Friday at the Branches: The Color of Tea

The Colour of Tea by Hannah Tunnicliffe

Grace Miller moves with her husband to the tiny, busy island of Macau feeling lonely and depressed. A dream of having a family has been shattered with the news that she is infertile. Her relationship with her husband is strained and she becomes detached and distant. As she struggles to find some meaning in her life, she decides to use her love of baking to open her own café, specializing in the delicate French macaroon cookies.

This new venture brings new friends and challenges into Grace’s life as she deals with past issues with her mother and present issues with her husband.  Grace comes to realize that there are different relationships outside of biological families which encompass family life. This is Hannah’s first novel. I enjoyed the story and the creating of macaroon names at the beginning of each chapter.

Non-Fiction Pick of the Week: Johnson's Life of London

 Johnson's Life of London by Boris Johnson 2011

Johnson’s Life of London is a very interesting and highly readable social history of one of the most exciting world capitals. Author Boris Johnson, the blond-mopped Mayor of London (you have seen him at the Diamond Jubilee and Olympics) presents a history of the city he so evidently loves.  Each chapter covers a different historical era and does this by focusing on a particular person. From Queen Boudica, to Keith Richardson, from Chaucer to Churchill, Johnson’s Life of London spans the eras from Roman times to the current day. Johnson writes with wit and insight. The book discovers London as none of us have seen it before and the journey is both surprising and exhilarating.

Fiction Pick of the Week: B-Sides and Broken Hearts

B-Sides and Broken Hearts by Caryn Rose 2011

Ever wonder what happens to those young girls who attend every concert of their favourite band, screaming their lungs out and crying; buy all the music; paper their rooms with posters; and treasure the music forever?  In this semi- autobiographical first novel, Caryn Rose will give you a quick look. 

To Lisa Simon, it’s always been all about the music. ‘Lisa from New Jersey’ is a 30-something computer programmer living in Seattle with her boyfriend Ian, though theirs is not a happy relationship.  Lisa is working one morning and a headline pops up: “Joey Ramone has died”.  How can that be? He was only 49. Email notifications start flooding in.

Lisa’s reaction to the unsettling news sends her on a whirlwind journey back through the stages of her life that brought her to where she is now.

Yes, the story IS about sex, drugs, and Rock and Roll, but not necessarily in that order. This is a heartfelt look inside the music world of the latter decades of the 20^th century, from a Superfan’s perspective. Enjoy!

Friday at the Branches: The Good Doctor

The Good Doctor by Vince Agro 2011

The book is set during the onset of WW II and revolves around neighbourhood in the north end of Hamilton which was populated primarily by immigrants from a small town in Sicily. Through the eyes of his young nephew, it tells the story of the neighbourhood doctor, who was the community leader for these immigrants. As a leader, he tried to guide and protect his fellow immigrants from the influences of fascism and the ramifications of being a fascist in Canada during this time in our history. The narrator also describes the day to day lives of immigrants during this time. He tells stories of him and his friends growing up in the neighbourhood, the lives of the adults around them, the clubs and associations which were typical of the Italian community at this time.  Throughout the book, references and analogies are made to operas. The book would be of interest to those interested in local history, especially if you lived in the North End of Hamilton.

Non-Fiction Pick of the Week: Wild

Wild: from Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed 2012

In 1995 Cheryl Strayed was a young divorcée actively grieving the loss of her beloved mother to cancer. Her family has dissipated and her life lacks direction. When she begins to dabble in heroin, she realizes that she is spiraling out of control. At the lowest of low points, she makes the decision to hike 1,100 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail from California to Oregon. Hauling a massive backpack she calls “Monster”, she sets out alone only able to focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Over the course of her trek, she revisits her childhood and other parts of her past, and as she becomes completely broken down, she finds a strength she never knew she had—and finally begins to heal. With humour and candour, Cheryl shares her emotional journey on the West Coast. In the most challenging of scenarios, we root for her to survive one adventure after the next and achieve her goal. In the end, despite the pain of the journey, you almost want to give the Pacific Crest Trail a try yourself!

Fiction Pick of the Week: The French Gardener

The French Gardener by Santa Montefiore

I just discovered this author this summer and am so glad I did. Like Rosamunde Pilcher, Montefiore has charmed me with her tender novel about marriage, passion, loss, renewal, and the healing power of love.  Miranda Claybourne has ditched her posh Notting Hill digs for the English countryside. Her idyll is short lived however – her husband is preoccupied with his job and his mistress and the kids lash out at each other. Once  Miranda finds the former owner’s secret journal, she becomes engrossed in dramatic events from 20 years prior.  Ava, former lady of the house was a brilliant gardener with many secrets. Could the sudden appearance of the new French gardener, Jean-Paul, have a tie with the past?

Friday at the Branches: The Juliet Stories

The Juliet Stories by Carrie Snyder

This novel-in-stories is divided into 2 sections. Section one takes place in Nicaragua, where Juliet is living with her “peacenik” parents and two younger brothers. She has a kind of freedom that children dream of … all the while living in a potentially dangerous situation. When one of her younger brothers is diagnosed with cancer, the family has to come back to North America. The second section is a series of chronological stories that all relate to Juliet and the various characters in her life. “The quality of the writing pulls us through”.

Non-Fiction Pick of the Week: Falling to Earth

Falling to Earth: An Apollo 15 Astronaut's Journey 2011

Al Worden was the command module pilot for the APOLLO 15 mission to the moon in 1971.  This is a memoir of his early life as a farm boy in Michigan and his military career in the Air Force followed by his career move to NASA. On the APOLLO 15 mission, the team spent six days orbiting the moon and Al Worden was alone in one of the capsules for three days. He also conducted the first space walk in deep space. Nine months after his return his crew was involved in a scandal about bringing postal covers in their personal gear when on the APOLLO 15 mission and profiting from the sale of these stamps. Al explains his side of the story and how he carried on his life and career after his retirement from NASA. An interesting read and his descriptions of the moon are fascinating!

Fiction Pick of the Week: The Thirteen

The Thirteen by Susie Moloney

There is a noticeable number of cats in Haven Woods. Maybe that is because this seemingly ordinary American suburb supports a coven of witches. Author Susie Moloney takes the reader into an intricate world of murder, deception, the dark arts and evil personified. The main character, coven leader Chick, is a woman in her 60s who has had enough. She has just buried her husband - a man she truly loved - and she feels incredibly guilty about something that the reader simply doesn’t know until further into the book. As a reader who learned about Chick and listened to her thoughts, I was amazed and chilled to the bone at the same time as she pulled out the Valium and a Zippo lighter.  I don’t want to give the story away, but the coven is short of members and Chick will do anything to remedy the situation. The Thirteen will especially appeal to readers who enjoy the likes of Stephen King. 

Friday at the Branches:Extensions

Extensions by Myrna Dey

A treasured old photograph was Arabella’s grandmother’s only memento of her long-dead twin. So why is there an exact copy of it in a garage sale in rural Saskatchewan? The many threads of the story are woven together in the alternating voices of Arabella, an RCMP constable, and her great-grandmother Jane, who came to Vancouver Island in the late 1800s with her Welsh mining family. There’s something for everyone here – a fascinating bit of Canadian history, a touching story of family relationships, and murder investigations that span more than a century. This is Saskatchewan author Myrna’s Dey’s first novel; it was the People’s Choice nominee for the 2011 Giller Prize longlist.