Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay

Published by Random House Canada

It's the year 1975 and we join the characters of this novel in a radio station situated in the Canadian North - Yellowknife to be exact. We first meet Harry who is filled with a love for Radio. One night while listening, he hears a new voice and falls head over heels for the woman to who it belongs. Dido is a unique woman who has arrived at Yellowknife shrouded in mystery, a woman who seems to have an enchanting quality making her irresistible to those around her. Gwen also works at the station and seems very quiet, and unsure but eager to make a new life for herself. These three are just a sample of the characters who I cannot define in a way that brings them justice.

The novel covers the lives of a hugely diverse cast of characters, first within the radio station and later, when a group of 4 take a trip into the arctic wilderness, following the route of the legendary Englishman John Hornby. With the knowledge that Hornby and the rest of his party had starved to death during their expedition, the journey is looked upon as somewhat of a challenge but I don't think the adventurous group have any idea just how life-changing an event it will be.

The novel also has the background of the controversial Mackenzie Valley pipeline that threatens to separate the natives from their land, and destroy what has become a unique community. With politics, love, adventure, soul-searching, loss, mystery and so much more, Elizabeth Hay has created a masterpiece that is a truly satisfying read.

I can't believe I waited so long to read this novel. I know many of you who are reading this review, have likely already read this title, but if you haven't, you ought to. I have not read anything by Elizabeth Hay before but if the rest of her books are as incredible as Late Nights on Air, you can expect to see me review more in the future. This author has a true gift for storytelling.

I found myself constantly amazed by how the author writes a novel that seems so stark and sparse while simultaneously providing a great deal of intricate detail. The characters are so raw and seemingly unfinished which made a much-welcomed change from the norm. By that, I mean that there are never excuses made for their behaviours, explanations are lacking, and it adds a fantastic quality which greatly enhanced my enjoyment of this book.

The author leads the reader through the novel in a winding, twisting manner. I found myself trying to guess what was about to unfold but i rarely got it right. I love when an author can hide the ending so successfully. It's a novel that keeps you guessing right until the very end and leaves you longing for more. It says a great deal that I found myself wistfully hoping that when I turned the final pages, I wouldn't find the author's acknowledgment just yet, but still more of this engaging tale. The writing style is beautiful, seductive, poetic even and I know there were more than a couple of occasions where I read passages out loud simply because I wanted to see for myself if they sounded as delectable as they looked to be. (They were)

A must read. It was simply fantastic.

Author's website: http://elizabethhay.com/

Forsaken by Lana Slezic

Published by House of Anansi Press

Lana Slezic has put together a perfect blend of photography and words to portray life in Afghanistan. In particular, life as a woman in Afghanistan. In 2004, Lana Slezic visited Afghanistan for a 6 week assignment which ended up becoming a two-year stay. Over those 2 years she collected a number of images and personal accounts which she presents in this book - Forsaken.

I fell in love with the cover on this book. The image itself presents a breathtaking mix of the past, the present, elegance, mystery, boldness, hope, and sorrow all in a single image. Rarely has photography ever moved me on such a level and I was really not prepared for the contents of this amazing, must-have book.

Within the pages, Lana Slezic shares a vast number of images which capture life at a basic level. There is nothing sugar-coated in this book. It's an honest and open look at Afghanistan women and their way of life and it will give you much to think about.

Along with the many images, there are different accounts of the author's experiences with a number of women. These accounts cover a wide spectrum as they are shocking, crushing, uplifting, saddening, hopeful, peaceful, and dramatic all at once.

This is one of those books which will change the way you look at life. While I admit that I may be a tad biased as I *love* learning about other cultures, I find it hard it imagine anyone reading this book and not loving it as much as I did.

I would love to see further books of this style in the future.

Author's website: http://www.lanaslezic.com/ (Please do check this out. Many of the images found in the book can be seen here by selecting the Afghanistan menu. If you have this book you will still love the site as there are extra Afghanistan images there along with photography covering other subjects.)

Bagel's Lucky Hat by Hector Mumbly: Illustrated by Dave Cooper

Published by Chronicle Books
Distributed by Raincoast Books

Hector Mumbly brings us an amusing little tale featuring a dog named Bagel, and his friend - a cat named Becky. Bagel gets frantic when he realises he has lost his lucky hat. Becky calms him and asks him to think back to when he remembered wearing it last, but soon wonders what she started. Bagel recounts his day, including his visit with laughing fishes, a helpful flock of birds, a strange and mysterious laboratory, and so much more. Becky, needless to say, is quite unimpressed and who wouldn't be with such a tall tale? Becky starts to give Bagel a lecture on honesty but is interrupted by unexpected and unusual guests.

This book is a laugh a minute. It's for ages 4-8 but even at my age it was a fun and playful read. I can imagine it would make a great bedtime book as it isn't too long with just 40 pages which are wonderfully illustrated by Dave Cooper. The illustrations match the story's whimsical nature perfectly.

A great choice that begs to be read again, and again...

Illustrator's website: http://www.davegraphics.com/ (site is not suitable for children)

The Girls Who Saw Everything by Sean Dixon

Published by Coach House Books.

Anna and Dumuzi are hoping to spend a quiet afternoon making love in a warehouse, that is if they can stop arguing long enough to do so. Their debate about sex for money is disrupted when the ceiling gives and someone falls through. Runner (unusual name, which matches the unusual character perfectly) announces that she is a part of the Lacuna Cabal book club who meet on the fifth floor and needs to return as she hopes to provide the idea for their next book choice.

The members of the group are all extremely different and things often seem to get a little heated. Moreso when Runner and her brother Neil bring an unusual offering to the group in the form of ten Gilgamesh stones. What follows from there is a gripping tale which holds the reader's attention easily. The private stories of each character come to light as we share a fantastic journey with them. A journey which the characters, and readers alike, will find it hard to forget.

I fell in love with the cover on this book. It seemed so simple and exquisite and grabbed my attention from the start. I had no idea about the story within the pages but once I began to read, it was one of those books which just begs the reader to ignore the world around them until the very last page. I was interested in the characters a great deal. Thanks to the writing style of the author, the characters are always a wonderful, yet very different mix. They compliment each other perfectly and whatever else they may be, they are always colourful and adept at drawing the reader deeper into the mystery.

This is probably one of my favourite books though admittedly, it did take me a chapter or two to adjust to the footnotes which were an irritation at first, as I really wanted to just carry on reading the story without that distraction. The notes are really quite comical at times though and they grew on me. It's an unpredictable read filled with so much energy, strong emotion, and heartfelt tenderness.

A great book to curl up with as the evenings grow colder.

Author's website: http://lacunacabal.blogspot.com/

Invisible Armies by Jon Evans

Published by Harper Collins Publishers

Invisible Armies is a thriller which is set in various locations around the world. India, Paris, and London make great backgrounds for this exciting and attention grabbing tale.

Danielle is asked to do a favour for a friend which involves the delivery of a passport. While on her journey, she runs into the authorities who promptly confiscate her belongings and throw her in a cell from which it looks like she will have no escape. She is soon joined in there by Laurent, a French Canadian and so begins what seems to be a great partnership. When they escape to a nearby village, Danielle is stunned to see a great amount of deformity and illness in the people who live there, caused by toxins from a nearby mine.

What follows is fast paced action as Danielle, Laurent, and Danielle's hacker friend, known as Keiran Kell, become part of a battle between the mining company and the anti-corporate protestors who want the poisoning of the local villages to end. The more our heroes learn, the more they realise that things aren't as they seem. Things are about to get much, much worse.

I don't often read thrillers but the trailer for this one caught my attention and piqued my curiosity. I am so glad that I decided to check it out. It is one of those novels which literally sweeps you off your feet from the start and keeps you unbalanced throughout the pages. One of the reasons I had stopped reading thrillers was that I could often see what was coming ahead of time. That doesn't happen with this novel. I loved the various surprises and twists within the story and especially liked that the author managed to write the characters in such a way that they are equally as surprising.

The author's ability to set a scene is outstanding. I loved that the novel takes place in various settings around the world which added an edge. The writing style is great, the characters are colourful and easy to become involved with, and the story? Well that's just a non-stop wild ride.

I loved this book. I wouldn't have thought that mixing third world backgrounds and hackers could have worked that well. This novel is many things, but disappointing is not one of them. A great - but addictive - read.

Author's website: http://www.jonevans.ca/

Bay of Fundy: A Natural Portrait by Scott Leslie

Published by Key Porter Books

Scott Leslie brings us a stunningly wonderful book on the Bay of Fundy. In this book he provides over a hundred vivid and amazing photographs of birds, mammals, landscapes, and underwater life. Accompanying the images, the author has provided a great deal of text in which he shares his own personal exploration of the area.

I adored this book. All too often, I forget to enjoy nature as much as I should, and this book was a brilliant reminder of the amazing sights that are just waiting out there for us in the great outdoors. I couldn't put the book down as I followed Scott's journey and lost myself in his descriptions. His sense of awe and his enthusiasm are contagious. I loved learning about the things I wouldn't usually pay attention to, like the sea anemones, nudibranchs, fan worms, sea peaches, lampshells and more.

I loved learning about jellyfish and sea ravens. Both of these creatures are caught in images that are breathtaking and awe inspiring. Scott Leslie seems to capture each photograph perfectly in a way that fills it full of life, and I am definitely left with a longing to go and visit this amazing place for myself. I love that this book also contains a message about our responsibility to preserve the nature around us and helps the reader to take a closer look, beyond the obvious, to the many life forms that we often miss.

This is one of my favourite books, and one I will be returning to often.

Author's website: http://scottleslie.com/ (Amazing galleries included on the site, including some of the creatures I mention here in the review).

Consumption by Kevin Patterson

Published by Vintage Canada - A Division of Random House of Canada Limited.

Kevin Patterson has written a stunning first novel. Consumption is based mostly around the life of an Inuit named Victoria, who we follow briefly through her childhood as she battles tuberculosis and has to be taken to a sanatorium in the south. A sanatorium where she is misplaced for some six years. When it is time to return to her family, she feels unsettled. Robertson enters the scene. Though he is not Inuit, people on the tundra grow to respect him and the way he takes care of his wife and their children as they are born. Victoria never quite feels complete though.

There are so many colourful characters, such as Victoria's father Emo, who is a wonderfully complex character, with his distant personality. Another example is Penny, a teacher who moves into the area, and is filled with such a lively spirit and love for life. She spends much of her time adjusting to life on the tundra by learning the traditional ways to live. Hunting and travelling the tundra with her team of dogs. The doctor and priest are among my favourites too, as they each battle their inner demons.

In this tale we are introduced to a beautiful culture, and a view of what can happen when too much outside influence is introduced to such a community. The results are often heartbreaking as things change for the worse. At the peak of this experience, there is a tragedy and as the community try to discover what really happened, Victoria's family seems to fall further into confusion and chaos. Will things ever seem right again?

This book is a fantastic read. The description of the backdrop to this novel is so vivid that you can almost feel the crisp cold air against your skin as you picture the tundra. The characters are wonderfully written and developed. The relationships are often complex and it's rare that I have come across a novel which seems so down to earth and yet surreal all at once. I blame that on my own perception and being raised in the UK. When I think of igloos, dog teams, and hunting/slaughtering animals, I often think of it in really old historical terms. I realised I had to stop doing that when an 80's reference was made. It was a little jolt to the system - in a good way.

This is also one of those books that I just couldn't put down. Too often I found myself putting it down so I could deal with a chore, only to pick it back up two seconds later because I just had to know what was coming next. It really is a compelling read. For me personally, what made this book was the detail. Not just for the characters and surroundings, but the social consequences of events which take place within the pages.

I can't wait to see what Kevin Patterson comes up with next, he is definitely an author to watch. It is the first I have heard of this author, though some of you may be familiar with his short story collections, or non-fiction works.

A great read. I can't rave enough about it.

Classic Starts: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm retold from the Kate Douglas Wiggin original by Deanna McFadden. Illustrated by Jamel Akib

Published by Sterling Publishing Co.,Inc.

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is a classic from 1903. As part of the Classic Starts series, Deanna McFadden retells this tale in a way that will help adults and children alike, fall in love the book all over again.

As the title suggests, the novel is based around a young girl named Rebecca. Rebecca is one of seven children and has an amazing zest for life. She is feisty, talkative and often finds her way into trouble. When her Aunt Miranda asks if Hannah - Rebecca's sister - can come to stay, Rebecca's mother chooses to send Rebecca instead, in the hope that a different environment, schooling, and being with her Aunts will be good for her.

So begins a great adventure for Rebecca as she adjusts to a new life, a new school and new friends. An adjustment that isn't easy. Aunt Miranda never seems to be happy about anything that Rebecca does. Thankfully Aunt Jane also lives with them and has a personality which is the opposite so things balance out nicely.

Rebecca, for all her spirit, is really a gentle soul and tries her very best to please those around her but after her Aunt Miranda tells Rebecca that she won't stand for her acting in her father's silly ways, Rebecca decides enough is enough and plans to run away. Thankfully a neighbour, Mr. Cobb, who was also the coachman who brought her from Sunnybrook farm, is a friend to her and helps her.

We get to see the transformation as Rebecca grows into a young lady with fiery spirit intact, and also watch as the bond between Rebecca and her Aunts grows.

It's a truly heartwarming story that I am so glad I read. I have never read the original classic but this retold version has definitely inspired me to do so. As I read it, I could easily imagine myself reading this to - or with - a child and helping them to discover a love for the classics too.

Deanna McFadden does a wonderful job of making this classic more accessible to children of a younger age while still keeping much of the charm that helps adults stay in love with the story too.

The illustrations by Jamel Akib are wonderful and help inspire the imagination. What I liked too is that this book contains questions at the end, to make your child think, or for you to discuss the book with them. I thought that was a great touch!

Sterling Publishing Company have published many of the classics in this format and it makes a great collection for any young mind. I especially love the book design. Each spine has the title along with a small image which I imagine to be very aesthetically pleasing on a bookcase.

Click here to see more Classic Starts titles.

Author's blog: http://tragicrighthip.blogspot.com/

Illustrator's website: http://www.illustrationweb.com/JamelAkib/

Delible by Anne Stone

Published by Insomniac Press

Delible is a haunting story which is shared with the reader by three women. A grandmother, a mother, and a daughter. The main character Melora Sprague, or Lora to those around her, begins the journey by sharing memories of playing with her sister Melissa, known to everyone as Mel. Their ages are seperated by less than a year and their close bond is clear from the start.

Both girls have much to deal with, including the fact that their father is not in their lives. Whenever they ask their mother about him, she becomes very cagey and the only detail they have really been given is that he works at the jail.

At the age of 16, Melissa is missing. The police are writing it off as running away. After all, it isn't the first time it has happened. The fact that she also tried to kill herself a short time before doesn't help either. Throughout the pages, Lora reveals a great deal about her sister and why she feels Mel didn't simply run away. Lora believes that Mel was taken, and the fact that she believes the responsible person isn't a stranger, leads her to look at those around her with distrust and doubt.

While most of the book is written from Lora's view, there are chapters which are written from the view of their mother Karin, and their grandmother Celia. Regardless of the views changing, the emotion and passion remain consistent throughout. There is also a tension as the family drift through the years, waiting for any clue or sign of what really happened.

The book is is written wonderfully and not many books can pull off such a mix of darkness, angst, intimacy and hope. The reader can't help but be drawn in as Lora tries to make sense of things while also trying desperately to hold on to the memory of her sister. I especially liked that within the unfolding story, we are treated to little pieces of Mel's life through the sharing of a personal letter from a friend, a book report on Lord of the Flies, and journal entries. I also liked that this is one of those books where you can't guess where the story is going as it leads you in many directions at once. Every new development is a surprise.

It's a wonderful novel which I know I will read again.

Glorious Autumn Days: Meditations for the Wisdom Years by Judith Lawrence

Self Published by the Author via Lulu

Judith Lawrence brings us another book which seems to speak straight from her heart, to that of the reader. I actually finished this book a couple of weeks ago but I wanted to savour the contents and let them sink in, before attempting to review it.

In Glorious Autumn Days, as the title suggests, Judith provides a number of meditations which are geared towards the golden years of our lives. In each meditation she captures beautifully the emotions, the doubts, the fears, any feelings of being lost that the reader may have and much more.

This book shines even more strongly - and beautifully - with Judith's faith and while I myself am open to all religions and religious expression, this book may not be for you if you don't want to focus intently on the Christian faith. The messages I gleaned from the pages though, are greatly inspirational and thought provoking. There are many little guided exercises for the reader to do too, which I liked.

While this book wasn't greatly suited to me personally, I highly recommend it for those who have, or are curious about, a firm Christian belief system.

Author's website: http://www.judithlawrence.ca/

Town House by Tish Cohen

Published by Harper Collins Publishers

Tish Cohen provides a deeply moving and wonderfully funny view of life through the eyes of Jack Madigan. Jack is the owner of a town house which though once magnificent has been made worse for wear by his father who was a rock superstar. I say was since he is dead now. He died after trying to bite a snapping turtle which felt understandably miffed and bit him back - fatally. Jack's life has been pretty straightforward for a while now as he shared his home with his teenage son Harlan and had the royalties to live on.

Okay, so life is less than perfect when you have agoraphobia but he always managed somehow. Then the money ran out and everything goes downhill from there. The bank forecloses and Jack's life is never quite the same after meeting the real estate agent who is very determined, yet who is also a bit of a disaster waiting to happen - in the most lovable way possible. At the same time, Lucinda enters his life. Lucinda is a precious little girl who lives next door and is filled with such a sense of life it's just awe inspiring. Sadly, Lucinda's parents have little time for her but she doesn't mind. She just decided to become Jack's personal life coach and will stop at nothing to get him out of the house.

In the midst of Jack's crisis. His ex-wife announces that she is getting married and wants to take Harlan to live with her in California. Can things get any worse? Will he ever find a way back to life as he knew it?

Buy the book, take the ride and see for yourself. I promise you that with Town House, you won't be disappointed. It's a great read with many laugh-out-loud moments and it's filled with an unforgettable cast of characters.

I personally can't wait to see the movie. You can read more about it at the CBC site

Take a peek at this video to see Tish Cohen talk about Jack in an amusing conversation with Leah McLaren

Author's website: http://www.tishcohen.com/

Gargoyles by Bill Gaston

Published by House of Anansi Press

As those of you who read this blog regularly will know, it is not often that I comment on the cover of a book. With Gargoyles, the reader can't help but be affected by the vibrant, exhilerating and almost childlike design which whispers promises of an unforgettable experience. A promise which the author upholds brilliantly!

There are 12 stories within these pages. All of which take the reader on a rollercoaster ride through what seems like the entire spectrum of the human emotions. The style of writing is unforgettable and simply incredible.

In The Night Window, the author perfectly captures the mindset and personality of a teenager and names him Tyler. Tyler is about to take a trip with his mother and her boyfriend, which he is less than thrilled about. We are treated to his thoughts and feelings in such an energetic way and when Tyler ventures off in his own direction, the reader is then treated to a wonderfully suspenseful and eye-opening experience.

In Gargoyles, we are introduced to a trio of characters. A man in his seventies, his estranged wife and their son. The man is quite eccentric and has a fascination with gargoyles. I love that he also has a very novel way of trying to solve certain problems in the world. In this story we witness the complex dynamic within the family, as a son tries to understand more about his father and along the way, discovers himself.

One of my favourites, is probably Freedom. In this tale, we meet Wa, an American who has spent much of his life in Paris and has recently returned to America. He is filled with a sense of admiration, positivity and awe. How can he not? In paris they didn't have his two favourite types of stores, gunshops and pawnstores. After maxing out his mother's credit card, she kicks him out with his few possessions and an address for a shelter. A mixup involving a gun, a bull, and a beanbag, leaves him homeless and alone on the streets with little but his gun, poor language skills and innocence to keep him company. What follows in an intense situation that leaves the reader wanting to cover their eyes to block it out.

The author has a great way with words and is a master of storytelling. The only regret I had by the end of this book, was that it had ended. Bill Gaston is easily one of my most favourite writers of all time and I look forward to discovering more of his works. No matter what your reading tastes, try this book. I am sure you won't regret it. It's one of the best books I have read this year.

Update: Gargoyles has won the ReLit Award for Short Fiction!

Sundancer by Shelley Peterson, Illustrations by Marybeth Drake

Published by Key Porter Books

Shelley Peterson brings us another brilliant Young Adult book, Sundancer. Sundancer is a beautiful chestnut horse, who thanks to the quick-thinking actions of a local vet, is saved from being euthanized and is sent instead to Saddle Creek Farm. The farm is the home to thirteen-year-old Alberta (Bird for short) and her Aunt Hannah.

Hannah is at her wits end when it comes to Sundancer. He seems troubled, unreachable and dangerous. She makes it known that he is not to be ridden, especially after Bird's attempt which led to nothing but a concussion. Bird isn't going to be put off that easily though and besides, she has a gift for dealing with animals. People around her find her strange since she doesn't talk. Well, not to people at least. She can hear the thoughts of animals and send thoughts back to them and within the pages of this novel, we are treated to a glimpse of many beautiful relationships between Bird and the animals in her life.

In the middle of dealing with Sundancer, just when things can't seem to get any crazier, Bird's mother decides to pay a visit. Bird has many mixed emotions and understandably so, as she is still feeling the sting of being left with her aunt almost two years ago. She doesn't want to meet her mother's new boyfriend who is coming along for the ride, but she is excited that she will see her sister Julia again!

When they finally arrive, Bird can hardly believe it. Her mother steps out of the car all dressed in pink (including pink ankle socks!) and her sister is dressed to look like a miniature carbon copy. What follows is a wonderful mix of laughter, tears (I cried like a baby), excitement, adventure, disappointment and more, as the author delivers a story that is unforgettable. Will Bird ever feel able to speak again? Will Sundancer ever settle down and trust anyone? Will Bird's mother ever stop dressing like Barbie? It's a book that regardless of age, the reader is going to fall in love with.

The Continuity Girl by Leah McLaren

Published by Harper Collins Publishers

Leah McLaren's first novel, The Continuity Girl, is about a thirty-something girl named Meredith Moore who has a career she loves as a script supervisor, making sure that details within movies are perfect. She usually excels at what she does, but an extremely long day and dealing with an irritating producer, leads to her walking off the set and out of a job.

Her mother decides this is the perfect time for Meredith to come and visit her, back in England. She has arranged everything so perfectly, down to the plane ticket in the envelope and the ready-made job that awaits her arrival. Meredith is less than enthusiastic but after an embarrassing run-in with a cute male gynaeocologist, she decides she could do worse.

Arriving at her mother's flat in London, Meredith wonders what she has gotten into. Irma (her mother) is a very unique character with a fondness for wearing embalmed insects as fashion statements, and is the anti Martha Stewart incarnate. Only in Irma's home can you lose a footstool for 20 years.

Glad to be back at work, Meredith focusses on her job, and simultaneously tries to seek out someone who would make a suitable father for the child she is suddenly longing for. She doesn't want a husband, she just wants to get knocked up. She laughingly defines herself as a sperm bandit. Irma comes to the rescue with eligible guys who are perfect for her daughter. Perfect if you happen to like a guy who carries dead rodents around on his person and has a falcon with a hat fetish.

This book constantly cracked me up. The characters are so much fun and the author has a gift for using phrases that just make you laugh out loud. I especially liked a description during a party, in which a gossip was filling in Meredith on the rest of the people present. Pointing to a very slim girl he describes her as 'the social X-Ray in the purple dress'. I so loved that. Leah McLaren is just great with the humour.

Along with the humour, it has the usual sad, happy, tense, angry, confused moments that go with most chicklit titles. It's one of the funniest books I have read this year and I desperately wanted the book to never end. I can't wait to see the next novel by this author.

Check out the video trailer here

Take a peek at this one too

Author's website: http://www.leahmclaren.ca/

Iced: Crystal Meth: The Biography of North America's Deadliest New Plague by Jerry Langton

Published by Key Porter Books

Iced is one of those books which disturbs and yet you won't want to put it down. Meth is a drug that is mentioned increasingly in the media these days. Some reports show that the production and use of meth is a fast growing problem which needs to be dealt with, while others report with equal certainty that there is no need for alarm. The often conflicting articles bring little more than confusion and misinformation.

Jerry Langton brings light to the subject in a very clear and concise way. It's obvious he has done his research, on both the more recent events, and the history of this destructive substance. In addition he interviews numerous experts among which are Users, Sellers, Cooks, Doctors, Politicians, Police and also families of the users.

The content of this book is often disturbing and certainly raised more than a few raw emotions in me. Much of it anger. When we hear about drugs, we often focus on the effects they have on the users and maybe even on family members. Crimes rates are often another point of consideration. Iced gives us much more food for thought when it comes to meth.

The dangers of explosions in meth labs for instance, often leaving the cook with very serious burns which can require treatment costing hundreds of thousands of dollars which when the cook has little or no health insurance, leaves the hospitals or burn centers to absorb the financial loss. This can lead to the closure of such burn centers, making it difficult for the rest of the communities to find appropriate care. The same meth labs create 6lbs of toxic waste for each pound of meth created, which is far from good on the environment or people living in the area. I was less than thrilled when I read about these things.

What greatly bothered me though, is the information on what effects meth has on a person. I had known nothing about this drug but on reading, and learning that it is more dangerous than cocaine and heroine and more widely used also, I do know that people need to become more educated about it. This is a drug that causes major and permanent damage to the user. The author defines it as:

It's almost unbelievable how meth affects the brain. It's a drug that forces our
brains to reward us with otherwise unattainable pleasure. Then it denies us
pleasure from any other source. As if that wasn't bad enough, it also makes us
forget that our actions have consequences and it constantly reminds us of how
great it is. Then it damages our brain to the point where nothing, not even more
meth, can ever make us feel good again. Meth is one of those strange things that
if it showed up in fiction, it'd be dismissed as too perfect to be real.

There is so much that could, and should be done about this. There are voices out there who are trying to be heard. Voices such as Richard Rawson of the not-for-profit Matrix Institute for Addictions which has success in helping patients overcome methamphetamine dependance. Voices such as Dr Mary Holley - founder of Mothers Against Meth. Projects such as IMPACT who use Bait Cars to catch car theives, many of which are meth addicts. To bring this project to the public eye, there is a website featuring some of the video footage taken from the cars. I am sure there are countless more voices too, all we need do is listen.

If you think this subject doesn't concern you. Think about a couple, newly married, who are mentioned in this book. They had saved for their dream home and were concerned when neighbours mentioned that the previous owner had many late night visitors. The home was tested and was found to have toxic levels 70 percent higher than were safe. A result of being a meth lab in earlier times. They had to move out after only a few months there, a few months which though brief, still led to many health problems.

I found this book to be a greatly informative, and eye-opening read.

Bait Car website: http://www.baitcar.com/

Matrix Institute for Addictions website: http://www.matrixinstitute.org/

Mothers Against Meth website: http://www.mamasite.net/

Dry by Barbara Sapergia

Published by Coteau Books

Dry is one of those novels that stick in the mind of the reader. It is based in the future, an all too realistic future in which the global warming has worsened to devastating levels. Even if the lack of rain were not a factor, the lands have been ruined by commercial farming, the use of chemicals and so on.

We are introduced to Signy Nilsson and her brother Tomas who are plant scientists. They have been working on finding a way for wheat to grow in the harsh conditions that exist. That alone is a consuming task but when mixed with the constant battle against Magnus Dragland, one of the richest and oldest men around, life becomes much more of a struggle.

Dragland owns almost a hundred square miles of the land that surrounds the Nilsson farm and has tried everything to own their land too. Now that all the legal options have been exhausted, Dragland begins to play dirty and people are getting hurt.

Along with Signy and Tomas, lives David. David is Signy's son who is a remarkably special boy. While he was born deaf, he does hear sounds that seem unavailable to those around him, sounds from the land itself. Along with these characters, we are introduced to countless others, all of whom are written in a very rich and vibrant way.

The novel is a beautiful blend of futuristic, mythological, native and historical themes which flow together seamlessly. The story, while not really fast paced, keeps the reader's attention flawlessly and packs many a surprise within the pages. The author has an incredible gift for being able to weave the facts into the tale in such a way that leaves the reader stunned when they come to light. It added a fun element to a thrilling adventure.

I found the many emotional ties which exist between the characters gave the book an extra something too. Though neatly put together, this novel always gave the impression that the story could quite easily have taken half-a-dozen alternative directions at any point. I haven't often come across a book with that quality before.

A greatly enjoyable read.

The Art of Salvage by Leona Theis

Published by Coteau Books

The Art of Salvage is one of those novels which haunts the reader. There are two main characters, in my view at least. Amber is a young woman with a lot on her mind. She suffers from mood disorders, she lost her best friend as a child, she discovered that her sister was in fact her mother, and the only two people she knew as parents, are deceased. Amber has so many questions, not only about her life and her birth parents, but also questions about herself. She seems often to resemble a shadow of a person, a ghost maybe, just barely existing and yet other times she is a force to be reckoned with, resembling a destructive tornado. She is a brilliantly written complex character.

The second main character, almost as complex, is Del. Del is Amber's birth mother though you would never really know it, from their dynamic. Del came across as a far more distant character, one you could never really reach out and touch, like you could with Amber. She is very closed off, almost fragile, and each of those qualities just leaps off the page when she makes an appearance. Del had become pregnant in 1974 and as was popular then, she went to a home for expectant mothers and tried to come to terms with giving away the child she was carrying. Del's mother decides that the baby should be raised as her own and Del, glad to be free of the decision, goes along with the plan.

The book has a layout of four parts. In part one of the book, we are introduced to the characters much later in life, after the death of the parents who raised them. Part two brings us the story of Del while part three is focussed on Amber. In part four, the final and to me, most dramatic section, we see them together once more as they try and come to terms with life and their choices.

This novel was gripping, exhilerating, crushing, devastating, hopeful, and intense. I found myself attached to both characters in the early pages as the author successfully grabs the attention of the reader and holds it, almost effortlessly until the very last page. I found the descriptive style to be excellent, especially when dealing with volatile or emotional scenes. The reader can almost hear the sounds of objects breaking, and in one especially memorable scene, cutting (self injury) is featured and the detail, though very brief, was chilling.

A great book and one that I will return to, time after time.

Author's website: http://www.leonatheis.com/

The Line Painter by Claire Cameron

Published by Harper Collins Publishers

Claire Cameron brings us her first novel, The Line Painter. In it, we meet the main character Carrie, who is in the middle of a traumatic and confusing period of her life. All we know at first is that she is running away from something, but what? or who? When the car she is driving breaks down, she finds herself alone, in the middle of nowhere. A truck pulls up, a guy gets out and offers to help and Carrie finds herself feeling nervous, afraid, or as the guy puts it, "creeped". Ignoring her instincts, she accepts a ride to the next town. What follows is a suspenseful, intense and at times, heartstopping tale which keeps the reader guessing until the very end.

This book has a great storyline and brilliantly written characters. Along with the two main characters, are a selection of colourful and memorable folk. I love that each of the characters, no matter how fleeting their appearance, seem incredibly real. It is probably the attention to detail that is constant throughout, enough to paint a picture and yet not drown out the story. It is one of the most realistic novels I have read and captures the attention of the reader from the very start. The pages ooze with raw energy and emotion and the descriptions reach right into the heart of the reader.

My favourite scene, which I won't go into in too much detail so as to not ruin it for you when you buy this book, is when Carrie loses control for a short time. She screams and the author writes that scene in such a skillful manner that she gives the emotion a physical form, a form so real that I felt that had I held my fingers closer, I could have reached out and touched it, and been enveloped and consumed by it. That's something I haven't experienced before, in any book.

It's also rare for me to read a book and feel exhilarated and drained all at once, but this book left me feeling that I hadn't just read this novel, but had been there, on the road with the characters, experiencing it all first hand. I think that came from the fact that the reader has to use their own imagination and mind to fill in the spaces that are left intentionally for that purpose. The reader has no choice but to feel more involved. That added a lot to my enjoyment of The Line Painter.

An incredible first book which I couldn't put down and since it's a pretty quick read, I didn't have to. I can't wait to see what Claire Cameron comes up with next.

Author's website: http://www.claire-cameron.com/

The author speaks about her book: Click here to view

Grapes from the Vine by Judith Lawrence

Self Published by the Author via Lulu

Grapes from the Vine is a collection of poetry, written by Judith Lawrence, during times of meditation and contemplation of God. Contained within the pages, are 35 beautiful, heartfelt, descriptive poems which are just so filled with awe, love and positivity that this book is truly a joy to read.

My own personal favourite is Still Centre, which speaks of letting life be quieted, turbulent mind being stilled along with a restless spirit in order that we may journey on, peaceful and unafraid. It is a poem I have read so often already, I know it will always remain with me.

No matter what your religious beliefs are, these poems are an inspiration and provide a calming of the soul. I know that by the time I turned the last page, and read Epiphany, which was written in January 2007 on the occasion of Grapes from the Vine being republished, I longed to find my own sense of peace and search for answers of my own.

The author's faith, love, and adoration are all abundantly clear in this little book, making it a wonderfully uplifting and heartfelt read that you are sure to go back to, often.

Author's website: http://www.judithlawrence.ca/

Cathedral Women by Carol Malyon

Published by The Mercury Press

Carol Malyon brings us a fast paced novel which will keep the reader constantly guessing. A few weeks ago, Tracey had it all. A boyfriend, two loving parents, a job she almost liked. Now her world is upside down as she gave up the guy and shortly after her parents went away on a vacation, she gets a call to say they were killed in an accident with a drunk driver.

While sorting out papers in her dad's office, she stumbles across an envelope on which is written To be given to Angela on her twenty-first birthday. Puzzled, she opens it and finds a notebook, a snapshot, and a letter from someone named Gloria Cathedral, a woman who gave away her baby to be adopted.. a baby who shares Tracey's birthday.

What follows is a touching adventure in which Tracey is determined to find out who she is and where she belongs. We, the readers, are still granted access to her parents' view of all this as they lurk on a cloud and watch over their darling girl.

This book is so suprising. I loved the unique aspect of having her parents still talking to us and filling us in on little pieces as we read along. I liked the straight-forward, no-frills writing style. The raw emotion, often heartbreaking, just screams out from the pages and the reader just can't help but hope that this is going to end happily. With so much tragedy at the start, it's not likely, but we live in hope regardless.

The book gives an insight not just into life after the death of Tracey's parents but also of her teen years. We get to see Tracey really develop as a character and that was wonderful for me. I also loved that we see her take two journeys. One, a physical search for family and home, and a second in which she searches within herself and uses fact and imagination to come to terms with her life.

A great read!