Long Way Round, by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. This is a travel-memoir about the motorcycle journey aroudn the world of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. It's written in a journal or interview style with the two actors taking turns narating their journey. The writing is sometimes interesting, though the lead-up to the journey itself was a bit boring. And, not being a motorcycle enthusiast, I found the parts of the book that focused on motorcycles to be a bit dry. It was interesting to get to know the personalities of these two actors through their own words. Ewan came across as a bit introverted, kind of sensitive, and a bit bi-polar with extreme highs and lows, but he seemed to have great sympathy for the poverty they encoutered and the people they met. Charley was a bit of a hot-head and could be a jerk at times, but he, too, had moments of sympathy. They were pretty hard-core, though they did have a support crew meeting up with them often. I felt for Ewan McGregor a bit though, because he was pretty hard-pressed to find any place in the world where he wasn't swamped by fans or the media especially. I feel fortunate to live without being recognized and bothered for autographs wherever you go. An interesting read, but not deserving of any awards. Finished Nov. 2011.
The Virgin Cure, by Amy McKay. I had to wait several weeks on the library waiting list to get my hands on this book. A fictional story based on historical events and people. It was a good book, in my opinion, full of colourful descriptions of lower Manhatten in 1871. The story follows the journey of a twelve year-old girl named Moth who was born into poverty - how she navigates the dangers and risks of being a vulnerable young girl with no parents to take care of her. A good, easy read. I also have read and thoroughly enjoyed her first book, The Birth House. Finished Nov. 2011.
Paper Shadows, by Wayson Choy. A beautiful memoir by the author of The Jade Peony and All That Matters. All three of these books beautifully describe the lives and challenges faced by Chinese immigrants in BC in the early 20th century. Wayson Choy's creates vivid descriptions of scenes from his own childhood in his memoir. Read December 2011.
State of Wonder, by Ann Patchett. Set in Minneapolis and the Brazillian Amazon. A fast-paced, suspenseful, entertaining book about a woman whose co-worker vanishes into the amazon. I read it in under two weeks, which is fast for me - I'm a very slow reader. Read January 2012.
The Far Side of The Sky, by Daniel Kalla. What a great book! Set in wartime Austria and Shanghai, this story about the struggle for German Jews to surviveduring the World War II is very engaging, inspiring and moving. A great read. Read February 2012.
Owls Well That Ends Well, by Donna Andrews. A really cheesy mystery novel that tries way too hard to be funny. Don't bother. One nice quote from it though: "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." by William Morris (whoever that is). Read Feb-March 2012.
