Be Careful What You Wish For

This is book four of the Harry Clifton Series. More than any book yet this one is set in the world of business. An author who likes cliff-hanger endings to entice the reader to buy the next in the series gives this book an explosive ending.

Keep Quiet

If you've read Reservation Road or seen the movie based on it then you have an idea of the plot for this book. Another movie in a similar vein would be I Saw What You Did Last Summer. It may be possible to hide a crime but living with it is quite another proposition. The fact that the wife and mother here is a judge adds an ironic twist. At the heart of this tale is the fact that the relationship between father and son is one of parenting not buddy, buddy; parenting is not a popularity contest. Somehow the book comes off as less than satisfying and the snapper ending seems somewhat contrived.

His Whole Life

At first glance everyone in this novel appears to be on a guilt trip. The protagonist we follow in His Whole Life is Jim whose family is visiting his uncle, his mother's brother, who lives in Lanark south-west of Ottawa, Canada, Jim's family lives in New York City. Jim and his mother, Nan, move back to the winterized log cabin to live when the owners die leaving Jim's father behind in New York. Most of the action, such as it is takes place in Jim's mind.

This is a Canadian novel despite its part-time location in NYC and Quebec Separatism and Referendums work their way into the storyline. The story follows Jim from age 8 to 17. Somehow as much as I enjoyed reading it this book was tough going.

The Life We Bury

Joe Talbert's mother is a typical alcoholic--manipulative, predatory, self-centred. Reading about how she treats her son will make you understand how one can love someone and want to throttle them at the same time. His brother Jeremy can't help the fact he's autistic. No matter how many times Joe thinks he's escaped his mother does something to drag him back.

The story grabs your attention and keeps it. Turns out to be one part murder mystery, one part thriller.

Common Ground

I can remember when Justin Trudeau was born on Christmas Day 1971. There followed many pictures of he and his brothers peering between the legs of world leaders when his father took them along to Commonwealth Conferences or State Visits. When he decided to run for office Maclean’s Mag published a multi-page spread in which they interviewed his skiing buddies and anyone else they could persuade to talk. In the most recent election the Tory Party ran some very un-Canadian attack ads. History will judge whether or not he was “up to the job” but if a son learns his trade by watching his father Justin had a unique training ground. So far there have been no pictures of him pirouetting behind the back of the Queen or saying fuddle duddle. This autobiography serves as his attempt to set the record straight.

The book is well-edited and very readable. After trying out the generous sample first chapter I was moved to want to read the rest.

When I reached the section documenting the electoral machinations I got bogged down. First Trudeau persuaded the Liberal members of his riding to select him as candidate over the party leader’s approved choice. Then he persuaded the voters of Papineau to unseat their elected representative in his favour. Then he persuaded the Liberal Party of Canada to select him as party leader. Finally helped elect a majority government making him Prime Minister.

Even if the cachet of the name Trudeau didn’t work in his favour the family fortune enabled him to conduct his electioneering with a sense of comfort. It takes $2 billion to elect a president of the US. The record of donors and their contributions are a matter of public record in Canada. Trudeau’s maternal grandfather was a bagman for the party. He gets mention but in slightly more flattering terms. These final chapters are more political statement than biography. I happen to agree that the Harper Tories needed defeating. Ploughing through Trudeau’s policy statements makes for dry reading unless you’re a politico junkie.

Best Kept Secret

Book Three of the Series. Book two ended with another cliff-hanger as the House Of Lords returns a tied vote on the matter of Harry vs Giles.

Britain’s highest court of appeal may have established in law that the two were not brothers but doubt remains. Harry becomes a writer and Giles an MP. A fourth generation of Cliftons and Barringtons continue their adventures here with just as many plot twists and as much excitement. The story continues to be told from multiple points of view at times back-tracking when the centre of attention shifts.

So is it a spoiler to say that Sebastian’s younger sister Janice may be his Aunt. Is this anything new in Britain’s inbred aristocracy. As a biographical aside it might be noted that the author has personal prison experience. The author continues to keep the reader in suspence with cliff-hanger endings.

If books one and two sparked your interest you’ll love book three and probably want to read book four.

The Sins of the Father

Second in a series that at time of writing stretched to seven volumes. Book one had a cliff-hanger ending as young Clifton learned that assuming the identity of someone whose past one doesn't know can be fraught with unknown hazards.

Somehow it took some time for my interest in this book gain hold but after a few chapters it becomes difficult to put it down.

Once more we are faced with a cliffhanger ending as the House of Lords returns a tied vote in the matter of Giles vs Harry.

The Story of the Other Wise Man

This is a small book published in 1895 of which I only recently heard and today read. This little morality tale makes it plain that the success of a quest often lies not in attaining the goal but in how one makes the journey.

Any Means Necessary

For me a book like this is guilty pleasure offered by one E-Book seller as a free weekend read. Described as a thriller it depicts the kind of black ops most would rather not know about or admit are carried out and certainly not on American soil. As a moral conundrum does using our enemy's tactics against them make us like them and are such black ops justified under any circumstances.

This book proves that action-adventure can be depicted without the text being laced with profanities. The text is also well edited, grammatically correct, and easy to follow.

The action sort of drags in the middle before picking up for an unsatisfactory ending that leaves much unresolved. Proving that this book one is offered for free in hopes you'll buy book two to find out how it all comes out.

Only Time Will Tell

A story set in Bristol, England. First in a series charts the life of Harry Clifton born in 1920 to the wife of a dock worker killed before he was born. The same events are covered from the points of view of several of the actors in the story. For those with a sense of outrage at the abuse of power and privilege in class conscious England of the period this series will ring true. The series stretches to seven volumes.

Some of Tim's Stories

S.E. Hinton's juvenile delinquents have grown up. In this series of tales one of them is doing hard time. Set in Oklahoma these are good ole boys who party hard, have hangovers the next morning, then drink hair of the dog. A small short story collection the interviews with the author that make up more than half the book are for rabid fans only.

Duplex

I've tried reading this several times but just can't get into it. Maybe at a later date. After persevering to the midpoint just couldn't justify pressing on.

Golden Age

[This is book three of a trilogy. This review presumes the reading of book two.]

Book two ended with Frank discovering that his nephew Tim fathered a son before his death in Vietnam the family had no knowledge of. The family tree that indicates that Tim sired a child by Charlie's wife is surely a misprint.

The reader will contine to need to consult the family tree in an attempt to keep all the family members and their relatsionships straight. This continues to be meat for several books all rolled into one. This fictional story continues to incorporate historical events including the 9/11 terrorist event.

The book is rewarding reading but the text is densely packed and takes some time to plough through especially with back-tracking to consult the family tree. In that regard a paper copy would probably be easier to manage.

The final chapters are placed in the future.

Rules for a Knight

When I tried to watch Ethan Hawke's The Hottest State I found the actor so obnoxiously self-absorbed I couldn't finish the movie. I was not inspired to read the book nor have I gotten to Ash Wednesday. Who knew the actor had a decent book in him.

Rules for a Knight is a commentary on the seven virtues with a few extra bits thrown in for good measure. Could it be the actor has finally matured into a thoughtful man?

The Book of Three

This is obviously a YA novel and as with so many of its ilk derivative of JRR Tolkien. It is also a good read and curled up by a winter fire it would be quite possible to complete it in one evening. First of a series.

Early Warning

Book two begins in Iowa on the farm with Walter’s funeral, then switches to East Coast Washington and West Coast California to follow family members. Walter and Rosanna had four children who married and had offspring. By 1953 the third generation has appeared on the scene and what with duplicate names and nicknames the reader will need to consult the family tree to keep them all straight.

Although Joe and Claire remain in farming country the East Coast branch of the family become involved in business and government agencies. The Vietnam War and three assassinations figure in the storyline. Henry has gay partners and continues in higher education eventually becoming a professor of Medieval English Chicago. One character sees a charlatan psychiatrist/therapist who has sex with his patients and another couple experience a religious cult and have a bi-racial relationship. AIDS gets mention.

Year by year we jump between the various families who in typical American style gather for funerals, Thanksgiving, and Christmas; celebrate the occasional birthday, graduation,or wedding.

This book continues the family story begun in book one and as such is not a stand-alone volume. At nearly 500 pages it is a major reading investment. Compared with book one in the series and many other books I’ve read this was a tough read.

The Free

This is a book told in the third person. Although it is well edited for the most part the centre of focus changes so often and so many principal characters are introduced it becomes difficult for the reader to figure out who the book is about or how all these disparate people fit together. There doesn’t appear to be any one main character.

The nurse
Her favourite patient
Her father
The runaway girl
Her squat mates
The night man at the group home
His second job
The gal where he buys donuts
The injured PTSD Vet
His roommates
His mother
His girlfriend

The hospital where Pauline works and most of the rest become patients or their visitors appears to be the unifying force. And in a parallel storyline in italics which appears to be Leroy’s hallucination or dream the Free of the title are a vigilante group who  hunt Leroy and his partner. The name is ironic because they are imprisoned by their hate.

This isn’t the kind of book that leads the reader to expect happy endings. It does paint a realistic picture of these people’s onging lives and struggles. There are no climaxes or resolutions, the final chapters seem to jump forward several years and then it abruptly ends.

The Lobster Kings

The story is narrated by Cordelia who helps work her father, Woody’s fishing boat. There is a sense of outrage, injustice that underlies the tale when her mewling baby brother, her father’s first-born son is seen as the inheritor of the family fortune and business. Ironically, it is her mother who believes that a daughter’s place is onshore, not on the sea.  Even more ironic that the boy lacks interest in being a fisherman. Life on the sea is a hard one and the book pulls no punches. The tale is told matter-of-factly. People die and get injured, grow old and retire. Sibling rivalries flare and on a small island justice is meted out vigilante style. Wars over fishing rights are fought.

Lobsters are termed Bugs.

And, since this is a novel of this century and the bountiful harvests of yore are no longer so plentiful the lure of easy money from drug running rears its ugly head. The patriarchal progenitor of the Kings Clan was a painter of some note and his paintings are described at fitting points in the story.

Four

This book is a series of novellas that are told in the first person from Tobias Eaton's point of view forming a prequel to the Divergent series documenting Four's own initiation and the rivalry between he and Eric. The final section parallels Tris' arrival at Dauntless.

The book assumes the reader has read the Divergent Series and would be hard to follow without that prior knowledge. For Divergent fans this is a useful addition to the canon.

One is disposed to like Four and reading this book brings him back to us. The fact that he here admits to and confronts his own frailties, vulnerabilities, and misgivings somehow makes him more real to us. Having seen the movie versions one cannot help but picture him as Theo James.

Virgin River

First in a lengthy series of Romance Novels set in the mountainous Redwood region of Northern California. The author's books are well written with decent plots that make the love-making scenes an adjunct to the main storyline. Still I don't read them for the vicarious titillation value.