Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith ***

The third round of the Cormoran Strike novels, this was also perhaps the longest, and I eventually tired of it, surprisingly, because I did enjoy the first 200 pages, the tension between Robin and Cormoran, the fact that there were 3 possible suspects, and some interesting characters. JK Rowling, the actual author, says in her acknowledgements, that writing this novel was like a playground for her amidst other writing projects, and I think she just didn't want to let it go. Too much talk, too much dithering about Robin and her fiancé. 

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalinithi *****

The author was only 37 years old, a brilliant neurosurgeon just finishing his residency, when he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, a cancer which had spread to his brain. He was also a student of philosophy and literature- an underachiever he was definitely not- and in the midst of this diagnosis, he was able to find strength and purpose in writing about his journey. This book is the result. 

I heard his wife, who completed the book after his death,  on CBC while driving from Ottawa to Toronto, and knew this was a book I had to read. 

He doesn't just write about his cancer, he writes about his experiences as a doctor, the triumphs and the losses. And what struck me the most was his sense of purpose - that until he died, he would keep on living as fully as he could. 

There are some wonderful highlights on my Kindle, too.

His wife, Lucy, herself a doctor, wrote about his final days in the epilogue. This was not a sad story at all, rather a wonderful tale of living in the moment.

Ethan Fromme by Edith Wharton ****

This is a novella more than a novel, only took maybe three reading sessions to finish it. But quite an enjoyable story about Ethan Fromme, his wife Zeena, and Mattie, the cousin of his wife who comes to care for Zeena, who is constantly ill. Ethan falls in love with Mattie, and Zeena wreaks revenge upon Ethan. Quite a compelling read, a good love story about having no chances at a future together and he the overs seek to solve their problem.

BOOKS NOT COMPLETED!

1. As Chimney Sweepers Come To Dust by Alan Bradley. To page 139. More a caricature of English boarding schools than a mystery, the school is in Canada, Flavia doesn't even know why she's there, the body appears early, but the story was too character-driven than plot- driven.

2. The Secret Life of William Shakespeare by Jude Morgan- I tried twice to read this, because I thought I should try, since this year is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. The second time I got 60% of it read, but amid such boredom, I just couldn't continue. 

3. Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo- I read this some years ago and re-read it because Russo has written a sequel. I enjoyed the over 200 pages I read, but I had read enough.

4. Birdie by Tracey Lindberg- I may come back to this- it's pretty raw.

5. The Crooked House- I enjoyed the first part, when a family, with the exception of Esme, a teenaged girl who was not supposed to be at home when her family was murdered. Not enough happening to hold my interest, and the suspects around her are so obviously rotten and I couldn't understand why she couldn't see that. But then, the story would have had to end! 

6. The Unqiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan- I read about this Canadian author in Maclean's and finally found this book in Peterborough. I did read over 200 pages of it, but there didn't seems to be any progress being made, the women were all a bit flimsy and stereotypical, there was an attempt to create some chemistry between the two detectives, and I thought the atrocities in Bosnia were gratuitously described. When I saw there were about 150 pages of boring stuff left before I could say I'd finished it, I gave up.

7. The Disastrous Mrs. Weldon by Brian Thompson

8. Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien

 

Miss Emily by Nuala O'Connor ****

I'm a long- standing fan of Emily Dickinson, and this biographical novel revealed some more information about her. The chapters alternate with the story told first by Miss Ada, the young maid who has just come from Ireland, and Miss Emily herself. The plot was a little thin, but the novel was basically character- driven, so I accepted that and enjoyed the read. And I learned more about Emily, one of the most fascinating poets, as much for her life-style as anything.

Why did Emily wear only white? 

" ..white has long been of importance to me...It strikes me that if I am pure in dress,my mind may empty itself of all concerns, and that will make it easier for me to write...This decision - to wear white-sings poetry to me: it will speak of obedience to words, my dedication...From now on, I shall be candle-white.Dove-, bread-, swan-, shroud-,ice-,extra-ordinary white. I shall be blanched, bleached, and bloodless to look at; my very whiteness will be my mark. But inside of course, I will roar and soar and flash with color."

Emily on words, and dashes, which are so characteristic of her poetry:

" When my heart or my head hurts, when my body betrays me in sickness, I have words to play with. But, more than play,, they own me. I am their servant, and I serve willingly, with as much grace as I can muster. I have so little power over them, in truth. Words- all words- chill and scorch me.

"each dash I create is a weight, a pause, a question. I select them with care. The exclamation point is juvenile, while the dash is much more promising- a mature Mark. Each dash interrupts, emphasizes, connects and pushes apart the words around it. The dash is a waiting beat- dah-dah-dah.

" my lexicon bulges, but my picks from it are slender: I favorited the blunt and the simple. I prefer one syllable to two....with words I question, I complain, I code. " page 39

The Piano Maker by Kurt Palka *****

A short but powerful novel set mainly in a small French town in the Annapolis Velley, but also in France, and northern Alberta. Hélène Giroux is a piano builder, as well as an accomplished pianist, who suddenly appears in this small town, where the cathedral houses the very piano that her family had built for many years back in France. It is obvious from the beginning that Hélène is trying to put her past behind her, and the author very skillfully gives us readers little bits of information about her past. The story moves back and forth from one time and location to another, as it builds in tension, yet we know all the time that Hélène is a good person. 

It took me only two days to read this, and never once did my interest weaken. SO nice to read a book (by a man no less) that only says what is absolutely necessary and does it expertly and movingly.

Could be a Book Club nomination for another year!

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith ****

This is the second Cormoran Strike novel, this time centred around the world,of novelists, and Strike is hired to find the husband of his client, who has been missing for two weeks. strike finds his bodyA badly torturned and body parts missing, then sets out to protect his client from murder charges. 

His relationship with Robin, his secretary- assistant detective, is just as intriguing as ever, as Robin's fiancé, the hapless Michael, hates Strike just because.

Now looking ahead to the third novel, A Career of Evil, which has just come out.