Two Dogs and a Book

Staying On by Paul Scott My rating: 5 of 5 stars I laughed; I cried; I was moved and learned a few things along the way. What a fabulous book! Absolutely loved it! I read this book for my book club and I have to thank Celia for suggesting it. This was such a delight to read. I loved the characters, the places and the story. I recommend this book to everyone. What a gem!!! View all my reviews

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen My rating: 5 of 5 stars Another beautiful classic! I am so happy I got acquainted with such an awesome piece of literature and thoughtful writings. Pride and Prejudice is a delight and I could barely put it down. I saw some movie versions of the book and I was glad that they did not cause prejudice (no pun intended) on my discovery of this master piece. Jane Austin made me wish that I lived in such an area when people mastered the English language and spoke it so poetically. This book was a joy to read and I would recommend it to those who have not yet read it. View all my reviews

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë My rating: 5 of 5 stars A friend send me a recent article by CBC (Canada) which listed the top 10 books people claim to have read, but haven't. I looked at the list and soon discovered that I hadn't read any of the books listed. How sad or how challenging!! I decided that I should start right away on tackling that list and be sure never to say that I have read any of these books when that would not be the truth. I fancied reading Jane Eyre for a while and since the book was on the list, I decided to start with that one. No regrets!!! I looooved it!! Charlotte Brontë provided such literature richness and it was a treat to read this beautiful classic. It transported me to a time so different than today and yet so appealing to me. I loved the language, the customs and the variety of characters and behaviours. Wonderful read!!! View all my reviews

Anthill by Edward O. Wilson My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wow! This is my favorite book I read in 2013 so far. I love a great book which mixes science, biography, action and advocacy... All in one book! Who can ask for more? I was enthralled by the story. I loved the characters and their causes. Each one was well developed and brought their own flavour to this wonderful story. The full description of the ant colony and the Super colony was so educational. Loved it! The storyline is strong and offers so much to the imagination. My mind and my heart were treated equally. I recommend this book. You won't regret reading it. :) View all my reviews

The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson My rating: 4 of 5 stars It is bitter sweet to be done with this trilogy. I enjoyed Rae Carson's stories. The paste was fast and the books were filled with so many adventures. There were many happy moments and many sad ones too. I felt the frustration and victories of the characters. It was a light reading and it kept me interested and wanting to see the end. I am looking forward to read more of Rae's books in the future. View all my reviews

NW by Zadie Smith My rating: 1 of 5 stars Not my thing. The writing style was difficult to read and I am still trying to figure out what the author tried to say. The message was very unclear... maybe there was no message. View all my reviews

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley My rating: 4 of 5 stars I read a French translation of this book when I was in High School. It was a very disturbing reading at the time. I remember how I felt uneasy with the lifestyle of the civilized people. I was quite inexperienced with life at that time and had be sheltered by a simple life on a ranch. The book was challenging some of my deep beliefs and funny enough, it remained imprinted in my mind over all these years as the book I enjoyed reading the most in High School. Many moons later, I felt the desire to read this book again, but this time in its original language. This allowed me to appreciate the author's vision so much more. I read somewhere that Aldous Huxley said that if he was writing this book now days, he would not put the story 600 years in the future, but only 200. I say 100 years would be more my guess. Brave New World is a must read book. It contains a vision of the future that is not so far fetch. It also challenges

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese My rating: 3 of 5 stars Cutting for Stone was nothing what I had imagined at first. The first few chapters reminded me of The Cider House Rules by John Irving, but I soon discovered that the books had nothing in common. The story of Marion and Shiva was hard and tender at the same time. All the characters had flaws and excuses for them. Hema, Ghosh, Matron, Genet, Thomas Stone and even Sister Mary Joseph Praise colored this book with their imperfect lives. We are all humans after all. The journey was long and the author took many twists and turns to bring it back to closure. All is well... nothing is missing. I enjoyed reading this book! View all my reviews

Frances and Bernard by Carlene Bauer My rating: 4 of 5 stars Absolutely loved this book!!! So clever and well written. Frances' internal battle with her faith was so well depicted in this passage: "Some of us have a talent for suffering -- but I guess I don't. What is the point of believing in something all-powerful if he cannot give you the strength to go on at this very moment? What is the point of other people if you cannot keep your hands on them? I refuse to think, as my aunts might suggest, that these are God-given lessons. That just makes God a scold, and I refuse to believe that he is." And Bernard's need to be loved is also well explained in this passage: "But love is another law, too, and it will judge you if you do not bend to it when it asks." I loved the way the author used correspondence between several people to make you journey thought the story. The characters are well formed and mature. I am so happy I got to read this book. E

Snowdrops by A.D. Miller My rating: 3 of 5 stars Surprisingly a quick read. This is a book I had to read for my bookclub and was not sure I would like it, but i did. The one person narrative leaves you wondering what the other characters think and feel, but I guess that is the point of this book. I am going to St. Petersburg this summer and the main character's visit to that town was particularly interesting to me. The book also painted a very good picture of the illegal activities in Russia and the collective struggle of a nation in the process to be reborn. View all my reviews

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt My rating: 3 of 5 stars I read this book for my bookclub. I had many many LOL moments and enjoyed the character of Eli very much. I sympathised with him and understood that circumstances made him what he became. The writing style was good and I enjoyed reading the book as small vignette stories of these two notorious brothers. I thought as I read the book that it was written to be a movie and found out yesterday that someone already picked up the rights to make it into one. No surprise there! Although I enjoyed it, I thought that my male reader friends would probably enjoy it more. Still a good read... the cover is totally amazing and if you were to judge the book by it, you would not be disappointed. View all my reviews

When the Siren Calls by Tom Barry My rating: 1 of 5 stars If Jay was Adam and Isobel was Eve... humanity would have been totally screwed over. I am sad to say that I did not like this book and could not wait to be done with it. Such a beautiful cover and yet, as they say, never judge a book by its cover... I should have known. I feel sad that I did not like t his book since the author himself sent it to me to read. I gave it a fair shot, but just could not find a way to like the story and even less the characters. They were all detestable and so selfish. I really hope that this book was not based on real people because if there are real people like this in this world; it would be a real shame. View all my reviews

Nose: A Novel by James Conaway My rating: 4 of 5 stars There is nothing more lovely than a good glass of wine shared with family and friends during a succulent meal. I am French; I was practically raised on wine. I am not one of those fancy critics or connoisseurs; I just enjoy wine for my own pleasure... keep it simple and affordable. I was so happy when I was selected to pre-read this book which will available in bookstores in March. The short description of the book made me curious and I kept my fingers crossed in hope to be selected... I was thrilled when I found out that I was. James Conaway's writing style is sophisticated and educated. I enjoyed his beautiful phrasing and descriptions of people, places and events. One of the book praises described it as "A funny and suspenseful... and evocative story" (Tracy Kidder). I thought when I read this praise that the book would provide a few laughs... I am yet to find them. But that does not matter too much; the stor

Mistress Of Nothing by Kate Pullinger My rating: 3 of 5 stars This is the next book we will be discussing at my book club. I liked it, but found it dragging at times. The character of Lucy Duff Gordon was so likable at the the beginning of the book and so despicable half way through. I really never understood why she despised Sally so much. On the other hand, I had a hard time feeling sympathy for Sally Naldrett for what she did with Omar Abu Halaweh. "I was full of passion, he said; I have always been full of passion, he said, I'd just never had a chance to display it before." This passion brought much heartache to Sally. Sally's love for Omar was understandable, but logic should have prevailed when the fire started to burn between them. Sally's journey is painful and full of obstacles. I do admire her determination and dedication to her son and I feel she found peace at last, although sadness never left her completely. This book was a beautiful windo

White Dog Fell from the Sky by Eleanor Morse My rating: 4 of 5 stars One sentence from the book says it all: "It's a fearful thing to love what death can touch." This book is like a lover's kiss which leaves you breathless. I could not put it down. It was like it was the only thing that could quench my thirst. I had to know what the next chapter would bring. I knew at a high level what happened in South Africa during the Apartheid, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. This book has shared with me the humanity of this period. It helped me realise the fear, the pain and the torment that were part of the every day lives of South Africans. Eleanor Morse brought Africa to life in a spectacular way. Her descriptions are harmonious and breath taking. It makes you want to go there and see for yourself the beauty of this landscape. She also deals with real subjects and brings to light the horror that mankind imposed on wildlife and the people of Africa. The st

Sleeping in Eden: A Novel by Nicole Baart My rating: 4 of 5 stars Sleeping in Eden is a fantastic novel. The story line is strong and well presented by journeying you from one situation to another without ever leaving lost on the curb. Nicole Baart' handle of the English language is indisputable. Her choice of words to describe scenery and characters is poetic and vivid. One of my favorite quote from the book is: "The God she met in Sunday school, and believed in without cause for doubt, did not worry himself with little girls and their bicycles. He had bigger problems, like famine, world peace and orchestrating and Armageddon of alarming proportions." What a way to express how this little girl thought of God. Well put! This novel will not be available before April 2, 2013, but it is well worth the wait!! I wish there were half stars on this site... I would have given it 4.5 stars!!! View all my reviews

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick My rating: 4 of 5 stars A dear friend of mine gave me this book for Christmas. I was not sure what to expect. I have read many supernatural books; some great... some not so great. I knew this one was about angels and fallen angels, but didn't really know much more about it. I was pleasantly surprised by how interesting the story is. I wish the main character would stay put when she is told to, but I guess we are all very curious and must investigate the thump in the dark. I enjoyed the chemistry between Nora and Patch and easily came to the conclusion that I would not want to meet the villains in a dark alley. This is the first book in a series of four. I am hooked and will get the other books to see where the story goes or flies!! View all my reviews

The Memory Clinic: Stories of Hope and Healing for Alzheimer's Patients and Their Families by Tiffany Chow My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wow!! What an appropriate book for this time in my life!! I entered a giveaway to win this book and I kept my finger crossed, hoping to be selected. What a joy when I found out I was one of the winners. Let me explained why this book was so important to me. My mom has been diagnosed with Alzheimer two years ago. When I found out I was devastated. My mom's dad (my grandfather) died of complications of dementia and suffered from Alzheimer too. I have horrible memories of his last days and I could only imagine my mother going through the same and it scared me. There is no cure for Alzheimer... yet!! When I read the book synopsis, I knew I needed to read it. I want to know what I can do to reduce my chance to get Alzheimer. Let's be honest here.. my grand-father had it, my mom has it... I don't want to be an ostrich and ignore the risks by

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor My rating: 4 of 5 stars Laini succeeded to write another fascinating and exciting book in this series. I love the characters and the story is getting more and more interesting. The sudden and totally unexpected "revirements" near the end of the book caught me by surprise and I loved it. What are they, you ask? Well they have to do with a big white wolf and a hero that sacrifices himself for the cause of saving the Chimeras and a certain bad angel with a big scar who wants to take over the world! Mooaaaahhhh!! Fabulous plot! Can't wait for the next book... well I guess I will have to wait until 2014 when it will be published (sigh).. View all my reviews

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins My rating: 5 of 5 stars I got to read this book for my book club. At first I was afraid that I might have difficulties with the language as it was written in 1871 (if I remember well). Surprisingly, although it was a long book, it was quite easy to read. I enjoyed the different testimonies offered by the witnesses of the story. I particularly enjoyed Gabriel Betteredge's testimonies and his constant reference to Robinson Crusoe. I will have to read Robinson Crusoe to appreciate it as much as he did. :) The book also allowed small glimps on how patients were treated in those times and the use of opium as a common remedy. Wilkie Collins owns strong descriptive skills and offers beautiful imagery throughout the book. I enjoyed this book tremendously. What a delight! View all my reviews