MY FUN WEEKEND in ALEXANDRIA, ONTARIO

As many of you know, I suffer from an Eating Disorder which is something I have mentioned on occasion in my blog posts (hence the reason I read so many books on ED and recovery). As part of my recovery program, I attend a Retreat that is held once a year for people with my disease. These retreats are extremely helpful as we read, write, share and basically spend some time quietly reflecting.


Every year, this Retreat is held in Alexandria, Ontario at Shalom House. This is a Catholic run Retreat that welcomes ALL denominations. I thought I would share my weekend in Alexandria which included a fun time in Downtown Alexandria and a visit to WHAT ELSE???? a used bookstore.

First off - I took a few pictures of the outside of the Shalom House.














It was cloudy and pretty cold out so we did not get out very much - but it was nice anyway. Although this is run by Catholic nuns, this Retreat is definitely more spiritual than religious - which I like.

After the Retreat, I decided to go home by train as I don't like driving very much (Alexandria is 1.5 hours from Montreal). I checked the train schedule and arrived at the station at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday to be told that the next train was at 6:44 p.m. and NOT at 3:03 p.m. as I was sure I saw on the Via Rail site. So, what to do for the next 4 hours?????? I decided to visit downtown Alexandria since I had never been before. I asked for directions on how to get there from the station and was about to head out when a patron joked - don't blink, you will miss it. Well, it turns out that downtown Alexandria is a sttttttreaccchhh at best. I did not know this, but Alexandria has a population of 3900 people - so needless to say the downtown core is spread out (especially if you are walking) and not exactly bubbling over with activity and excitement. Also, it seems that on Saturday afternoons in Alexandria - most of the stores close at 2:00 p.m. um!!!!!


After walking for about 20 minutes, the first stores appeared (sort of). A closed laundromat, quite a few empty spaces and I was getting a tad worried - until, until I saw it!!! THE SIGN - USED BOOKS!!!! I entered the store (thank goodness it was open) and I browsed in there for 1 hour. I found two books: Slightly Single (which I had already read a while ago, but had been looking for again and Four Horseman by Kyle Mills). The bookstore lady was very, very nice and her store was beautiful. Of course, I never thought of taking pictures ---- but if you are in downtown Alexandria and happen to have 4 hours to kill you should head out to: Second Time Around Books at 58 Main Street.

After eating a meal at a restaurant and walking and walking and walking, I ended up back at the train station, on my way I saw a beautiful little house (right next to the tracks!!) that was exactly the type of little house I would love to own. For some reason, I like houses with a porch.



FINALLY!! Back to the train station. I liked the station (nice and old looking) so I took a picture.AND FINALLY!!! The train arrives!!! Time to go home. I gothome at 9:30! not bad considering I left Shalom House at 2:30 p.m. and should technically have been home by 4:00 p.m. at the latest.

REVIEW for Sleepaway Girls

Thank you Miriam at Hachette Books for sending me this book!

TITLE: Sleepaway Girls

AUTHOR: Jen Calonita

GENRE: YA

RATING: 3 Stars

I have never been to summer camp and I have to say that after reading Sleepaway Girls, I fear I might have missed out on some great times!

The strength of Sleepaway Girls is the author's gift of writing some highly entertaining, fun and picture perfect descriptions of what life can be like when you are a YA, have the entire summer off and have the opportunity of spending most of it at summer camp. As I read this book, I feel in love with the details and the experiences being described of a summer camp experience. It felt as though I was physically there - smelling the trees and flowers and living in the cabins - right along with the cast of characters.

Our main character Sam slowly but surely discovers what its like to be in a totally different environment than what she is used to - having to live with other girls she does not know well - getting a taste of what responsibility means. I did enjoy the character of Sam and her friends Em, Grace and Court. Although they each have very different personalities - they also seem to get along and find themselves forging a friendship at summer camp - all the while fighting the horrible Ashley.

This, unfortunately, is kind of where the book falls apart for me. I would have been happy just to read about their summer experiences, but to be honest, the "we" against "her" scenario felt old and I felt as though I had read this in at least a dozen other YA stories.

I did enjoy this book - but more because of the great detail and descriptions than because of the somewhat overused storyline.

REVIEW for 3 Nights in New York

A big thank you goes out to author Michelle Jackson for sending me a copy of her book!

TITLE: Three Nights in New York

AUTHOR: Michelle Jackson

GENRE: Chick lit/Women's Fiction

RATING: 4 Stars

http://www.poolbeg.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=0&P_ID=483

I am a huge fan of chick lit and have read quite a few books that featured the wonderful city of New York at the center of the storyline. In Michelle Jackson's new book - 3 Nights in New York - we find that New York and all its spellbinding attributes is really the true star of the novel.

I have noticed that reading about New York through the eyes of someone who is not American is always quite different! I believe that Jackson is not American and this is quite apparent as she talks and describes the adventures in New York city with an almost reserved awed for the city - which is something I don't usually feel when I am reading a US author. I love this about the storyline - I feel as though I was actually right there, in the middle of the story experiencing the wonderful shopping trips and the spending of $$$$. The whole storyline felt extremely glamorous and made me want to hop the next plane to New York (which is actually not such a stretch for me since I live in Montreal).

I did like the main character(s) in this book, but I have to say that, for me, what truly worked is the perfect chemistry between the author and the description of the New York sites!!! sort of reminded of of Sex and the City, although the characters are great! the main character is the grand lady herself.

REVIEW for Robert Munsch

A big thank you goes out to one of my favorite Canadian publishers Fitzhenry & Whiteside

TITLE: Robert Munsch

AUTHOR: Frank B. Edwards

GENRE: Children's Biography

RATING: 4 Stars

One of the things I love most about Fitzhenry & Whiteside is the fact that they are Canadian and that many of their books (although they have a much larger target audience) are aimed at children - and these books are always beautifully written and illustrated. While there are not quite as many illustrations in Robert Munsch - this absolutely spot on biography of this author who has spent his life writing books for children is extremely interesting and entertaining.

Aimed at a younger audience (between 8 to 14 years of age approx) this book details the younger life of Munsch. How he was part of a large family and found a way to escape the noise with his love of all things books. I did not know that he was actually encouraged by a librarian to share his writing talents and I thought this was very encouraging for all youngsters out there who have found a creative outlet and would like to perhaps take their turn at writing. As I read this biography, I could actually feel the love that Munsch has for both the art of writing, but also for the children that he writes for.

This biography, as I mentioned, is aimed at youngsters. It is well written, with easy to read words and the font was big enough for those closer to age 8 or so who may not be quite as able to read quickly.

Although I did mention that there are not as many illustrations as a story book, there are still some very nice pictures of the author, I especially like the ones from when he was a boy.

Overall, I really liked this absolutely delightful biography. A must read for all those who want to feel inspired and who fans of this author.

REVIEW for DiamondHead

Thank you, thank you goes out to the wonderful people at Vanguard Press for sending me this book!

TITLE: DiamondHead

AUTHOR: Patrick Robinson

GENRE: Adventure/Thriller

RATING: 4 Stars

Diamonheads, outlawed missiles, are being used against American Tankers in Central Iraq, because of these Diamonheads, several American soldiers are basically found burned in their tanks. Needless to say, this does not go over well with Navy Seal Mackenzie Bedford and, in a tit for tat move - he ends up killing,without mercy, the men responsible for using these missiles on "his" American soldiers. However, nothing is kept secret for long and Mackenzie, back in the US, finds himself in a court marshall for his actions.

After being discharged, Mackenzie faces another major situation, his son Tommy is gravelly ill and will die if they can't come up with 1 million dollars for some experimental operation that he will need to save his life. Bedford has no choice - he takes on the job of killing a right-wing, French politician, who is running for President of France - but also has a more personal connection to Bedford - this man also has a strong connection to the DiamondHeads.

I loved this thriller. Usually, military thrillers are not my thing - but I fell in love with the main character. Its unsual to actually like a character, who is basically, commissioned to kill someone - but somehow Robinson makes it all work. There is action on top of action and I found myself rooting for Mackenzie to make it all okay in the end.

I liked that Robinson wrote his character as a normal guy - with very real problems, but who, somehow through it all, keeps his integrity, or at least what he believes to be his integrity. Bedfor is also a fun character - he is at times charming, annoying, silly and most of all, a true and proud person who knows exactly where his priorities are.

While this book is full of action and great littles twists, what I liked the most was the strong portrayal of the characters - this is a perfect combination - action AND great characters.

I loved it.

REVIEW for Nightwalkers

A huge thank you goes out to St-Martin's Press for sending me a copy of this great book!!!!

TITLE: Nightwalkers

AUTHOR: P.T. Deutermann

GENRE: Thriller

RATING: 4 Stars

I have read all of P.T. Deutermann's books and loved them all - they are usually quite edgy and there is always lots and lots of action going on and lots of things being blown up - from almost the very first second.

However, none of this actually happens at the start of this book, but rather we are treated to a story which happened in the 1800's....about, of all things, a train robbery and murder, which segways into current day and our main character, Cam Richter - being shown around some land in the middle of nowhere - (or at least it felt to me as though it was in the middle of nowhere). Cam is buying the land and discovers its flawed history, along with a few abandonned buildings and an even more spooky legend, not to mention some absolutely over the top neighboors who somehow seem to have missed the fact that they are no longer living in the land of "Gone with the Wind" and large overflowing hats and overly polite Southern women.

Cam is fed up with his over hyped life and over active business and is going to build himself a "retreat" where he can be one with nature and away from murderers, murder and the dark side of life. Along with his trusted friends (the canine kind), Frick, Frack and Kitty and his other trusted friends (the human kind), Cam is surrounded by people who are determined to protect him and "be there" for him should he need them. As it turns out, he will definitely need the support of all of them as he finds out that there is a "ghost" out to get him - the term used to refer to a former inmate who has vowed revenge on Cam. So, when odd things start happening both in Cam's professional life as well as extremely odd happenings on his newly purchased land - Cam will, once again, find himself having to find out who and why he is being targeted for murder. Could it be as easy as simply blaming "the Ghost"????

At first, I was a little thrown off by the almost "gold rush" feeling of this book - I kept asking myself if I was actually reading a thriller or some kind of modern take on a western. I also had a bit of a problem seeing someone like Cam Richter dealing with people like Valeria and Hester as well as the loony horserider who thinks he is in a different era completely - and I could not figure out how Deutermann was going to put it all together.

However, Deutermann manages to meld Richter's past with his present and somehow manages to also meld the old story from the 1800's into a masterful thriller. It got to a point where I was completely baffled and could not figure out at all (usually I have a few good suspects) who was taking shots at Cam and who was actually committing murder! Deutermann does a magnificent job of intertwining all of the various aspects of the book, including the train robbery from the 1800's AND the Scarlett O'Hara ladies into a spooky, twisted story of murder and money and money and murder.

I challenge any of you to actually figure this one out before the author decides to "let you" get it.

I love the "old time" feeling of this novel, while at the same time keeping both of our feets planted firmly into modern day.

Wonderful, gritty story of murder.

A Wonderful Summery Saturday Morning

A great Saturday morning in Montreal!!!




TONS OF ARCHIE COMIC BOOKS

Today, Cindy at http://cindysloveofbooks.blogspot.com/ , Donna at http://booksbound.blogspot.com/and I went to the Pointe Claire library book sale!

While I did not find very much at the sale (it was a pretty big sale, but for some reason, I did not really find all that much), we decided to go for brunch. While walking to the cafe, we "bumped" into a garage sale - all proceeds going to http://www.rosieanimaladoption.org/aboutus.htm (whihc is a totally wonderful cause) and we all ended up buying more here than we did at the book sale. Cindy found 2 books (including a nice, clean copy of Twilight) and Donna found 6 books (I think!). My find!!!! A box full (and I mean full) of Archie comic books.

I am a huge fan of Archie's and I was in heaven when I saw the amount of comic books in that box. However, I had a problem! I had taken the bus to the book sale, how was I going to get this box home? Cindy, very, very kindly offered to drive me home - so, I bought the entire box (I counted them there were 176 comic books) for a bargain price of $10.00!!! I COULD NOT pass this one up and the people at the garage sale were thrilled to get the sale.

After putting all the books in Cindy's car, we went to the Cafe and had a great brunch (with homemade flaxseed bread). Then we walked over to a used bookstore and a cute British themed store. We then drove Donna home and headed over to Cindy's house to pick up her son, Michael so he could accompany us back on the drive back to my house.

We had a great time today! beautiful Saturday morning - in the Spring in Montreal! Thank you Cindy and Donna!!!!!!!!!!

REVIEW for One Lonely Degree

A big thank you goes out to author C.K. Kelly Martin for asking me to review her wonderful book!









TITLE: One Lonely Degree
AUTHOR: C.K. Kelly Martin
GENRE: YA
RATING: 4 Stars


I am a big fan of C.K. Kelly Martin. I fell in love with her first novel, I know It's Over and ever since then, I have vowed to read anything written by Martin.

Martin has managed to completely enthrall me with her newest novel - One Lonely Degree. We are introduced to Finn who feels as though she does not completely fit in anywhere. Life is difficult, as she sees her family life imploding and gets even more difficult one September night when she meets a young man who will lower Finn's self-esteem even more and make her question herself and her life.

There are two bright spots in Finn's life - her best friend Audrey and her childhood friend Jersy who has come back into Finn's life and both her best friends appear to be into each other - which pleases Finn very much in the beginning - until she starts spending time with Jersy and starts feeling things she should not be.

What I like most about this novel is how honest it is. It takes an honest look at Finn's life - including all the bad stuff - and does not shy away from telling it like it is. I think reading this novel will make many, many YA going through similar situations feel better about their own stuff. The good/bad feelings that Finn experiences as she tries to sort through her own feelings and her own role in the chaos that is becoming her family life. She also shows a deep conscious and a deep emotion bond with her best friend and questions herself deeply as to why and how she can be feeling what she is about her best friend's guy.

There is a lot of soul searching in this novel and I think that it works beautifully to convery the confusion and the fear that many YA are no doubt feeling these days.

This novel is perfect for any YA out there and I highly suggest it.

REVIEW for Mariel's Kitchen

A big, big, big thank you goes out to Deanna at HarperCollins Canada for making sure that I got a copy of this absolutely great book!

http://browseinside.harpercollins.ca/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061649875

TITLE: Mariel's Kitchen

AUTHOR: Mariel Hemingway

GENRE: Cookbook

RATING: 5 Stars

As I grow older, I have really focused on the whole issue of food. It is always amazing to me just how powerful what we put in our bodies can be! and I am also amazed at how much crap there is out there and how easy it is to buy.

Along cames Mariel's first book which got me thinking alot about the whole process, including detoxing, etc. I have always admired Mariel and felt that she was a survivor. I was extremely thrilled to finally, finally get her cookbook, as her first book had a few recipes (one of which I use all the time and love) but did not come close to having enough recipes to keep me happy.

Well, I am certainly happy with this cookbook. Once again, Mariel's second book is beautifully illustrated using beautiful colors and great pictures of Mariel, preparing, serving and actually eating the food, but more importantly of the finished product. Since I am not a great cook, I appreciate having pictures of the meals to make sure that I am not completely off target when I created them. As for the recipes themselves, I have already done 5 of them and they are extremely easy and tasty.

I am a little scared of using things like real butter and coconut oil, but Mariel's point (as she writes in the book) is interesting - basically saying that if we remove the "perceived no nos" of food and simply enjoy healthy, satisfying foods within reasonable portions, our bodies will not crave what it does not need. I also appreciate the comments and thoughts that Hemingway sprinkles along in the book.

There are only two things that I thought were a little less interesting. The first one is that she has sectioned this book by seasons, which is a tad difficult to work with if you are looking for breakfast recipes for example as these are kind of here and there and not located under "breakfast". Also, I live in Montreal and let me tell you that the foods Mariel considers "in season" for her summer or winter, are definitely not necessarily the same as mine.

Secondly, and this one is a biggie - the ingredients that Mariel uses are top notch - which, of course, is wonderful for the body (not to mention the taste buds) but they are extremely, extremely expensive and a bit of a challenge to find. I had to run to 3 different health food stores to get the variety of flours and other "staples" that Mariel recommends and when I did buy the 3 flours ( 1 lb each of coconut, brown rice, Almond), Xanthan Gum and White Balsamic Vinegar, I ended up paying $75.00. Yikes! that is really what I consider sticker price shock!!!!! Which may be no problem for people who are saying "well, it beats the price of junk food", but since I don't really spend $$$on junk food in the first place, I simply gulped down the price tag and told myself it was worth it. Having said that however, I have to say that the recipes really are delicious and I am in love with this book. I am already dying to read Mariel's follow up cookbook with more great, great recipes.

REVIEW for Mrs. Zhivago of Queen's Park

Thank you! thank you! to author Olivia Lichtenstein for sending me a copy of her book!

TITLE: Mrs. Zhivago of Queen's Park

AUTHOR: Olivia Lichtenstein

GENRE: Chick lit/women's fiction

RATING: 3 Stars

I love this kind of novel - touching, witty and absolutely wonderful. Chloe Zhivago is relatively content - but deep inside- she knows that there should be more. She loves her life, but the 'what ifs' and the "could I' start intruding on her happy life and once she starts, she can't seem to control it. Enter the handsome Russian who is looking for his own adventures and Chloe falls under his charm.

This book is much more than a story of an affair, it is about two people who seem lost and are looking to each other to "fix" the other's problems. Throughout the entire storyline, while the subject matter can be touchy, author Olivia Lichtenstein does a great job of showing us all the sides of the characters and we get to discover that nobody is perfectly right or wrong, but rather that they are all perfecly flawed.

There is humour, love, sadness and a lot of "what ifs" in this beautifully written novel of modern day life for today's woman!!! I loved it.

REVIEW for Spring Breakup

A big thank you to author Stephanie Hale for sending this book to me!!!

TITLE: Spring Breakup

AUTHOR: Stephanie Hale

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars

Spring Breakup is actually the third book in the series. I was a little fearful at first that I would be playing catch up for most of the story, but I have to say that this book could pretty easily stand as a stand alone book. Hale does a great job of "resuming" the first two books nicely in the early part of this third book and it works very well for those of us who are coming in towards the end of this series (I am not certain if a 4th book is planned).

Spring Breakup is a light, breezy, fun read. There is a little of everything to keep your interest. Our main character Aspen is a pretty ordinary teenager and what I liked about her is that Hale chose to sort of go "middle of the road" with Aspen's personality. In the opening chapter, as I was reading it, I thought "oh no, another bratty teenager on the horizon" - as we find Aspen throwing a hissy fit at the airport when she learns that her suitcases appear to have vanished. But, as I read on, I actually really started liking her very much.

Aspen is in Vegas along with her boyfriend Rand and their friends Angel and Lucas. As soon as Aspen sets food in Vegas, things start going wrong. Her friends are feuding, she gets food poisoning and there is a pesky Miss Teen Queen Pageant in town. While at the hotel, Aspen hears that Miss Illinois (Aspen's hometown) seems to be missing - somehow Aspen ends up right in the middle of the investigation. Its not her fault - these things just seem to follow her around.

I loved the light, down to earth writing here. Hale mixes her characters well and I found myself laughing out loud at some of the dialogue and I also found myself cheering at some of the comments coming out of both of the girls. Although Aspen is in the same hotel as her boyfriend and she has obviously had sex before, she does not see the need to share her hotel room with him - I liked this. No because I am a prude, but rather because I like to see strong female characters who are okay with making decisions that are not always the most popular but are the right ones.

The story of the missing Teen Queen contestant is cute and is charming to the storyline, but actually, I would have liked to read more about Aspen and her friends - this little twist kind of felt unecessary to me!

Still, this book is a great summer read and I suggest it. I think I am going to go out and buy the first two in this series.

REVIEW for The Spend Less Handbook

A big thank you goes out to Wiley & Sons for sending me this great little book!

TITLE: The Spend Less Handbook

AUTHOR: Rebecca Ash

GENRE: Personal Finance

RATING: 4 Stars

As much as I use to love spending $$$$, as I reached 40 years old and realized that I had not saved any money for my retirement, this because my focal point for the rest of my working life. While I still have some working years left, I also figured out that I was going to have to play catch up and that I was going to have to try to figure out how to save more money - on an everyday basis. Unfortunately, buying coffees every day DOES add up and its money that I could be saving.

This is the main reason I am on a quest to read as many personal finance books as I can. I am looking for some ideas and suggestions - basically anything I can do to save more money than I already am.

This is why the Spend Less Handbook was perfect for me. First off, I have to say that this book appears to have been written in England. Some of the terms and some of the suggestions are directly based on their economy - particularly when they discuss pension plans or phone bills, however, the basic ideas and recommendations given in this book can be applied for any country and certainly for the US or Canada.

This book actually does give you 365 suggestions on how to live a happier life - with less money. There are many practical tips, but what I also liked is that they go further than just the standard "make your own coffee in the morning". They have sections such as "the kind of happiness that money can't buy".

There are also lots of tables and numbers in this book for those of you out there who have a head for these things, however, this book is not one of those financial planning books loaded with dry and boring numbers and facts.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I have actually implemented a few of the suggestions. It was fun to read and actually think "wow, I never thought of that one".

REVIEW for The Family Man

A huge, huge thank you goes out to the wonderful Elinor Lipman for sending me a copy of her newest book!!!

TITLE: The Family Man

AUTHOR: Elinor Lipman

GENRE: Contemporary Fiction

RATING: 4 Stars

I love, love Elinor Lipman - ever since I "discovered her writing" through The Inn at Lake Devine, I have been an avid follower of all of her books. I was thrilled when The Family Man was released. The storyline, is once again, both a little 'out of the norm' and touching at the same time. Lipman has a way of taking a somewhat difficult situation and turning it on its ear - all the while making the characters and the storyline touching and making me feel as though I want to root for everyone involved.

In Family Man, Lipman tackles the subject of a gay man who is trying to reconnect (although even he does not know that he wants this initially) with the family that he lost. As we get to discover Henry, Denis (his ex-wife who is in mourning) and Thalia the child that he left behind, we are confronted with three main characters that are flawed, but at the same time are human and I found myself wanting these people to re-connect.

Lipman writes a touching, touching novel about these people who are confused, but are also sincere in wanting to be closer to each other - they discover that they all truly do love each other - albeit, not in the way of a standard mom, dad and daughter do!!! Lipman also adds a ton of humour to her story and I loved this. It was not uncommon for me to have a tear in my eye reading one passage and then start giggling a few pages later!

I loved this story of redemption and true love - nobody is perfect and nothing is really what it seems.

REVIEW for Waiting for You

Thank you goes out to Jillian for sending me this book!!

TITLE: Waiting for You

AUTHOR: Susane Colasanti

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars

I feel partial to books that are aimed at a YA audience, but are written in a "real" voice - depicting the good and not so good parts of everyday life. I am not a believer in pretending that everything is always okay, because sometimes, life can suck. I think we need to teach our YA that there is good and bad and that we need to deal with it all.

That is why I absolutely adore books such as Waiting for You. This particular book has struck a chord with my adult self - as I often felt, as a teenager, and maybe sometimes as an adult that I am somehow waiting for my "real" life to start - once I get skinny, once I have a boyfriend, once....once...once and this is exactly how our main character Marisa feels most of the time. Her life is far from perfect - as her parents get more and more distant, Marisa is fighting depressing and anxiety - but she somehow manages to plow through it regardless of what is thrown at her.

In the mix are a few guys - all of whom have their own "good points" and while Marisa thinks she may love one guy, she also seems to be developing feeelings for two other guys -one she has never even met before.

I loved that this story is not necessarily ONLY about boys, boys, boys, but rather about Marisa and how she feels and more importantly, how she decides to "take charge" of her destiny and to forge her way ahead, to the best of her abilities.

This novel also takes an honest look at things such as friendship (or lack of it) and family ties - and what happens when all of it seems to be disappearing right in front of you.

This book is both charming and touching - at one time making me happy and at others, finding myself confronted by the realities of life, but throughout it all, I found myself rooting for Marisa!!!!!

REVIEW for If the Witness Lied

A thank you goes out to Knopf Delacorte Dell Young Readers Group for sending me this book to read and review.

TITLE: If the Witness Lied

AUTHOR: Caroline B. Cooney

GENRE: YA

RATING: 3 Stars

I know that author Caroline B. Cooney is a very popular YA author and that she is known for writing about current events and tackling them face on.

The storyline behind If the Witness Lied is very interesting and I thought it was quite original. This novel is both a mystery AND a difficult, but touching look at a family that has been torn apart by the untimely death of the young parents. While the kids are trying to accept their death and the fact that it might have been caused by one of the kids, their "aunt" decides that one of the ways they can deal with their grief is to talk about on TV and she manages to get a television network interested in doing a reality show on the kids. But Jack, one of the children will not let this happen and he will certainly not let baby Tristan on national TV for all to explore.

As Jack mounts his own defense, he comes to discover some very, very serious information that will turn all that he has known on its ear and the family will never be the same again.

As I mentioned, this storyline is quite riveting. I felt for all the children who are trying to deal with the death of their parents, each in their own ways. Cooney does a fine job of fleshing out each character and you can feel that all is not right here - and this will become more and more obvious as the story unfolds.

There is also quite a nice clever twist, somewhere towards the 3/4 of the book that had me going "wow" and Cooney does an excellent job of setting up the premise and then introducing the twist. This is a solid thriller/mystery.

However, I just could not get past the writing. Cooney's writing is just not my thing. She never seems to manage to simply detail an event or a character - her words are always a little stilted for my taste and this seriously removed some of the pleasure of this book for me.

REVIEW for Breathless

A big thank you goes out to Kathy at Random House for sending me this book!

TITLE: Breathless

AUTHOR: Lurlene Daniel

GENRE: YA

RATING: 3 Stars

I have read a few books written by author Lurlene Daniel and was actually intrigued by Breathless. The cover alone was something that attracted me so I was more than happy to read and review this book.

Most of Daniel's books are quite short and this one is no exception (it has a total of 165 pages) and I love the format. The shape of a paperback but it has a hardcover - its very easy to tote around.

The story in Breathless is told for the point of view of 4 different people - Emily, the kid sister, Travis who is the center of the novel, Darla his girlfriend and Cooper who is Travis' best friend but also has a relationship with Emily (somewhat). The story opens with Emily (I believe it is her although its not clear throughout the novel and with the surprise ending - I understand why), asking us NOT to judge but to read the story with an open mind.

Travis loves water, but he loves diving most. His life is looking up - he has a girlfriend, a best friend and even a sister he can stand. He is also a school champion diver and the summer is coming upon them. Travis feels he has the world at his feet - until he discovers that there is something seriously wrong - and this will shatter his life and the life of those around him - nobody will ever be the same again.

I don't want to give away too much of this story so suffice it to say that there is a tragedy and that the storyline pretty centers around how all the characters deal with it.

Daniel writes beautifully. She always remembers that her audience is mainly YA, although this book can easily be read by an adult. She tells the story in a direct manner and makes sure that the pacing is quick. She also manages throughout all of it to make us care about the characters - to make us really understand their points of view and thoughts. I always enjoy that when reading Daniel. She is also good at not forcing her own points of view on the storyline - you get out of it what you need to.

However, in Breathless and in many of her novels - the storyline is always soooooo dark. Breathless for all its great writing was so dark and depressing, that I felt like giving up reading it about halfway through because I was getting such a feeling of foreboding. Unfortunately, for me, this does not usually work. When I read a story, I don't mind if it mirrors real life - but there has to be some grain of hope or humour or joy in amongs the tragedies, and there is none in this book.

This story is well told - but reader beware, you will not feel good after reading this one.

REVIEW for Best Intentions

Thank you goes out to author Emily Listfield for asking me to read and review her new novel.

TITLE: Best Intentions

AUTHOR: Emily Listfield

GENRE: Novel

RATING: 3 Stars

When author Emily Listfield emailed me ans asked if I would read her novel, I was intrigued - this story sounded very interesting and I like anything that has a "twist" to it.

Having said that, I have mixed emotions about this novel. The basic premise is one that I thoroughly enjoyed. We find two of our main characters Lisa and Sam - they have been married for ever and although there does not appear to be any clear, obvious problems, Lisa is feeling that vague feeling of "something is not quite right". She shares her problems with her best friend Deidre who has some issues of her own - among them - she has ditched an affair to start up a relationship with her former boyfriend Jack. One night, they all get together for a birthday celebration and secrets are uncovered - that will send Lisa into a sprial of disbelief and grief. Are her husband and best friend having an affair???? As Lisa wonders whether she has been betrayed, Deidre is found dead! and nothing is ever the same.

As I mentioned, I liked the main concept - betrayal and uncertainty - no clear answers and nobody is being honest or open. The author does a wonderful job of describing, for us, Lisa's state of mind as events develop in front of her - her disbelief and her fear, as well as her feelings of utter betrayal. Who can she trust? everything and everyone she knew seems to be just one big lie. I felt for all of the characters in this book. I think this is the author's biggest strength, she manages to make her characters extremely real and poignant.

What did not work for me was the writing style. This novel, on first glance, especially if you look at the cover is difficult to categorize. While it may appear to be a mystery/thriller type of whodunnit, its not really. This novel is more of a contemporary novel with a murder thrown into the mix. Which is the problem that I had with it. I am probably not the target audience for this book. I like my mystery/thrillers to be ALL about the murder and the whoddunit. Yes, I like character development and all that, to me, its about the storyline of finding the killer and the reason behind the murder. With Best Intentions, the novel is focused almost entirely on the characters and the storyline of betrayal - its as though the murder is almost an afterthought - a reason to propel the storyline forward and get us to discover more about these characters.

As I said, I believe I was not the target audience for this book. I believe that in the hands of another reviewer, one that enjoys contemporary fiction, this book is probably rated as a 4 star. I can feel that this is a good book, but it just wasn't really my type of book.

REVIEW for Brutal

Thank you to Random House Children for sending me this book!!!!

TITLE: Brutal
AUTHOR: Michael Harmon

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Years

Brutal introduces us to Poe Holly who is being uprooted from her current life and literally shipped to a life of suburbia with a father she hardly knows and, from all extent and purposes lives in a completely different universe. However, Poe grudgingly tries to make the best of it and even starts making some friends, including a somewhat love/hate relationship with a next door neighboor who seems to be more of a doormat than anything else.

However, when a prank goes deadly, Poe interferes to try to make things right. What I liked most about this book is the honest look at the results of a dysfunctional home - I mean, I felt for Poe - with a mother who puts her needs and desires before her daughter's. Poe's dad is a tad better, but he is so partly clueless.... I like that the aduls are not perfect and I like the fact that Poe, although clearly out of her element, is willing to "try" to make it work.

The story is one of friendship and redemption - up to a point. Poe has an interesting relationshig with Velveeta and finds herself feeling for this person and from there comes most of the basic storyline and the most interesting of the relationships.

I think the strongest part of this book is the relationships - most, if not all, are seriously dysfunctinal, but yet, I found myself involved and committed in their lives.

The writing is honest and down to earth and I did enjoy this book.

REVIEW for Exercise Balls for Dummies

A big, big thank you goes out to Erika at Wiley & Sons Canada for sending me this extremely helpful book!!

TITLE: Exercise Balls for Dummies

GENRE: Exercise

RATING: 4 Stars

I am a fan of Pilates and Yoga and of late, my Pilates teacher has decided to start using the Exercise Ball in some of her exercises. This ball is a huge mystery to me. It looks relatively harmless, but really, it is a tricky little thing to conquer and master.I was thrilled to discover Exercise Balls for Dummies, because frankly, that sounds just like me.

First of all, I could not figure out how to buy the correct ball size for home use, then, of course, we are talking about the whole "proper use" of this thing.In Exercise Balls for Dummies, all of these topics and loads more are covered in patient detail! I actually brought my book with me to the store when I bought my ball. I wanted to make certain to get it correct.

This book was an invaluable tool in getting me started off on the right foot with the exercise ball.It is loaded with pictures and handy tips for the best ball buying, inflating (this is not as easy as I thought) and it also covers alot of the security concerns that I had.

This book also features a nice section showing the various exercises that can be done with this tool - complete with pictures to make sure we are properly aligned when doing the exercises

.If you are like me and are a little bit intimidatd by this fitness tool, then this is the book for you. Now, if only I could figure out how to get the book to actually do the exercises for me!!!????

REVIEW for Hedge Fund Wives

A great big thank you goes out to author Tatiana Boncompagni for sending me a copy of her new book!

TITLE: Hedge Fund Wives

AUTHOR: Tatiana Boncompagni

GENRE: Chick Lit

RATING: 4 Stars

I am a huge fan of Tatiana Boncompagni ever since I read her first novel Guilding Lily. Hedge Fund Wives, while not a sequel to Guilding Lily has taken some of the basic premises that worked so well in the first book and elevated them to an even more entertaining read. Hedge Fund Wives introduces us to a brand new set of characters, featuring the couple of John and Marcy. John is an up and coming trader in the cut throat world of hedge funds and Marcy finds herself becoming the "hedge fun wife". Except that Marcy has one foot "in the regular world" and one foot in "that" world. She is thrown into the glamourous and somewhat sinful life of the these rich women with too much money, not enough love from their husbands and definitely too much time on theirs hands. Although Marcy makes some friends, she just never manages to become as clueless or as rude and horrid as these women.

Her husband, John, on the other hand is finding his niche with these people and will become as horrid and insufferable as the rest of them which will make Marcy rethink her whole future with him and without him. Once again, Boncompagni manages to precisely and deliciously describe the world of the decadent rich. There are lots and lots of detailed descriptions of various clothing, furniture and baby accessories. There is a funny story about women who have their own coaches for a certain part of the body....and as I was reading, I realized that I completely and thoroughly despised these people. Not because they have money, but rather because they are such mean, tiny and clueless people!!!!!

Yet, at the same time, I felt like I was eating a deliciously forbidden, expensive piece of high sugar chocolate. I kept wanting to read more and find how just how shallow and useless these people really are. The thread of the story is clearly carried by Marcy who is a somewhat likeable character - but as in Guilding Lilly, Boncompagni manages to give her main character some traits that make her less than perfect. She can be somewhat shallow and I thought, at times a little thoughless with her comments and although I wanted to feel sorry for her, its hard to feel sorry for someone who is so rich. What I did like is that she was a good friend and was not afraid to actually do some work - but let's face it, she actually ended up being "in the right place at the right time", many other woman facing her situation - minus the millions of dollars would deserve our respect much more than she did.

I love reading Boncompagni's books. They are extremely, extremely interesting and she has a way of making you actually hate rich people - yet at the same time, bringing us secretly into their world of over excess - and I loved it. This is a great, great read!!!! Enjoy!

REVIEW for Girlfriend Material

A huge thank you goes out to author Melissa Kantor who was super quick in sending me out her newest book to read and review.

TITLE: Girlfriend Material

AUTHOR: Melissa Kantor

GENRE: YA
RATING: 4 Stars

I love EVERYTHING Melissa Kantor has written to date. Her previous book, The Break Up Bible, was absolutely great - so needless to say I was thrilled when Melissa sent me her newest book to read and review.

In Girlfriend Material, we find our main character Kate - she is a teenager with all the usual teenager angst - she is also in the middle of two parents who seem to have lost their way and as summer approaches, her mother suddenly springs a big surprise on her - they are going to Cape Cod to visit her mother's best friend and her family - the catch? dad is not coming.

As Kate's mom explains it - she needs time to get away and to "think thigs over". Kate is, of course, furious - not only is she missing her summer with her friends, now she is going to have to spend the summer "stuck" in Cape Cod, probably having to entertain the daughter of her mother's friend.

As the book opens, we find both Kate and her mother, in the car, heading towards Cape Cod.

I knew that I was going to like this book immediately after reading the first 2 pages. The description (Kate's point of view) of the tense and annoying situation in the car on the drive over was so well done - that I felt myself immediately putting myself into the storyline.

One of the things that I also discovered very early on is that, for the first part of this book, I could not stand either Kate nor her mother. Although Kate would deny it, she and her mother obviously shared many common traits - one of them being that they react very similarly in times of stress - both women pull back and become extremely annoying. Yep, for the first part of the book, I thought both Kate and her mom needed a good slap upside the head. Kate for being so broody and Jane (Kate's mom) for being so annoyingly out of touch.

Yet, I loved reading every word of this novel. As the story progresses we get to finally discover alot of the inner emotion and thoughts that are going through both Kate and Jane. It is obvious that this sotry is about "coming of age" for both of these ladies and the process of getting there is obviously painful for both of them.

Yes, there are "guys" involved and actually its quite a nice romance brewing between Kate and Adam - and I thought this was handled very well and Kantor does a great job of developing both these characters as a couple, but also draws us into the relationship.

I also enjoyed the relationship between Sarah and Kate. I thought Sarah was going to turn out to be one of those "selfish" YA that we seem to find in many novels lately, but the author chose to go another route.

But most of all, this book is truly about two women who both need to re-connect with themselves and with each other. This is a touching story about a mother and daughter who think they are so far apart, but in reality, are much closer than they thought.

Beautifully written.

REVIEW for Beautiful Americans

A huge thank you goes out to Jillian at The Penguin Group for sending me a copy of this book for review.

TITLE: Beautiful Americans

AUTHOR: Lucy Silag

GENRE: YA

RATING: 3 Stars

Beautiful Americans is the debut book in a new YA series. It features 4 YA who will get to know each other quite well as they live and study abroad.

The main characters are PJ, who is trying desperatly to get away from a family scandal that has embarassed and traumatized her, Olivia who is definitely a type "A" personality but has the gift of dance and "must" make it as a ballerina, Alex who is all about clothes and showing off and Zack who lives in the Bible belt and is grateful to leave so that he can express his sexuality.

While I thought the mixture of these 4 people was interesting and certainly made for some interesting cross over storylines, I felt as though I have read this storyline over and over again. Yes, some of the story was engaging, but there was nothing new here. I also am not a huge fan of the "alternative voice" narration. It would have been better, in my opinion, if this storyline had been told in one voice.

I rated this a 3 star because the writing is entertaining and there is nothing horribly wrong with this book, it just felt a little tired to me.

REVIEW for Pure

Thank you Michelle for sending me this book!!!

TITLE: Pure

AUTHOR: Terra Elan McVoy

GENRE: YA

RATING: 3 Stars

I had extremely mixed emotions reading this book. The premise of this book was both enchanting and disturbing. Although I absolutely think that the pact these girls took as tweens - we will remain PURE until our wedding day was commendable, I also think it was unrealistic and somewhat flawed.

Yes, I would like to believe that Young Adults reading this book would consider this as a `good thing' I also feel as though it is a bit of a dream and manages to add, yet another layer of pressure on the YA. Therefore, the YA are now pressured from one side to stay Pure and from the other (peers) not to and I am not certain that reading about this as a main storyline in a novel is all that helpful.

On the other hand, I did enjoy the different views that the author brings to staying pure and because of this, the characters in this storyline all find themselves reflecting on what is important to them in their lives. The author also did a decent job of not being too preachy - which would definitely be a challenge considering the sensitive subject matter.

I did, therefore, enjoy this book - but I still have my doubts about the message it may be passing along. Unfortunately, we are now living in the 21st century and need to be realistic about this - even if it is only a `novel`.

WINNER OF THE "If I Stay" Contest

Hi all:

Sorry about the delay in picking a winner - this week has been a little off for me (lots of personal stuff going on), but here is the lucky winner of the IF I STAY book

NHERTEL85

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! I have already contactated Nhertel85!

Stay tuned for more reviews and, of course, some great book contests!!!

Happy Spring everybody!!!!