Fire, Ghosts and a Mysterious Carpet Bag

While in Geneva on vacation I finished reading my second read for the Canadian Book Challenge - Turtle Valley by Gail Anderson-Dargatz. This was a fantastic book that I started just before we headed to the plane and kept wanting to go back to as the story completely drew me in. The setting is Turtle Valley in British Columbia where a fire is raging in the forest threatening farms and homes in the valley. Kat, the main character returns to her parents home to assist in packing up the most precious of family items in preparation for the notice that they will have to evacuate this home that has been in her family for multiple generations. While there, Kat finds her grandmother's carpet bag that unlocks the mysteries of this woman's life, including a few secrets about the family's history that Kat thought she knew. Kat stuggles with her present marriage while being faced with her lover from the past. Mysterious spectors haunt her in this journey. This was a fabulous read from cover to cover that I would highly recommend.

Nothing to Fear in Fearsome Particles

This week I finally finished Fearsome Particles by Hamilton author Trevor Cole, my first official read for the 3rd Great Canadian Book Challenge. Like his first novel, Norman Bray in the Performance of his Life, Cole weaves complex and interesting characters that both amuse and make this a fantastic read. This novel blends both humour with serious subject matter including the Canadian military in Afghanistan. Being a Hamilton resident myself and residing in the same neighbourhood as Cole, I read between the lines, sensing some local inspiration including some of the minor characters, but perhaps this was just my imagination. Cole is working on a new novel that touches on a subject that is near and dear to my heart, so you will know that this will be on the top of my must read list.