The Secret Diary of Hendrik Growen 83 1/4 Years Old- Book Review

Within the last few years, there has been an uptick of quirky, elderly, sarcastic/angry protagonists. There was Ove in A Man Called Ove, who would regularly kick things while being super grumpy. There was Allan in the 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, who wasn't so grumpy, but just got tired of being in a nursing home. There was also Martha of The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules and her mighty band of pensioners who go for broke one day and go on a spree.

Into this genre, enters Hendrik Groen who is 83 years old and is one of the youngest people at his old age home. He decides to keep a diary for a year telling about life in the home. He is sarcastic, opinionated, and is approaching the diary without a filter, as he says.

There are fights in the home as to who can sit in certain benches or not. There are mysteries, such as they dying fish (they died because Hendrik threw a rock hard biscuit into the tank), and there is a new "gang" called The Old, but Not Dead Club of which Hendrik is a founding member. They stay up late and keep planning to go on an outing.

Life in the home is pretty normal with all of these things going on, until Eefje moves in. Hendrik has always had a thing for her and wishes life had been a bit different.

Throughout the book, Hendrik also deals with a memory that seems to be slipping at time, getting older so he might need a scooter, and has insights about getting older that will delight.

This book is a "safe" one. By that, I mean you know what you are going to get and it can be read by any single person in the family who can read. It is heartwarming, it is funny, and there isn't too much to set someone off. It is a completely "safe" book. It would be fun for a book club to read.

The good news, is I am not quite tired of these types of books yet. I am still enjoying the sarcastic, grumpy, yet a heart of gold elderly person books. I find them good palate cleansers after some heavier books and this one is no different. It was so fun, I started it in the afternoon and finished it right before going to bed that evening. It was a simple, fun read. This sounds like an insult, but it isn't meant to be- this is the equivalent of a Hallmark movie, but in book form. I think too many more of these types of books will start to burn out the genre, but for now, I am still loving them.

I gave this one a 3.5.

*I want to thank NetGalley for the early copy of the book. I received it in exchange for an honest review*

Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka- Book Review

As I was reading Girl in Snow, I kept getting mixed feelings about the book. In the beginning, I kept checking to see if the book was a YA book (a little more later) and by the end, I found I really enjoyed what I read even if the ending was a bit stretched.

A girl, Lucinda, is found dead in the school playground- her neck is broken and she has been hit in the head.

Cameron, one of our narrators, has autism and has been Lucinda's stalker. He watches her at night and is enraptured with her. He draws her, has her diary, and used to just stare at her.

Jade is a teen with body issues. She used to date Lucinda's ex boyfriend. Lucinda stole her boyfriend and she hexed Lucinda. She wanted her gone after Lucinda also stole her babysitting job. Jade is an aspiring script writer.

Russ is the police officer investigating the murder. He used to be partners with Cameron's father before the father's trial for the murder of a woman. Russ is having problems at home with his wife and her ex con brother, who is the janitor at the school and the one who found Lucinda's body.

The book is told through their eyes, alternating between the three of them. Ultimately the book becomes less about Lucinda and more about why these three act the way they do.

The writing in this book is very simple, which is why I thought it was a YA book. The chapters are very short and the sentences are not too complex. As the book moves forward though, the simple writing is used as a disarming technique as we move through these people's lives.

The art of the book comes through the three individual voices. Each character's chapters are written with a unique voice. Cameron has some type of autism and so he makes lists, points out things, and doesn't quite understand what is going on. Jade will switch in the middle of her narratives into a script form that may or may not be the actual conversation. Russ is the grown up and has a more difficult story as he wrestles with his many demons. Switching voices keeps the book moving.

I am not going to lie, this book drags a ton, especially in the beginning. Even though the chapters are very short, I kept looking to see how many pages I had left. By the end of the book, as the story starts to peak, it does pick up a bit more. There are some twists. I have to also state, I didn't enjoy the actual murderer reveal, but as stated earlier, the murder became a secondary story anyway. I kept wanting to see what happened in Russ' life more than the other two. His life becomes pretty complex toward the ending and his relationship with Cameron's father becomes a great center.

Overall, I thought the book was just ok. Nothing too outrageous and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I gave this one 3.5 stars.

*I want to thank NetGalley for the early copy. I received it in exchange for an honest review.*

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn- Book Review

This was a book that started strongly, continued to have fun with the idea, but then as it moved on, I just wanted it to end and then it did!

The story of Ella Minnow Pea takes place on an island where the famous phrase "The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog" was created. The creator of the phrase Nevin Nollop is so highly regarded that he is treated almost as a godlike character. The comes into play when letters begin falling off the memorial to him. The island council decides this is fate and begin deeming the letter that has fallen can no longer be used.

The whole story is an epistolary story between Ella and her family and friends. As the first letter is banned, use of it will lead to several punishments including banishment.

As one can guess, letters begin falling off of the sign and each time, the council decides to ban the use of that letter. The letters sent also begin transforming as certain letters are now banned.

This book took a lot of skill to write. It had to be a difficult challenge to continue writing while not using certain letters as the book continued. It was fun reading it in that sense as the author goes with some deep cuts for words to continue telling the story.

The problem is, once the pattern emerges and the story continues, it begins to get a little tedious. The skill is acknowledged to write, but story wise it started to become- let's get this over with already and tie it up.

The other difficulty was trying to distinguish the different character voices in the book. Nothing in the letters being sent lead the reader to a certain character, except for a few kitchen table letters. I had to keep reading the letter's signee to figure out who was speaking.

Overall, it is still a fun and quick book. At just 200 pages, it took an afternoon to read and it was a bit of fun. I gave this one 3.5 stars.

How Do You Read So Many Books?

I thought I would have a little fun with this blog post as it is the question I get the most from my friends.

How do you read so many books?

I often have a few silly answers ready to go:
1. I am a genius. A real life genius.

2. Reading is my super power after getting bit by a radioactive book worm.

3. It is a burden and a curse. If I stop reading, I die instantly.

I also have my serious answers:

1. My parents were avid readers and we had books everywhere. My wife nearly fell over the first time she came to my house because she did not believe me. There are bookcases everywhere.

2. I didn't really start reading until my Senior year of High School as I didn't enjoy it. Now I am catching up for lost years.

3. In seminary, we were required to read hundreds of pages a night and I just never stopped.

4. I started slowly and eventually my reading skill built up.

5. I really am a genius. For some reason, no one believes me.

The thing is, I am not a fast reader, but I do have a routine that works and it is really simple. So, I am going to teach you my routine in this blog post.

If you try it, know that you are going to be giving up some TV/movie time. I also don't have kids, so I recognize I have a bit more self time than most. If you are going to try my routine, adjust as you see fit. 

First I pick out about 3-5 books for the week. 

I make one my morning book, one my afternoon book, and one my evening book. My morning book has shorter chapters and can be picked up and put down. My afternoon book is my meat and potatoes book. My evening book is a book where I know I will read a solid chunk of it, but I also know I will get sleepy and put it down eventually.

In the morning, I commit 30-40 minutes to reading my morning book. Once 30-40 minutes is up, I don't touch it until the next morning. This book isn't too plot heavy. Poetry is great, mysteries, top 10 books, etc. I find non fiction works best for me in the morning as I feel I am learning something first thing in the morning over coffee and it becomes a great brain stimulant. Thirty to forty minutes seems quick, but it is about 40-60 pages when you think about it. If it is a 200 page book at 40 pages a day, you will be done in 5 days.

For my evening book, I commit at least 40 mins straight and then pick it up and put it down the rest of the night until I fall asleep. This book has some substance to it because I am going to have a block of time where I could read on a good night. On a typical night, I can get through 80-100 pages in one evening. On a really good night 100-150.

Now the afternoon book. This is my go to for most of the day. I bring it with me everywhere- at work, during waiting times for appointments, during lunch, or any time I have a bit of free time. You will be surprised how often you find yourself waiting. I sometimes show up 15 minutes early to appointments to have that precious reading time. If you look for moments, you will find time to read. 

Once I finish one book, I swap it for a different one in the pile. 

Now, I am a slightly crazy person, so I throw one in that I am going to start for the weekend around Wednesday and flip between two books for my evening books. I just tease this book and don't get to into yet. This gives me a head start for the weekend selections.

I find with my system, I can generally finish 3 books definitely by the end of the week. On really great weeks, all 5 are done and I have a weekend to finish two more.

Now you know how I read so many books! Give it a try and then you too can be a genius! 

Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips- Book Review

I saw this was available on a Canadian book site and was excited I could get it now, rather than waiting until the end of the month, so I ordered it early. I had read the description and the plot seemed so intriguing- mother and son are trapped in a zoo after closing as things get strange, so it became a book that I became excited for in the summer and was an instant purchase.

The plot is Joan and her 4 year old son are in the zoo, as they often are. It is nearing closing time and Joan begins to bring her son to the exit. As she nears the exit, she sees a few dead bodies on the grounds and then more. The zoo is under attack.

The rest of the book follows Joan and her son for the next few hours as she hides and ducks and scurries to keep ahead of the shooters. She has a cell phone to communicate with her husband, but she doesn't know why or who is attacking the zoo. It is now a game of survival for Joan and her son.

It is extremely difficult to talk about this book without giving plot points away, but I will try my best so as not to spoil the book. Warning though there will be vagueness ahead.

As I read this book, I keep telling myself- this would make a great movie. It is tense. Being in enclosed spaces at times with a 4 year old who likes to talk and simply does not understand that if he makes noise he gives away their position would make a fantastic movie.

For me though, it made a dragging book at times.

The book starts off very quickly and gets the reader into the tense situation very quickly. The characters are drawn out and you are with this mother and child. Their backgrounds, family life, who they were, etc really don't matter. They are in crisis mode. We will learn about Joan a bit in the book, but in the beginning we know all we need to know.

The ending is also incredible. As one can guess, there will need to be a point when Joan needs to get out of there. Other things happen, things are learned, and she will need to escape. That is all I will say on that. The escape is also tense.

It is the middle that would be great in a movie, but in a book almost didn't work. At one time, I almost put it down and didn't come back to it. This is primarily about hiding and having to stay hidden while other things happen. The book is told from Joan's perspective and stays with her. So, things are happening, but since we are with Joan, we don't know what is happening because we are hiding. Hiding can be pretty dull at times, if you know what I mean, especially with just two characters- Joan and her son.

I am glad I stuck with it though as the conclusion is worth it. There was at least one- "oh come on" moment, but I don't want to say when as it will give away some things, but brace yourself for at least one of them. It is a very convenient situation that helps Joan and son too easily.

The story is also told using time as chapters, which was fun.

I gave this one 3.5 stars. Great for summer or curled up for a weekend. A good thriller.

Touch by Courtney Maum- Book Review

I generally don't make Top 10 lists, except in my head and on long car rides, but if I had a Top 10 books that came out in 2017, this would sit at number 7 or 8. It wasn't my top top, but it was such a good read that had a great commentary on the current state of the world.

The book takes place in the near future. Technology has advanced just a bit more. Individuals are still connected via social media sources and dating apps, but the next level has happened- the post penetration intercourse movement. Individuals no longer touch one another even if they are in a relationship as most relationships happen through the phone or computer, even if the people are in the same room.

Sloane has predicted this will happen, as she is a trends predictor. She has been on top of all the technology trends and has now been hired by one of the top companies to help them create a technology for the next big trend.

As the book moves on, Sloane comes to a realization after being stuck somewhere and after an installed suggestion box- Sloane realizes the world will need touch again. As she talks to her employees through anonymous suggestions, she realizes individuals are doing things, such as renting people to hold them, and this is the trend of the future. The problem is there is no tech for this AND she is the forerunner for the non-penetration movement. Will Sloane go against her own ideals and promote this new trend? What will it cost her?

As I read this book, I knew I was reading a great, great book. The writing had a style, some sentences just blew me out of the water, and the book had a major point to make and made it without beating one over the head. Setting it in the just near future was also perfect timing as Maum herself is noticing a trend happening in the world.

When I finished the book, about two days later, my wife showed me an article about Japanese men marrying their sex dolls. (Link may be considered NSFW) This was happening! What Maum wrote about was actually happening. Her idea we are so connected virtually that we are disconnecting in real life is so true! I think this is also why I loved the book.

I will say there are a few dips in the book, but I didn't mind them as Maum got right back into the story pretty quickly. I am not going to say much more because I think individuals should read it as I did- fairly cold with just a bit of knowing what it is about and let it surprise you.

I gave this one a definite 5 stars. It isn't a perfect book though, but I loved it.

Company Town by Madeline Ashby- Book Review

I just took a week to read and take a mini vacation. During that time, since Canada was gearing up for Canada Day, I decided to catch up on this year's Canada Reads selections. For those that do not know, each year the CBC hosts a reading contest in winter where 5 books are selected to become the book that all of Canada should read that year. They get guest celebrities to defend one of the 5 selections.

The year the books were:
Company Town by Madeline Ashby
Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis
The Right to Be Cold by Sheila Watt-Cloutier
The Break by Katherena Vermette
Nostalgia by MG Vassanji

Even though I linked to the books on the US version of Amazon, they are much cheaper through Amazon.ca, but you will have to wait 3 weeks to get them or so.

Company Town was in second place this year, but I enjoyed it a tad more than this year's winner- Fifteen Dogs (although I am going to read it again to give it a second chance).

Company Town takes place in the near future off the coast of Newfoundland. Most people are augmented in some way or another, except our heroine Hwa. She has no augments and a small mole on her face, so face identifying augs have a hard time picking her up. She also happens to know Kung fu.

On the oil rig, which is the size of a town, Hwa lives with her mother who is a legal prostitute as a body guard. She is approached one day by a member of the Lynch family to help protect the youngest Lynch. He is in danger of being assassinated within a week's time. As Hwa leaves to protect the Lynch family, prostitutes start winding up murdered. Do the two connect to one another? (Hint: probably)

Company Town is one of those instances where the cover does not do the book justice. I don't know what the current cover, pictured above, says about the book, but Kung fu action murder mystery is not what it portrays. That is what is at the heart of this book. It was perfect for a summer on vacation type read.

The book moves very quickly and keeps up the pace. While it is not a perfect book in that at times it gets a little lost within its own narrative, it was just right for me. Hwa is a strong female protagonist who makes mistakes, owns them, and doesn't try to Rambo everything. While she is a one woman soldier, what gives her strength is also her greatest weakness.

The ending does start to fall a bit into a typical ending in that we can guess what will happen with Hwa about 1/2 way through the book, but that was fine with me. The people on Canada Reads critiqued it as a soap opera ending, but I would not agree with that statement. It is just pretty obvious where it is going.

I wound up loving this one. I still think I liked Nostalgia just a tad more.

I gave this one 4.5 stars. It isn't perfect, but it was a great summer read.

Lost Boy by Christina Henry- Book Review

Most of us know the story of Peter Pan and Captain Hook. The two caught in an epic battle- Peter as the Boy who doesn't grow old and Hook as the Pirate who lost his hand to an crocodile. But, what happened before that story? How did these two wind up hating one another? That is what is focused on in Lost Boy.

Peter Pan is the fun loving boy who hangs out with his gang "The Lost Boys." The gang fights pirates, wrestle with one another, and follow Peter's every whim.

Jamie is one of those Lost Boys. He has been on the island, following Peter, longer than any of the other boys. He is Peter's right hand boy. Jamie is Peter's strategist, his conscious, and he is starting to doubt Peter's leadership.

In Jamie's eyes, Peter has started to become too brash and has put the Lost Boys in danger on a number of occasions. He begins to notice that every time a Lost Boy dies, Peter just goes to the Other World to get a new one. Originally, Jamie was one of those children from the Other World, but his grasp on that world is slipping except for a dream that continues to haunt him. Jamie also notices that as he begins to doubt Peter, he begins to grow older. What is Peter's connection to the island and why does he need these boys? Why do the pirates exist on this island, if it is Peter's island? Is Peter a psychopath as Jamie begins to suspect?

When I received this from NetGalley, I was really excited. I loved what Christina Henry did with the Alice in Wonderland story in her book Alice and Red Queen, so I couldn't wait to see what she did with Peter Pan. Henry did not disappoint either.

I can see individuals hating this book because of how Henry paints Peter. He comes off as a crazed psycho, rather than the fun loving, joyful, Disney Pan. He craves violence, pits the Lost Boys against one another, and has a frantic way about him. He also begins to keep secrets from the rest of the boys and especially Jamie.

At the same time, the book is narrated through Jamie's eyes. We know who he will become from the very beginning, so as he begins to doubt Pan, one wonders- is this just Jamie's perspective or is this really who Peter is?

The story moves rather quickly and builds to a frantic pace as the book winds up. I found this a great page turner and didn't want to put it down. It is all on the shoulders of Peter and Jamie's relationship and it works in the book. I kept feeling like Jamie loved Peter deeply and it was breaking his heart to  doubt Peter. This was destroying him.

There were a few places in the book that seemed a bit forced, but they were not too distracting. One could figure out, once the reveal was there, what was going to happen to certain characters or who did a key item from the very beginning, but it didn't take away from the read.

I wound up liking this one more than I thought I would. I loved Peter as a frantic psycho. I wound up giving this one 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.