A Slice of Brie Book Club: Wrapped Up in You by Carole Matthews

Hello Book Clubbers! I can't believe this is the final book club of the year. As I also mentioned in the last book club post, this will also be the last book club for the next few months. With baby arriving in two weeks, I don't want to over commit myself until I get into the groove of managing my time with a toddler and a newborn. I like to think I'll still find time to read, but who knows! Hopefully we can pick back up in the spring though! I want to thank each and every one of you who has supported this little online book club. It means the world to me that you wanted to be a part of this and participated in the discussions. The only thing I love more than actually reading, is sharing that love of reading with other people. So thank you, thank you!

On that note, I also feel like I need to apologize for ending this book club with such a bust of a book! All I wanted was to read something light and fun and Christmassy, and this book was none of those things for me. (Maybe I also need to apologize right now to those that read this but loved it!) I know when it comes to a book club it's often a gamble on whether the book will be good or not, but I do take responsibility for this since I put a lot of work into selecting what I think will be good books to vote on. This book has pretty darn good reviews on Goodreads and was listed under several different "Christmas Themed Books" book lists, so I'm not sure what happened. Oh well, as much as I would have loved to end this with a bang, I'm hoping we can all have a good laugh at it instead!

OK quick reminder: if you're new to book club, this is a place for discussion, more than a review, so spoilers are aplenty. But, with that being said, I don't think this book can really be spoiled, haha. I also want to say, I don't take pleasure in rating a book poorly or bashing it, but there are so many things I disliked about this book that I can't help myself. Please forgive me.

Quick synopsis: Wrapped Up in You is the story of Janie, a 35 year old single hairdresser who lives alone with her cat. She's recently split up with her long term boyfriend whom she's pretty sure she wasn't actually ever in love with. She's given up on ever meeting anyone and is completely oblivious to the fact that her handsome and kind neighbour, Mike, is totally smitten for her. Janie is then set up on a blind date from hell by her best friend (and co-worker), Nina. Except this guy won't take no for an answer and continues to stalk Janie. Around the same time, Janie's ex tells her he's getting married and having a baby. So Janie does what any sane woman would do, and blows all her life savings on a week long trip on an African Safari after a client of hers leaves her a brochure on it. Oh, and this trip takes place over Christmas. In Africa, Janie falls in love with her "Maasai Warrior/safari guide", and when she returns to England, she is hell-bent on doing whatever it takes to be with him. Forever.

Here's what drove me nuts about this book:

• Janie's complete obliviousness to the fact that her neighbour and good friend, Mike, liked her. And that she used him whenever she was feeling lonely or needed something done for her.
• The whole bit with the bad blind date. I don't believe for a minute that Lewis, the most self-centred, annoying man I have ever read about, would continue to beat down Janie's door to try to convince her that they were meant to be together. But OK, let's say she happened to go on a date with the one crazy guy in her small town. Am I really supposed to believe that Janie believed her going to Africa for a week was what he needed to finally get the picture that she wasn't interested? 
• I definitely can buy that Janie was attracted to and lusted after Dominic, the Maasai Warrior she meets in Africa. I even buy that she would sleep with him. I mean, what happens on vacation stays on vacation, right? Wrong! This isn't just a little holiday fling. Janie AND Dominic both profess their love to each other at the end of the week. OK, so I can see a woman getting a little wrapped up in such a lust, but I don't buy that Dominic would be so quick to fall in love. He's built and spent his whole like in a tiny village in Africa as a warrior and has standards and beliefs he follows to a T. He spends his time working on these safari's and this is the first time he's fallen head over heals with one of his clients?
• Oh but wait! Dominic has Facebook! He only has to walk 10 miles to get to the nearest computer though, so Janie and Dominic can totally continue their long distance romance. Easy peasy. 
• How does someone as primitive as Dominic (I mean, he only needs a few hours of sleep at a time, has wrestled lions in the flesh, survives on only fermented milk mixed with the blood of his cattle, and lives in a small village), also be somewhat educated (he speaks pretty darn good English and clearly knows his way around a computer)?! 
• I just can't accept that Dominic would so willingly jump on an airplane and leave his family and life behind to be with Janie. What do they talk about?! Love is one thing, but is that enough to sustain a relationship especially when one person is being completely removed from their life as they know it? 
• I found their whole relationship uncomfortable. Dominic was just portrayed as her protector and lover, and all he ever asked her was "are you happy?" 
• And for the love of god, if I had a dollar for every time Janie referred to Dominic as "her lover" I would have more than enough money to pay Becky back for actually having to purchase this book. Gag me.
• I honestly didn't like any of the characters except for Mike. He was the only normal one, but I felt bad that he was wasting all his time and energy on Janie. 
• Dominic was a pro-snowboarder his first time ever on one. Riiiiiight.
• When Dominic runs away at the end of the book, he becomes a hero and everyone likes him now because he attacked a mugger to get an old woman's purse back. Would this story really make headline news?! 
• Why oh why did this book need to be over 400 pages long?! What was even the plot? 
• I feel so duped by this book. The cover is so misleading...with the wintery landscape and the caption "Will Janie bring home true love this Christmas?" Nope, nope, nope. Not a Christmas (or wintery) book AT ALL. 

OK, phew! I needed to get those things off my chest. I know I left some things out. You guys can remind me of what I missed in the comments, haha! Or maybe you liked this book (sorry for dissing it in that case) and you can let me know why! 

No questions this go around. I just want to hear what you thought about it...if you agree with my bullet points...if I missed any major issues with the book...and/or what did/didn't work for you with this book. 

Again, thanks to every one who has participated in book club this past year! Even thought we didn't go out with a bang, I hope there will still be interest to pick this back up in the spring some time. In the event that you have a post on this book you want to link up, I've included a link up below. Happy reading!

A Slice of Brie Book Club: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children (& Next Month's Book Pick)

Hey there book clubbers! Sorry again for the delay! I hope everyone was able to get through this book and is ready to talk about it...or at the very least, has seen the movie. Ha - just kidding! You should always read the book before the movie. I remember a time when this was an easier thing to do, but now a days, it feels like every movie is based on a book. Anyway, I digress.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (which from here on out will be referred to as Miss Peregrine's), has been sitting on my bookshelves for years. Five years to be exact. I remember purchasing it when I was working at a bookstore and it was just released. I was intrigued by the cover and the eeriness of it. Of course, as is the fate of many books that come home with me, it sat there on my shelves, unread. So I was pleased it was picked for book club as it meant I was finally going to read it...and just in time to see the movie! Which I think looks really good.

Anyway, just a few reminders here before we get into the book...if this is your first time here, this is your warning that this post will have spoilers (what would a book club discussion be otherwise?!) At the end of the post, I will have a few questions to get the discussion going which you can answer in the comments section if you like. And lastly, if you have a blog post about the book, you can link up at the end of this post!

Also - if you aren't here to discuss Miss Peregrine's, but would like to participate in the next book club, then be sure to jump to the end of this post to vote on the book you'd like to read for November/December! If you're new to A Slice of Brie Book Club, in a nutshell, it's an online book club for fellow book lovers. A place to talk about a chosen book from the comfort of your own home/computer! Everyone is welcome (so tell your friends!), and you definitely do not have to have a blog to participate. Every month, we vote on which book to read for the following month. The poll will stay open until Monday night and I will announce the book next Wednesday. No commitment to join, but if you've ever wanted to join a book club, this is a great place to start!

*****

Before I get into what I thought about the book, here's a quick summary of it: 16-year old Jacob finds himself traveling to a small island off the coast of Wales, with his father, after the traumatic death of his grandfather. Jacob's grandfather lived a pretty secret life, and while he tried to share things with Jacob, it was all too unbelievable and Jacob assumed it was all just "stories". But the clues his grandfather left behind, had Jacob wondering the impossible, and so he travels to the island to find out the truth and is led to the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

I will admit, I haven't been looking forward to writing about this book. Fantasy isn't really my genre of choice, and while I can enjoy it, I find it difficult to talk about. This book was well written, and my favourite part about it was the physical beauty of the book itself - from the thickness of the pages, to the inclusion of the (real) vintage photographs, to the pretty pages dedicated to each chapter - it's really a work of art. That being said, I wasn't completely enthralled with the story. Some bits I was confused (like trying to wrap my head around how all the time-loops worked), and who the hallowgasts were and their role. Again, fantasy and my brain don't always mix well together, haha.

I wasn't sure how I felt about the romance developing between Jacob and Emma either...it seemed a little wrong, given both her actual age and the fact that she still seemed to be in love with Jacob's grandfather. I just don't think it was really necessary. Unless the author thought there needed to be a love interest in order to make it seem believable that Jacob would stay behind? Who knows...even Jacob as a character was pretty flat for me. There wasn't really anything likeable about him or had me "rooting" for him, or hoping for one ending over another. I felt pretty "meh" the whole time I was reading this.

I definitely think I expected this to be a creepier read. The setting is right, the endorsements on the book lead you to believe so, and the pictures should add an eerie element. But, it's not. There wasn't one part where I felt creeped out, or on the edge of my seat. Which is fine, but I think the cover and synopsis are misleading.

And the ending? I have a big pet peeve when it comes to cliff-hangers in a series. Thankfully, this wasn't a huge one, but it's obvious that it was written with the intent for their to be another book (or two in this case). I'm undecided if I will finish the series off....part of me always wants to know what happens, but I also wasn't invested enough in this book to want to run out and read the next one. I'm also not even sure I fully understand what happened at the end of this book, or where these kids are hoping to row out to. That's right - row! How far can you get in the ocean in row boats?! With no food, water, shelter or supplies, not to mention "a silent procession of battleships punctuated the horizon"! Ya, a weak ending in my opinion.

Overall, I didn't hate the book, but I didn't love it. I might just not be the right audience. Or maybe I just went in with the wrong expectations? Like I said above, it's well written and I didn't have any issues with that, I just wasn't as sucked into the story as I was hoping I would be!

So this is usually where I would have some discussion questions for you...but I'm having a hard time coming up with any! Instead:

• Tell me what you thought of the book: did you like it, love it, hate it? 
• Do you usually enjoy fantasy books? 
• Were you expecting the book to be more creepy? 
• How did you feel about the romance developing between Jacob and Emma? 
• How did you feel about the ending?

*****

NEXT MONTH'S BOOK PICK

So there's only going to be one more book club for the rest of the year. Seeing as how we are already getting into November, and since December is historically a busy month for almost everyone, it makes sense to only do one more.  That being said, I want to read something light, fun and a bit romantic to finish the year off! So I've picked three Christmas themed chick-lit fiction books to choose from. Cast your vote and I will announce the last book club book of 2016 next Wednesday!

Links to check out these books on Goodreads: Winter Street//Christmas at Tiffany's//Wrapped Up in You

And now to vote!

Happy Voting! And don't forget to link up your posts so I can check them out! 

A Slice of Brie Book Club: One True Loves (& Next Month's Book Pick)

OK Book Clubbers, I am SO excited to talk about this month's book! This is without a doubt, my favourite book we have read so far!

One True Loves has been getting some serious love these past few months and I knew it was a book I wanted to read. I almost didn't even bother having us vote last month and was just going to decide for us, but voting is still fun, and I was pretty confident that One True Loves would win. And win it did - by a landslide! It's also nice to be on top of reading a book that has just recently come out since I'm almost always several months and years behind the hype.

Anyway, just a few reminders here before we get into the book...if this is your first time here, this is your warning that this post will have spoilers (what would a book club discussion be otherwise?!) At the end of the post, I will have a few questions to get the discussion going which you can answer in the comments section if you like. And lastly, if you have a blog post about the book, you can link up at the end of this post!

Also - if you aren't here to discuss One True Loves, but would like to participate in the next book club, then be sure to jump to the end of this post to vote on the book you'd like to read for October! If you're new to A Slice of Brie Book Club, in a nutshell, it's an online book club for fellow book lovers. A place to talk about a chosen book from the comfort of your own home/computer! Everyone is welcome (so tell your friends!), and you definitely do not have to have a blog to participate. Every month, we vote on which book to read for the following month. The poll will stay open until Sunday night and I will announce the book next Tuesday. No commitment to join, but if you've ever wanted to join a book club, this is a great place to start!

*****

OK, enough of that. On to One True Loves. You guys, I LOVED this book. Like, I want everyone I know to read it! I was hooked from page one and could have easily devoured it in one night, but I also wanted to savour every page so I forced myself to slow down a bit. And when I was done, I was overcome with a strong desire to start the book all over again, and that is something I RARELY feel. Quickly, this book is about Emma, a 31 year old woman who has just found love again after the death of her husband 3 years prior. Emma's first husband, Jesse, was the love of her life. They started dating in high school, traveled the world together, and got married one year before Jesse went missing after the helicopter he was traveling in went down. His body was never found. Emma, a complete mess after this, decides to move back home to her hometown, where her parents and sister live. As fate would have it, she ends up running into Sam, an old friend and co-worker from high school. Deciding that she needs to accept the death of Jesse and that she wants love to return to her life, she starts to date Sam. Then, a few months after Sam and Emma get engaged, Emma receives a phone call: it's Jesse and he's alive. Having survived the crash and life on a tiny island for the past 3 years, he's coming home. 

I can't even think about this scenario without getting goosebumps. Can you even imagine being in such a situation? What I really liked about this book, was the development of both of the relationships that Emma is in. The first part of the book is all about Emma's and Jesse's relationship: how it started and their immense love for each other even as the years move on. There's no denying their love. And then the book moves into Emma's grief and healing before we move on to her and Sam's relationship. Sam is the polar opposite of Jesse, yet he's also perfect for Emma in his own right. Their love is also passionate, easy and natural. 

At first, I was so torn between the two possible endings: should Emma go back to Jesse, or should she stay with Sam? As much as I loved Jesse and the love the two of them shared, my heart told me Sam was the right man for her to be with. What I loved so much about this book was how it addressed change, and how we aren't the same person we are at 20, 30 or even 40 years old, let alone the same person after a tragic event. Emma was this wild and carefree person in her 20s, but when she moves back home, she really does some soul-searching and figures out who she is in the right now. I related to that part so much - sure, traveling and living pay-check to pay-check and not having a secure future is fun when you're young, but now that I'm older, I know my wants and needs have changed, just like Emma's did. I want security, I want a family, I want stability. Emma's change wasn't drastic, but it felt natural. And I loved that she fell in love with reading (after hating it for most of her life) and genuinely wanted to run her parent's bookstore that they always wanted her to run. 

The turmoil that Emma (and Sam and Jesse) went through once Jesse came back was so raw and executed so well. It's not a simple situation and I really liked how it wasn't about "choosing" Jesse over Sam, but about choosing who was right given who present day Emma was. Was Jesse still right for her, or was Sam? I knew in my heart it just had to be Sam. Three years is a long time to be apart, and Jesse's and Emma's time apart wasn't natural. Emma eventually had to choose to move on with her life, while Jesse didn't. His hope of being reunited with Emma was what kept him alive, and rightfully so. But that just means that when they were reunited, they weren't the same people at all. 

I also really liked that this was the story of Emma - the person left behind when someone goes missing or dies in an accident. The focus wasn't on Jesse's story of survival (although we were given just enough of his story to feed that curiosity and answer any questions). 

The ending was perfect in my opinion, and not just because Emma stayed with Sam. It was perfect because it was messy before it got better, and it just felt real. Feelings were going to have to be heart no matter which way you looked at it. There was going be a need for closure, for both Emma and Jesse. Sam was going to go through his own emotional rollercoaster and Emma had to understand the potential for her actions. While there was a moment where I was like, "if this was real life, I could see no one ending up with anyone", but I'm so glad that wasn't the ending for this book! 

Oh man, I can't stop talking about this book! I'm sorry, if you've read this far, you deserve a cookie! But seriously, I loved this book and I really hope you all loved it too! 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU (Feel free to discuss in the comments!):

1. Do you think Emma, believing that Jesse might not have been dead, should have waited longer for him to be found before moving on? No. I think two years was a long time and Emma needed to move on for her own sanity and good-will. She deserved to be happy again and find love, especially at such a young age. In reality, how long DO you wait?! I don't think there's a right answer, but I think Emma knew she was ready to stop waiting. 

2. Do you think moving back home, running the family book store and putting her life of travel behind her, was the right thing for Emma to do? Did you feel it was a natural progression or an outcome only because of her grief? I do, I really do. Like I said above, we change as we age and we for sure change after a tragic accident. I don't think Emma was ever trying to be someone she wasn't (in fact, I would even argue that the young Emma was trying to be someone that maybe she wasn't). I think older and wiser Emma was just more comfortable in accepting what she wanted and who she wanted to be.

3. How did you feel about the weekend Emma spent with Jesse at his family's cabin in Maine? Do you think that level of intimacy was necessary in order for Emma to figure out what she wanted, even though it risked hurting and losing Sam? At first I was like, Noooo, you can't go and be alone and have sex and risk ruining everything with Sam. But, I knew it needed to be done. Emma needed to figure out who Jesse was/had become, she needed to figure out if they were still the same people as they were when they were still married and madly in love. It was closure that ultimately needed to occur in order for anyone to move on.

4. Who did you want Emma to choose: Jesse or Sam? Sam. Definitely Sam. I adored Jesse, but I knew he wasn't right for Emma anymore. He was changed, Emma was changed, and that tragic gap would be too much for them to overcome. And I just knew that Jesse wasn't happy with the new life Emma had built for herself (moving back home and running the bookstore) and I knew that it wasn't a life he would ultimately want for himself. 

*****

NEXT MONTH'S BOOK PICK

Here are the choices for October's book club. I decided to choose mystery/thrillers in the spirit of Halloween being next month. Local friends - I try to find books that don't have super long wait lists, but it was a difficult task this go around. Even if you aren't sure you can participate, vote anyway! You never know if you might get a chance to read it and participation can be anonymous if you like :) So vote for a book, and then next Tuesday I will announce the winner!

Links to check out these books on Goodreads: I Let You Go//Behind Closed Doors//Miss Peregrine's

And now to vote!

Happy voting! Don't forget to link up your posts so I can check them out! 

A Slice of Brie Book Club: Keep Me Posted (& Next Month's Book Pick)

Hey there Book Clubbers! Sorry again about the confusion yesterday, I promise it won't happen again! Hope you're ready to talk about July's book....

Keep Me Posted by Lisa Beazley was a book that I kept seeing pop up all over my social media so I was pretty excited that it was the book picked. Sometimes it seems so rare that I read a book while it's still current, you know? Anyway, just a few reminders here before we get into the book...if this is your first time here, this is your warning that this post will have spoilers (what would a book club discussion be otherwise?!) At the end of the post, I will have a few questions to get the discussion going which you can answer in the comments section if you like. And lastly, if you have a blog post about the book, you can link up at the end of this post!

Also - if you aren't here to discuss Keep Me Posted, but would like to participate in the next book club, then be sure to jump to the end of this post to vote on the book you'd like to read for September! (Because of scheduling for this month, we're just going to skip having an actual August book). If you're new to A Slice of Brie Book club, in a nutshell, it's an online book club for fellow book lovers. A place to talk about a chosen book from the comfort of your own home/computer! Everyone is welcome (so tell your friends!), and you definitely do not have to have a blog to participate. Every month, we vote on which book to read for the following month. The poll will stay open until Sunday night and I will announce the book next Tuesday. No commitment to join, but if you've ever wanted to join a book club, this is a great place to start!

*****

Ok! So on to Keep Me Posted! This was the perfect middle of summer read, in my opinion. Life has been super busy this past month and out of the entire year, this is the least amount of reading I've done. But I really did enjoy this book. Quickly, this book is about two sisters - Cassie and Sid - who live across the world from each other. Cassie is in NYC with her husband and twin toddlers, and Sid is in Singapore with her husband, her teenage son, and her toddler. Cassie lives for social media, and Sid doesn't even exist on it, so one Christmas, they decide to go old school and start a correspondence via letter writing in hopes to get to know one another again. This all seems like a fabulous idea until Cassie decides she wants to preserve every single letter sent and received and uploads them all to a private blog she creates. Except said private blog somehow becomes public one day and all of their private and intimate letters are out there for anyone to read. And before Cassie even has time to do damage control, the blog is getting some serious attention. 

Keep Me Posted was a fun read and I loved the concept of going back to hand writing real letters and sending them by snail mail. It brought back the days of my childhood when I had a handful of pen-pals I loved writing to. It really made me wonder if penning letters and mailing them is truly a dying art? I know I no longer write letters to anyone and it's a miracle if I can get a card in the mail on time. This kind of makes me sad and I'm tempted to convince my own sister to embark on a similar journey as the sisters in the book. 

Anyway...I really liked both Sid and Cassie, and I felt I could relate to a lot of what Cassie was going through as a stay at home mom of toddlers. I liked her relationship she had with her husband and I was rooting for them the whole time. I was so mad when Cassie got sloppy and kissed her ex-boyfriend, but I was so glad that it didn't progress to more than that. I also thought it was incredibly dumb that Cassie choose a private blog as the means to preserve her and Sid's correspondence. Couldn't she have just scanned them and saved them in a folder on her desktop?! Or printed out her scanned copies of her letters and made a scrapbook? I know there would be no book without this part, and I guess people do do dumb things all the time.

My biggest beef with this book was the blowing up of the blog once it went public. There are a billion blogs out there and if no one knows about your blog, the odds of someone finding out about it are pretty slim, no? I mean, most bloggers I know work their butts off to get their writing out there and to gain readership. It doesn't happen overnight and certainly doesn't happen to a blog that is just out there sitting there. How did people even stumble across it, let alone tens of thousands of people? I dunno, am I the naive one here, or am I reading too much into this? 

I also felt that Cassie's husband's response towards the blog going viral was a bit of an overreaction. Not that he didn't have a right to be upset, but he really punished her for an honest mistake. And not even for the fact that she kissed another guy, but just for the reason that she was stupid enough to post the letters on the blog. I'm glad they were able to work through it, but I didn't think he needed to make Cassie suffer for as long as he did. 

The ending, while I liked it, wrapped up a little too perfectly. A perfect solution to everyone's problems! How nice! Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a happy ending, and this one definitely was one. And I like when everything is tied up at the end without leaving the reader with too many "but what happened next?!" thoughts. But this ending was just a little too neat. 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU! (Feel free to discuss in the comments!)

1. Could you relate to what either of the sister's was going through in their personal lives? Did you relate to one more than the other, or neither of them? I could definitely relate to some of what Cassie was going through - the struggles with being a stay at home mom, the old wardrobe, the frequent use of Facebook - but I can't say that I understood her need or mistake to make out with an old flame or the lack of communication in her marriage. 

2. Do you think it was dumb that Cassie chose to save the letters in the way she did, by uploading them to the internet? Or in theory, was it a good way? Would you have done the same to keep a record of the correspondence? So dumb. BUT, as someone who puts a lot of her life out there on the internet, I get it, although I would never do something like she did with the intent of making it private. Does that make sense? If I truly wanted to keep something private, I would not be uploading it to the internet. In the spirit of handwriting letters, I like to think I would save them all in a scrapbook/journal thing. 

3. Do you feel Cassie's husband Leo's reaction to the letters going public was justified, or do you think he overreacted? I totally think he overreacted. Or at least, I think he shouldn't have shut Cassie out as much as he did, or for as long. Even when they "resolved" all their problems, there wasn't much of a conversation, and that kind of bugged me. 

4. Did you like how relevant this book was to today? So many books, while taking place in present day, don't make mention to things like Facebook, social media, blogs, etc, in efforts to not date a book. Do you think this book will still be relevant or relatable to people reading it in 5 years, 10, longer? I like both: I like when a book doesn't date itself by including too much pop culture or things (like Facebook or Instagram) that could potentially not be relevant to future readers. But a book like this is also really enjoyable because it's relatable to real life. Texting and Facebook and social media aren't going anywhere. 

*****

NEXT MONTH'S BOOK PICK

Here are the choices for September's book club. Since it's already the middle of August, we're just going to skip having an August book, and get right to September's. Even if you aren't sure you can participate, vote anyway! You never know if you might get a chance to read it and participation can be anonymous if you like :) So vote for a book, and then next Tuesday I will announce the winner!

Links to check out these books on Goodreads: One True Loves//The Mountain Story//One Plus One

And now to vote!

Happy voting! Don't forget to link up your posts so that I can check them out!

The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry

First of all, I tried to type up my thoughts on The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry last night right after I finished the book, but my feelings and heart were just all over the place so I decided to sleep on it instead. And I'm glad I did, because the ending confused me at first, and I wasn't sure if I just didn't get it, or maybe I was reading into it too much, and so I didn't know what to think. Now that I've had time to digest my feelings on this book, the more I've come to accept the ending. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

This book came on my radar when I saw it was the May Book Club pick for the Literary Ladies Book Club (I know, like I need another book club in my life, right?! haha!). I was intrigued by the blurb and I'll usually jump at any chance to read a book that I know I will have some people to talk to about it with afterwards. My library hold came in on Friday (in the nick of time!), so I figured I could plow through it for today.

I'm not sure I've ever read anything quite like The Love That Split the World. By the time my hold came in, I had forgotten everything about what this book was supposed to be about and since I was reading the e-book version, there was no blurb to refresh my memory (which is good sometimes!), and I refrained from going on Goodreads to read about it so that I wasn't persuaded to have certain expectations.

The Love That Split the World is the story of Natalie, a senior about to graduate from High School. Natalie is of Aboriginal heritage, but was adopted by her white parents when she was only 11 days old. The story takes place in a small town in Kentucky, called Union.

Natalie isn't just your average teenager though. Natalie, we quickly learn, experiences visions, "hallucinations" if you will, of buildings where there shouldn't be buildings, of people who should know her, but don't, of her family home as she doesn't recognize it, etc. Natalie isn't sure why this happens to her or what to make of it all. Is she hallucinating? Dreaming? Losing her mind? Natalie is also visited at night by "someone" she refers to as Grandmother. A ghost perhaps? God? Even Natalie isn't really sure. Grandmother spends her visits sharing and telling stories of Native American folklore, but then one night, Grandmother tells Natalie that she has 3 months to "save him". Save who?! Her father? Her brother? Her ex-boyfriend, Matt?

And then we meet Beau. From the moment Natalie meets Beau, she knows he's like no other guy she's ever met before. And how come she hasn't met him before? Union is a small town after all. There's something mysterious and magnetic about him. The insta-love is, well, instantaneous. (For the record, I am not bothered by this when I read a YA novel. I expect it, I embrace it, and I enjoy it. After all, reading is supposed to be a form of escapism, so not everything has to be "real"). Anyway, Beau and Natalie start to spend as much time together as they can, but this isn't always easy. And soon, even more secrets are revealed, making their relationship even more complicated. And in the mean time, Natalie is still trying to figure out who she has to save. Is it Beau? And so begins the emotional and potentially tragic love story of Natalie and Beau.

This book was so beautifully written. So many great quotes, and I really enjoyed the stories that Grandmother shared with Natalie. Natalie was such a likeable character, and she had one of the best, best-friends that I think I've ever encountered in a teen novel.

I'm not quite sure how to even do this book justice here. It's more than just a love story. There's aspects of time-travel, spiritualism, magic, psychology, feminism, mystery and self-discovery. There were definitely moments where I was confused trying to make sense of the alternate worlds and time-travel bits, but I find if you actually step back and stop trying to make sense of things, and just enjoy the story instead, the ride will be much more enjoyable.

It's funny though, while I was reading this book, I couldn't stop thinking about Friday Night Lights and how much of the book reminded me of it, and of how much Beau reminded me of Tim Riggins. And then I read the synopsis on Goodreads afterwards and saw that this book has been compared to FNL, as well as The Time Traveler's Wife (a book I adored). So, if you are a fan of either of these, I definitely think you would enjoy this book.

As for the ending I couldn't quite wrap my head around? I don't want to give too much away, but let's just say, that it fit the overall theme of the book. I much prefer a concrete ending (give me an epilogue any day!), but after re-reading the ending and understanding the metaphor, it doesn't bother me so much anymore. Of course, I'd love to sit down with the author and pick her brains about it, but it didn't ruin the book for me.

Have you read this book? Thoughts? 

Do you enjoy time-travel books? Favourite one? 


PSST! There's still lots of time to get in on A Slice of Brie Book Club for May! We'll be meeting on the 25th to discuss Remember Mia. More details HERE. 


*affiliate links have been used

*Linking up with Kristen, Kari & Kay

Glory Over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

*Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with an advanced copy of 
this book for review. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

I find really good books the hardest to review. Bad books, on the other hand, are easy to pick apart and to point out their faults. I always struggle to find the right words to describe my thoughts on a really good read. I forgot this one fact when I agreed to partake in the Blog Tour for Kathleen Grissom's newest book, Glory Over Everything, a follow-up story to her last best-seller, The Kitchen House. Not that I thought I wasn't going to like the book, quite the opposite, but as I write this post, I am reminded of how hard I find it to do a great book justice with my words.

Anyway, if you are a regular reader around these parts, you probably recall my undying praise for the Grissom's first book, The Kitchen House. I didn't review the book on here, but I've talked about it in a few different posts, as well as on Instagram and Goodreads. When I caught wind of Glory Over Everything coming out, I knew it was time to finally read The Kitchen House (it had been calling to me ever since it was released, but those pesky TBR piles, you know?). Glory Over Everything, while deemed a standalone novel, is the continuation of a secondary character's story from The Kitchen House, so although one could read Glory Over Everything on it's own, I highly recommend you read them in order as it will only further add to your reading experience.

Glory Over Everything picks up several years after The Kitchen House ends, and tells the story of what became of Jamie Pyke, the son of the master of Tall Oaks and a black slave, after he flees the plantation. Jamie, born of a fair complexion, was raised by his white grandmother and brought up to believe that black people are evil and the race is to be hated. When he learns of his true lineage, it is a truth that he will struggle with for the rest of his life.

The book starts out slowly, giving much back history into the earlier years of Jamie's life once he fled the plantation, and how he came to be James Burton, a successful silversmith and the adoptive son of the Burton's. Living as a white man, James is forever worried that his secret identity will be found out. When Henry, the man who initially helped James find a life in Philadelphia, asks him to employ his young son, Pan, as a servant, James obliges. James and Pan form a bond over time, and when Pan is kidnapped and sold into slavery, James, indebted to Henry, promises him that he will travel back to the South to find and bring home, the young boy.

James, who has never stopped struggling with his past, must face his fears and risk revealing his true identity in efforts to save Pan. It is on this journey that all of his strength, resolve, bravery and true-being will be tested. How far will James go to save Pan? When he meets another slave, Sukey, a girl James remembers from his early years at Tall Oaks, will he try and save her too? The world of slavery and the Underground Railroad is a dangerous and ruthless place. You can't trust anyone, yet your survival lies in the hands of complete strangers.

Needless to say, I was hooked from the beginning. Grissom writes in such a way that you are immediately pulled into the story and transported to the year 1830. I took a liking to Jamie right away, and while at first I missed the characters from The Kitchen House, I quickly became invested in the new characters in this book. Pan - the innocent, cheerful young boy who is sure to win your heart over from the get-go; Robert - Jamie's most loyal and trustworthy Butler; Sukey - lovers of The Kitchen House will remember her as Miss Lavinia's beloved servant - is now a slave, helping other slaves escape via the Underground Railroad; Adelaide - the spunky, and daring young woman determined to help Jamie in his journey; and of course, Mr and Mrs Burton, the lovely couple who first saw promise and hope in young Jamie when he most needed it. There are other wonderful, yet smaller characters whom we meet along the way, as well as some horrid ones, and Grissom weaves a story that you won't soon forget.

I can't imagine reading this book and not finding yourself invested in the story and eager to get to the last page. The fear and tension in this book is palpable at times, and many chapters will have you on the edge of your seat. Glory Over Everything isn't as graphic as The Kitchen House, but it doesn't sugar-coat the brutality or despicable truths that were abundant during the slave trade era. In some ways, I felt the ending wrapped up a little too neatly, but it in no way took away from the overall experience of reading this book. Of course, I was left with wanting more, and I hope Ms Grissom isn't done with this story yet. I highly recommend this book if you are a lover of historical-fiction, but if you aren't that well-versed in the genre, then both of these books are a great place to start.


Have you read The Kitchen House?

Are you a fan of historical-fiction? Favourite book of this genre?

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

I have never met a historical fiction book about World War II that I won't read. It's a topic that I will always find fascinating and never tire of reading about or learning about. There are so many different stories to be told about the war, from so many different sides and points of view. When The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley came on my radar, I immediately requested it at my library and as luck would have it, there were no prior holds on the few copies out there.

I'm writing about this book because I want every single person I know, and even those I don't know, to read this book. I honestly cannot imagine anyone not enjoying this story. And to further convince you, The War That Saved My Life is a young-reader (middle grade) book, so it's a quick read, but worth every minute that it does take you.

The War That Saved My Life is the story of Ada, a ten year old English girl and her six year old brother, Jamie. Or, at least that's how old we think they are, as neither of them have ever celebrated a birthday before and don't even know what day they were born on.

Ada and Jamie live with their mother, in London, in a one room apartment above the pub their mom works at. Ada was born with a club foot (although she doesn't know there's an actual diagnosis for her disability) and her mother has treated Ada as a cripple, with utter disgust, disrespect and embarrassment, since the day she was born. Ada has never stepped outside the walls of their apartment, she doesn't know how to walk, and she's often the victim of her mother's abuse, both verbal and physical. Her world is tiny and the only thing that gives her purpose is taking care of Jamie.

As the war becomes more serious, children in the town are being sent away by train to live in the country, away from Hitler's war and imminent danger. Ada's mom, forever ashamed of her "condition", only intends to send Jamie away, telling Ada that no one would want her with her ugly foot. But Ada has other plans, and without their mother knowing, Ada sneaks off with Jamie early in the morning, and makes it on to the train with him.

The world that they are met with comes as quite the culture shock. They aren't used to kindness, baths, clean clothes, full stomachs or an adult that won't hit them when they disobey. This new life with Susan, their caregiver, presents them with new opportunities and experiences, and opens up their whole little world. Imagine Ada's bewilderment when she discovers that her club foot is nothing to be ashamed of and no reason to be locked up for: "your foot's a long way from your brain". But despite all this, Ada and Jamie can't fully accept their new situation as surely it will be ripped away from them as soon as the war is over. The inner turmoil that Ada struggles with over accepting their new situation and not taking things for granted was so well done.

The War That Saved My Life is heartbreaking, heartwarming, sad, funny, hopeful and also a bit scary. I felt every single emotion immensely. How will Ada and Jamie adapt to their new life with Susan if they can't fully trust her? What will happen when the war ends? Will Ada's and Jamie's mom ever come look for them, and what will she do if she does?

I don't think I can fully express, in words, the effect this book had on me. I couldn't put it down, and when I had to, I couldn't wait to get back to it. Ada, and Jamie, and Susan were such real people to me, people I wanted to reach through the pages and hug and then have a cup of tea with. I still think about them and it's been several days since I read the last pages.

I have read my share of historical fiction books on World War II, and I can honestly say that this one is in the running for my all-time favourite. I beg of you, make this a book you read too. I promise you won't be disappointed.


Do you enjoy reading historical fiction? 
What's your favourite book on WWII?

Candy and the Cankersaur & A Giveaway!

I rarely (okay, never) accept books for review anymore, but when Jason Sandberg contacted me and asked if I would be interested in reviewing his children's book, Candy and the Cankersaur, I had a change of heart!

I love children's story books, and have been slowly collecting them for the past few years, well before I became a mom. Any opportunity to share the love of children's stories is one I will usually take! And lucky for five of you - there's a giveaway at the end for 5 copies of this e-book (readable on any electronic device!).

Candy and the Cankersaur is an e-book, and if you know me well, you know I have mixed feelings on e-books. I am a huge lover of physical books - I want to hold and feel a book in my hands while I'm reading it, I want to turn it's pages, heck, I probably will even smell it at some point (true story). I do not own an e-reader and I'm not sure I would ever invest in one. That being said, I can appreciate that e-readers are encouraging and allowing people to read books who might otherwise not. And how can I be against that? I can also appreciate that e-readers (and e-books) are practical for many settings, and with the influx of electronic devices at the palm of pretty much everyone's hand, it's easy to always have a book with you, which is something I always make sure I have.

At the end of the day, there are worse things children could be doing than reading books on a tablet, amiright?

With that, I present to you, Candy and the Cankersaur, a fun story about a rich, young girl who's father gives her a dinosaur for a gift. Candy wastes no time upon the arrival of her Cankersaurus Rex, whom Candy aptly names "Cank", and sets out to train him, starting with, "no biting!". Then one day, Cank disappears and Candy is in tears.  Where could he have disappeared to? Did he run away, or did someone steal him? Will Candy ever see Cank again?!

Full of colourful illustrations, not too many words on each page (key in my opinion at keeping attention at bay!), and importantly, a good moral, Candy and the Cankersaur is a story that both young boys and girls will enjoy. And for the mama's and papa's out there - you're sure to feel some nostalgia while reading this book as the author pays homage to Syd Hoff, author of Danny and the Dinosaur. Overall, a story the whole family will enjoy and one I'll be sure to read with Sully when he's a little bit older!


I have five copies, courtesy of the author to giveaway to my readers! All you have to do is enter via the rafflecopter below. Winners will be contacted via email in one week.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more information about the author and his books, you can visit his website. As well, Candy and the Cankersaur can be purchased on amazon, iTunes, Nook and Kobo.

I was gifted a copy of the book for review purposes in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.