The Shadow in the North, by Philip Pullman (read by Anton Lesser)

This is the second book in the Sally Lockhart trilogy by Philip Pullman. We were able to get through this as well on our recent road trip across BC.

Unfortunately, I enjoyed this nowhere near as much as the first book. Grim is the word I would use for it. Though the first book had a thread of realism running through it, it was still fun and fairly carefree. This book is much more serious in tone and not as fun - much darker than the first. If I were a kid I would find this book fairly disturbing, I think - as it is, it was definitely a bit depressing.

Thematically, however, it addresses some interesting issues. I found it amusing that the villain in this book is doing everything "for the greater good", something that has come up in a couple things I've read/watched lately (Harry Potter #7, Hot Fuzz for example).

There's one more book in the series (The Tiger in the Well), and I think that I will give it a go. I hope it lightens up a bit though.

6.9 out of 10

The Ruby in Smoke, by Philip Pullman (read by Anton Lesser)

The Ruby in Smoke is one of the audio books we listened to on our recent drive across the province. Unlike Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy, this book is not a fantasy - it is a mystery taking place in the late 1800s. And I loved it.

Sally Lockhart is a 16 year old girl who has been brought up by her father, a retired British army officer who had until a few months prior to the events in the book been a partner in a shipping firm. As the book starts we discover that Mr. Lockhart died, and Sally left parent less. She is quickly drawn into the mystery surrounding her father's death and a legendary priceless ruby that is somehow intertwined with her and her father.

The pacing is right on, the villains are interesting and dastardly (from an oafish thug Mr. Berry who has no qualms beating people to death but, as a staunch member of the temperance movement, will not touch alcohol, to Mrs. Holland, who is a real hag!), the heroes are engaging and endearing, and the plot is nicely mysterious. Though some characters are a little over exaggerated, there is an underlying realism to the story that serves to up the stakes and heighten the tension.

Anton Lesser is an great narrator and his wonderful accents bring a depth to the story that I think many of us readers in North America would miss in the printed version.

I'd highly recommend this, whether you're on a car trip, want something to take your mind from the inanity of household chores, or just fancy a bit of relaxing.

I'm giving this one 8.8 out of 10

Great Northern? by Arthur Ransome (a Swallows & Amazons adventure)

I love how reading books can take you right back to the time when you first read them. One of the other things I love about books is how the characters and their experiences can resonate with your own past - your experience colours how you engage with the story, and in some ways, the story colours how you engage with your past. Of course, this is best (at least in my opinion) when the experiences being relived are good ones!

All this is part of the reason I enjoy Arthur Ransome's Swallows & Amazons children's series so much. I first took in the story in movie form during my time at boarding school (Chefoo School); between grade 1 and grade 6 (we always said level 1 or level 6) I must have watched Swallows & Amazons a dozen times! Those years, for me, were filled with adventure and wonder - exploring the jungles and mountains surrounding our isolated school (in the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia), making forts, playing at being heroes and villains! So the adventures the Walkers, Blackett and Callums and their own adventures have a special place in my heart.

In Great Northern? the children and their (at least the Blackett's) uncle "Captain Flint" are sailing in the the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. The Great Northern referred to in the title is the Great Northern Diver, which I just found out (creating the link) is a common loon - something all Canadians should be familiar with :-). Still I gather they are not as common in Scotland (and growing less common here)!

This is a fun book - plenty of adventuring taking place, and you learn stuff too! Arthur Ransome also includes many sketches (which he drew) showing the details of what he is explaining (e.g. how a plumb line is used to measure the depth of water, and determine the nature of the bottom, how a boat is put up on legs for cleaning, the kind of knots involved in making a net, etc.) It all makes me want to go sailing and be a kid again.

Tamora Pierce

In some books you never know what is going to happen, who is going to survive what harrowing experience. No matter what terrible thing occurs, part of you is convinced the author is going to find some even more dire circumstance to place the protagonist in. In other books you can be secure in the knowledge that while a few uncomfortable events may try the characters, no one you are really attached to is going to die and nothing too difficult to deal with is going to come your way. Some people might say this is predictable and boring. I personally, can enjoy things even if I know where it's going to end up - it's not about being surprised as much as enjoying the journey characters/events take through the book - sort of like taking a comfortable stroll across a nice grassy meadow, enjoying the flowers and the feel of sun on your skin.

Tamora Pierce writes books a little like this. Sure they are a little juvenile - they are clearly written with an eye to younger kids - but I still have enjoyed almost all I've read. Her characters are fun and engaging, and though nothing calamitous occurs, they still have to deal with their own problems and learn from them. Very non-stressful reading - it's good to have some of that sometimes.

Most of the books I've listened to as audio books over the last couple months, but I have been reading a couple over the weekend that I couldn't find on audio book, so I thought I'd do a bit broader a review.

One interesting note - a number of the audio books we listened to were Full Cast Audio productions. These (at least those we listened to) are fully unabridged, yet use a complete cast of actors. I had never heard an unabridged, yet dramatized version before. At first it was a little strange to have voices change as the narrator interjects in the middle of dialog (for example statements like "he said"), but once I got used to it I found the cast gave an added depth to the characters.

• Circle of Magic (1) - (Sandry's Book, Tris's Book, Daja's Book, Briar's Book). I don't know if it is because this was the first set we listened to, but I think it is my favorite of all the ones I've read/listened to. I really enjoy the interplay of the four main characters (and also their 4 mentors) - preteen orphans with completely different backgrounds and characters who are forced together and must learn to depend on each other in a number of difficult situations. It was also cool to have each book told from the perspective of one of these children.
  

• Circle of Magic (2) - The Circle Opens - (Magic Steps, Street Magic, Cold Fire, Shatterglass). These books take up a couple of years after the first series. Each book follows one character and his mentor as they are traveling. I missed the interactions with the other main characters from the first series. I also did not enjoy the conflicts in these books as much. They are a bit closer to crime/mystery than any of the other books, with the bad guys all some sort of deranged/troubled person(s). I guess I don't like reading about deranged criminals, even in juvenile fiction (and the guy in Cold Fire especially was a little messed up).
  

• Tortal (1) - The Song of the Lioness - (Alanna: The First Adventure, In the Hand of the Goddess, Woman Who Rides Like a Man, The Lioness Rampant). This is the first book in a series that takes place in a medieval-like kingdom (in a world of magic, and Gods). Alanna is set on becoming a knight, something out of the question for a girl in Tortal. So she pulls a little switch with her twin brother and takes his place in training, dressed up as a boy. She must prove to herself (and to those who must inevitably find out she's a girl), that she is worthy of the training, and of becoming a knight. It sounds contrived but again, I found this series very entertaining. Interesting characters, engaging plot - much fun.
  

• Tortal (2) - The Immortals - (Wild Magic, Wolf-Speaker, Emperor Mage, Realms of the Gods). This is the third installment in the Tortal set of series - it takes place just a little after the first 2 series, and has characters from the first ones, but these are not the primary characters. It follows a girl who has "wild magic" which allows her to communicate with animals. I enjoyed the first 3 books, but found the 4th a poor conclusion.

• Tortal (3) - The Protector of the Small - (First Test, Page, Squire, Lady Knight) . Haven't listened to this one yet, but I will sometime :-) - hopefully it won't be too similar to the first Tortal series.

Hidden Talents, by David Lubar

Hidden Talents is a Young Adult fiction book about a kid who has been expelled from too many schools. He has finally been sent to Edgeview Alternative School, a last-chance school for people who have no where else to go. While there, he helps his friends learn to manage their unusual talents and ends up learning for himself that abilities can be used destructively or constructively, and that it often takes constant hard work to reign in the destructive parts of our nature.

Short and sweet at just over 200 pages, this book is entertaining and has positive things to say. You quickly learn to care for both the protagonist and the people who surround him. Even those we (through the protagonist) dislike, we gain some sympathy for as he discovers that they have had to deal with their own problems in life.

Recommended reading!