Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Notable Books Of 2014

Notable Books Of 2014
1. The Dead In Their Vaulted Arches- Alan Bradley  - a Flavia de Luce novel. Having read all the series I wait eagerly for the next -  which I suspect may take place in Toronto!
2. Up And Down – Terry Fallis. Once again a Fallis book makes my list. Lets hope he keeps writing for a long time.
3. The Lord God Bird – Tom Gallant. The bird thought to be extinct, the Ivory billed Woodpecker, is rediscovered in Arkansas and forms the basis for this beautiful and haunting story. A small book with a big impact.
4. Through A Glass, Darkly - Donna Leon. Her books are “intelligent” detective stories taking place in Venice and surrounding area. This particular book deals with glass making on Murano. All her books are delightful and informative reads.
5. The Devil Colony – James Rollins. This is really about ALL Rollins’ books. If you like books like The DaVinci Code you will love Rollins. I think of his writing as “Science made interesting” as he uses real science and weaves adventures into it. In this book, the science is nanotechnology – a hot topic today.
6. Picasso’s War – Russell Martin. A non fiction look at the destruction of the town of Guernica in Spain, and the famous painting by Picasso of that same name.
7. Lakeland – Allan Casey. A non fiction story of one man’s travel to various lakes across Canada. Should be a must read for anyone who loves “life at the lake”, and I promise, it is a joy to read.
8. Man In The Shadows – Gordon Henderson. Canadian historical fiction in 1867. An interesting and informative story with lots of factual information about Sir John A Macdonald, Ottawa as it was then, D’arcy McGee, his role in confederation and his murder, and the Fenian attempts to destroy the new confederation.
9. The Invention Of Wings – Sue Monk Kid. A fictionalized account of two real life sisters from Charleston fighting for abolition. This is about being true to yourself and your convictions.
10. Winter of the World – Ken Follett. The second book in the Century Trilogy (The first was Fall of Giants). Starting in 1933, covering WW11 and ending with the period of the Berlin airlift. The third in the trilogy has just been released.
11. The Wreckage – and Sweetland – Michael Crummey. Two books – two stories of Newfoundland and the people. The first about forbidden love and war, and the second about a remote settlement on an island outport about to be relocated.
12. The Confessions Of Francis Godwin – Robert Hellenga. An earlier book by Hellenga – The Snakewoman of Little Egypt – made my list a few years ago, and this one definitely belongs on this year’s list. A total immersion for the reader in music, philosophy, ancient Rome, Italian food, and something beyond describing.
I must mention Edge Of Eternity by Ken Follett. I am in the process of reading and have arrived at about the ¾ point of the almost 1100 pages. I will only say that the book will definitely be on my list for 2015!