REVIEW for Camp Nurse

http://www.booklounge.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780771079849

A Great big thank you to Jesse at Random House for sending out this book for review!!!!

TITLE: Camp Nurse

AUTHOR: Tilda Shalof

GENRE: Memoir

RATING; 3 Stars

I have to admit right now that I am a city girl. I have never been to summer camp because basically, in my youth, I tried very hard to stay away from the woods, crummy bathrooms and snakes. While I now enjoy the woods, I still have an aversion to crummy bathrooms and snakes!

So, I was immediately drawn to Camp Nurse. Here was an adult woman, deliberately choosing to spend her summer at a camp as its nurse. Author Tilda Shalof explains early on in her story that she always had a vision of what summer camp was and that she wanted to get the opportunity of living her "dream" and at the same time, give her boys the opportunity of enjoying summer camp with her nearby to watch them.

Shalof's first choice of "summer camp" was questionnable at best. Although they billed themselves as "the socially responsible camp", this, according to Shalof, translated more into a camp run by teenagers who like to party, with crumbling buildings and very little "social" responsibility. There is actually a quite disgusting story about tainted meat that still leaves me a little green.

This book was two-sided for me. It does deliver what it promises - Shalof describes many of her experiences and exploits while being camp nurse at this camp as well as others in her summer career as a camp nurse and these were at the same time, fun, disgusting and interesting to read about.

I think what was missing for me, was the warmth and a more in-depth look at the situations that Shalof was experiencing, living and seeing. For example, in the first part of the book, she constantly tells us how much she wants to leave and how unhappy she is, but does not really get into any emotion or detail about it. What makes it ever harder for me is that she will tell us she is unhappy in one sentence then immediately move on to a situation that she has to deal with two days later. The time line was a little off for me, but more importantly, I was missing something in this read.

Still, if you want to read about summer camp, this is definitely a great book to pick up.

THIS IS DEFINITELY AWARD WEEK

I have had such a great AWARD WEEK.

I just received this award from my friend Cindy at

http://cindysloveofbooks.blogspot.com/

Cindy is a fellow Montrealer and book blogger and we have gotten the chance to actually meet and talk about (what else?!!!!) books quite a few times.

I have always felt that reading has been a gift that was preciously given to me. Throughout my life, my love of reading and books has saved me on so many occasions! but it has also given so many gifts - one of them making new friends along the way.

So, to Cindy, Avis, Donna and ALL my blogger friends....thank you!

I WON ANOTHER AWARD

This has been a great week for awards for me!!!

Thank you to



www.Bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com for awarding me this great award!!!!!





Here is the description of the award:

This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award.

I WON AN AWARD!!!

A huge thank you goes out to:


http://booksforteensreviews.blogspot.com/

for nominating me for this award. I am flattered and grateful!!!!

REVIEW for Rain

A huge, huge thank you goes out to Wiley & Sons for sending me this great little book. www.wiley.com

TITLE: Rain

AUTHOR: Jeffrey J. Fox

GENRE: Business

RATING: 4 Stars

Rain, written by Jeffrey J. Fox is an interesting book taking a twist on a memoir and business. Rain is the story of a paperboy, who, at a young age, decides to take on the responsibility of distributing the paper - and in the course of his getting up every morning and making sure he meets his commitments, he learns a variety of business lessons, ethics and beliefs that mold his teenager years as well as his working years as an adult.

What I liked about the book was the straightforward way in which Fox created Rain. Rain discovers the joys of making his own money, of getting business acumen and getting a leg up on business in general. There are no complicated business terms here and the storyline is fun and engaging.

The only thing that was a tad annoying was the fact that Fox kept referring to Rain in the third person and calling "Rain" every two seconds - but other than that, this book was a lot of fun to read.

Fox should be commended on making a boring subject, actually a fun read.

REVIEW for Tallulahland

A big thank you goes out to Adam at Harlequin for sending me this great chick lit book!

http://www.eharlequin.com/

TITLE: Tallulahland

AUTHOR: Lynn Messina

GENRE: Chick Lit

RATING; 4 Stars

For some reason, Tallulahland from author Lynn Messina somehow slipped by me. I mean, horror ! a chick lit that I had not read.

I have read other books by Messina and I have to say that Tallulahland is one of her best. She has an intersting main character who cannot seem to find her backbone - but somehow makes peace with it - sort of. What I especially liked about this one is that it was actually laugh-out funny - which rarely happens to me!

Of course, in true chick lit fashion, some of the events and scenarios were both impossible or predictable, but no matter - this is true chick lit and it was worth the read.

Messina surrounds herself with wonderfully funny and intriguing characters and I absolutely loved this chick lit.

REVIEW for Will Marry For Food, Sex and Laundry

TITLE: Will Marry For Food, Sex and Laundry
AUTHOR: Simon Oaks
GENRE: Humour
RATING: 3 Stars

www.simonoaks.com


I just finished reading Will Marry for Food, Sex and Laundry. I have to say that I have two completely different mindsets on this book.

First off, I have to say that I like the title of this book and one of the reasons I did, indeed, read it was because I thought that this book would be a funny and silly look at a man's point of view of singlehood and marriage. IF this is the angle the author was going for, then I would have to say that this book is a success. It was silly, silly in some parts - I especially like the comparisons the author keeps making between the importance of the woman they select as their wife should able to do the same things as the mothers.

On the other hand, if this book is actually a serious look at singlehood and marriage then I have to say that this book seriously misses the mark. For one thing, it is highly sexist and extremely stereotypical. Men are cast the "the guys" and the woman are cast "as the little women".

Basically, neither sexes fares well in this book and the author manages to make everyone somehow miss the point of marriage. Which is why I believe that the author was taking a ironic look at the state of marriage.

That's my story and I am sticking with it.

REVIEW For Say the Word

A big thank you goes out to author Jeaninne Garsee for sending this book out to me!!!



TITLE: Say the Word
AUTHOR: Jeannine Garsee
GENRE: YA
Rating: 3 Stars





I love reading YA books, especially if they deal with social issues that touch our YA today. Say the Word certainly qualifies as a "must" read for any young adult who is trying to find their way, especially if they are facing difficult or "unusual" family situations.

In Say the Word, we find out main character Shauna living with her dad. She has been abandoned 10 years ago by her mother (at least this is how Shauna sees it) who left her and her father to go and live with another woman and to start a whole new family with her.

This novel touches on two extremely difficult issues for anyone to deal with, much less a young girl who is trying to figure out who she is - being abandonned and discovering that your mother is a lesbian.

Shauna has been doing a good job of putting both of these in the back of her mind - untilt he day she gets a phone call from "the other woman". Shauna's mother is dying and does not have much time. Shauna decides to see her mother and from the first meeting between the "old" family and the "new" family you can feel the tension and all of the resentment and undealt with issues - they are surfacing quickly and sadly, they are about to become more complicated.

At the death of her mom, Shauna is forced to confront the "other family" and actually has to spend some time with the woman who "ruined" their family. You can feel the pull and tug that Shauna is going through, especially since she is not getting the support from her own father that she needs at this time. It is obvious that he has not come to grips with any of this either and that he is not helping Shauna through any of this.

I felt very deeply for Shauna and her confusion. While everyone is dealing with their own feelings about the situation (not to mention a somewhat confusing legal issue), she has definitely been left on her own.

Author Garsee does a wonderful job of conveying how confused and isolated everyone involved feels. She also deals with these issues in a very sensitive and non judgmental manner and I think this author explores a very important aspect of today's "blended" families.

While I know the subject matter is basically sad and depressing, this book also, unfortunately, left me feeling that way. This book is quite dark and there is very little upside - I was hoping for a break in the clouds, but it never came.

REVIEW for Lucky Breaks

Another big thank you goes out to Simon & Schuster for sending me this book for review!

TITLE: Lucky Breaks

AUTHOR: Susan Patron

GENRE: Children's Book

RATING: 3 Stars

http://books.simonandschuster.com/Lucky-Breaks/Susan-Patron/9781416939986

I am an adult who enjoys reading YA and younger children books as I think that there is such a wonderful range of good books out there. Lucky Breaks falls somewhere in between all of this.

Unfortunately, this is the second in the series and the problem, for me, is that I had not read the first book - which basically left me playing catch up for most of the second book. The author does not do a great job of summing up book one for those of us who may not have read it, so you start reading Lucky Breaks without much of the background information.

Because of this, I believe my review is a little sided.

I did love the main character who is witty, very bright (she loves science and Darwin and even believes Darwin to be her hero) and when the book focuses on her, I loved the book. There is even one spot, towards the end, where our main character gets into a very difficult situation and this was written in a compassionate and thoughtful way.

This book is a good read for the 9 to 11 year old category I believe, but only if they are read in sequence.

REVIEW for Lords of Corruption

A big, big thank you goes out to author Kyle Mills for so kindly sending this book to me!!!

www.kylemills.com

TITLE: Lords of Corruption

AUTHOR: Kyle Mills

GENRE: Thriller

RATING: 5 Stars (and more)

I am a big fan of Kyle Mills and I am very happy to report that Lord of Corruptions is another winner!!! for this great author.

There seems to be a trend, among some of the thriller writers, to set their storylines in countries that, in my case anyway, I know very little about. This novel is almost entirely based in Africa. Indeed, we meet our main character Josh Hagarty as he applies for a position with NewAfrica. Josh is quite bright and even has an MBA, but he also has an unsavory past that makes his difficult to "employ". Yet, NewAfrica has definitely shown an interest in Josh and while this may not be the ideal job for him (he does not really want to travel and work in Africa) he does take the position because, basically, it pays extremely well and with this money, he will be able to ensure that his sister gets out of her current situation and there might even be some leftover to send her to a good school. Armed with these thoughts and the best of intentions, Josh decides that he will do the best he can while he is in Africa and will try to help the people there become self-sufficient.

Almost immediately upon Josh's arrival, he realizes that NewAfrica is but a front - there is no working equipment, the villagers are basically clueless and uninterested in the project and more importantly NewAfrica does not care about its own projects. What Josh does find is a corrupt, but all powerful leader of the country, a homicidal "right away man", a journalist who has seen it all and loves to drink and a aid worker who believes she can make a difference. As Josh becomes acquainted with some of the villagers, he becomes frustrated at the whole sham and in the process of trying to do something for them he starts to uncover a huge cover up - that could end up getting him killed.

Surprisingly help comes from the weary journalist, JB Flannery, who finally decides that he has seen enough and its take to grow a conscience. Together, Josh, JB and Annika set a plan in motion that is both daring and extremely, extremely dangerous. Not all of them will come out of it alive.

I have not really been able to do justice to the description of the plotline. This book is just one action packed moment after the next. There is something happening at every turn and you can feel the tension throughout the entire storyline. I feared for all of their lives and at the same time, I could not believe that this type of thing could actually still be going on in the 21st century - yet I am certain that it is.

Mills is wonderful at describing the desolate, yet scary African environment - he made me feel as though I was standing right there, in the thick of the action. In Josh, he created a strong character that is deeply flawed and I thought that this just added to the overall comlexity of the book. I also thought the addition of the JB character was a great touch - his complete lack of compassion in the earlier part of the book was a great lead into the type of character JB turned out to be and I think this was my favorite character.

I have to say that there is alot of violence in this book and that this read is not for the faint of heart. But if you are looking for non-stop action and an ending that you will not be able to predict, then this is the book for you.

REVIEW for A Date you Can't Refuse

A huge thank you goes out to Jessica at Random House for sending me this great book!!!

TITLE: A Date you Can't Refuse

AUTHOR: Harley Jane Kozak

GENRE: Chick Lit - Whodunnit

RATING: 4 Stars

http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/results.pperl?title_auth_isbn=a+date+you+can%27t+refuse

A Date you Can't Refuse is one of those books - I just did not want it to finish. Initially, I thought this novel would be about a girl going on different dates (based on the title), but I was pleased to discover that this is more of a chick lit - whoddunit book.Author, Harley Jane Kozak introduces us to an absolutely wonderful heroine - Wollie Shelley.

Somehow Wollie gets herself tangled up in an FBI case - involving dead bodies and lots of threats. The FBI enlists her help by using her as an undercover (decoy) for their sting operation - and really, Wollie has no choice by to go along with it since the FBI has promised her the best care for her mentally ill brother.

The above description sounds extremely serious, but the author has interjected her story with lots of funny moments and some very touching ones as well. You will not believe the situations in which Wollie gets herself into and I found myself completely engrossed in this very fine novel.

If you want a great chick lit read, with a little murder and mayhem thrown in, then I suggest you pick up this book.

REVIEW for The Book of Love

A big thank you goes out to Simon & Schuster for sending this book out to me for review!

http://www.simonandschuster.net/content/index.cfm?sid=287

TITLE: The Book of Love

AUTHOR: Kathleen McGowan

GENRE: Adventure

RATING: 4 Stars

I have to start off by saying that I am not usually a huge fan of this type of book as they always reminded of me of another imitation of The DaVinci Code - which is another book I could never quite figure out the fascination with. However, I was extremely pleased to discover, upon starting the first few pages that McGowan is an excellent writer - I immediately loved her descriptions and details - especially when it came to describing all the beautiful areas of the world. She has a way of making it sound as though I am standing right there! I think what I liked most about The Book of Love is that this book is a indeed an adventure/thriller storyline, but it also includes a vast knowledge of history (which I always enjoy). The story of Matilda of Tuscany and the Pope was fascinating to me and to think that I never even knew these people could have existed.

There is, of course, a beautiful love story entertwined in this book and the adventure and pace is non-stop.

At times, I got a little confused with all the characters - especially when the action was at its heaviest, but once I had all the players figured out, I was fine.

REVIEW for The Ten Year Nap

TITLE: The Ten Year Nap

AUTHOR: Meg Wolitzer

GENRE: Contemporary Fiction

RATING: 3 Stars

The Ten Year Nap, written by Meg Wolitzer takes a look at some of the most compelling and current issues of today's generation. We ARE the generation of woman who are supposed to do it all and do it with a smile and no complaints. In this area, I was very interested in reading this novel.

Wolitzer takes her main female characters and basically explores this subject matter by showing us alternate views of each women and basically doing a pro and con of each situation. However, the main focus of this book, in my opinion, is indeed - what is the value of a woman? and does it change if she chooses to stay home with her children instead of going back to work?

Although many other readers have complained about the fact that the message that seems to be passed here is that if you have stayed home to raise your children, you have been essentially 'napping" all these years. Although I know I will not be popular for saying this, I have always believed this premise. I believe that woman who stay home, especially those who do so wayyyy after their children have been raised and are grown are doing themselves a huge disfavor - as much from a financial point of view (there is security and power in knowing you earn and have your own money)and as much from the point of view of stimulating, challenging and overall being all that you can be. Wolitzer explores this in her book and I applaud her for it.

Although the basic storyline is interesting, I found Wolitzer's writing to be a little too much at times. I would have liked her to be a little more down to earth and less flowery. Also, at times, the cast of characters seem to large - this novel was a tad too ambitious I think.

Review for Call Me Aram

Another big thank you goes out to Lori at Fitzhenry & Whiteside for sending me this great little book for review.

TITLE: Call me Aram

AUTHOR: Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

GENRE: Children's Books

RATING: 4 Stars

Call me Aram is a children's book, but more than that, it is a wonderful look into a part of Canadian history that has not gotten much attention in the past. Although I am Canadian, I actually knew very little about the Georgetown Boys.

The Georgetown Boys were a group of orphans who were brought into to Canada, from the US in the 1920's after they managed to escape a Genocide in 1915. This true story takes a brave look at how difficult it was for these boys to adapt to a different culture - to learn new things and also to forget the old things - those things that must certainly have made a lasting impression on them.

This book is not huge, but the storyline is extremely well done, the details are rich and the author has a way of telling the story that will keep older and newer readers engaged.

I also must comment on the beautiful drawings in this book - vivid colors, great attention to detail which adds immensely to an already rich book.

This is a great read for readers of all age.

REVIEW for The Fourth Part of the World

A big thank you goes out to Michelle at Simon & Schuster for sending this along to me.

TITLE: The Fourth Part of the World

AUTHOR: Toby Lester

GENRE: Non fiction

RATING: 4 Stars




History is not my best subject - and frankly, I had never really given much thought to maps or how/who/why they were created. When I first saw The Fourth Part of the World, I thought I would give it a pass - not my type of thing, however, I started reading the first chapters and got hooked.

This book is not only about a map that was created 500 years ago and bought recently by the US, but rather its about all the history behind the map as author Lester works backward from the map in order to decode it and better understand it.

This book takes you on a history quest in such a fun way (reminded me of the Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventures) - never boring and always intriguing, it made reading about the Renaissance and Marco Polo's Adventures simply entertaining and engrossing.

I devoured this book - wow what a ride.

REVIEW for Gladiator

A huge thank you goes out to author Dan Clark for sending me his excellent book!!!!

TITLE: Gladiator

AUTHOR: Dan Clark

GENRE: Memoir

RATING: 4 Stars

In full disclosure mode, I have to say that I had never heard of Dan Clark before - not being a Gladiator fan in the least. However, a few weeks ago, I received an email from someone named Dan Clark who wrote me an absolutely wonderful email asking if I would consider reading his book.

As a book reviewer, I have become quite picky about which books I read, only because I receive quite alot of requests and want to make sure that I can give each book my total and complete attention. After reading his email, I want to the Amazon site and checked out his book. My first reaction was YIKES! a Gladiator???? I was also not fond of the book's cover - but Clark's thoughful email kept coming back to me and I decided "what the heck - this book is either going to be a little gem or a piece of fluff".

So, I went ahead and read it. Let me start off by saying that this book definitely fell into the "little gem" category. I always know I am going to love a book when I start reading it and I can't put it down - in fact, it took me all of two days to read this one because I kept saying "just one more page".

For those looking for "fluff or the seedier side" of this author's life - you will also be rewarded in this book - Clark does not shy away from describing his life as first a football player - trying to play with the big boys, but never succeeding and yet, behaving like he was. Ah the girls, so many girls. He then goes into quite a lot of detail about his life as a Gladiator and how much he loved it (more sex and more drugs and all that "perceived" power). Having said all of that, this book goes way beyond all of the gloss and glamour of Clark's professional life.

This memoir is about a man who struggled from a very young age to accept himself and who spent the better part of his life looking outwards for the thing (or people) that would make him happy and whole. From the death of his brother, at a young age - which ended up marking Clark deeply (and this only becomes obvious to the reader as Clark spirals more and more into his addictions) to his almost complete lack of interest in the birth of his son - this memoir is deeply honest and sometimes scary.

At many points during the reading of this book, I found myself disliking this man - and trying to reconcile the man who lived this life to the man who sounded so genuine in his email to me. However, as I kept reading, I felt more and more the deep pain and confusion Clark was experiencing. During the entire narration of his story (the good, the bad and the ugly) Clark states it like it is - never apologizing but also never boasting about his choices (and he has made a few bad ones).

It seems to me that this guy just had an automatic sensor for the biggest mess - he had a way of finding the absolute most horrible scenario for himself and then just jumping in with both feet. I found his fascination and obsession with his little action figure to be so sad - and very telling of just how much pain this man was in.

I also cried when he talks about his need to get off the drugs and his constant wondering at "how did I get to be this person?". However, I also thought it amazing that throughout Clark's darkest moments, he somehow always had a little bit of a voice of reason, somewhere hidden in the back of his brain - this is, no doubt, the voice that saved him!

This memoir is disturbing and raw and I loved every moment of it. I applaud Clark for his honesty and for telling us that although he is trying to find the right path, he is far from having all the answers.

This book is well written and I was proud to see just how far he has come from those days as "Nitro". As a matter of act, I think that Clark should be very proud of himself - he has managed to get off the drugs, reconnect with his son and find some spiritual and internal strength to be the person he wants to be. Yet, if it weren't for all his past experiences, including his alter-ego Nitro, Clark would not be the person that he is today.

I suggest this book for anyone who wants to read an inspiring story - I loved it.

Speaking of the horrible cover - after reading the book it occured to me that the front cover was a perfect cover after all - it shows Clark as the person he was then with the back cover showing him as he now is - much better back cover - kind of a nice relationshp between the two covers and the progression Dan has been making in his life.

REVIEW for Fifty is not a Four-Letter Word

A big thank you goes out to Miriam at Hachette Books for sending this one out to me!!!


TITLE: Fifty is not a Four-Letter Word
AUTHOR: Linda Kelsey
GENRE: Contemporary Fiction
RATING: 3 Stars


http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780446195904.htm


I was thrilled to be able to get a copy of Fifty is not a four letter word, written by Linda Kelsey. As I, myself, am not yet 50 years old! however, I find myself looking for chick lit that now features 40 and 50 year old characters. First of all, this is not really chick lit - which kind of disappointed me right off the bat. This is my mistake since I obviously did not read the book description. Having said that, however, and once I got over the whole 'darn, this is not a chick lit' thing - I did sit down and read through the book.

This book is extremely well-written. Author Kelsey has a keen way of developing and growing her characters and is very good at positioning in a way that tells us that these people are all flawed, yet we find ourselves liking them despite these flaws. The strength in this book is definitely the strongly written characters and their development. The storyline, however, is both typical and full of angst - which kind of made this book more difficult for me to enjoy.

Hope, our main character seems to be dealing with too many things at once and although this may be reflecting reality somewhat, I was hoping to read a little more uplifting storyline, one where the main character enjoyed 'smelling the roses' a little bit and was not so angst ridden.

I did enjoy this book so I rated it 3 stars

I GOT A BLOG AWARD

I am so happy to have received this Blog Award from :

http://www.merryweatherbookblog.com/

Thank you so much!!!

I am keeping this Blog Award going by nominating my 4 winners. Please keep this going around:

- http://itsjustme-wendy.blogspot.com/

- http://bkfaerie.blogspot.com/

- http://chantelsimmons.blogspot.com/

- http://wendisbookcorner.blogspot.com/

MY TRIP TO TORONTO a.k.a. my mad dash for all things books

I was in Toronto last week for 5 days - partially on business, but I managed to tag in a few days of leisure - and for me leisure = all things related to books.

Since I know Toronto pretty well, I mapped out my route way ahead of time (need to save time) and was all ready to hit my usual "book spots".

Also, for the first time, I was lucky enough to meet the book publicist that I work with at Random House Canada. Her name is Jessica and we had a great time sipping coffee at Starbucks (another of my favorite spots) and talking about - what else!!! books!!! So, here is my Toronto trip in pictures :)

One of the best things about Toronto is their new AND used bookstores. So, my first stop is pretty well always:

The World's Biggest Bookstore which is a chain bookstore (in the same family as Indigo and Chapters). They have tons and tons of books and while I was there, they actually had a huge clearance going on.

The problem with huge book clearances is that usually I either have already read most of the stuff of interest to me, or they have books that I just am not interested in. So, I ended up leaving empty handed, but I spent about 1 hour in here - surrounded by all these great books.

Right next door to World's Biggest Bookstore is this used bookstore (which I think is very clever). They are called BMV books and have a wide assortment of used books.

I use to really like this used bookstore, but they have recently renovated and I don't like it as much anymore as the look feels less like a used bookstore and more like a chain bookstore. Also, their prices are quite expensive and they have gotten rid of their Archie comics section, which I loved. Still, I spent about 45 minutes here - but did not buy anything!

Another really great used shop is Eliot's Bookshop which has a wide variety of different books. This bookstore is great because it looks and feels just like an old used bookstore - right down to the staircase to the 2nd and 3rd floors. I stayed her for about 1 hour, but did not buy anything.

This used bookstore also has the extra perk of being right next to one of my favorite thai restaurants called the Garlic Pepper.

And finally, my meeting with Jessica over some coffee at Starbucks. It was great! I had lots of questions about Random House, the book biz in general and of course, I wanted to know more about Jessica and her job!

We had a great time and I was thrilled to meet her!!!! Thanks for taking the time to see me Jess!

Over all it was a great few days in Toronto. The only problem was the cold - it was freezing and I was trying to walk everywhere!!!

I have also realized that I have read so many books in my life, that it is getting harder and harder for me to find books in used bookstores. I even hit all the usual spots like Salvation Army and Goodwill, but I ended up with nothing!

Thank goodness I am a book reviewer! Every book I receive is a gift and I am so grateful.

REVIEW for Love Affairs for Grown Ups

Thank you to author Debby Holt for sending this book for review.

TITLE: Love Affairs for Grown Ups

AUTHOR: Debby Holt

GENRE: Chick Lit

RATING: 4 Stars

I am such a fan of chick lit and the British chick lit is where it all started! I was very excited to get Debby Holt's book Love Affairs for Grown Ups and I was not disappointed.

I refer to this book as chick lit, and to me, this is high praise, but what I love about this book is that this is chick lit for the readers who enjoy their characters a little more seasoned. There aren't that many characters in this book that are 20 somethings and that is part of the appeal of this book for me.

Indeed, the two main characters Katrina and Cornelius who are complete strangers when they meet and are "stuck" to travel together through France are absolutely a joy to read!

I love the way the author has put these two lost souls together and make them slowly get to know each other - all the good and all the bad.

The author also does a great job of detailing to us some of the experiences and the past that these two characters have lived that have brought them to where they are.

This relationship is rich and touching and the author has made a point of telling us that despite your "the baggage from the past" and despite the fact that these people are not "20 somethings" - they can still find each other and fall in love.

So touching and I loved it.

REVIEW for Focus on Flies

A big thank you goes out to Lori for sending me this great little book!!!

TITLE: Focus on Flies

AUTHOR: Norma Dixon

GENRE: Children's Books

RATING: 4 Stars

In this day and age of the Internet, I was thrilled to discover this little gem of a book. Yes, it is convenient for kids to hit the Internet sites when they want to find out about a certain subject, but I am from the older generation, where we actually had to pull out books and encyclopedias when we were doing school projects or needed to find out some information. This is one of the reasons Focus on Flies is such a wonderful book. Its an actual book that you can hold in your hands and touch.

It is also a book that you can open and discover! This 32 page book takes a thorough look at the world of flies and it does so with beautiful color photos and impressive information on the insect. This book covers off the anatomy of a fly and even gives you a great little description of their world. The information contained in this book is easily accessible to the younger crowd (as this book is aimed at them) and even contains some activities that the kids are encouraged to try.

But, as I mentioned, what I loved best about this book is that it is a wonderful book that can be put up on a child's library shelf - where she/he can access it anytime - just by reaching out for it.

I loved this little book

REVIEW for Living your Yoga

Another HUGE thank you to Rodmell Press for sending me this inspirational yoga book. Thank you! thank you!

TITLE: Living your Yoga

AUTHOR: Judith Lasater

GENRE: Yoga/Inspirational

RATING; 5 Stars

Living your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life by Judith Lasater is another book in the wonderful series of yoga books published by the wonderful Rodmell Press.Author Lasater is certainly one of the best known yoga teachers and I know that if she is writing a book - it wil be enriching and full of useful information - Living your Yoga fits this bill perfectly.

One of the hardest things for me is to incorporate the joy and serenity I find when I do yoga - into my daily activities and reading this book has given me some insight and help in doing this. It also tells me that I do NOT need to do it all perfectly, all the time - yoga helps with the pressures that we put on ourselves all the time.

I love reading this book - it made me feel empowered and gave me a "positive" outlook on my yoga practices - still working on translating that into daily serenity - but getting there.

REVIEW for Old City Hall

A big thank you to Simon & Shuster Inc. for sending this book along to me.

TITLE: Old City Hall
AUTHOR: Robert Rotenberg

GENRE: Mystery/Thriller

RATING: 3.5 Stars

I had never heard of Robert Rotenberg before reading this book - but I have since found out that he was a courtroom lawyer, which would certainly explain the obvious thorough knowledge the author has of the criminal/courtroom system.

This, to me, was the best feature of this book. While the storyline was interesting - i.e. a popular radio host admits that he is a killer - but is he really? what really got interested in this book was the detail and research that was done on the whole criminal system - including the minute details of the crime and the victim as well as the search for the truth. I found myself fascinated with the indepth descriptions and this, made this book a real page turner for me!

I also like the fact that this author is Canadian and based his story in Toronto - around "the Hall" which I actually can visualize having seen it a few times in the past when I visited Toronto.

This is a sound mystery/thriller book that will keep you reading.

REVIEW for Fight for your Money

A big, big thank you goes out to Jessica at Random House for sending me this book. I love working with you!

TITLE: Fight For Your Money

AUTHOR: David Bach

GENRE: Personal Finance

RATING: 3 Stars

For more information: http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780385666237

I have read all of David Bach's books and I have enjoyed them all. After all, he is the person who convinced me to stop having a Starbucks Latté everyday on my way to work (I STILL can't quite believe how much money I was spending on those! every year).

I was extremely excited to read Fight For your Money. Especially at this time of year when taxes come around and I have to determine my finances for the upcoming year.Fight fo your Money is a little different than his other books. While the others all really focused on one topic i.e. retirement or home purchasing, Fight for your Money is how we can stop being ripped off - which, of course, is a way more general subject matter and covers off alot more ground.

The cover itself says: "Learn the Secrets Big Business Doesn't Want You to Know". I thought this was intriguing.As I started reading the book, I found myself searching for the big, mysterious, secrets that I should know - and frankly, nothing jumped out at me at all.I have to say that, for me, Fight for your Money feels like Bach sort of took all the old financial advice that we have been hearing/reading about for yours and just recycled it into his own book. There is alot of stuff in here that everyone has read somewhere else before. For example, he talks about credit cards and suggests: read the fine print, ask for a lower rate!Unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing new in this book.

For those looking for a refresher course, this is the perfect book - for those looking for some new ideas and tips, then you may need to seriously consider the purchase of this one.

I rated this book a 3 star because it never hurts to read/hear these suggestions again, but I think that David Bach is way better than this.

REVIEW for Boy Toy

A big thank you goes out to author Barry Lyga for so kindly sending me a copy of his book for review.

TITLE: Boy Toy

AUTHOR: Barry Lyga

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars

I had never read anything by author Barry Lyga before! and Boy Toy was certainly a powerful introduction for me!This YA book takes a look at several taboo subjects all at once and I was amazed to find out that one of them is sexual abuse of a minor.I was not sure how to take this novel at first.

Lyga writes in such a down to earth manner, using curse words somewhat regularly and describing sexual acts (although in no way pornographically) that I was taken aback a little and I must admit - pleased that FINALLY au author has the nerve to tell it like it really is (sorry to those parents who think it otherwise).I believe in this day and age that teens need to read/hear about life in realistic terms and I wish I had this type of book when I was younger.

The main storyline itself is, as I mentioned, daring. Josh is just a regular guy in some ways - he is part of the baseball team and he is nervous around girls - but he has also been discovered "doing the deed" with one of his school friends - if this was not enough of a big mess, he also mentions that when he was younger, his teacher Eve had sex with him.This book actually makes you think about what you believe is acceptable or not in our society, it makes you think about what could have been going on in Josh's young mind while he was being used by his teacher and it makes you think about sexuality and the role it plays in our lives as human beings.

Lyga has a way with a story and I thought this book was extremely powerful and yet, at the same time, realistic and more than a tad scary.I have to give author Lyga credit for writing this type of story - I am certain that not everyone would be willing to go there.

REVIEW for The Tax- Free Savings Accounts

A big thank you to Penguin Books Canada for sending me this invaluable book!!!

TITLE: Tax-Free Savings Accounts

AUTHOR: Gordon Pape

GENRE: Personal Finance

RATING: 5 Stars

I am at a point in my life where I am extremely committed to investing and saving for my retirement. Of course, the TFSA is a new addition for us Canadians and I wanted to make sure that I really understood the concept and all the ins and outs of this plan. I wanted to make sure I got the best bang for my money.So, I went directly to the Canadian financial guru for my information and the Tax -Free Savingss book written by Gordon Pape is (as I knew it would be) the definite book on the subject.

Pape, in his usual way, explains to all us layman the ins and outs of the TFSA account - documenting everything from its beginnings to implementation and more importantly, how the average person can best benefit from this new financial tool offered by the governement.

As with any other investment tool, there are many different scenarios to cover and Pape does a wonderful job of explaining what is best - depending on your financial situation.He answered all of the questions I had and cleared up some ambiguity that I had towards some of the more intricate aspects of this plan.

I like reading Pape's books because he manages to take something complicated and makes it easy to understand and easy to implement.This is not a large book - but it is loaded with valuable info.

REVIEW for Everything is Fine

Another huge thank you goes out to Miriam at Hachette for sending this along to me

TITLE: Everything is Fine

AUTHOR: Ann Dee Ellis

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars

Everything is FIne by Ann Dee Ellis is a wonderful YA novel that explores the tragedy of mental illness in the family - from the point of view of the child. Mazzy is the teenager in the house - and she also seems to be the only one who can function on any type of level. Her mother is highly depressed and doesn't even get out of bed and her father has all but walked away from his family. Mazzy, in her own way, tries to keep her family together and works especially hard at making the outside world believe that everything is fine, really!!!

I loved this book which is written in a very different way - there is a subject heading and then you will find Mazzy's musings under it. Some of the musings are quite funny, but most are so sad. It is obvious that Mazzy would love for her family to be "the way it use to be" and searches for a way to re-create this. This book is a wonderful look at what it must be like when the child must now become the parent - it is a painful read at times, but I think it is also touching and hopeful. Mazzy doesn't really ever give up and you can feel her spirit in her words.

I thoroughy enjoyed this short read and I believe it ia a must read for all YA today. For some reason, I also thought the cover was perfect for the storyline.