[  Mood: Sleepy ]
[ Currently: Waiting to eat ]

Assassination Vacation is Sarah Vowell’s record of her obsessive visits to any place associated with the assassinations of three US presidents. We follow the author around as she visits former law offices, vacation homes, museums, even places where autopsies take place. As we get the travel log, we are also treated to an intimate history of the three assassinations and the people involved.

The only criticism I have of this book is that there is similar treatment for Kennedy. I would have loved to have Vowell’s caustic, but very astute eye turned on Camelot and everything around that day in Texas. This addition would have made the book a step above your average historical or humour book.

Now I didn’t actually read this book, I listened to it via my MP3 player, as I am wont to do. Vowell reads her own audiobook, which gives the work a far more intimate feel. In addition, there are guests to read the writings of various players in the stories. Most notably, John Stewart as James Garfield was the best of these. His slightly sarcastic voice captured the intelligence of a little known president.

Worth the time.

[  Mood: Happy ]

Wounded by Eric Walters
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Eric Walters is one of my favourite authors for young adults. His books are topical and attractive to the boys I teach. He is also Canadian and a former teacher, so bonus points!

This latest book deals with how the war in Afghanistan is affecting families back home. We see the affect a death has on a military family, as well as the main character dealing with his father’s return from Afghanistan. The youth in the book deal with a father suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as their own issues around fear of loss.

The only criticism I have of this book is that the ending is a little abrupt, leaving the reader wondering what was going to happen. I wish the author could have spent one more chapter as a denoument, as the ending did feel a little forced.

Still an excellent book to help young people understand that war affects more than the soldiers and that more than the families of dead soldiers deserve our sympathy and respect.

[  Mood: Happy ]
[  Currently: Eating Breakfast ]
Over on my Facebook page, I celebrate the wacky, wierd and wonderful holidays that exist in the world. I have talked about National Dance Like a Chicken Day and Lost Sock Memorial Day.

So today, I was setting up my info for National Medical Transcription Week. And on the main page they have this poster:

What does that look like to you?

I know what it looks like to me.

The Intersect is real, and the dude data entering the info about your prostate has it in his head.

[  Mood: Happy ]

Before I start, let me state that I LOVE Sarah Dunant’s Italian Renaissnce historical novels. They are so well researched and so well written that they pulled me into historical fiction, a genre that I hate. Why you ask? Because I have two history degrees and I spend far too much time nitpicking for me to even enjoy the book. So given that, you can imagine how much I was looking forward to this book.

But I digress, on to the review!

Sacred Hearts tells the story the inner life of a convent in Renaissance Italy, where easily half the nuns were placed there because the were unmarriageable or their families did not have the money for their doweries. Many others have entered the convent because there is no other choice for them. We see the politics as the truly religious clash with those who have no vocation as the reformation fast approaches the convent.

Mixed into this is a young novice who has been placed into the house of Santa Caterina because her romance with the music teacher could bring scandal to the family. Her fighting against the restrictions brings her into the relm of Suora Zuana, the apothecar mistress who struggles to make a connections with this angry young woman.

This novel is about small things in minor no-name lives, but it is completly engrossing. The ending, while not Hollywood by any means, gives you hope as you see how these characters are going to make the best out of a bad situation. Like all Sarah Dunant’s work, this book is meticulously researched, and it is this detail that brings this book to life.

It was so incredibly good.

[  Mood: Sick ]
[  Currently: Listening to The Next Chapter on CBC Radio ]

Kim Harrion contines to develop her Hollows series in this eigth installment. Rachel is still realing over her shunning for being a black witch. Her mother has moved away in orde to not be affected by the shunning. The Coven is also trying to snatch her out of Cincinnati in order to lobotomize and sterelize her. The lobotomy is to prevent her practicing black magic, but the sterilization has a more sinister purpose.

Rachel has realized that she is the genetic link between witches and demons. Becase of this her children will be demons.The Ravenwood virs (really an ancient elven curse) should have killed her as a child to prevent that from happening. The cure given to her by Trent’s father has made her a menace to society.

Now Rachel is fighting off attacks from the Coven, trying to to keep her demon teacher Al happy, keep Trent off her case and deal with the return of her demon dealing ex-boy friend Nick, all while pushing away the romantic advances of the demon familiar Pierce. Things are going to get bumpy.

SPOILERS BELOW
For the first time, author Harrison has indicated an end point to this series. Trent’s father saved Rachel to keep the demons ot of the world. It is implied that Rachel will become more powerful, perhaps even becoming immortal.

Harrsion is also not afraid to make major changes to her characters. With the death or Matalina and the resetting of Jenk’s biological clock, the pixie part of her world is set to change.

A very good read.