Some Progress Reports

I have been paying attention to some of the reading awards this year. Here is a progress report of sorts of how successful I am. I was concentrating on the Giller, but since I own all the Governor General nominees in fiction, I will likely end up reading those too. The Booker, at this point I will read the few I have and maybe the rest of the short list. I plan to read the winner but the bookstores do not seem to have it.

Booker Awards:

• Darkmans by Nicola Barker (4th Estate) - Getting for Christmas
• Self Help by Edward Docx (Picador)
• The Gathering by Anne Enright (Jonathan Cape) - Waiting for the bookstore to get it back
• The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (Hamish Hamilton)
• The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies (Sceptre)
• Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (John Murray)
• Gifted by Nikita Lalwani (Viking)
• On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (Jonathan Cape)
• What Was Lost by Catherine O’Flynn (Tindal Street)
• Consolation by Michael Redhill (William Heinemann) - Own but have not read.
• Animal’s People by Indra Sinha (Simon & Schuster) - Still need to track down a copy.
• Gift Of Rain by Tan Twan Eng (Myrmidon)
• Winnie & Wolf by A.N.Wilson (Hutchinson)

Giller Award:

• David Chariandy for his novel "Soucouyant" (Arsenal Pulp Press)
• Sharon English for her short-story collection "Zero Gravity" (The Porcupine's Quill)
• Barbara Gowdy for her novel "Helpless" (HarperCollins Canada)
• Elizabeth Hay for her novel "Late Nights on Air" (McClelland & Stewart)
• Lawrence Hill for his novel "The Book of Negroes" (HarperCollins Canada) - Own
• Paulette Jiles for her novel "Stormy Weather" (HarperCollins Canada) - Own
• D.R. MacDonald for his novel "Lauchlin of the Bad Heart" (HarperCollins Canada) - Own
• Claire Mulligan for her novel "The Reckoning of Boston Jim" (Brindle & Glass Publishing)
• Mary Novik for her novel "Conceit" (Doubleday Canada) - Own
• Daniel Poliquin for his novel "A Secret Between Us," translated by Donald Winkler (Douglas & McIntyre)
• Michael Winter for his novel "The Architects Are Here" (Penguin Books Canada)
• Alissa York for her novel "Effigy" (Random House Canada) - Own
• Richard Wright for his novel "October" (HarperCollins Canada)
• Michael Ondaatje for his novel "Diversadero" (McClelland & Stewart)
• M.G. Vassanji for his novel "The Assassin's Song" (Doubleday Canada)

Governor Generals Award:
Fiction:
David Chariandy, Vancouver, for Soucouyant
Barbara Gowdy, Toronto, for Helpless
Michael Ondaatje, Toronto, for Divisadero
Heather O’Neill, Montreal, for Lullabies for Little Criminals - Own
M.G. Vassanji, Toronto, for The Assassin’s Song - Own

Non-fiction:
Rodrigo Bascuñán and Christian Pearce for Enter the Babylon System: Unpacking Gun Culture from Samuel Colt to 50 Cent
John English for Citizen of the World: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Volume One: 1919-1968
Stephanie Nolen for 28: Stories of AIDS in Africa
Karolyn Smardz Frost for I’ve Got a Home in Glory Land: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad
Bridget Stutchbury for Silence of the Songbirds: How We Are Losing the World’s Songbirds and What We Can Do to Save Them

A Contest to Have Fun With

Since the release of her first novel, I have been a huge supporter of author Colleen Gleason. Earlier this month I was brain-storming something new to do on my blog since October was such a horrible reading month and I have been too busy to do a great deal of blogging. October is generally my favourite month of the year, so it seemed fitting even if I had read a lot to do something special. So, I propose a contest. I hope it will be a fun idea and lots of people join in. Now, for the run down.

Running Dates: October 25th-November 15th, 2007

The Name of the Game is Fan Fiction, Art, or Photography

The Details: The object is to write fan fiction, draw a picture, or take a photograph relating to Colleen's two in print novels and her forth-coming one.

The idea is to rewrite a scene that you did not like, add a scene that you wish had been there, or write a scene that you wish will be included in The Bleeding Dusk. And, those are just three ideas, as long as you keep the three novels in mind, you can come up with your own ideas. If you are not up to writing, you can also do something photography or drawing related. The only thing I will be strict about is effort. I am not expecting perfection, and I won't give you word limits or anything like that, but I just want the work to clearly show that you have taken a bit of time for the activity. Any questions, just ask in the comments.

The Prize: A $25 dollar gift certificate to Amazon and a signed copy of The Bleeding Dusk. It will not be an Advanced Reading Copy, it will be an early copy in about January. And, Colleen is also throwing in a Vis Bulla t-shirt. I have one of the other styles, I might have to get one of the new ones now... They are very decently priced!

I hope that people join in! I plan to post all the submissions on my blog, not just the winner. Please don't post your entry in the comments, email it to me at twisted_kingdom_blog AT hotmail DOT com. The most important thing is to have fun and be creative!

I don't know where the time goes!

So, I am alive. haha. I do not know where the days go, but I never seem to have enough hours in the day lately! Do you know I am just finishing up my fifth read of October? Isn't that sad! I forgot to cheerlead the 24-hour Readathon. I am just busy. When I can't find time to read, you know that something is wrong! So, tomorrow is a new week and I am hopeful that I can get organized and update once in a while. I am thinking I might do a few big posts and offer some thoughts on books I have not found time to review. I also will be doing some catch up with the Four-Legged Friends Reading Challenge, just so people remember that I am alive! Anyways, going to go see if I can finish that fifth book before bed... So sad.

Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay

Date Completed: October 10, 2007
Pages: 364
Publication Year: 2007 (McClelland & Stewart)
Received from McClelland & Stewart in 2007.

Reason for Reading: I have started with my Giller-a-thon again. I have been crazy busy lately, and October has not been a good reading month.

The eagerly anticipated novel from the bestselling author of A Student of Weather and Garbo Laughs.

Harry Boyd, a hard-bitten refugee from failure in Toronto television, has returned to a small radio station in the Canadian North. There, in Yellowknife, in the summer of 1975, he falls in love with a voice on air, though the real woman, Dido Paris, is both a surprise and even more than he imagined.

Dido and Harry are part of the cast of eccentric, utterly loveable characters, all transplants from elsewhere, who form an unlikely group at the station. Their loves and longings, their rivalries and entanglements, the stories of their pasts and what brought each of them to the North, form the centre. One summer, on a canoe trip four of them make into the Arctic wilderness (following in the steps of the legendary Englishman John Hornby, who, along with his small party, starved to death in the barrens in 1927), they find the balance of love shifting, much as the balance of power in the North is being changed by the proposed Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline, which threatens to displace Native people from their land.

Elizabeth Hay has been compared to Annie Proulx, Alice Hoffman, and Isabel Allende, yet she is uniquely herself. With unforgettable characters, vividly evoked settings, in this new novel, Hay brings to bear her skewering intelligence into the frailties of the human heart and her ability to tell a spellbinding story. Written in gorgeous prose, laced with dark humour, Late Nights on Air is Hay’s most seductive and accomplished novel yet, and is already garnering interest abroad.

This book became short-listed for the Giller when I was reading it. This is the first time I have read Elizabeth Hay, although I have heard of her before. I did not know that had been nominated for a Giller before, though. Some people really want her to win this time around. I personally did not love this book, I still like the Ondaatje better, but it would be nice if someone relatively unknown won this time around. People like Ondaatje and Vassanji do not need more publicity, people are going to read them anyways.

One thing about this book was it was the first time I have read a book set up North in a while. It is always interesting to read books set up there because I have never been there before, and in many ways it is the 'exotic' setting to Canada. This novel is about a group of people that find themselves in Yellowknife and working at a radio station. This was before the television was available up there, so radio is the most popular form of entertainment up there. It is how the North keeps track of the outside world. This book is about more than radio, though. It is about the lives of the people in the novel. The book is told by many different people, so you get to see many story lines from several different viewpoints.

Hay talks about the history and the people. For me, the history lessons were very interesting. There are a few things I would like to read more about in the future. Harry is the character that in many ways brings all the characters in this book together. He has just moved back to Yellowknife after his stint on television did not work out. That summer he finds himself in charge of the radio station, and in love with a voice on the radio. The rest of the characters are added as time goes on through interactions with Harry and with the characters that Harry brings alive in the novel. There is Dido, the woman that seems to have everything going for her, but you soon find that things are not always as perfect for her as it seems. There are still a few things I wonder about in regards to her character. Opinions I had on her that were never really elaborated on, so I am left wondering if I saw things correctly.

One of the things to remember about life up North is that most of the people that live there are transplants. Very rarely are they actually born there, so they just find their way there. Harry is there after a failed job attempt, Dido is there after failed love, etc. Overall, a good book. I would not be disappointed to see it win the Giller, but it is still not my favourite. I also still have a few more books to read before I make my final opinion.

I do recommend this book! To check out all the details, click here.

A Canadian Meme

Just copy and paste into your own blog, then highlight in red those you've read, highlight in blue authors you've read just not that particular book, and leave the rest black. I am going to bold the books I own but have not read yet.


Newfoundland and Labrador-
Bernard Assiniwi- The Beothuk Saga
Ken Babstock- Airstream Land Yacht (Poetry)
Cassie Brown- Death On The Ice (Non-fiction)
Paul Butler- Easton
Joan Clark- An Audience of Chairs (Review)
Michael Crummey- River Thieves (Read before blogging existed)
Mary Dalton- Merrybegot (Poetry)
Bud Davidge and Ian Wallace (Illustrator)- The Mummer’s Song (Children’s Book)
Jim Defede- The Day The World Came To Town (Non-fiction)
Kenneth J. Harvey- The Town That Forgot How To Breathe
Harold Horwood- White Eskimo
Harold Horwood- Bartlett The Great Explorer (Non-fiction)
Percy Janes- House of Hate
Dale Jarvis- Haunted Shores: True Ghost Stories of Newfoundland and Labrador
Wayne Johnston- Colony of Unrequited Dreams (Read The Divine Ryans)
Kevin Major- Eh? To Zed (Children’s book)
Lisa Moore- Open (Short Stories)
Lisa Moore- Alligator
Bernice Morgan- Random Passage
Donna Morrissey- Kit’s Law (Downhill Chance is my favourite, she also wrote Sylvanus Now)
Claire Mowat- Outport People (Non-fiction)
Earl B. Pilgrim- The Ghost of Ellen Dower
Al Pittman- Down By Jim Long’s Stage (Children’s poems)
Al Pittman- West Moon (play)
E. J. Pratt- Complete Poems (Poetry)
E. Annie Proulx- The Shipping News
Edward Riche- Rare Birds (Review)
Ted Russell- The Holdin’ Ground (play)
Dillon Wallace- The Lure of The Labrador Wild

Prince Edward Island-
Milton Acorn- I Shout Love and Other Poems (Poetry)
Anne Compton- Processional (Poetry)
Stompin’ Tom Connors and Brenda Jones (Illustrator)- The Hockey Song (Children’s Book)
David Helwig- Saltsea
Michael Hennessey- The Betrayer
Lucy Maud Montgomery- Anne of Green Gables
J. J. Steinfeld- Would You Hide Me? (Short Stories)

Nova Scotia-
Ernest Buckler- The Mountain and the Valley
George Elliott Clarke- Whylah Falls (Poetry)
Frank Parker Day- Rockbound (Review)
Brad Kessler- Birds In Fall
Thomas Chandler Haliburton- The Clockmaker
Ann-Marie MacDonald- Fall On Your Knees
Linden MacIntyre- Causeway (Non-fiction)
Hugh MacLennan- The Watch That Ends The Night (Barometer Rising, really good book!)
Alistair MacLeod- Island (Short Stories)
Alistair MacLeod- No Great Mischief
Ami McKay- The Birth House (Review
Alden Nolan- The Best Of (Poetry)
Anne Simpson- Loop (Poetry)

New Brunswick-
Donna Allard- Minago Streets (Poetry)
Linda Hall- Black Ice
Elisabeth Harvor- Fortress Of Chairs
Antonine Maillet- Pelagie: The Return To Acadie
David Adams Richards- Mercy Among The Children (Read most of his books, awesome author)
Charles G. D. Roberts- The Collected Poems (Poetry)
T. G. Roberts- The Red Feathers

Quebec-
Hubert Acquin- Next Episode
Peter Behrens- The Law of Dreams
Saul Bellow- Humboldt’s Gift
Frances Brooke- The History of Emily Montague
Nicole Brossard- Museum of Bone and Water
Willa Cather- Shadows On The Rock
Roch Carrier- The Hockey Sweater (Children’s Book)
Leonard Cohen- Beautiful Losers
Leonard Cohen- Let Us Compare Mythologies (Poetry)
Romeo Dallaire- Shake Hands With The Devil (Non-fiction)
Mavis Gallant- Home Truths (Short Stories)
Anne Hebert- Kamouraska
Naomi Klein- No Logo (Non-fiction)
Gordon Korman- Island: Shipwreck (Young Adult)
Irving Layton- Dance With Desire (Poems)
Markoosie- Harpoon of the Hunter
Yann Martel- Life of Pi
Colin McDougall- Execution
Stuart McLean- Stories From The Vinyl Café (Short Stories)
Heather O’Neill- Lullabies For Little Criminals
Jacques Poulin- Volkswagen Blues
Monique Proulx- The Heart Is An Involuntary Muscle
Mordecai Richler- Barney’s Version (Read Duddy Kravitz)
Gabrielle Roy- The Tin Flute
Mairuth Sarsfield- No Crystal Stair
Gaetan Soucy- The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond Of Matches
Yves Theriault- Agaguk
Michel Tremblay- The Fat Woman Next Door Is Pregnant
Michel Tremblay- Forever Yours Marie-Lou (Play)

Ontario-
Margaret Atwood- Handmaid’s Tale (My favourite book by her is Oryx and Crake)
Joan Barfoot- Luck
David Bezmozgis- Natasha and Other Stories (Short Stories)
Christian Bok- Eunoia (poetry)
Joseph Boyden- Three Day Road
Morley Callaghan- More Joy In Heaven
Austin Clarke- The Polished Hoe
Matt Cohen- Elizabeth and After
Robertson Davies- Fifth Business
Gordon Downie- Coke Machine Glow (Poetry)
Marian Engel- Bear
Timothy Findley- The Wars
Phoebe Gilman- Something From Nothing (Children’s Book)
David Gilmour- A Perfect Night To Go To China
Douglas Glover- Elle
Barbara Gowdy- White Bone (The Romantic is her best book)
Helen Humphries- Afterimage
Frances Itani- Deafening
M. T. Kelly- A Dream Like Mine
Thomas King- Green Grass, Running Water (Fantastic book)
Vincent Lam- Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures (Short stories)
Mary Lawson- Crow Lake (Her new novel, The Other Side of the Bridge, is also really good)
Stephen Leacock- Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town (Short Stories)
Dennis Lee- Alligator Pie (Children’s Poems)
Charles de Lint- Moonlight and Vines
Jon McCrae- In Flanders Fields (Poem)

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Anne Michaels- Fugitive Pieces
Rohinton Mistry- A Fine Balance
Farley Mowat- Never Cry Wolf
Alice Munro- Who Do You Think You Are? (Short Stories)
Robert Munsch- The Paperbag Princess (Children’s Book)
Michael Ondaatje- In The Skin Of A Lion
Al Purdy- Beyond Remembering (Poetry)
Paul Quarrington- Whale Music
Barbara Reid- Two By Two (Children’s Book)
Nino Richie- Lives of The Saints
Leon Rooke- Shakespeare's Dog
Diane Schoemperlen- Forms of Devotion
Jane Urquhart- The Stone Carvers
M. G. Vassanji- The In-Between World of Vikram Lall
Richard B. Wright- Clara Callan

Manitoba-
David Bergen- The Time In Between (Started but never finished)
David Godfrey- The New Ancestors
Tomson Highway- The Rez Sisters (Play)
Margaret Laurence- A Bird In The House (Short Stories)
Margaret Laurence- A Jest of God
Bill Richardson- Bachelor Brothers’ Bed and Breakfast
Carol Shields- The Stone Diaries
Miriam Toews- A Complicated Kindness
Adele Wiseman- The Sacrifice

Saskatchewan-
Sharon Butala- Lilac Moon (Non-fiction)
Paul Hiebert- Sarah Binks
Guy Gavriel Kay- The Summer Tree
Tim Lilburn- Kill-Site (Poetry)
W. O. Mitchell- Who Has Seen The Wind
Sinclair Ross- As For Me and My House
Guy Vanderhaeghe- The Last Crossing
Dianne Warren- Serpent In The Night Sky (play)
Rudy Wiebe- The Temptations of Big Bear

Alberta-
Anita Rau Badami- Can You Hear The Nightbird Call?
Earle Birney- One Muddy Hand (Poetry)
Will Ferguson- Why I Hate Canadians (Nonfiction)
Katherine Govier- Three Views of Crystal Water
Greg Holingshead- The Roaring Girl (Short stories)
W. P. Kinsella- Shoeless Joe
Robert Kroetsch- The Studhorse Man
Gloria Sawai- A Song For Nettie Johnson
Thomas Wharton- Salamander (Icefields, which I really enjoyed)
Christopher Wiseman- In John Updike’s Room (Poetry)

British Columbia-
George Bowering- The Gangs of Kosmos
Kevin Chong- Baroque-a-Nova
Wayson Choy- The Jade Peony
Douglas Coupland- Generation X
Margaret Craven- I Heard The Owl Call My Name
John Gould- Kilter (Short stories)
Jack Hodgins- The Resurrection of Joseph Bourne
Anosh Irani- The Song of Kahunsha
Joy Kogawa- Obasan
Susan Musgrave- What The Small Day Cannot Hold (Poetry)
bp Nichol- The Martyrology (Poetry)
Kenneth Oppel- Silverwing (Young Adult)
P.K. Page- Planet Earth (Poetry)
Gayla Reid- To Be There With You (Short stories)
Eden Robinson- Monkey Beach
Timothy Taylor- Stanley Park
Audrey Thomas- Coming Down From Wa
Michael Turner- Hard Core Logo
Sheila Watson- The Double Hook

Yukon-
Pierre Berton- The National Dream (Non-fiction)
Ted Harrison- Children of the Yukon (Children’s Book)
Pj Johnson- Rhymes of the Raven Lady (Poetry)
Jack London- Call of the Wild
Dick North- The Mad Trapper of Rat River (Non-fiction)
Al Pope- Bad Latitudes
Robert Service- The Best Of (Poetry)

Northwest Territories-
Robert Alexie- Pale Indian
Richard Van Camp- Lesser Blessed
Rene Fumoleau- Here I Sit (Poetry)
Elizabeth Hay- Late Nights On Air
Mackay Jenkins- Bloody Falls of the Coppermine (nonfiction)
James Raffan- Emperor of The North (Non-fiction)
Steve Zipp- Yellowknife

Nunavut-
John Bennett and Susan Rowley (Editors and compilers)
Uqalurait: An Oral History of Nunavut (Non-fiction)
Pierre Berton- The Arctic Grail (Nonfiction)
Jan Brett- Three Snow Bears (Children's Book)
Kenn Harper- Give Me My Father’s Body (Non-fiction)
James Houston- The White Dawn
Michael Kusugak- Curse of the Shaman (Young Adult)
Michael Kusugak and Vladyana Krykorka(Illustrator)- Hide and Sneak (Children’s book)
Tom Lowenstein (translator)/ Knud Rasmussen (compiled by)- Eskimo Poems (Poetry)
Kevin Patterson- Consumption
Robert Ruby- Unknown Shore (Non-fiction)
Eric Wilson- The Inuk Mountie Adventure (Young Adult)

Let the Games Begin!

It is the 20th! And we all know what that means, right? The official start to the Four-Legged Friend Reading Challenge. I am so excited, and I am so happy that so many people have joined in! Remember that you can join later if you want. This challenge has actually made missing Sandy much more easy to handle. Thanks for all the comments and to all the people that posted about their animals, it was great to read!

I am off to start my first book for the challenge! Happy Reading. Please post links to any of your reviews in either this post or the one that explains all the rules of the challenge.

I have some baby pictures of Sandy, so I will hopefully find time to scan them tomorrow. She came before digital cameras afterall.

The Reviews:

I will keep a listing of all the books reviewed on this post to make it easy to see what people have read and their thoughts about it.

The Capture by Katryn Lasky - Reviewed by Nicola.
Marley and Me by John Grogan - Reviewed by Callista
Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata - Reviewed by Annie
Into the Wild by Erin Hunter - Reviewed by Nicola
Varjak Paw by S.F. Said - Reviewed by Nymeth
Kävik the Wolf Dog by Walt Morey - Reviewed by Lady Tink
The Adventures of Jack and Laura by Laura Ingalls Wilder - Reviewed by Zeek
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamila - Reviewed by Zeek
Goldie by Ellen Miles - Reviewed by Bonnie
The Fur Person by May Sarton - Reviewed by Bonnie
Watership Down by Richard Adams - Reviewed by Zeek
The Sight by David Clement-Davies - Reviewed by Annie
Miracle Dog: How Quentin Survived the Gas Chamber to Speak for Animals on Death Row - Reviewed by Amanda
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor - Reviewed by Amanda
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White - Reviewed by Debi
Be the Pack Leader by Cesar Milan - Reviewed by Ames
The Outlaw Varjak Paw by SF Said - Reviewed by Rhinoa
Varjak Paw by SF Said - Reviewed by Rhinoa
Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book Eight: The Outcast by Kathryn Lasky - Reviewed by Annie
Stuart Little by E.B. White - Reviewed by Chris
Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry - Reviewed by Nicola
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman - Reviewed by Julia
Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel - Reviewed by Nicola
Sounder by William H. Armstrong - Reviewed by Lady Tink

My Giller-a-thon

Life got in the way, and I did not get to finish my Giller-a-thon. I still intend to read the ten that I own, and now I will likely buy a copy of Daniel Poliquin's novel. If I can find it easily. Of the short-list, I have read Divisadero. Of the three I have completed, and the one that I am working my way through, it is still my favourite. Obviously, October and Helpless did not make the short list. I am not really surprised, even if I have nothing to judge it by, because both authors are capable of much better books. In my opinion, anyways. That being said, I am reading Late Nights on Air right now, and while I am not finished it so my opinion can change, I am not super excited with it.

So, I will continue reading. I imagine I will concentrate on the short-list and then read the other books later. I need more hours in the day, I really do! So, what does everyone think? Will it be one of the books by an author that have never won before, Ondaatje who is a seasoned Canadian writer, or will Vassanji pick up his third Giller win? The critics are voting for Vassanji. I will save my opinion until I read the other 4 books and finish the 5th.

I am really surprised that Lawrence Hill did not make the short list. That book looks like it would be a great read... I will see if my problem persists when I actually have read the book. Yes, I did say I need more hours in the day!

The jury named the finalists. They are:

		Elizabeth Hay for her novel Late Nights on Air, McClelland & Stewart
		Michael Ondaatje for his novel Divisadero, McClelland & Stewart
		Daniel Poliquin for his novel A Secret Between Us, trans. Donald Winkler, Douglas & McIntyre
		M.G. Vassanji for his novel The Assassin’s Song, Doubleday Canada
		Alissa York for her novel Effigy, Random House Canada

My How Time Flies

So, I am just posting to say hi! I have been insanely busy lately, so I have not had a lot of time for any of my blogs. Actually, I just read my second book of the month today... It's the 8th! Er, well, I guess it is the 9th now. In any case, I have been really busy. And, I don't think I am sleeping very well lately, so I wake up tired and end up falling asleep reading. In many ways, I feel like I had more time when I was still in university! But, I found a job. I like it so far, I am playing it by ear right now, but I think I might stay with it for a while. I want to teach overseas, and I still plan to, but right now I think I would just be running away from all the things I need to fix in my life. So, while I still plan to go overseas, I think I am going to plan for next September. I would rather fix everything and come back to a happy life than go overseas and come home to a huge mess. That's the plan anyways. I have given myself until November to see what I think about my job and I will still have time then to change my mind and go overseas.

In other news, are any of my blog readers fans of the band Nightwish? I am all up in the air about that band. I bought their new CD yesterday, and for those that listen to them, you would know that they have a new lead singer. I have all the Nightwish CDs, and I was trying to be loyal, but I can't decide what I think of this new singer. I also haven't had time to listen to the entire CD yet. The first song is like 14 mins long! Nightwish's old singer has a Christmas CD, and she has a regular CD coming out sometime soon. I can't wait, she has an amazing range. I listen to really weird music. I think the only mainstream band I listen to is Bon Jovi. Or, Cold, I like Cold. Are they considered mainstream? Otherwise, most of my musical interests are imports. And, well, I do listen to Canadian music, too. I am very patriotic. But mostly, I often feel like I listen to what I read. I know that sounds weird, but I listen to what I think would be considered the music of fantasy novels, and then with some Canadian music thrown in. That's how I read.

Cesar's Way and Be the Pack Leader by Cesar Millan

Completion Date: September 2007
Pages: CW: 320; BaPL: 336
Publication Years: 2007
Received both from Random House in 2007.

Reason for Reading: Two books for the Four-Legged Friends Reading Challenge and because I like dogs.

Instead of posting the book descriptions for two books, go here to read more about Cesar's Way and here to read more about Be the Pack Leader.

I no longer have a dog, so I do not really have a reason for dog handlers books, but I have always wanted to read Cesar Millan and figured that now was as good a time as any. While reading the books, I read that dogs are a mirror of you. That was interesting to me, because when I asked someone what Sandy said about me, they said that I must have selective hearing. You see, Sandy listened to me, but others had to battle with her to get her to listen at times. I'd like to think that instead of this being a mirror, I was just a good pack leader sometimes.

So, of course I was reading this book more to see where I succeeded and failed with Sandy. I learned that her fear of thunder should have been handled differently. Sandy has always been scared of thunder, I am not sure where the fear started from, but I think it was likely when she was a puppy and my father wanted to try her out for duck hunting. After that, she was very fearful of loud noises and she only went hunting one season. When she was younger she was scared of her food dish if it was metal and it banged on a hard surface. I do not remember cuddling her about it, but it likely happened. I do know that we never stopped using the dish, just sometimes when it happened several times in a row we would move it to a soft surface. Her bigger problem was that Shelby would steal her food. We probably did not introduce the two dogs together very well, because the early years were all power struggles. Like when Shelby took Sandy out into the woods and she came back, but she was missing a puppy. Shelby was such a calm and obedient dog, it is almost funny to remember the times when she was bad.

One of the things that Cesar goes into great detail about is the correct way to walk your dog. I used to use a choker chain when Sandy was younger, and Shelby had one too, but I always felt bad using them. The dogs would listen, and I could control them when it was on them, but I think I felt a great deal of guilt because of the name. Honestly, they need to rename them because no one wants to think they are choking their dogs with it! Needless to say, when Sandy got older I got her a regular collar. I think I probably had more control with that anyways because I felt more comfortable with it than with a choker. Cesar says that you should leave the house first to have control over the situation. I did not do this. I normally would let Sandy run around the yard and then when we got to the end of the driveway I would take over control. Sandy would walk beside me and all that. She would not bark at other dogs or chase cats or anything. The only issue she had was she would pick up food that she found on the side of the road... But, I am not perfect. There is a big field at the end of the my street that I used to let her run around on. She would always come back to me... unless there was a skunk. I had never seen a skunk spray before until that day. Right in the poor dogs face, too! That was an interesting day.

I was thinking a lot about the energy things. When my father lived her and my brother, Sandy was a lot more stressed than she has been the last few years. My father and brother have explosive tempers and when they lose them, Sandy would fly out of the room. It could be why she didn't like thunder. Anyways, when they moved out she was not as skiddish. Actually, the year that my brother ended up moving out was the one and only time that Sandy bit someone! It was Tom, and I had never seen Sandy bite before. I am not sure what my brother did, he had been playing with the dog just before that, but I was just shocked that she actually bite him! Neither Sandy or Shelby were encouraged in their biting as puppies, so I probably will always remember the night Sandy bit Tom, mostly becuase it was such a strange thing for her to do.

So, I learned that the dog that I thought was good, was not really that good after all. She did not have what I consider major problems, but by reading this book I discovered that my pack leader skills need some work. It doesn't help when she is in a house with several people and they are all telling her different things. She followed my rules though... unless someone else was with her, and then that is when the bad stories would surface. Like I would let the dog on the couch with me when I was reading, but otherwise she could only sleep on the floor or in her chair. My mother used to have battles with Sandy to get off the couch. Sandy was allowed to sleep on my bed ONLY if her blanket was on it. She was buried with one of her blankets. Otherwise she slept on her blanket on the floor, and that was all she could get to when she got older. Sandy also started randomly barking when she wanted to come in. Cesar Millan would say that we had to let the dog in when we wanted to, not when she wanted to come in. I say that if Sandy did not bark, my mother would have forgotten she let her out. Many times I would come home to a dog waiting outside for me, and my mother totally having forgot that Sandy was out there.

So, Sandy was not perfect, but she always was not Marley from Marley and Me. She might have had some issues that I did not think of working on, but overall, she did not have a terrible life. By reading these two books and comparing them with Sandy, though, I hope to have an even better dog the next time around. In the meantime, I saw a dog yesterday and I did not handle it the Cesar way, but I hate not having a dog. It is why I have lapses, but these dogs are huge and they almost knocked me over. I am trying to decide if the person would take it the wrong way if I gave her Cesar's books... One of the dogs bites and they are both really hyper. I would hate for them to have to lose them because they bit the mailman or something.

Anyways, Cesar's Way is more of a memoir-type look at dog handling and Be the Pack Leader is a self-help book and a dog training book. Millan wants readers to see their dogs as animals and not as their babies. I suppose I did see Sandy as more than just my dog, but I don't think I treated her like a baby. I would talk about her to other people differently than I would talk to her. And, I did talk to her a great deal. It might not be the Cesar way, but it was not so much that I was more comfortable with Sandy than with other people, it was more than I could tell her things and she was not going to repeat them! It is nice to have a secret-keeping dog.

The Birthday Wrap-up

*** Edited to Add Link to a Review of Wolf of the Plains.***


Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes! Sorry I did not get a chance to share what books I received, I had worked all day and then gone out, so I was not home a lot. Now I am sneaking in between my new job, which I just got off of, and my old job, which I have to work one of my last shifts in. It is going to be a super long day, but I think I am really going to like my new job.

So, I suppose people are wondering what I got for my birthday. So, I will share.

My sister bought me Standard of Honor by Jack Whyte. I picked it out. Yesterday. When she bought it. She also gave me money towards the third season of House.

My mother bought me the first and second season of House. And, then she gave me money and told me to buy books with it. I also received a twenty-dollar gift card from a friend, so this is what I bought:

The Serpent Bride by Sara Douglass
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Widdershins by Charles de Lint (this was a last minute addition because it was a bargain book).

I also got an Egyptian history book that has not arrived yet.

Then, I received Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley. I placed the order for all these books, the next day, I received an email. I had won six books! One of them was Winterbirth, so I tried to cancel it, but I was too slow. I am going to take it to the store and exchange it for something else.

So, what did I get in my prize pack? New books from Orbit, a company that just branched out to the U.S. I strongly recommend this company, and I have not even read them yet! I hear such good things about their books all the time, and now I have six to enjoy. So, besides Winterbirth, I received:

The Innocent Mage by Karen Miller (book 1 in the Kingmaker, Kingbreaker duology)
The Devil's Right Hand by Lilith Saintcrow (book 3 in the Dante Valentine series)
The Electric Church by Jeff Somers
Dead Man Rising by Lilith Saintcrow (book 2)
Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow (book 1)

Cool, huh? I had all of them on my wish list, so I am super excited to read them! The pros with Orbit, having never read them this is just judging them by the cover. The fact that they are very clearly numbered! I can clearly notice that ALL of the books that are part of a series are part of a series. This is a plus. The con, I think their cover art is a bit, um, dreary. I think I will have to comment on that more when I get around to reading them!

I also bought Wolf of the Plains by Conn Iggulden with some of my birthday money. I can safely say, without a doubt, this is the best historical fiction book I have read all year. This is one of my favourite reads of the year. I think I am in love with this series, and I cannot wait until book two comes out next year! Do yourselves a favour, read him! I am all psyched up to read his other series, which is about Julius Cesear. This series is about Genghis Khan. It is sooo good that I reviewed it already! My Review on Historical Tapestry.

Anyways, I have to run to my other job, but there is a run down of my birthday goodies. Surprisingly enough, everything was very affordable. I am starting to notice a difference in book prices.

Today is a Special Day...

Well, what is left of it anyways.

*ahem* "Happy Birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear me, happy birthday to me!"

Yep, today, as in the 3rd, was my birthday. I started a new job and have been crazy busy, so it is looking like it will be like the third week of October before I get to celebrate, BUT, it was still my birthday today.

I turned 23. I got books. Three seasons of the tv show 'House'. Money. A new job that I think I am going to like (I hope, anyways). It was mostly a good day!

September in Review

September has come and gone, and now on this early October morning, I have to share my reading experiences. Well, I do not have to, I want to. The biggest problem with this being October is I am very very far behind on my reviews, I still have books from August to review. I will hopefully begin working on this starting later today. So, on to September. I read 18 books this month. Some were really good, while others were really bad. My favourite read for the month is hard to choose. So, my top five (in no particular order) were:

Mister Pip
Peony in Love by Lisa See
Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje
Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself by Alan Alda
Golden Fool by Robin Hobb

The break-down. I read four sci-fi/fantasy books:
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (for the Cardathon)
Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green (for the R.I.P Challenge)
Agents of Light and Darkness by Simon R. Green (for the R.I.P. Challenge)
Golden Fool by Robin Hobb (Counts for the Cardathon Challenge)

I read some non-fiction, which I seem to be doing very well at lately. I read:
Why We Read What We Read (Which actually greatly disappointed me)
Baptism of Fire (Really interesting)
Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself by Alan Alda
Be the Pack Leader by Cesar Millan
Cesar's Way by Cesar Millan
The Staircase Letters
The Dangerous Book for Dogs (A parody, but does have truthful information)

I read two of the books short-listed for the Booker:
The Reluctant Fundamentalist (If this book wins, I am never following the Bookers again)
Mister Pip (I hope this book wins. It's my favourite of the three I have read, and the only reason I have not read the other three is because one just became available, one takes several weeks to ship, and one is not available. So, I read what I could easily read.)

I read a few Canadian books:
Baptism of Fire
Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje (for my Giller-a-thon)
October by Richard Wright (for my Giller-a-thon)
The Staircase Letters

(More Giller-a-thon in October, I got a bit side-tracked!)

The other books I read were:
Mademoiselle Victorine (Horrible book)
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale (started off slow but was really good by the end)
Peony in Love by Lisa See (Great historical fiction book)

Challenge Break-down:
2 Giller-a-thon books (Diversadero and October)
3 R.I.P. Books (I hope to read more in October. I just was not in the right mood for this genre last month).
2 Cardathon Books (Ender's Game and Golden Fool)
3 Four-Legged Friends Books (Cesar's Way, Be a Pack Leader, and The Dangerous Book for Dogs)

My least favourite reads of the month...
Mademoiselle Victorine
Why we Read What we Read
The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Biggest disappointment of the month?
October by Richard Wright. (Do not get me wrong, I really liked that book, but I have been reading him for years, I always get excited about his new books, but I cannot seem to get into them. I keep expecting a book that is better than his Giller and Governor General winning book, and I have not seen it yet. But, until I do, I will keep reading!)

I will review the books that I have not reviewed already sometime soon!

This month was interesting. I seem to have bailed on the R.I.P. challenge. The thought of some of those books just did not work for me last month. I hope to read a few more this month, but not sure how that will work out.

The biggest thing in September was losing Sandy. I am still having some issues with that. Things are getting better, but when I wake up in the morning I still have moments where I expect her to be there. Then I wake up fully, and I am sad. Sometimes that will happen through the day, I will have moments where I hear things and think 'that's just Sandy doing something' and then it will register with me that she is not making that noise. It has been hard. I also lost two cats, too, and I have similar moments with that. I come home at night and there is no cat to let in, I don't use the top of the dryer because that is where their food dish used to be (habit), etc. I am still not used to having such a quiet house.

So, it would not be fair to review the month without the final good byes.

Snowball
14 Years Old
February 1993-September 2007

Sam
15 Years Old
May 1992-September 2007

Sandy ('Rascal')
12 Years Old
August 1995-September 2007
(Also included in above picture are 'Baby' Atra and 'Baby' Miko)

September was a horrible month. I have had all three of those animals since they were really little, and I was not that old either. I picked them out, named them (well, I called Sandy 'Rascal', but my father named her), and cared for them for years. Thanks to everyone for all your well-wishes! At least I have my challenge going on!