REVIEW for The Heart is Not a Size

Once again, a huge, huge thank you to Melissa at HaperCollins Canada!!!!!






TITLE: The Heart is not a Size

AUTHOR: Beth kephart

GENRE: YA

RATING: 5 Stars







Yes people! You are on the right site AND you are reading this correctly - this is the 3rd book, since the beginning of 2010, rated 5 stars on this blog!!! As you know, this is quite unusual for me, but, as I have mentioned in the last YA post, I have been hitting the "mother load" of excellent, well written and touching YA novels.

This one particularly touches me personally as I, myself, struggle with an eating disorder and unfortunately, this disease is becoming more and more prevalent in young adults (mainly female, although guys are certainly not immune). So, of course, as soon as I saw the title and cover of this one - I was hooked. Thankfully, it was totally easy to be hooked as author Kephart has written a gut wrenching, deep story about the friendship between two very different girls Georgia and Riley - who end up traveling to Juarez, Mexico.

Although this appears to be the main premise of the book - the geographical location serves more as a trigger - propelling both girls to truly get to understand who they are and more importantly, to finally face up to who they really are !

The story is always touching, at times funny and the writing is beautiful - simply beautiful. I found myself rooting for these girls who are simply trying to get by, while learning hard life lessons, all the while maintaining their friendship - which is truly a gift.

The author does a wonderful job in creating a character that suffers from an ED and will do anything to live in denial (the favorite spot for many addicts) until she can no longer hide it - even while she tried to hide from it in Mexico.

Beautifully, beautifully written.

REVIEW for Second Time Around

Thank you! thank you! to author Beth Kendrick for sending me an ARC of her new book!

TITLE: Second Time Around

AUTHOR: Beth Kendrick

GENRE: Contemporary Fiction

RATING: 4 stars

Many of you have heard me talk about Beth Kendrick being my favorite chick lit author. I will literally trip over myself trying to get to Kendrick's novels - so this tells you how much I have enjoyed her work.

In my mind, Kendrick has written, in the past, great chick lit - so I had huge culture shock when I started reading Second Time Around - because it is NOT chick lit, at least not in the true way! - this book is a contemporary women's fiction novel and this posed a huge challenge to me - as I always wonder "what is the point of these types of stories as they never seem to have a point to me).

So, with this in mind, I opened the book and found an interesting premise - 5 BFF have been together since college and meet up once a year to talk about their lives. This year, they are once again together, but something is terribly wrong and this will affect the girls for the rest of their lives (don't want to give it away!).

As the novel progresses, we find the main characters confronted with the past and the choices they made - where they the right ones? Lots of discussions, tears and second thoughts as the girls try to figure out the meaning of life and where they fit it. They are simply trying to be happy! and Kendrick has found a clever and entertaining way of showing us the progression (and at times, the backward steps) that each woman goes through.

There is a lot of soul searching here and it is a great novel if you want to sit back and reflect on your own choices in life.

The writing is top notch as always - Kendrick always writes her stories beautifully and her characters are always deliciously fleshed out - buttttttttt I miss the chick lit aspect of her writing. While there is humor in Second Time Around, it is extremely toned down (considering the subject matter) and I miss the corny stuff that usually can happen in chick lit novels.

I am rating this book a 4 star because Kendrick is that good that she can keep me engaged - even in contemporary fiction (no mean feat let me tell you), but I am sad - I see Kendrick going to the "dark side" (in MY opinion) and leaving her "chick lit" roots behind (sigh!).

If you like a good contemporary fiction story, then you need to read Second Time Around. If you are looking for her chick lit stuff, try the NearlyWeds (you will see what I mean!).

REVIEW for Hockey Talk

Once again, thank you to the wonderful Lori at Fitzhenry & Whiteside for sending me this great little book!

TITLE: Hockey Talk

AUTHOR: John Goldner and Ted Heeley

GENRE: Children

RATING: 4 Stars

Being a proud Montrealer and quite use to all things hockey! This book was an absolute joy to read and enjoy! Hockey Talk is all about hockey - from mini biographies on some of the well known broadcasters to all things you might want to know about hockey.

This book is aimed at a younger audience so is constructed in a manner that will keep their attention. Loaded with cute pictures and caricatures - its a fun, fun trip through the world of hockey. For those who are into fun facts and stats, you will also love this book and, of course, mention of MY team is frequently done as Montreal practically invented the sport of hockey - although we won't be seeing any Stanley Cups this year!

This book is a joy and great for all the young sports lover.

REVIEW for Beautiful People

Thank you to Danielle at Sourcebooks for sending this book to me!

TITLE: Beautiful People

AUTHOR: Wendy Holden

GENRE: Chick lit (sort of)

RATING: 3 Stars

I use to read all of Holden's books - as soon as they were released, but over the course of the last years her books have become more of a "hit and miss" thing for me and Beautiful People falls somewhere in the middle.

First, I have to say that I love the cover (yes! i am a cover person) it was extremely eye catching.

As for the storyline, it was okay. The stories features three main female characters who, at first glance, don't seem to have much in common. Particularly Emma -especially if we factor in "Belle". However, when all 3 characters come together, you actually start to see some basic character similarities especially between Darcy (the up and coming star) and Belle (the on her way down star). There are also the requisite love interest - and a lot of talk about food.

The storyline was good and engaging and you can definitely find the trademark "Holden" humor, but I have to say that this book was way too long and it was mainly due to long and drawn out descriptions about food. While I don't mind reading about food, this book felt as though it was being "padded" with these details - and, at times, there was so much of it, that it removed from the main storyline - I felt distracted - especially when I was expected to get dragged away from a good plot moment - to read about food.

Having said that however, you can tell that this is a Wendy Holden book - the characters are well drawn out and are fun to read - and the book is still loaded with great "chick lit" moments.

Overall, a 3 star book.

REVIEW for Chocolate Wishes

Thank you to author Trisha Ashley, who is always so graceful and kind in sending me her wonderful books!

TITLE: Chocolate Wishes

AUTHOR: Trisha Ashley

GENRE: Chick Lit/Contempory Fiction

RATING: 4 Stars

First of all, how can you NOT fall in love with a book that is called Chocolate Wishes? especially since the premise of the book is about chocolate and love. truly there is nothing here NOT to love. Chocolate Wishes features Chloe who loves to make chocolate - dispensing each piece with a little wisdom included. Except that Chloe's own love life is far from perfect, especially when she gets jilted at the altar and then comes face to face with someone who is back in town - her first love who also happens to be an ex rock star.

It seems as though everywhere she turns Chloe is stuck hearing his music (bringing back memories she would prefer to forget) but now, she also has to see him on a regular basis as he is the new Vicar. What a mess and no amount of chocolate seems to be able to fix this - especially since she is fighting very hard not to fall back in love.

This story is whimsical and adorable - I instantly felt myself rooting for Chloe and finding that I was invested in all of the characters in the storyline. I love all the discussion about chocolate (of course) and I love that this book is about never giving up and never believing that you will not get your happy ever after - even if it does not look exactly the way you first thought it would. The author does a wonderful job of writing a book about love, that is really about loving yourself and believing in you.

REVIEW for The Snowball Effect

A huge thank you goes out to the amazong Melissa at HarperCollins Canada for being, once again, so kind in sending me this book!

TITLE: The Snowball Effect

AUTHOR: Holly Nicole Hoxter

GENRE: YA

RATING: 5 Stars





It has occured to me lately just how high the quality of YA novels can actually be. I have been lucky enough to have come across some of the most moving, well written and touching YA novels in the last few months and the Snowball Effect rates right up there - as you can see by my 5 STAR RATING - which is, incredibly rare for me.

The Snowball Effect tackles a few extremely tough subjects at the same time - suicide, depression, reconstructed families and dysfunctional ones! This easily could have gotten itself drawn into either a ridiculously depressing and boring read, or become one of those "someone will come in and save everyone at the eleventh hour" - both of which would have been horrible. Instead, author Holly Nicole Hoxter has creafted a book that is the perfect, perfect mixture of sadness and hope intermingled with everyday circumstances and characters that alternatively struggle, overcome, learn through hard life lessons, despise, love and hate. In other words - this book is about real life and on how tough it can be.

Perfectly written for the YA audience - this book also works as a message of hope - and while the author shows all sides of life, there is always that little gleam of "you can get through this". I loved, loved it.

REVIEWfor Making the Most of your Money Now

A big thank you goes out to the author for being so kind in sending me a copy of her book!

TITLE: Making the Most of your Money Now

AUTHOR: Jane Bryant

GENRE: Personal Finance

RATING: 4 Stars

I just finished reading Making the Most of Your Money Now and I have to say that this is probably one of the most thoroughly researched, informative and complete books I have EVER read on personal finance. This book is huge (the size of a dictionary) and covers off everything you could possibly ever need to know about personal finance - be it debt (this one is covered in great detail), major purchases, investment, retirement (of particular interest to me) and everything else that you can possibly lump into personal finance.

The author is never preachy, but manages to get her points across - its important to stay out of debt and to think of your future NOW! I liked the down to earth manner in which the author explains the facts to us - using everyday words and staying away from a bunch of boring and scary graphs and analytics that, for the average person, means nothing concrete.

This book is to be used a a bedside guide to all your finance questions.

REVIEW for Falling Apart in One Piece

Thank you goes out to Michelle at Simon & Schuster for sending me this book!







TITLE: Falling Apart in One Piece

AUTHOR: Stacy Morrison

GENRE: Memoir/Divorce

RATING: 3.5 Stars




I am always in awe of people who live through difficulties in their lives and are able to share their pain, hope and experiences. This is one of the reasons I love memoirs so much.

In Falling Apart in One Piece, an Optimist's Journey through the hell of Divorce, author Morrison details for us, what she has gone through in living a divorce that has basically changed her life as well as the life of her children forever.

First of all, Morrison is not really like anybody I know. Yes, she has gone through a divorce and although she is a "single"parent now, she is hardly alone. Fortunately, for Morrison, she is financially capable of taking care of herself and her children (read: nanny) and therefore, this is one aspect of the divorce that she need not worry about - unlike many other single mothers out there!

Unfortunately, this did remove from the credibility of this memoir for me. Because I come from a home where my parents separated and my mother had to struggly financially, I had a difficult time connecting with the author and her pain.

Having said that, the part of this story that I did connect with was the pain Morrison felt as a woman - facing her reality that her marriage was over and that the man she loved was no longer there (or rather) was no longer the same man she had known. From this point of view, Morrison's financial status made absolutely no difference and if anything goes to show that money or no money - divorce and betrayal can happen!

The tone of this memoir is both optimistic, sad and a little bit of "poor me" which is okay when you are talking about divorce.

I did enjoy this book because I admire Morrison for writing it - it takes guts to "put it out there" for everyone to see.

REVIEW for Shoo, Jimmy Choo!

Thank you very much to the author Catey Hill for sending me a copy of her great book!






TITLE: Shoo, Jimmy Choo!

AUTHOR: Catey Hill

GENRE: Personal Finance

RATING: 4 Stars




FINALLY!! finally, someone is actually writing personal finance books aimed solely at single women!!! This is a huge and untouched market and I thought that author Hill did an absolutely wonderful job of leveling the personal finance against a healthy dose of humor.

There are tons of ideas that are both doable and inspiring - she does not expect you to have $50,000 in the bank when you take on your new finance program - but rather, she encourages you to make little changes by little changes - starting with limiting your shopping and love of shoes.

This book is a little gem and I loved it!! it was entertaining and a great read with lots of very helpful hints. The author is neither preachy or boring - its a perfect blend.

I WON!!!!

I am extremely picky about the book contests I enter - usually I can't find anything that interests me since the books up for grabs are not my usual style.

I was thrilled when authors Joni Davis and Lisa Hyatt featured a contest where you could win a signed copy of their book Feng Shui Love (chick lit!!!), bookmarker and a free Feng Shui consultation. This book had been on my "to buy" list - so I was psyched.

Imagine how thrilled I was when I got an email from Joni Davis telling me I had won. I just got the package today and here is what was inside. A great t-shirt (which I did not know was part of the prize package), a signed book, a bookmarker and a beautiful little heart (not sure if this actually has any significance other than its cute). I am going to contact Joni Davis, once I am done reading the book for my consultation.

I am soooooo happy!!! Thank you to both Joni Davis and Lisa Hyatt. I will post a review of the book once I am done reading it. I already read the first few pages and i already am in love with the writing style.

REVIEW for Princess for Hire

A huge, huge thank you goes out to author Lindsey Leavitt for sending me a copy of her new book!!!

TITLE: Princess for Hire

AUTHOR: Lindsey Leavitt

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars

Tradtionally, I am not very big on reading books that contain any type of "magical" powers. However, I was totally intrigued by this book from the first time I read the brief description AND I loved, loved the beautiful and eye catching pink cover. So, I thought I would give it a shot and try it.

I am so happy that I did. First of all, where this story could have been incredibly corny, author Lindsey Leavitt manages to detour this by making this novel absolutely hilarious and touching and absolutely enchanting. Our main character Desi is pretty bored of her everyday life - will she ever really get to live and maybe make it to the "big city"? Well, Desi is about to discover what the saying "watch what you ask for" really means. For some reason, when Desi applies "Royal Rouge" - which is an ancient formula from Egypt - she can instantly become (physically anyway) any princess in the world - therefore making her the perfect substitute for all the princesses out there who don't want to or can't attend/commit or do something that they should be doing. Wow! a dream come true. Desi will get to "be" someone glamourous and wear beautiful clothes. However, the reality is far from so romantic and perfect.

Desi will come to realize that perhaps her regular life with her regular friends may not be that bad. Apparently, the grass really isn't all that greener on the other side.

Yes, while there is a lesson being learnt here (and I, for one, keep forgetting that the other side of anything is not always better) it is done with such humour and grace that the whole storyline just flows beautifully. There is romance, love, humour and a touch of "snide" that is perfect.

This novel has found a perfect tone and I loved it.

REVIEW for 12 Finally!

Once again, a big thank you to Nikole from Scholastic who seems to know exactly which types of books I will love!

TITLE: 12 Finally

AUTHOR: Wendy Mass

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars




I loved, loved this book. I have to start my review with this because the author has managed to perfectly capture the youth, innocence and expectation of what lies ahead in your life.

This book made me revisit my past and how much I, too, was so looking forward to being 12 FINALLY! I had a rough year the previous year, with the unexpected death of my dad, so somehow, getting to 12 was soooo important - things would be different.

The author created a main character that was a joy to read. She was so full of hope and expectations and I loved reading about every little thing (good and bad) that actually happened when she did turn 12.

Of course, things did not quite work out as she hoped - nothing really ever does - and that is okay, but through this storyline there are life lessons that are learned, yes, even at the tender age of 12.

This book is about accepting your life and living it to the fullest - not only when you are 12.

REVIEW for 90-Day Geisha

A big thank you to author Chelsea Haywood for sending this book to me!

TITLE: 90-Day Geisha

AUTHOR: Chelsea Haywood

GENRE: Memoir

RATING: 4 Stars

Even before I started reading 90-Day Geisha, I obviously knew that I wasn't about to read a "fine" classic. That's fine with me - not every book has to be written "for the rest of time". As a matter of fact, I love reading a book about someone else's experiences - especially if these are experiences that I will never, ever live myself. This book qualifies. I had heard many weird things about Tokyo over the years - how basically they live quite differently than we do and, in the process, look at things in a very different view.

I suppose this is why I was not remotrely shocked or surprised by this storyline. So, the author wanted to try an experiment? okay, it is a little out there for most of us, but to each their own and I am happy that she wrote a book about it. Certainly, it takes some kind of courage to do what this author did - I can't imagine how she could have truly survived it, but I think that she does a great job of telling us how it felt and what she experienced through it all.

I knew that things are different in Tokyo - but wow! some of the people she meets are truly weird and/or scary. I suppose it would be somewhat predictable that she would fall into the "millieu" she spent so much time in - and the part of the book that felt the most real to me is the part where she talks about her downfall into that world.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read, I thought it took guts to do what she did and then more guts to write about it.

REVIEW for The Scupltor

Thank you to author Gregory Funaro for sending me this book!








TITLE: The Sculptor

AUTHOR: Gregory Funaro

GENRE: Thriller

RATING: 3 Stars




I use to be a huge fan of thrillers, especially with serial killers involved, however, over the course of th last few years, I found myself disconnecting because the storylines, in many cases, all sounded a bit too similar. I have to say that The Sculptor was a good book for a first time novelist. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline of a serial killer who considers all his kills to be works of art - to be posed similar to those of Michelangelo. This was sufficiently creepy and interesting to keep me invested.

I also liked the main character of Cathy who is called in by the FBI because of her deep knowledge of art and all things Michelangelo. She is paired off with Sam Makrham who manages to, for most of the book, keep up with her energy if not her intellect! This novel moved at a good pace and was a fun read - so why the 3 star rating?

As I read this book, I was keenly aware that this was written by a first time author. The book, at times, managed to trip itself over in minute detail that did not need to be there. Occasionally, the dialogue felt contrived and at times, a tad silly to me - which, as I mentioned, I believe can be directly associated with a first timeauthor - perhaps the editor could have done a better job here!!!

Overall though, this book accomplished what it set out to do - give me a good scare and entertain. I think that Funaro's second book will no doubt be a 4 star one!

REVIEW for Mind over Money

A big, big thank you to the authors for sending me a copy of their book!

TITLE: Mind Over Money

AUTHORS: Brad and Ted Klontz

GENRE: Personal Finance

RATING: 4 Stars

I read alot of personal finance books - although I no longer have debt, I often feel as though I do not look at money the correct way, which is why this book drew me to it. It is unlike any other book o the subjec that I have ever read. Mind over Money actually looks at the "basic" root of our issues with me - sure we all know that the $5.00 latte is not good for our budget, but WHY do we even want that $5.00 latte is what I want to know about.

Mind Over Money actually calls our view of money (or or disordered view of money) as a disorder - and they put forward some very convincing and (true for me) views of why and how we see money the way we do. While they state the problems - they also state some great ways of dealing with the issues and I, for one, am a convert.

This is not a finance book that will explain to you how to use the lint from your dryer to create a parachute!!!! but rather take a serious and very honest look at what our brain on money actually looks like.

Loved it.

REVIEW for Money 911

Thanks to Amanda at HarperCollins Canada for sending me this great book!

TITLE: Money 911

AUTHOR: Jean Chatzky

GENRE: Personal Finance

RATING: 4 Stars

http://browseinside.harpercollins.ca/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061798696

I have read a great many books on the delicate subject of personal finance and I have always enjoyed reading Jean Chatzky's book particularly. Money 911 is really all about considering all your options when it comes to money management. Chatzky tackles the tough subject and then turns it around on you and challenges you to look at your situation and to figure out what would work best for you.

Her book does cover a wide range - from people in the early 20's all the way to those considering retirement which makes it tough in some ways as she cannot spend much time on one particular facet of the population - for this reason, I would suggest that if she writes more books in the future, she consider doing them by "age category" because at my age, I really was not all that interested in reading about how a 25 year old should handle their money.

Other than that, this book is loaded with useful information that will make you stop and take stock of where you are at when it comes to your personal finances and more importantly, how you can get to where you want to be. Written with a down to earth tone - this book is very, very interesting.

REVIEW for Save Big

Another big thank you goes out to Erika for sending me this book!

TITLE: Save Big

AUTHOR: Elisabeth Leamy

GENRE: Personal Finance

RATING: 4 Stars

Every year, at the beginning of the year, I like to read up on some great personal finance books - helps me keep my affairs in order, so this is why you will be seeing a few reviews for the top personal finance books in the next few weeks.

Save Big is actually a personal finance book aimed at 5 of the top items that cost the most - like cars and houses. There are lots of practical tips on how to save - without having to make huge sacrifices. The section on car buying was extremely interesting - as the author explains how simply buying a "less flamboyant" model of car can save you in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Another section that was interesting is the how to save big on the groceries. This is, for me, my biggest challenge as I don't seem to be able to cut down on my food spending, especially since I often eat organic or need to eat very specialized (read expensive) types of foods. The author gave me some helpful tips on how to save a few dollars here and I have been putting them to good use.

I also like that the author seems to understand how our need for "things" is often part of human nature so rather than deny it completely as many books suggest, she manages to help us buy these, but at a lower cost. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

REVIEW for Before I Fall

Thank you! thank you to author Lauren Oliver for sending me her wonderful book!

TITLE: Before I fall

AUTHOR: Lauren Oliver

GENRE: YA

RATING: 5 Stars





I have been incredibly lucky lately with the YA that I am reading and I have to say that Before I Fall is one of the most touching, heartwrentching novels I have read in a long, long time.

Our main character Samantha has it all - looks, popularity and a guy that would do anything for her. She is living the "it" life and is pushing her luck! As she prepares to go to a Friday night party, she gets into an accident and dies. But what does die is her physical body - and her soul will get the chance to make right some things that have gone seriously wrong.

As I was reading other reviews of this book, a few people compared it to the Groundhog Day - as Sam relives the same day over and over (7 times). I was actually more reminded of a saying that I heard somewhere "everytime you are born, you get to fix something that went wrong from the last time you were alive") or something like that and this is what this book made me think of.

Sam, slowly gets to fix some wrongs everytime she relives her day. You can see the wonderful growth in this character as she finally starts to (slowly) see and appreciate those people around her - and more importantly, as Sam finally starts to understand that this is not longer about her - but rather about giving back.

This novel is so touching that I found myself reading it with tears in my eyes. But what this novel really does is make you think. Of how self-centered you can be or of how mean and horrible you can be to other people.

I loved, loved this book and I HAD to give it 5 stars (which as you know is extremely rare for me!).

You have to get this one - but be warned - you will not be the same after reading it.

REVIEW for My Own Personal Soap Opera

A great big thank you goes out to Danielle at Source Books for sending me this chick lit book!

TITLE: My Own Personal Soap Opera

AUTHOR: Libby Malin

GENRE: Chick Lit

RATING: 4 Stars

As you all know, I am a lover of al things chick lit - and I loved Malin's first book Fire Me, so I was really looking forward to reading this one and I loved it!

Malin has kind of tapped into my own personal fantasy - imagine if you could turn your life (and the solutions to it) into your own soap opera? that is write the story for a tv show, have other people play the parts and, hopefully, watch all it all comes out in the end? and, on top of that, get paid doing it!

The premise of the book is great and I instantly fell in love with Frankie - who is both smart and silly and frankly, has a life that I am not sure I would want, especially since she has two men fighting for her - or is it 3 or 4 or 5???

Whatever - she simply has to write about it and it will all get figured out on national TV.

The writing is sharp and clean and Malin obviously enjoys writing and this comes through in both her storyline and her character development.

I love chick lit that can be both funny and carry a message and this one does - and I loved, loved it!

REVIEW for The Diet Joke

Thank you to author Lisa Pedace for sending me this book!

TITLE: The Diet Joke

AUTHOR: Lisa Pedace

GENRE: Health

RATING: 4 Stars

As many of you know, I have an eating disorder and one of the things that I have learned early on is that any eating changes you make are permanent and therefore become lifestyle changes. This is, in part, why I chose to review this book - the title itself The Diet Joke attracted me to the book - because, frankly, I do not think that 3 month diets work - its a bit of a joke to believe that it can.

So, kudos to Lisa for recognizing that publishing the latest "diet" book du jour is not the way to go, but rather looking at it on the long term is the way to go.

While I can't say that there were any earth shattering new revelations in this book, I liked that it was no-nonense and all about facing the reality of our lives - if you want to loose weight, get healthy then there are things that you need to do and these are found in this nifty and handy book.

I have to admit that the author takes an absolutely hilarious look at our whole fascination with the weight loss industry and weight loss world and my favorite had to be the "What Las Vega and the diet industry have in common". Loved it.

This book takes a serious subject matter and turns it on its ear - while still delivering its message of health and fitness.

Very good read!