New Release: The Dinner

Over the course of one meal, two families must struggle to make the hardest decision of their lives. It starts as a polite conversation while eating at a expensive restaurant. Two brothers, Paul and Serge, and their wives speak of trivial matters while having dinner. They discuss work, vacations, and the new Woody Allen movie, but the conversations become increasingly stressed when secrets start to come up. The book them transforms into a political thriller when the real reason for their meeting emerges. Each brother has a 15 year old son who were caught together committing an unspeakable act. They have not yet been identified, but the video is circulating T.V and YouTube and the brothers argue over what they will do to protect their sons. The book is full of twists and turns which reveal the depths of the characters and dark pasts they are hiding. Serge is a political figure and you see what he is willing to do to keep the privileged life he leads.

This is described as a chilling look at madness, class, and the ugliness of keeping up appearances. 

The Casual Vacancy by J.K Rowling

I finally completed The Casual Vacancy. It reminded me a bit of The Pilot's Wife in the sense that I found the book long and uneventful but with a good strong ending that brought all of the events together. It was one of those books that make you think once you have finished it. The ending was good but that doesn't mean that I liked the book as a whole. Reading is an experience to me, and if I don't enjoy every moment of the book and have a "I cant put it down" moments at least once, no matter how much it makes you reflect after its done, a good ending does not make up for my lack of interest while I was reading it.

This book just did not grab my attention from the beginning. I found that there were way to many characters all introduced at once. It took me almost the entire novel to figure out who was who and how they all seemed to be related. Most of the characters were unlikeable. The only characters that I liked were Krystal and Andrew. Both were kids who had hard childhoods but dealt with their troubles the best they could. All of the adults in the town were rude and gossiped about each other. They never had anything nice to say about their fellow neighbours and it made reading very negative. I want to read a book that makes me feel happy, excited, intrigued, scared even, but a book that makes me annoyed isn't something I want to waste my free time reading.

No matter how well written the book was I would not recommend it to anyone. I prefer to read a badly written book with a good story. (That comment was directed at those who did not enjoy The Night Circus and Fifty Shades of Grey)

New Release: The Winter Witch

Morgana is a mystery to the people who live in her small town in nineteenth century Welsh. She is smart and pretty enough to attract a good suitor, but she has not spoken since she was a small child. As odd as that is the real mystery lies in her magic. Things seem to move at will for Morgana and bad luck happens to people who do her wrong. When towns people start talking, her mother is anxious to have her married for her own safety. The perfect fit is Cai Jenkins, he is a widower from outside and has not heard the rumours that surround Morgana. After the wedding Morgana is nervous of her new husband and her new home, but she soon thrives on Cai's farm and the wilderness that surrounds it. Her magic improves and Cai tries hard to win her affections. But it is not long before the people of her new town notice her strangeness, and there is someone who will try anything to turn the town against her. Morgana must protect her home and her man from a dark force or she will loose everything.

New Release: The Painted Girls

I am still slowly getting through J.K Rowlings new book. I'm about half way now. Until then here is a new release (last month) that sounds good. It is based on the van Goethem sisters.

 In 1878 Paris three sisters lives are changed when their father dies and they are forced to live on their mother's meager wages. Fear full of being evicted the girls must find jobs, with little options they turn to the ballet. Antoniette, takes on the role of caregiver to her sisters. She is an extra in the Opera and gets both of her sisters auditions. Marie shows talent for dance and is paid 17 francs a week she is trained to enter the famous ballet. Marie throws herself into her work and is soon modeling for the mysterious Edgar Degas, and will forever be immortalized as Little Dancer Aged Fourteen.  Meanwhile, Antoinette begins a love affair with Émile Abadie and must choose between honest labor and the more profitable avenues. When Emile is arrested for murder, a wedge is drawn between the two sisters. This is the story of two sisters trying to survive the unglamourous reality of Paris in the late 19th century.

Enjoy :)

Shopaholic books 3 and 4 by Sophie Kinsella

This is my first post of the new year. I got busy around Christmas and didn't mention that I finished Shopaholic and Ties the Knot and Shopaholic and Sister. I think I made it clear in my last post that I didn't love the first two books. The characters annoyed me a little yet the story had me interested, and despite my annoyance with some of her choices I still felt bad for her in lots of instances and want to see where her life leads her.

One of the things that bugged me the most about Becky was her constant lying. She continued this trend in Shopaholic Ties the Knot, and it got her in a lot of trouble. That is one of the things I do like about these books, the fact that she does get herself in some difficult situations. As much as I dislike her attitude, I feel for her as well, and understand that she was only trying to do the right thing and keep everyone happy. She grows as a person as the series continues and she learns her lesson afterwards (for the most part). She does truly try to be a better person and that makes her someone that grows on you. I continue to hope that her life will turn out perfect and she will change for the better.

I have to say Sophie Kinsella is a great writer who keeps me glued to the pages.  I picked up Shopaholic and Sister almost instantly after I finished the previous book. In this book I liked Becky a lot better. She was a little naive to think that as her sister would be just like her, but she was also determined to get along with her and tried everything to forge a relationship. And she did learn and fixed her mistakes like she always does. She made good friends and saw life from the opposite point of view. Her sister was hard on her, but I think that was what she needed considering everyone else in her life seems to coddle her.

She seemed to be trying a lot harder to fix her money problems and although she was a little misguided in her methods she did succeed.

Last Minute Gilft Ideas

If you still have that one person to buy for and they are a book lover, here are some ideas to finally get your shopping done.


Books:  How about get them one of the best sellers of this year. Here are a few suggestions.

    

Assessories:  Does the person on your list have an e-reader? Maybe they would like some of these cool

assesories to go with it.



Charges your e-reader





Reading Blanket




An E-reader Case



Screen Protectors




A Stand



Shopaholic takes Manhattan

I'm taking a little break with the Outlander series right now and reading another popular series that I missed out on when they were new releases.

I was never really interested in reading the Shopaholic series when I saw it is stores, but out of curiosity I did see them movie when it came out. I did enjoy the movie for the most part so when I was offered the entire series from a friend I figured, why not?

I skipped ahead to the second book Shopaholic Takes Manhattan. I knew the plot line of Confessions of a Shopaholic already from the movie, so didn't want to read the book.

I'm really torn trying to decide if I liked the book or not. On the good side the book was well written. I was attached to the story and was interested to find out how Becky got out of her mess. The fact that I've already started the next book proves that the story is addicting and and interesting.

I often felt bad for Becky during the book, she was constantly getting herself into trouble and the people around her treat her bad. Especially at the neighbours wedding. I think in that case I would have handled that situation the same way she did. I also felt bad for her because in a lot of ways she is seriously trying to be better when it comes to her "problem". She just does a very bad job at it and is very weak willed. She always talking herself out of doing the right thing, and justifying her addition.

The one thing that really annoys me while reading is how much Becky lies. She lies about everything! It's not just to cover up her shopping addiction either. Sometimes she does do it cause she is trying not to hurt peoples feelings, but really sometimes there IS a nice way to say no. I just really hate it, all I can think when I'm reading is "if you just told the truth in the beginning you wouldn't be in this situation."

Anyways, I don't think I'd ever be friends with Becky if she was real, but I think I will finish the series, even if I spend the whole time complaining about her.

Coming Soon: December 11

I love a good page-turning mystery. I like it when I can't stop reading because I want answers so bad. This book that I noticed the other day will hopefully fit that description.

Growing up, sisters Dana and Julie were very close. Julie, the oldest, was calm and nurturing while Dana the youngest was impulsive. As kids they were inseparable but a devastating secret causes Dana to flee her home and not speak to her sister for 16 years.

When she hears that her sister is ill she returns home to Black Bear, Minnesota, but she is too late.  Her sister has left behind a teenage daughter named Peyton. The already shattered girl can not forgive her aunt for being away all these years. Meanwhile Dana feels that something has changed in the town since she left. The people are even different and Dana thinks that what ever killed her sister might be hurting others too, but no one wants to talk about it. Dana struggles to uncover the truth with no help from Payton or the town. What ever is going on has the potential to tear apart Dana's family and the whole town. She left Black Bear to keep a secret, but it looks like the town has a secret of its own.

These are not new releases, but if you have an e-reader and are a fan of Nora Roberts, I've noticed that a lot of her old books are being released for Nook. I counted at least 7 this week.

Gabriel's Angel, Holiday Wishes, The Heart's Victory, Rules of the Game, The Right Path, Time Was, and Times Change.

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

I finished Voyager on Friday, and I of course liked it. I understand why some people were not as impressed with it as the previous books. It was a good story that flowed well, and I didn't get bored of the story at any point. The difference I think was that there was nothing pulling you towards the end of the story. In the last book there were questions that drove the reader to continue on, this time Claire and Jamie are together and there is really no fear of them getting split up. 

The search for someone who gets taken, is what drives the story forward. Jamie and Claire travel across the ocean after a ship, and this seems to be where the majority of the story took place. Personally I got a little tired of them being on a boat so much. And as much as I like Jamie he really has to stop chasing after Claire every time she leaves his eye sight. You think he would know by now that she can take care of herself pretty well. The return of an old character is the most interesting thing that happens in the book. It opens some new questions about their family that I hope are addressed in the next book. If it wasn't for this one piece of information I may not be as inclined to continue with the series. I could see the story easily ending at the end of this book.

If I gave Dragonfly in Amber a 5 star rating then this book would get a slightly less rating of 4 stars. A good story but not nearly as exciting as the previous two.

Coming Soon: Nov 26

The Forgotten is about Agent John Puller and his discovery of a conspiracy among the palm trees and beaches of Paradise, Florida.

His job for the Army is to work on the toughest crimes facing the nation. This time the crime he is investigating is personal; his aunt was found dead. She lived it the town of Paradise, which thrived on tourists and retirees. The local police have insisted that her death was an accident. Puller thinks something is wrong in Paradise, because just before she died, his aunt sent a letter saying that everything in Paradise is not what is seems. 

When there he finds something that convinces him that she was right. Something is going on that some people will do anything to keep a secret, and do anything to make sure the truth is never revealed.

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

I finished Dragonfly in Amber on Tuesday. I was sad it was over and debated for a while if I should read another book before I moved on to the third in the series. I briefly looked online to see if there was anything else I was interested in. Then I remembered that I had the third book; it was on my bookshelf at home. Five minutes later I was curled on the couch already immersed in the first chapter.

After reading that I assume you have guessed that I loved the book. Dragonfly in Amber switched between Jamie and Clair during the time leading up to the battle at Culloden, and Clair in present time Scotland with her daughter. The magority of the book takes place in 1744 -45 as Claire tells her daughter about her time in the past.  In the first chapter you are introduced to older Claire (around her late 40's I assume) and her daughter. Seeing them there you know two things right away. 1. Claire went back to her present day and 2. Brianna has bright red hair so must be Jamie's daughter. When I first read this I was full of questions. Why did Clair go back in the stones? What happened to Jamie? Why doesn't Brianna know who her father is?  My biggest concern was what happened to Jamie, cause I was sure that Claire would not leave him in the past. And it is that question that propels the reader through the book. There were a few boring moments while Jamie and Claire travelled Europe and were living in Paris trying to stop history from repeating.. or happening at all, depending on how you look at it. I am not very good at history, so was confused often with all the names of kings and other historical figures and which country they represented, and who their allegiances were with. (Sadly it took me a while to figure out the Bonny Prince and Charles Stuart were references to the same person) The benefit of this was that I learned a little about a history I previously knew anything about at all. At least now if anyone mentions Jacobites I will have enough knowledge not to sound completely stupid.

What I like most about this series so far is that every little moment, no matter how small, impacts what happens later in the book. The story is very in depth and thought out, you never know what little bit information could be significant chapters later. Alot of difficult desions must be made when you are living in the past with knowledge of the future. I think that is one of the things that make these books such page turners; there are constants twists and revalations, things you were not expecting, that keep you on the edge of your seat.

Coming Soon: November 5

I saw this book online and thought it looked cute, a little holiday whodunit set in 1933. I like mystery novels and reading a holiday themed book might be fun. Especially when the author is known for her zany humour.

The book is about Lady Georgiana Rannoch, she is 35th in line to the throne, but her holiday plans suck. The love of her life Darcy O'Mara is in South America, and she finds herself stuck with her brother’s family including his sourpuss wife, Fig. She finds an escape when she is hired as hostess to help Lady Hawse-Gorzley with a large Christmas party. She arrives at the piscusice village, and is thrilled that Darcy is the nephew of Mrs. Hawse-Gorzley and will be spending Christmas there. She hasn't been there long before a string of seeming accidental deaths happen; the first is when a man shot out of a pear tree.

One death has been happening a day and Georgina, and armature sleuth, suspects these are not accidents at all. The villages suspect a recent prison break, but she is not so sure. She finally sees a pattern, but the cleaver killer will be hard to catch

Also being released this week is the third book in the Inn Boonsboro trilogy.

Ryder is the hardest of the three brothers to figure out. He is tough on the outside and hasn't shown to be anything but the same within. He is surly and unsociable but when he puts on a tool belt no woman can resist him, except maybe Hope.

Hope left the city to be an inn keeper at the brother's Boonsboro Inn. She likes the change to the small town, and everything is perfect. The only thing lacking is her love life. The only interaction she has with men is arguing with the infuriating Ryder, who is always getting under her skin. But no one can deny a spark between them that started with a New Year's Kiss.

With everything at the Inn running smoothly Hope's past is about to make an appearance. Seeing her vulnerable Ryder decides that although Hope is not perfect, but she might be perfect for him.

Giller Prize Winner

Happy Halloween.

Yesterday the winner of the Scotiabank Giller prize was announced. If you've never heard of it here is a brief description from their website.

The Scotiabank Giller Prize is Canada’s most distinguished literary prize, awarding $50,000 annually to the author of the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English. Finalists on the shortlist receive $5,000. The award was established in 1994 by Toronto businessman Jack Rabinovitch in honour of his late wife, literary journalist Doris Giller.

In September 2005, Scotiabank was proud to become the first ever co-sponsor of the prize – and it has been known as the Scotiabank Giller Prize ever since

This years winner is Will Ferguson, author of 419. Amazon gives the novel the below description.

From internationally bestselling travel writer Will Ferguson, author of Happiness™ and Spanish Fly, comes a novel both epic in its sweep and intimate in its portrayal of human endurance. A car tumbles through darkness down a snowy ravine. A woman without a name walks out of a dust storm in sub-Saharan Africa. And in the seething heat of Lagos City, a criminal cartel scours the Internet, looking for victims.

Lives intersect. Worlds collide. And it all begins with a single email: “Dear Sir, I am the daughter of a Nigerian diplomat, and I need your help…”

Will Ferguson takes readers deep into the labyrinth of lies that is 419, the world’s most insidious Internet scam.

When Laura Curtis, a lonely editor in a cold northern city, discovers that her father has died because of one such swindle, she sets out to track down—and corner—her father’s killer. It is a dangerous game she’s playing, however, and the stakes are higher than she can ever imagine. Woven into Laura’s journey is a mysterious woman from the African Sahel with scars etched into her skin and a young man who finds himself caught up in a web of violence and deceit.

And running through it, a dying father’s final words: “You, I love.”

Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz

I finished Odd Apocalypse the other day. I was glad to see that it kept my favourite thing about the Odd series, which is Odd's sense of humour. I find his sarcastic jokes and his casual approach to the weird events around him hilarious.

I wasn't to sure about this book at first. I was disappointed that the women ghost didn't show up more. She kinda of appeared at the beginning asked for Odd's help then disappeared except for a few moments.

Another thing about this series is that the stories are getting really crazy. I've read lots of Dean Koontz books and I like his science fiction, with scary monsters, and futuristic machines and events, its why I keep reading him. But I always found the Odd series different. Besides the fact that he can see ghosts, the enemies that he faced were always real people and plausible events. In this book and the last one, Odd Interlude, the enemies that Odd faces have been more supernatural. There's nothing wrong with this, it just feels like the rules were changed on me.

Besides that one complaint of mine, I liked the book. It wasn't as much a page turner as his other Odd books, but it still had my attention. I like the Annamarie character, she was introduced in Odd Hours, and she has traveled with him sense. She is so mysterious and is always speaking in riddles, I think if I was Odd I would be annoyed by now and start insisting she answer directly or don't bother. I'm hoping we find out more about her soon. She seems to know everything and made a comment this time about being pregnant for a long time. It makes me wonder if she is an guardian angel, the way everyone listens to her whether they want to or not.

The next Odd Thomas novel, Deeply Odd, is coming out at the beginning of April.

Coming Soon: Oct 15

Iris Johansen has a new novel staring her popular character Eve Duncan. For years Eve has struggled trying to find closure for her daughter who was taken from her. She has learned the truth and is now trying to start a new life. Now she has the disturbing feeling that something is about to go very wrong. Eve's mother Sandra has asked for her help trying to find her missing friend Beth. What worries Eve is that her mom refuses to call the police. Eve suspects that her mother may be hiding something from her, and that something might be very wrong. As Sandra reluctantly gives Eve information, she learns that Beth has been locked in a mental hospital for three years, she is shocked to find out that their fates may be intertwined, and all their lives could now be in danger.

She hires Kendra Michaels to investigate and learns the weird circumstances behind Beth's disappearance from a supposedly safe hospital room. Now that Beth has escaped and her mind is being cleared by the lack of drugs, she starts to see a twisted plot unwind within the Avery family, that threatens to destroy her and anyone who tries to stop what is already in motion.

One Summer day, 16 year old Laurel Nicolson comes down from her childhood tree house after a family party to see a man walking up their farmhouse driveway and her mother stopping to talk to him. By the end of the day she witnesses a shocking crime that challenges everything that she knows about her family and especially her mother Dorothy. Now fifty years later Laurel is an actress and has returned to the family home for Dorothy's ninetieth birthday party. She know this may be her last chance to learn the truth and the only answers are in her mother's past.

Dorothy's story starts in pre-WWII and takes us through time to the 60s and beyond. Her story involves three strangers who meet by chance in war time London, and their lives are forever intertwined. It is a story of dreams and the unexpected consequences they sometime create.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I read The Great Gatsby in anticipation of the upcoming movie. I was not expecting too much. I find that classic books can be hit or miss, some of them I really like while others I find boring. This book was one that I liked. One of the great things about it was that it did not read as an older book. The content and storyline was still relevant and it could easily have taken place in the modern world.

The book is a romance novel and a man's unconditional love for a women and how it ruled his life and ultimately caused his downfall. I liked how the story was not told from the perspective of the lover or his attraction, but instead from the view point of his neighbour and friend. Because you hear the story from an outsider you are open to interpret the characters actions. Some people reading the story may feel different then others about the main characters and their actions. I personally felt sorry for Gatsby but also considered him a fool.

I am very excited to see the movie and how Leonardo DiCaprio will play the character. He seems to do well in movies that are period pieces from the early 20th century.

The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve

I finished The Pilot's Wife last night. I can't say I enjoyed the book but I can see why it was an Oprah book club pick.

This book isn't very long, but the beginning is very slow and dragged on for me. In the very beginning the knock comes to the door which informs Katheryn that her husband has died in a plane crash. From this point on to almost three quarters the way into the novel not much else happens. Speculations are made as to the cause of the crash, and we get to see the effects this has on both the wife and the daughter. I think I was bored of the book at this point because it focused a lot on the wife's thoughts and feelings. This is of course important to a good novel but sometimes the best part of a novel is imagining yourself in the situation, and how you would feel in the characters position. I never really felt any attachment to the wife's character and I did not agree with a lot of the things she was thinking.

The novel didn't get interesting until the wife actually decided to do something about what happened and find out the truth about the crash. At this point the book got really good. I wanted to know what really happened and I felt like I'd been waiting forever to find out. I wasn't disappointed either, I liked the husbands story I thought it was interesting and well thought out. It also posed a lot of difficult questions about love and marriage. I personally think that he still loved his wife, and I didn't feel that he was a bad person. He may have made several bad choices but I felt he was trying his best to lessen the hurt he could have caused, although in the end it didn't quite work the way he planned.

Another part of the book I liked was the flashbacks. When in the mind of a suspicious wife the stories seemed to have two sides. The reader like Katheryn is wondering if there was another meaning hiding behind some of the events. Is something that seems innocent and sweet one moment take a different meaning when seen from the critical eyes of Katheryn.  

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

This book was recommended to me and at first I wasn't sure if I would like it. I had heard of Diana Gabaldon before (The Scottish Prisoner) but did not know anything about this series. The thing that made me decide to try it out was the time traveling aspect. The little bit of fantasy added interest to what sounded like a boring historical book, and made it into something potentially exciting and mysterious.

When I first started it I wasn't impressed, I liked the main character but I found her husband and their life a bore. She was taking up an interest in plants and herbs and her husband was researching his family tree. Neither which I find very interesting. The minute she stepped into Scotland in 1743 the entire feel of the book changed and I loved it.

Forced into a dangerous time with a war between the British and the Scottish Clans Claire's new life is focused on survival. She has to try and gain the trust of the people while at the same time lying about who she really is and where she is from. There is suspense and mystery everywhere as she slowly begins to learn the complicated relationships between the members of Castle Leoch. Claire becomes friends with a young Scot warrior Jamie Fraser, who takes it upon himself to protect Claire from the danger that she often finds herself in the middle of. Jamie's passion for Claire becomes undeniable and she finds herself torn between him and the husband she left behind.

Even though this book was very long I didn't notice the length while I was reading it. Most of the time the story flowed nicely and was never short on adventure. I liked Claire's strength and no nonsense attitude. Her stubbornness got her in a lot of trouble but it also saved her. This book is classified as a romance, but it was a tame version of one that isn't full of sex and has a great storyline besides their relationship.

Great book, I will read the rest of them.

Coming Soon: September 24

I outlined in an earlier post here, about J.K Rowlings new book written for adults. After a long wait the book will finally be on shelves this Thursday the 27th. I love the Harry Potter series and am curious to see how this book will be. Unfortunately this will have to take the back of the line of a long list of books that I want to read. I will get to it one day, I hope.

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Europe Vacation

I cant believe its been three weeks since I last posted. It's not because I've forgotten to post or ran out of things to say, it is because I was on vacation in Europe for over a week! I had a great time there and the weather was so nice. I spent the last two days in Rome and would love to go back again. Three days there is not enough time to see everything; its such a beautiful city. Here are a few pictures from the trip I'd like to share. I also finished the book Outlander yesterday, so will be posting a review of it soon.

The white washed houses of Mykonos

A dome in St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City

The Colosseum

Inside the Colosseum

St. Mark's square in Venice

The Parthenon in Athens

The Arch of Constantine in Rome

Beautiful ceiling in the Vatican Museum

Site of the first modern Olympics in Athens