Books We're Loving

*affiliate links have been used

Confession time: I haven't been reading much at all these days. Like, I've read half a book so far for the month of April. January started out really strong, with 4 books read, and then my reading progress just piddled away from there. I can't even really explain it, but I'm just not reaching for a book when I have time to read. Blame it on being too tired, focusing on other hobbies right now, or just lack of interest in reading. Perhaps a combination of all three even, but however you look at it, my reading is severely lacking so far. That being said, the books I have managed to read at least have been really good reads! There's nothing worse than reading bad book after bad book, especially when you aren't reading very much to begin with. 

Loved: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry was such a charming and lovely book. The writing was beautiful and it hit me with all the feels when I was least expecting it. It's about loss and love and family and how when you least expect it, the right people (both young and old), will find their way into your life. And it's a book about books, so what's not to love? 

It Ends With Us was also a really good read. A little more chick-lit and a lot more sexy times than I was expecting, but I had a hard time putting this book down. I was worried that the ending was going to be too cliche, but I think the author approached a difficult topic really well. I don't want to give anything away, but the message this book sends is really important and be sure to read the author's note at the end!

The last good book I read was The Lost Husband. If you've read any of my last book posts, then you know I adored Happiness for Beginners by the same author so I was excited to dig in to one of her other books. I wasn't disappointed in the least! This is a book about loss, moving on, forgiveness, hope, love and self-growth.While I couldn't relate to having lost my husband, I could relate to being a mother, and I just really liked the main character, Libby. She was honest, real, and just trying to live a good life in order to give her children a better life. 

Currently Reading: I had high hopes that I would read all of the books while on holidays in Florida, but alas, that never happened. I started reading Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid while on the airplane and devoured 150 pages. I was pulled in on page one and crying by page two. But, despite loving it, I haven't been able to bring myself to read anymore (see first paragraph again, haha!). Anyway, my goal is to finish it by the end of the month! 

Looking Forward To: I feel like this is a trick question, haha! I can't say I'm looking forward to reading anything right now, BUT, I do have two books I recently purchased that I am really interested in reading as soon as I find my reading mojo. Ange highly recommended Unf*ck Your Habitat: You're Better Than Your Mess to me and I think it will be really helpful in learning how to attack clutter and disorganization in my home. The second book I picked up was The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy, a memoir about the adventures and heartbreak of being "a woman who is free to do whatever she chooses". Let's hope the reading bug hits me again soon!

Don't forget to head over to Becky's blog to see what she's loved, is currently reading and what she's going to read next! 


What are you reading right now? 

Any new releases you're looking forward to?

Books We're Loving For Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! After texting about books one evening, (like all the cool kids do), Becky and I thought it would be fun to put together a Valentine's Day inspired post sharing our favourite books about love! We read a lot of the same books and we've read a lot of really wonderful books with great love stories in them. After much consideration, we each picked our top three, but we both agree that these six books make up our top picks for best love stories out there. You can read about my choices below, and then head on over to Becky's blog to read about hers. 

One True Loves: This was one of my favourite reads from 2016, and a book that I recommend to everyone (even if they aren't asking me for book recommendations). This is the story of Emma, and how she must choose between the first love of her life, Jesse, her husband who she thought was dead, and the new love of her life, Sam. It's raw, real, heartbreaking and heartwarming. Your heart will feel torn in two while Emma grieves and tries to figure it all out, but you will feel put back together by the end of the book. The rollercoaster of emotions you will go on while reading this book is more than worth it. Be prepared to want to read this book in one sitting.

The Royal We: The fictional retelling of the love story of Prince William and Kate will have you turning pages long into the night and wishing for more once the last page is turned. It's messy, honest, entertaining and all around a delight to read. Even if you aren't a fan of the real Duke and Duchess, I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this book. And if you're like me and prefer to read the book before the movie, then hurry up, because there's talks of a movie adaptation being made!

Attachments: This is one of the neatest love stories I've ever read. It's charming and sweet without being over the top. Told mainly through email correspondence between Jennifer and Beth, with interspersing chapters from Lincoln, the IT security guy at their company, Lincoln finds himself in a position in which he's often reading Jennifer and Beth's red-flagged emails. It's 1999, and the internet is a relatively new phenomenon in the work place. After awhile, Lincoln finds himself falling in love with one of the women writing the emails. But how can you confront the woman you're falling for when you've never even met in person? Love before sight.

See Becky's picks here.


What's your favourite love story? 

Which book(s) would you add to this list? 

The Books I've Been Reading {#16}

January ended up being a pretty good reading month, considering I wasn't sure how reading was going to fit into my life with a newborn and a toddler. Of course, fitting in reading often means I'm staying up way too late to get in a few chapters, but some habits never die. Once a night owl, always a night owl!

I read four books in January and really enjoyed three of them. I probably should have DNF'd the one I didn't like (Girl Runner), but I just couldn't do it. While I'm not too happy I spent time slugging through it, I am glad I finished it since it's a book I've owned for a few years and had been wanting to read. Now I can happily donate it to my neighbourhood's Little Free Library!

Here's what I read:

1. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi: This was a hard book for me to put my thoughts about in writing. How do you judge a book written by a man while he was dying? A man who was intelligent beyond belief and who would have continued to make enormous contributions in the field of medicine had he not left this Earth too soon? I have nothing but tremendous respect for Kalanithi. And I can't even begin to pretend I know what he or his family went through during those last years of his life. That being said, while I found the first part of his book interesting from a clinical/medical viewpoint (having been a nurse myself), it wasn't until the epilogue that I was truly moved and brought to tears. A poignant read, it is really only the epilogue that has stuck with me since I finished this book. (4/5 stars)

2. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin: I adored this book! It's been sitting on my shelf for ages and I'm so glad I finally picked it up. It's one of those subtle, charming and lovely books that just hits you with all the feels when you least expect it. It's about loss and love and family and how when you least expect it, the right people (both young and old), will find their way into your life. It's also a book about books and bookstores and book lovers and it was truly a wonderful read. I can't imagine anyone (especially a fellow book lover) not loving this one! (5/5 stars)

3. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty: This is a story about secrets. One's we tell and one's we take to our grave. It's also a story about relationships: husband and wife, mother and daughter, mother and son, as well as other various relationships within one's own family. It was complex, but not confusing, although it did take me several chapters to really get into. At first, there's not a lot that seems to tie these different characters together, but as the book progresses, so does Morality's gift of storytelling. I love how her characters start to come together and how even the littlest of decisions effects their future. When John-Paul's wife, Cecelia, finds a letter written to her by her husband years ago, on the birth date of their first daughter, he asks her not to open it. When she realizes how distraught John-Paul is over the idea of her reading the letter, Cecelia knows she needs to read it. What possible secret could he be keeping from her? The contents of the letter changes everything.

This book made me think of the butterfly effect; how every little decision we make, both intentional or not, alters our future. We think we know our closest family and friends, but in truth, we all have secrets, big and small. My favourite part of this book was the epilogue. It really illustrated how if we knew the secrets our family kept, it would change everything. It was really powerful and it gave a unique way to wrap up loose ends, something that is rarely done in books (but that I appreciate when done right). This was my third Moriarty book, and while it was my least favourite of the three, I still really enjoyed it. (4/5 stars)

4. Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder: This is the book I should have DNF'd. It took me forever to get into as the story really jumps around and with no dates or anything to tie into the timeline, I found it so confusing trying to figure out where we were. I found none of the characters that interesting which is saying a lot since the main character, Aggie, is one of the first women to compete in the Olympics in running. I mean, this SHOULD be a fascinating story. What I thought was going to be a story about running, and Aggie's Olympic experience, I found that to be too small a part of the book. Overall, it was a sad story, but not a very compelling, sad story. I was so glad when I finally read the last page. (2/5 stars).

What have you been reading lately?

Are you a fan of Liane Moriarty's books? 

I'll be linking up tomorrow with Steph & Jana for Show Us Your Books! 

The Books I've Been Reading {#15}

Since I missed doing this post last month, I'll be talking about the books I read in November and December. Two out of the seven books I read were complete duds, but the other five more than made up for them. December was a slow reading month. Once I finished, on December 16, what would be my last book for the year, I just didn't have the time or the energy to read anything else. I started When Breath Becomes Air, but my heart just wasn't in it, so I put it aside until it was. I picked it back up once I was home from the hospital and it's the first book I read of 2017, but I'll be talking about it in next months post.

I plan to talk about my bookish goals (and recap my 2016 year of reading - spoiler: it's been my best year since starting this blog 5 years ago!) in another post, including my expectations on what my reading will look like this year.

In the meantime, here's what I read to round out 2016!

1. You Had Me at Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness by Julie Klam: I had such high hopes for this book, but it was one of the worst books I think I've ever read. The story telling was disjointed, it was boring, and I have no idea how this got published. I was horrified by the lack of control and training Klam exhibited upon her own rescue dogs. Peeing and pooping all over her apartment, biting not only her and her husband, but her toddler!!!?, not trained to walk on leashes, snapping and barking at every person they walked by. I just don't get it. What did this book bring to readers other than frustration and annoyance? You can read my full rant HERE.  (1/5 stars)

2. Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Carter: This was one of the best books I read in 2016. Like, it's right up there with One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It was fun and easy to read, but it also had depth and a lot of food for thought.  It was funny and witty, hopeful, sad and left me wanting more, but in a good way. Just a delightful book, not one you would expect to love so much. I highly recommend this one if you haven't read it yet. (5/5 stars)

3/4/5. Winter Street/Winter Stroll/Winter Storms (Winter Trilogy) by Elin Hilderbrand: A lovely, really cute series that I had fun reading. Perfect books to fill that need of wanting to read something wintery/Christmassy. They're short, but full of characters and details, and you will find yourself wanting to visit Nantucket in December when you're done. I read them back to back to back, which I recommend doing if you haven't read any of them yet since the first two in the series do end abruptly and with a bit of a cliff hanger. (3/5 stars)

6. Wrapped Up in You by Carole Matthews: Oh man, this was the other flop of the bunch. Unfortunately, this was also my last A Slice of Brie Book Club for the time being, and instead of going out with a bang, we all suffered through 400+ pages of a boring, annoying and ridiculous storyline. This book was SO cheesy and just totally unbelievable. Full book club review/rant HERE. (1/5 stars)

7. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris: I read this mystery/thriller in one day and really enjoyed it. It's creepy, intense at times, and I couldn't put it down as I needed to know how the story was going to unfold and how it was all going to wrap up. One of the best endings in a mystery/thriller I've read in a long time! (4/5 stars).


What have you been reading lately?

What books are you looking forward to reading in 2017?


Linking up with Steph & Jana for Show Us Your Books!

The Books I've Been Reading {#14}

I dedicated October to reading just thrillers/mysteries and now that I have that genre out of my system, I'm ready for some more fun, lighter reads to finish off the year! I read 5 books last month and while two fell a bit short, it was a pretty good reading month. I'm also well on my way to possibly hitting 52 books read this year (has never happened!) which pleases me to no end since my original goal was 30. I know it's not about the number of books you read in a given period of time, but ever since I joined Goodreads back in 2012, it's always been a goal of mine to hit 52 books at least one year! Right now I've read 47 books, so I'm confident I will succeed this year.

1. Still Mine by Amy Stuart: This is one of the books that fell short for me. Once again, we have a bit of an unreliable narrator since Clare is running from her past and demons, is a recovering drug and alcohol abuser, and as the reader, we have no idea why she's "on the job" in some small, remote town. But she's there and she's determined to find out what happened to the local girl who has recently gone missing. Overall, this was a pretty "meh" read. I did read it quickly though because there's still an element of "I need to know what happens", but it definitely wasn't suspenseful, at least not until the last few pages. The whole storyline felt weak, and the ending was kind of lame. (2.5/5 stars)

2. Always Watching by Chevy Stevens: This is the story of Nadine, a psychiatrist at a psychiatric hospital, whose past has finally caught up with her. Having spent 8 or so months at the age of 13, living in a spiritual commune (ie. a cult) with her mother and older brother, Nadine has never been able to recall certain events of that time. That is, until she meets patient Heather, a young woman who has recently left the same commune, run by the same man it was back when Nadine was a girl. Treating Heather leads to Nadine finally uncovering truths about her own past on the commune, events she couldn't even recall under intense hypnotherapy sessions years ago. As Nadine starts to put the pieces together, and discovers that the commune has grown larger and more successful, she becomes determined to do anything to stop them from hurting even more innocent victims. 

I was expecting more of a thriller because this IS Chevy Stevens after all, but I'd say this was more of a psychological mystery...still really good and a page turner, just not as intense as her other books I've read. (3.5/5 stars)

3. All is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker: I really liked this book, despite it's graphic content. The premise: what if you could be given a drug immediately following a traumatic event that would erase your memories of it? Would you take it? You'd still know what happened, but you wouldn't be able to remember the actual event. This is the story of a 16 year old girl who is brutally raped in the woods during a party and her parents decide to give her the drug. They feel confident that they don't want their baby girl to have any recollection of this horrible crime and hope by not remembering, she can continue to live her life as a teenager. But maybe not remembering isn't as peaceful as you would hope it would be. How do you get closure then? How do you heal, recover and move on? Does not remembering the actual emotions associated with the event make it easier to accept such a thing happened? And then of course there's the whole question of: if you can't remember what happened, how is that person ever going to be caught and brought to justice? 

This story is told entirely from the perspective of the psychiatrist treating not just the 16 year old girl, but of her parents too. It was a unique point of view and I felt it worked well in this situation since so much of the story was able to be told through the dialogue of the therapy sessions. Also, the "retired" psych nurse in me enjoyed the memory/memory recovery aspect of the book. The topic is tough though, and revisited over and over so fair warning to those who don't want to read about such a topic. (4/5 stars)

4. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs: This was the pick for last month's A Slice of Brie Book Club, and while I've been wanting to read it for years now, I was left feeling pretty underwhelmed by it. It's a beautiful book, physically, and well written, but the characters and the story really didn't do much for me. I wanted it to be more creepy - I feel like it had all the elements to be so, but it really wasn't. Parts of the story I found confusing (the time-loops and the hallowgasts) and other parts just boring. I really can't see myself finishing off this series, but I will still see the movie once it's out of theatres! (3/5 stars). 

5. The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain: I really enjoyed this book and I devoured it in a few sittings. 25 year old Riley has always believed that her older sister committed suicide when she was a teenager and Riley was only 2. But when her father dies and she is faced with the task of going through his stuff, she discovers that her sister has been alive all this time and is living under a new identity. Riley, desperate to seek out the whole truth and find her sister, also risks exposing family secrets and putting people at risk. 

What a crazy situation to be in: both your parents are now dead, and your brother wants nothing to do with the past. And then you find out something that will rock your world: just when you feel like you have almost no family left, you find out that your sister is indeed still alive. Why? How? And where is she? Once we know for sure that Riley's sister, Lisa, is still alive, we get periodic chapters from her point of view, dating back to the time she staged her own suicide. I really enjoyed these chapters and getting to know Lisa and what was going on in her life and how she was dealing with everything that was happening. I was often feeling scared for Lisa and while I hoped that Riley could be reunited with her, I also didn't want anything to jeopardize Lisa's life (or Riley's). 

While predictable at times, this was a definite page turner as I needed to know how everything turned out. It wrapped up a bit too neatly, but then again, not everything in life has to be messy, does it? (3.5/5 stars)

*****

December's A Slice of Brie Book Club pick is Wrapped Up in You by Carole Matthews. If you want to join us, we'd love to have you! More details HERE. 

What have you been reading lately? 

Do you read Winter/Christmas themed books around the holidays? Any recommendations?

Linking up with Steph & Jana for Show Us Your Books!

The Books I've Been Reading {#13}

I seriously feel like I just wrote last month's post on the books I've been reading. September really did fly by in the blink of an eye! The month started out slow for me on the reading front as I tried to work my way through a review book I was sent. I wasted about a week on it before finally calling it quits (more on this book below). What a relief when I did! And thank goodness too, because I ended up moving on to three WAY better books!

Here's what I read in September:

1. One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid: I think everyone (at least out in blog land) has read this book already and I'm so glad I'm one of them. It usually takes me months (sometimes years!) before I get to a book that everyone is raving about. Luckily, this was A Slice of Brie Book Club book last month, so not only did I get to enjoy this book, but I got to talk all about it with a bunch of other people who loved it (you can read the discussion post HERE if you like).

For those in the dark, this book is about Emma, a 31 year old woman who finds love again after her first husband, Jesse, goes missing when his helicopter goes down. It's been a few years since Jesse disappeared and Emma has to accept that he is dead and never coming back. She reunites with an old highs cool friend, Sam and over time, their relationship develops and they get engaged. A few months into their engagement, Emma received a phone call from Jesse: he's still alive, having survived the crash and has been living on a tiny island and is coming home. Now Emma must figure out what she wants, who she is and ultimately, who she wants to be with.

Needless to say, I loved, loved, loved this book. I was hooked from the first page and while I wanted to devour it in one sitting, I also wanted to savour every page. I enjoyed all the characters and I really liked how emotionally invested I was in this book. And I truly wasn't sure how it was all going to end. This is one of those books that I now recommend to anyone who will listen! (5/5 stars)

2. After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid: When I picked up One True Loves at the book store, they had After I Do for $5 so I grabbed it too. I read it immediately after reading OTL and really, really liked it too. Reid just writes in a way that I find addicting and I love her characters and their relationships with one another. After I Do is about a married couple who's relationship is on the brink of destruction. Rather than throw in the towel though, they mutually agree to a year long separation (in which NO communication is allowed), hoping that this would allow each of them to find themselves again, figure out why they are so unhappy and downright resentful of each other, and overall, remember why they fell in love so many years ago. I can't imagine doing what they did, but it was a really interesting look at relationships and marriage: Why do we get married? What do we expect out of our marriage? (4/5 stars)

3. The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa*: I was looking forward to receiving this book as it's a story of World War 2 that I am not familiar with (the safe passage of Jews from Europe to Cuba). Just when I think I cannot possibly learn anymore about the horrendous things that Hitler did during the war, I am proven wrong. 

This book is told in dual narrative, alternating between Hannah, a 12 year old Jewish girl living in Berlin in 1939, and 12 year old Anna, Hannah's great-niece, living in New York City 70 years later. Anna's father passed away before she was born and so she grew up knowing very little of him, especially nothing about his family's past. Until one day she receives a package in the mail from Hannah who is still living in Cuba all these years later. Anna and her mother, in an attempt to put together the pieces of Anna's father's past, travel to Havana to meet Hannah and hear her story.

The German Girl wasn't nearly as engaging for me as other historical fiction books I've read about WW2, like The Nightingale, or Sarah's Key, but the fact that it was teaching me something new about a time in history that I love to read about, kept me invested. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, and an even harder time understanding why the aunt insisted on staying in Cuba her entire life. I was frustrated at times with the life Hannah had seemed to accept for herself, but then again, I can't begin to imagine what it would be like to have to flee the only country you've ever known after it turns on you and your people.

If you enjoy WW2 historical-fiction, and haven't read anything about St. Louis, the transatlantic liner that took Jewish people to Cuba at the beginning of the war, then you'll probably enjoy this book. While the ship offered a glimmer of hope, securing passage on it was another story. Not only that, once the ship arrived in the ports of Cuba, Hitler was at it again and made it nearly impossible for anyone to disembark. (3/5 stars)


DNF

I never, ever DNF a book. I know, I know, life is too short to read bad books, but I have a hard time not seeing them through to the end. There's always this part of me that thinks it just has to get better! But this book was holding me down in life. I was dreading picking it up and it took me a week just to read 100 pages. It was boring and confusing and not engaging in the least. I felt somewhat obligated to see it through to the end since I was sent it for review, but finally I knew I needed to move on. It's amazing how relieved I felt once I made that decision!





This month's A Slice of Brie Book Club book is Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. If you want to join in the discussion (or link up with us), we'd love to have you! We'll be meeting back here on October 26. More details HERE.


What have you been reading lately?

Have you read One True Loves? Or any of Reid's other books? 

DNF - do you DNF books or stick them out to the end no matter what? 


*Copy of The German Girl was sent to me by Simon & Schuster Canada for review. All opinions and review are my own. 


Linking up with Steph & Jana for Show Us Your Books!

The Books I've Been Reading {#12}

Whoa! When I saw how many books I read last month I almost didn't think it was worth doing a post on it. August has been by far, my worst month of reading this year. Three whole books. Three! I know that's a lot for some people, but like I said, not my best month. I blame it on lots of visitors, a trip to my home city and an overall feeling of just not wanting to read lately. (Gosh, I hope that's a short lived phase!) I don't even know what I've been doing with my time instead...I certainly haven't been watching any good shows on Netflix, and my house doesn't look any more clean or tidy! At least I enjoyed all three books!

So here's what I read in August:

1. Keep Me Posted by Lisa Beazley: This was the book for my last online book club and it was a fun, easy and perfect summer read. In a nutshell, it's about two sisters who decide to embark on a hand-written correspondence to reconnect. Unfortunately, one sister's overzealous attempt to "preserve" all the letters results in some pretty big drama which she must own up to despite hoping everything would just go away. I really enjoyed the letter writing in the story, but a few things I had a hard time believing (like a blog going viral with absolutely no promotion of said blog), but it was still a cute read. You can read my full review HERE.  (3/5 stars)

2. Recipes for a Perfect Marriage by Morag Prunty: This book has been sitting on my shelf FOR YEARS and I finally felt compelled enough to read it last month, and I'm so glad I did. It bounces back and forth between a woman in her late 30s who just recently got married but is feeling less than certain about the decision, and her Irish grandmother who married someone not of her choosing. The book really explores the age-old question of "what truly makes a good marriage", and how love in a marriage is different than that of lust and young-love. I know everyone has different opinions on what makes a marriage work, what love really means, etc, but I consider myself quite a practical and realistic person, so this book really spoke to me. There are also old Irish recipes sprinkled throughout the book which I quite enjoyed! (4/5 stars)

3. Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens: The first book I read of Chevy's was Still Missing (full review HERE), and to this day, that book has stuck with me. It's intense, thrilling and very suspenseful. I'm not sure why I waited so long to read another one of her books, but here I am, 4 years later, finally picking up another one of her books. Never Knowing is about 30-something year old Sara, who was adopted as a baby, and when she learns that adoption records have been opened up, decides it's time to track down her birth mother. What she doesn't expect to find out, is that her birth mother is the only surviving victim of a serial killer, the Campsite Killer. Attacked and raped, miraculously, her mother escaped. All these years later, the serial killer is still out there, never to be caught. No one even knows what he looks like. But what Sara doesn't realize until it's too late, is that by finding out about her true past, she is opening up herself (and her family) to be discovered by her biological father.

I have to say, I've often thought about this scenario: children who are the product of rape crimes, or the offspring of murderers, etc, what would it be like to find out this truth? How would you process it? Would you even want to know? I liked this look into such an infrequently spoken of reality.

Never Knowing isn't nearly as intense or disturbing as Still Missing, and it does have some slow parts, but overall, I was sucked in until the last page. (3.5/5 stars)

*****

So there you have it! My whopping three books I read last month. Unfortunately, September reading isn't off to any better of a start (I haven't finished one book yet, although I'm in the middle of three).

Also, this month's book club pick is One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid and we will be meeting back here to talk all about it next Wednesday, September 21, so come join us! You can see more details about book club HERE.


What have you been reading lately? 

Do you like psychological thrillers?


Linking up with Steph & Jana for Show Us Your Books!

The Books I've Been Reading {#11}

At the beginning of the year, I set my reading challenge at 30 books. Given my results of the past few years, I figured this was a good number to aim for, and one I was confident I would be able to achieve. My reading has been on a role since January, and I am finding myself flying through books faster than I ever thought possible. It's been such a treat to knock off books that have been on my TBR list for months and years. I'm also really pleased that as of July, I have already creeped past my goal of reading 30 books! I'm not sure if I will be able to keep this momentum up until the end of the year, but I know I will be happy now with whatever number I hit by the end of December.

Anyway! On to the books I read in July! I read 5 novels, and one novella. A few were big flops for me, while a few I absolutely adored.

1. The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan: this was my online book club pick for June, and I LOVED it. It had actually been sitting on my shelf for months, and I don't know why I never picked it up sooner (#TBRproblems). It was cute, fun, but not completely fluff. An easy read, and one I was pulled into and didn't want to end. You can read my full review here.

2. After You by Jojo Moyes: I talked about re-reading Me Before You last month and about how much I adored it even the second time around. I figured it was a good time to read After You, but man, I struggled with this book. I think I'm in the minority with this one, but I really didn't like it. I think the biggest problem is that what I loved so much about Me Before You was the relationship between Louisa and Will. The book just wasn't the same without Will. And I just didn't like the angle this book took. It bothered me that Lou was still wasting away her life, not doing anything, never thinking about herself first. I wasn't crazy about the new character (Lily), and even Lou's mom was kind of odd with her whole feminism awakening thing going on. I'm not sure what I wanted from this book, but I didn't get it. I even tried (as was recommended to me) to think about this book as a standalone one, and not as one in comparison to Me Before You, but I think I liked it even less then! Funnily enough, with all that said, if there was a third book, I would still read it! Haha.

3. The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson: I was really excited to read this book, especially after two of my friends gave it 5 star reviews. Sadly, it was a complete flop for me (2 stars). Maybe I just don't do "weird", or maybe I took the book too literally, but for me, it was just depressing and I couldn't find anything funny or endearing about it. The film on the other hand, looks really good! But I'll watch anything that Jason Bateman is in! I think maybe this is one of those rare instances where the story is better executed on film.

4. Lost & Found by Brooke Davis: Another book I had high hopes for that ended up being a let-down. It was cute & quirky at times, but for the most part, it was just sad. Seven year old Millie has been left by her mother in a department store and never returns. With the help of two elderly people she befriends, they set out on a journey to find Millie's mum. I found the story unbelievable and the two elderly people were more annoying than likeable. I understand that this is a story about grief and that we all grieve in different ways (the elderly people were both recent widows), but I could not forgive the mother for abandoning her daughter. Therefore, any humour was lost on me and I never found the story entertaining. I was glad when it was over, even though the ending was so disappointing. 

5. How to Fall in Love by Cecelia Ahern: This book was super cute and a great summer read. It's about a young woman named Christine, who is walking home along a bridge one night when she happens upon a man (a gorgeous one at that) who is thinking about jumping to his death. Christina, miraculously, is able to convince Adam otherwise, and bets him that she can change his mind about wanting to live and convince him to love life again before his 35th birthday. Which, surprise, is in just 2 weeks. While I personally let my issues of this time frame and the seriousness of suicide get in the way of fully enjoying this book, it was still a really cute story. Christine and Adam are very likeable characters and you can't help but root for them the whole time. 

6. The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes: Probably my favourite read of the month! Part of the book takes place during WW1 and the other during present day. Two different women, separated by almost a century, are fighting for something they love most. It was interesting to see how their two stories were connected and came together. I can't say I've read much about German occupation during WW1 so I really enjoyed this historical aspect to the novel, especially since I'm a huge fan of WW2 fiction. This book reminded me a bit of a mixture of The Nightingale (although not nearly as intense) and The Woman in Gold. 

7. Honeymoon in Paris by Jojo Moyes (a novella): I didn't even know this book existed until I got to the end of The Girl You Left Behind and realized that the book sample at the end of the book was in fact, the entire novella. It's a prequel to The Girl You Left Behind, and gives a bit of back story to the two main characters from it. It was a treat to be able to read a bit more about these characters I had grown to love, and I think I'm glad I read it after and not before, The Girl You Left Behind. 

Also, just a reminder that the discussion and link-up for July's book club pick (Keep Me Posted by Lisa Beazley) is next Tuesday, August 16! You still have a week to read the book! 

What have you been reading lately? 

Did you read After You? Thoughts? 

Linking up with Steph & Jana for Show Us Your Books!

The Books I've Been Reading {10}

I read eleven books in May and June (I missed posting in May), so I will try to keep my mini-reviews brief! Most of the books I've reviewed in more detail on my Goodreads and if you click on the book title in the post, it will take you to them.

1. The Love that Split the World by Emily Henry: I read this for the Literary Ladies Book Club, and I'm so glad I did. It was a completely unexpected read, but I really enjoyed it. Full review here.

2. Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan: An enjoyable listen on audio (much like listening to his standup). I'm a big fan of Gaffigan's work and this book did not disappoint. I think the things he talks about are hilarious and oh so relatable, especially if you have kids.

3. The Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami: I first read this book almost 16 years ago and decided to re-read it for one of my book clubs back in May. I have to admit, it didn't have the same impact as it did when I first read it. It's a bit of a bleak story, about an Sripathi, an older man living in India who has to travel to Canada to bring his 7 year old granddaughter back to India after her parents die in a car accident. I was hoping for more between the relationship between Sripathi and his granddaughter, but the story focused more on Sripathi and his struggles.

4. Dumplin' by Julie Murphy: I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority with this one when I say I didn't love this book. I just found it boring. I listened to it on audio, and I found I wasn't eager to get back to the story in-between each listening. I wasn't moved or touched by any of the characters. It just didn't affect me like I know it did a lot of other people.

5. Remember Mia by Alexandra Burt: This was May's book for my online book club and it hooked me from the get-go. Our main character, Estelle, wakes up one morning in the hospital, only to find out that her 7-month old daughter, Mia is missing. Estelle can't recall any of the events leading up to her daughter's disappearance or how she ended up in the hospital. I enjoyed the twists in the book and didn't see any of them coming. Full review here.

6. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield: I loved this book. It was so different than anything I've read in a really long time. A beautifully written, gothic tale about secrets, twins, and the ghosts that haunt our souls.

7. Exposure to a Billionaire by Ann Menke*: Another Literary Ladies Book Club book pick. Unfortunately, this one was a bit of a bust. The premise was interesting (a young woman lands the flight attendant job of a lifetime, working for a billionaire and flying all over the world on his private jet), and I was intrigued by the "life of the rich and fabulous", but the execution just wasn't there. The writing was too choppy and read more like a play by play of events rather than a novel.

8. The Tumbling Turner Sisters by Juliette Fay**: This was a really cute and entertaining story about 4 sisters who embark on a journey in Vaudeville in attempts to provide for their family. I knew nothing about Vaudeville - what it was or what it all entailed - and this book provided a fascinating look into that era. I found it difficult at first to differentiate between the two narrators (two of the sisters), but eventually they all found their voice. While there were moments of anticipation in the story, it was definitely a more light-hearted historical fiction novel.

9. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah: Oh my word, this book ripped out my heart and touched my soul. I have never, in my life, ugly cried like I did with this book. I was an emotional wreck for two days after reading this book. But it was so, so worth it. If you love historical fiction about WW2, then you need to read this book.

10. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn: Dark and twisted, I can't say I loved this book, but I couldn't put it down. It was an uncomfortable read at times, and so much rawer than Gone Girl. It's dark, gritty, and intense, but it's a well-written story about Camille, a reporter who goes back to her small hometown to try and uncover the true story behind the murders of two young girls. Everyone in the town has secrets, including Camille.

11. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: Something compelled me to re-read this book last month (it had been a few years since I first read it), and I'm so glad I did. I loved it just as much, if not more, this time around.


Phew! Well there you have it. Eleven books in the last two months - not too shabby if I do say so myself. Now I have to crack down and start working through my list for Erin's book challenge!

Also, if you'd like to participate in my online book club for this month, come back tomorrow for when I announce which book we are reading! If you want more info, check out this post.


What have you been reading lately? 

Do you like to re-read books? 


Linking up with Steph & Jana for Show Us Your Books!

*I received a copy of Exposure to a Billionaire from the Morgan James Publishing. All opinions are my own. 

**I received an advanced copy of The Tumbling Turner Sisters from Simon & Schuster Canada. All opinions are my own. 

The Books I've Been Reading {9}

I had a great month, reading wise, in April! I read 6 books, which is a lot for me. I owe it all to a couple audiobooks which really lets me maximize my time spent reading. I stuck to all fiction this past month (not on purpose though), with two of them being YA. My biggest flop was the novella by Tim Lebbon, but at least I didn't invest too much time into it.

Anyway, let's talk about the books!

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han: This book was just a little bit too "sweet" for me. Almost read as more middle-grade than YA. I had high hopes for this one as I LOVED Han's Summer series, but this one didn't hit me with all the feels like those ones did. This one is the story of Lara Jean, middle sister of 3 girls, and what happens when her love letters (that were never meant to be read by anyone else but her), somehow find their way into the hands of the boys she wrote them about. When her next door neighbour Josh, her best friend, crush and also her older sister's ex-boyfriend receives his letter, Lara Jean tries to convince him that she is no longer in love with him, by entering into a pretend relationship with Peter, another recipient of her letters, who wants to make his ex-girlfriend jealous. What enfolds is a cute story, but the unresolved ending was a bit annoying. I'll probably still read the second book in the series just to see where things go. I listened to this on audio and it was a great listening experience though!

Glory Over Everything by Kathleen Grissom: I've talked about this book a few times already, and its counterpart, The Kitchen House, but I'll say it again - I loved this book. I wrote a full review HERE, but basically, it's the story of Jamie Pyke, son of the master of Tall Oaks Plantation, and a black slave,  and what happens after he flees the plantation. Living as a white man, Jamie is forever worried that his true identity will be discovered, so when a turn of events leads him back to the South, to find a stolen slave, Jamie must face all his fears in order to rescue the boy. An intense read and I was hooked from the beginning!

The Thief of Broken Toys by Tim Lebbon: This novella has been sitting on my bookshelf for years so I finally decided to squeeze it in between some longer reads. I didn't dig it. Sometimes I'm not sure if I just miss the point or I just don't "get it" when I read a novella or short stories, but ya, this one didn't do it for me. It's a strange little book, with a weird twist at the end, but essentially it's about a man, estranged from his wife after his son died a year ago. Unable to move on with his life, he decides to start fixing all his son's broken toys that he never got around to doing when his son was still alive. In this process, he meets a mysterious man in the woods, a man who miraculously fixes even the most broken of toys. But his "charity" doesn't come without a price. I posted a full review on my goodreads.

Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova: I read this book for the first book of my online book club (A Slice of Brie Book Club) and it was such a great book to discuss. So much food for thought. When our main character, Joe, is diagnosed with Huntington's disease, a deadly and hereditary disease, his 4 adult children must decide if they want to be tested for the gene. While it wasn't Genova's strongest book, writing wise, it was a great story and provided lots of insight into Huntington's disease and what a life with it would look like. Full review and discussion post HERE.

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen: I listened to this on audio, and really enjoyed it. This is exactly what I expect from a great YA novel: great characters, enough depth over-all that you feel connected to the story, and not too much fluff, and no insta-love. The subject matter was serious, and it wasn't just a book about boys or young love. Our main character, Sydney, meets brother and sister, Mac and Layla, after switching high schools. Sydney's brother has committed a horrible crime and must pay for his misdoings, and all Sydney wants (and needs) is to be seen for who she is separate from her brother, and to find her own place in the world. Within her friendship with Layla and Mac, Sydney finds a comfort and belonging that she had been yearning for, for longer than she realizes. A great story about friendship, trust, relationships (of all kinds), and acceptance.

Irma Voth by Miriam Toews: I've read a few of Voth's other books and really liked them, but this one fell short for me. The first half was slow and boring, but it did pick up in the second half. It's about a 19 year old Mennonite girl (Irma), living with her family on a farm in Mexico. Irma falls in love with a Mexican boy and marries him, thereby being shunned from her family. Early in the book, Irma's husband leaves her, and fearful of their father and his temper, Irma and her younger sister take off to Mexico city in search of a better life. The story seemed unrealistic at times, but considering where it took place, I imagine anything is possible.


*affiliate links have been used


Read any good books lately? Worst book you read?

Have you read any of these books?

How do you feel about novellas or short stories? Love 'em, or leave 'em?


P.S.! It's not too late to join us for May's A Slice of Brie Book Club! Details in this post!


*Linking up with Steph and Jana for Show Us Your Books!

The Books I've Been Reading {8}

March was a busy month, what with Easter holidays and a road trip we took to Edmonton, and I never seem to read as much when we have company or are on the road. I still managed to get in 5 books last month though, and I owe it to getting in an audiobook and having a book at hand on my phone. For some reason, I can read a book on my phone and not get carsick, although I still have to take periodic breaks. I don't own an e-reader, but I wonder if I would be able to read books on one and avoid motion-sickness?

Anyway, as usual, a bit of a mishmash of genres again, but that's nothing new. What can I say, many different genres speak to me!

*affiliate links have been used

THE KITCHEN HOUSE by Kathleen Grissom: I read this in preparation for Glory Over Everything (which I reviewed here), although the later could be read as a standalone. I absolutely loved The Kitchen House and found myself staying up much later than my already late bedtime to read it. It's the story of a white servant girl, Lavinia, and how she goes from a young girl living and working in the kitchen house, to a young woman living in the big house and the choices she makes along the way. Although her loyalties lie with her adoptive (slave) family, there are still rules that have to be obeyed and a master to answer to. It's a gripping read, and graphic at times, but it's a story worth making room for on your TBR.

THE BEST LAID PLANS by Terry Fallis: Terry Fallis is a Canadian author and this book is a satire on Canadian politics. Reading about politics isn't really my thing so I clearly wasn't the right audience for this particular book. I found the humour to be cheesy and overdone and the plot lacking. I was bored at the best of times and I probably wouldn't have ever found the desire to finish this book if it hadn't been a book club pick.

LOVE, ROSIE by Cecelia Ahern: (originally published as Where Rainbows End). This book, told entirely in epistolary format was charming and sweet, but utterly frustrating at times. Rosie and Alex are the best of friends throughout childhood, but as luck would have it, in high school, Alex moves from Dublin to Boston for his father's work. They remain in touch via correspondence, and although it's apparent to the reader that Rosie and Alex care more for each other than just friends would, they can't quite seem to communicate this to each other. More years pass than I was expecting and the whole time you just want to reach through the pages and give them each a shake. This book is about destiny and fate, but after so many missed connections, sometimes you have to make your own destiny. I haven't seen the film version for this yet, but I'm really looking forward to it! From the trailer, it looks to me like they condensed the time frame, making it much more believable. Also, Sam Clafin is in it, so how can you NOT watch it?!

MY YEAR OF RUNNING DANGEROUSLY by Tom Foreman: I listened to this one on audio (narrated by the author), and it was a quick and easy book to listen to. Foreman, while no stranger to running, has put the sport on hold for much of his adult life as his career and family life were more important to him. When one of his daughter's asks him to train for a marathon with her, Foreman agrees. What he doesn't realize when he signs up for this task, is that this one marathon will turn into several more, including many half-marathons, an ultra-marathon (55 miles), and 2,000 miles of training runs. His story is crazy and inspiring and I really liked how he acknowledged that while running is essentially a solo-sport, he couldn't have done what he did without the support and love from his family. Full of a lot of great quotes, I think even non-runners would enjoy this book.

WHY NOT ME? by Mindy Kaling: Just as enjoyable as her first book, Mindy is funny, witty, sarcastic, honest and self-deprecating, and if you are a fan of hers, you will enjoy this book. I love her views on body image, food, working hard, female relationships, dating, and confidence. There are so many great quotes in her book, which I included in my goodreads review, but I'll share my favourite one here with you:

“I want to say one last thing, and it’s important. Though I am a generally happy person who feels comfortable in my skin, I do beat myself up because I am influenced by a societal pressure to be thin. All the time. I feel it the same way anybody who picks up a magazine and sees Keira Knightley’s elegantly bony shoulder blades poking out of a backless dress does. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen my shoulder blades once. Honestly, I’m dubious that any part of my body could be so sharp and firm as to be described as a “blade.” I feel it when I wake up in the morning and try on every single pair of my jeans and everything looks bad and I just want to go back to sleep. But my secret is: even though I wish I could be thin, and that I could have the ease of lifestyle that I associate with being thin, I don’t wish for it with all of my heart. Because my heart is reserved for way more important things.” 

Best and worst book you've read lately?

Are you a fan of Mindy and her books? 

Are you one of those lucky people who can read in the car? 

Linking up with Jana and Steph for SHOW US YOUR BOOKS!