Lane Anderson Prize

The Globe and Mail and Quill and Quire have articles announcing the first Lane Anderson Prize for Canadian science writing. Directors Hollister Doll and Sharon Fitzhenry say,

“We want to honour the very best science writing in Canada today, both in the adult and young reading categories,” they said in a joint statement. “Each award will be determined on the relevance of its content to the importance of science in today’s world, and the author’s ability to connect the topic to the interests of the general trade reader.”

There will be two prizes of $10,000 each for both adult and youth material.

We'll look forward to seeing what books make the shortlist in August.

In the meantime, some recently published science writing for your enjoyment.

Our Days Are Numbered: How Mathematics Orders Our Lives by Jason I. Brown - "A revealing and entertaining look at the world, as viewed through mathematical eyeglasses. From the moment our feet touch the floor in the morning until our head hits the pillow, numbers are everywhere. And yet most of us go through each day unaware of the mathematics that shapes our lives. In fact, many people go through life fearing and avoiding mathematics, making choices that keep it at arm’s length or further. Even basic math — like arithmetic — can seem baffling. In Our Days Are Numbered, Jason Brown leads the reader through a typical day, on a fascinating journey. He shows us the world through a mathematician's eyes and reveals the huge role that mathematics plays in our lives. It lies hidden within the electronics we use, the banking we do, and even the leisure activities we enjoy. Whether we’re putting a down payment on a new car, reading the financial pages, or listening to our favourite songs, math is behind it all. At once entertaining and informative,Our Days Are Numbered covers an array of mathematical concepts and explores the hidden links between mathematics and everyday life. Brown reveals that a basic understanding of math can make us more creative in the way we approach the world." - catalogue

You Are Here: A Portable History of the Universe by Christopher Potter - "You Are Here is a dazzling exploration of the universe and our relationship to it, as seen through the lens of today's most cutting-edge scientific thinking. Christopher Potter brilliantly parses the meaning of what we call the universe. He tells the story of how something evolved from nothing and how something became everything. What does a material description of everything and nothing look like? What is it that science does when it describes a reality that is made out of something? In between nothing and everything is where we live." - publisher

Nasty Brutish and Short: The Quirks and Quarks Guide to Animal Sex and Other Weird Behavior by Pat Senson - "Birds do it, and bees do it, so do all animals, some of them in weird and wonderful ways. Quirks & Quarks' latest book explores the more bizarre behaviours of more than 100 creatures, from barnacles to Panda bears. The tiny spider that has to tear off one of its two huge sex organs just to be able to get around; the sea slug that produces a powerful love drug and mates with both males and females; the bedbug that stabs its penis into the female's abdomen — the range of animal sexual practices is mind-boggling. And it's not only reproduction that has them doing very strange things. There's a beetle that shoots a stream of boiling hot, toxic liquid when it's threatened; a lizard that can run on water; a shrimp that explodes its prey. And who knew that Pandas engage in pissing contests? Quirks & Quarks' latest guide is much more than a catalogue of peculiar practices, it's an engrossing look at the astonishing behaviours different animals have evolved in order to survive and reproduce." - catalogue

Grizzlyville: Adventures in Bear Country by Jake MacDonald - "Jake MacDonald had his first experience with bears when, as a 20-year-old travelling through the wilderness of British Columbia, he lay awake in his tent at night, simultaneously eager and terrified at the prospect of encountering a grizzly. Although he saw no bears on that trip, he has seen plenty since. Part memoir, part natural history, Grizzlyville is MacDonald’s fascinating meditation on North America’s largest predators and on the people who deal with them, sometimes on a daily basis. " - publisher

The Incomparable Honeybee and the Economics of Pollination by Reese Halter - "From Dr Reese Halter comes a remarkable, concise account of the honeybees that have profoundly shaped our planet for the past 110 million years. They are the most important group of flower-visiting animals, pollinating more multi-billion-dollar crops and plants than any other living group. Since prehistoric times humans and honeybees have been inextricably linked. This book is rich with interesting and humbling facts: bees can count, they can vote, and honey has potent medicinal properties, able to work as an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-fungal, antioxidant, even an antiseptic. The fate of the bees, whose numbers have been beleaguered most recently by colony collapse disorder, lies firmly in the hands of humankind. As such, it is our job to ensure their health, protect the habitats within which they live and communicate to others the vital link that human society shares with the remarkable honeybee." - publisher

Reader's Pick - The Day of the Jackal, by Frederick Forsyth

I recently asked my well read friend Roger what he thought was best written thriller of all time. Without any hesitation at all, he confidently nominated the 1971 political thriller, The Day of the Jackal, by Frederick Forsyth.

I haven't read it myself, but when I researched the title in NoveList, the book seemed a perfect fit for Roger, who loves stories awash in intricate details and complex storylines.

Here is what Booklist had to say:
"A detailed account of the meticulous plans for assassination of a political figure and the equally meticulous search for the assassin when the authorities are alerted to the fact that a very special assassination plan is underway. The political figure is DeGaulle; the time, shortly after the withdrawal of France from Algeria; the instigators, the dissident French OAS; the assassin, an Englishman, master marksman and master at change of identity; and the chief counteragent, an unassuming little police detective called in by the French security. Starting slowly, the narrative builds to breathtaking suspense." (September 15, 1971)

For a similar thrilling reading experience, consider these authors:
Jeffrey Archer
Nelson DeMille
Ken Follett
Richard North Patterson

Size Matters

After Fat Tuesday (aka Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday) I started to think about what to do for lent. I could never give up books. For me it would almost like giving up breathing. But it did get me thinking about the subject of fat. Here are some titles that may give you "food for thought". No fair snacking while reading - crumbs are not good for the books.

Wife’s Tale - Lori Lansen. I have already blogged about one of this author’s other books, "The Girls" so when I saw she had another new novel I figured I would try it out. Both novels take place in a small Ontario town of Leaford. This novel about Mary Gooch is one of self-discovery and a life long battle with weight. She is first told that she is morbidly obese (or as the child Mary thinks of it as "obeast") as a child of nine . Except for a very brief period as a teen, she remains so, with the weight sneaking on over the years This sympathetic character is lost in her own self-doubt. No matter how much or what she eats she is constantly hungry. When her husband does not return on the eve of their silver anniversary, Mary discovers strength that she did not know she possessed.

Push - Sapphire. What can be said about this story that hasn’t been said already? The movie adaptation is an Oscar nominated film and much has been written about it. For those who have been without access to entertainment media, this is the general story. An overweight, under educated, abused black teen struggles to better herself and that of her children. The book is definitely more graphic in its descriptions than the movie. In the book you literally see the progress of Precious’s education by the progression of the spelling and grammar of her journal. Although it is an emotional, disturbing read, it is has a powerful and uplifting ending. You cheer for Precious and hope her life will continue to improve.

Little Giant of Aberdeen County - Tiffany Baker. When Truly Plaice’s mother was pregnant the whole town seems to place bets on the size her baby would be. The baby was a record breaking size and her mother paid the price by dying in childbirth. Her father was totally unprepared to raise Truly and her tiny sister Serena Jane. The result of this decision sealed the fate for both these girls. Small town expectation and family history result in surprising and shocking results.

Size 12 is Not Fat - Meg Cabot. The first novel in a chick-lit mystery series is about an ex-pop star struggling with the changes in her life and size. Even though spunky Heather Wells is the average size of a American woman, she bemoans her life and her weight problems while trying to solve the mystery of an elevator-surfing death. As with all chick-lit, there is a series of misunderstandings, humour and love conquers all. Follow-up titles in this series are " Size 14 is not Fat Either" and "Big Boned". This is what I call a "popcorn" book, once you read one page you keep going but haven’t had anything of substance to maintain you once you are finished.


And for those looking for a variety from fat female fiction, here are some novels that include, or are strictly from, the male viewpoint.

Zaftig: well rounded erotica - Hanne Blank. All humans are sexual creatures, not just the skinny ones or the straight ones, but everyone regardless of their shape, size or physical strength. This collection sets out to prove this. The main focus is the sex -- not the body size/type. Even the author admits that the reader needs an open mind to read her work. Blank states" Although this book is definitely sexual, sensual and arousing, it is also challenging–not always an easy or comfortable read." I guess you will have to judge this for yourself.

What Are You Looking At? : the first fat fiction anthology. Thirty works told by and about fat people. This work will have the reader looking at the issue of weight from a different angle.

Thinner -Richard Bachman. Well known for his own weight issues, Stephen King/Richard Bachman, has brought the issue of weight loss to his scary world. The main character, Billy Halleck, is an arrogant obese lawyer who gets away with the vehicular manslaughter of a gypsy woman. Her family puts a curse on him outside the courtroom by whispering the word "thinner". Initially, Halleck is thrilled with the weight lost but comes to realize the curse is a death sentence - unless he can transfer it to someone else.

Fat White Vampire Blues - Andrew Fox. Vampires have come out of the cave (excuse the pun) and have come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. No longer are they the rich, powerful, sensuous, sexy characters that we grew to love in Anne Rice’s Lestat. You can’t help liking 400 lb Jules Duchon, whose self-esteem issues, laziness and overeating are very much human qualities. Jules has lived all his life and his death in New Orleans. Times are changing and Jules is having difficulties dealing with the change. A major problem comes in the form of the black vampire Malice X, who warns Jules to stick to drinking white victims blood. This is a problems for Jules, white victims are harder to catch and the police tend to notice more when they go missing. What follows is a humorous set of misadventures which Fox follows up in his second novel, "Bride of the Fat White Vampire"

So when you go looking for a "weighty" book, what would you select?

by guest blogger Rosemary

Staff Picks - Nasty: my family and other glamorous varmints by Simon Doonan

"Nastiness is rich. Nastiness is fun. Who needs all that boring, cliche Hallmark stuff when you've got flying dentures? Nastiness has texture. Nastiness has the power to transform. Describing and embracing my nasty memories, as opposed to camouflaging them with baby's breath and doilies, has helped me integrate my past with my present and made me a more jolly and contented individual. I thoroughly recommend it."

Nasty: my family and other glamorous varmints by Simon Doonan
recounts the story of growing up in the eccentric Doonan family in working class England in the 1950's and 1960's. Now the Creative Director of Barney's New York, Doonan spent his formative years in the company of a family of loving eccentrics. Mother Betty was fabulous and glamorous with a relentlessly bleached, gravity defying hairdo. Father Terry was the purveyor of Chateau Doonan - his homemade parsnip wine. The Doonan household was populated by a variety of kooky relatives and lodgers. Of especial influence were his schizophrenic grandmother and uncle who brought colour to his life in addition to a live-long fear for his own mental health. Growing up gay in working class England at that period of time was no piece of cake. He surrounded himself with like-minded people, such as Biddie, who went on to a successful career as a drag queen. Doonan and Biddie went in search of the Beautiful People but ultimately found the beauty in the friends and misfits they gathered round.

Doonan's memoir is light, funny and somewhat chaotic. Augusten Burrough's Running With Scissors, although darker, also comes to mind. "RUNNING WITH SCISSORS is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. So at the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctor's bizarre family, and befriending a pedophile who resided in the backyard shed. The story of an outlaw childhood where rules were unheard of, and the Christmas tree stayed up all year-round, where Valium was consumed like candy, and if things got dull, an electroshock therapy machine could provide entertainment. The funny, harrowing, and bestselling account of an ordinary boy's survival under the most extraordinary circumstances..." - catalogue

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris is another memoir of growing up amongst eccentrics. "David Sedaris returns to his deliriously twisted domain, hilarious childhood dramas infused with melancholy; the gulf of misunderstanding that exists between people of different nations or members of the same and the poignant divide between one's best hopes and most common deeds." - catalogue

In the world of fiction there is Roddy Doyle's The Van which is part of the Barrytown Trilogy. Another unconventional Irish family, the Rabbitte family story began with the acclaimed Commitments. "Set in the heady days of Ireland's brief, euphoric triumphs in the 1990 World Cup, The Van follows Jimmy and Bimbo as they haul their mobile food outlet through north Dublin, selling"grub" to the drunk and the hungry, and keeping just a step ahead of the environmental health officers. It is a hilarious and tender tale of male friendship and of family life." - dust jacket.

Salty Ink's Judge a Book By It's Cover

Salty Ink is a web site authored by Newfoundland writer Chad Pelley with the mandate to highlight Atlantic Canadian literary fiction and poetry. Salty Ink has held what I believe to be its first Judge a Book By It's Cover competition. Twenty titles were selected and votes were counted. The 2009 winner is:

Migration Songs by Anna Quon

From Salty Ink:

"As much as I love good book design, we all know you can’t really judge a book by its cover. I thought it was a clever competition title and a fun way to showcase some books, but I’m glad, after a thousand votes, that Migration Songs won this competition, because as the cover suggests: this book is something different, and something good. It’s clear in the opening lines that Anna is an impressive writer, and her debut shows great promise. There is wit, humour, sadness, sincerity, compassion, and humanity in these pages. Most impressively, there is a true originality in her descriptions, they are fresh, informative, and distinctive; there is nothing dull about how she portrays things, and she provides handfuls of laugh-out-loud passages."

The competition examines how well the design elements of the book cover tie into the meaning of the story and the reading experience.

I have thoroughly enjoyed browsing this site and have added it to my personal list of favourites.

See here for the full list of titles considered in the competition.

Life after Twilight: What do I read now?

The Twilight series... We’ve read the books, we go to the movies out of loyalty (and, okay, maybe we do enjoy them a tad) but…what was it about the Twilight series that really attracted us?

As an adult reading the series, I am likely attracted to different aspects of the book than younger adults or teens. But as an adult, what was it that I enjoyed so much, and wouldn’t mind experiencing again?

I’ve broken down what I think the appeal of these books were for me. They may be very different from what attracted you – but that’s the amazing thing about books. We can each read the same thing, and yet notice or feel completely different things!

Innocence: It was nice to recapture that feeling of young love, when everything is new, confusing, intense and dramatic. I don’t want to relive my youth, but it really captured the teen angst and confusion that we all go through.

Suspense: What’s going to happen next? In each book, I couldn’t wait to turn the page, because you never knew what was coming. Sometimes, I’d read and my stomach would just drop, like the moment Edward broke up with Bella; she laid down in the woods and then…we turned the page and saw the months move by, months of nothing. Throughout the books, I really couldn’t wait to get to the end to see what would happen! And, while there were parts that dragged a bit, the fast-paced dialogue, which included clever quips that made you laugh, kept these lengthy books from becoming boring.

Characters: I don’t like a book with multiple main characters. I really enjoy when a story brings you into the world of one or two characters and the relationship they have is intense and tangible (love, hate, friendship).

Description: While description has its place, I don’t like to read on and on about it. Short and sweet is my motto. I tend to skim read over descriptive passages, getting just enough detail to let my imagination take over, but I like to move on to the dialogue, characters’ thoughts and events.

For those of you who have read the Twilight series, you can probably add many more thoughts or factors that contributed to your enjoyment of the books! You may find you don’t even agree with what I experienced while reading the series.

But, based on my reading experience and the elements that attracted me, I’m suggesting three more books that I’ve found provided a similar reading experience.


Spirit Lost by Nancy Thayer

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Books into Film - upcoming ones to watch for

With Maureen's post yesterday on Dennis Lehane's Shutter Island and its current film version, it got me thinking that it's time once again to look to a few upcoming film releases that are based on books.

Beyond Shutter Island, the big one everyone is talking about these days is the Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. The stills from the production, as well as the trailer, make this film look like the adventure it ought to be. It makes me want to revisit the Lewis Carroll stories that inspire the film as well - which I read numerous times as a child. Rosemary blogged about this interpretation of the Alice stories back in January, and offered some other Alice related reads for fans. Alice is Wonderland it already getting tonnes of talk, so lets turn our attention to some films based on books that might be getting slightly less attention, but whose release dates are fast approaching.

Green Zone has a March 12th release date - and with Matt Damon in its starring role, it's sure to get a lot of attention. It's based on the nonfiction title Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone by American journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran. The book is an account of Chandrasekaran's time observing the workings of the American Coalition Provisional Authority set up in Baghdad following the American liberation of Iraq, and was received as a scathing indictment of misguided American policy in an occupied country. The film is being billed as a thriller in a one-man-versus-the-establishment vein. Can't help but feel like this one is taking a broad interpretation of adaptation but a read of the book might make for interesting comparison to the film.

I often wonder if the late Steig Larsson could have imagined the popularity that his crime thriller Girl with the Dragon Tattoo would achieve. The three books in the series have all become bestsellers, the third installment is due out in May in the US and Canada, but fans have reportedly been ordering the already released UK edition in droves. In the first book, a journalist and a young (tattooed) computer hacker investigate the decades old disappearance and assumed murder of a member of a powerful business family. The Swedish adaptation of the film Män som hatar kvinnor (which translates to the ever more menacing "Men Who Hate Women ") is being given a limited release in the US starting March 18th. Reviews of the film - which was released in Europe back in 2009 - have been positive. Fingers crossed that we'll have a chance to see it in theaters here - Canadian film company Alliance have reportedly picked the film up but there is also talk of an American remake being in the works.

One author who is well aware of the popularity of his writings has to be American novelist Nicholas Sparks. The Last Song is Sparks' latest to be adapted to a big screen film. The story of a teenage girl coping with the divorce of her parents, and a summer spent living with her father in a quiet town on a island in Georgia. The film stars Miley Cyrus as the 17 year old daughter and is sure to gain even more fans for an author already well known for his emotional stories of love and loss. Other adaptations of Sparks' novels include Dear John - which itself was just released - and The Notebook. Sparks is the author of more than 15 titles.



Comics fans may be pleased with the April 23 release of The Losers, based on the comic book series by Andy Diggle. It's the story of the disgruntled members of a CIA Special Forces unit. The CIA tried to have them killed, but they survived and now they're looking for revenge.


And with the Oscars coming up this weekend - it seems only worth reminding that 4 of the 10 best picture nominees are based on print publications. If you haven't had time to see the film you might want to check out the original books of The Blind Side, An Education, Precious (based on the novel Push by Sapphire), and Up in the Air. Oh, and as an aside, there has been talk amongst fans of the Sci Fi author Poul Anderson about the similarity in the plot of an old story of his - Call Me Joe - and the James Cameron Oscar nominated box office smash Avatar. Whenever something is as popular as Avatar has been, it seems inevitable that people will make such claims. If you want to investigate the story for yourself, it can be found in the library in a book called Masterpieces: the best science fiction of the century.