THE BEST ROOM in MY MAKE BELIEVE HOUSE

I live in a big city - in a cute, but small apartment with a great view of the St-Lawrence River. I am sure that, if you are like me, you have certainly taken some time to think about what the "perfect reading room" would look like - if you could create it yourself!

Well, mine would, of course, be full of lovely books. Old and dusty ones with a lot of history - as well as new ARCS. I find that I am a lover of all books, but I do have a tendency to lean towards those "antique" books - especially if they look like they have a backstory of their own to tell me.

There would also be tons and tons of shelves (kind of goes without saying), made of old wood - that would have been taken from an 'old time' bookstore and let's not forget the sliding ladder that has always totally impressed me. I would also love a wing chair (preferebly green) with an ottoman and a little side table to put my books, my journal and my ever present cup of tea!

The room itself would have windows, although NOT bay windows and, the most important part - the recessed lighting! I love, love all those pictures you see showing those old fashioned libraries that has subdued lighting - so romantic and fits in perfectly with my vision of the BEST ROOM in the house.

I have managed to find the best place to buy
Recessed Lighting.

Now I need to find a place that is located in the middle of nowhere, where all you see are deer and fields). As I stare out that window, I can imagine seeing my little deer friends, strolling through a gentle snow fall - while I feel all comfortable and snug inside - reading my beloved books). Wow! What an imagination I have :)

REVIEW for Kissing Frogs in Cyberspace

I am very happy to be part of this virtual book tour for Dianne Sweeney. You can check out her website at:

http://www.diannesweeney.com/

TITLE: Kissing Frogs in Cyberspace

AUTHOR: Dianne Sweeney

GENRE: Memoir/Humor

RATING: 4 Stars


When I first discovered this book, I wasn't sure what to make of it - especially since it felt as though it might hit home a bit for me - did I really want to "go there?" I am happy that I did. This book is witty, brutally honest, scary and fun, fun, fun to read. As the author details each of her "dating" experiences, you are reminded just how difficult and challenging it can be to find that special someone and in this case, she certainly had her share of frogs - wow! At times, I wondered how one person could hit upon so many frogs. Some of the stories were hilarious and some were sad - regardless, the author managed to keep her sense of humor about the whole experience and it was wonderful to read about a woman who refuses to give up - despite her experiences that were less than thrilling. Funny, funny book that will make you think about your own relationships and how you deal with the men in your life. It also made me feel slightly depressed about how many frogs are really out there - especially since these frogs think they are such princes - makes me wonder how we can all be so far apart on our thinking. The writing is entertaining and captivating - the only negative comment I have is that sometimes, the stories are too short - while I am not a big fan of lots and lots of details, I think these stories, at times, could have used a bit more.

THE CONTEST CONTINUES ------

Is launching its new release WHITE CAT on May 4th. Don't forget to visit their website for more information on their great giveaway and on the book!!!!!

http://www.simonandschuster.ca/sweepstakes/the-white-cat-sweeps

REVIEW for The Complete History of Why I Hate Her

I am very grateful to the author and publisher who so kindly sent me a copy of this book.




TITLE: The Complete History of Why
I Hate Her

AUTHOR: Jennifer Richard Jacbson

GENRE: YA

RATING: 3.5 Stars





I have to admit that at first, I found that the storyline was a little slow, however, I continued reading because a few blogger friends of mine had mentioned that this book would be "my" type of book. I am glad that I did.

Once I got pass the first chapter or so - which I now see was crucial to the storyline as an introduction of our character Nola and her family life, I found myself getting completely involved in Nola and her "hopes" for the summer. I immediately felt for her - it is obvious that what is going on at home, especially with her sister's illness is absolutely overwhelming her and all she wants is to be able to get away and live a "teenage summer".

Nola finds a job away from home, as a waitress, and immediately hooks up with a new friend Carly - and while, at first, things go well, it is obvious that Carly is not really the BFF that Nola hoped she would be.

The most fascinating aspect of this book is the interaction between the two girls - and specifically how Carly slowly starts to show her true character and how Nola tries to deal with it - or not. This book takes a harsh look at friendship and how it can be as dysfunctional a relationship as any other kind.

There is a love interest for Nola that acts as a bit of a trigger that sends Carly almost completely into the land of the sociopath, but other than that, I did not really care or connect all that much with the romance.

This book is about girls - and how they can be best of friends or the worse of ennemies - very, very scary.

The writing is very good and the pacing was great, most of the time. I am not someone who enjoys lots and lots off detail in my stories and, at times, Jacobson, could bog herself down a little bit, but then, she would pick up the pacing again which would put the storyline back on track.

I liked this one.

REVIEW for Cinderella Cleaners (book 1)

Thanks to Nikole at Scholastic Books, I have discovered a great new YA series!

TITLE: Cinderella Cleaners

(Change of a Dress)

AUTHOR: Maya Gold

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars

No wonder the author used the word Cinderella in her title - about Diana, a normal young adult who works at her dad's dry cleaners to make extra money. But somehow, thanks to Diana's imagination and some good friends, she manages to turn the boring dry cleaner into a place where imagination, fairy tales and hopes can come true - especially when a special dress comes in to be dry cleaned.

I thought the story was both touching and beautiful without ever being over the top silly, which could easily have happened here if the author had not been so proficient and talented in the way she weaved her storyline. The main character is wonderful and actually portrayed as a very ordinary girl who does not have a trust fund - but rather some wonderful friends who are willing to go through some great experiences with her.

Very well written, entertaining as all heck and fun! fun! fun!

REVIEW for Nice Recovery

A big thank you goes out to author Susan Juby and the people at Penguin Canada for sending me this book!







TITLE: Nice Recovery

AUTHOR: Susan Juby

GENRE: Memoir

RATING: 4 Stars



I am such a huge fan of Susan Juby and I was thrilled to find out that she wrote this book (and a little surprised).In Nice Recovery, we get to find out a lot more about the author of the Alice series.

She is incredibly honest her battle and addiction with booze - and I applaud her for having the courage to write about a subject that is so personal.Its amazing to me, after reading her story, that she has managed to come out of her experience.

Its obvious that Juby was deep into her addiction and thankfully, she managed to get help - it is an inspiring story that leads a person and author that is sober and healthy enough to write this book.I detect Juby's writing style immediated in this book - although the subject matter is way more serious than her usual YA style, you can still detect the humour and overall tone of hope - I loved it.

Written with raw honesty and very touching, I find myself rooting for Juby to stay clean and sober so that she can lead a happy life and continue to give us great stories

MORE "HOLY" GIVEAWAYS FROM SIMON & SCHUSTER

One of my favorite publishing houses is holding a great giveaway as part of their WHITE CAT campaign!!! So check it out:

(Sorry guys! but this one is void in Quebec (Yeah! i know...we are use to it by now :)

http://www.simonandschuster.ca/sweepstakes/the-white-cat-sweeps

REVIEW for Yoga, Your Home Practice Companion

Thank you so much to Chris from DK Books for sending me this wonderful, wonderful book on yoga.

TITLE: Yoga, Your Home Practice Companion

AUTHOR: Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center

GENRE: Yoga - Health Fitness

RATING: 4 Stars

I am completely in love with this book. Yoga, Your Home Practice Companion is an absolutely all inclusive book that takes a user friendly approach to all things yoga. From the wonderful color pictures clearly detailing the inside of our bodies - specifically our muscles and ligaments to "how to" pictures explaining the various yoga poses that are recommended for us, this book covers every high point of any yoga practice.

However, what really sold this book to me is the last part of the book - the section on how to eat better. There are quite a few easy to do recipes that are easy and require minimal foods - low fat, no sugar and affordable products.

I have tried almost all of the recipes and I would say that at least 80% were excellent and extremely easy to do. This book really covers off everything you can asociated with yoga and I loved, loved, loved it.

REVIEW for My Invisible Boyfriend

Another HUGE thank you to Nikole at Scholastic Books Canada for sending me this great, great read!





TITLE: My Invisible Boyfriend

AUTHOR: Susie Day

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars




I loved reading Invisible Boyfriend, partly because the storyline is so creative and cute - I mean, really, who, in high school did not have the thought of creating the "perfect" boyfriend - you know, the one that you could never really find in real life because - let's face it - the perfect boyfriend does not exist other than in our own minds.

I loved the Heidi character because she was fun, engaging and smart - which is always something that I look for in my main characters - no wishy washy girls need apply! The only part that I thought was a bit predictable was the "guy falling for Heidi" and while I do see why he is brought into the storyline, it felt as though i had read this part before.

Nonetheless, once I got use to his contribution to the storyline, I once again, found myself totally egaged and in love with this book. Sharply written, with great humor and wit - loved it.

FELINE GIVEAWAY - FROM SIMON & SCHUSTER!!!

CHECK OUT SIMON AND SCHUSTER - THEY HAVE A GIVEAWAY - JUST FOR YOU!!!!





















http://www.simonandschuster.ca/sweepstakes/the-white-cat-sweeps

REVIEW for The Curable Romantic

Thank you to author Katharine Miller for sending me this book!

TITLE: The Curable Romantic

AUTHOR: Katharine Miller

GENRE: Humor

RATING: 4 Stars

I could not believe how much I identified with the stories in The Curable Romantic. The author did such a wonderful job of writing a book that manages to somehow be both sarcastic and funny - with a little love/romance advice thrown in for good measure.

This book is pretty tiny and did not take me very long to read, but I confess that I went back and re-read a few of the passages as I just loved them. This book is perfect for someone who just broke off with someone or for someone who is in love - it really kind of puts love/romance in perspective and does it with irony and fun, fun, fun!

I like that these types of book take the drama out of romance - we have somehow become so entangled in our love affairs and lost the idea that it should be fun and lovely. I loved this book.

I AM SO READY FOR SEX AND THE CITY 2

Okay, this is not realy book related, especially since I have NEVER been able to get into any book written by Candice Bushnell, but I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ready for this movie!!!! I mean - Christ Noth (sigh!) and some of the best chick lit EVER! Next to the third installment of the Bridget Jones movie, this is THE only other movie that I would willingly stand in line for hours to see.

IT IS STARTING MAY 28, 2010 - when I will be at BEA in NYC - perfect!!!!

REVIEW for Tagged

Thank you to the wonderful Adam at Harlequin - who is both cool and a generous with his books!







TITLE: Tagged

AUTHOR: Mara Purnhagen

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars



When I first started reading this one, I was a little worried - I liked the whole "tagged" premise, but after reading the first few pages, I thought this book would be kind of a boring YA with vanilla characters who like to draw. Boy, was I wrong. Althoug the main character Kate is hardly a rebel without a cause, I actually grew to like her a lot, actually my interest in her grew just as she was growing, especially as she debated with herself (and her own conscience) just how far this whole tagged wall should be brought - especially considering who her dad was.

This book was certainly about the love of art (or is it vandalism in its purest form?) but it also a social commentary on how one person's form of expression can be somebody else's worry. It was amazing to read about how differently people react to the very same situation - this to me was the real value of this story.

All in all, Tagged was a good read, with a backstory that forces you to take a step back and analyze what is around you and more specifically what makes YOU tick, especially when it comes to viewing things in the right light.

REVIEW for Secrets at St-Jude's Drama Girl

Another big, big thank you goes out to author Carmen Reid for so kindly sending me this book (and the previous ones) in this wonderful series!

TITLE: Secrets at St-Jude's Drama Girl

AUTHOR: Carmen Reid

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars


I have read every book in the Secrets at St-Jude's series and each one is better than the last. Author Reid has managed to create characters that are smart, endearing and with extremely distinct personalities - which makes reading each book fun and interesting - you never know what is going to happen next and, thanks to the diversed personalities involved, you can always be sure that it will be entertaining.

In Drama Girl, we find that the girls are back - and this book is different in that Gina's friends from the US and Scotland will actually get to meet for the first time - with a very interesting outcome. Let us not forget the "other" drama going on - in between Gina's boyfriend, school plays and jealousy - there is truly a lot of drama going on - and somehow, Gina is smack in the middle of it all. I love this series so much and I adore reading about the direction each girl is taking.

What does not work as well for me is the relationship between Gina and her boyfriend. Ever since the last book, I get the impression that Gina is extremely on the "fence" about him - at times thinking he is the greatest thing since slice bread and at others, thinking he is the biggest wimp - this relationnship just does not work for me! Everything else, however, is perfect and I just love reading the daily going ons at this "private, secluded" school.

Reid writes very well and her YA novels are also enjoyable to adults (I am proof). She tends to write with a very down to earth style which I love and stays away from too many boring details and does not use methaphors that would be both unappreciated and unecessary. This is a great read.

REVIEW of For Keeps

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





TITLE: For Keeps


AUTHOR: Nathasha Friend


GENRE: YA



RATING: 5 stars



As many of you know, I rarely rate a book 5 stars. However, everything I have ever read by Natasha Friend has always been top notch and For Keeps is another winner.

Natasha Friend writes YA, but she also tends to write YA with a conscience and a message.

In For Keeps, Friend does not stray away from the difficult subject matter of teen pregnancy - we find our main character Josie - she is living with her mom and they have been there for each other since the beginning. Josie knows that her mom is afraid of falling in love again - ever since her mom got pregnant in high school and "the guy" left her to have her baby alone - there are major trust issues with men for both women and Josie has vowed "never to find herself in that situation". So, Josie often finds herself the "adult" with her mother and never is this more obvious on the day where Josie and her mom "come across her father's parents" - the Tuccis are back in town and now Josie must decide whether she will actually introduce herself to them.

However, fate steps in - one night Josie's grandfather (who is not aware of her existence) actually walks into her shop to get something to eat - they bond and the story develops from there.

As Josie gets to know more about her dad, she also discovers some things about her mom and herself and will eventually have to come face to face with the thing that scares here the most in the world.

This book is soooooo well written and the Josie character is so touching that I found myself crying in some spots. I loved that nobody in this novel is the horrible, selfish person that I first thought they might be and this book reminds me that nothing is ever just black and white (a lesson Josie will also learn).

This book is absolutely wonderful and I read it in one sitting. I suggest that you go out and buy every Nathasha Friend book you can find and read them all!!!! These books are precious for any YA, but they are also life lessons for adults.

I LOVE THIS BOOK!

REVIEW for Just Like Me, Only Better

Thank you so very much to author Carol Snow and her publicist for sending me a copy of the book to read and review!

TITLE: Just Like Me, Only Better

AUTHOR: Carol Snow

GENRE: Chick Lit

RATING: 4 Stars

I consider myself quite the "expert" when it comes to all things related to chick lit, which is why I am so baffled by the fact that I had never heard of author Carol Snow before. She has written quite a few chick lit novels and I never read any of them until Just Like Me, Only Better.

This book is exactly what good chick lit should be - airy, funny, entertaining and extremely engaging - I started this book and could not put it down (which is a good and bad thing as I wanted the experience to last as long as possible).

We meet Veronica who has been dealt quite a blow - her older (much) husband has actually left her for an older woman!! (nice take on the "mistress" issue). She is sort of kind of dealing with it and having her young son around really helps. What also really helps is the fact that she looks alot like superstar Haley Rush - and this is where the story takes a delightful and fun turn.

Veronica is asked to "replace" Haley at public outings because, as she will come to find out, Haley is completely falling apart in many ways. This was one of the best aspects of the storyline - while you think that you will be reading about yet another spoiled superstar, you come to discover that Haley is actually a lot more complex - and this realization is only given to us in very small doses at a time.

Veronica actually starts to "sort of" bond with Haley, all the while struggling from falling in love with Haley's "ex" and Haley's Manager.

Throughout the storyline, Veronica never really forgets who she is and this added a layer of reality that just touched a perfect tone- she continues to deal with her very life issues - away from the spotlight and glamour that she has been thrown into. There is a very obvious difference between the two women and their lives - all the while, making us realize that fame and money are NOT always the right answer.

Extremely engaging, well written and utterly charming - I have now ordered every one of Carol Snow's other novels - I can't wait to read them - more chick lit on the way YEAH!!!!

You HAVE to get this one!!!!!!

SOME FUN IN THE COUNTRY

I seem to naturally be gravitating to the country side more and more and when a friend mentioned that he has a friend who recently bought a house down in the country with tons and tons of land - along with a house that he is renovating, it felt like the perfect time to go out and experience some "country living".

The place is BEAUTIFUL. We walked the length of the land and it took us 1 hour! It is sooo quiet and beautiful out there - I would definitely move there in a second - it is exactly what you need if you want to be able to sit down and smell the roses!! or in my case, sit down outside in the beautiful sunshine reading my book - while the guys do weird things with drills, axes and wall sockets.

The best part!!! I SAW DEER in the backyard, just looking at us while they casually eat and roam around - they were BEAUTIFUL! BEAUTIFUL! Those little buggers are smart as heck let me tell you - they outsmarted me as I kept trying to figure out where they were hiding.

I also saw ducks - actually a loon and a duck - they were drinking out of the backyard pond - sooooooo cool!!!

I am a city girl - so I don't get to see DEER too often - I could really get use to living in the country - maybe I am really a country girl at heart!!!!

I took some cool pictures (by the way, there is a restaurant called Herb's - which is a truck stop that serves some excellent, excellent food - including a huge, huge piece of chocolate cake - this thing was not to be believed!

Of course, I also did my pilgramage to my my favorite place on earth - The Ruins! the most soothing place I have ever visited.

I had a great, great time!

NEW KNITTING PROJECT

Although reading and reviewing are my top loves!! I do admit that knitting is something I enjoy - BUT I have to really fall in love with both the project and the yarn, or else I just won't finish the project!!!!

I found a great site (thanks for telling me about it Avis of She Reads and Reads http://shereadsandreads.blogspot.com/- ) it is called Ravelry...and I just found the perfect knitting project for me since I am such a tea/coffee addict.

If you want to grab the pattern, just go here:

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Gravityslave/coffee-and-tea-dk-pot-holders (its free and the author has given us permission to reprint).

I will post my finished pot holders as soon as I am done (off to the yarn store now!!!).

REVIEW for A Match Made in High School

Thank you to author Kristin Walker for sending me a copy of her book to read!

TITLE: A Match Made in High School

AUTHOR: Kristin Walker

GENRE: YA Chick Lit (!!!!!)

RATING: 4 Stars

I had to admit that when I first started reading A Match Made in High School I was thinking "oh no, not another one of these" but after about page 10, I immediately realized that this book was going to have an interesting storyline - loaded with twists that I did not actually see coming - THIS IS THE BEST TYPE OF STORYLINE. Because I read so much, I have become quite adept at figuring out plots before they actually happen, but I was in for quite a few surprises with this book.

First off, I loved all of the characters - of course, we needed the "requisite" mean girl in Amanda, but I do have to say that even this character was extremely well written and fleshed out. The main character Fiona was fun and usually smart and interesting, although I found myself shouting at her a few times - especially when she was so "over the top" talking non stop about herself and all her horrible problems. Still, she was written perfectly to reflect a YA.

The big surprise for me was Todd - who comes off really as the biggest jerk - but ends up being a lot more complex than I would have expected. I think he was the most interesting of all the characters - and I am thrilled with the ending - as it was totally not predictable (enough said about that without giving away the spoilers).

Fiona's best friend Marcie was okay for the most part, but I found her to be a bit of a backstabber and I was really not crazy about some of the stunts she pulled - especially about being dishonest with Fiona, all the while preaching to Fiona about what a "real" friend is supposed to be like.

The writing is witty and fun and this book never lags - I loved it and was sorry it ended.