Lesley ChoyceRezensionen

2.5 stars. I wasn't crazy about it but husband really liked it.

3.5 stars. These poems reminded me of the poetry of Charles Bruce, dealing as they do with place and time and the Nova Scotia coast. Here is a sample:

The peace of this inner beach
and a pond filled with a ballet of rockweed
is a short reprieve
from the pace of measured life.
I collect this speck of time
like a dark, polished grain of sand
and stash it in my head
to see how long it takes
to leak back out
and leave me anchored again
on a stoney beach
of another tense tomorrow.

3.5 stars. Enjoyed some poems more than others, as one does, but generally they were clear and relatable, with some humour and many moments of recognition. (Read online on the author's website.)

This is a book I enjoyed more on second reading. Both times I sank into Choyce's excellent writing, but this time I appreciated the later parts of the book and the ending more, I think because the first time I was mostly interested in the plot. He writes of deep things in a very approachable and clear way, or as clear as such things can be.

Part memoir, part nature appreciation, part almost stream of consciousness mulling over of whatever presents itself in the moment. I'm enjoying this slowly as bedside reading. Had just read the part where the author was walking the streets of Halifax for details for another book & bingo, at Word on the Street there he was reading from that other book. Had a nice chat with him after.

Adversity

I always go into reading multiple author story collections with only moderate hopes for the quality and for the interest I will have in each story. So I was surprised and very pleased to enjoy every single one of these, most of which are by authors I haven’t read before, though I have heard of them. I have to confess that I do have a story in here myself, but I am not including it in my rating because that would seem a bit, well, prejudiced.

Lesley Choyce has done a great job with this selection. So glad to have this one on my shelf.

School pisses Colin off; so do his teachers who view him as a troublemaker. But what really pisses him off are the bullies who get away with it because no one wants to break the code of silence that the bullies rely on. When Colin interrupts Liam and Craig picking on an old man during lunch break, the vice principal catches the tail end where the old man yells at Colin and he gets in trouble for it. He also winds up on Liam and Craig’s hit list and a photoshopped, nude photo of Colin winds up on GoofFace. Colin could handle that because the body wasn’t even his and anyone would see that. But when pictures of his female friends begin appearing and Emily, a fellow outcast, tells him that she thinks Liam and Craig did it to retaliate for the girls turning them down, Colin feels he has to do something about it and considers defying the unwritten social rules of no snitching. The unwritten code is so pervasive in the school that even the vice principal accuses him of ratting when he comes to tell him what is happening. This book for reluctant readers provides a realistic portrayal of timely topics including cyberbullying, sexual harassment, and school violence.

Lesley Choyce has been a mainstay on the Atlantic Canadian literary scene for decades. The author of 100 books, he has written and published in every genre imaginable. He has won and been shortlisted for numerous regional and national literary awards, operates a publishing house, held teaching positions at Dalhousie University and other institutions, and worked as a television presenter. He is an environmentalist, a humanitarian, a surfer, a husband and father, and a tireless advocate for Atlantic Canadian writing and writers. Though a Canadian citizen since 1983, he is American born, having emigrated to Canada in his late twenties and adopted Nova Scotia as his home. These details are relevant when considering Saltwater Chronicles: Notes on Everything Under the Nova Scotia Sun, which collects newspaper columns he wrote over the period from 2014-2017. Lesley Choyce candidly and unapologetically mines his own life experience for material, and the stories he tells in these pieces are, without exception, entertaining, instructive, poignant and filled with wry observations and self-deprecating humour. Family life, home improvement, government incompetence, surfing, chopping wood, drilling wells, struggles with illness and physical decline, are all up for discussion. The word “chronicles” from the book’s title hints at a preoccupation with the passage of time, and a theme that he returns to again and again is aging. A New Jersey native, born in 1951, Lesley arrived in Nova Scotia in 1978: an educated, inquisitive, idealistic young man with long hair and few possessions looking to escape the clamorous pressure-cooker of life in urban USA. Those days might be long gone, but Lesley retains that idealism, that love of and respect for nature, and the wide-eyed faith in the essential goodness of humanity that spurred him on his quest more than 40 years ago and sustained him through good times and bad. In Saltwater Chronicles he talks freely about the past but does so without regret. For sure, some of the articles strike a nostalgic note, but Lesley is accepting: he does not obsess over lost opportunities and he never complains about getting old. The most vivid and deeply affecting writing in the book concerns family: the death of his father, his wife’s bout with cancer. These episodes provide glimpses into the man’s heart and soul, and what we see is someone who is generous, loving and kind, and whose greatest wish is to leave the world a better place. We are fortunate and should be thankful that in 1978 Lesley Choyce chose to make Nova Scotia his home. Everyone who knows him, or been influenced by or learned from him, would agree that his abiding good humour, optimism and compassion have made Nova Scotia a better place to live, work and write.

// Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review //

"We'll live our lives minute by minute, make up our own set of rules or decide we don't want any rules at all.


Trevor Sara =
The theme of this book was just amazing.

This book was definitely heartfelt and the consistency of the book was great. I enjoyed the writing style very much and I did not get bored anywhere in the story, which was great. This book was really thought of down to the last details and I don't think I would have changed anything with the plot. It's just good as it is.

The characters were written with depth and for a book that talks about topics that are not usually talked about in contemporary books, it was not corny, nor boring, nor was it something that I found insulting. It had a great representation on the topic in my opinion.


This book talks about living life to the fullest even with the little time you have, and sometimes, it's better to have someone on your side along the way who understand you. And to keep you company.

Every person needs their own person I guess.

I really enjoyed this story of a couple (Charles and Ramona) who meet in middle age and forge a relationship. Not an easy thing to do because each comes encumbered with people and issues from their past. But they are determined to make it work. I found the premise of how Charles and Ramona met a bit unrealistic...and they seemed to fall in love awfully fast....but that didn't bother me too much because the characters are so well drawn and the story is well told. Great settings, real people. This is my second book by Mr. Choyce and it won't be my last.½

This concept sounded really cool.
And if the setting had been a little different I would have given it three stars even if the story was the exact same. I didn't like how it seemed to be set in a totally different universe that until 1995ish was exactly the same as ours and then they went nuts. It was written in 2006 and set in 2014. Some things were super changed and other things were exactly how it was in the time it was written.
The characters are classic teen (kissing and one other characteristic).

This is the story of an 80-year-old widower who has a quick wit and, often, a sharp tongue. He still makes breakfast and talks with his wife who has been dead for 30 years. He worries he might be "losing it" when he mistakes a mailbox for a hitchhiker. What's left, really for him?

Well, enter Emily, a pregnant teenager with nowhere to go. Through Emily, our protagonist re-connects with estranged family members and the broader community. The book is often funny and the characters are so real. This is a story that shows that when you are down on your luck, someone will help you in unexpected ways....someone who is often a stranger.½

I knew I’d like this novel from its title. I just had to play my Stan Rogers CDs as I read.

Charles Howard, 55, has lost virtually everything, including his job and savings, and is basically destitute with no prospects. One foggy morning in Halifax, he meets Ramona Danforth, a retired actress with a generous trust fund. They end up taking a drive to Stewart Harbour on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore, a fishing village to which Charles has not returned since his high school graduation. During this visit, Charles makes discoveries which complicate his life.

In many ways this is a love story between two middle-aged people. Such a romance is inevitably more complex than a relationship between young people because each partner comes with baggage. What is not always clear is why Charles and Ramona continue to stay together when very serious complications arise. From the beginning they choose to stay and support each other. Charles, for instance, has always had commitment issues: “It fit the story of my life. Get involved. Make a commitment. Then walk away.” Ramona has also had difficulty committing to another: “’Like I said, over and over, I would get close to someone and then suddenly just walk away. It would always be that easy for me.’” We are to believe that these people fall in love immediately and, despite their previous unwillingness to commit to another, they are now commit to the other even when very serious complications arise?

There are some sections of the novel that are humourous. Rolf, who lives in a fishing shack next to the one Charles has inherited from his father, is the source of much of the humour. The snappy banter between Charles and Ramona when they first meet also adds a light-hearted tone.

I like books where the protagonist is dynamic. That is definitely the case with Charles. He sees himself as a “work in progress, a project undergoing repair.” He learns about himself: “I had cultivated a powerful ability to shut off my emotions. A handy trick, I suppose, but I wondered now at what cost.” He also realizes that “there was no such thing as a life without consequences. Every little thing – or big thing – you do in life sends out ripples in the pond that keep getting wider and wider.” Ramona is also dynamic; she learns to forgive.

For me, the setting of the novel is part of its charm. I’ve visited Nova Scotia several times and it remains one of my favourite places in Canada. It is obvious that the author is very familiar with the province. His descriptions left me tasting the salt of the Atlantic.

The novel is very easy to read because of the writing style. Though the book touches on some serious topics, it never bogs down. Some events just seem inevitable; Brody’s story, for example, ends in the only way it could.

I’ve learned that Lesley Choyce has written over 90 books. Why have I not read him before? I will certainly be checking out some of his other fiction.

Note: I received a digital galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).½

Faced with a year to live due to Huntington’s Disease, 16-year-old Trevor meets elderly Plank- who becomes a sort of mentor for him. The Plank's Law in the titles refers to a personal philosophy to stop trying to figure everything out and just live life. While I liked the premise, Trevor, and Plank- I did feel like a lot of the plot was rushed (the book is under 200 pages- it could easily have been longer). I would have liked to see things fleshed out a bit more... especially the slightly weird insta-love.

I feel like the ending for this book was rushed, and that given the seriousness of Trevor's disease, it could have had a lengthier plot.
Having said that, I did like Plank, and I really liked it when he told Trevor, "Don't think I'm gonna start unloading a whole lot of philosophical bullshit on you or anything. Movies make it look like old people have some kind of accumulated wisdom. None of that is true. We're as confused and uncertain as young mugs like you. We've just been around long enough to know when to walk around a big pile of dog shit rather than into it."

I must admit that I was first drawn to this title because I’m a physicist and I inadvertently read the title as Planck’s Law, the law of physics involving blackbody radiation. I was curious to see how somebody could make fiction out of this physics principle. Of course, the title is actually Plank’s Law, and has nothing to do with physics. I didn’t realize this until I was reading the plot blurb about the book. When I realized my mistake, I was momentarily annoyed that someone would try to trick physicists in this manner. Until it occurred to me that the ‘fiction for physicists’ market would be so infinitesimal that the author would have to be nuts to seek it out on purpose. By this time, I’d read the blurb and was interested anyway.

The book concerns a teenager, Trevor, dealing with a fatal Huntington’s diagnosis. Given that this is a YA book, this is pretty heavy subject matter. The novel opens with Trevor on the edge of a cliff, beginning to at least imagine what suicide would be like, and if it might be a better option for everyone. This is when Plank shows up, a quirky 93-year-old with a snarky manner that interests Trevor and distracts him from his morbid thoughts. They begin a friend/mentor relationship that advises Trevor throughout the book. Plank’s Law turns out to be a personal philosophy to “stop trying to make sense of things and bloody well live your life.”

Key characters as the story develops are contemporaries Sara and Antonio. Antonio is a reckless best friend who disappears from the story, much to Trevor’s dismay, because of a move far away. Sara is a cancer patient with an easy beauty, both inside and out, who embraces Plank’s Law with Trevor as they deal with their diseases together. She eventually helps Trevor get back in contact with Antonio. The way these relationships develop is engaging and convincing and drew me along through three-quarters of the novel. Near the end, things seem rushed and less convincing. I found myself feeling unsatisfied by the end, probably because I expected a better wrap-up after such an artful build-up. Nevertheless, this is a worthwhile novel dealing with very serious subjects.

Part memoir, part nature appreciation, part almost stream of consciousness mulling over of whatever presents itself in the moment. I'm enjoying this slowly as bedside reading. Had just read the part where the author was walking the streets of Halifax for details for another book & bingo, at Word on the Street there he was reading from that other book. Had a nice chat with him after.

3.5 stars. These poems reminded me of the poetry of Charles Bruce, dealing as they do with place and time and the Nova Scotia coast. Here is a sample:

The peace of this inner beach
and a pond filled with a ballet of rockweed
is a short reprieve
from the pace of measured life.
I collect this speck of time
like a dark, polished grain of sand
and stash it in my head
to see how long it takes
to leak back out
and leave me anchored again
on a stoney beach
of another tense tomorrow.

My favourite Lesley Choyce novel, this book has it all: humour, deep thoughts, quirky characters, wonderful writing.

This is a book I enjoyed more on second reading. Both times I sank into Choyce's excellent writing, but this time I appreciated the later parts of the book and the ending more, I think because the first time I was mostly interested in the plot. He writes of deep things in a very approachable and clear way, or as clear as such things can be.

3.5 stars. Enjoyed some poems more than others, as one does, but generally they were clear and relatable, with some humour and many moments of recognition. (Read online on the author's website.)

This is a book about 16 year old Trevor who has been given one year to live and after meeting a man named Plank decides to revamp his bucket list. This was a very heartfelt story and a quick read. That being said it left me wanting me in the length department.

The full review for Plank's Law can be found on my blog: https://jessysbookadventure.wordpress.com/2017/07/10/review-planks-law-by-lesley...

I had a lot of issues with this book, the first being that this story doesn't have the character or plot development I deem necessary to be considered a "novel". At just 179 pages, I could pass on picking this up again.

Trevor is one amazing character. He is a 16-year-old guy with an incurable disease and recently was told by his doctors that he has approximately one year to live. By chance he meets and befriends an old man who gives him the advice he needs to make his life meaningful - Plank's Law - instead of trying to figure everything out, just live your life to the fullest. Trevor does and things start falling into place. This is a wonderful story about the powers of hope, family and love, as well as the importance of just living.