It was great to discover ‘reading challenges’ in summer 2012: activities for a solitary endeavour. A blog host designates a quantity and theme. Most follow the calendar year. The Canadian provides respite July 1 to July 1, our national holiday.
I thought I’d combine this year’s and my previous list of material. Hop aboard. :)
July 2012 ~ Tripled the 13-book request!
01) “Ghosts Of Nova Scotia” Darryll Walsh 2000
02) “A Killer Read” Erika Chase 2012
Lyn Hamilton
03) “The Xibalba Murders” 1997
04) “The Maltese Goddess” 1998
05) “The Moche Warrior” 1999
06) “The Celtic Riddle” 2000
Robert Sutherland
07) “Mystery At Black Rock Island” 1983
08) “The Loon Lake Murders” 1987
09) “The Ghost Of Ramshaw Castle” 1989
10) “Le Matou Marin” Tim Wynne-Jones 1983
11) “Street Of Riches” Gabrielle Roy 1955
12) “A War Bride’s Story, Risking It All For Love” Cynthia J. Faryon 2004
Christel Kleitsch
13) “Dancing Feathers” 1985
14) “A Time To Be Brave” 1985
Charlotte MacLeod
15) “Rest You Merry” 1978
16) “The Luck Runs Out” 1979
17) “Wrack And Rune” 1982
18) “The Dragon Children” Bryan Buchan 1975
19) “Marie-Anne Lagimodière” Irene Turnier Gordon 2004
20) “The Hatbox Letters” Beth Powning 2004
21) “For The Birds” Dr. Paul Hiebert 1980
Mordecai Richler
22) “Jacob Two-Two Meets Hooded Fang” 1975
23) “Jacob Two-Two & The Dinosaur” 1987
Eric Wilson
24) “Murder On The Canadian” 1976
25) “Vancouver Nightmare” 1978
26) “The Case Of The Golden Boy” 1994
27) “Disneyland Hostage” 1982
28) “The Ghost Of Lunenburg Manor” 1981
29) “The Kootenay Kidnapper” 1983
30) “Summer Of Discovery” 1984
31) “Spirit In The Rainforest” 1985
32) “Forward, Shakespeare!” Jean Little 2005
33) “Graven Images” Audrey Thomas 1994
34) “Greenapple Street Blues” Ted Staunton 1987
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~ July 2013 ~ MY PRESENT MATERIAL
I achieve 34 again and sampled an educational variety. Notable for rarity and for publishing extremely local pieces of work are: Sheila J. Bleeks, Ann Rivkin, Mari Pineo, Peter J. Peters. The latter two were handed to me, containing autographs and astoundingly; a clipping of Peter’s fifty-fifth wedding anniversary with Bertha! It took a good 14 years of being in our family, for me to dip into them at last and I enjoyed each vista very much. Sheila’s and Ann’s wonderful, wonderful stories were respectively: a free find and a nearly-free thrift store haul! Shopkeepers hasty about cleaning up, don’t know what gems they discard. Fortunately they went to a book cherisher, me and it is my pleasure to ensure all of you know about them too.
I used to feel the majority of Canadian literature was brainy: classics, real issues, memoirs. As a great fan of the paranormal and mystery, I lamented lack of these from our authors. I was thrilled to discover: Caroline Roe, Eric Wright, Welwyn Wilton Katz, and even first holder of “The Hardy Boys” penname are home grown: Leslie McFarlane. I encourage anyone who found earlier Eric Wilson adventures cheesy, to keep picking up his abundant titles. Many are far superior to those I tried before, especially: “Cold Midnight In Vieux Québec” and “The Green Gables Detectives”. I mourn Lyn Hamilton above all and adore Charlotte MacLeod too but we need dynamic writers like them, alive and dreaming up material for us today. I ought to forge ahead with my fictional idea.
As for classics: I dread Manitoba’s own Margaret Laurence and Gabriel Roy (read last year) and were impressed with both. I unhesitatingly gave 5 stars to “The Stone Angel” and Farley Mowat’s “The Black Joke” this year. When he very recently died, I knew I ought to read one of the paperbacks I had on hand. I’ve learned classics can be adventurous and garnered that status with good reason. I hope browsers enjoy my carefully-written reviews.
“The Gift Of The Frost Fairy” Sheila J. Bleeks 1976
“Mystery Of Disaster Island” Ann Rivkin 1975
“The Haunting At Cliff House” Karleen Bradford 1985
“Death Island” Robert Sutherland 1994
“The Black Joke” Farley Mowat 1962
“Mariana” Susanna Kearsley 1994
“Spring Floods: Poems, Short Stories, And A Play” Mari Pineo 1990
“Reflections In Poetry And Pictures” P.J. Peters 1984
“Two Moons In August” Martha Brooks 1991
“Read And Buried” Erika Chase 2012
“Kiss Me” Andrew Pyper 1996
“Copper Sunrise” Bryan Buchan 1972
Charlotte MacLeod
“The Family Vault” Charlotte MacLeod 1979
“The Withdrawing Room” Charlotte MacLeod 1981
“Something The Cat Dragged In” 1983
“The Curse Of The Giant Hogweed” 1985
Margaret Laurence
“The Tomorrow-Tamer” 1963
“The Stone Angel” 1964
“A Jest Of God” 1966
Caroline Roe
“Remedy For Treason” 1998
“Cure For A Charlatan” 1999
Eric Wright
“The Night The Gods Smiled” 1983
“Smoke Detector” 1984
“Death In The Old Country” 1985
Leslie McFarlane
“The Tower Treasure” 1927
“The House On The Cliff” 1927
“The Secret Of The Old Mill” 1927
Welwyn Wilton Katz
“Come Like Shadows” 1993
“False Face” 1987
Eric Wilson
“Terror In Winnipeg” 1979
“Vampires Of Ottawa” 1984
“The Green Gables Detectives” 1987
“Code Red At The Supermall” 1988
“Cold Midnight In Vieux Québec” 1989
RIEDEL FASCINATION 