The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno

Title: The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno by Ellen Bryson

Genre: Fiction, Historical

Rating: 3/5

Bartholomew Fortuno is the world's thinnest man. After working for P.T. Barnum's American Museum as a human curiosity for nearly a decade, he's content with his life. That is until a new performer arrives shrouded in secrecy, provoking Fortuno's curiosity and enthralling both him and Barnum.

Ellen Bryson's The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno is an intriguing look at P.T. Barnum's famous museum and the human curiosities that he surrounded himself with throughout much of his life. Before reading it, I'd known that "gifted" individuals toured with circuses but had no idea that Barnum and Bailey's circus had been preceded by a museum of these curiosities.

The protagonist, Fortuno, is an interesting character. He takes great pride in his thinness and doesn't know who he is beyond his gift. He holds great disdain for those who don't come by their talents naturally and is obsessed with the new performer, Iell Adams, a bearded lady who actually looks feminine. As the story progresses, he begins to understand that his fellow performers are more than the impressions he'd conceived based on their gifts and performances and that there's more to his own gift than he realizes.

Bryson did a fantastic job with the setting. She avoids overly long descriptive sections and instead weaves bits and pieces of historical information in to provide authenticity to the story; Abraham Lincoln's assassination and funeral, the ringing of the bells of St Paul's chapel, the smell of the over-flowing sewage system and the horse trolleys on the street.

Unfortunately, I found that the book dragged a bit in the middle. There were a few times when I was tempted to skim through sections, though I resisted the urge. However, the revelations that concluded the book more than make up for the duller sections.

The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno is a good book and while I don't think it's a book for everyone, it's one I'd recommend to those interested in historical fiction or those looking to be intrigued.

Thanks to Henry Holt and Company for the Advanced Reader's Edition of The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno. A positive review was not a requirement and the views expressed above are my own. For more information on The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno, check out the Macmillan website.

Heat Wave

Title: Heat Wave by Richard Castle
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 4/5

During a heat wave in New York City, a real estate tycoon plunges to his death and embroils Homicide Detective Nikki Heat in the secret lives of the wealthy. Unfortunately, she's hindered by a wise-cracking superstar magazine journalist assigned to ride along with her to research an article New York's finest.

Heat Wave is a must-read for any fan of ABC's Castle. In a lot of ways, Heat Wave feels just like another episode of the show with its attractive and brilliant female lead detective, the two humourous male detectives who make up her team and the wise-cracking writer. And as a fan of the show, I'm not saying that's a bad thing but I'd like to imagine that "Richard Castle" would be a little more creative with his work. Also, I think it might create a problem with readers unfamiliar with the show, as there's little character development or even description. However, it has a lot of the humour of the show and a rather interesting murder investigation. And publishing the fictional book talked about throughout the first season of Castle was a brilliant publicity move on ABC's part. There's even endorsements from writers James Patterson and Stephen J. Cannell, Nathan Fillion's "author" photo on the back cover and an acknowledgments section from "Richard Castle."

Heat Wave is a great, quick read and I definitely suggest checking it out. I know I'll be reading the sequel, Naked Heat, which is out this fall.

Campus Chills

Title: Campus Chills edited by Mark Leslie
Genre: Fiction, Horror, Thriller, Short Stories
Rating: 4/5

From the back of the book: "Thirteen original tales of terror set on campuses across Canada..."

I really enjoyed Campus Chills. There's a good variety of stories throughout, from the utterly gruesome to the ones that make you wonder "what if." From your typical ghost story to the monstrosities that may be possible through science. My favourite stories in the collection were "The Forever Brotherhood" by Julie E. Czerneda, "Sara" by Nancy Kilpatrick, "Sown" by Susan Moloney and "Old Spice Love Knot" by Steve Vernon.

"Prospero's Ghost" by Kimberly Foottit and Mark Leslie was also really interesting with its use of metafiction. It's a story that involves books printed on an Espresso Book Machine at McMaster University and the Campus Chills collection was created for the Espresso Book Machine and launched at McMaster University, as well as three other bookstores in Canada with EBMs.

Overall, I'd recommend Campus Chills to anyone interested in Canadian works or horror stories. And don't be frightened by its Print on Demand status, it's actually of rather good quality.