Books & Babes

Hey friends! It's been two months since Allison, Becky, and I shared our most favourite reads with you all, so grab your notepads/phones/open up Goodreads, because this post is full of great book recommendations for yourself and for your loved ones on your Christmas shopping lists! We've been reading up a storm and as a result, have read some really wonderful books.

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BRIE

I’ve read a good chunk of books in the last two months – 10 to be exact, but barely a handful stand out as really great reads. Such is the life of a reader though! Thankfully, the books I loved, I really, really loved.

Favourites: When we last caught up, I mentioned I had just started One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and you guys, what an amazing book! I pretty much recommend it to everyone I talk to (and I even made my mom read it while she was visiting), so if you haven’t yet, this is one bandwagon you need to hop on ASAP. Immediately after One True Loves, I read After I Do by the same author and while it’s completely different, I loved it too. Now I’m on a mission to read the rest of her books. Happiness for Beginners was my most recent read and it’s now competing with One True Loves for my favourite book of the year. Another feel-good, easy read, but deeper than your average chick-lit. And if you’re in the mood for a twisted, psychological mystery, then All is Not Forgotten is a great read, but fair warning that the content is pretty graphic.

Looking Forward To: My reading has slowed down considerably the past few weeks, most likely because my energy is pretty low as I prepare for baby to make its debut in just over a month. I’ve made it my mission to try and finish off the year with light, easy, Christmas themed reads. I never read seasonal books, but I felt it was time, and after Alison recommended the Winter Street trilogy by Elin Hilderbrand, I put them all on hold at the library. I’m halfway through the first book and it’s exactly what I was hoping to read to round out the year.

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BECKY

I think the last couple months were a reading record for me. I read eight, almost nine, books since we last caught up two months ago. My grand total for the year is sitting at 32! I've read some pretty great books but some were just meh, like The Girls and Miss Peregrine's. What is it about over-hyped books being totally mediocre? 

Favourites: It's so hard to choose my favourite but I'm going to have to say Forever, Interrupted. I think Taylor Jenkins Reid has become my new favourite author. However, you should know by now that I can't say no to a good memoir written by a strong female which is why I also really loved both Amy Schumer's and Bif Naked's memoirs. I'm just on the last few pages of Bif's book but knew I'd love it to the end based on her recent book tour where she read some passages with such animation. I'm reading the book with her voice in my head which makes it even more fantastic.

Looking Forward To: I was thrilled when I found both Forever, Interrupted and another TJR book, After I Do at the used bookstore. I've heard After I Do is even better than Forever, Interrupted and I can't wait to devour it. I also can't wait to get my hands on Anna Kendrick's new book Scrappy Little Nobody and Lauren Graham's book, Talking As Fast As I Can, because it's Gilmore Girls month!

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ALLISON

12 books in 2 months? Whoa. I've been adverse to reading lately (hello all the made-for-tv holiday movies!) so I was a bit surprised to see the tally at 12. The good news, for me, is that I didn't dislike anything I've read recently. Some were just ok but unlike the summer, none were bad. You can follow along with everything I'm reading and what's on my list on Goodreads. 

Favourites: surprise, surprise; I can't pick just one favourite. I had written a sentence stating that It Ends With Us was my favourite (and it was REALLY good) but I also loved The Velvet Hours. You know how much I adore historical fiction. The Velvet Hours is based on the real life story of coutesan Marthe de Florian who deserted her Paris apartment in World War Two and its contents discovered, completely untouched for decades, in 2010. This is a fascinating story, easy to follow, and very captivating. I didn't like how abruptly it ended but after some research I understand why. It Ends With Us: I didn't love how young the main character was but other than that, I really enjoyed the story line that featured a strong-willed female lead. 

Looking forward to: the third book in Elin Hilderbrand's Winter series: Winter Storms. This is last book in the series (the first two, which came out in 2014 and 2015, were great) and I'm equally looking forward to reading about how the Quinn family's story ends and sad there won't be another one next year. With my overwhelming adoration of made-for-tv Christmas movies I'm not-so-secretly hoping the trio of novels is made into a trio of movies. If you're looking for something light-hearted and seasonally appropriate I would recommend Hilderbrand's Winter Street Triology. 

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Favourite recent read?

What's on your Christmas book wish-list?

Books & Babes

I know...I just posted about books yesterday, what more could I possibly have to say? Lots, that's what! I love this feature because it focuses on the books Allison, Becky, and I loved, and it's a great way to add some titles to your TBR lists! Or, if you've also read one (or more) of the books we've loved, let us know in the comments and what you thought of it!

*****

BRIE

I had such a slow reading month in August, that I wasn’t sure I had any books worthy of talking about this time, but turns out I read a good chunk of books since the last time we met, and the majority of them I really enjoyed! Unfortunately, one of the books I said I was looking forward to reading last time, The Family Fang, was a total flop for me. You win some, you lose some. 

Favourites: My favourite book of the bunch is The Royal We. I read this right after we last chatted and it still stands out as one of my most favourite reads of the summer. My close seconds would be Recipes for a Perfect Marriage, Never Knowing, The Girl You Left Behind, and the companion novella to it, Honeymoon in Paris. All completely different books, but all great in their own right. If you love historical fiction, I cannot recommend enough, The Girl You Left Behind. Most of the World War books I read are about the German occupation during WW2, but this one was about the German occupation in WW1, which I honestly don’t think I’ve really read about. 

Looking Forward To: I just started reading One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which is next month’s book club pick and I was hooked from the first sentence! It’s one of those books where I want to savour every page and read without interruptions, and I’m already anxious to get back to it. I have another one of Reid’s books that I picked up in the bargain section, After I Do, and I think I might dive into that one right afterwards. All the Light We Cannot See is also on my radar as it’s my real-life book club pick for next week, but I’m not sure I’m in the mood for a heavy book right now. We shall see!

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ALLISON

I knew I had been reading a lot over the past few months - 1 part I put 10+ books on hold at the library on the same day and multiples have come in at the same time and 1 part it's so beautiful in the backyard and all I want to do is sit outside and read after work - but didn't know how many until I opened Goodreads ahead of this post. 13. Whoa. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the historical fiction and books with flashbacks were my favourite. As you know, I'm a seasonal reader and read a few chick lit/beach reads this summer and most were underwhelming. While I typically love some beachy escapism I've been impressed by deep, historical fiction so much that light and fluffy with super predictable endings have seemed boring. 

Favourites: I think my favourite was The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown. It was the perfect mix of protagonist needing to escape her life (hello current third life crisis), chick lit'esque flirting, a dual story line with a strong female in the early 20th century, and lots of mention of brunch and cake. Runner up was When We Meet Again by Kristin Harmel; historical fiction (duh) and I loved the story and totally calling the ending (and crying anyway). 

Looking Forward To: I just started In Twenty Years by Allison Winn Scotch. Her last book, Theory of Opposites, is one of my all time favourites and I anxiously count down the minutes to 5pm so I can keep reading. 

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BECKY

I feel like I have read so many amazing books since we last chatted. I loved the summer days that enabled me to breeze through some light, easy reads. I definitely didn't get the hype over the summer hit The Nest and didn't feel as enlightened as expected by the copy of the Szen Zone I was sent. I'm excited to move on to some of the darker books I was holding onto until the cooler weather. What is it about the seasons and the books we choose? I didn't even realize that I was reading different books during different seasons. 

Favourites: Hands down was One True Loves from Brie's online bookclub. The writing was of the best I've read for 'chick lit' but it was the story that was truly captivating. I loved reading Emma's love stories and how she came to make the hardest decision of her life. I'm really just a sucker for a good love story and this one (or should I say these ones) were truly captivating. Runners up were The Light Between Oceans, The Luckiest Girl Alive and My Fight/Your Fight. As much as I love a good girly novel, I also love a good biography and knowing nothing about Rousey's background, I was enthralled with her story of becoming the first woman in the UFC.

Looking Forward To: Perhaps finally digging into Bird Box! I'll also be choosing and reading my first book club pick next month! This has weighed on me since I joined this book club earlier in the year and I'm really nervous to make a pick, so hopefully it will be a good one. Any suggestions? 

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Favourite recent read?

Any suggestions for Becky on what book to choose for her book club? (I always find this stressful too!)

Books & Babes

Hey there friends! I'm back, with the lovely Allison and Becky, to talk about our favourite recent reads and what we're looking forward to digging into this summer. So get your Goodreads open and get ready to add some books to your TBR lists! (Psst...if we aren't friends on Goodreads yet, we should be! Add me here.)

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BRIE

As I was going through my read books in Goodreads, it quickly dawned on me that I’ve read a ton of books since we last met up. While I’m never one to turn down talking about a book (or books), I thought it best if I focused on the books I loved the most. 

FAVOURITE: I can’t really pick a favourite out of my favourites, since all 4 of these books were so incredibly different, yet I enjoyed all of them immensely. The Nightingale left me an emotional wreck during and post reading of it, but it was worth the heartache and all the tears. That book touched my heart, my soul, and I can’t imagine ever forgetting about it. Like Allison, I adore historical war fiction, and The Nightingale has now claimed the number one spot for me in this genre. The Love that Split the World is a YA novel and was so completely unexpected. A little bit of magic, spiritualism, time-travel, psychology and folklore, not to mention a serious nod to fans of Friday Night Lights, I really enjoyed this book (full review here). Me Before You was a re-read for me, and I enjoyed it just as much, if not more, the second time around. Now I just need to muster up the courage to get through the movie (cue all the tears). And lastly, The Thirteenth Tale. This book also touched my soul, but in a completely different way than The Nightingale. It’s a Gothic, historical fiction novel, and I think it’s the most beautifully written book I have ever read. 

LOOKING FORWARD TO: Finally reading the sequel to Me Before You, After You. The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson, because it sounds awesome and the movie is coming out staring Jason Bateman (love him) and I have this thing where I try really hard to read the book before I see the movie. Plus, I scored a hard copy for $3 at Chapters the other week.

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BECKY 

I admit that June was a slow reading month for me. I took my very first DNF of the year with The Book Thief. I usually love WWII era books, but after two attempts, I just was not loving this one. The Little Paris Bookshop was a book club pick and while it piqued my curiosity, it wasn't a page turner and seemed to take forever to get through. Then we hit The Royal We, from Brie's online book club, followed by Me Before You, and a page turning thriller, and suddenly my to-be-read pile was disappearing quickly. 

FAVOURITE: It's a definite tie between The Royal We and Me Before You. I adored both stories intensely. I guess you can say I'm a hopeless romantic with a soft spot for a good love story. However, I love a good thriller just as much and both The Farm and Remember Mia had me frantically turning pages to find out the truths of both stories. 

LOOKING FORWARD TO: I'm really looking forward to giving the much talked about The Nest a read while I'm relaxing on a mountain beach with my family in the next week. I think I'll be taking a trip to the used bookstore later today to see if I can find a copy of After You and then hitting up Chapters for any last minute summer reads I might need for vacation. 

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ALLISON

Oh. So it seems I didn't get up to a lot of reading in the past few months. I definitely thought I read more but I guess getting ready to move, packing, vacation, baseball season, and moving sort of got in the way. But, I have a shady back patio and a comfy chair and a new library card and I am ready for weekends indulging in great books.

FAVOURITE: If you know me - or have been reading this blog for a while - you know I am horrible at picking one favourite. Especially with three books I really liked and one I liked but a smidgen less; I feel bad for the one. Ok, big girl pants. I adore historical war fiction so it is no surprise I devoured and loved All the Light We Cannot See, Somewhere in France, and After the War is Over. Want to read Jennifer Robson? Read the books in order; they follow the same characters. Remember Mia was good but it has been compared to Gone Girl (um, no, it was nothing like it) so, I went in thinking I wouldn't love it because I LOATHED the sociopathic thriller that was Gone Girl. It was better than expected but not as great at the others.

LOOKING FORWARD TO: Jennifer Robson's third book, Moonlight Over Paris, and a whole slew of summer books I have on hold at the library.

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Have you read any of our favourite books? Thoughts?

Favourite summer reads?

What are you looking forward to reading this summer?

Books & Babes

Hey, hey! I'm back, with the lovely Allison and Becky, for another edition of Books & Babes! Our last post was back in February, and we're coming at you today with a look at what books we've loved lately and what books we're looking forward to reading. So get your goodreads open and get ready to add some books to your TBR lists!

We'll be back again in June, where we will also be sharing our most favourite beach reads recommendations!

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BRIE

Since the last time we met to talk books, I’ve read a whopping ten books! I’m pretty sure this is a new record for me. Granted, one was a novella, and a few were audiobooks, but I’ve been doing really well at fitting in reading into my life. I’ve even managed to read a few books that have been on my own bookshelves for much too long, so I’m pretty happy about that.  I read a few duds though (Into the Abyss, The Best Laid Plans, and The Thief of Broken Toys), but the rest I really enjoyed.

Favourite: I read quite a few good books this time around, but they were all so different. I think the two that stick out to me the most (yes, it’s a tie, and it’s a fair one since they are both by the same author and companions to one another), is The Kitchen House and Glory Over Everything by Kathleen Grissom. These two books had me hooked from the beginning and I found myself reading late into the night for both of them. I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, and while my favourite era has always been WW2, the times of the slave trade and the Underground Railroad is fascinating and intense, and I believe, an utterly important time to read about.

Looking Forward To: Re-reading The Hero’s Walk by Anita Rau Badami for my Calgary book club. I first read this book over ten years ago, and while I remember loving it, I don’t actually remember anything about it, so a re-read is definitely in order. I'm also looking forward to reading The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (just picked up a copy at the thrift store), and Remember Mia by Alexandra Burt, the next installment in my online book club! 

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BECKY

It seems like some kind of record that I managed to finish seven whole books over the last two months. The Girl in the Spider's Web was the longest read and the biggest drag, I didn't think I would make it through anything else. Suddenly my to-read pile on the bedside has dwindled and it's time to make a trip to the bookstore. It was a struggle to choose a favourite because aside from One Day (my book club pick for March) and The Girl in the Spider's Web, they were all great reads. 

Favourite: In the runnings for first place were Inside the O'Briens (the first A Slice of Brie Book Club pick), Eleanor & Park (my #booknerdsofRD book club pick for April) & Attachments, which I won from a giveaway from Brie. All three were books that I struggled to put down and finished in record time. Ultimately, Attachments won, followed closely by Eleanor & Park. Turns out, I'm a big fan of Rainbow Rowell. 

Looking Forward To: There are two books on my pile that I can't wait to dig into, The Royal We, and Bird Box (Brie's runner-up last month). I have heard nothing but good things about The Royal We but am so intrigued with Bird Box since I'm darkly into creepy things. I'm just not sure if I'm prepared for the weird dreams that are sure to accompany such a book. 

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ALLISON

The last two months can be referred to as "the nine weeks I devoured completely heartbreaking yet fabulous books with one exception". Looking back I didn't think I read 6 books, taking a break after the heartbreak of The Invisible Bridge and another break for the first two weeks of vacation (mostly because I was more enamoured by US Netflix than not wanting to read...I actually brought three books on vacay and juuuust managed to finish Inside the O'Briens before Brie's Book Club), but obviously I did, and I really loved most of them. I was in a bit of an historical fiction phase, could you tell? 

Favourite: It was easy to pick a favourite in my February round-up because I didn't love most of the books I read at the beginning of the year. This time? So hard. I really LOVED 4/6, one was pretty good (Inside the O'Briens), and one was ok but painfully predictable (The Attachments). I dove right into The Light Between Oceans mid-February on the recommendation of...just about everyone I know. I think I read it in three days and stayed up till 2am on Monday/Tuesday morning to finish it because I had to know how it ended. Next I slowly but consistently read The Invisible Bridge. Wow. Seriously heart-wrenching, it tells the story of a young Hungarian Jewish architecture student whose life and understanding of the world around him is altered by WW2; at its core though, it's a beautiful love story. The Nightingale? Excellent! I just finished When Breath Becomes Air; again, heartbreaking but beautifully written. I hear there's a long wait list at libraries for this memoir so I would recommend you read Dr. Kalanithi's essays in Stanford Medicine and The New Yorker. 

Looking Forward To: I've finally cracked open The Art of Fielding; I adore baseball and figured it was about time I read this baseball classic. I just (as in, while I am writing this draft on Monday afternoon) got the notification that All The Light We Cannot See, which is also very highly recommended by my book-loving peeps, is ready to pick up at the library. 

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Have you read any of our favourite books? Thoughts?

Best book you've read lately?

What are you hoping to read in the next month or two?

Books & Babes

Hello friends! I'm so excited to introduce a new feature here on the blog called Books & Babes! Allison and Becky are the brain children behind this little project, and they were thoughtful enough to invite me to be a part of it. Basically, about every two months, we are going to share a post highlighting our most recent favourite read and then the book, or books, we are looking forward to reading in the following month. 

If you're anything like me, I always enjoy seeing what my friends have been reading and this is a great way to discover new books to add to those never-ending TBR lists! 

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Allison

I was doing really well at finishing a book a week until last week; I was tired, cranky, and honestly preferred an episode (or three) of Nashville on Netflix to reading. Or maybe cracking open my first Hemmingway novel was intimidating. Either way, Ernest is still on the nightstand and I have a sinus infection which is making focusing on reading really, really hard.

Favourite: Big Girl: How I Gave Up Dieting and Got a Life by Kelsey Miller. I loved it. I've been following Kelsey's Refinery 29 column, The Anti-Diet Project, for a few years now and her book was even better (I can not say the same for Field Guide, also a biography by a columnist, I did not like the writing style at all).

I'm in year 20-something of a long-standing, seemingly never ending, feud with my body. It loves dairy and carbs and I hate it. It loves to hold on to pounds and I hate it. It's refreshing to read something so honest that wasn't "solved" with a can-do attitude, extra time in the gym, and carrot sticks for lunch. While that works for some people (go you! no, honestly, that's awesome if it's your thing), it's not me. I do not have a can-do attitude about anything and having the lowest of low self-esteems I detest the gym. There's a chapter about mindlessness (or the positive, mindfulness) and how Kelsey filled every second of her day with distractions (internet, podcasts, music, tv, reading) as to not have to be alone with her thoughts. That was terrifying and eye-opening. That's what I do. I fill up every second of my day: iTunes or a DVD series while I work, more music while I prep dinner, TV or Netflix in the evening, and if I can't sleep, more music. Silence was (IS) my enemy, and honestly, even though I'm aware of it, I'm not ready to turn off the noise/distractions just yet. 

Looking forward to: In a twist of fate every book on my to-read list is currently available at the library. With all the rave reviews I'm thinking The Light Between Oceans. My list includes: The Paris Affair, The War That Saved My Life (thanks Brie), The Invisible Bridge, The Nightingale, and All the Light We Cannot See. Maybe try Hemmingway again? I'm just going to cry myself through February and March, aren't I? Gotta get the serious ones out of the way now because I refuse to read heavy material on vacation and I'm headed to Florida at the end of March. 

*****

Becky

I've never really kept track of how fast (or slow) I read and how many books I read in a year. This year I decided that I would aim to read at least one book a month. So far I've already finished four and am well on my way to completing a fifth by the end of the month. 

Favourite: It's so hard choosing a favourite. It's a toss up between both Gillian Flynn books and Yes Please. I think I will choose Yes Please this month. While the essays about her early career days weren't as interesting (or funny) to me, the personal essays really touched me. The first 100 pages were the best, and this passage has really stayed with me since reading, "When the demon starts to slither my way and say bad shit about me I turn around and say, "Hey. Cool it. Amy is my friend. Don't talk about her like that." Sticking up for ourselves in the same way we would about one of our friends is a hard but satisfying thing to do. Sometimes it works." 

Looking Forward To: I just started reading Can I Say, the memoir of Travis Barker, which I'm really excited to get into being a big Blink 182 and Travis Barker fan. I have a thing for biographies and memoirs. Side note: one time, I saw Travis and his kids in the lobby of a hotel room before a show in Edmonton. We're basically best friends now. 

*****

Brie

January started out really strong for me on the reading front, and I read some great books. February hasn’t been as kind to me. I chalk it up to my mom visiting so my husband and I got a few extra date nights which means less time to read in the evenings. Or maybe my last few book choices just weren’t as engaging? Here’s hoping for a better end to the month!

Favourite: Can I pick two? It was so hard to choose as I read two amazing books in January, but they were both from completely different genres . If I have to pick, then I’m going with The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. This is a heartbreaking and beautiful story about a lighthouse keeper and his wife who’ve suffered several miscarriages and a stillbirth. When a baby shows up in a rowboat, the couple makes decisions that will impact their lives and those around them, more than they ever could have imagined.  A truly captivating story, and one that will stick with you for a long, long time once that last page is turned.  Keep a box of tissues nearby!

Looking forward to: The hardest part for me, as an avid reader, is deciding what book to read next. My TBR (to-be-read) pile is always growing, and even when I think I have an idea of what I want my next book to be, there’s always a new one being added to the list! A few I’m hoping to tackle in the next month: Into the Abyss by Carol Shaben, The Kitchen House and Glory Over Everything by Kathleen Grissom, and The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis. Too many books, too little time, amiright?

*****

Most favourite recent read? 

Book you're looking forward to reading next?