More Bookish Thoughts...

Man, talk about a pop culture sensation! Stieg Larsson has sold more than 21 million copies of his trilogy worldwide and is certainly the author on everyone's lips this summer. So, while I can't say I'm big on mysteries or thrillers, I had to get in on the craze.

My snobbish, literary ego would pronounce The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo total trash. It's full of cliches, some aspects are blindingly predictable, and both the beginning and the ending drag on and on (as one Amazon reviewer wrote - "my kingdom for a ruthless editor!").

But (and there's a big BUT here...), one can't deny that the author tells a captivating story. An unlikely duo of demoralized journalist and disturbed but brilliant young woman team up to solve a cold murder case. In the process of unraveling details of the crime, Larsson throws in some financial intrigue, cheesy romance and interesting history, all of which make the book a fun read. I'm ashamed to admit it but I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

More Bookish Thoughts...

Searching for a light, funny, feel-good read that physically makes you nod in agreement? Then look no further than The Book of Awesome. Neil Pasricha has gotten a lot of press for being one of those blogger-turned-author success stories (1000awesomethings.com) but the recognition is well-deserved.

Tired of reading headlines about melting ice caps, world wars and a crashing economy, Pasricha compiled a list of everyday awesome experiences that he describes in a comical, relatable style. Granted, some of the mini-chapters border on the lame and/or cheesy (When you didn't play the lottery and your numbers didn't come up, Rain hair, The smell of gasoline) but others are true gems - things you never think about but, when they're pointed out, make you exclaim, "yeah, that IS awesome!" A few personal favourites:

* Laughing so hard you make no sound at all

* Remembering what movie that guy is from

* Multitasking while brushing your teeth (I thought I was the only one who did this!)

* The parking lot pull-through

* Transferring the laundry from washer to dryer without dropping anything (is this even possible?)

* Squeezing through a door as it's shutting without touching it

More Bookish Thoughts...

I admit that the premise of the 2009 Governor General's Award for fiction didn't exactly excite me: Lady Duff-Gordon, a passionate intellectual suffering from tuberculosis, moves to Egypt in the early 1860s with her maid, Sally Naldrett. The Lady hires an Egyptian dragoman (translator and guide) named Omar, a twisted love triangle develops and disaster ensues. However, to use Em's words, I decided to read The Mistress of Nothing for its "nutritional content." It far exceeded my expectations.

Kate Pullinger loosely roots her book in history but writes in Sally (about whom practically nothing is known)’s voice. As well as conjuring up visceral and exotic images of Egypt, the novel meditates on power, love and culture. The plot is engaging, the characters life-like and the themes so timeless that I often forgot the story was set 150 years ago.

Exploring the Island

It never ceases to amaze me that, after living on Vancouver Island for over 20 years, there are so many nearby places I've never been. Jean, Holly and I discovered Witty's Lagoon on the weekend and had a great time. It's a bit of a trek out to Metchosin but well worth it to walk the two lovely trails: one down to the beach and the other around the lagoon itself.

Sitting Lady Falls

Holly wants to keep going!

More Bookish Thoughts...

I've been reading a lot of non-fiction lately only because of what's become available from my library holds list. I enjoy the break from novels, though, and find that well-written books exploring the "real world" can be every bit as engaging. That's certainly the case with Lisa Sanders' first work. Dr. Sanders (Yale Med. Center) writes a fascinating monthly column for the New York Times magazine called "Diagnosis," in which she describes the process of diagnosing patients with strange, unpredictable and inexplicable symptoms.

Every Patient Tells a Story details the role of the physical exam in medicine, describing how doctors are taught the process, how hi-tech tests are replacing looking, listening and touching and how many medical errors are made when doctors neglect to either perform an exam or run appropriate tests.

The most interesting parts of the book are the specific case studies: everything from a patient who self-diagnoses her Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever to one who lives for two years thinking she has Chronic Lymes Disease only to finally be diagnosed with a rare form of arthritis. Ultimately, the book argues that medicine is an art. Doctors are human and, thus, fallible, which provides no great comfort but at least makes the reader more sensitive to the intricacies of diagnosis.