Cool Water by Dianne Warren

Set in the sandy hills of southern Saskatchewan and the fictional village of Juliet, this refreshing novel is told in a series of interconnected stories. Family farms are dying, but people still have a connection to their roots on the land and many are finding the transition to the 21st century a bumpy one.

A horse escapes from his transport trailer when a stranger passes through Juliet... A pregnant teenager plans to marry the baby's totally irresponsible father... A young farmer ponders the identity of his birth mother... A bank manager worries about families whose lives will be affected by foreclosures... A wife jumps to the wrong conclusion when she finds a phone number in her husband's pocket...

Readers who love interwoven stories, a complex cast of lonely characters, and a strong sense of place will find lots to appreciate. The tone is hopeful and heart-warming, in spite of hard times in the community.

Readalikes: A Hard Witching by Jacqueline Baker (for short stories in a similar southern Saskatchewan setting); A Song for Nettie Johnson by Gloria Sawai (more small-town Saskatchewan stories); Runaway by Alice Munro (for plumbing the depths of ordinary individuals and their intimate relationships with others); Annabel by Kathleen Winter (for another community - in Labrador - shaped by the landscape).

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

"What does it take to survive aboard a spaceship fueled by lies?" That question on the front cover drew me in;  the image of two silhouetted faces approaching for a kiss - not so much. I prefer the alternate cover depicting a blueprint of the spaceship Godspeed; it is on the backside of the dust jacket. Unfortunately, since I was reading a library copy with the dust jacket permanently affixed, I could only peek longingly at the other version.

The setting is a colony ship from Earth that has been travelling in deep space for hundreds of years. The social organization that has evolved in this claustrophobic environment is fascinating.

Only a handful of people know that the cargo hold contains a hundred cryogenically frozen settlers, chosen for their skills that will be needed upon landfall. Someone with murderous intent has begun thawing them. That is how teenaged Amy has found herself awake in a strange world where everybody acts like she is a freak because of her pale skin and red hair. The only person her age is Elder, a boy destined to be the leader of the next generation of children born on the ship. Elder is one of the few people aboard who treats Amy well. He even finds her attractive. But romance has to take a back seat to solving the mystery of sabotage. The safety of the entire ship is at stake.

The suspense builds at the same time as big philosophical questions are pondered. This is top-notch science fiction, the first in a projected trilogy. Grade 8 - adult.

Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden

Joseph Boyden's novel about two young James Bay Cree men who go off together to fight in the first world war has received wide acclaim since it was published in 2005.  I listened to a Recorded Books unabridged audiobook edition (16 hours). The story is told in two alternating voices; Robert Ramirez reads the part of Xavier Bird and Ruth Ann Phimister reads the part of Xavier's aunt Niska. Both readers use a clear, calm and steady style.

Xavier has returned from the war severely injured in body and spirit. He experiences vivid flashbacks to the horrors of the battlefield, where he and his best friend Elijah Whiskeyjack were snipers. Niska tells stories to Xavier in order to keep him from giving up on life as she transports the two of them back into the northern Ontario bush by canoe. The novel translates extremely well to oral storytelling. An additional pleasure was to hear the occasional Cree words spoken, especially the titles of each chapter.

Highly recommended. Boyden's subsequent novel, Through Black Spruce, follows Xavier's descendants to present day. Readalike: Kiss of the Fur Queen by Tomson Highway.

The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart

Balthazar Jones is a Beefeater who works and lives in the Tower of London with his wife, Hebe, and their ancient tortoise, Mrs. Cook. Balthazar and Hebe's marriage has been falling apart since the death of their son, three years earlier. Aside from this serious element to the plot, The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise is best described as whimsical. It will appeal to readers looking for something light with a lively cast of characters (nearly caricatures) and zany action.

Hebe and her friend Valerie work at the London Underground Department of Lost Articles, tracking down owners of oddities like glass eyes and funeral urns. Valerie is being wooed by a tattooed ticket inspector named Alfred Catnip. Valerie usually manages to be wearing something odd when Alfred turns up at their service counter: a theatrical beard; a viking helmet complete with blonde braids; or a horse costume. There are several other romantic liaisons underway with characters who are even more bizarre. It's wacky, I tell you!

Because Balthazar owns a tortoise, he is the Beefeater chosen to be in charge of a new menagerie at the Tower of London. The assortment of animals have all been presented as gifts to the Queen from foreign governments: a zorilla, a glutton, a pair of Jesus Christ lizards, a tiny Etruscan shrew, and so on. More fun than a barrel of monkeys. (Speaking of which, the Geoffroy's  marmosets have a habit of exposing their private parts whenever they are under stress.)

It took me a while to get used to Julia Stuart's style, which is a jumbled heap of metaphor and simile, but I enjoyed it overall. I think it was the tragedy at the heart of the tale that salvaged this book for me.

Readalikes: Quirky, romantic fare like Chocolat by Joanne Harris; The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer; The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith and the film Amelie.

The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd

Dade Hamilton has had a secret boyfriend for two years. In the summer after he finishes high school, and before leaving his small Iowa town for college in the autumn, Dade decides he has had enough of being closeted. He falls for a guy from the wrong side of town, Alex Kincaid, who also happens to be the local dope dealer. As he deals with ex-boyfriend and new one, and while watching his parents' marriage fall apart, Dade learns to be true to himself.

The sense of being on the cusp of adulthood is very strong in this realistic novel. Nick Burd shines a golden light on ordinary moments in an ordinary life, illuminating the wonder of it all.

Readalikes: Someday this Pain Will Be Useful to You by Peter Cameron (for a similar look at the liminal space between adolescence and adulthood from the viewpoint of a young gay man), or Sprout by Dale Peck (for a another secret boyfriend in a small town). Grade 9 - adult.

Mac Slater Hunts the Cool by Tristan Bancks

I picked up Mac Slater Hunts the Cool because I liked the cover. I didn't recognize the author's name, and didn't flip to the back flap to read about him - although I did read the author's note at the beginning, warning kids not to try flying without getting in touch with the U.S. Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association - and then jumped right into the story. It's about a couple of geeky boys, Mac and Paul, who like to invent things like flying bicycles.

Mac is invited to be a coolhunter candidate, someone with his finger on the pulse of the hot new trends. He has a week to compete against Cat, a girl in his grade at school, posting a video online each evening for worldwide voting; the winner will get to go to New York City. Cat is someone Mac has had a crush on for a long time, but she's never acknowledged his existence. She's a mean one. And rich. She has plenty of underhanded tricks up her sleeve because her plan is to win at any cost. Meanwhile, Mac the underdog struggles with his own understanding of what is cool.

The combination of external and interpersonal action make this a story that has a wide range of appeal for readers in Grades 4 to 6. What shocked me was the realization, after I'd finished reading it, that it is set in Australia. I read the author bio on the back flap - Tristan Bancks is an author and filmmaker who lives on Australia's east coast - and then back to the verso to find the publishing info - Simon & Schuster, New York, 2010; originally published by Random House Australia in 2008 as Mac Slater, Coolhunter: The Rules of Cool.

I'm usually really good at picking up setting clues, yet I was certain that Kings Beach was a fictional California surfing town. I've been to Kings Beach on Australia's Sunshine Coast - I've even got a photo on my fridge right now, for god's sake, of me and my sweetie posed there. Yet it never occurred to me that this was an Australian book. In retrospect, there is the clue that the kids wore school uniforms. But that's the only thing I can think of. Huh! Another case of Americanization of literature from other countries. If you want to read my previous rant about this issue, see my post about Beautiful Malice.

Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing by Ann Angel

This excellent biography of rock legend Janis Joplin is primarily aimed at an audience of teens in Grade 9 and up. With abundant photos, coloured reproductions of concert posters and album covers, as well as psychedelic page ornamentation and lots of white space in the page design, it is a very appealing package. The text is lively and sympathetic. Joplin's alcohol and drug use, for example, are shown within the context of her emotional insecurities and the culture of the era. Her bisexuality is noted briefly: "Always hungry for affection, she compulsively sought attention from both men and women." There's a bit more in the same paragraph, mentioning only one of her female lovers (Juli Paul).

I couldn't help but compare Joplin's life to that of Johnny Weir, since I just finished his autobiography. Both seem to have been born to be divas, but Weir's strong sense of self-worth makes quite a contrast with Joplin's personal demons. Her feelings of inadequacy were fed by such humiliations as being nominated as "ugliest man on campus" when she attended the University of Texas. Her life was short and had its share of pathos, yet her determination, talent and success inspired many women who followed her in the field of rock music.