Muse, a novel by Mary Novik

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This is not my usual genre.  The last 3 books I read prior to this were World War Z, The Ocean At The End Of The Lane and The Killing Floor.  Why did I read this novel?  It was given to me for a book club discussion.  Reading the cover, and knowing what little time I had to barrel through a book in two weeks, I was skeptical that I could finish it on time for the meeting.  To my joyful surprise I flew through it!   I can honestly say I was blown away by the beauty and poetry of the author's prose. 

The synopsis on the book's jacket really does not do the story justice.  Understandably, I can see how difficult it must be to describe such an epic tale in less than 100 words.  At it's heart, Muse is a story about strength, love and survival.

Birthing a female character into the first half of the 14th century strikes me as a terrifying decision.  What rights would she have, what voice, what influence?   These questions plagued me throughout the book, and yet Mary Novik created numerous strong, honest and relate-able female characters - relate-able even today. 

The story, characters and writing are equally rich and colorful - at times Shakespearean.  I must admit, I required my Dictionary.com app to define (and sound out) a handful of the early French Renaissance phrases and words.  However, I found this just added to the scope and depth of the writing.  

The ending was brilliant, real, and satisfying.  As her story unfolded, Solange inspired me to risk loving deeper, to hold my head high, and perhaps to write more often. 

To Mary Novik:  you have insipred me to write this review at 11pm, on a school night after I had been at my office job for 12 hours.   Is it you or Solange that is the true Muse?

Information about Mary Novik and her books can be found on her website: MaryNovik.com 

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Book Review - World War Z, by Max Brooks

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By far one of the most enjoyable productions I've experienced - each chapter is a story from a different person, and each person was played beautifully by a different actor. I love that Max Brooks (the author) is the interviewer/narrator. 

Very unique perspective on how societies (specifically different cultures within societies all over the world) would react to, deal with, and finally continue life after the zombie apocalypse.

It's smart, unique and powerful. Some stories are gripping, others are just accounts. What I found most interesting was the author's ability to write from so many perspectives - and believably so.  More than once I found myself marveling at the amount of research and thought that went into this creation.

Max Brooks delves into SO many details and aspects that have (to my knowledge) never been considered in other zombie movies/books - e.g. what happens to the undead when they fall into the ocean? What about someone who is agoraphobic? How would Japan handle the infection? Russia? Cuba? What happens in different climates? or 12 years after the outbreak?  

Written far before Walking Dead, this book asks a lot of the same questions the writers of the graphic novel & show must ask themselves when considering issues the survivors have to handle.

It's not a traditional "follow a character beginning to end" story.  At no point does the author make you think that it will be - infact Mr. Brooks is very clear right from the start that it is an oral history of individual experiences from around the world. It's an interviewer traveling the world asking people about specific moments in the (now) history of the zombie war. You don't even read about the narrator's travels - the characters have nothing to do with each other.  Essentially it's a bunch of short monologue-type stories put in chronological order.

4/5 stars - Great book, fabulous audio rendition - nothing to do with the movie.

(Nathan Fillion plays the voice of the Canadian soldier!  - yay! get your geek on!)  

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Reading Rocks: 5 Books That Shaped Me

I have read A LOT of books but I don't think I could pin down a "favourite".  Over the years my "favourite" book has changed.  I can't decide if current life circumstances influence one's intake of media, or if media influences one's life circumstances.  Did I read Babysitter's Club because I loved to babysit?  Or did I like babysitting because I read Babysitter's Club?

In either case, today I share the books I feel have played significant roles in my life and why: 

1.  Come Over To My House by Theo LeSing - This is a kid's book I've recommended on my blog in the past.  My Dad read this to me and my brother as a child - he did voices of the kids from different areas of the world (Australian, Russian, Scottish, etc) and we would laugh and beg for him to read it again.  It might have influenced my tolerance for other cultures... I found it on eBay after my boys were born, left it at my parent's home and apparently my Dad reads it with the same silly voices to his Grandkids.  

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2.  Forever by Judy Blume - I can name 3 Judy Blume books that I would consider influential in my life (Are You There God? It's Me Margaret and Tiger Eyes are the other two).  But Forever was the first book I read with sex in it.  Not erotica sex (erotica is usually as fake as porn - although not often as raunchy).  No, this book had real, first-time teenage sex, and a realistic aftermath.  

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3.  Twilight by Stephanie Meyer - this is a book that I am often embarrassed to admit to reading.  Why was it an influence in my life?  It was the first book (series) I picked up after my kids were born.  I remember reading a Dan Brown book the week I was due with my first son (December, 2005).  Until Twilight (June 2008), I hadn't read a single book.  It got me excited to read again, it gave me the "must stay up until 2am to finish" feeling, even though I KNEW I should sleep when the new baby slept.  It also made me realize I could read "fluff" as an adult.

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4.  Phantom by Susan Hay - This was the first adult book I ever read.  I think I was 14 years old.  Before Phantom I was reading Babysitter's Club books (like 2 per week), Fear Street, Christopher Pike and Lois Duncan.  At the time I was obsessed with Phantom of the Opera, I had seen it like 3 times in only a year and a half.  This book is about the life of the man who became the Phantom - essentially it tells how he ended up under the opera house and what/who influenced his life and path to become who he became.  Told from different perspectives starting with his birth, it ends where the musical/movie begins.

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5. The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien - I haven't actually finished the book yet (technically that is).  My father told me the story of the Hobbit as a bedtime story when I was a child.  To this day I can trace my love of fantasy and sci-fi back to this book.  After the movie came out in 2012, I picked it up and (finally) started to read it.  

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Reading Rocks: Blast From The Past

"There is more treasure in books than in 

all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." — Walt Disney

One of the greatest joys is reading books to your kids that were read to you as a child.  My love of fantasy and action stories (and movies) comes from my father.  Before bed he would tell me the story of The Hobbit - no book, but the images created in my mind have stayed with me my whole life.  To this day I collect copies of The Hobbit for my shelf.  

Bedtime was a time of laughter and stories at my house.  Here are three "classics" that have stood the test of time for me (and my kids). 

Come Over To My House 

by: Theo LeSing (aka Dr. Seuss) 

Originally published in 1966, the story follows a little boy who travels the world as he is invited to friends homes in different countries.  Although the countries are hyper-stereotyped (circa 1960's:  e.g. his friend in the arctic lives in an igloo), the message of friendship across the world and regardless (or perhaps because) of culture comes through loud and clear.     

The Big Honey Hunt

by: Stan & Jan Berenstain

Before the cartoon, before the series of paperback books, even before Sister Bear, there was Mama, Papa and Little Bear (later re-named Brother).  This was a book I learned to read by way of an accompanying audio book.  The story follows Little Bear and Papa as they follow a bee to find honey for their honey pot.   The rhyming is fun and I personally love how Mama is ALWAYS right in the end  :)

Fox in Socks
by:  Dr. Suess
If you think you are good at reading tongue twisters out loud - give this a try!  It's one of the most difficult books to read out loud (in the proper rhythm).  My kids beg me to read it to them and laugh when I get the words mixed up.  By the end of the book I'm usually out of breath.  It's super fun, and super memorable.  Check out this You Tube video to see the "proper way" to read it: Fox on Socks amateur video

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