Rosemarie's 12 in 12 Gold

[Rosemarie]

Book 1: This Year In Jerusalem by Mordecai Richler

This book was a treat to read. The author begins by describing his early years growing up in a working class neighbourhood in Montreal.
The majority of the book describes his various trips to Israel, his thoughts on the Palestine question and the attitude of the Israelis to the Jewish Diaspora.
I really enjoyed his neutral point of view (we see both sides of the issues) and his very readable writing style.

[Rosemarie]

Book 2: A Good Place to Come from by Morley Torgov

I really enjoyed this book that won the Leacock Award for Humour 1975.
It tells about the author's experiences growing up as the son of a Jewish ladies' clothing store owner in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario in the early to mid 20th century. His father was an extremely strong-willed man who drove his son crazy, but the relationship remained strong, even if there was a lot of drama at times.

[Rosemarie]

Book 3: The Harbor Master by Theodore Goodridge Roberts

This is short, fun adventure novel set in an outport in early 20th century Newfoundland. The main character is a modern day pirate who soon learns that his dreams of power are not going to come true.

[Rosemarie]

Book 4: Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock

This is the book that made Leacock famous. It is the best of his books that I have read so far. The humour is fresh and understated, not like in some of his later works.

[Rosemarie]

Book 5: The Stream Runs Fast by Nellie L. McClung

This book is about the author's life. I really enjoyed the first two thirds of the book as she writes about her early experiences and the struggles for women's writes.

The last few chapters have some entertaining sections, but some are just too preachy for me. She was certainly an opinionated woman in her later years.

[Rosemarie]

Book 6: Fantaisies sur les péchés capitaux by Roger Lemelin

This is a collection of 7 short stories about the seven deadly sins. I found the stories uneven and sometimes confusing about which sin they were actually talking about.

My favourite was "Le Chemin de Croix", a humourous tale about a prideful parish priest who commissions a modern artist to paint the Stations of the Cross for his church because he wants to be unique.
I recommend tha story to everyone.

[Rosemarie]

Book 7: Heart of the Ancient Wood by Charles G.D. Roberts

This book has a timeless quality. The theme deals with life in the wilderness, as embodied by Miranda, and her coming to terms with life and love.

[Rosemarie]

Book 8: October by Richard B. Wright

This novel has two time frames. The narrator is looking back at his summer in Quebec fifty years ago after a random encounter with a man he had known only that summer. Richard is good at creating characters and atmosphere.

[Rosemarie]

Book 9: Ox Bells and Fireflies by Ernest Buckler

This is a lyrical, poetic look at life in a very special small town in Nova Scotia in the early days of the 20th century.

[Rosemarie]

Book 10: Some Great Thing by Lawrence Hill

This is Hill's first novel, but you would not know it. He writes with a breezy fresh style, and there is a lot of depth behind the humour.
And it is set in Winnipeg!

[Rosemarie]

Book 11: Dry Lips Oughta Move To Kapuskasing by Tomson Highway

I got this book out of the library because I was really intrigued by the title.
The play takes place on a "Rez" on Manitoulin. At times the dialogue is in Cree, with translations.
Here is a quote from a review: (the play is) "filled with ritual, magic, grim realism and the spirit of life", which sums up my opinion too.
When I told my daughter today that I was reading it, she told me they read it for her first year sociology class.

[Rosemarie]

Book 12: The Master of the Mill by Frederick Philip Grove

This is a thoughtful look at the impact of industrialization and mechanization of a one-industry town through the actions and ideas of three generations of the mill-owning family.

[Rosemarie]

I have finished the Gold Level.
On to the final year!