Unread Authors Challenge Completed

This challenge, conceived of by Pour of Tor from Sycorax Pine, introduced me to 6 new-to-me authors.

1. Wendy Staub - Lily Dale: Awakening
2. Patricia McKillip - The Book of Atrix Wolfe
3. John Husband - Maggie Again
4. Bernice Morgan - Random Passage
5. Susanna Clarke - Jonathan Strange and Dr Norrell
6. Brad Kessler - Birds in Fall

I liked everything that I read and look forward to reading more from these authors. I hope Susanna Clarke's next work is a lot shorter, however.

The Book of Atrix Wolfe

by Patricia A. McKillip

A very powerful mage, Atrix Wolfe, finds himself in the middle of a battle that may cost his own kingdom dearly. In the moment and in a bit of a panic, Atrix conjures a terrible entity that causes immediate bloodshed and haunts him as well as individuals in 3 different, consecutive worlds for the next 20 years.

The unlikely hero is a a boy prince who is sent off to a foreign kingdom to learn sorcery to help protect his own kingdom. Talis discovers a book written by Atrix Wolfe, the great mage that hasn't been seen in over 20 years. In trying out some of the magic in the book, Talis unwittingly draws Atrix out of hiding, but it also awakens the powerful and dreadful monster Atrix created. Together Talis and Atrix must destroy the evil.

A parallel and connected storyline involves a Wood Queen whom Talis has fallen in love with and a young girl who is the pot scrubber in Tallis' castle's kitchen.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fantasy and thought it was beautifully written, almost poetic and very descriptive and imaginative. I often had to go back and reread, but in so doing, the pictures formed in my mind were movie quality. I look forward to reading more by this award-winning author.

"Atrix shook his head, wordless again. "There seemed no words," he said finally, "for what I had done. Words were too small..." When trying to ask forgiveness, or give unmeasured thanks, or express deep love words can be too small.

I loved all of Chapter Seven when Saro, the kitchen pot-scrubber, was trying to learn words. She could hear but didn't speak and she needed to find the words to warn Talis. She listened to those working around her, she listened to the sounds of the fire and the wood being burned. "But nothing she ever heard resembled the vision she had seen in the pot. Nor did the human language, scattered constantly throughout the kitchen, suggest the death of the prince."

Random Passage

by Bernice Morgan

Random Passage is the story of 2 families from very different backgrounds who come to settle on Cape Random, Newfoundland in the early 1800s. Living on the cape when the families arrive is Thomas Hutchings who came to Newfoundland the year before to escape his past in Europe.

Spanning 15 years in the lives of this small community, this is a story of survival, relationships, personalities, unspoken memories and unspoken love. The focus is on Lavinia Andrews who was 17-years-old when her family left England because of legal problems involving her brother.

Thomas Hutchings is person of intrigue. Happily, the last few chapters of the book tell his story. I was a bit worried that I would never learn his story.

I liked this book a lot and think it provided an honest look at life on the shore of Newfoundland in that time period. I was struck with the isolation and dependence on each other for life. I am kicking myself that I didn't buy Morgan's sequel, Waiting for Time, from the ferry's book store on our ride to or back from Newfoundland. I had Random Passage on my bookshelf at home, but didn't want to buy the next book until I knew I liked the first.

M and I did drive out to see the sight created for the TV mini-series (We did a LOT of driving while in Newfoundland - loved it!) Anyway the spot is very remote even with the help of paved roads. It was very beautiful in the summer, but I can't even imagine living there in the winter. in the conditions they had.

Lavinia's thoughts/feelings after her first winter. "Despite all, things break, crumble, rust, disintegrate, fade, lose their shine, until it seems to Lavinia that life itself has turned grey. She longs to see colour, to smell green, to taste green, is in a rage of impatience for spring."

Thomas and Ned became best friends even though they were so different. This is something Thomas thought about Ned, "His mind was amazing. Ned could encompass a new thought, grasp it, examine it, twist and turn it and hold it up to the light until you saw what a wonderful shining thing it was."

I like this decription of Mary. I think it may be a local colloquialism." Mary is not a subtle woman, and her anger is frightening, but when she hwas achieved what she wants, she reverts to silence and good sense. As Meg has often said, Mary has no side doors."

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell

by Susanna Clarke

Whew! Finished at last. Seems like I spent months on this book but it was really only 3 weeks. I read several other books at the same time because I would get a bit tired of JS&MN and needed other outlets.

I enjoyed the basic story involving the two magicians, the unnamed slave, the gentleman with the silvery hair and the two enchanted women. Much of the groundwork held my interest, but there was just too much. I think the book would have been totally wonderful if some of it had been left out.

I came to a vivid realization that England has a wonderful history steeped in magic. We don't have that in the young country of America. One review I read on JS&MN talked about the mythological references. I probably missed most of that because I don't have a good background in myths. Because of this book, I have an increased interest and that's a good thing.

I appreciated the history and enjoyed this reference to the London servants making fun of some imported servants brought in from Northern England. "...the used words like goosegogs, narrow-grass, betty-cat and battle-twigs, when they should have said gooseberries, asparagus, she-cat and earwigs."

At one point Strange gave Norrell a list of books he wanted to borrow from Norrell's library. "It was not a list to delight Mr Norrell's soul. It was full of first thoughts crossed-out, second thoughts crossed-out and third thoughts put in at angles and made to wriggle around other words that were in the way."

And this commentary on arguments between a married couple.
In the end is it not futile to try and follow the course of a quarrel between husband and wife? Such a conversation is sure to meander more than any other. It draws in tributary arguments and grievances from years before - all quite incomprehensible to any but the two people they concern most nearly. Neither party is ever proved right or wrong in such a case, or, if they are, what does it signify?"

Maggie Again

by John D. Husband

I was into this story within the first few pages. I connected with the main character, I was intrigued with the premise of the book and I loved the idyllic setting of Cobblers Eddy, Indiana in 1926. Life is good for Maggie and her friends until she learns of her dad's plan to move.

When her father gets the chance to live his dreams Maggie's family moves to Upper East Side of New York City. Maggie is supportive of her father's dream and unselfishly helps those dreams come true, but once in New York, Maggie and her mother are not happy with their new lifestyle. Maggie writes a letter to her young sweetheart, Tom, to bring Alfie and Gordie and come visit her. They hop a ride in a boxcar of a train. And that's when things go awry.

I really enjoyed this unique time-travel story. I'd love it if the author wrote a sequel that continued the story of Maggie and Tom and their friends. To add to the story experience there's a website all about the author, the book, and further info about Maggie.

Somewhere I learned after finishing a book to go back and reread the quote at the front of the book. This one was a real kicker: "If youth but knew and age but could. --Henri Estienne, 1594" Imagine if you had all the knowledge and experience of a 74-yr-old woman in a 16-yr-old body. That is a reality for Maggie/Margaret. What will she do with it?

Unread Authors Challenge

I was on vacation when Sycorax Pine announced her Unread Authors Challenge. It runs from September 2007 through February 2008. The Challenge is to read 6 books by authors you have never read before. There are so many books on my shelves by authors I haven't read yet, so I should be able to do this and read some of the books glaring at me. I've decided to read books by 6 different authors.

1. Lily Dale: Awakening by Wendy Corsi Staub
2. Book of Atrix Wolfe by Patricia McKillip
3. Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett
4. Random PassageBy Bernice Morgan
5. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Morrell by Susanna Clarke
6. Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston

To find out what others are reading check out the blog Sycorax Pine made just for this blog. It's called Unread Authors.