Back from a very long vacation!

Surprised I have not updated my blog in so long.
I recently had the opportunity to meet Alan Bradley, author of The Weed That Strings The Hangman's Bag.
A group of book people went to the Earl of Sussex pub for drinks, followed by a book reading!

I have never heard much about Alan Bradley before this, but hearing about his book was interesting.
If you like English murder mysteries-then you will enjoy this book.
Don't want to spoil too much, but the sleuth in this novel is a mini heroine!

A longer review is to follow...

Light Behind the Darkness.My review:

Light Behind the Darkness is a compilation of short stories from two unlikely friends that had many life altering experiences in the Middle East.
Claude Weil gives the reader a point of view from that of a Jewish soldier that was serving in Israel, while Raouf Omar describes his family's living in a refugee camp in Palestine and the many people that have touches his life up to his present time in Canada.
Each story was very engaging and full of vivid descriptions that made it easy for the reader to imagine that they were right in the settings where the events took place.
The stories were a pleasure to read and hard to put down.
The two I enjoyed the most were A Samsonite Bag Full of Dreams by Raouf Omar in which he received the gift of a bag from his former boss before going off to university.
The other was By the Sea by Claude Weil, which describes one of his nights on leave from the army and his encounter with an Arabic woman and her elderly grandfather.
This book is essential to anyone that wants to have more insight on world events from the views of an Israeli soldier on one side of the conflict.
As a contrast, the reader has stories of Raouf Omar that describe his time spent in the region of Palestine.
Even though the stories take place at different time periods throughout each author's lives, the stories do a very good job of working together and showing how very different people can get along in the most unlikely situations.
This is a book,which takes the reader on an epic journey while illustrating the triumph of compassion.
A must read for a global audience anxious for conflicts to be diffused across the globe.

http://http://gsph.com/index.php?ID=538&Lang=En

http://http://www.amazon.com/Light-Behind-Darkness-Stories-Compassion/dp/1897508360?SubscriptionId=0TBPMRS0W3G0CB5F0902&tag=afncaie-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1897508360

Well,
seems I have gotten sidetracked by the lovely summer weather and had taken a very long (ok, extremely long) pause from my book review blog.
A few (quite a few) people have emailed me asking if I had stopped posting and I do have a shelf full of already read books to write about...so I will get back to adding new content this fall.

My first review is for Light Behind the Darkness.
I had the chance to meet both authors and that was very interesting as well.
You should really check out this book and it can be ordered on Chapters Canadian website or else ask your local book seller to obtain a copy for you.

http://http://www.amazon.com/Light-Behind-Darkness-Stories-Compassion/dp/1897508360?SubscriptionId=0TBPMRS0W3G0CB5F0902&tag=afncaie-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1897508360

http://http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Light-Behind-Darkness-Stories-Compassion-Raouf-Omar-Claude-Weil/9781897508367-item.html

Rigged by Ben Mezrich

I greatly enjoyed reading this book and following the crazy adventures of “the ordinary kid from Brooklyn” and how he managed to end up in Dubai and convinced many other (important) people to go along with his ideas. The book reads like it is a work of fiction, as many of the events that unfold are very surreal and outrageous. Many of the events that unfolded in Dubai sounded very unbelievable- at least for the “regular Joes” out there. The book reads a lot like a travel guide and there are many very good descriptions of the major sights and the history of Dubai as a trading partner. Even though the book is about finance, it is still entertaining enough that people who are not in that industry would enjoy reading about David Russo’s crazy adventures in the quest to expand the Mercantile Exchange.
Note: I also found it quite ironic that the author refers to David Russo as an “ordinary kid from Brooklyn” because he was actually educated at Harvard Business School and that is not something that the average person does.
For more information about this book: http://www.harpercollins.ca/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0061252727
ISBN: 9780061252723; ISBN-10: 0061252727; On Sale: 10/23/2007; Format: Hardcover; Trimsize: 6 x 9; Pages: 304; $29.95(CAN)

My Mother's Daughter by Rona Maynard

I had the opportunity to read this book last week and found it was very hard to put down. The book reads like Rona is talking to the reader as a close friend. She exposes all facets of her family life and the joys and turbulations of life with or in the shadow of her mother. Rona takes the reader on quite a journey that starts with her life in the United States and ends with her currently living in Toronto. In between all this we also get to know about the other Maynard siblings and relatives- like the sister Joyce that was living with J.D. Sallinger when she was only 18 years old. The book was a very eye-opening read as I have read Chatelaine magazine and never knew that much about the (former) editor. I will definitely be passing my copy along to my mother the next time I see her.
More info on this book can be found at: http://www.mcclelland.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780771057014
Format: Hardcover, 264 pagesPublisher: Douglas Gibson BooksISBN: 978-0-7710-5701-4 (0-7710-5701-6)Pub Date: September 11, 2007Price: $34.99
Also, when I opened the copy of the book I received there was a lovely personal inscription from Rona Maynard and I found that very nice as well :)

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

I greatly enjoyed reading this book and would reccomend it to everyone that cares about the planet. It is impossible to ot be able to relate to at least one of the subjects that is covered throughout the book. Even if you are not into the environment or saving endangered species around the world there is so much that has been built by mankind that will need preserving for future generations. I really likes how Weisman used examples that the "average" reader could relate to. There were also some great explanations for the more complicated concepts. One example that came to mind was how the New York subway system is built on a riverbed, and that the pumps being used to not have the modern capacity to handle the excess water that passes through. If the pumps happen to stop, the subway system will come to a halt. I found it rather ironic that as I was reading this book the very next day similar incidents happened in New York causing the subway system to come to a standstill. Another aspect of the book I greatly enjoyed was how each chapter was dedicated to a specific topic- you could just read the chapters that interest you first. I do reccomend reading the whole book though.
For more information about this book the publisher's website is at: http://www.harpercollins.ca/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0002008645
ISBN: 9780002008648; ISBN-10: 0002008645; On Sale: 07/07/2007; Format: Hardcover; Pages: 320; $32.00(CAN)

Queen of Babble In The Big City by Meg Cabot

I really enjoyed reading the (mis) adventures of the Queen of Babble In The Big City. The book was written in a very light tone of voice much like you were talking to one of your friends. I thought that this added some warmth and personality to the characters in the story. But let’s first start right at the beginning of the book. The story is told through the voice of Lizzie Nichols- a young, zany and fashionable girl who has big dreams of being a wedding gown designer in New York City. Things do not go as smoothly as Lizzie expected- partly because she keeps on putting her foot in her mouth. But at the same time Lizzie’s ability to blab and talk to many people also saves her at the end of the story and makes for a happy ending. Overall I thought the book was quite easy to read and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. This would be a nice book to take on vacation or to read at the beach (or in your back yard at least). I have not read the first book in this series Queen of Babble and will definitely pick it up after having read this one!
For more info about this book the publisher's website is at: http://www.harpercollins.ca/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060852003
ISBN: 9780060852009; ISBN-10: 0060852003; On Sale: 06/26/2007; Format: Hardcover; Trimsize: 5 1/2 x 8 1/4; Pages: 320; $28.95(CAN)

Life on the refrigerator door by Alice Kuipers

Life on the refrigerator door is a book that is based on the written exchanges that take place between a overworked mother and her young teen daughter. The mother and daughter keep on missing each other, so the written messages are their main mode of communication. Kuipers made the book (which is fiction) seem very realistic by keeping the same format of short messages for each page of the book. At first this takes a bit of getting used to reading such short passages on each page, but then you soon come to realize that it is also part of the experience of reading this story and makes it seem more realistic overall. I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, but the main theme of the story is that the mother and daughter keep on missing each other, then some major events happen to the mother and the majority of the story deals with how their relationship is affected. Overall the book had some very good morals and lessons that could be learned from reading it. I also think that this book would be better to discuss in a book club or a discussion group because there are many themes and topics that could be explored, but as an individual reader there is not really much for one individual to think about once the story has been read (if that somewhat makes sense). The book, while it seemed like it would be a long read was actually much shorter and faster to read that I expected. I actually got through the book on my lunch hour, so it was quite a quick read. My overall opinion of the book was that it took an interesting concept and made it seem more realistic by the layout of the text. I kind of felt like I was reading notes that were being passed around by two friends-, which I guess, was the authors’ original intention.
More info on this book can be found at: http://www.harpercollins.ca/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0002006790
ISBN: 9780002006798; ISBN-10: 0002006790; On Sale: 09/11/2007; Format: Hardcover; Pages: 240; $19.00(CAN)
-also interesting to note that at the back of the copy of my book is a sticker that states: "Let us know what you thought! Leave a message for the author at (647) 477-2113. I have not tried calling yet, but I guess maybe I should...I wonder if that really? is the authors phone number...

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver

I greatly enjoyed reading about how Barbara Kingsolver and her (extended) family spent a year producing and growing their own food. The book goes into great detail about why the Kingsolver family came upon the decision to try and be self-sufficient for a whole year and how they carefully researched every aspect of food production and animal raising. The beginning of the book starts out with the Kingsolver family making the treck back to their family farm in the Appalachian countryside. The book gave me a very eye-opening look at how food in America is processed and made me think more about where food and specifically what I buy at the store comes from. I like how Kingsolver does not talk down to the reader and tries to enlighten with many facts and resources- and even provides quite a few tasty recipes along the way. The section about how the family decided to raise turkeys was quite interesting. I would have never figured that turkey farming today was so “mechanical”. But I did find that some of the sections of the book that talk about breeding turkeys and also slaughtering animals were quite graphic. This could be possibly because as a whole (we) are so removed from how out food is produced today and only seem to see the final processed product in the frozen foods section of the grocery store. I think that once you read this book you will not look at the way you shop for food again in the same way. The last few times I went to the grocery store I was even wondering where all the local produce was considering it is summer here.
I was unable to locate the book on the HarperCollins Canada website, so have provided a link to the Chapters bookstore listing instead. http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Animal-Vegetable-Miracle-Year-Food-Barbara-Kingsolver/9780060852559-item.html?ref=Books%3a+Search+Top+Sellers
Details Format: Hardcover Published: April 19, 2007 Dimensions: 384 Pages, 6.5 x 9.38 x 1.25 in ISBN: 0060852550 Published By: HarperCollins Canada
I highly reccomend this book and would hope that every school and library have several copies (as most people never see how their food is produced).

The Judas Strain by James Rollins.

"The Judas Strain is a novel that is fast paced and full of great adventures. The story started thousands of years ago when a deadly virus was discovered on a distant and now deserted island The Sigma Force and their associates have been put in charge with extremely virulent virus that threatens to wipe out all of mankind if it cannot be cured. Along the way the Sigma Force encounters numerous obstacles that they must conquer. In order to save mankind the Sigma Force has to find a series of three sacred carvings that have been hidden away for thousands of years since the reign of Marco Polo. One of the interesting aspects of the novel was how James Rollins manages to seamlessly blend fact and fiction throughout the book. (He) writes about such phenomena as Angelic script, plagues and even dangerous squid that light up. It was very helpful that there was a breakdown of what events and wildlife really exist and which were fictional. I don’t want to give away too much of the story so you will have to read this yourself to find out if mankind is finally saved. This book had me on edge waiting to see what would happen next. I would definitely say that it was very graphic and vividly illustrated and a page-turner."
I also found the novel to be a fast-paced and action filled adventure. You will be left wondering which characters were good and which were out to sabotage the plan to save mankind.

The Grave Digger's Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates.

I greatly enjoyed reading this novel.The story is that of the Schwarts family that immigrated from Germany to escape the Nazi forces that wanted to extinguish the Jewish (and other) population.The story is told through the voice of Rebecka Schwarts, the youngest daughter- and the only one to be born in America "one of them".The plot had me wondering just who is Rebeca Schwarts and why does she become Rebeca Tignor- and who is Hazel Jones?Those are some of the many unpredictable twists and turns that the novel takes.I did not want to put this book down as I couldn't wait to see what would happen next!
I really enjoyed reading this book and couldn't wait to finish and see what would happen next. There were so many mysterious events that occured in the novel, I never knew what was going to happen next. You could also not be sure of who each character really was-and what their motives were.
I don't want to give any of the plot away though. But I really hope that they make a movie out of this book sometime as it really is that good!

Strike Force by Dale Brown

Strike Force was definitely a good introduction to military science fiction. As someone that is not very familiar with many of the military and technical terms mentioned in the novel, I found it helpful that the author included a glossary Strike Force was definitely a good glossary of the language the characters use to communicate.I also really liked how women were prominently featured in in positions of power throughout the novel. That was definitely a twist that was unexpected.Strike Force would be a good read for people that have an interest in politics and science fiction! I had a bit of a hard time getting started reading this book, as I generally don't read many books on the military. But once I had read a few chapters, it was easier to get into the book. I'm sure someone that is a fan of the military or armed forces would definitely enjoy this book as there are many terms I (was) not familiar with in the novel. I'm glad there was a glossary in the book for the non-military types or else I would have been a bit lost!
If you want to know more about this book or Dale Brown more info can be found at:
http://www.harpercanada.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=006117310X

The Letter Opener by Kyo Maclear

I think I will let my review do the talking for this book! Also, if you can spot my review online, let me know...you might win a prize ;)
"Kyo Maclear does a fine job of taking the reader on a journey that is a blend of fictional and real world events, the past and the present are seamlessly blended together and it is very easy to imagine you are in the same room as Naiko sorting packages or that you are watching Andrei perfrom his daring escape from Romania. This book would be great for a book club or discussion group because it would be interesting to compare what events really happened and what was based on those events." M.G. (Ottawa) This book was released in Febuary, 2007. For more information on the author or this book please visit:
http://www.harpercollins.ca/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0002006073

2002! my review for a Photography course....

I was going through my files today in my online storage and came across an interesting feature! I did not know I had the option of searching for my files by date, so upon further searching I found a photography exhibit review that I wrote in 2002 about Robert Frank's photography and video exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Ottawa.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CMN 2552B Image et Communication Le 8 Juillet, 2002 Robert Frank: More Than Meets the Eye. A Critique of Hold Still-Keep Going at The Museum of Contemporary Photography in Ottawa. Robert Frank is an artist, as well as a photographer who has worked with various mediums throughout his career. He first started out as a "commercial and film-still photographer in Switzerland in the 1940's" according to writer Ann Sass. In 1947 he came to New York and became a fashion photographer for Harper’s Bazaar. His exhibit Hold Still-Keep Going at the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography contains at least 30 (or more) photographs, as well as several of his films. I found it quite difficult to absorb the overall meaning of each work as I did not have the time to closely examine each work, therefore I have chosen to review the three pieces that stood out the most to me and whose meaning I think I understood. Overall my impression of Robert Frank as a photographer is that he wants the viewer to think his works and photographs are very simple pieces that do not have much substance behind them. But, on a closer look, the viewer sees that he (Frank) has taken his photographs in a very calculated and organized manner. That is why I feel there is more than meets the eye in most of Robert Frank’s work. One photograph that really stood out was that of "Goodbye Mr. Broodvitch" (1972). At the first glance the viewer sees a vending machine. A first impression could be "what does this have to do with a goodbye?" Upon closer examination, the viewer sees that in the vending machine (Frank) has placed many messages relating his moving from New York to Canada. There are some messages such as the date he is departing New York on a food wrapper, some other sayings, as well as that he is headed for Mabou, Nova Scotia. To the person who only takes a quick glance, this photo looks very superficial; but there is really a deeper meaning to it. Another photograph that stands out in my memory is that of the nude woman in her house with --------4am written on it. My first impression of the photo was that it looked quite voyeuristic and made me wonder why he would take this photo, and who the message was meant for. Upon learning that the woman in the photograph is his wife, the arrangement of the photo makes more sense. It seems he is trying to share some of his personal life with the viewer. Once you learn the background behind his photos, you have a completely different perception of his ideas and work. The last piece I recall seeing was one of his films that looks like it was shot in an Arabic country and involves men handling snakes in cages. At first impression this video is very rudimentary looking, like it was shot on a home video camera very randomly. After watching the short film where the viewer sees snakes being handled and put in cages, I thought it took place in another country altogether. After viewing this film I learnt it was shot in America (as far as I recall). It seems that again, Robert Frank is trying to play with the perceptions and stereotypes that his audience could have about Arab people. I got the impression that he was trying to reinforce the idea that we still have many stereotypes about other cultures in his film. Overall, I think Robert Frank is a good social commentator and has done a very effective job of speaking through images that can be understood by (almost) everyone. His images are realy worth (more than) a thousand words- they speak for themselves.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hopefully you will find this interesting as well and will be interested in learning more about Robert Frank's art!

Welcome to my book review blog!

Hi!
Welcome to my book review blog.
I will be posting some of my book preview reviews in the coming week and look forwards to reading your comments.
Hopefully my reviews will inspire you to pick up a new book or two!