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I just finished
The Long Way Home: The Other Great Escape by John McCallumMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Long Way Home chronicles the service of three Scottish soldiers during WWII after Dunkirk where John is captured after being wounded during the retreat. While in the German Stalag he finds his brother and their best friend. The three spend many years in prison during the war and eventually escape successfully making their way home where they are once again thrown into the fray. John returns to Germany just after the war has ended completing his service there.
A good read if not as stirring as other more fictional accounts of imprisonment and escape.
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Now to finish
and the last of the Dark Horse series
.
Just finished
Of Dark and Bright by Kate SherwoodMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
OK, loved it. I've already gone searching for another instalment.
Dan, Evan, and Jeff struggle with their relationship and the insecurities of a three way. Trouble ensues when Dan's very pregnant and criminal sister shows up looking for support from her estranged brother and someone to raise her child. Turning herself in she knows she will face significant jail time and then her criminal cohorts arrive on the scene to further complicate matters. Combine this with a major illness and a rebellious young lady and you can imagine the trouble that ensues.
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Still working on
. Haven't decided what to open next.
I just finished
Alex & Drew by Justin SouthMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Drew finds Alex recovering after an encounter with his abusive father. The two soon fall for each other. Drew saving Alex from his abusive father and Alex helping Drew to deal with the death of his first love. A story of two young men in need of the love and support the other offers to heal and recover.
I was a little disappointed with the ending but look forward to an extended novel version of the story.
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I have to finish
. I'm ready to start
. I've been asked to review
, so will start that one shortly.
Just finished
Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic's First-Class Passengers and Their World by Hugh BrewsterMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
A very different approach to the story of the Titanic. It is very different to see the ship, its passengers and crew through their own eyes.
I would not likely have even considered this book were it not for the Mature Men's Book Club as there has been so much about the Titanic. I'm very pleased that I did read it as it gives new perspective to the disaster. This event really was the end of a strict class society and the dawn of the modern age in many different ways.
I was able to attend a presentation by the author tonight at our book club meeting and it was interesting as he shared additional stories and anecdotes that do not appear in the book as well as give further emphasis to the personal relationships of the passengers.
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Now it is on to
. I finished
last night but still have to write my review. Back to locating a couple of new reads.
I finished
I Hate Cell Phones by Mike Ronny earlier this week, but it has been busy and it has taken a while to finish writing my review, so here it is.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A comical short story of the joys and sorrows of growing old.
It is interesting to hear a story from the inside looking out. My maternal grandfather suffered with Alzheimer's and now my mother is slipping into dementia as well. It is not an easy thing to deal with as we watch the progress of the disease but it is still interesting to see how things may appear from the inside, hopefully it will lead to better understanding.
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I've also just finished
Playing With Fire by Jennivie WirriesMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Learning to love, rediscovering love, tenderness, and intimacy, it is all here as Kaleb and Bryce rediscover each other and their new lover Devon.
A great read. I would like to have an extended version that would further explore the relationship of the three men.
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I'm working on
and am just about to start
. I'm looking forward to getting back into this series.
I finished
Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story by Paul Monette on Saturday but just now got around to finishing my review.My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The most I can say at this point is 'thought provoking'.
OK, I have a little bit of time to write something more detailed on this, so here it goes.
Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story by Paul Monette recounts the author’s life growing up in 1950s America, growing up gay, the closet, and learning to come to terms with his true self. There are many times where he describes things in his life that resonate with my own. I too had a thing for paper dolls and I too have to thank my parents for not forcing the issue that I should be more ‘male’. His view of team sports I too share. I’ve never been able to really figure them out and I’ve long ago given up trying.
Paul has no great love of either the Roman Catholic or Evangelical churches and their narrow views of the world and human nature. He recognizes that the problem is the political influence they exert on the policy of the state in trying to legislate morality. All Biblical scholarship to the contrary these two faiths will not see beyond their narrow interpretations.
His life as a teacher in hiding gave great insights into the closet and I like Paul knew that without coming out my life would be less that it could be. The effort to maintain the fiction of a straight life can strangle one beyond belief. Keeping things hidden from others and in so many cases from oneself is exhausting, the threat of exposure, driving you further with fear taking you to the edge, contemplating the end.
I regret that Paul did not continue the writing to give greater contrast to his life after coming out. The life he lived with his Roger Horwitz only appears at the end of the book and though described as a long and loving relationship is only seen briefly. A more thorough examination of this latter part of his life story would have helped to round out all the angst of his early life, and I believe would have better illustrated his point that all gay and lesbian people need to come out to live their lives authentically.
I do believe that this is critical reading for gay men and lesbians and anyone trying to understand the pressures that the closet brings to life. I liked many sections of Paul's life story but also found parts of it very disturbing and frightening. I know why I burst open the closet doors, and I had no where near the internal fight that Paul describes. What a difference ten years can make in my understanding of who I was and how much more information was available to help me through the process.
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I'm currently reading
and
. I'll have to look up another one to read as I've already read the January selection for the Mature Men's Book Club.
I just finished
Oddly Normal: One Family's Struggle to Help Their Teenage Son Come to Terms with His Sexuality by John R. SchwartzMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Oddly Normal: One Family's Struggle to Help Their Teenage Son Come to Terms with His Sexuality is the story of an amazing set of parents and their youngest son Joseph as he grows up and out. Joseph, struggles with a variety of learning disorders and conflicting diagnosis as he moved through school. At an early age he also exhibited signs and behaviours which lead his parents to suspect that he was also gay.
From the start his parents became advocates for their son at his schools and sought out additional help from professionals to address his learning disorders and refused to accept simple quick diagnosis after thoroughly researching the diseases/disorders that the various professionals. Since Joseph never really exhibited the characteristics of any one of the possible disorders to an extent that would definitively place him in one of the categories.
As Joseph approaches his entrance to middle school it is becoming clear to his parents if not the professionals in his life that some of his problems with depression are related to his growing awareness that he is gay. The Schwartz’s develop a network of gay and gay supportive friends and colleagues to advise them in helping Joseph in his coming out process. After an unfortunate coming out incident near the end of middle school Joseph attempts suicide.
With the support of youth centres and camps for LGBT youth Joseph comes to terms with his sexual orientation and learns to cope with both his sexuality and his learning disabilities. As he enters high school, and a more supportive educational setting, Joseph is able to participate with the GSA at the school as well with gay youth community groups.
John R. Schwartz has written the book with personal insights into their advocacy for their son as well as a plethora of medical information about mental/learning disorders and statistics. John is very clear that there is yet no definitive answer to so many questions around mental illness and its interaction with gay identity.
The book is well written and fully engaging. The involvement of his wife and son in the writing help to give added depth to the revelations about their lives and the struggles they endured. It is very American-centric and it is annoying that there was no attempt to examine other nations where full equality have been the norm for a long period of time to give some contrast as to how things can change. All in all I think it is most important to recognize how a supportive family can have such a positive influence on a young adult’s life. Things got better for Joseph when he had more supportive environments rather than attempts to medicate, the ‘condition’ or ignore the effects of bullying, or hide away his sexual orientation.
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Just finished
Snowman by Mark AbramsonMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Stumbling into the thick of yet another murder.
Tim is recovering after the truck accident and having doubts about Nick's commitment is it love or just guilt over the accident? After finding his Aunt Ruth at Sam's his cousin Dianne shows up to throw more oil on the fire with her multiple bigotries. Tim's dreams start up again with scenes of murder and mayhem. Bad cops and drug dealers all mix with the residents of the Castro in the final climax.
Overall a good read.
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I'm still working on
. Time to log into the Kobo site and buy up some books with the Christmas gift card.
OK, just finished my Post Christmas book buying spree. Between Boxing Day sales and the $50.00 gift card from my Husband I managed 7 books for $2.13. I got copies of
,
,
,
,
,
, and
. Now to find the time to read all of them.
Just finished
Enlightened by J.P. BarnabyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A great read! More later. To hard to type on the bus.
Now that I'm home and can actually type. This is a real page turner. Once I started it was very difficult to put down. The story of the love between two teenage boys growing more and more intimate with one another while trying to hide their love for one another from small minds in a small town.
I've already opened volume two
to see what happens next. I can see reading all six of this series very quickly.View all my reviews
I'm almost finished
. I'm just ready to get started with
as well.
Out of Bounds by T.A. ChaseMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Coming out in professional sport, only that even one athlete would take the chance to acknowledge their sexual orientation in any major professional sport in North America prior to their retirement. There have been a couple in Europe but they are not as high profile as the North American professional leagues.
A great read! I look forward to reading more from T.A. Chase.
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I couldn't leave this one alone last night. Finishing at 4 a.m.
Abandoned by J.P. BarnabyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
To say this was a good read would be a disservice, this is a great read. Very few books have the power to get me out of bed to finish reading it because the story just would not let me go.
Jamie has been ripped out of Brian's life and now he must return to his final year of high school alone. His final intimate embrace with Jamie has outed him to the small town and small minds where his foster parents live. He faces ostracization by his peers at school, taunting, bullying, and violence.
Learning self defence after a violent attack that left Brian hospitalized helps him to recover confidence and self esteem to complete his last year of school. He begins to doubt his commitment to Jamie when Adam enters his life and his foster parents file for adoption.
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Still working through
and
. I've opened
and hope it is as great as the last one.
I just finished
Vanished by J.P. BarnabyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
It is heart wrenching to see that Brian has travelled so far and done so much for love only to find at the end how damaged his lover has become.
Brian has travelled from the small minds of small town Alabama in search of his love, Jamie, who was dragged away by his parents and put through the wringer of the 'Christian' right wing only to be found even more damaged after a year on his own with little or no supports. Brian and his new found friends in San Diego have supported him and helped him to grow in many ways. Can they now find a way to help Jamie too?
I have used the single quotes around 'Christian' here to distinguish these right wingers who claim to adhere to a Christian faith from those who truly express what Christianity is about and which is very dear to my heart. Unfortunately somewhere along the lines they seem to have missed the message and distorted everything which is Christian into something very hateful. I find in writing this that one of the most telling things about this story is the harm that these twisted people can have on the lives of young people, even their own children. How anyone could put a child through this and call themselves 'Christian' I just cannot comprehend.
Rant over!
This is still a very good read and unfortunate as it may be part of our current milieu in North America. It is unfortunate but the intertwined stories of the other men who were turned out of their families for who they were still happens, whether in a small town or in a huge city. I am thankful for parents like Brian's who accept and support their sons and daughters for who and what they are without question and am doubly thankful that my parents did that for me. I think it is even more poignant that I finished reading this book on the day that the death of PFLAG founder Jeanne Manford is published on the Advocate website.
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I'm still working
and
. Off now to open the next in this series
.
Veronic wrote: "Death on the Nile 
by Agatha Christie"I've never been a big Agatha Christie fan myself by my husband is.
I finished
Discovered by J.P. Barnaby last night.My rating: 5 of 5 stars
My G_d this series is addictive!
A better review will follow tomorrow to late to continue now.
OK now that I have little time here goes.
Brian shows his true love and devotion to Jamie as he searches for a way to get Jamie away from his abusive/manipulative/controlling pimp/drug dealer/partner. Believe me any one of the words in the list would work in this case. Steven O’Dell, is truly a piece of work and Jamie is suffering under his control and abuse. Like any battered spouse Jamie thinks it safer to stay in the relationship and protect others from Steven than to find a way out and a way to heal. The two years he as spent away from Brian after his parents disowned him to a 'reparative therapy clinic' have left him with little sense of self worthy or confidence in himself.
Afraid that he is no longer worth of Brian's love and affection he does what he can to try to turn Brian away. Brian and his friends will not let him go so easily.
Needless to say that I got to the point where I could just not stop reading this story. In as short a statement as possible this is an excellent read.
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I'm still working my way through
and
. I've opened the next in the Little Boy Lost series
and will likely start it very shortly. As I said this series is addictive.
I just finished
Escaped by J.P. BarnabyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
OK, only one left to go. This series just keeps racing on.
Finished this just after midnight and again it was just one more chapter, just one more chapter. I just could not put it down.
Brian and Jamie try to recover after Steven's assault on Jamie but his addiction gets the better of him and exposes both to even greater violence. Will Brian be able to regain his trust in Jamie? These two are so dedicated to each other yet both have difficulty dealing with each other's issues around many things and this inability is constantly pulling them apart. It is after all young love with little experience.
I look forward to the next and final instalment, Sacrificed, and hope that in the end they will be together. It would be just too heartbreaking for it not to end well.
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Still working my way through
, and
. I just got two new ones to review so I'm off to convert the PDF files to epub for reading.
I finished reading early yesterday morning
Sacrificed by J.P. BarnabyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Too bad the Porp 8 mess in California is still not fully resolved. It's been almost 10 years since it was resolved here in Ontario.
More later.
I have to admit that this was not as riveting as some of the earlier instalments particularly the first half and Jamie's recovery but the story had me rooting for one of the two to take the initiative and come to their senses and make the other see that the love they shared was stronger than any other force. Jamie finally finds the strength to do just that and together they re-discover each other and finally learn to trust one another no matter what.
Overall a great series.
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I've started on
and I'm still working on
, and
.
I finished
Designated Target by Laura Baumbach this afternoon.My rating: 3 of 5 stars
An interesting story of love and loss in a time of DADT. Carson has a thing for strong burly men in his life, which does not always go well. It is just after one such unfortunate encounter that Carson finds himself under the enchanting gaze of ‘China’. ‘China’ is Carson’s most erotic wet dream come true, solid muscle from head to toe with the attitude to match. ‘China’ has come to find Carson to let him know how his brother died and to ask for forgiveness for what he feels was his fault. Not only does ‘China’ gain Carson’s forgiveness but also his love.
Laura’s writing draws you into the story and life of the characters. As a short story certain elements come across as predictable. Is there ever a good time to tell a painful story, or a right way to tell it? This is a question for both Carson and ‘China’. It is even harder to know how or when to tell the story when you are forced to hide a part of yourself. It has been a very long time since I have felt the need to hide who I am from anyone so it is a little more difficult to relate to ‘China’s’ position under DADT. The intensity of the intimate time the two men share is high, it brief due to the nature of the genre.
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I just finished
One More Soldier by Marie SextonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Will has grown up and come of age in a time when being gay really was "the love that dare not speak its name" only to find himself confronted with an 11 year old boy who needs his presence after the death of his father. Brannon is intelligent, and could go far, but is forced to drop out of school to help is mother. He leaves Huston to work and a year later and much more a man returns. Will then must deal with the 17 year age difference between himself and Bran as the young man comes into himself as a gay man. Bran has been drafted and is about to be sent to war in South-east Asia.
This is a quite a gripping read. I remember this time period but from a very different and more youthful perspective. The gay rights movement was in its infancy even as I grew up and I know the feeling of the closet. I was very much like Will from the age of 15 until I found the courage and desire for change in my 30s. By the time I felt secure in my own skin the AIDS epidemic was in full swing and Pride parades had become an annual event. So much has changed, so much has improved. We owe so much to the brave pioneers, soldiers, of the gay rights movement for the life we live today.
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Now back to
and
. I still have to write my review for
which I finished on Sunday.
I finally finished my review for
Retreat to Island County by Derek AdamsMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Retreat to Island County was an interesting read though the time jump between chapters one and two threw me for a loop. Ben meets Keith while working as a busboy in a restaurant to pay his way through college. This brief encounter leads to a very hot late night rendezvous at Keith’s condo. By chapter two it is ten years later and I was left wondering how we got from A to B. Keith proves to be less than celibate, devastating Ben.
Ben retreats from Keith, Seattle, and in truth from his previous life to Whidbey Island in Puget Sound. It is here that he first meets local ranger Rick Baxter, who he is immediately attracted to. From the description I can understand why, Rick sounds gorgeous. Rick proves to be a bit of an enigma to Ben. They seem mutually attracted to each other but there is something holding Rick back. Ben seeks to be more involved in the local community and befriends a young boy ‘Joey’ who’s mothers live in fear of the boys white supremacist father and what he might do to the boy.
After the time shift in the early part of the book the remainder progresses and develops well as Rick finally shares the secret of his own personal hell and he and Ben connect. The action and romance are good but progressed much more quickly than I would have anticipated. Ben becomes a very strong influence in Joey’s life and is drawn into the family dynamics when Joey’s father Dale shows up with evil intent. From this point on the action and interaction of the character’s intensifies and diverges from the developing relationship between Ben and Rick as they face their pasts and move into the future to include the lives and futures of Joey and his mothers.
The seemingly rapid development of the relationship between Ben and Rick and indeed between Ben and Keith is a little disturbing as a trend but then I should not be one to criticize since I fell for my partner the first night we met and we’re still together twenty years later. I’m not sure if it is the speed at which the relationships developed but rather that I was expecting to read more about their development. Despite being a very interesting read, my overall feeling was that it left me wanting more detail about the relationships between Ben and Keith; Ben and Rick; between Rachel and ‘Mike’; between Rachel and Dale. Dale’s family and their white supremacist background are mentioned but we do not learn how Dale became the man he is. A little more detail in this area would give the reader a better feeling for the character and the threat he poses to the other characters in the novel.
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I finished
A Tryst of Fate by H.C. Brown just after midnight on Thursday. It was one of those where you just can't stop turning the pages.My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A Tryst of Fate was a read that just would not stop. First let me say that I a love historical fiction done well and Ms Brown has combined history, romance, and fantasy in one here. Colt Daniels finds himself captivated by the portrait of Lord Alexander Swift who’s London home he has recently inherited and restored. Learning of the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the dashing young Lord he follows the footsteps of the story to the wine cellar and is transported back in time where he finds the man of his desire and puts the puzzle pieces together to transport the two of them back to the present.
I know it sounds very much like A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court premise, and maybe it is, but it is also written in such a way that it is hard to put down. It is not often that I find myself so wrapt in a book that I finish it in a single day but this was that kind of book. Once I had started chapter three I just could not put it down. Most of the historical descriptions of 1775 London have a great ring of truth.
To acknowledge that not everything was as rosey and we would like to believe is refreshing. Laws governing the handling and sale of many items were lacking by today’s standards and sanitation systems were nowhere near what they are now so the place did stink, and would surely offend our modern noses, just as would the smell of diesel emissions offend the noses of someone from the 18th century. The evolution of language through time is well played here and adds some comical twists and misunderstandings on both sides of time. So many of the words we use today have meanings never conceived of in the 18th century and new terms that did not exist at the time are so much part of our modern understanding.
I do feel that there was an over emphasis on the anti-sodomite ‘movement’ and the laws of the day. Yes, the penalties laid out in the Buggery Act of 1533 were severe but the law was not rigorously enforced. It was far more likely that you would find the ‘brothel’ would cater to all tastes and that most ordinary citizens would give a ‘tisk, tisk’ and just as happily look the other way. Discretion in public would be, and still is, necessary in most cities and towns even if the laws have changed.
Despite all, this is a great read. Fiction does not need to be accurate in all of its descriptions of history and this is, after all, a bit of fantasy as well. What makes this a great read? It allows you to lose yourself in the lives of the characters and to see the wonders of two time periods through their eyes, and see love between these men blossom and grow.
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I just finished
but still have to finish a review of it...so more to come. I'm still working on
. I just opened
and am now ready to start at it. I've just purchased
to start for next month with the Mature Men's Book Club.
I finished
Lake on the Mountain: A Dan Sharp Mystery by Jeffrey Round on Saturday.My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Vicious females and learning to come to terms with personal realities and solving mysteries at the same time. What more could you ask for?
Lake on the Mountain introduces us to a very complex character, Dan Sharp. As a missing persons investigator numerous interesting cases cross his desk. Many are routine and do not end well for the families that have requested them. As well as being an investigator Dan is a single father raising a son, Ked, who was conceived in his college years. Dan shares custody with the boy’s mother and they struggle with his teenage angst. Dan is good at his job in large part due to his own history as a runaway who was rescued from the streets of Toronto by his first lover.
Dan has never been as successful in love since the death of his first lover, as he deals with so many issues from his past. His current lover is less than faithful or present for Dan in many ways but still invites him to go with him to the wedding of Bill’s best friend, Thom, in Prince Edward County near The Lake on The Mountain. I love the description of the lake from the book, having been to the lake myself. I know I found in an oddly eerie experience. As beautiful as Prince Edward County is I don’t think I would really want to live near The Lake on The Mountain, let alone have to take the Glenora ferry very often.
The primary mysteries that confront Dan in the book revolve around Thom and his family. While attending Thom and Sebastiano’s wedding on a boat in the Bay of Quinte Sebastiano’s ‘sister’ goes overboard. The how and why become the first puzzle for Dan to solve. He learns as part of this that Thom’s father disappeared without a trace some 20 years earlier. An unidentified client asks Dan to investigate this one too.
The references to places in and around Toronto, Prince Edward County, and Vancouver give real context to the story and helped to me to understand Dan’s view of Toronto. Toronto is seen by so many disenfranchised youth as the ‘Emerald City’ but it can be a hard reality if you are not prepared for it.
This is definitely not a book that you would read in one sitting. I loved the complexity of the main characters and the father/son interactions as Ked deals with his father’s insecurities and bad habits as much as Dan has to deal with the angst that goes along with being a teenager in our modern world. Dan eventually comes to confront some of his demons and in doing so comes out stronger for his son.
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I'm almost done
and am now getting into
. I'll be starting on
in a matter of days.
Bounty of Love by Scotty Cade on Saturday.My rating: 4 of 5 stars only because I can't give it 3 1/2 stars.
Bounty of Love, introduces us to Alexander (Zander) Walsh whose life is torn apart as gunshots ring out through his parent’s home as they return from the rehearsal dinner for his upcoming wedding to Darren (D) Jordan.
Zander awakes from a medically induced coma only to find that he is the only survivor of the shootings leaving him understandably distraught at the prospects of continuing on without the most important person in his life, D. FBI Special Agent, Jake Eliot has been assigned to be with Zander until he can provide any details about the night of the shooting. Jake, who has recently transferred to the Seattle Bureau and has been keeping his private life private to avoid complications at work, can’t help but notice Zander is very attractive even as he is in and out of consciousness and heavily bandaged.
As Zander begins to recover he finds that in addition to his own physical recovery he must also face the emotional recovery of losing his partner and fighting with D’s estranged parents for his remains all the time trying to find a reason for the senseless violence which has brought him to this point. Zander does what he can to assist Jake with the investigation as he begins to remember details of the day of the shooting and with the help of other witnesses a Jake is able to identify a suspect and bring him in for questioning. Jake is injured during the suspects escape from custody and calls on, Zander, one of the few people he knows in Seattle outside of the Bureau to help him. During the time of Jake’s recovery they become suspicious that there may be more to the shootings than a bungled robbery attempt. It is also during this time that the two men begin to admit that there is more than a professional relationship developing between them.
Mr Cade’s writing style draws you into Zander’s world of privilege as the son of a prominent US Senator and the tragedy which has ripped that world from him. Zander’s feelings of anger, fear, and self doubt during his recovery are understandable and well written as is his sense of devotion to D, and thus his questioning his developing feelings for Jake. Jake’s character is also sensitive to Zander’s situation aware that the timing may not be quite right but at the same time he can’t deny that Zander is the best thing to happen in his life for a very long time.
The investigation draws the story along as both men recover and dance around each other until they can no longer deny their mutual attraction. Once they admit their attraction they must find a way to solve the mystery of the shootings to bring closure not only to the case but to a most difficult time in their lives so that they can move forward.
The final twist to the ending of the book was not quite what I had anticipated. The suspicions raised about the case let you know one of the key players in the murders but the identity of the mastermind behind the whole affair and his motives were never completely clear until his confession in the final chapter. While not an all consuming page turner, it was still hard to put this down for more than a short while before continuing on. I definitely look forward to reading more of Mr. Cade’s writing in the near future.
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I've also just finished a quick read of
as well as finishing
. I'll now be getting into
for the Mature Men's Book Club and
which has been sitting unread on my Kobo for months now.
I finished
The Finder by Brandon Fox on Thursday evening.My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Quite the future, to bad that we still do not seem to have learned from the past.
The world of The Finder could be described as a post apocalyptic fantasy. It has been several hundred years since a great war between men who embraced technology (the daemons) and those who rejected it was fought and the anti-technology side won. The Empire now searches out remnants of the past to control the present and any knowledge of the past.
Rhan is a finder with a difference he is loathe to reveal because he knows it could mean the loss of his freedom if not his life. Word had come to the Empire that there is a dangerous heretic in the provinces who they would like silenced. In an effort to find the heretic Rhan is conscripted into the search for his abilities as a finder. Though an act of compassion to a fellow finder from his village Rhan finds himself assigned to Aerik Rodan and his military aide Maiko. After an assassination attempt the Empire demands more of the village and Catrin is added to the the little band to complete the quest for the heretic.
Rhan is no fan of the Empire and he soon finds that Aerik shares many of his views and doubts about the Empire. They also know that Maiko cannot be trusted with any of their doubts. As well as finding the heretic Rhan and Aerik find each other. With Catrin’s help Rhan and Aerik are able to avoid Maiko’s prying eyes but he proves to be more dangerous than either of the thought as political intrigue and in-fighting threatens to pull the Empire apart.
The story of Rhan and Areik is engaging and their growing love and devotion for each other is truly romantic. Mr. Fox’s descriptions of the search for the heretic and the dealings with the Empire later in the novel draw the reader into the fantasy world and propel the story forward. I would love to see more of the life that Rhan and Areik lead after the end of the novel.
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I'm working through
for the Mature Men's Book Club and
. I just opened
but have not gotten into it yet.
I finished
Just Boys by Nic Penrake on Thursday but needed some time to digest it before attempting to write anything about it. My rating: 3 of 5 stars
One very strange set of occurrences. First let me say that my rating of this novel is in part due to the difficult and unfamiliar nature of the events laid out in the story. This is not a romance, this is a gritty no holds barred story of growing up the hard way. I liked the book but the level of reality of this novel by Nic Penrake is almost overwhelming and at times downright scary. This truly was a mile walked in unfamiliar shoes. Blue narrates a period in his life that most of us would often much rather forget, but it was not like anything in my own experience, though not out of the bounds of possibility for many of the students in our classes today.
Blue is a British boy who has spent his early years in the U.S. as his father’s work came and went in various parts of the country. He finds himself back in England starting school when new boy Simon appears. Simon has recently moved into the area when the boys become friends and embark on a very lurid journey of self exploration. Some of the antics that the boys get up to could easily be dismissed as that’s ‘just boys’ for you. Wanking, even wanking each other is one thing but they go well beyond this to a level that is criminal.
As things progress Blue becomes seriously ill and thus enters Nick, another new boy to the school. Nick is very fickle in his friendships and the three soon become entwined in some very unusual circumstances including murder. In all three cases the boys parent’s are wholly or partially absent from their lives, and as such all three boys grow up on their own with little or no parental supervision. The truly scary part of this is that the parental absence in the boy’s lives is happening to so many children today.
By the end of the novel I was actually questioning whether this was fiction or biography. The level of reality in Mr. Penrake’s writing is incredible. I know many young people who find themselves in very difficult circumstances, whether through parental neglect, or family break-up, but for them I would hope for a strength of character to overcome these things, which I think Blue has. He has been scarred certainly by the events of his life but would seem to have overcome them in the end.
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I finished
this evening but again need some time to digest it before making too many comments. It did inspire me to seek out a copy of
from the library no less. (Haven't taken anything out from the library in a very long time.) This is one of the first books I can remember that has made me seek out another book rather than the next in a series. I'm also working on
,
,
, and
for a trip to the Stratford Festival later this year.
I finished
In One Person by John Irving last night.My rating: 5 of 5 stars
In One Person is not a novel that will set you on fire but it is rather a novel that will take you on a journey through eyes most of us rarely think of. The life of a bisexual man growing up in the 1950s in a small town in Vermont is anything but normal. The novel has made me realize just how much has changed in my own life time, and just how much is yet to change.
Billy grows up in a rather amazing family. His mother falls for a young man who, by the time Billy is five has left with his true love, and shattered his mother’s world, all of this kept well hidden from Billy. He spends much of his early childhood with his mother and grandfather who acts with the local amature theatre company most frequently in women’s roles to the displeasure of other family and community members, often because he fills the roles so well. Billy truly has inherited a double whammy in this family.
Mr. Irving’s style keeps you wanting to know more to see more through these eyes, and he takes us through some very difficult times as Billy grows up fascinated by the town’s librarian ‘Miss Frost’ and the wrestler that he and his closest friend are both in love with. Billy is often alone and has difficulty forming lasting relationships. During his later years we see him deal with the early years of the AIDS crisis and the lengths that some people will go. Billy struggles to ‘find himself’ and to find what is ‘worthwhile’ in himself and his life throughout the novel.
This is certainly an exploration of a life of which I have not known in whole, and yet events and experiences that I have shared in part. It is a rare treat to read a book such as this, a book that takes you into the reality of another life and helps you to better understand the people around you as a result. We live in a world of difference and it is good to be able to get to know those differences, they help to instruct, to teach us how to accept ourselves we must also accept others.
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I've started through
and am continuing with
,
, and will be getting into
for the Mature Men's Book Club tomorrow.
I finished
Nine Lights Over Edinburgh by Harper Fox last Sunday but only now got around to finishing my review.My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Harper Fox truly has a winner here. The title, the setting, all drew me in before I even opened the cover. The back streets and wynds of the ancient city of Edinburgh and the seedy clubs and gambling dens form the backdrop to a crime drama that leaves you wondering will they get there in time to protect the innocent and bring the guilty to justice.
Detective Inspector McBride has always known that he was different, but like so many has conformed to expectations of straight society. His marriage has produced a daughter, Gracie. His wife has grown to resent his job and the risks he takes and they have divorced. With the stress of the divorce, the upcoming holiday season, and struggles over Gracie his life seems to be falling apart and he slips up on his investigation into a human-trafficking ring.
He is re-assigned to provide security of a visiting ambassador where he meets Tobias Leithner. The two are locked in each other’s eyes before they are even introduced. As they work together on the new assignment they come to find more in the other than they would ever have imagined. It takes time for the two men to overcome the heart breaks they have both suffered over time and for each to see the other for the love and support they can offer each other to heal their wounds.
The suspense is not only about the investigation into human-trafficking, and Gracie’s abduction but also about the realization of the lead characters that they were meant for each other. Much of the romance in the story is of McBride’s remembered lost childhood love and his coming to terms with who he really is as he falls for Tobias. It is not until the latter part of the book that the two experience any skyrockets bursting in air moments but it is well worth the wait. I look forward to reading more of Ms Fox’s writing.
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I finished
on Tuesday and hope to write my full review for that one tomorrow. In the mean time I'm working my way through
for the Mature Men's Book Club and
.
I read the 6th book of Jack Reacher trilogy by Lee Child, Without Fail. I also have another book in progress, book 3 of Dresden Files trilogy, Jim Butcher - Grave Peril. I alternate them depending on my mood.
I finished
What's Bred In The Bone by Robertson Davies on the 27th of April but am just now getting around to writing my review.I've started
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What’s Bred in the Bone is the middle volume of the Cornish Trilogy by Robertson Davies. This is a extremely well written tale of the life of Francis Cornish from before his birth to his death, and the fears of his surviving family that some of the truths of his life could cause, embarrassment and financial difficulty for them. The story is narrated by the Daimon Maimas, and an angel, the Lesser Zadkiel. Of all parts of the novel I found the ongoing conversation between these two the most annoying part. This may be in part because I have not read the first part of the trilogy where, I understand, these two characters play a much larger role. In this novel I found that their conversation did little to add to my understanding of the narrative. The constant interruption of the story by their conversation, for me interrupted the narrative.
In the course of his life Francis learns about the existence of a myriad of family secrets, including an older brother, also Francis Cornish, who is mentally handicapped and hidden away from the world. Francis’ parents are largely absent from his day to day life during and following WWI.
Francis learns art at an early age and is exposed to situations which allow him to develop his art that are just a little out of the norm. All of this he keeps secret from the family as they would not approve of the arrangements. As he grows he studies at “Spook” (Trinity College, Toronto) and later at Oxford before pursuing his art in Germany with Tancred Saraceni, a noted art restoration expert. It is during this time that Francis creates the art works which if the truth were told could set the art world on its head. Davies is unapologetic in his use of local references, some of which might be lost on those not familiar with Southern and Eastern Ontario, but knowing the area I found both interesting and humorous at times.
Despite the annoying interruptions of the narrators in the story this is a fantastic read that examines a time of transition from Victorian England to the modern day.
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I've started
,
, and am just about done
.
I finished
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin on Monday.My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A haunting tale of love and loss.
I was inspired to seek out a copy of Giovanni’s Room while reading John Irving’s In One Person and I was not disappointed. In this classic work of gay fiction Baldwin spins the tale of David, an American living in Paris in the 1950s as part of his quest to free himself from his past only to learn that his past experiences are his present and his future.
David is determined to deny that which he most intimately knows of himself to fulfil the expectations of his father and the larger society. He finds himself alone and broke in Paris while his girlfriend is off in Spain to consider her commitment to their relationship. During this time David is introduced to Giovanni, who becomes a prominent part of David’s life as they share Giovanni’s small apartment.
The descriptions of the life of these two men and their interactions with gay society in Paris are indicative of the time period. It’s O.K. just so long as it doesn’t cause any conflict or embarrassment to society at large. The true mastery of the story is the internal conflict David undergoes as he comes to know and understand that Hella would never be anything more than a convenient, or not so convenient cover for his true self. David has loved a boy before and after denying his love for Giovanni while they were together in his attempt to ‘fit in’, he is forced by his own desires to admit this love after Hella returns from Spain.
This was a very interesting read even if emotionally draining at times. David while eventually admitting to himself that, yes, he loved Giovanni must also deal with what his denial of that love has meant for Giovanni, and that he will never be able to regain that love. Closets have restrained us for far too long. It is time to leave hiding behind and let love reign.
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I just finished
This High School Has Closets by Robert Joseph Greene yesterday.My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Life in high school has never been easy especially when you are not like all the others. Mr. Greene tells the story of two young men as they complete their final year of high school and find themselves. Barry Stillwater has just arrived in school and is introduced to Mark Thomas. Barry has come from a background and family tradition of sports and is a first string basketball player. As the two boys move through their days at the school they find that they share more than academics. The trouble arises when Barry chooses to keep up appearances and thus confuse and irritate Mark.
This is a great Young Adult coming of age story. It takes place in or around 2002 as there are clear references to events in that time period in the novel that are depicted as being current events. I would love to see a sequel to this story following the boys as they go off to university. Neither of the two are able to shed the safety of the closet and live openly as who they are while in high school.
From the eBook collection of the Toronto Public Library.
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OK, so its been much longer than I though since my last update. Work takes up so much time that I've not been posting my progress, so here goes. It's not that I haven't been reading much, I have, just not posting. I've now finished
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, and
.I'm currently working on
,
, and
.
I finished
Shirts and Skins by Jeffrey Luscombe on Monday.My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Jeffrey Luscombe touches many themes in Shirts and Skins. Hamilton has for all of my life been seen as an industrial city even as it continues to transform into a more diverse economy. As such there is evidence of a class struggle between the industrial working lower middle class and the academic/managerial upper middle class. There is the issue of Josh’s native heritage and how that heritage has been lost yet also helps to set him apart from his peers as he grows up. In the course of time Josh also becomes aware that he is different from his peers on another level, a level that he cannot share and quickly learns that he must hide and deny. It is only after an industrial accident that Josh is forced back into the academic life that he abandoned while attempting to acquire the funds needed to pursue the same goals that would allow him to move up and away from his working class background. As he moves away from his past he also re-discovers the other side of himself that he has buried, fining life and joy.
Having come out late in life myself I can certainly relate to parts of Josh's life, but his was far more difficult than my own. By the close of the novel Josh has come to a point in his life where he is finally happy with his life. This was a good read and is written not as a continuous narrative but more as a series of vignettes of Josh’s life as significant events come his way and mould him into the man he becomes and the situations he must deal with.
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I'm now working my way through
,
in preparation for a trip to the Stratford Festival Theatre next month,
, and have just borrowed an eBook copy of
from the library for the book club's reading for August.
I finished
Latakia by JF Smith last night.My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a really great read! I had the worst time putting this one down. When your husband comes out of the bedroom at 2 am wondering what is keeping you up you know you have a great read. Even then it was hard to put this down.
In Latakia Mr Smith has created an action filled narrative that just keeps the pages turning. Matt has a heart that encompases everyone as as a result he has difficulty seeing anyone who may be taking advantage of him. His fiends have their doubts about the boyfriend he has been dating for the past year but they cannot convince Matt that he is taking advantage of him. Matt volunteers with Doctors Without Borders and while on an overseas mission he is abducted by terrorists. During a special ops mission of the Navy SEALs he is rescued as they search for a different abductee. Circumstances leave him in contact with the SEAL unit who he initially finds offensive and homophobic but also mesmerising. Though the help of the SEAL team leader Matt discovers inner strength and courage he never knew he had, enough to agree to help the SEAL team to try to capture the terrorists who had held him captive. As Matt learns about himself he helps to transform the lives the members of the SEAL team as well.
The bond of brotherhood that develops between Matt and the SEAL team leaves them all changed. When Matt is returned to civilian life he finds the strength to change many things about his life for the better. In the changing he finds the brothership he found with the SEALs cannot be broken and his ongoing interaction with Mope leads to revelations that will change both their lives and prove that being open and honest is always best.
The characters of Matt and Mope grow to understand each other’s strengths and to discover the strength they can draw from each other. In a time just before the repeal of DADT these two find a strength in the brotherhood of the team that allows them to be themselves. Other team members also learn to draw on Matt’s strength to change their behaviour to one another and to deal with issues in their past. In the world of today there is no point where the situations, locations, or emotions seemed out of place. The characters and situations were both plausible and believable the pace of the action kept my attention and I’m convinced would keep most readers as involved and captivated as I was.
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Still working through
,
for my trip to the Stratford Festival next month,
for my Book club meeting, and I've just opened
.
Just finished
Sparring With Shadows by Erin O'QuinnMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
An interesting romantic detective mystery. Simon, a private investigator, in 1923 Dun Linden, Ireland. Dun Linden is a sea port on built on the mouth of the River Linden. Simon has recently lost his partner, Sargent Castleton, during an investigation. He has since found a new partner in Michael McCree. Michael becomes more than a partner during his investigation, he has moved into Simon’s flat and Simon’s very being. Simon has always prided himself as a ‘regular fellow’ but is now finding himself attracted to Michael in ways that he never considered before.
Michael holds his own secret identity and he is also strongly attracted to Simon. Their investigation into the death of Simon’s partner leads them into a world of international intrigue as they confront their adversary ‘the dark man’ who is trying to recover a gem stone taken from India by English hands and his group who are trying to overthrow the English in India.
It is as they learn more about ‘the dark man’ that Simon discovers more about both himself, Michael, and ‘the dark man’ as he enters the world of the underground homosexual community in Dun Linden. The two find themselves in a very rough gay bar come bathhouse and the risk of its hidden rooms and passageways from its smuggler past.
Michael and Simon learn to depend on each other in their professional relationship but also become bound to each other in their personal relationship. The strength of these two characters comes from their growing intimacy, and trust in each other’s ability. The suspense grows as the two men are forced to face their enemy with little more than their own wits and physical abilities. Through this Simon comes to terms with who he really is and who he has come to love.
This was definitely an interesting detective, mystery with an equally interesting romantic angle. The romance is secondary, yet integral to its action during the investigation and the solution to the mystery.
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I'm waiting for notification that
to become available from the public library. When I checked a few weeks ago all four copies were available and now I'm the 8th hold for a copy to be returned. In the mean time I'm starting
after just finishing
a day or two ago. I'm also starting
. I'll eventually finish
, but it is less critical since I've now seen the play.
Started The Gunslinger. Wish my luck. Damn that book is confusing. I also took a bite at Neuromancer. Now this is the father an mother of confusions. Hehe, will keep you posted.
I just finished
The Hungry Ghosts by Shyam Selvadurai last night.My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A very interesting story, and at times, scary in its own way. Sometimes it is very difficult to let go of the past and it poisons our future. I hope that Shivan will be able to come to grips with his past, his anger, and his sorrow through this ending, but I would also hope that he could also reconcile with Michael and move into a brighter future, but that would seem to be wishful thinking.
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I just finished
Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance: A Mystery by Gyles BrandrethMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
A nice story but I found it progressed very slowly and did not draw me in to the point of not wanting to put it down until the final few chapters when the truth was revealed. Knowing that this is part of a series I am unlikely to continue the series and not just because I found the pace of the story a little slow. It was occasionally very witty and funny but I personally just can't see Oscar Wilde as a "Sherlock Holmes" detective type. For me this just never really fit.
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I just finished Hold Me Now by Stephen Gauer.A very powerful story of a senseless and callous murder of a young gay Vancouver man in Stanley Park. The story, told from the perspective of the grieving father, is very touching, and difficult at times.
I remember reading the news reports of this murder at the time and the anger that they evoked in my. To see this again in this way brought those feelings back as well as the sympathy that I feel for his family. More than once this tale brought tears to my eyes and I had to put it down long enough to recover and move on.
Reading The Quants by Scott Patterson. Pretty interesting and intriguing story regarding the math wizards of Wall Street. It's about how smart people with math PHD's got rich by using computers with sophisticated algorithms to beat the market. I truly enjoy it.
I just finished
Death on a Branch Line by Andrew MartinMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
A very interesting read.
Hugh Lambert has been convicted of patricide, but something about the man convinces detective Jim Stringer that something just does not add up. Hugh is being transferred to Durham goal to hang when he encounters Jim.
The execution to to take place in 48 hours. Jim, convinced of Hugh's innocence follows him to the scene of the crime, and the intrigue of 1977 Britain. Even then the specter of WW I looms and preparations are under way to protect the realm. Can Jim prove Hugh's case in time? Is Hugh's railway timetable master brother willing to blackmail the nation to save him? Can Jim get the message out int time, despite the special forces arrayed around trying to catch the traitor and preventing information leaking to Germany?
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Just finished The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. Great book. This was the first book by Nicole I was reading and I am ashamed of myself that it took me so long to know this great author.
I just finished
by Don Gutteridge. An interesting tale of life in Upper Canada around the time of the rebellion of 1837.
Books mentioned in this topic
Turncoat (other topics)The History of Love (other topics)
Hold Me Now (other topics)
The Merchant of Venice (other topics)
Man-to-Man Coverage (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Don Gutteridge (other topics)Stephen Gauer (other topics)
Mark Abramson (other topics)
Helen Humphreys (other topics)
A.K.M. Miles (other topics)
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A very quick read on the way home after teaching night school. Nice to see that Tat is growing up, too bad the boys still have a way to go in acknowledging that.
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Of course I've already opened