Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page and each week we share what made its way into our mailboxes last week! I had an absolutely stellar overflowing mailbox last week, which made me a very happy girl.

On Monday I received a review copy of Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs, courtesy of Penguin Canada. I'm looking forward to reading this one as part of my 2009 Holiday Reading Challenge!

On Monday I also received a copy of Where We Have To Go by Lauren Kirshner, courtesy of the author. I'm excited about reading this one, especially because I'll have the chance to attend a reading being given by this author in February 2010.

On Wednesday I opened up the ol' mailbox and found a copy of After The Falls by Catherine Gildiner, courtesy of Marci at Serendipitous Readings. She's starting a book club, and this is our first read! Anyone can join in, we hang out over on Facebook. I also got a "book thong" from her, which I love (Marci says "Don't Ask!").

On Thursday I received a copy of Harlot's Sauce by Patricia Volonakis Davis, a contest win courtesy of the author and Lauren at Hidden Helpers. I'm excited to read this memoir about food, family, love, loss and Greece.

Finally, on Friday I received a win from Penguin Canada's Exclusive Reads: We Are All Made of Glue by Marina Lewycka. I'm looking forward to reading something humourous yet introspective.

Since I can only read about 3 books a week, I had better get cracking! What was in your mailbox?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by J.Kaye over at J.Kaye's Book Blog! Each week we share what we've been reading, reviewing, and what our goals are for the upcoming week!

What I read last week:

The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern: I ended up really enjoying this read about a spoiled young woman who learns to care about those around her.

In a Perfect World by Laura Kasischke: Wow! This one really stuck with me after I had read it- it's the end of the world as we know it!

Matchless by Gregory Maguire: I enjoyed reading this re-telling of the classic story The Little Match Girl. This is a great Christmas book, and my 10-year-old son loved reading it with me!

What I'm Reading Right Now:

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult: I've never read a Jodi Picoult before, but as I've almost finished this one, I can see why my SIL recommended it so highly.

What I Hope to Read This Week:

Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb: I'm reading this one for the 2009 Holiday Reading Challenge and hope to get to this one next.

The Shoe Princess's Guide to the Galaxy by Emma Bowd: Sent to me by the author, I'm hoping to read this one this week. It looks great- like a really good chocolate dessert!

The Truth About Love by Josephine Hart: If I have time this week (note the "if") I would like to read this one this week. I'm hoping to get my TBR pile caught up a bit before 2010!!

That's it for me- what are you reading this week?

Review: "Matchless" by Gregory Maguire

From the author of Wicked, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Son of a Witch,  and A Lion Among Men comes the re-telling of the classic story by Hans Christian Anderson, The Little Match Girl. Originally broadcast on Christmas Day 2008 on the National Public Radio, Matchless has been made into a book with illustrations by the author just in time for Christmas 2009.

Matchless is the story of Frederik, the young son of the seamstress to the Queen. On Christmas Eve the Queen tears her dress for the ceremonies and his mother is called out to fix it. Frederik wanders the streets in search of accessories for his play village in his attic, and comes across a slipper abandoned in the streets. He takes it home, thinking that it would be a perfect boat for his villagers and finds a key inside the slipper with an address attached. Going to the address with his mother to return the key he finds that the owner of the slipper has frozen to death. All is not lost, though, as the little girl's father and Frederik's mother end up marrying and a new family is created.

I read this short book over four nights with my 10-year-old son. He reads a lot on his own, but I thought that it would be nice to share this holiday classic with him. He enjoyed it, and I did as well (I especially enjoyed the extra time that we had together). I love the re-imagining of classics, and I love that by re-imagining them we can bring forgotten classics back into the hands of both children and adults.

Matchless is on sale now, in a beautiful hardcover version. It would make a great addition to your holiday bookshelf. Thanks to Deanna at HarperCollins Canada for this review copy!

Review: "In a Perfect World" by Laura Kasischke

Jiselle is a single flight attendant in her mid-thirties when she meets Captain Dorn, a widowed pilot with three children. He sweeps her off of her feet and it isn't long until the two marry and she makes the decision to stay home with his children in the idyllic town of St. Sophia. This is the beginning of the end. It's not long after Jiselle has moved in before the Phoenix Flu, a vaccine and antibiotic- resistant flu, begins to claim the lives of many Americans, including celebrities. Clearly this is a disease that even money and fame can't protect you from.

At first, Jiselle and the children's lives are not greatly affected by this new flu. Sara, her new stepdaughter continues to dress in goth and detest her stepmother, Camilla remains polite yet distant, and young Sam begins to warm up to her. The children attend school and Jisella struggles to find ways to fill her days while dealing with her mother's scorn about her new marriage. Then the power outages begin- their cabin of often without power for days at a time. The grocery stores begin to run out of food, and the food that it does have is often stale or expired. The town begins to board up, fuel is next to impossible to buy so cars sit at the side of the road, abandoned, the schools close. Jiselle and the children must find new ways to adapt: new ways to heat the house, new ways to entertain themselves, and new ways to find enough food to eat. As the power outages continue, Captain Dorn is nowhere to be found, and the things that they used to take for granted become the biggest luxuries. Jiselle and her new family must form bonds and come to terms with their new family structure in order to survive.

Despite the rather dark plot, I absolutely loved In a Perfect World and found it impossible to put down for long. Laura Kasischke writes in such a way that the reader feels immersed in this world that she has created. More than once I put down the book and was surprised to find that the world around me was still intact, and that the Phoenix Flu had not taken over.

Although Jiselle was rather naive in the beginning, thinking that Captain Dorn had married her for love and not just as a nanny for his children, I enjoyed her determination to make a family from what she had been presented with. This book is not just about the end of the world as we know it, but is about marriage and motherhood, even when the children involved resist having a mother at any cost. An excellent novel, I highly recommend this to any fiction fan looking for a meaningful read. This one will stay with you long after you've finished the last page.

Thank-you to Deanna at HarperCollins Canada for this review copy. You can browse inside this book here or read Kristen's at BookNAround's review here.

Review: "The Book of Tomorrow" by Cecelia Ahern

Tamara Goodwin has it all: good looks, nice clothes, a car waiting for her on her 17th birthday. That is until her dad decides to take his own life and her world collapses around her. Tamara and her mother, who is lost inside of a deep fog, move in with her Aunt Rosaleen and Uncle Arthur who live in the middle of nowhere, and suddenly Tamara's life is drastically different. With nothing to do, Tamara takes an interest in the travelling library and Marcus, the handsome boy who runs it. Tamara is drawn to a thick book which is padlocked in the non-fiction section. With the help of Sister Ignatius, the nun who Tamara has befriended, she opens it and finds that this is "The Book of Tomorrow". Every morning Tamara wakes and finds a diary entry, in her handwriting, dated with tomorrow's date and telling of tomorrow's events. This isn't the only strange thing that happens. Tamara's Aunt Rosaleen is doing mysterious things and keeping unusually close tabs on Tamara. Tamara is determined to get to the bottom of her aunt's secrecy, and with the help of her new friend Weseley, they start on a journey that will lead her to the answers that she's been looking for.

I'll admit that I didn't like Tamara at the beginning of the book. She was a spoiled brat who didn't care about anyone but herself, who was too busy mourning the loss of her old lifestyle to care about anyone else around her. She'd had everything handed to her on a silver platter up until this point in her life and she didn't see any reason for that to stop. As the book continues on, I thankfully began to like her. The spoiled brat disappeared and was replaced with someone on a quest for the truth, no matter how painful that truth may be. Towards the end of the novel Tamara turns into an intelligent girl with a new sense of compassion for those around her. Ahern managed to not make this transformation cliche, and instead made it a natural progression.

I ended up really enjoying The Book of Tomorrow. Mystery and intrigue were present in spades, and the build-up to the revelation of the secrets at the end was wonderful. Although I found the beginning of the book a little slow, by the end I was racing to see what would happen next and what the mystery and secrecy was all about. The conclusion was absolutely satisfying: although the ending is not a completely happy one, it does leave room for the reader to hope that everything turns out okay for Tamara and her mom.

Thank-you to Deanna at HarperCollins Canada for this review copy. You can browse inside The Book of Tomorrow here or check out the reading guide here.

Winners!

Congratulations to the winner of "Seven" by Jaqueline Leo:

Jaime

MoziEsme

renee

Marjorie

bekki1820cb

Winners, you've been sent an e-mail with instructions on how to claim your prize. Anyone with questions can e-mail me at jonitathebookchick(at)gmail(dot)com. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Giveaway: Win a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card!

Today I was dutifully cleaning out my e-mail inbox (okay, okay, I was actually trying to avoid having to do the dishes and laundry that are accumulating at an alarming rate!) and I came across an old $5.00 Amazon.com electronic gift card! Since I shop at Amazon.ca, I thought that I would pass this along to one of my lucky readers! Yeah, I realize that it's only worth $5.00, but it's better to pass it on than waste it, right? You can almost buy an e-book with that!

Rules:
-This contest is open to absolutely anyone who shops at http://www.amazon.com/. Please note that this electronic gift card is not valid on amazon.ca, amazon.co.uk, or any other Amazon that is NOT amazon.com.
-This contest runs until December 10, 2009 at midnight. I will draw the winner on the 11th and will e-mail the electronic code to that person at that point.
-Since this is an old gift card, I take no responsibility if the value has decreased or the code is no longer valid. I haven't personally used it and as far as I know, they don't expire.

How to Enter:
-Leave me a comment letting me know one of the books on your Christmas wish list this year! Please include your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you are the winner.
-*Bonus Entry* Become a follower of this blog and leave me a seperate comment letting me know that you are now a follower. Current followers are eligible as well, just let me know that you already follow in a seperate comment.
-*Bonus Entry* Add this contest to your sidebar, blog about it, or Tweet about it and leave me a comment letting me know how you've spread the word.

Good luck!

Review: "Mennonite in a Little Black Dress" by Rhoda Janzen

After Rhoda Janzen's bi-polar husband, Nick, leaves her for a man that he meets on Gay.com, her life starts to fray a little at the edges. She has a huge mortgage on a house that she can no longer afford, she's a little sore at having been left by her husband for a man, and to top it all off she's in an accident with a drunk driver which leaves her bruised and battered. Seeking comfort that only a mother can provide, Rhoda heads back to the Mennonite home that she grew up in. What follows is the often hilrious, yet often insightful story of the time that Rhoda spends at home with her parents as she begins to heal both emotionally and physically.

This was an absoutely hilarious and very honest memoir. Last night I was waiting for the pizza that I ordered to be ready, was reading this book and I kept laughing- OUT LOUD. I'm sure that the pizza guys thought that I was a little touched in the head, but this book is laugh-out-loud funny. Rhoda's parents come across as people that you would want to meet in person: her mom is comfortable with discussing body parts and bodily fluids, even while cooking, and her dad insists that everyone comes into his office when he receives a funny e-card. This book was more than just a funny recollection of a series of events in the author's life, though. It went far deeper than that. While she's home with the people that love her the most Rhoda is able to come to terms with the issues that she hasn't been dealing with. She examines why she has left her faith behind while she pursues a life of academia; she examines why she refused to leave her husband who could be the sweetest guy in the world at some times, and emotionally abusive at others. She reflects on how lucky she is to have her friends, her sister, and her sympathetic students (she teaches English at a University) and she finds that by confronting her past she is able to move into the future. This book is also enlightening regarding the Mennonite way of life- Rhoda even helpfully includes a section at the end about Mennonite history for anyone who is interested (which I found fascinating). The moral of the story? Home is where the healing often begins, and humour can assist with the process.

I would love to read a follow-up to this novel. I'm dying to know if Rhoda gets to keep her house or if she decides to sell it, and I also want to know if she finds love again. I'm sure that anyone who reads Mennonite in a Little Black Dress will want to know what happens to this intelligent, witty woman.

Thank-you to Henry Holt and Co. for sending me this review copy. You can read an excerpt here or check out the reading group guide here (this would make a great book club book!).

Review: "A Little Distillery in Nowgong" by Ashok Mathur

A Little Distillery in Nowgong is the story of three generations of the Khargat family, told from the point of view of a child not yet born. It begins with the birth of Jamshed. As a young child Jamshed does something that is different from other small children his age: he "goes right". This going right is mysterious to anyone watching the young child; Jamshed will suddenly stop what he is doing and look to the right for an undetermined period of time. What Jamshed is doing is having a conversation with a being only identified to him as "Sunny", who says that he is Jamshed's unborn grandchild. Jamshed grows older and falls in love with Parvin, even though it is Sunny who leads him to her initially. Jamshed and Parvin lose two male children while they are still in infancy, and are thrilled when they are finally able to conceive and give birth to a daughter, Piroja. Piroja is Sunny's intended mother (he continues to converse with Jamshed, Parvin, and even Piroja on occasion). Piroja grows and decides to train to become a nurse and when she meets a Hindu and falls in love, she decides to keep their marriage a secret from her parents, who will be devastated. Piroja's mother dies before Piroja is able to confess her secret, and it is her father who must come to terms with having a Hindu for a son-in-law. Finally Piroja decides to have a child, a daughter named Sunila, who is headstrong and representative of the progress that the Khargat's have made as a family.

I really enjoyed this book, following three generations of the headstrong and intelligent Khargats. The voice of Sunny ties it all together; he is the glue that holds the Khargat's together and offers sound advice during difficult times. This is the story about what it means to be a family. It is also the story of how people change and grow through generations: something that was unacceptable at the time of the father may be grudgingly accepted at the time of the daughter and welcomed at the time of the granddaughter. This story also seemed to be a reflection on acceptance: accepting people for who they are and accepting that change does happen for a reason. The book is a rather large one, although not at any point is it slow going. All of the pieces are relavant to the big picture and absolutely necessary. In addition each individual chapter is short, making it suitable for someone who only has a short period of time to read. My only complaint about the book would be the conclusion, and that is because for me it left too many questions unanswered. I felt that this was the point of the author, to allow the reader to drawn their own conclusions, however I would have liked a more concrete ending. This ending alone should not deter one from reading this book; it was an interesting commentary on the Parsi culture as well as a reflection on what it means to be a family.

Thank-you to the Arsenal Pulp Press for this review copy! You can visit this book's website at http://www.littledistillery.com.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia over at The Printed Page. Each week we share which books found their ways into our mailboxes (and our TBR piles!) last week. I had a pretty great week in new books last week. Here's what joined my books that are waiting to be read:

Seven by Jacqueline Leo:

"What is it about the number seven that has such a hold on us? Why are there seven deadly sins? Seven days of the week? Seven wonders of the world, seven colors of the spectrum, seven ages of man, and seven sister colleges? Why can we hold seven numbers or words in our working memory--but no more? Author Jackie Leo explores everything about this mystical, magical, useful, and fun number in her new book." (Thanks to the Hachette Book Group for this review copy).

The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern:

"Tamara Goodwin has always got everything she′s ever wanted. Born into a family of wealth, she grew up in a mansion with its own private beach, a wardrobe full of designer clothes, a large four poster bed complete with a luxurious bathroom en-suite. She′s always lived in the here and now, never giving a second thought to tomorrow.

But then suddenly her dad is gone and life for Tamara and her mother changes forever. Left with a mountain of debt, they have no choice but to sell everything they own and move to the country to live with Tamara′s Uncle and Aunt. Nestled next to Kilsaney Castle, their gate house is a world away from Tamara′s childhood. With her mother shut away with grief, and her aunt busy tending to her, Tamara is lonely and bored and longs to return to Dublin.

When a travelling library passes through Kilsaney Demesne, Tamara is intrigued. She needs a distraction. Her eyes rest on a mysterious large leather bound tome locked with a gold clasp and padlock. With some help, Tamara finally manages to open the book. What she discovers within the pages takes her breath away and shakes her world to its core.

Told in Cecelia′s imitable style, THE BOOK OF TOMORROW is a mesmerising and magical story for this spring." (Thanks to HarperCollins Canada for this review copy).

Last Thursday was my birthday so my wonderful hubby (knowing the way to my heart) sent me out sans kids to pick myself out a book or two for a birthday present. After indulging myself in the absolute beauty which is a bookstore, I picked out two titles to take home:

Once in a Lifetime by Cathy Kelly

Filthy Rich by Wendy Holden

Finally, last night my sister-in-law, Mandy, passed on her much-loved copy of My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. She insists that I read it, and because I trust her good taste, I will, and soon!

That's it for me for this week! What was in your mailbox last week?

Giveaway: "The Gate House" by Nelson DeMille

From the Publisher's Website:

"#1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille delivers the long-awaited follow-up to his classic novel The Gold Coast. When John Sutter's aristocratic wife killed her mafia don lover, John left America and set out in his sailboat on a three-year journey around the world, eventually settling in London. Now, ten years later, he has come home to the Gold Coast, that stretch of land on the North Shore of Long Island that once held the greatest concentration of wealth and power in America, to attend the imminent funeral of an old family servant."

Thanks to the Hachette Book Group I have five copies of The Gate House by Nelson DeMille to give away. To enter:

1. Comment on this post and include your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you are the winner.

2. *Bonus Entry* Become a follower of this blog and let me know in a seperate post that you are now following. Current followers are also eligible- just leave me a comment letting me know that you already follow.

3. *Bonus Entry* Spread the word about this contest in some way. Facebook it, Tweet it, Blog about it, post it on your sidebar, do whatever- just let me know in a seperate comment what you've done.

This contest runs until December 5, 2009 at midnight with winners being selected on December 6. This contest is open to both Canadian and US residents, no PO Boxes please! Good luck!

2009 Holiday Reading Challenge

I have lofty plans for reading challenges in 2010. There are three year-long challenges that I am planning to join, although I have not signed up for them yet (I will, though, I will!). I'm frothing at the bit to get started with those, although they don't start until 2010, so what better way to warm up than to participate in the 2009 Holiday Reading Challenge? This challenge is hosted by Nely and here are the rules (from Nely's site):

1- Challenge will start Friday, November 20 and will end Thursday, December 31.

2- You can read anywhere from 1 to 5 books for the challenge and, of course, if you're like me, you are more than welcome to surpass that number.

3- And now, here's the clincher... they must be holiday related books. That's right, the holiday doesn't really matter, but it would be more "jolly" if your choices were Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc.

4- The size of the book does not matter, nor does the genre. It is also okay for the book to overlap with other challenges. The only thing I ask is that they are not children's books. YA is okay. And so are re-reads. I for one tend to read the same books every Christmas - they are tradition.

5- To sign up - leave a link back to your challenge post. There will also be a post for review links as well as one for challenge wrap-ups.

6- And.... there will be goodies. That's right, we'll call them presents. At the end of every week that the challenge is running I will choose one winner from the review links and I will allow them to pick a book of their choosing (of course, I will provide a list). Meaning the more books you read, review and link up, the more chances you have at winning a "present".

Since I have four Christmas books on my shelves just begging to be read, I think that I will stick with reading and reviewing four for this challenge. My choices are:

1. Matchless by Gregory Maguire

2. Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb

3. The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

4. Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs

If you would like to join this challenge (and come on, I know that you do) the sign up page is here.

Review: "The Opposite of Love" by Julie Buxbaum

After reading (and loving) Julie Buxbaum's latest, After You, I decided to go back and read her debut novel, The Opposite of Love. I'll admit that I initially had my doubts, because I loved After You so much I was afraid that I wouldn't love this one as much. Luckily my fears were unfounded, as I loved her first novel almost as much as (if not more) than After You.

Emily Hexby is a successful attorney who seems to have it all. She has a great job, and a Doctor boyfriend, Andrew, who is about to propose. When she senses that Andrew is getting close to popping the big question she abruptly breaks it off with him, and can't even explain to people why. The best explaination that she can come up with, and this she only admits to herself, is that inside she is a mess, and she has nothing of herself to give in a marriage with Andrew. After she breaks it off with him, things go rapidly downhill for her. Her beloved Grandpa Jack, the glue who holds their family together, falls ill. Her scumbag of a boss hits on her while she's away at a conference with him. Her father is even more distant than usual. When she comes to the conclusion that she's made a mistake with Andrew and begs him to take her back, he tells her to stop contacting him- forever. Heartbroken, Emily must begin to pick up the pieces of her life and put it, as well as herself, back together.

I loved this book, and even cried towards the end (I rarely cry when reading books, but this particular scene was so darn touching!). I liked that when Emily realizes that she made a mistake in breaking things off with Andrew he doesn't jump to take her back, forcing Emily to take a hard look at her life and begin to put things back together without him to fall back on. It is in this process that Emily finally finds herself and without Andrew's rejection this would not have happened. I loved the characters in the book and wanted to be friends with all of them, especially with the feisty yet comforting Ruth, a friend of the family's. Julie Buxbaum is one heck of a talented writer, and I, for one, can't wait to read what she comes up with next.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by J.Kaye over at J.Kaye's book blog. Each week we share what we read last week, and what we hope to read this week.

Books I Finished Last Week:

24 Hours London by Marsha Moore: This book was a completely unique guide to London, England, filled with fascinating tidbits and places to visit. It will definitely be coming along with me if I ever get to travel to London.

Girl Trouble by Holly Goddard Jones: This book of short stories absolutely captivated me. Each one was raw and real and I look forward to Goddard Jones' future novels.

The Opposite of Love by Julie Buxbaum (review to come): After reading and loving Buxbaum's latest novel, After You, I figured that I would give this one a try. I'm glad that I did, as I absolutely loved it. Buxbaum is one heck of a talented author.

Books I Plan To Read This Week:

A Little Distellery in Nowgong by Ashok Mathur: I love reading fiction set in the Middle Eastern countries, so I'm sure that I will enjoy this one.

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen: I can't wait to read what I think will be a hilarious memoir.

In a Perfect World by Laura Kasischke: I've heard great things about this one lately and can't wait to read it. I don't think that I'll have a chance to start it this week, although I plan on trying. Little Distillery is a big book and I think that it will take me a bit.

That's it for me for this week- what are you reading?

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia over at The Printed Page. Each week we share which books have found their way into our mailbox last week!

Last week brought one new addition to my TBR pile: Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen (ARC) courtesy of the publisher. From the publisher's website:

"Not long after Rhoda Janzen turned forty, her world turned upside down. It was bad enough that her brilliant husband of fifteen years left her for Bob, a guy he met on Gay.com, but that same week a car accident left her with serious injuries. What was a gal to do? Rhoda packed her bags and went home. This wasn’t just any home, though. This was a Mennonite home. While Rhoda had long ventured out on her own spiritual path, the conservative community welcomed her back with open arms and offbeat advice. (Rhoda’s good-natured mother suggested she date her first cousin—he owned a tractor, see.) It is in this safe place that Rhoda can come to terms with her failed marriage; her desire, as a young woman, to leave her sheltered world behind; and the choices that both freed and entrapped her.

Written with wry humor and huge personality—and tackling faith, love, family, and aging—Mennonite in a Little Black Dress is an immensely moving memoir of healing, certain to touch anyone who has ever had to look homeward in order to move ahead."

What was in your mailbox last week?

Review: "Girl Trouble" by Holly Goddard Jones

Lately I've been trying new genres on for size in an attempt to broaden my book-reading horizons. One that I've been exploring has been short stories- bite-sized glimpses into the world of another. I was so excited to read Holly Goddard Jones' new book of short stories because I was able to read a preview back in the summer. The story I previewed, Life Expectancy, was about a high school student who gets pregnant by her basketball coach, and was a good indication of what I could expect from the rest of this book.

The stories in Girl Trouble take place in the fictional small town of Roma, Kentucky and they cover a wide range of topics from murder and rape to finding love after a spouse dies. There are stories about a parents' love for a child, stories about moving on and many stories about deep loss. Parts focuses on the loss that a mother feels after her child is raped and brutally murdered. Proof of God is the story of this girl's accused murdered, and the facts of what happened in the moments leading up to this horrible crime. An Upright Man is the story of two friends who grow apart after one life-changing event rocks both of their worlds. My favourite story was Retrospective, the story of an older woman reflecting on events of her past and how things could have been different for her. One line in particular I loved:

"There were moments no one told you about in a marriage: how proximity and time eventually added up to meanness. How two decent people could eventually bring out the worst in each other, simply because the odds were in favour of it." (Page 241)

I love this line because it dives straight for the truth of the matter. This truth is representative of this book in general. There are hard truths and unpleasantness throughout, because this is the stuff that we deal with on a daily basis. Life is not always easy, and sometimes there are hard decisions to be made. These decisions, if the right ones are not made, can change life as you know it forever.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book of short stories. The subject matter was not always pleasant, but it was always necessary. Holly Goddard Jones writes so that the reader is immersed in the story from the beginning, and sad to see it end. Thank-you to Deanna at HarperCollins Canada for this review copy. If you'd like to read a little of the book you can browse inside of it here.

Review: "24 Hours London" by Marsha Moore

I'll start by confessing that I don't usually review travel guides. With three young children under the age of 10 all of our travelling is usually done within Ontario, and we don't even do that very often. However, when Marsha Moore, the author of the new travel guide 24 Hours London contacted me asking if I would be interested in reviewing her book, I was immediately interested. I've always wanted to visit London, England: in fact, if I could only visit one place in the entire world it would be London. I have hopes of travelling there when the kids are older. I thought that this would give me a chance to "explore" it before I had a chance to get there in person. Add to this the fact that Marsha Moore is originally from Canada (Halifax, Nova Scotia, where I have been) and I was hooked.

Marsha Moore's new London guide is not your average travel guide. It is divided into 24 sections, one for each hour, each of which has several suggestions for things that can be done at that time. Looking for an early breakfast at 7:00 am? This guide tells you where to go. Want to party at 2 am? There's a place for that too. Looking for breakfast before you go to bed after a long night partying? Yup, there's a place for that too. This guide is also home to the most interesting and unique things that you can do while in London, taking you off of the beaten tourist track. There's an activity for the most avid ghost hunters, a description of where to find one of London's original phone booths (you know, the red ones that are in every movie set in London) and even a place to view preserved genitals (yes, you read that right, preserved genitals!). There are places to eat, places to dance, and a place where you can work out at 3 am if the need arises. There are descriptions and information about great sites and hot restaurants (be warned: if you want to eat in Gordon Ramsay's restaurant you have to book two years in advance!). I thoroughly enjoyed visiting London through the power of the written word and when I eventually get there, I hope to visit some of these places in person. I should note as well that after each place description there are icons that tell you if the place has varied or seasonal opening hours, is a restaurant or food outlet, or is especially suitable for families. These will help if you're in London with the kiddies or just absolutely starving.

Marsha Moore's new book is available in Canada at select bookstores and is also available on Amazon. You can also order the book from the publisher, Prospera Publishing, with free shipping from the UK. Interested in touring London from your own home? Check out the book trailer (with some beautiful shots of London) here. Thank-you to Marsha Moore for kindly sending me a copy of this fascinating book. (And stay tuned: Marsha Moore explores Paris, France next!)

Review: "The Sleeping Beauty Proposal" by Sarah Strohmeyer

I picked this one up from the library after reading a review by Meg over at Write Meg!. When I picked it up I had the feeling that I had already read it (I mean, look at this gorgeous cover- who could resist?) and I was right. A couple of pages in I started to remember the important details of the book, but since this kind of book was exactly what I was in the mood for I decided to read it for a second time.

Genie Michaels is stuck at a dead-end- for the past four years she has been dating and catering to her obnoxious author boyfriend, Hugh, who has yet to propose to her, and yet she continues to wait. While Hugh is on a book tour he goes on a popular daytime TV talk show and proposes to his girlfriend- but the problem is that the girl that he proposes to isn't her! Everyone in Genie's life thinks that he's finally proposed to her, and Genie's best friend, Patty, tells her to leave everyone in the dark. Patty figures that if women getting married can get some extra loot, why shouldn't single women get the same treatment? Against her better judgement, Genie goes along with this and finds that being "engaged" has transformed who she is. Suddenly she's a better version of herself, better than she ever was when she was with Hugh. When Nick the sexy carpenter comes on the scene, things get complicated, but it's nothing that Genie won't be able to figure out eventually.

This was a great, light read about single women and how they are treated differently than engaged or married people. Primarily, though, this book was about not waiting around for a man, and instead being the best version of yourself that you can be. There's no reason that single women can't enjoy happiness, or buy a home, or throw a party or two! The moral of this book? Stop waiting around for the perfect man and enjoy the here and now! I would recommend this fun read to anyone who enjoys chick-lit or a light read now and then! Visit Sarah Strohmeyer's website for more information on this book.

Review: "The Twisted Heart" by Rebecca Gowers

In the beginning of The Twisted Heart we meet Kit, who is a graduate student working on her thesis about Victorian crimes. She's primarily a loner, preferring to be by herself instead of immersing herself in the world around her. This all changes when she decides on a whim to attend a dance class and meets Joe, who works at the Oxford University as a maths professor. Although Kit is reluctant to be drawn into a romance, Joe is persistent, and over time they develop a unique sort of relationship. Joe is more than what he appears on the surface, though, and as Kit becomes familiar with his family situation she finds herself caught up in it. Combine these complications with the fact that Kit has uncovered some information about Charles Dickens that will change her entire thesis and we come to discover who Kit is at her core.

I'll admit that it took me a bit to get into this one. The novel is complicated, combining Kit's thesis research with her withdrawn personality, and adding a budding relationship on top. I found that once I got about halfway through the book I began to root for her and Joe's relationship, hoping that the two of them would be able to work through their little problems and create something special. The novel and all of its intricate parts won me over in the end, and I found that this was one of those books that you need to reflect on to fully understand when you've finished it. Rebecca Gowan even explains in this interview that this book was meant to be a "mash-up" of various ideas that she had, all combining into one well-thought-out novel.

Thank-you to HarperCollins Canada for this review copy! You can browse inside The Twisted Heart here or you can read Marci's review here.

A Free Book For Canadians! HURRY!!!!

Chatelaine Magazine together with Penguin Canada is offering their Canadian readers a free copy of "This Charming Man" by Marian Keyes. This offer is limited to the first 10,000 requests as determined by an electronic timestamp and is limited to one per household. I've read this one and adored it! These offers go quick, though, so hurry! Sign up here!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by J.Kaye at J.Kaye's Book Blog! Each week we share which books we finished last week, which books were currently reading, and what we hope to read this week.

Books I Finished Last Week:

The Twisted Heart by Rebecca Gowan (review to come): Although this one started off slowly for me, I did end up enjoying the conclusion. It was a very intricate book.

The Sleeping Beauty Proposal by Sarah Strohmeyer (review to come): After reading a review of this one on another book blog I decided to take it out of my library. I had the feeling that I'd already read it, and I was right! It was worth another read, though, and once I picked it up I had a hard time putting it down.

I'm Pages Away From Finishing:

24 Hours London by Marsha Moore: This unique travel guide to London, England is not your average travel guide. This will definitely coming with me when I eventually travel overseas.

This Week I'm Hoping to Read:

Girl Trouble by Holly Goddard Jones: I'm really looking forward to reading this collection of short stories. I've already read a preview (included in Leo Tolstoy's Family Happiness) so I know that I'll enjoy her writing.

The Opposite of Love by Julie Buxbaum: This is another book that I got from my wonderful local library and I plan to read it before it's due. I loved Buxbaum's After You so I'm sure that I'll love this one as well.

That's it for me! What do you plan to read this week?

Giveaway: "Seven" by Jaqueline Leo

Book Description from the Publisher's Website:

"What is it about the number seven that has such a hold on us? Why are there seven deadly sins? Seven days of the week? Seven wonders of the world, seven colors of the spectrum, seven ages of man, and seven sister colleges? Why can we hold seven numbers or words in our working memory--but no more? Author Jackie Leo explores everything about this mystical, magical, useful, and fun number in her new book.

SEVEN REASONS YOU NEED THIS BOOK

1. SEVEN is a tool to improve the quality of your life. It is a way to define time, synthesize ideas, and keep your mind performing at top speed in an era of distractions.

2. SEVEN is culturally significant. It pops up everywhere, structuring our world in ways so fundamental, we notice them only when we pause to look. Across the ages and across cultures, the number has acquired a huge scientific, psychological, and religious significance.

3. SEVEN is intriguing. Why, out of hundreds of recipes in a cookbook, do people return to the same seven, over and over? Why, when asked to choose a number between one and ten, does such a large majority of people choose seven? Why does it take seven rounds of shuffling to obtain a fully mixed deck of cards?

4. SEVEN is influential. You'll learn how the number seven shapes our thinking, our choices, and even our relationships.

5. SEVEN is practical. Throughout this book are Top Seven lists covering the best ways to get someone's attention, to build your personal brand, and to put yourself in the path of prosperity and good luck.

6. SEVEN is fun. You'll encounter surprising facts, intriguing puzzles, and hilarious anecdotes.

7. SEVEN is wise. You'll hear stories about the meaning of seven from Mehmet Oz, Sally Quinn, Liz Smith, Christina Ricci, and many others.
Artfully designed and full of enough insights to keep you engaged in conversation at the water cooler for years, SEVEN will provoke, enlighten, and amuse."

How To Win:

Thanks to the Hachette Book Group I have five copies of Jaqueline Leo's Seven to give away! To enter:

1. Leave a comment telling me what your favourite number is (mine is 9 or 19- my birthday is on the 19th, and so is my wedding anniversary!). Please leave me your e-mail address! If I don't have an e-mail address, I have no way to contact you if you win!

2. *Bonus Entry* Become a follower of this blog and leave me a seperate comment letting me know that you follow. Current followers are eligible, just leave me a seperate comment stating that you already follow.

3. *Bonus Entry* Spread the word about this contest in any way that you wish (Tweet, Facebook, Blog, Sidebar, whatever!) and leave me a seperate comment letting me know how you did it.

This contest runs until November 26, 2009 at midnight. Winners will be contacted after contest close by e-mail. This contest is open to US and Canadian residents only, no PO Boxes please! Good luck!!

Book Blogger Holiday Swap

I just signed up for the Book Blogger Holiday Swap! It sounds like a lot of fun, and this is my first year participating. Here's the general overview (a detailed FAQ section is on the site): you sign up to participate, and after sign-ups are completed you will receive information on the person that you have been assigned to buy a gift for. The person that you are buying for doesn't know who's buying for them until the gift arrives! The gift should be small (under $20) and you can choose if you would like to ship within your country or internationally. How great is this? Interested? Sign up here. HURRY! Sign up deadline is November 12th to allow the organizers to match up secret santas!!!

Review: "The Brightest Star in the Sky" by Marian Keyes

The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes is the story of the seven very different residents of 66 Star Street, as told from the point of view of a star on a mission. We, as readers, don't know what the star's mission is (in fact, we don't find out what it is until the last quarter of the book) but we do know that he has 60 days to complete his task and that he's all on his own until then. The only problem is that the star isn't sure who the subject of his mission is, so we get to meet all of the very different residents of 66 Star Street. There's Katie, inhabiting the fourth floor, who works in PR and is pushing 40. She isn't sure about much of anything right now, especially how to pick the right man. Below her, on the third floor, lives Andrei and Jan, Polish brothers earning money to support their family back home and Lydia, their spitfire Irish roomate with a barbed-wire personality. Jemima and her dog, Grudge, live on the floor below. Jemima is 88 and works for a psychic hotline, but only so that she can make sure that the young women who call her don't end up wasting too much of their money on the calls. Finally, Matt and Maeve live on the main floor. They appear to be as close as one couple can be, doing everything together, but beneath their sunny exterior something seems to be missing.

The star has his work cut out for him as he begins to infiltrate the resident's memories and shadow them so that he can figure out who it is he is supposed to help. The residents certainly keep him hopping, as they fall into one bad relationship after another, and have bizzare sexual encounters. As the clock ticks down we begin to wonder- will the star be able to complete his mission in time? Will the residents of 66 Star Street be able to find their happy endings?

It will come as no surprise to anyone who regularly visits this blog that I loved this book. The characters were quirky and lovable, even crotchety old Jemima and strange Lydia. This isn't your average chick-lit, though, as there's very little that's "fluffy" about the topics that Marian Keyes writes about. Keyes writes about some very serious issues, one that are bound to have affected the readers in some way, no matter how remotely (in an effort to prevent plot spoilers, I won't say what they are). She manages to insert these issues in among well-written and intelligent chick-lit, and she reveals her plot tantalizingly slowly, leaving the reader racing to reach the end to discover the conclusion. Keyes even managed to surprise me a little by injecting an unexpected plot twist into the epilogue.

Both new and old Marian Keyes fans will love her latest, The Brightest Star in the Sky. A big thank-you to Barbara and Bronwyn at Penguin Canada for this review copy. This book is on sale as of today, November 3! You can take a peek inside this book here.

*Please note: My review copy was an ARC, meaning that it was not a final published copy.*

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by J.Kaye over at J.Kaye's Book Blog. Yes, I know that it's actually Tuesday. You could say that I'm a day late and a dollar short, but I'm still recovering from the weekend and the two Halloween parties we attended (one for the kids, one for the adults). When I got home during the wee hours of Sunday morning it looked like a tornado had torn through the house in my absence and I'm making up for it now. Order seems to be mostly restored, and I finally have time for a blog post!

What I Read Last Week:

Ruby's Diary by Ruby Gettinger: This was an encouraging story about Ruby's very personal, yet very public struggle to lose weight. A great story for any fan of the Ruby show.

The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes (review to come): Does it come as any surprise that I loved this one? I thought not. However, I'm still mentally writing my review, as the plot certainly gave me a lot to think about (this isn't your cotton-candy fluffy chick lit, ladies!).

What I'm Currently Reading:

The Twisted Heart by Rebecca Gowan: I just started this one last night and the jury's still out. This is the story of a lonely post-graduate in London and her tentative new romance. I'm 98 pages in and still waiting for it to grab me, but I'll continue on.

What I Plan On Reading This Week:

24 Hours London by Marsha Moore: The author was kind enough to send me a copy of this brand new, very fun tour guide about London, England. It looks fascinating and I can't wait to start it!

Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes: This one is something that I personally bought a while ago at my local Coles store. I like chick lit, so I'm looking foward to giving it a try!

That's my plan for this week- what's yours??