despite Monty's tendency toward violence and a character that is so very different (from me and my world) that it's hard for me to comprehend, he makes the story.

Anyway, I have to try the third book, A Criminal to Remember.  But that will be the last since the author, Michael Van Rooy, passed in early 2011.

Speaking From Among the Bones

Title: Speaking From Among the Bones

Author: Alan Bradley; Read by Jayne Entwistle

Publisher: Books on Tape

Series: Flavia de Luce, Bk 5

ISBN: 9780307879837

Length: 8 discs; 10 hours, 2 minutes

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

What to say?  This was another fun mystery featuring Flavia's escapades.  I can't help truly enjoying each addition to this series.  So I had a shock with the ending, but we'll get to that later. 

I actually managed to read a book in the proper season!  The story is set around Easter.  Right.  Moving on.

For the mystery itself.  They are opening up the burial place of St. Tancred, but first they stumble across the body of the organist they thought had just up and left.  As luck has it, Flavia is the one to have actually made the discovery.  And she wouldn't be the Flavia we've grown to know and love if she didn't investigate.  I, not being adept with chemicals, or available to observe, etc. did not guess the murderer(s).

But for the personal aspect (which really caught me in this book), Flavia's bond with her sisters seems to be growing through the changes in life - the risk to their home, Ophelia's growing and possible marriage...  While Flavia loves her father, I still find it difficult to get her understanding of his distant nature.  I wouldn't be able to stand that.  But she does have other father-figures.  Dogger, the Inspector Hewitt, and the vicar all seem to pick up the slack where her father is concerned.

Which brings me to the shock ending.  And by ending I mean the last line or so.  My goodness, I can't wait for the next book, The Dead In Their Vaulted Arches.  What a cliffhanger!

A Rule Against Murder (The Murder Stone)

Title: A Rule Against Murder aka The Murder Stone

Author: Louise Penny; Read by Ralph Cosham (linked to Facebook)

Publisher: Blackstone Audio

Series: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache Mystery aka Three Pines Mystery, Bk 4

ISBN: 9781433251290

Length: 9 discs ; 11 hours

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

I cannot seem to read this series in the right season.  Armand Gamache and his wife are celebrating their anniversary at the same lakeside retreat, Manoir Bellechasse, they go to every year.  As their anniversary falls on Canada Day (July 1), it's very much summer and hot.  (Unlike here were it is, though mild for winter, still snowy or icy or at least slushy - please I'll take snow over slush any day.)  But this year is different from previous anniversaries.  This time there's a murder.  As it turns out, Three Pines is just a stone's throw away, so we get a brief glimpse of the characters introduced in the three preceding books.  But really, character-wise, this book most offers a chance to become more familiar with both Armand Gamache and Peter Morrow.

As for the mystery, there's the usual range of suspects, from the family of the victim to the staff of the Manoir Bellechasse.  But this time the real question isn't as much who (though that IS a question) or why (ditto) but HOW?  I did not guess the how.  But I did have a feeling which clues were important, just not why they were important.  And I didn't guess the murderer.  And I'm incredibly frustrated that the unisex (as in the gender is a secret) child of the victim's family was STILL a secret at the end of the book.

Anyway, maybe if I speed up my listening I might manage to catch up to the proper holiday/season.  Book five is The Brutal Telling.

A Few Blocks

Title: A Few Blocks

Author/Illustrator: Cybèle Young

Publisher: Groundwood Books

Series: A Few..., Bk 1

ISBN: 9780888999955

Obtained: ILL library copy

Comments:

After reading the 2nd book in this series, A Few Bites, I knew I wanted to read this one. 
 
It is time for Viola and Ferdie to go to school, but Ferdie doesn't want to.  So Viola turns their walk into adventure after adventure until she's done spinning adventures.  Then Ferdie picks up where she left off.  

As with the second book, the adventures bring color into Viola and Ferdie's black and white world.  Also like the second book, their imagination overlaps the real world allowing the reader to catch glimpses of both.  

I actually enjoyed this one more than the second, but I don't know if that's because of the ending, because I have a better understanding of how the books and illustrations work, or if it's just better. 

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows

Title: I Am Half-Sick of Shadows

Author: Alan Bradley; Read by Jayne Entwistle

Publisher: Books on Tape

Series: Flavia de Luce Mystery, Bk 4

ISBN: 9780307879479

Length: 6 discs ; 7 hours, 24 minutes

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

I wanted to listen to this before Christmas, but it didn't happen. (I was even tempted to read the print!)  Nevertheless, listen to it I did.  Her family's financial straits have worsened and her father has rented out Buckshaw for a film - complete with famous actors/actresses and director!  Despite the instruction for the family to stay to their quarters, Flavia inserts herself into the mix - mostly acting as doorman (by coincidence), but also peering out of windows and such.

And we mustn't forget Christmas is around the corner!  Flavia is determined to catch Father Christmas and prove to her sisters that he is quite real.  Then everyone crowds Buckshaw for a charity performance of Romeo and Juliet, find themselves snowed in, and voilà! It is the perfect situation for committing - and getting away with - murder.

As always, Flavia was a fun imp to spend time around.  From the beginning of the story with her fascinating dream, to her mix of intellect and a child's innocence/spirit, to her lively interactions with everyone around her, she brings intrigue and amusement.  Beyond Flavia (and the assortment of other familiar and interesting characters), I enjoyed the mystery itself.  For this time, all possible suspects are/were stuck at Buckshaw (admittedly no small place, it still isn't the entire local neighborhood like in past books).

I look forward to listening to book 5, Speaking From Among the Bones.

An Ordinary Decent Criminal

Title: An Ordinary Decent Criminal

Author: Michael Van Rooy

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Series: Monty Haaviko, Bk 1

ISBN: 9780312606282

Pages: 278

Obtained: ILL Library copy

Comments:

Michael Van Rooy was a Canadian author I discovered on NoveList (unfortunately he passed in 2010).  This is the first of his crime series, and it sounded interesting so I decided to try it.

Monty/Sam is a criminal trying to go straight.  He's moved with his wife and young son to Winnipeg to get a fresh start.  But that's kind of hard to do when you have guys breaking into the house you're renting and you shoot them - all in the first 2 pages of your story.  Monty is arrested and assaulted by the police and can't really lead his new life with this hanging over his head.

The detective who arrested him is set to let everyone know about his past and ruin his start before it's even begun.  And the cousin of one of the robbers he shot is after him to hold up his reputation.  His very first employer fires him after one day's work, and his landlady is trying to have them evicted, and the neighbors don't want him around, and someone's trying to get him to break under his addiction, and, and, and...

So maybe Monty needs to go back to his old ways - just a little - to set things right and make his future possible.

The language and everything else is pretty graphic.  Monty is going straight for his family and new beginnings  - not because of any remorse.  The dust jacket says he's a "antihero who readers will root for against all odds."  I don't know what to think of him really.  I wouldn't say I like him (and I can and do like criminal protags - thieves and assassins and all).  But I did root for him too.  I think it was the justice (or lack) of the thing.  I mean, the man is trying to do things differently, whatever the reasons, and you're gonna mess that up for him?  It riled the part of me that wanted to advocate for prisoner's rights back when (If only I had the nerve to actually speak up - which I don't because I'm terribly shy, really.  But that was a career path I considered at one point.).

The story kind of reminded me of the television show Prison Break, even though Monty's completed his time and isn't even on parole or anything so it isn't the same thing at all.  Anyway, I hope to read the second book, Your Friendly Neighborhood Criminal, because I'm curious how things go for Monty, but I'll have to ILL it, too.

More Canadian Children's Books: Giraffe and Bird ; A Few Bites

Title: Giraffe and Bird
Author: Rebecca Bender aka Rebecca Buchanan
Publisher: Dancing Cat Books
Series: Giraffe and Bird, Bk 1
ISBN: 9781897151846
Obtained: ILL Library copy

Comments:

After reading Don't Laugh at Giraffe, I had to read the book that preceded it as well.  Unfortunately, my library doesn't own this so I was left waiting for ILL.  I read it and jotted down some notes before I returned it.  Too bad I promptly misplaced them.  So my memory about what I wanted to say is shaky.  My apologies in advance.

Like Don't Laugh at Giraffe this one emphasizes vocabulary.  One of them (can't remember which) can't abide the other.  One of them can't stand the other.  Etc.  They finally part ways, but then they discover maybe they'd be better off with each other than alone.  I guess it's a good example of a symbiotic relationship.  I had more to say, but I'm afraid it's gone now...

Title: A Few Bites
Author/Illustrator: Cybèle Young
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Series: A Few ..., Bk 2
ISBN: 9781554982950
Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

I found this on the new books rack, thought it was appealing, read it on my lunch hour, decided to check it out... And I did eventually read it to one of the kiddos.  I found Viola's imagination and the way she made everything so much more appealing to little brother Ferdie charming.  The illustrations are great as you can see each scenario from dinosaurs to aliens unfold around the setting of their house in color.  There's something so charming about books that emphasize the child's imagination.  The only part that fell slightly short for me was the ending when Viola runs out of ideas to convince Ferdie to eat his ravioli.  It was just so abrupt.

While I was looking up the links for this I discovered:

1. This is another accidental Canadian book! Cybèle Young lives in Toronto.
2. There's actually another book around Viola and Ferdie titled A Few Blocks in which Viola convinces Ferdie to go to walk to school using similar techniques to this one.  I look forward to trying that book as well.

Silence

Title: Silence

Author: Michelle Sagara aka Michelle Sagara West aka Michelle West

Publisher: DAW Books

Series: The Queen of the Dead, Bk 1

ISBN: 9780756407421

Pages: 289

Obtained: Library Copy

Comments:

I was looking for more ideas for Canadian books to read - this time on NoveList (a great resource if you get the chance to try it - I have access through my local library).  I've meant to read Michelle's books before; I've heard such great things.  But now I saw a first in a new series (what better way to try an author for the first time).  And the potential storyline intrigued me.  There's the whole seeing the dead thing.  Plus check out that cover!

I was a little concerned when the first scene started in present tense, but the remainder of the story was in third person (thankfully).  And once I started reading, I really like Emma as a character.  She's been through a lot.  She's honest about her reactions to everything she's been through, saying she'd gone through periods of self-pity, etc.  Beyond that she's a good friend.  Even when she wants her space.  As her friend Ally explains to another character, Eric, she kind of holds everyone together.  But she's especially great with Michael.

I found myself very pleased with how the character Michael was portrayed.  He's a high-functioning autistic.  And his character has such depth.  I'm not especially close to anyone with autism (I have a couple cousins with autism, but they live far away and are quite a bit younger), so I don't have any personal connection, really.  But that doesn't mean I can't recognize when an issue is addressed well.  In this case Michael goes to school and has a group of friends that keep his environment calm and steady... or at least as much as possible when dead people start showing up.  That all made sense when I read in the "About the Author" that her older son "taught her a lot about ASD, the school system, and the way kids are not as unkind as we, [...], are always terrified they will be."

Anyway, the friendship aspect was wonderful, but that wasn't even the primary focus of the story.  The main focus is Emma's new powers, new student Eric's secretive awareness of what is going on with her, and what that all means.  The story was even more interesting than what I hoped, and I look forward to reading the 2nd book in the series, Touch (due out, I believe, May 2013).

UPDATE: 1/14/2017 I do have a personal connection.  My nephew (now 9) has been diagnosed as having autism.  

read and buried

Title: Read and Buried

Author: Erika Chase aka Linda Wiken

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Mystery

Series: Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery, Bk 2

ISBN: 9780425251782

Pages: 287 + "Reading Lists"

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

Perhaps you remember how much the first book in this series, A Killer Read, thrilled me.  Read and Buried has all those same things going for it.  The reading specialist main character.  The book club.  The push at literacy and mention of the Rapid Reads line.  Quotes at the beginning of each chapter from a variety of mysteries.  With all this I was already biased going in.  I doubt I could possibly have disliked this book.

But that wasn't an issue...because I did enjoy this mystery.  An award winning author (a bit of a one-hit wonder) is in town and is (in a complicated fashion) invited to speak to the book club.  He's murdered before he ever has the chance.  And of course it takes place at a book club member's house and a book club member is suspect.  So once again, the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society works together to discover who the real killer is.

I did kind of suspect the killer, but I did not guess why.  I had this whole entirely untrue theory going on in my head, and it took quite a bit to convince me that was not the case.  Even as that theory didn't occur to the characters at all.  Good thing, huh?  Who knows if the killer would have been caught if I'd been on scene. ;p  (I know this is fictional. Honest! No matter how the previous sounds.)

Things of note:

• This is a Canadian read!  An accidental one, but Canadian nonetheless. The author lives in Ontario.
• This book is set around Christmas.  It was real hard for that to stick with me, what with it being set in the south and not snowy (look at the cover).

I look forward to reading book 3, Cover Story, due out August 2013.

A Red Herring Without Mustard

Title: A Red Herring Without Mustard

Author: Alan Bradley; Read by Jayne Entwistle

Publisher: Books On Tape Mystery

Series: Flavia de Luce, Bk 3

ISBN: 9780307704795

Length: 9 discs; 10 hours 46 minutes

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

As with the first two books in this series, Flavia's character just drew me in.  This time she's investigating the "fishy" facts surrounding the assault of a gypsy woman and murder of a local poacher.  The story also delves further into the mystery that surrounds Harriet, the financial burdens of the surviving de Luce family, and, of course, Flavia's relationship with her sisters (in which I could FINALLY see some potential).  I did marvel at just how immature Flavia's sister Ophelia is.  She's supposed to be 17.  You'd think she'd be beyond picking on her little sister.

As for the narrating, at this point I couldn't imagine Flavia sounding any different.  I did find myself intrigued by one point in the book when Flavia tries on her best American accent.  When I was originally researching Jayne Entwistle I listened/saw her in a couple of bits.  A clip of a movie she acted in, an interview with her step-mother on improv and its use in therapy (I actually listened to the whole thing, btw.  It was interesting, plus I learned about "Yes, and...").  So I've heard her without the British accent before.  But this time it was Flavia without the accent, and that was altogether more fascinating.

Anyway, I've got a copy of the fourth (audio)book in the series, I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, from the library.  I'll start it once I've finished the one I'm currently listening to.

Canadian Children's Books: Hide and Sneak ; My Arctic 1, 2, 3 ; Don't Laugh at Giraffe

Title: Hide and Sneak
Author: Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak; Illustrated by Vladyana Krykorka
Publisher: Annick Press
ISBN: 1550372297
Obtained: Library copy (kinda - a neighboring library system's copy)

Comments:

A young girl wants to go off and play hide and seek, but is warned not to go to far or the Ijiraq might hide her.  She isn't very good at hide and seek, but she does observe some fascinating thing in her exploration.  Along the way she sees an Inuksugaq (stones piled to look like a man), among other things (fish, butterflies, etc.).  And what do you know?  The Ijiraq comes along and tells her about the perfect hiding spot.  She follows along until she finds herself wanting to go home.  But where is home?  One of the illustrations as she tries to find is shows a shape barely more than a dot.  My niece immediately recognized it as the stone man.  I had to look closer.  Does she find her way home?

The illustrations are quite lovely with their color and detail.  The pages all have borders with what I believe is the Inuit language along the bottom.

Title: My Arctic 1, 2, 3
Author: Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak; Illustrated by Vladyana Krykorka
Publisher: Annick Press
ISBN: 1550375059
Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

This is a counting book, but it isn't like every other counding book.  The numbers follow from 1 through 10 then jump to 20, 100, 100000 (millions) [that's based on my notes - I know the numbers don't correspond, but I don't know what is accurate since I no longer have the book on hand], and back to 1.  Each number represents animals and such you'd find in the arctic world of Michael Kusugak and his family.  At the end the book goes over some of the words found.

Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak lives in the Rankin Inlet in Nunavut, Canada.  Illustrator Vladyana Krykorka is originally from what was formerly Czechoslovakia and is now the Czech Republic.  She has resided in Toronto (Ontario) since 1968.

Title: Don't Laugh at Giraffe
Author: Rebecca Bender aka Rebecca Buchanan
Publisher: Pajama Press
Series: Giraffe and Bird, Bk 2
ISBN: 9780986949562
Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

I chose this because I thought it'd be a good moral story. It turned out it is also a good book for vocab. Words like tremble, slinks, and pop are made larger. There are several different laughs named (guffaw, cackle, howl, cheep) along with descriptions about how they sound (Ah-Clack, Clack Clack; Oh-Hoo Hoo; Cheep Cheep Chirup; etc.).  Plus it kind of had the moral I expected. Think about how your friends feel if you laugh at them, but how everyone feels when they laugh together.  I saw some reviews on Goodreads that were negative about some of the same points I appreciated, leading me to believe this is a "depends on the person" type of book.  I think everyone could agree the illustrations are bright and charming.

While the above books were chosen for being Canadian books, this one was sheer coincidence.  The author is from Ontario.  I have requested the library either purchase or ILL Giraffe and Bird.

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag

Title: The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag

Author: Alan Bradley; Read by Jayne Entwistle

Publisher: Random House Audio

Series: Flavia de Luce Mystery, Bk 2

ISBN: 9780307576415

Length: 8 discs ; 10 hours

Obtained: Library audiobook copy

Comments:

While Flavia still mentions her interest in chemistry and poison this time (in addition to making a concoction to prank her sister and running some tests), chemistry did not play such a large role as in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.

Like the first book, there are actually two possibly connected mysteries involved.  One that happened in the past, and one that happens with Flavia there to see the actual death, though not the murder itself.

Flavia's family still plays a role in her life.  In addition the continued sibling rivalry and her father's disinterest, this time Flavia's aunt is visiting.  This is a mixed blessing.  Her presence seems to be something of an annoyance...to be tolerated.  But she brings with her some information about what Flavia's long-gone, and therefore somewhat mysterious, mother was like.

Flavia's spunk is still enjoyable in this book, but I was a little, ah, frustrated(?), that when Flavia recognizes an abusive relationship, she feels mild disapproval but seems to find it more of an interesting observation than anything else.  The man in question is someone she sees as both cruel and charming in turn; she simply accepts that.

I guessed the person responsible for the past mystery (though not the motivations or any details), and while I figured that mystery had to be related to the "present" murder, I did not figure that part out.

Anyway, the end result is that I enjoyed the book and story.  And I will continue reading the series.

Blood Bath & Beyond

Title: Blood Bath & Beyond

Author: Michelle Rowen aka Michelle Maddox aka Morgan Rhodes

Publisher: Obsidian Mystery

Series: Immortality Bites Mystery, Bk 1 ; a continuation of the Immortality Bites PR series

ISBN: 9780451237644

Pages: 308

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

Vampires are spreading to the cozy mystery, but they still aren't so common as in some genres.  This means they can be fun and interesting without becoming hackneyed.  Beyond that, I've read and enjoyed Michelle Rowen's books before in other genre's.  She's written paranormal romance (of which I've read Angel with Attitude), paranormal YA fiction (I've read Reign or Shine and Reign Check), paranormal shorts (I've read "Familiar"), contemporary romance, urban fantasy, ... What I didn't read (and man was I a confusing mix of "That figures." and "What? I can't believe it!" once I realized), was the Immortality Bites paranormal romance series which I used to own, but am pretty sure I never read.

As I was reading the book, I felt like there was a back story behind the relationship of Sarah and Thierry.  It simply never occurred to me there might be 5 books worth behind it.  The really unfortunate part is that I have a sneaking suspicion I ended up donating those books.  Now I'll have to check them out at the library.

But perhaps you'd like to hear my thoughts on the book in question?  I enjoyed it.  I like Sarah.  She can be both confident and uncertain depending on the circumstances, which made for a nice balance.  The story itself was interesting.  There is a serial killer vampire in Vegas that needs to be stopped.  I guessed a part but certainly not all of what was going on.

Speaking of Vegas.  The bulk of the book is set there, but it starts in Toronto.  Which is of particular note because Michelle Rowen is from Ontario, qualifying this read for the Canadian Book Challenge 6.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Title: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Author: Alan Bradley; Read by Jayne Entwistle

Publisher: Random House Audio

Series: Flavia de Luce Mystery, Bk 1

ISBN: 9780739384305

Length: 10 hours; 8 discs

Obtained: Library audiobook copy

Comments:

So first heard of this series last year, and I actually had the print version of this checked out at one point, but I never got around to it until I decided to try it as an audiobook.  Boy, am I ever glad I decided to try it as an audio.  I enjoyed the story, of course; I'll get more into that later.

But I can't fathom enjoying the story as much as I did with Jayne Entwistle narrating it.  She positively brought Flavia to life.  The spunky almost 11-year-old's attitude just bubbled out.  Her sheer glee when speaking or thinking about chemistry was right there, in your face.  I actually ::mental gasp:: found myself wondering if I ever gave chemistry a fair shot.

I dropped out of AP Chem my first day of class, and did everything in my power to avoid chemistry in college, even though it meant switching career goals (I wanted to be a veterinarian - an exotic vet, to be precise - from kindergarten through my senior year of high school when I dropped the Chem class.  I even applied to universities where I could intern at nearby zoos or animal parks.).  But Flavia sounded so enthused about it, I had to doubt myself.  And that is saying something, because chemistry (or avoidance of it) had such a huge impact on my choices.

Penny Black
Image obtained from http://www.pennyblackstore.blogspot.com/

Anyway, I thought the narrator did an excellent job with the book, but the author deserves credit too.  The characters, in particular Flavia of course, had such personality.  Their situation was so interesting an different.  It's the 1950s in Britain.  Here's where I admit to being something along the line of ethnocentric (I don't think that fits exactly, but I can't think of a better term), because I've never thought about what the UK was like in the 50s.  It simply never occurred to me.

As far as the characters are concerned... Flavia's mother died in an accident when she was one, leaving her, her two older sisters, and her father to manage on their own.  There is a rivalry between the sisters that includes tying one up and locking her in a closet, tampering with one's lipstick, and various verbal pokes and stabs.  I have to admit, the sibling reactions baffled me a little.  But it contributed to the different aspect I mentioned before.  Their father is somewhere between strict and disinterested, so they mostly are able to run wild.  And then there is the staff.  Mrs. Mullet didn't do much for me one way or the other, but I found Dogger and Flavia's interactions/relationship interesting, and dare I say, hopeful.  When she needed a father figure a bit more tuned in, Dogger was there.  And when Dogger needed a reality check, Flavia was there.

Another point of interest is that Flavia is a child prodigy, particularly when it comes to chemistry and poisons, but her intelligence goes further than that.  At the very beginning of the book, when Flavia's been tied up in a closet, she mentions what idiots they are for failing to tie her thumbs.  *blink*  It would never occur to me, if I ever had reason to tie someone up securely (highly unlikely), to tie their thumbs.  My point is, her unusual intelligence means she is more intelligent than many adults.

I've already begun listening to the second book in the series, The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag.

This book, while set in the UK, is written by Canadian author Alan Bradley, who resides in Ontario.  The narrator was born in England and currently live is the U.S., but does have Canadian citizenship.

A Winter Kill

Title: A Winter Kill

Author: Vicki Delaney [Website][Facebook][Twitter] aka Eva Gates [Facebook][Twitter]

Publisher: Rapid Reads (Raven Books)

ISBN: 9781554699568

Pages: 111

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

I had to read this book for a number of reasons.  It's another Canadian book (set in Ontario).  It's by the same author that writes the Klondike Mysteries I've been reading.  And it's a Rapid Read.  I know I've gone on about Rapid Reads before, but I'm going to do so again.  I just love the idea of a line of books for adults with literacy issues and reluctant readers.  I admire the line and the authors who write for it.  You can imagine how excited I was when I discovered one of the Canadian authors I've been trying out recently had written a book for this line.   So I requested the library purchase it.

This was actually a little different than some of the Rapid Reads I've tried so far.  Instead of being a story that takes place in a shorter amount of time, the story does take place over days.  I suppose this actually makes the investigation more realistic.  It was also different from the Vicki Delany books I've read so far as it's a contemporary mystery.

The primary character, Nicole Patterson, is likable enough.  I did like her more before her primary interest/motivation in the case was revealed.  Said interest was relevant to the times and showed a fallibility that made for more realism in what seemed to be unrealistic investigation by someone so low ranking in law enforcement.  But it was one of those things that, once discovered, you want to distance yourself from.

Overall, the story was a quick read.  This was especially convenient as I've found it incredibly difficult to concentrate on reading recently.

The Cruelest Month (The Cruellest Month)

Title: The Cruelest Month aka The Cruellest Month

Author: Louise Penny; Read by Ralph Cosham

Publisher: Blackstone Audio

Series: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache Mystery / Three Pines Mystery, Bk 3

ISBN: 9781433233777

Length: 10 Discs, 12 Hours

Obtained: ILL Library audiobook copy

Comments:

I dragged myself through this book.  I don't know if it's because I need a break from the series, if it's because I didn't like how that underlying mystery I mentioned with the second book was coming out, if it was Peter's jealousy of Clara's work. (I had a big problem with Peter's attitude.  I was literally shaking my head and saying, "No, no, no," at points.)  Whatever the reason I'm going to take a break now.  Maybe I'll try reading the next one in print.  Shake things up a bit.

 But for a bit more about the actual story... The first book is set around Canada's Thanksgiving, the second around Christmas and Boxing Day.  This time it's spring.  Right around Good Friday and Easter, in fact.  Clara's preparing a painting for a big-wig art guy (hence, Peter's jealousy), painted wooden Easter eggs are being prepared for the kids to find and trade in for chocolate, Ruth's caring for a pair of ducklings, a couple séances are being held, and oh, it looks as if someone has been scared to death.

I could have done without Clara's preparation of her art (for reasons mentioned above).  The spring atmosphere just didn't click with me the way fall and winter did in the previous books.  Maybe it was the muggy summer heat I was walking in while listening to most of this.  Anyway, Ruth was, as always, great.  The ducklings only added to that.  And the mystery was fine.  It tended to be overwhelmed by everything else that was going on with Gamache and his team, though.

There was one bit of philosophy I found particularly intriguing in the book, and it plays out in the conclusion (I don't think that's giving too much away).  There's an idea of a "near enemy" where one negative emotion is passed off as a positive.  The examples mentioned are Love (positive) vs Attachment (negative), Compassion (positive) vs Pity (negative), and Equanimity (positive) vs Indifference (negative).  I found this idea interesting and had to play with it a bit, considering who might fit what under what circumstances.

The Next Margaret

Title: The Next Margaret

Author: Janice MacDonald Mant

Publisher: Mosaic Press

ISBN: 0889625735

Pages: 127

Series: Randy Craig Mystery, Bk 1

Obtained: ILL Library copy

Comments:

Janice MacDonald Mant is another author I found via the Wikipedia list of Canadian authors.  This is my 5th book for the Canadian book challenge.

I sometimes wonder (when reading other reviews) if I'm not literary enough to do proper posts for the Canadian book challenge.  Randy Craig, working on her MA in English literature at the University of Alberta, describes various authors and works of literature much the way I feel like I should be.  Alas, I can't (well, maybe I could if I was doing so for school) and won't be writing such literary reviews.  Nevertheless, I found the glimpse into academe interesting.  It was in turns both familiar and foreign to me.

While at school Randy meets and becomes involved with a fellow named Guy.  This relationship was definitely on the sideline of the story.  I'm not sure if this is because the book isn't a romance, or if it's because Randy just doesn't care that much, but there it is.

As for the mystery, well I thought it was pretty obvious, and I almost did a head slap or two at some of the conclusions Randy jumped to.  Perhaps she was too involved in his academics to get a little reality check.

Despite the quirks of this book, I enjoyed the story.  And I'm interested in reading more of the Randy Craig mysteries.  I suspect the following mysteries will be better done since, according to the author's own website, The Next Margaret "is the 'lost book' of the series."

ETA: I forgot to mention, at one point Randy mentions almost being "made redundant," and I only knew that meant being let go because of Undercover Boss: Canada!  Of which I watched all of 2 or 3 episodes.

A Fatal Grace (Dead Cold)

Title: A Fatal Grace aka Dead Cold

Author: Louise Penny; Read by Ralph Cosham

Publisher: Blackstone Audio

Series:  Chief Inspector Armand Gamache Mystery aka Three Pines Mystery, Bk 2

ISBN: 9780786168620

Length: 9 Discs; 10 1/2 hours

Obtained: Library audiobook copy

Comments:

This is my 4th for the Canadian book challenge.

While the victim in the first book was someone everybody loved, the primary victim in this one is someone everybody hates.  This made for an interesting change.  I had suspicions about who might have been the murderer, then was completely thrown off track before, in the end, having my original guess confirmed.  

And, of course, I enjoyed revisiting some of the characters from this series... The Chief Inspector himself, Clara and Peter, and the other Three Pine villagers and members of the investigating team.   As in the first, Gamache's team and their interactions and reflections (primarily regarding Gamache) are a large part of the book.

There's also an underlying intrigue that is taking place throughout the book as well.  I'm hoping the next book will have some answers about that aspect of things.  That's right, I fully intend to read the third book as I am becoming connected with this series.  I have to wait, though, for my ILL request to come in or for us to receive it (my boss is ordering it).

Gold Fever

Title: Gold Fever

Author: Vicki Delany

Publisher: RendezVous Crime

Series: Klondike Mystery, Bk 2

ISBN: 9781926607023

Pages: 290

Obtained: ILL library copy


Comments:

I put off reading this until the day it was due (don't ask why... I enjoyed the first one).  Once I finally read it, I was quickly re-immersed in late 19th century Klondike gold rush period with Fiona and her friends and family.  The one thing that I find a little irritating is how Fiona goes on (often) about being the most beautiful woman in Dawson and how she isn't bragging.  Beyond that I like her.  I enjoyed the mystery aspect as well.  There was a lot going on that managed to confuse things.  Anyway, while I'm still hesitant about apparently going backwards in Fiona's timeline (I'm hoping I'm wrong), I will still be reading Gold Mountain.  And I have a Rapid Read by Vicki Delany waiting as well.