A Penultimate Reading Update for 2022

Jo is out having lunch with a friend and the dogs and I are relaxing on the couch (I'll maybe start some ironing after this post) watching the Big Bang Theory Xmas week stack. So while we're sitting here, I'll provide a reading update. I have one more book on the go that I plan to finish before year end so this is my next to last reading update before I do a final reading summary.

I've finished 3 books since my last reading update. I've also purchased one book while I was out yesterday with Jo. I'll also provide the synopsis of that book.

Just Finished

1. Battle of the Atlantic: Gauntlet to Victory by Ted Barris (2022).

"Battle of the Atlantic: Gauntlet to Victory by historian Ted Barris was an excellent historical discussion of WWII battle to keep the sea lanes open in the Atlantic, to keep supplies being shipped to Great Britain as the country battled to survive the onslaught by Hitler's armies, air forces and navies.

The Navies of Canada and Great Britain and later, the US, escorted convoy after convoy of fuel, food, construction supplies, military equipment across the Atlantic as they battled Nazi U-boat wolf packs every single trip. The book portrays the overall statistics, philosophies of both sides and also delves into the personal stories of so many sailors and merchant crews, to make the story very personal. 

Barris has a way of developing and presenting the story to actually make you feel that you are there; feel the cold during winter convoys as the ships superstructures are coated in layers of ice, feel the danger as ships are hit by torpedoes and crews try to survive in frigid waters, waiting for rescue. It's a fascinating story. The courage is evident on every page. Huge convoys protected by just a few ships, that had insufficient equipment to detect and destroy the U-boats. The efforts by Canada and the US to ramp up construction ships to fight the fight to save democracy from the Nazis. The willingness of crews to do this trip day after day, knowing full well that the odds of them surviving another voyage were slim.

"The Battle of the Atlantic lasted for five years, eight months, and five days. Between September 1939 and May 1945, merchant ships completed 25,343 voyages - delivering more than 165 million tons of cargo from North America to the United Kingdom - under Canadian escort. Securing that cargo bridge came with a toll. In addition to the 2,438 RCN casualties, the battle claimed 752 airmen of the RCAF. Costlier still in that vital campaign, Allied merchant navies lost 2,233 ships (fifty - eight of them Canadian) Lives lost among Allied merchant navies exceeded 30,000. Of 12,000 Canadians who served in the merchant navy, 1,146 lost their lives - one seafarer in eight. Another 198 became POWs overseas."

As I read this book, I thought continuously of the situation in Ukraine and the efforts to keep it supplied with war materials and other equipment in its battle to preserve The Ukraine from the ongoing invasion. I am distressed by the amount of negative news that filters out but am encouraged that NATO countries are sticking together to help the country. I hope democratic countries continue to support them, just like Allied countries risked lives to keep Great Britain alive in its isolation. 

Anyway, a very interesting history by Mr. Barris. Check it out. (4.0 stars)"

2. Anne of Windy Poplars by Lucy Maud Montgomery (Anne #4 / 1936).

"Anne of Windy Poplars is the 4th book in the Anne of Green Gables collection by Canadian author L.M. Montgomery. Over the past few years I try to read one every December. This 4th book was written for the most part in the form of letters from Anne to her fiancé Gilbert Blythe. While still an excellent read, it was also probably my least favorite so far.

Anne has graduated from university and been hired by the town of Summerside, PEI to run their school. She is the principal and also a teacher along with two other teachers. She is rooming in a house on Spook's Lane, called Windy Poplars. The house belongs to two widows, also sisters (Aunt Kate and Aunt Chatty) and their maid, Rebecca Dew. Also in the mix is their cat, Dusty Miller. Anne lives in the tower room and loves it, the view being lovely and suiting her romantic disposition.

The story covers the 3 years of Anne's employment in Summerside and basically covers her encounters with the residents of the town. She details her struggles with the town 'royalty', the Pringles. They wanted another teacher to be principal and have begun a campaign to undermine  Anne. Will Anne win them over? Well, you know Anne.

Throughout the 3 years, she will help a young lady win his beau, will try to help the little girl who lives next door, Elizabeth, try to deal with a bitter grandmother and her maid, will spend time with various other residents. Anne possesses a winning attitude and can get anyone on her side. As always, it's a gentle story, well-written and ultimately satisfying. I think my main frustration with the story was the numbers of unpleasant people that Anne deals with, or just tells Gilbert about. While the ultimate ending is positive and satisfying, there is a bit of sludge to trudge through to get to this ending. I still enjoyed it overall as all of the books I've tried so far. Next year will be Book 5, which I gather deals with Anne's wedding to Gilbert. (3.0 stars)"

3. Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell (Ottoline #1 / 2007).

"I've been enjoying the Goth Girl YA series by author and illustrator Chris Riddell. I also enjoyed his illustrations in Gregory Maguire's Cress Watercress. So it was with anticipation that I started Ottoline and the Yellow Cat, the first book in his children's series featuring young adventure Ottoline. It consists of 4 books.

Simply put, it was a joy to read. If you have young children that you are trying to encourage to read, try this series. The drawings are wonderful and filled with neat little twists and turns (probably the wrong word). The story was fun to read. Ottoline and her companion Mr. Munroe, a 'hairy' person that her parents brought back from the bog in Norway, live in the Pepperpot Building. Ottoline's parents are explorers and we hear from them from the many postcards they send to Ottoline (see pages 46 - 49 for examples of the postcards. 

Ottoline is just a young girl, but her parents have hired a number of people to make sure that she is well looked after; Happy Nest Bed Makers, McBean Cleaning Service, Smith & Smith Pillow-Plumping, etc. The complete list is found on page 14. Ottoline and Mr. Munroe get involved in investigations. Ottoline is a Mistress of Disguise and has a diploma from the Who-R-U Academy of Subterfuge (you can see it on page 26).

It seems that lapdogs are disappearing from apartments of other buildings in the city and Ottoline and Mr. Munroe are going to solve this mystery. It involves the Yellow Cat in the title (of course). It's a fun, cute, entertaining story and I think all ages would enjoy it. Check it out and please try Chris Riddell's other work. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

This will be my last selection of 2022.

1. Lore Olympus: Volume II by Rachel Smythe (Olympus #2 / 2022).

"Witness what the gods do after dark in the second volume of a stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of the best-known stories in Greek mythology from creator Rachel Smythe.

Persephone was ready to start a new life when she left the mortal realm for Olympus. However, she quickly discovered the dark side of her glamorous new home—from the relatively minor gossip threatening her reputation to a realm-shattering violation of her safety by the conceited Apollo—and she’s struggling to find her footing in the fast-moving realm of the gods. Hades is also off-balance, fighting against his burgeoning feelings for the young goddess of spring while maintaining his lonely rule of the Underworld. As the pair are drawn ever closer, they must untangle the twisted webs of their past and present to build toward a new future.

This full-color edition of Smythe’s original Eisner-nominated webcomic Lore Olympus features a brand-new, exclusive short story, and brings Greek mythology into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel."

New Books

1. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton (2022). I first heard about this book when I was perusing Barack Obama's Favorite books of 2022. I happened to be in my local bookstore, Books4Brains, yesterday, while Jo was setting up at work and lo and behold, the book was on the bookshelf there. I think that's known as fate, right? So I hope to read it early in 2023.

"Celebrated cartoonist Kate Beaton vividly presents the untold story of Canada.

Before there was Kate Beaton, New York Times bestselling cartoonist of Hark A Vagrant fame, there was Katie Beaton of the Cape Breton Beatons, specifically Mabou, a tight-knit seaside community where the lobster is as abundant as beaches, fiddles, and Gaelic folk songs. After university, Beaton heads out west to take advantage of Alberta’s oil rush, part of the long tradition of East Coasters who seek gainful employment elsewhere when they can't find it in the homeland they love so much. With the singular goal of paying off her student loans, what the journey will actually cost Beaton will be far more than she anticipates.

Arriving in Fort McMurray, Beaton finds work in the lucrative camps owned and operated by the world’s largest oil companies. Being one of the few women among thousands of men, the culture shock is palpable. It does not hit home until she moves to a spartan, isolated worksite for higher pay. She encounters the harsh reality of life in the oil sands where trauma is an everyday occurrence yet never discussed. Her wounds may never heal.

Beaton’s natural cartooning prowess is on full display as she draws colossal machinery and mammoth vehicles set against a sublime Albertan backdrop of wildlife, Northern Lights, and Rocky Mountains. Her first full-length graphic narrative, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands is an untold story of Canada: a country that prides itself on its egalitarian ethos and natural beauty while simultaneously exploiting both the riches of its land and the humanity of its people."

Women Authors Whose Work I've Been Enjoying - Emily St. John Mandel

Emily St. John Mandel

Emily St. John Mandel is a Canadian novelist, born in Merville, B.C. in 1979. I discovered her work in 2016 when I read Station Eleven. It was such a great novel. I've since read one more of her books, an earlier work. I hope to continue exploring her novels. She currently has six novels in publication. I'll provide my reviews of the two novels I've enjoyed so far to give you a feel for her writing.

1. Station Eleven (2014). This has been turned into a television series.

"I loved Station Eleven. It was one of those books that I wanted to finish to see how it ended, but, at the same time, I wanted to continue exploring the lives of the characters. Does that make sense?

It brought out so many emotions; sadness, anger, tears (in both a good and bad way), happiness, encouragement, etc. In some ways it reminded me of The Road by Cormac McCarthy, but it wasn't so consistently dour and scary. Probably part of the reason for that may be that Station Eleven had more characters and it also didn't just situate itself solely in the dystopic (am I spelling this right?) future. 

I particularly liked how the story moved along, starting in their present (our future), introducing the Travelling Symphony and highlighting the new way of life of people trying to survive, then wandering to other characters, explaining where they were when the Georgia Flu caused this world-wide destruction and following their adjustments to the post-flu life. 

I liked how the main characters are slowly linked up, such as how Kirsten came to be in possession of Miranda's comic, Station Eleven, even how this comic may have impacted The Prophet. The Prophet introduced a very scary element into the whole story. Was he not utilized enough? Maybe but, personally, I think his appearances were just sufficient enough to provide a negative counterpoint to those trying to live safe lives. More of him might have put a completely different tone to the overall story. How people coped with this new future is what was most interesting. 

There were so many nice touches. I liked Kirsten especially but every character was excellent and their personalities developed just to the right amount. I could go on and on. Suffice it to say, it's an excellent story and well worth reading. I think the ending left the story open - ended enough to provide a continuation story to show us how the future continues to unfold, should Emily St. John Mandel so desire. Maybe?? Please.. (5 stars)"

2. Last Night in Montreal (2009).

"I had previously read Emily St. John Mandel's 4th novel, Station Eleven and it ended up being one of Top Ten favorites of 2016. I was pleased to find Last Night in Montreal, her first book, this year and have been looking forward to trying it and comparing it to Station Eleven.

It didn't disappoint and as you read you can see how her writing is both similar to her latest work and how she's progressed as well, with her story-telling. Last Night in Montreal is a meandering story, like Station Eleven, it wanders from past to present and character to character. The story basically tells the story of Livia, a young lady, who when she was just a child is abducted by her father from her mother's home. Livia and her father, then later on just Livia, spend their lives wandering from town to town across the United States. A detective, Christopher, becomes addicted to trying to find her and basically abandons his family, especially his daughter Michaela, in this search. Finally there is Eli, Livia's most recent boyfriend, from New York, who Livia leaves one day and never returns. This begins Eli's search to find her.

It's a fascinating, sad, but also somewhat positive, story, depending from whose perspective you are looking at. (is that a sentence??) As in Station Eleven, as the story progresses, characters start to tie in with each other and there are neat little links, which finally leads to a very interesting (sad?) conclusion. I enjoyed this very much; it was an excellent first effort by St. John Mandel. (4 stars)"

The complete list of St. John Mandel's work can be found here.