REVIEW for Ask Amy Green

A big, big thank you to Random House Canada for so kindly sending me a copy of this house.

TITLE:                      Ask Amy Green, Boy Trouble

AUTHOR:                Sarah Webb

GENRE:                  Middle Grade/YA

RATING:                 4 Stars

Ask Amy Green - Boy Trouble is an absolutely adorable book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it from page 1 - I thought the entire novel from cover to characters to storyline was adorable.


Although this book is not really written for an older teen - it is more middle grade, the storyline is full of discovery and made me relive some of my own younger days when I was discovering first love and trying to get it all to fit.

The storyline is well written - full of wonderful messages, but also incredibly entertaining, all the while keeping me engaged and fully identifying with the characters.

I remember just how difficult it was to understand the opposite sex and to try to make enough time for everyone - especially my BFF.

This book is full of wonder, possibility and hope - while sticking to an entertaining story that went by way too quickly.

Perfect summer read.

REVIEW For Lay the Favorite

Thank you to Random House for sending me a copy of this book.

TITLE:                  Lay the Favorite

AUTHOR:            Beth Raymer

GENRE:               Memoir

RATING:             3 Stars

I was a bit disappointed by Lay the Favorite - although I think it is mainly my fault. For some reason, I thought this book was about gambling addiction - and, while the main author does walk down a slippery slop, for most of the book, this book really is not as much about gambling addiction as it is about the crazyness that can be found in the world of gambling.


This is the author's life experience - though mainly she has worked in the world of gambling and has, in fact, assisted tons of people part with their money.

Some stories are funny, some are sad and some are extremely weird. Makes for some intersting reading at times - but I somehow felt disconnected from the entire story - not sure why, except to say that I was trying to find "a point" to this story and I could not.

The writing was honest but this book did not really engage me.

REVIEW for Hancock Park

A big thank you goes out to the wonderful Melissa at HarperCollins Canada!

TITLE:             Hancock Park

AUTHOR:       Isabel Kaplan

GENRE:          YA
RATING:         3 Stars

I admire anyone who can sit down and write a novel. I, myself, have read thousands and thousands of books and would never feel confident enough to do so. Author Kaplan deserves kudos for doing just this!


Having said that, I thought that the book's premise, while not wholly original, was interesting - especially since the main character is pretty much a young adult in about every way - including the fact that she basically seems to have all kinds of interesting quirks. Because of this, I found myself invested in knowing how the story would end.

I have always felt that many authors who write YA tend to overestimate their characters - giving them traits and characteristics that should only be found in blazed adults. This is not the case in Hancock Park.

So, why the 3 star rating? Frankly, this book is a little boring. I think it is all about the pacing. The author is too slow to get "to the point" of her story and while this may have worked in some instances, it made me feel as though I could skip entire pages and still not miss anything vital.

I liked the premise and the creation of the character, but I had some serious issues with the pace.

REVIEW for The Julian Game

Thank you to author Adele Griffin for so kindly sending me a copy of her book!

TITLE:                  The Julian Game

AUTHOR:             Adele Griffin

GENRE:                YA

RATING:              4 Stars



In fact, The Julian Game is the perfect high school novel - with the main characters Raye and Ella - setting up and creating an entire "online" person in order to "trick" Julian- the guy that everyone loves/hates at the same time.  It seems as though each high school has one of those doesn't it?

What I liked about this lighthearted novel is that the plot involves, almost entirely, technology and all that comes with it - FB, email accounts, etc.  It is truly amazing to see that you can basically "create" a person from scratch, through this technology and, if you play it just right, you can actually really screw other people's lives in the process - as I said, in my high school, twenty five years ago, the only way to do that was to start vicious rumors or - write something really horrible on the bathroom wall :0  the times truly have changed.

Nonetheless, I found myself completely engrossed in the storyline - even if I did not agree with what they were doing.  I found myself feeling sorry for Julian at times and even Raye and Ella had their moments -

The writing is great and the pacing is just perfect.  This is a great novel of revenge :)  and, unfortunately, the act of revenge hasn't changed much in the last 25 years!I have to admit that as I was reading this book - the one thing that kept coming into my head was the fact that the premise, for most of this novel, would absolutely not have been possible when I was in high school and this was a bit of a scary thought.

REVIEW for The Great Reflation

Once again, a great thank you to Erika at Wiley & Sons for sending me a copy of this book.

TITLE:                The Great Relfation

AUTHOR:           Anthony Boeckh

GENRE:             Finance

RATING:           4 Stars

While I am not a total beginner, when it comes to investments, I enjoy reading books that are easy to read and that explain the financial situation/crisis in a clear and precise manner - I hate reading books that use difficult terms and graphs - as I feel these books, in some cases, complicate the subject matter more than it needs to be.


Fortunately, this book is written for just about anyone who is interested in the financial world. The book clearly details just how "deep" the financial crisis really is/was and just how unprecedented it all is. Actually, if I had to sum up this book in one word it would be "HOPE".


As I was reading this book, I kept thinking that while we all went through a difficult financial time, we have now been given the opportunity of turning things around - it has given me hope for the future of finance and, more particularly, my investments.

 liked that the author takes a somewhat different approach to investment and I like the way he shares it all with us.


This is a "must" read for all of you who feel discouraged or for those who believe there is hope for their finances.

REVIEW For my Worst Best Friend

A nice, big thank you goes out to Dyan Sheldon for sending me a copy of her book to read and review!

TITLE:                   My Worst Best Friend

AUTHOR:              Dyan Sheldon

GENRE:                 Chick Lit/YA/Fiction

RATING:               4 Stars

I read this author's previous book and absolutely loved it, so I was soooo excited to hear that this book was coming out.

My Worst Best Friend is one of those delicious novels - where some of the characters are absolutely deceitful - and the more horrible stuff they do - the more you enjoy the novel.

Sheldon has a great way of slowly luring you into the friendship that develops - and then PLOPS decides to truly show us these characters "real colors".

Of course, I will not say more - but the one thing that I can say is that this read is fun, fun, fun - you will simply love to hate "your own worst best friend".

The writing is perfect and this is actually a great beach read.

REVIEW for Brave Girl Eating

A huge thank you goes out to author Harriet Brown for so kindly sending me this book!

TITLE:               Brave Girl Eating

AUTHOR:          Harriet Brown

GENRE:             Memoir

RATING:           4 Stars

As most of you know, I suffer from an eating disorder that, for the most part, I am in recovery for, although I have to admit that it can be a tough road at times.

This is why I find myself so attracted to this type of book and I find myself reading Brave Girl with tears in my eyes.  This particular book was even more difficult to read as it comes, from the perspective, of the mother.

When you are in the midst of your disease, you just about forget that your disease does, indeed, affect those around you who love you and this book is a strong reminder that eating disorders is not only hell for the person who is suffering from them, but also for all those who love the sufferer.

This book is honest, brutally honest, especially when Harriet frankly writes about her frustrating, anger and fears - her voice comes out strong, sad and frightened - all at the same time.

The story itself is frightening, hopeful and sad - so sad....

But, as always, I admire those who stand tall and give a voice to this disease and this book has turned out to be one of my absolute favorites on the subject - I will, without a doubt, end up reading it again and again.

REVIEW for Love, Sex and Deception

Thank you to the Cadence Marketing Group for sending me a copy of this book.

TITLE:                  Love, Sex and Deception

AUTHORS:          Lisa Hultin and Claire Hultin

GENRE:               Self-Help/Relationships/Stories

RATING:             4 Stars

I found myself immediately drawn into the writing, as well as the stories presented in Love, Sex & Deception - about online dating. Who knew that this type of book would actually ever exist? especially since 25years ago, this would have been a non topic - to say the least.


Firstly, I wasn't really sure if I wanted to laugh, scream or cry as I was reading the variety of stories from everyday people who are simply, it appears, trying to find their true love - one painful dating episode at a time. Actually, I alternated between all of these emotions myself as I was reading this book.

I have to say that after reading this book - I will definitely NEVER be looking onlie for any type of relationship - it is truly a scary experience.

The writing is very well done - down to earth, honest, funny and at times, heart tugging. I really ended up feeling for many of these people - and, if anything, this book has shown me just how screwed up we have all become about love, dating and even the INternet.

I continue to argue that while technology may be a good thing in some instances, it has been incredibly harmful in other ways.

This book is entertaining and a very easy read, I loved it.

REVIEW for How Did you Get this Number?

Thank you to the great people at Riverhead Books for sending this book to me.

TITLE:                     How Did You Get this Number

AUTHOR:                Sloane Crosley

GENRE:                   Essays

RATING:                 4 Stars

I don't usually read and review essays as I don't particularly like the genre - mainly because I like to get truly involved in my stories and just as I find myself getting completely engrossed - the story ends and the author moves on to something else entirely.


However, i made an exception for this book and was so happy that I did. Author Crosley is hilarious and fun! fun! fun! and so is her writing.

This book of essays that deal with glimpses and events of everyday in this author's life are marvellous. From the sublime to the more ridiculous (clowns!?) each essay contains a nugget that can be taken away for future reference - all the while providing an engaging and totally fun read. What else could you ask for?

The author has certainly experienced some interesting things and was smart enough to write the down so that we could all enjoy them. As I was reading this book, I almost felt as though I was "there" living them through her eyes.

Wonderful!

Author Alice Kuipers drops by to say "hi"

Author, Alice Kuipers drops by to discuss her book and the future of publishing!! Welcome Alice!!!


Tina: Your main character is written as a "real" person with flaws and qualities. Tell me about how you view the main character's flaws?

• The main character, Sophie, felt very real to me. She kept nagging at my mind when I was trying to sleep or read and so I knew I had to write about her. Sophie is really struggling at the start of the novel with the terrible events of her past and her way of dealing with it - which is to not deal with it - is one of her flaws. She thinks being normal is really important and she hates that she can't just get on with her life. She's not very forgiving of herself and she doesn't even know herself very well. Having a character who I liked so much but who had so far to travel to get to know herself better was really exciting for me as a writer. It was challenging (and quite hard) to discover her fully on the page because she was trying so hard to hide herself from everyone. Even from herself. Definitely from me! As the author, this character haunted me and challenged me. She made me push myself to get the words on the page. Now, I view her flaws as essential to making her feel true to readers because they made her feel true to me.

Tina: Where did you get this original idea for a book?

• People often ask me about ideas and where I get them from and I try to give good answers but often the truth is a strange combination of half remembered moments and glittering impulses. I was inspired by lots of things all at once for this book. I wanted to write about panic attacks because I had this girl in my head who suffered from them. I wanted to explore the tragedy of the London bombing and the aftershock of living with that (I was in the suburbs of London that day and I needed a way to think about the events of that morning - writing is my way of thinking). And finally, I wanted to explore the relationship between two sisters. I live way too far from my own sister and I miss her. I guess all those thoughts were shifting around in my head and then the idea of words being black like inky spiders glittered in my mind and the impulse to write the opening page of the book got me going.

Tina: Do you believe that someone can live their life fully, when they have such guilt and a heavy heart?

• I think recovering from grief and from guilt is incredibly hard. I did a lot of research into how people move on from tragedy. Again and again, I found people with hearts so heavy they couldn't live their lives fully. Sophie wants to move on but to do that, she has to let herself grieve. Only then can she possibly begin to really live again. I hope The Worst Thing She Ever Did explores this accurately.

Tina: Where do you see the world of publishing in the next 5 years:

• This is a good question and one that publishers and agents are asking themselves right now, it seems. I'm not sure most of them know. Personally, and I'm not an expert, I think there will be lots of books that are only made as eBooks. Perhaps print on demand will become the way forward for paper books and perhaps book stores will have to rethink ways to meet readers. I love book shopping in stores where the staff know what to suggest for me to read next.It's one of my greatest pleasures so the thought of the changes that may come over the next five years chill me a little. I know there will still be readers and there will still be stories for writers but in the next five years, I believe the book industry will shift. Some publishers will (and already are) embracing those changes. I guess I should be excited as well as concerned. We'll see.

Tina: What do you think about ebooks?

• I had a Kobo. I loved it. It broke. A book has never ever broken on me or failed to be there when I need it at one in the morning. Books wait faithfully for me on my bedside table. I'm a little burned from my eBook affair, but next time I'm on a plane I know I'll secretly wish I had my Kobo with me...

Thanks very much, Tina. Keep up the great work!

REVIEW and Blog Tour Stop for the Worst Thing She Ever Did

A big thank you to the wonderful people at Harper Collins for inviting me to join their blog tour of the book!

TITLE:                   The Worst Thing She Ever Did

AUTHOR:              Alice Kuipers


GENRE:                 YA

RATING:                4 Stars

First of all, this book evoked so many different emotions in me that I found myself having to put it down to take a deep breath.

The author has managed to create a heart stopping story - detailing our main character, Sophie's, emotional turmoil and pain - a little bit at a time.  In fact, this is one of the aspects of the book that I love the most - Sophie "shows" us her pain instead of simply telling us about it - when she describes her panic attacks, it felt as though i was having one also!

This book is not for the faint of heart - by that I mean if you are looking for a cutesy story or one with vampires appearing suddenly - then this is not the book for you, however, if you are looking to read a deeply detailed, touching novel of what life can be like for a young adult, who suddenly finds herself in a situation she wishes with all her heart she was not in - then, you have to pick The Worst Thing She Ever Did up.  Be warned however, you will not want to put the book down once you start it.

The author's writing is wonderful - detailed in the right spots, but more importantly, touching and sensitive. As readers, we won't actually really "discover" what Sophie did - until almost the very end - but by that time, we will have completely fallen for Sophie and will find ourselves wanting to engulf her with hugs and reassurances.

Loved, loved, this book.

REVIEW for High Before Homeroom

Thank you to Maya Sloan for sending me a copy of her book.

TITLE:                High Before Homeroom

AUTHOR:          Maya Sloan

GENRE:              YA

RATING:            3 Stars

High Before Homeroom is either an extremely brilliant book or a highly dismissive one - and I am not sure what I think exactly.


The main character feels neglected by his mom and brother (isn't this kind of typical of kids that age?). He falls for a girl who seems to like bad boys - which means he has to "turn himself" into one.

Actually, this is kind of a clever twist on many other novels - where the girl does all the changing to meet the "expectations" of the guy she is interested in.


However, what I am unsure about is the fact that our main character chooses to "become" an addict in order to grab this girl's attention - he intentionally researches the entire subject and then works towards this goal.


Although, on some levels, the author did a nice job of presenting the subject in a sensitive voice - I have a problem with the entire idea. I do not "insult" easily, but for some reason, I felt upset by this development - it felt as though somehow the storyline made light of being an addict - which, of course, any addict will tell you that there is aboslutely nothing light of airy about it.


I know this is not the goal the author had in mind - but I could not shake the feeling and this tainted the book for me.

REVIEW for She's Gone Country

Thank you to Brianne at Hachette Books for sending me this novel.

TITLE:                 She's Gone Country

AUTHOR:           Jane Porter

GENRE:              Chick Lit

RATING:             2 Stars

This is the second book I have read by Jane Porter. One of the reasons I keep trying to read her books is that a) she writes chick lit and b) so many seem to love her stuff.

Unfortunately, She's Gone Country is yet the second book that I struggled to get through. For some reason, Porter's writting feels almost fake to me somehow - as though her storylines are part "slapsticky" and part chick lit - it is kind of difficult to explain, but She's Gone Country is the perfect example.

The main character is starting over, trying to get her life together, in a totally different environment. The opening features a conversation between the character and her mother about church - the whole thing felt completely "staged" to me - and the book just goes on from there.

I just did not feel into any of the characters and the storyline just did not keep me interested in the least - not even the gorgeous and sexy (kind of standard) Dane....

I really did want to like this book because I know how popular this author is - but I just did not get into it at all.

REVIEW for SmartHeart Rate Monitor from CSN Stores

Iwas lucky enough to benefit from another item from the wonderful CSN Stores website.

As you may know, I have been seriously investing in a healthier lifestyle for some time - with various degrees of success.  However, in the last little while, I have scheduled time with a personal trainer who encouraged me to acquire a Heart Rate Monitor in order to help me figure out where I stand and where I need to go, when it comes to the cardio workout of my program.

The CSNStores.com website ended up, once again, being the answer - featuring the perfect size heart rate monitor.  I chose:

Oregon Scientific SmartHeart Heart Rate Monitor with Calorie Burning Feature - SE102SKU #: OSC1016

This belt is the perfect fit for me - it features everything from the current time to your ideal heart rate - with absolutely everything you might need in between.  It even has a stopwatch feature that has become quite important to me.

The watch is made of sturdy materials and can sustain quite heavy shots (as demonstrated as I seem to constantly whack it by mistake).

The only little problem with it is that if you happen to be non mechanically inclined (like I am), the initial set up of the watch was a bit challenging.  However, once you get the "feel" for how it works, it is incredibly easy to use.

I love, love my watch and I love, love http://www.csnstores.com/  - they have just about anything you might be looking for.

REVIEW for ClockWork Angel

A great big thank you goes out to Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this book - part of a new series....

TITLE:                      Clockwork Angel

AUTHOR:                 Cassandra Clarke

GENRE:                    YA

 RATING:                   4 Stars

Well i finished it! And you know what? It was so much better than I thought. I was sure that I would get lost cause I had not read the previous books, but surprisingly no. It was a great read all on its own.

The main character Tessa is likeable, so that made the story flow evenly. You found yourself liking her and wanting to know more, so the pages kept flipping. The author is great at character development, although I found myself wishing we had more info on Will - who  plays the tortured soul a little to well for my taste, what with being so moody all the time. Jem, on the other hand, is so sweet......


It has demons, vampires and Nephilim (angel/human mix), with lots of action and drama, and just the right amount of twists to keep you gasping. I was taken by surprise when I discovered who the "bad guy' was in the end, which was nice cause most times its predictable.

So, all in all, a most enjoyable read and I give it 4 stars.

Only one problem........I now have to go buy the Mortal Instrument series,, cause I want more of the Shadowhunters!

REVIEW for Stretch

A big thank you goes out to the people at HarperCollins Canada for sending me this book!


TITLE:                Stretch

AUTHOR:          Neal Pollack

GENRE:             Memoir

RATING:            4 Stars

http://www.harpercollins.ca/books/Stretch-Neal-Pollack?isbn=9780061727696&HCHP=TB_Stretch

I have been doing yoga for about a year now and I have found it absolutely fascinating to discover just how people actually "get into" the practice.

REVIEW for Capitol Games

A big thank you goes out to the people at Hachette Books for sending me a copy of this book!

TITLE:                   The Capitol Game

AUTHOR:              Brian Haig

GENRE:                 YA

RATING:               4 Stars

The Capitol Game is another wonderful read from Brian Haig.


Although, for the most part, I have disconnected from thrillers, mainly because they are all the same, in my opinion, Haig manages to stand out from the crowd.

Firstly, he has a wonderful way of creating characters that you just love to hate - and in Capitol Game, he mixes in the world of high finance/corporate who have no problem killing or doing whatever needs to be done in order to make more and more $$ and to get more and more power - I loved it.

The writing is always breakneck speed and the pacing is perfect. The intrigue is always there and Haig has managed to incorporate a bunch of surprises in the plotline - making it difficult to figure out who are the good guys and just who will end up with the money and the power in the end.

I loved, loved this story. The book did not feel long enough to me.

REVIEW For Stolen Child

Thank you to the wonderful people at HarperCollins UK for sending me a copy of this book.

TITLE:              Stolen Child

AUTHOR:        Laura Elliot

GENRE:           Fiction

RATING:          4 Stars

To be completely honest, Stolen Child is not usually my type of read- however, I found the storyline compelling enough to attempt to read the book and I am so happy that I did.


Stolen Child is about a young couple who has it all, until their newborn is kidnapped. What follows is a hearbreaking story of how two people who love each other and their child can slowly disintegrate - without ever finding the strength to turn to each other. Rather, both parents decide to cope with their loss in their own, isolated way - which eventually rips them apart.

We also meet a second couple - who finally managed to get the baby they have ever wanted, but, as karma so often does, we find that life will quickly turn around and make sure that destiny and fate continue to run the show.

The result is an absolutely difficult and heartwrenching book. I found myself bawling, more than once, which is something I hate in a book. However, I found the book so compelling that I could not remove myself from the storyline.

This is not for the faint of heart - it is sad and, at times, downright difficult to read - however, the prose, the plotline and the inner goodness of the main characters redeem this book totally.

REVIEW For Freak Magnet

A huge shout out goes to the great Melissa at HarperCollins Canada for sending me a copy of this terrific book.

TITLE:                      Freak Magnet

AUTHOR:                Andrew Auseon

GENRE:                    YA

RATING:                  4 Stars

Freak Magnet was absolutely not what I expected and I am thrilled by this. At first, I thought this would be about a girl who somehow keeps attracting weird guys. While this would have been a witty story, Freak Magnet turned out to be book that both made me laugh and touched me at the same time.


This book also reminded that people who need each other - usually end up finding each other - regardless of all the "crap" that they may have to go through to get there and this was certainly the case for our two main characters Charlie and Gloria.

In fact, both characters are actually quite flawed - which I thought added deeply to the storyline. We get to slowly discover what motivates and pushes each of the characters to do and be how they are - and the discovery is fascinating, especially since we get to do it at the same time as the main characters.

The passages are, at times, funny and at other times touching and sad - but they are totally engrossing and created a novel that you will definitely fall in love with.

The writing is perfect - in fact, the storyline and the writing offer up a variety of images and messages that will reach both YA and adults alike - love, sadness, misunderstanding, forgiveness are all part of this book.

I loved it.

REVIEW For What Color is your Parachute for Retirement 2011

Thank you to the great people at Random House for sending me a copy of this book.

TITLE:                      What Color is Your Parachute for Retirement 2011

AUTHORS:              John E. Nelson and Richard N. Bolles

GENRE:                  Personal Finance

RATING:                4 Stars

Okay, so granted I am not all that close to retirement, although somedays I wish I were :) however, since I spent alot of my younger days NOT thinking enough about retirement and especially about preparing myself for it, I have alot of "time" to catch up on.


This book is, without a doubt, a very thorough look at all things retirement - some obvious things and some very less! Of course, being Canadian, some of the items don't really apply to me - however, I found that overall, this book was loaded with important information that will, no doubt, come in very handy.

I always feel inspired when I read these types of books - as though all things are possible and thankfully, as is the case with this series, there is a wealth of information that will go a long way in ensuring that i know what the heck I am doing now and when the time for retirement draws closer.
Very clearly written - for a layperson as well as those who are more knowledgeable. The information is ooncise without being complicated or impossible to follow. No boring graphs or technical jargon that mean absolutely nothing.

REVIEW for Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker

TITLE:         Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker

AUTHOR:    Marla Martenson

GENRE:       Humour

RATING:      4 Stars

Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker is one of those books - kind of chick lit -but in real life. In fact, I kept forgetting that this book was a "true" story instead of a novel.


Author Marla is so entertaining, real and honest as she details (in funny to funny minute installements) what life can be for a matchmaker - from both sides - the matchmaker's point of view AND the client.

What truly entertains in this book is just how "clueless" some of her clients trulye are - they seem to think that they are Richard Gere, when, in fact, they are more like Richard Klein - while they expect to be matched up with Julia Roberts types each and every time - amazing.

I felt like I was privy to some secret information and I loved it. The writing style is fun and breezy and the stories are DELISH!!

REVIEW for The Recessionistas

Thank you to the wonderful people at Hachette Books for sending me a copy of this book.

TITLE:          The Recessionistas

AUTHOR:     Alexandra Lebenthal

GENRE:        Novel (sort of chick lish)

RATING:      2 Stars

Okay, I will own up here and say that The Recessionistas is one of those books that totally frustrated me. While the entire premise was interesting - "power couples" with way too much money and very little common sense all have to come to terms with the fact that they may no longer have millions and millions to play with.


This premise, as I say, was extremely fascinating to me and while it did a good job of moving the story forward, I just found myself not connecting to any of the characters in the least - in fact, I downright hated most of them. While this does not usually present a problem to me (I don't mind reading about flaws characters) the author simply went way over the top - every character is so self centered and spoiled that I found myself completely losing interest in most of the story.

While I realize that, in the high world of big money, many people are probably incredibly flawed - I think that the author just went too far. In fact, although the authors does basically write about the lives of a few couples, who end up being more or less entertwined, I found myself thinking that I was really reading about one couple -over and over again - considering the fact that each character was so similar.

I rated this book a 2 star because of the potential it had, especially in the first few chapters - but frankly, after a while, it all got to be a bit of a bore.

REVIEW For The Lighter Side of Life and Death

Thank you to C.K. Kelly Martin for sending me a copy of her book!

TITLE:                     The Lighter Side of Life and Death

AUTHOR:                C.K. Kelly Martin

GENRE:                   YA

RATING:                 4 Stars

I have enjoyed every book written by this author and The Lighter Side of Life and Death is another winning book!


Firstly, I want to encourage this great Canadian author - but more importantly, her stories and plotlines are always, always both heartwarming and incredibly true to real life.

Unlike other YA, The Lighter Side of Life and Death does not shy away from exploring a sensitive issue - sex and teens - but does so in such a delicate and sensitive manner, that somehow, while the act of sex is present in the book - it is completely overshadowed by the main characters who are struggling to "deal" with their actions.

The author does not discourage or encourage author - but rather takes a frank look at how sex can affect people, friendships and the rest of your life.

The writing is beautiful and poignant and I felt for each character - even though they both chose to deal with "what happened" in completely different ways. While it might have been tempting to "judge" the outcome - the fact is that the author does such a great job of fleshing out her characters that you get to "discover" just why each of these reacted the way they did - which goes a long way in understanding the situation and seeing it from a variety of points of view.

I loved it.

REVIEW for Rose Sees Red

Another huge thank you goes out to Nikole at Scholastic for sending me this book.

TITLE:               Rose Sees Red

AUTHOR:         Cecil Castellucci

GENRE:           YA
RATING:         3 Stars

This is the second book I have read by this author and frankly, I found myself having the same dilemna with this one as I did with Beige - while the writing is okay, I find myself feeling as though the entire book is just "fair". 

It seems as though the book starts off really well, but then, I find myself disconnecting a little bit, although, in the case of this book, I know it is because it is set in 1982 - which may be the issue -I normally like to read stories based on today's timeline.

I also found this book to be a bit outlandish - and difficult to swallow - up to a point.  There are Russians involved and a backstory that feels improbable to me.

As I said, the writing is nice - the pacing is fine and I like that the author uses down to earth prose - not the overly blown up prose that some authors seem to feel they need to make their stories interesting.

Still, I just found myself not engaging or buying this storyline all that much.

BOOKMAS

My BFF has decided that she wanted to implement BOOKMAS - the book version of Christmas.  We are both huge booklovers and readers, so we thought it would be fun to "exchange" presents.  I loved the idea!!!

This is what I got for my gift.  While it is not necessarily "book related" - she did buy it at Chapters - our local bookstore :)

I gave her a bookmarker, a CD - Volume 1 of the music of Glee, two bottles of Yves Rocher Vanilla body lotion and a variety of ARCS and Archie comic books.

FUN!!!!!

REVIEW for How To Make A Bird

Thank you Nikole for sending me this book!

TITLE:               How To Make A Bird

AUTHOR:          Martine Murray

GENRE:             YA

RATING:           3 Stars

How To Make A Bird truly meets my definition of a coming of age book for YA.


The novel is ladden with "moments" that are geared towards helping the main character better understand her life and her role in it - as well as her role in the family dynamics. In fact, this novel is tied into family drama and all the joys and pains it can bring.

While I did like the basic premise, I found the book incredibly heavy to read - including the writing which was a little bit more "prosaic" than it really needed to be. In my mind, this story was hard enough to read without having to deal with some writing that could be considered, in my opinion, a little bit over the top at times.

I think this novel was incredibly well intentioned - but maybe just not my style.