REVIEW for The Opposite of Me

A big, big thank you goes out to Anneliese at Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me this great book!


TITLE: The Opposite of me

AUTHOR: Sarah Pekkanen

GENRE: Contempory fiction

RATING: 4 stars





Sibling rivalry, expectations and "being perfect" are the main themes in The Opposite of Me - oh! did I forget to mention a healthy dose of humor? Alex and Lindsay are twins and somehow, from a very young age, they picked up very specific labels - "the pretty one" and " the smart one" and it appears as though you can't be both at the same time.

Of course, as they age, their perfect labels start to peel away - leaving us with two sisters who slowly, but surely start to find out alot more about themselves and each other. While this book is not chick lit, it is not an overly burdened book trying to send its message, but rather a story that has been written and created to make me, as well as the other readers, ask ourselves some questions - such as why am I the way I am? and why do other people seem to feel the need to pigeonhole me? In fact, why is it that we seem to pick up these labels along the way - and we end up feeling like failures if we don't live up to all the various expectations that are put upon us by society AND ourselves.

I loved the way the author writes her story - exploring some common themes, but doing it in a sassy manner, that makes the book a terrific and fun read. At times, I liked and disliked both characters, but found myself devouring the book to find out what happens next, I am thrilled to have read this book and suggest it as a great beach read.

ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFUL NEW YORK CITY EXPERIENCES

YOGI'S KITCHEN

182 Lexington Avenue, New York City

http://www.yogiskitchen.com/

FOOD: 5 Stars out of 5

SERVICE: 5 Stars out of 5


As some of you may know, I spent the last week in New York City attending BEA.

Of course, I have alot of blogging to do about my experiences both in New York City and, more specifically, at BEA, but I wanted to start off my blogging with one of my favorite New York City experiences - discovering a great, great new Indian Restaurant - which offers WONDERS OF WONDERS - AYURVEDIC MEALS!!!


Now, before you all head off to grab a dictionary - Ayurveda is both extremely complex and simple - in its most basic form - it is an ancient Indian philosopy whereby one may prevent unnecessary suffering and live a long, healthy life through the proper foods, medicines, etc.

It is not very well known in the US and Canada, but it is a very interesting way of looking at how we eat and more specifically, what we eat.



One of the goals I had, for my visit to NYC, was to visit the Ayuverda Cafe - which specializes in serving this type of food. I was happy that I did actually make the trek to the restaurant and enjoyed my visit there, although it is way up on 96th street (very far from where I was staying).

However, the BIGGER surprise came when I discovered that a brand new Indian Restaurant, by the name of YOGI's KITCHEN, had just opened around the corner from my hotel. I chanced upon it while walking on Lexington Avenue - there it was!

I decided to have dinner there on Friday night (the night before i left). What a treat!!!!

Yogi's Kitchen was one of my best New York City moments. To enter, you walk down a few steps and are immediately in the restaurant. The decor is soothing and the entire restaurant is extremely clean. The owners, a wonderful young couple, were extremely welcoming with bright smiles (even though one of the owners was extremely, extremely pregnant). They immediately made me feel welcome as they showed me to my table.

They carefully explained the menu to me and I selected a delicious meal called YOGI THALI - which I felt was the best meal, based on my body type (Ayurveda works with body types).



The meal was served and each and every bite was perfect. The food is made entirely on site and is always fresh - and the restaurant's philosophy is that they do not use oil on anything, absolutely nothing - which means no fried foods and no unwanted fat.

The portions were just right - I felt well fed after my meal, without that feeling of having overeaten.

They also served me a very, very tasty Cardamon tea with milk - which I will attempt to reproduce (although I am skeptical about my success rate).



Throughout, the owner and I discussed the food, Ayurveda and how powerful it can be, my New York City experiences and the imminent birth of their first child.


The owners also mentioned that they are planning many interesting events, at their restaurant, in the next few weeks/months - including a consultation with an Ayurvedic practioneer, as well as a more detailed focus on the Ayurvedic doshas.

The prices were very reasonable and I loved, loved this restaurant.

If you are in New York City - run to YOGI's KITCHEN - you will be happy that you did.

Please stay tuned for more NYC and BEA experiences :)

REVIEW for Hot (Broke) Messes

Thank you to the wonderful people at Hachette Book Group for sending me this book.

TITLE: Hot (Broke) Messes

AUTHOR: Nancy Trejos

GENRE: Memoir/Personal Finance

RATING: 3 Stars



I was really looking forward to reading Hot (Broke) Messes. Having enjoyed other books written on this subject matter, I was excited.

As soon as I started reading this one however, I knew that it was not going to be quite the type of book I thought it would be.

Unlike the book Save Karyn, this book is more of a mix between memoir (the author's own personel experiences) mixed in with financial and statistical information. This did not really work all that well for me. While I could see the intent behind structuring the book this way, I always felt a little cheated when we got into numbers and statistics.

What I enjoy, when reading these types of books, is the personal story of the author. It makes me feel as though I am not alone out there and I also like the fact that usually mixed in with the story you can find humour and some handy tips on how to get out of debt (i.e. selling your stuff on Ebay).

But in this book, although the author does share her own experiences, she always follows up her stuff with boring statistics or she will follow it up with the story of someone else who has exprienced the same issues. I know this is meant to inform, but it only served to make this book feel disjointed to me.

I really only wanted to read about the author's experiences and how she got through them. If I wanted to read dry facts about debt, etc. I would pick up a different type of book.

This was not a horrible read, just not what I was expecting.

REVIEW for The Way I See It

A big thank you goes out to Robert at Globe Pequot Press for sending me a copy of this book!

TITLE: The Way I See It

AUTHOR: Melissa Sue Anderson

GENRE: Memoir

RATING: 3 Stars

I am a big lover of memoirs - especially if they are written by former TV stars, from TV shows that I remember. I have to say that The Way I See It was a fairly bland entry into the genre. On the positive side, Melissa Sue Anderson was extremely classy and restrained - especially when it came to "spilling" the juicy gossip or talking about her ex co workers.

However, I think this was to the detriment of the book, since this- one reads like one big showalogue of each episode described in painful blow by blow moments.

For anyone who has seen the show repeatedly, this must have felt incredibly boring and tedious, as it was for me, and I wasn't the kind of fan who watched each episode over and over again. There were a few interesting tidbits, especially the fact that the author lives in Montreal now! She has come a long way from that Little House on the Prairie! and as I said, you get the sense that Anderson is a very classy and discreet lady - which does not work well when you are writing a memoir.

Review for J'Adore New York (English book)

A huge thank you goes out to HarperCollins for sending this one along to me!

TITLE: J'Adore New York

AUTHOR: Isabelle Laflèche

GENRE: Chick Lit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RATING: 5 Stars

When I first heard about J'adore New York, I thought it was a French book -which is not a problem for me, since I speak French, but I was thrilled to discover that it was actually written in English.

The second big discovery for me was that the author lives in my hometown of Montreal - Yeah! i love encouraging local authors! My third "pull" was the book's cover which I thought was simply beautiful.

Which left us with the actual storyline. I have to say that this book was a perfect mix of chick lit (always my favorite) and smart storyline. Chick lit is NOT always known for its logicial and credible plots, but this book did not suffer from that "little" issue :) In fact, I adored the storyline and I found myself going through the book in 2 days (I COULD NOT put it down).

However, what was more interesting to me was the fact that I loved the storyline and absolutely hated the main character. In fact, I spent most of the book literally itching to smack her. Between her complete lack of professionalism (she is SUPPOSED to be a lawyer) to her immature behavior - I kept hoping she would get fired. However, for some reason, although her bosses kept "catching" her doing silly and stupid things (like sneaking out on a shopping spree when she should be "working hard at the office" and THEN deciding to model her purchases in her office, for her assistant.

The other thing I hated about this character was her complete lack of "guts". She spent the entire storyline shrinking like a violet and frankly, once again, I wanted to smack her upside the head. Oh, should I even mention how, for some reason, every man she met somehow "fell madly in love with her (even the waiter) - although there is a clever twist to this one.

Like I said, hated the main character and adored the storyline. The author writes in a down to earth, everyday manner that was refreshing. She also has a very solid grasp on what it is to work in a law firm and this shows clearly through the book. In fact, my favorite scenes are the ones written around the office and the many characters who work there!

Of course,one of the central points is New York City itself which just added to the beauty of this novel.

RUN to buy this one - and I really hope that the author is already working on a second book (third, fourth)!!!

REVIEW for Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

A big thank you goes out to Lydia at Penguin for sending along this book!


TITLE: The Lost Summer of Louisa
May Alcott

AUTHOR: Kelly O'Connor McNees

GENRE: YA

RATING: 3 Stars





I am a big fan of Louisa May Alcott and even had the chance to visit her homestead in Concord - it, therefore, made reading this book all that much fun - trying to imagine her in this home, living this story, as told by Kelly O'Connor Mcnees. This is a "what if" novel - which intrigued me. What if Alcott had owned up to her true passion for that "special" man - the one she is truly rumored to have been in love with? Would she have died lonely and single as she did? after all she did for the various members of her family?

I think the author wrote this book, in part, to answer this question that I believe many Alcott fans have. The Lost Summer is a fun read because it gives us the "right" to go through her life and to find out more about the person, especially the "woman" side of her - which, let's face it, we have not really read or heard all that much about in the past. I liked this book because it was a great way to escape and go back in time to another time, with an author that I really like. It was almost like "invading her privacy" and reading Alcott's own thoughts - I am always a big fan of books that answer the burning "what if" questions and this one certainly did.

So, why the 3 stars? This YA was a tad too simplistic for me - I was hoping for something with a little more bite and intensity - a little too vanilla at times.

REVIEW for By the Time you Read This, I'll be Dead

A big, big thank you goes out to author Julie Anne Peters for so kindly sending me a copy of her book!

TITLE: By the Time you Read This, I'll Be dead

AUTHOR: Julie Anne Peters

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars





By the Time you Read This I'll Be Dead has got to be one of the hardest books I have ever had to read - and believe me, I read a lot of addiction stuff - so I am use to raw stories. However, this one touched me on so many different levels, which is something I was not expecting.

Firstly, the catalyst - a young girl who has a weight problem. As soon as I read that - I was fully invested in this character. Secondly, bullying - which has become such a topical subject unfortunately.

When I was in school, there were some harsh words and some mean people, but never like this. What the heck has happened to our youth in the last 20 years to turn so many of them into monsters? and finally, Daelyn finally, through the Net, finds her perfect ally in a website that will forever change her life (what there is left of it).

This book is so incredibly well written. It is touching and shocking and extremely shocking. The author did a wonderful job of writing about bullying without glory or pride. It is way too easy, these days, to take this type of subject and to elevate it somehow -like so many storylines using eating disorders at their core. These issues ARE not glamorous and they should NEVER be portrayed as such and the author fully understood this. It is a fine line between incorporating a sensitive issue into your storyline without exploiting it for the sake of advancing the novel. I loved, loved this book. I found myself rooting for Daelyn, all the while wanting to smack her - telling her to "wake up" and to "stand up for herself". But, of course, that was the whole point in the first place.

Get this book read it and then pass it along to every YA you know.

REVIEW for Let It Ride

Thank you to Bridget Hartzler for sending me a copy of his book.

TITLE: Let it Ride

AUTHOR: John McFetridge

GENRE: Noir Thriller

RATING: 3 Stars

Let it Ride is definitely a "noir thriller" - which pretty well has included every type of bad guy there is - specifically the drug cartel and the biker gangs - not to mention one woman who is determined to make her life better and has absolutely no qualms exploiting others and stealing their cash if it will get her where she needs to get.

There is alot going on in Let it Ride and, at times, it feel as though the author was trying too hard to make his story "big, bad and dangerous". This is my major negative with this book. the author does a great job of fleshing out character that can easily drive the storyline, but he has invested so much in the background story - that at times, the characters almost get buried in everything else that is going on.

I live in a province where the biker gangs are very active - and the author's description of this environment seems pretty spot on for me - although I felt as though some of it was a little over the top at times. Overall, this book was entertaining - but the author could have toned it down a little bit and the storyline would have been better

REVIEW for Angels, Vampires & Douche Bags

Thank you! Carla!!! for so kindly sending me a copy of your book!

TITLE: Angels, Vampires & Douche Bags

AUTHOR: Carla Collins

GENRE: Humor

RATING: 4 Stars

I am a little bit in awe of Carla Collins. She has the body and the height that I have always dreamed of, she is funny AND she hasn't sold her soul to the show biz devil. Instead, she looks like a regular girl who is trying to figure it all out - from careers to husbands.

I have been a big fan of Carla's show Carlawood and love her stand up. This is why I was so excited to read Angels, Vampires and Douchebags - I just knew that, somehow, Carla would figure out a way to write a book that could be both funny and inspirational and this one truly is. Carla somehow manages to combine show business - with spirituality.

This is not an easy thing to do and, unlike many other celebrities who claim to seek spirituality (minus the meds), I believe Collins actually does it because she truly believes in its benefits. This is evident throughout the entire book. She writes hysterically about situations she has found herself in or has observed and she does, at times, bring in other people's experiences (in relation to her own life) and while you are laughing and saying "that is crazy - but I have been there", you also, somehow, pick up on the underlying message - of goodness and hope.

I loved, loved reading this book. Carla's humor is crazy - my favorite was her line about "Carla Collins Power Ranger". I am constantly amazed at people who can see the humor in any situation! It is also obvious that Collins is also deeply committed to her angels - her dogs and I do know that Carla's dog passed away a few months ago (although he does appear in the book) so it made reading about him doubly touching. I am really happy to see that even though Collins has chosen to make a career in a business that can easily steal your soul - hers appears to be intact and in the right place.

BUY THIS BOOK - it is hysterically funny.

REVIEW for Cinderella Cleaners (book 2)

Once again, thank you, thank you! Nikole!

TITLE: Cinderella Cleaners
(Prep Cool)

AUTHOR: Maya Gold

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars


Prep Cool is actually the second book in the Cinderella Cleaners series. I ended up pretty well reading both books back to back and have to say that I was sorry to see that the third installment won't be released for a while. This series, aimed at a YA audience features a wonderfully real, fun and entertaining main character in Diana - who somehow manages to turn her father's dry cleaning business into a place where dreams can come true (for better of for worse!).

In Prep Cool, Diana ends up wearing a Prep School uniform that has come to the dry cleaners for cleaning - and while she is wearing the uniform, she ends up being caught in all kinds of mischievous and odd situations - including having to take a surprise pop quizz.

The writing is truly well done in these books - making the storyline flow and creating an enchanting story - where dreams can come true (even if they don't quite turn out the way you thought they might). I can't wait to read the rest of this excellent series.

REVIEW for Tim Horton

Thank you to Lori at Fitzhenry & Whiteside for sending me this great little piece of Canadiana!

TITLE: Tim Horton
AUTHOR: Don Quinlan

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars



Okay, I have to admit that other than the Tim Horton coffee, I had absolutely no idea that this man also, at one time played hockey (albeit, it was NOT for THE only key team in hockey). So, I was completely fascinated to read this nifty little book.

This book is aimed at a YA audience, preferably one that enjoys all things hockey and it is extremely well written and well researched. Written in a very down to earth manner - obviously remembering the target audience, this book is extremely informative with some great little pictures - I thoroughly enjoyed it and it is certainly worth a good read over.

The books from this publishing house somehow always manage to combine the informative and the entertaining in one complete package.