Canadian Books

The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity

William Paul Young

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2250 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The Incredible Shack 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I could almost believe that this story could happen. Just as the story goes, God is truly able to appear to people in whatever form He decides. My husband and I both liked the book a lot.

A book to give hope and build our faith 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This came highly reccomended and I was not disappointed. For me, it answered the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people." It also explains in a new way the Trinity. It holds your attention to the very end and continues to amaze and surprise with each chapter. It is an easy read, but one that I will read and reread. I have given away 6 copies already. I believe it is God inspired.

Editorial Review:

Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.

A Mercy

Toni Morrison

List Price: $27.95 By: Knopf Canada Amazon Marketplace: 2 new & used starting at $96.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 36 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Why I like Alice Walker so much more. 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

A friend and I were talking a few months back about Madame Nobel Laureate, Toni, and why we both shake our heads at the dismissal of a truly brave artist such as Alice Walker. So what am I doing on this page other than I couldn't help but give this new, slender novel a read?(--which is exactly what I did over the holidays). My complaint with Toni is her almost obsessive exploration of the slave wound. That's the first thing. Not that I think this subject isn't worthy, it clearly is. But Morrison here is stretching things a bit in this attempt to give us verisimilitude a la late 17th century. The inner spectrum on these characters or at least, these attempts to give us such does not work here. It really seems to me that Ms. Morrison feels a sense of obligation, post-Nobel, to continue to explore this mighty subject and the story reads as if she were, indeed, under a set of self-imposed obligations to do so.

That's the problem in a nutshell.

Glad I read this, but cannot really recommend. And as far as Alice Walker goes, I commend that author for truly being an original artist and exploring edgy subjects--which is what a real artist is supposed to do! (ie: POSSESSING THE SECRET OF JOY) I also admire her artistic integrity in not sentimentalizing Africa. So wish we would get more from that author, and yes, I recommend Walker's work any day over Toni's tired, over-touted oeuvre.

Editorial Review:

A powerful tragedy distilled into a small masterpiece by the Nobel Prize-winning author of Beloved and, almost like a prelude to that story, set two centuries earlier.

Jacob is an Anglo-Dutch trader in 1680s United States, when the slave trade is still in its infancy. Reluctantly he takes a small slave girl in part payment from a plantation owner for a bad debt. Feeling rejected by her slave mother, 14-year-old Florens can read and write and might be useful on his farm. Florens looks for love, first from Lina, an older servant woman at her new master's house, but later from the handsome blacksmith, an African, never enslaved, who comes riding into their lives . . .

At the novel's heart, like Beloved, it is the ambivalent, disturbing story of a mother and a daughter – a mother who casts off her daughter in order to save her, and a daughter who may never exorcise that abandonment.

The Private Patient

P.D. James

List Price: $32.00 By: Knopf Canada Amazon Marketplace: 3 new & used starting at $29.95

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 36 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Although this book was a page-turner, ultimately, there were too many irrelevant story lines. 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I won't go into the story line, since so many others have done that. Instead, I'll focus on why I gave this book four stars instead of five. Basically, it had to do with the ending, which went on and on because of the extra plot lines.

Essentially, I think the book would have been improved by editing out irrelevant story lines. The book felt inadequately edited, but someone as successful as PD James is unlikely to experience the expert editing that can improve a book, compared with the editing that a book by a less well known writer usually undergoes.

I thought just about everything relating to Emma could have been deleted -- including the visit to her father, visit to Dalgleish, crime committed against friend, etc. It simply was irrelevant to the story, which was fairly complicated as it was, given the number of characters, each with a potential motive for murder and background story. This would have shortened the book by 30-40 pages and tightened up the story -- but even more important, the author could then have ended after the climax to the murder mystery, and not with all these additional short chapters trying to tie up all the loose ends. I also particularly hate the mysteries where someone has to explain -- in a long speech or letter -- exactly what happened, because the author doesn't find another way to make this clear to the reader.

I also thought there was a not-so-subtle anti-religous polemic that kept turning up, which could also have been edited out. I really didn't care what the characters felt about God, religion, the Church of England, etc., and yet I kept hearing about it. And all the opinions were pretty much the same, which I suspect are the views of the author. She's welcome to her views, but this was not the platform for expressing them.

But -- it was definitely a page turner.

Editorial Review:

With all the qualities that P. D. James’s readers have come to expect: a masterly psychological and emotional richness of characterization, a vivid evocation of place and a credible and exciting mystery.

When the notorious investigative journalist, Rhoda Gradwyn, books into Mr. Chandler-Powell’s private clinic in Dorset for the removal of a disfiguring, long-standing facial scar, she has every prospect of a successful operation by a distinguished surgeon, a week’s peaceful convalescence in one of Dorset’s most beautiful manor houses and the beginning of a new life. She will never leave Cheverell Manor alive. When Adam Dalgliesh and his team are called in to investigate the murder – and a second death occurs – even more complicated problems than the question of innocence or guilt arise.

Unaccustomed Earth

Jhumpa Lahiri

By: Knopf Canada Amazon Marketplace: 15 new & used starting at $19.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 130 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Knopf Canada is proud to welcome this bestselling, Pulitzer Prize—winning author with eight dazzling stories that take us from Cambridge and Seattle to India and Thailand as they explore the secrets at the heart of family life.

In the stunning title story, Ruma, a young mother in a new city, is visited by her father who carefully tends her garden–where she later unearths evidence of a love affair he is keeping to himself. In “A Choice of Accommodations,” a couple’s romantic getaway weekend takes a dark turn at a party that lasts deep into the night. In “Only Goodness,” a woman eager to give her younger brother the perfect childhood she never had is overwhelmed by guilt, anguish and anger when his alcoholism threatens her family. And in “Hema and Kaushik,” a trio of linked stories–a luminous, intensely compelling elegy of life, death, love and fate–we follow the lives of a girl and boy who, one fateful winter, share a house in Massachusetts. They travel from innocence to experience on separate, sometimes painful paths, until destiny brings them together again years later in Rome.

Unaccustomed Earth is rich with the author’s signature gifts: exquisite prose, emotional wisdom and subtle renderings of the most intricate workings of the heart and mind. It is the work of a writer at the peak of her powers.

Water for Elephants

Sara Gruen

List Price: $29.95 By: HarperCollins Canada Amazon Marketplace: 7 new & used starting at $11.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1549 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.
Jacob was there because his luck had run out—orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive "ship of fools." It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act—in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.
Surprising, poignant, and funny, Water for Elephants is that rare novel with a story so engrossing, one is reluctant to put it down; with characters so engaging, they continue to live long after the last page has been turned; with a world built of wonder, a world so real, one starts to breathe its air.

The Kite Runner

Khaled Hosseini

By: Doubleday Canada Ltd Amazon Marketplace: 2 new & used starting at $62.50

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2542 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Exceptional book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Best book I've ever read. The characters are so real, you could almost touch them. By turns heart-wrenching and hopeful.

An Afghani version of Forrest Gump 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, is like an Afghani version of Forrest Gump. Through the eyes of the main character, Amir, we experience the history of Afghanistan, from the 1960s through the present. In contrast to Forrest, however, who accomplished great things despite a handicap, Amir is born into a privileged, upper-class family and yet he struggles his whole life to accomplish anything of significance.

Amir's struggles stem from numerous sources: guilt over the death of his mother, confusion about his role in a multi-class society, and worry about winning his father's approval are some of the sources. Amir is an outsider, struggling to find his place in a fractured society. It takes him over 40 years to make peace with himself and to honor those who suffered as a result of inactions that had been haunting him for so long.

The changes to Afghani society described in the book are too drastic for me to fully comprehend. I was able, however, to relate to Amir and his search for meaning in life. The author tells a story with so much detail about the tragic events in Afghanistan's history that I often found myself forgetting that this story is fiction. I can easily imagine that stories similar to this one might be true in Afghanistan, or in Uganda, or in Yugoslavia, or in other countries that have suffered similar fates.

I have read the complaint that the story is too predictable. There is some truth to this claim. I do not feel, however, that this diminishes the enjoyment of reading this book. To the contrary, it is the solid plot that provides the framework in which the author can weave more subtle messages about the value of family, the fragility of our society, and the common struggles that all humans face. Should you treat someone differently simply because he was born into a different class? When you see someone begging on the street, do you ignore him because he is beneath you? Would your--should your--opinion of the beggar change if you knew he was once an army General? The author subtly poses many such thought provoking questions beneath the main plot of the book.

The powerful emotions and vivid imagery invoked by the The Kite Runner will stick with you for a long time after you finish reading it. Though fiction, the author tells his story with such detail that feels like it could have been a true story. You will learn about Afghanistan's history, Afghani people, and perhaps even something about yourself.

The Time Traveler's Wife

Audrey Niffenegger

By: Random House of Canada, Limited Amazon Marketplace: 11 new & used starting at $2.22

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1695 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

if i could time travel, i'd go back and not read this book 2 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.

First, I'll echo another reviewer and say it had useless scenes that didn't add to the story. Also, it seemed like everything was so extreme. I was fine buying into the time-travel deal. That's obvious. But, what was supposed to be realism was so fantastical. There were nothing slightly mundane, nothing NOT melodramatic. All emotions were heightened. I kind of felt like I was reading a romance novel that was dressed up as legitimate literature. It was pretty crass without it being about--I don't know--circus sleazebags. I guess...I didn't feel like the characters grew up enough. Last thing that bugged me. There's a servant/maid/cook in the Abshire home (Clare's parents) who is so ridiculously a black mammy stock character, it's kind of embarrassing to read. It's like the author hasn't much experience with non-whites. And the portrayal of the Korean nanny/friend isn't too much better.

Okay, one more thing. The friendships portrayed in this novel are so substandard. Those who are "best" friends are really...lacking in depth and trust. The friendships are shallow, empty, backstabbing, heartless, and selfish. All while being portrayed as genuine and good (enough?). Strange, really. Made wonder if the author has experienced any truly good relationships.

Now the good stuff. I loved the format. Reading both perspectives, jumping around in time, etc...that was well-done. I'm not a writer, so I don't know how difficult this was, but it was rather consistent. The rules for time travel, and the personal rules that the characters set for themselves are adhered to as far as I could tell. There were enough well-written sentences that helped me process my own thoughts and feelings, which actually made the title of this review not entirely true. I'm kind of glad I read it. But, I wouldn't recommend it highly to anyone.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time : A Novel

Mark Haddon

By: Doubleday Canada, Limited Amazon Marketplace: 24 new & used starting at $2.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1466 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Excellant Book 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I found this book to be an extremely inteesting insight into this childs mind. It is well written, especially knowing that the author themselves is not autistic. He did a very good job writing this book from that perspective.

Great book, but arrived damaged 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The book itself was very good and well written. However, my order arrived slightly damaged. Oh well.

Curious preaching from an otherwise interesting read 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I enjoyed reading this novel. I found it engaging right from the start. It was interesting to see things from a different perspective. I got some insight, I think, into a very different way of looking at life. Christopher would, indeed, be a handful.
My problem with this book and why I would not give it a rave review is the atheism kind of tacked-on here and there. It feels false to the character. It feels like the authour saw an opportunity to preach his view of religion and was not faithful to the character in so doing. I found that disappointing and distracting. It is not integral to the story, though, so it's easy to overlook.

Ok in parts 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I'm not much for rambling style of writing, so i started reading this book with a degree of skepticism. Despite my low expectations, the book was a let down. It was different and interesting in parts, but not great.

The story is about Christopher Boone, a 15-year old autistic boy, resolved to find the murderer of his neighbor's dog...or so i thought until the first chapter. That is where the author digresses. He rambles on about red cars and yellow cars and a ton of math and charts and diagrams that serve no purpose other than to get under my skin. After a few more entirely unnecessary chapters during which the dog's murder mystery is sidelined, Chirstopher discovers the truth about his mother. The book ends on yet another random note.

Christopher comes across as a smart kid and if the book is an accurate portrayal of how children with severe sensory disorders think, i will not shed copious tears over the $11.16 i spent on it. If not, i want my money back...hmmph.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time : A Novel

Mark Haddon

By: Doubleday Canada, Limited Amazon Marketplace: 24 new & used starting at $2.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1466 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Excellant Book 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I found this book to be an extremely inteesting insight into this childs mind. It is well written, especially knowing that the author themselves is not autistic. He did a very good job writing this book from that perspective.

Great book, but arrived damaged 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The book itself was very good and well written. However, my order arrived slightly damaged. Oh well.

Curious preaching from an otherwise interesting read 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I enjoyed reading this novel. I found it engaging right from the start. It was interesting to see things from a different perspective. I got some insight, I think, into a very different way of looking at life. Christopher would, indeed, be a handful.
My problem with this book and why I would not give it a rave review is the atheism kind of tacked-on here and there. It feels false to the character. It feels like the authour saw an opportunity to preach his view of religion and was not faithful to the character in so doing. I found that disappointing and distracting. It is not integral to the story, though, so it's easy to overlook.

Ok in parts 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I'm not much for rambling style of writing, so i started reading this book with a degree of skepticism. Despite my low expectations, the book was a let down. It was different and interesting in parts, but not great.

The story is about Christopher Boone, a 15-year old autistic boy, resolved to find the murderer of his neighbor's dog...or so i thought until the first chapter. That is where the author digresses. He rambles on about red cars and yellow cars and a ton of math and charts and diagrams that serve no purpose other than to get under my skin. After a few more entirely unnecessary chapters during which the dog's murder mystery is sidelined, Chirstopher discovers the truth about his mother. The book ends on yet another random note.

Christopher comes across as a smart kid and if the book is an accurate portrayal of how children with severe sensory disorders think, i will not shed copious tears over the $11.16 i spent on it. If not, i want my money back...hmmph.