The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell

I really liked this book. Set in the near future, it is the story of a Jesuit priest and several of his friends who embark on a journey to another planet to make first contact with an alien race. At times humourous, at times terribly frightening, this book looks deep into human relationships and compares them to how other races may not value the same principles we do. The priest himself also goes through a rather grim spiritual trial, resulting in very thought-provoking theological discussion.

Unfortunately, I missed the book club meeting on this one. I would have liked to know other people's opinions.

Too Close to the Falls - Catherine Gildiner

I was given this book by my aunt after she and my other aunts had read it. My sister, Eileen read it before me. The general conclusion we all seem to have come to is that the book is very good and very funny - until you get to the end. The end took a totally different direction than the rest of the book and was really not the same style at all.

Basically, the book is a series of true-life anicdotes in the life of a young girl growing up in a small town near Niagara Falls in the late forties and early fifties.

The Weight of Water - Anita Shreve

Strangely enough, I found this novel interesting while reading it, but as soon as I would put it down, it was out of my mind. There was nothing drawing me back to find out more. The story revolves around a journalist's trip to the Isles of Shoals in Maine with her husband, daughter, brother-in-law and his girlfriend. She is there to write a story about the murders that occurred there in the 1860's (true murders) and finds a letter from the only survivor of the murders (fiction). The story flips back and forth between the journalist's life and the life of the survivor told through her letter.

Forms of Devotion - Diane Schoemperlin

This is not a novel, but rather a collection of short stories and commentaries on life. I found some of the pieces to be quite good, but I got rather annoyed that each story ended just when I was getting interested. It's almost like I read the first chapter to five different books. Discussion at book club centered around the statement the author was trying to make, and most of us agreed she was mocking everyday human life and concerns.

Elizabeth and After - Matt Cohen

Life in a small town in Eastern Ontario is described through the stories of townspeople whose lives were each touched by the presence of Elizabeth, a mysterious and beautiful Jewish girl from the city. Elizabeth is unhappily trapped in a marriage to a man who turns out to be much less ambitious than she first thought.

The book is entertaining enough, but hardly a great piece of literature in my opinion. Warning for the sensitive: there are several rather explicit sexual descriptions....

The Chimney Sweeper's Boy - Barbara Vine

An acclaimed author dies, and his daughter begins a quest to find out about his past. She uncovers that he is not at all the man she thought he was. The back cover of this book describes the main character as "the monster at the heart of the maze" but although he is an unpleasant character, he is no "monster." There was much debate at the book club meeting as to whether or not the cruel things he did were even intentional. They could have been the product of the times and his own naive expectations.

From Bruised Fell - Jane Finlay-Young

Two young girls try to cope with a fairly difficult environment, between a mentally disturbed mother, a weak father and a new step-mother. The majority of the book club members felt that this was a fairly realistic book, in the way the girls reacted to the situations in which they found themselves.

The Hours - Michael Cunningham

This book is about a day in the lives of three women in different time periods.  One of them is Virginia Woolfe.  The general agreement within the book club was that in order to enjoy this book, you should first read Mrs. Dalloway by V. Woolfe (I didn't).  It would then make a lot more sense.

The Underpainter - Jane Urquhart

This book consists of flashbacks in the main character's life as a painter. The non-linear story-telling is a good technique used to tie all the elements of his life together. Although I did not like the main character, I enjoyed the rest of the characters, whose stories were told through memories.

The Cider House Rules -  John Irving

This book follows the life of one particular orphan and the doctor who ran the orphanage, raising the boy.  I didn't really like this book too much.  Mostly because it focussed too much on controversial discussions of abortion, and not enough on the characters.

The Handless Maiden - Loranne Brown

A young girl's story of how she lost her hand and the traumatic events that precipitated and followed that loss, including being abused by her grandfather.   Prepare to cry.  I loved this book, but I warn you, it is emotionally draining.

Into the Forest - Jean Hegland

Two sisters are forced to rely on their own resources to live when society crumbles and fuel, electricity and all other modern conveniences become non-existent.  A very well written novel that I found hard to put down.  It really made me think about just how dependent we are on the modern comfort in which we live, and be thankful.

Island Madness - Tim Binding

The story of a small town under German occupation during WWII.  I did not enjoy this book at all.  The murder mystery aspect of it might have been intriguing if only I could have brought myself to care about any of the characters in the slightest.....

The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver

The story of an American family who travel to Africa to do missionary work. It is told from the points of view (alternating) of the mother and four daughters.  This was a fairly enjoyable book, although it went on a little too long for my liking. The author should have stopped at the climax of the story and left out all the after-math.   The character development was very well done, though.

Blindness - Jose Saramago

This story follows a small group of people during a city-wide outbreak of contagious blindness.  Although I was in a very small minority within the bookclub, I really enjoyed this book.  It was a dark and dismal look into the frightening depths to which humanity can sink in times of trouble, but I enjoyed the intensity of it.  However, the physical style of the book drove me nuts (lack of puntuation and paragraphs). If you watched, and enjoyed the t.v. miniseries "The Day of the Triffids," you will probably like this book.