more than letters on a line today

  The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie Alan Bradley 3.8 stars I honestly didn't think I would enjoy this book as much as I did. An eleven year old sleuth, the youngest of three (very interesting) siblings, a chemistry buff and defiant as all heck.  But as it turns out, what couldn't you love? Flavia is colourful, full of spirit and explains her circumstances so well. Even to the non-science-y among us. This is a charming book, that might be somewhat wasted on a youth reader. The humour is sublime, the chemistry facts divine, and the characters so in fitting for the fictitious town of Bishop's Lacey.  This is a book of mystery and cunning, that although a little bit predictable, will keep you reading and cheering on the youthful detective.  I'm not certain that I would entertain another of Flavia's mysteries, precocious children might get tiresome, but I think you would like this one. It is a wonderful balance of good sense and the freedom of thought im...

All the Colour in the World CS Richardson rounded up 3.5 stars Pub date January 17,  2023     Can you like a book and give it 3.5 stars even though you know that you didn't 'get' it all? Yes, I can. This is a story told in the most interesting way, the historical and the personal, separately and together. The stuff found in textbooks and the feelings found in the heart. Henry is lovely man who sees and feels with colour. And if you stick with this unusual way of telling his story, you too will see and feel his thoughts.  I am someone who likes paint and colour, who likes the precision of the well-chosen word. And how marvelous to see CS Richardson choose carefully between cadmium yellow and marigold, cerulean and sapphire. Because it is not just yellow and blue. And this attention is what held my interest throughout. Because what is a world without colour? Through peace and war, Henry shares his life with the reader, navigating through the loss of a loved one, and by...

  The Collected Regrets of Clover Mikki Brammer 4 stars Pub date May 2023       We don't often talk about death but typically treat it as though it only happens to other people. The story told here is about living and dying and what we do in-between.  Clover is a lovable, and imperfect human dealing with her small life and what she has given away in her grief for so many years.  Her heart starts to break open and she finally learns so much as she 'walks' to the end with the dying as a death doula. We're all just walking each other home.   Ram Dass  Mikki Brammer has given us many lessons through her wonderful characters, people who embodied how life should be lived, Grandpa, Leo, her neighbour, each showing Clover hope, joy and a new way to be in the world. Each of them having experienced their own loss yet still living a colourful life. As with life each day, we see that death is the opportunity to re-think our choices. Using the gift of h...

    The Road Cormac McCarthy 3.5 stars           I read this book because it came recommended by two family members (in their 30s). Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I had been as young as them. But after you have lived several more decades, the length and darkness of this book was almost more than I could tolerate. There was a lot of repetition in the struggles faced by 'the man' and 'the boy'. Yes the world can be cruel but I felt that the author was clobbering me on the head with it.    The tender moments are what I would expect of any (decent) parent with their child, bonded not only by blood but in the dire circumstances which were the stage of this book. These kind moments are the only thing that kept me reading. Words shared by 'the man' with 'the boy' involved lessons in strength, resilience, faith and love. This was the one redeeming feature for me in a book that went on way too long.    The Road, as the jour...

    Ghost Music An Yu Pub date Jan 10 2023 3 stars       A philosophical, melancholy tale of disappointment in a lost career, distant husband, and clich é mother-in-law. Song Tan needs companionship and music to sustain her life, she struggles with both. Her young students give her some hope in coming to terms with her own musical life but it is not enough. Mushrooms, music, struggle, real-life, dreams, all too confusing for me. The angst the main character felt was palpable but I could not reach her. It is a sad book that did not make me want to pick it up for a few quick pages during the day.  Although some of the phrases were surprisingly beautiful ('They were kites tied to this world by a string.'), this book made me sad. There was certainly depth available for those who wanted to delve, it could be a book worthy of your agile mind and a few friends of the same ilk. But the effort required wading through the ambiguity, and characters that wer...