REVIEW for The Things a Brother Knows

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

TITLE:            The Things a Brother Knows

AUTHOR:       Dana Reinhardt

GENRE:          YA
RATING:         3 stars


In full disclosure mode, I have to say that author Dana Reinhardt has been a bit of a hit and miss author for me in the last few years. While I have found some of her books absolutely wonderful, others have left me cold and this one, unfortunately, falls into the "somewhat cold" category.


While, of course, the subject matter is timely - namely about a family that is deeply affected by a family member who does tour of duties overseas, the fact is that while this book should have felt compelling and engrossing, it simply felt "off" to me.

Having said that, I have to say that I am Canadian and while, of course, because we live in a global environment, anyone who chooses to protect our country or our neighbor's country - touches all citizens, I guess I haven't been exposed to just how difficult and challenging having a family member in the army, navy or marines can truly be.

In The Things a Brother Knows - the author focuses on two brothers, one who has stayed home and tried to live his life in high school, while his older brother is away for 3 years and, even when he returns, it feels as though he is still away.

The problem with the story is that it is boring. Lots of introspection on behalf of Levi, the younger brother and not much coming back from the older brother Boaz, until Levi decides to delve much deeper into who and what his brother is really about.

The rest of the family members kind of hover around on the sidelines - never really contributing all that much to the dynamics, all the while reminind us just how painful the entire situation can be.

I did not hate this book as much as did not really grasp the messages and the meanings - mainly because I could not seem to find any interest in discovering the messages.

In short, this book is a bit boring and this made the entire reading experience painful.

REVIEW for Smile for the Camera

Thank you to the great people at Simon & Schuster for sending me this book.

TITLE:                 Smile for the Camera

AUTHOR:            Kelle James

GENRE:               YA memoir

RATING:              3 stars

I love reading memoirs and I am always impressed with the courage it takes to actually put down on paper your own life experiences – both the good and the ugly.


Having said that, I am not quite sure what to think of Smile for the Camera actually. While I do admire the author for being brave enough to write a memoir, I found myself trying to figure out the contents of this book.

Firstly, it is not really written in a particularly ‘user friendly’ manner. By that I mean that the author will begin by describing an event or episode and then sort of wander off into some kind of ‘stream of thought prose’ which may highly significant to her, but left me both confused and a little cold.

It felt to me as though the author never really delves all that deeply into her current experiences, rather choosing to compare them (by going back and forth between the present and the past – a writing technique which I HATE). Her writing usually ends up leaving me wanting more information about what she is living now.

While I realize that writing a memoir is partly about healing, I found this book to be a difficult read at times.

Having said all that, I found myself completely amazed at her life experiences in New York and loved, loved the Patience and Fortitude story.

This was not a horrible read, but it also could have been better.

REVIEW for Mo & Malaya Visit the Nurse

I have said this before, but the wonderful people at Fitzhenry offers some of the most culturally diverse and beautiful children’s books I have ever seen. I am always so proud and happy to read and review these books as I think they are a wonderful addition to any library and a ‘must’ for any child.
The variety of subjects covered is truly amazing and each and every book is lovingly created – with detailed and brightly colored illustrations that naturally entice your child to sit, read, listen and discover.

Moe and Malaya Visit the Nurse is another entry that I completely adored. This book is cleverly disguised as a charming read – all the while describing and introducing the nursing profession.

How many times have it been said that ‘the love and passion for a particular profession’ has been discovered in youth? What better way to introduce your children to the many professions open to them – especially one as noble as nursing?

Moe is six years old and looking for some adventure – so, along with her cousin Malaya they visit the nurse’s office and discover a world they never expected.

The illustrations are so adorable and the storyline is so cute that I just wanted to eat this book up. In fact, my friend’s little girl loved this story and made me read it to her 3 times!

Of course, once I finished the book, the questions started……why do nurses wear white?, why, why, why and I loved it.

I LOVE THIS CONTEST -

The wonderful people at Simon & Schuster Canada are offering a great contest giveaway.  Check out this site to enter and good luck!  PS:  Lynn Johnston is one of our most wonderful comic strip creators!

Site:  http://www.fborfw.com/

To enter the contest, just click here

REVIEW for Warm Knits, Cool Gifts

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

TITLE:               Warm Knits, Cool Gifts

AUTHOR:          Sally Melville

GENRE:             Knitting/Craft

RATING:            5 Stars


Sally Melville has a wonderfully creative mind and I am jealous. I am always so amazed by people who can create patterns from nothing - designing them to make beautiful items.


Warm Knits, Cool Gifts offers up 35 great knitting patters for just about anyone in the family and if you are interesting in making more personalized, homemade gifts for Christmas or birthdays, this is the book for you.

What first hit me is the high quality of the book. Loaded with beautiful color pictures that are easy to see - accompanied by knitting patterns that are clearly detailed - for everyone from the beginner to the more experienced knitter and everyone in between.

There is also a very nice selection of patterns for babies to adults and I loved the wide selection of gifts that are easily knitted up. In short, there is absolutely nothing to hate about this collection of knitting patterns.

I also liked the fact that the book is NOT hardcover, but rather a good quality softcover - making it way easier to tote around -

Love this collection.

REVIEW for A Winter Solstice Celebration

A big thank you goes out to Yvonne at YP Publishing for sending me a copy of this book.

TITLE:                        A Winter Solstice Celebration

AUTHOR:                   DiDi LeMay

GENRE:                      Children's Book

RATING:                    4 Stars

A Winter Soltstice Celebration is the kind of book I wish they had published when I was a little girl. 

Firstly, it is beautifully illustrated - with luscious colors and wonderful detail to each illustration.  It makes me feel as though I am living into the storybook itself - what a wonderful delight!  I read this book to my friend's little girl and she kept drawing the pictures with her fingers - fascinated by the illustrations.

Secondly, the storyline is absolutely wonderful.  While the story is about the season, it is also about a variety of animals - some nice ones and some with issues of their own - which incorporates our main character (and little hero) Miya - who has discovered just how sensitive these animals as well as Mother Nature is to the environment and all of the things that the villagers are doing to destory what we have so generously been given.  Its up to Miya to pass along the message - anyway that she can - in order to save what we have - all the while learning to enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature.

The messages in this book are clear - but what is truly amazing is that while your child is "hearing" the message, they can also enjoy the medium it is being told through - without feeling as though they are simply being hit over the head - until it sinks it.  A wonderful way of passing a truly important message - and making sure it sticks.

Lovely, lovely little book.

REVIEW for Cross Fire

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


TITLE:                 Cross Fire

AUTHOR:            James Patterson

GENRE:              Thriller

RATING:             4 Stars



Now, having said that, I have to admit that I thought the main storyline was a bit farfetched, but I simply did not care - that is how much I love reading Alex Cross! 

I am going to write this review without revealing too much - although the "twist" is revealed very early on in the story.

Suffice it to say that Cross will find himself stuck in a very scary situation, where nobody is actually who they appear to be and he will definitely need all of his wits to make sure that he and his family come out of the storyline alive. 

I loved the action and, as always, Patterson's short chapters.  I love the Alex Cross character who, in my opinion, missed quite a few "hints" in this one - could it be he is no longer as sharp? or perhaps it is because he is sooooo involved with his personal life - but I kept thinking, "the old Alex would have figured this one out a long time ago".

As always, too much personal stuff gets muddled into the storyline and I have said this before, but the whole Alex and his love life is old and seriously removes from the storyline.  In fact, Patterson seems to insist on either inserting Alex's grandmother or girlfriend(s) as much as possible - to detract from the main storyline.

I know that the author is trying to portray Alex as a family man who struggles between work and personal life balance, but frankly, I don't care - I just want the main storyline and I want more of it an less Bree and Nana.

Otherwise, a wonderful story.Okay, I have to say that I am ridiculously happy, every time I get my hands on a new Alex Cross! and, although the last few books have varied immensely for me, I have to say that Cross Fire has a great premise and excellent pacing.

REVIEW for Prisoners of the Palace

I was thrilled to be asked to review this book by the Chronicle Gold Reviewer Panel!

TITLE:                 Prisoners of the Palace

AUTHOR:           Michaela MacColl

GENRE:              Historical YA Fiction

RATING:            4 Stars

As a rule, I am not a fan of historical novels and at first glance, I thought this book was basically going to be retelling of Queen Victoria's life - before she became the queen.


I was extremely surprised and pleased to see that this book - aimed at a YA audience is actually a very clever novel telling an interesting "what if" story, all the while giving us a very subtle history lesson on the years before Queen Victoria was "Queen". I use the word subtle because the storyline is so entertaining that I never really sat back and thought "this is actually more about history than it is about the characters and the plotline".

The author is wonderful at intermingling a combination of plot, character, history, romance, suspense which, in turn, gives us a YA novel (which by the way is perfect for adult also) that is incredibly entertaning and an absolute page turner.

I also have to point out that the author is a great, great writer. The prose is perfect and so is the tone and the pace - we don't get bogged down with useless detail and the author manages to get the point across without having to resort to "tactics" that seem to be a little too common lately.

I loved the character of Liza who thinks she is going to live a life of luxury and comfort - only to discover that "fate" has other ideas. This character meshes perfectly with the Victoria character who has her own set of issues and this sets off a perfectly defined and writen plotline.

I won't give too much away as reading the plot unfold is one of the joys of this novel.

Suffice it to say that you have to read this one - its a must.

DENIS LEARY RELEASING HIS NEWEST BOOK!

I am not usually a big fan of comedians and although I had heard about Denis Leary before, it isn't before I discovered the amazing show RESCUE ME that I fell in love with him.

Leary is everything I love - sarcastic, tell it like it is, sexy AND funny and now, I am thrilled to say that his newest book called SUCK ON THIS YEAR: LYFAO @ 140 CHARACTERS OR LESS will be released in December 2010.

I can't wait to read it and I will be reviewing it so keep checking into this blog.  In the meantime, here is the trailer for the book and don't forget to check out RESCUE ME on DVD or on TV. 

I LOVE DENIS LEARY..................

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUlKEftdoSo

REVIEW for THE ROAD OUT of DEBT

A bigh thank yo goes out to author Theodore Connolly for sending me a copy of his book!

TITLE:                     The Road Out of Debt

AUTHORS:              Joan Feeney and Theodore Connolly

GENRE:                   Personal Finance

RATING:                 4 Stars

I am a big fan of books on the subject of debt - mainly because I was in debt for such a long time and managed, through thick and thin, lots of sacrificing AND reading these type of wonderful books to get out of debt.


Now, I read them for two reasons 1) to remember how easily I can get back there and 2) to read up on methods and ideas to stay out of debt, but also to amass more savings.

The Road out of Debt is actually written for the lay person - which is perfect, as I hate, hate reading books on debt that are loaded with boring information, tables and charts that only your accountant can understand. No problems with that in this book! thankfully.

Secondly, this book tackles a tough subject - bankruptcy and if you should do it. By actually telling you the pros and cons of bankruptcy and by fully explaining that in many cases, YOU DO HAVE OTHER CHOICES. In fact, this book is actually a lot of fun because it doesn't "preach" by harping on why, why, why you did not save money and why, why, why you got in debt. It focuses on fixing the problems, but offering you clear and concise information on the ways that you have available.

It is a fairly unbiaised book - which I like. Basically, the authors have done ton of research on the subject and condensed it in an easy to read and understand book - which answers pretty well any question you may have.

Buy this one.

REVIEW for The McGillicuddy Book of Personal Records

Another great book from Fitzhenry and Red Deer Press.

TITLE:                   The McGillicuddy Book of Personal Records

AUTHOR:              Colleen Sydor

GENRE:                 Children

RATING:               4 Stars

This book was absolutely not what I expected - it was way better.

Lee is 13 and is really trying to figure it all out!  So, he through an original means - of breaking records and collecting inspirational quotes - he tries to make (muddle) his way through life - trying to understand his role.

The writing is touching and the main character, Lee, is both flawed and exceptional - never quite realizing just how wonderful a person he truly is - but rather, always looking towards someone else to inspire him and give him a little key to the puzzle that is "why am i here?".

This is a great book for any young reader who feels a little bit loss and has looked towards someone else for guidance and inspiration.

Wonderfully endearing.

One of my favorite rooms in the house - my bathroom

Although I usually post about my favorite subject - books, I decided to post about a completely different subject today - my complete and utter lack of decorating skills, especially when it comes to buying furniture.  In fact, I was talking with a co-worker this morning who was telling me that she chose to hire a decorator to help her with her decorating needs.

While I would love to be able to say "my decorator suggested....", I just can't justify the high expenditure, which doesn't mean I don't absolutely envy the obvious talents decorators share, it just means that I have chosen to get creative when it comes to decorating and buying furniture.

Although I do spend alot of time in each room of my home, I have to say that the bathroom has always been the one room that I have focused on the most for a few reasons:

1)  I find it even more of a challenge for me to get creative in this particular room - and-
2) When I enter my bathroom, I want it to be a comforting area - especially since this is where I love taking
     nice hot baths and OF COURSE read!

Through lots of trial and error, I finally hit upon an idea that has been both extremely beneficial and highly inexpensive for me.  I get my bathroom furniture directly from a website that offers up an amazing selection of items which price tags that will meet any budget, all the while easily mixing and matching to your heart's content.

Amazingly, I have absolutely no need for a decorator - with a little help , I can decorate like a pro and have the bathroom that I have always wanted.

REVIEW for Proud to be Inuvialuit

Thank you! thank you! to Fifth House at Fitzhenry for sending me this book!

TITLE:                  Proud to be Inuvialuit

AUTHORS:          James Pokiak, Mindy Willett and Tessa Macintosh

GENRE:               Children

RATING:              4 Stars

Fitzhenry always produces some of the most beautiful and instructional children books I have ever seen (and read) and this newest entry is another shining example.

Proud to be Inuvialuit is simply fun, fun and (of course) entertaning AND highly instructive.  I have said this before, but as a Canadian, I don't really know much about my country's history and I simply enjoy reading these books - aimed at children - very much. 

They are always incredibly entertaining, full of fun facts and the photographs (and pictures) are detailed, sharp and eye catching.  In fact, reading these books is always a joy.

This book is relatively small - with both pictures and print and takes a more in depth look at the Inivialuit culture - something I knew absolutely nothing about.

If you are hoping to teach your children and other cultures - you must get this book.