Review and Book Tour: "Moonface" by Angela Balcita

Angela Balcita found out as a College student that she had kidney disease- her kidneys were failing rapidly and if she wanted to avoid dialysis she would have to add her name to the list of people waiting for donor kidneys. Her brother offered to give Angela one of his and she was able to use it successfully for about ten years.

When she is a little older, and still in possession of her brother's kidney, she meets Charlie. Charlie is wacky, colourful, and funny and Angela and Charlie fall in love. It amazes her that Charlie is willing to give up the normalcy of parts of his life to care for her, and her ever-present kidney problems, but it amazes her even more when he offers to donate his kidney to her when her brother's kidney begins to fail.

Moonface is their story- the story of their unconventional relationship, Angela's kidney problems, the transplant, and their quest to create a family. It is a story of love and friendship, and the power of family above all else.

For the most part I really enjoyed this story. It was quirky, which I believe is a testament to Angela and Charlie's life together. It tells the story of an extended family that, though not without its faults, loves deeply and honestly. Angela is also very honest while telling her story, whether the truth is uncomfortable or not. That added some credibility to the whole book for me: it wasn't the story of rainbows and puppies, but it was a story about the harsh reality of kindey disease and the transplant process.

*Spoiler Alert*

I think that Moonface would make a fantastic book club book because there is so much controversy within the pages. The story was the most interesting for me towards the end when Angela and Charlie decide to try to have a baby (naturally) rather than adopting or using a surrogate. Pregnancy puts both Angela and their unborn baby's health at risk, and while it would be easy for an outsider to say that Angela and Charlie were being selfish in getting pregnant, I would beg to differ. Having had high-risk pregnancies myself (although all were fine, just required additional monitoring) I can't imagine someone saying that I should not have been able to had my children because it put my health at risk. I think that a woman, and a couple, have every right to decide what risks they are willing to take to become parents, provided that they are able to provide that child with the care that it needs. Who am I to say who can and who cannot have a child? It's not my choice, therefore it's not for me to say. I'm sure that there are a lot of people who would disagree with me on this one, which is why I think it would make for a lively discussion.

Aside from the fact that it took me a few pages to really get into this one, I found Moonface to be an interesting and engaging read, and I would recommend it to any memoir fan who's looking for an unconventional story about love and family.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Challenges: 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

Review and Giveaway: "Haunting Jasmine" by Anjali Banerjee

Newly divorced, with a cheating ex-husband to boot, Jasmine Mistry is struggling to let go of her relationship and start fresh. When her Auntie writes and asks Jasmine to take over running her bookstore, Auntie's Bookstore, located on Shelter Island so that Auntie can go home to India and "heal her heart", Jasmine readily agrees, even though she has a big presentation due at work as soon as she gets back and she needs to stay on top of her work in order to start over financially.

Jasmine bustles into the bookstore ready to clean the place up and attract some new customers, but what she's not counting on is the fact that Auntie's Bookstore already has a personality all its own. Guided along by the spirits of long-dead authors, Jasmine begins to understand what books and the bookstore means to those who come in to browse and she takes steps towards tentatively falling in love again and maybe even letting go of her past.

Haunting Jasmine was even more of an enjoyable read than I was expecting. I'll admit that I was initially wary of the fact that there would be spirits involved- it's not often that a book involving the mystical appeals to me, but in this book it just worked. The spirits of the long-dead authors were simply charming and a welcome addition to the plot. Of course I loved the fact that books played such a central part in the story. It always breaks my heart a little when someone tells me that reading is a waste of their time. Haunting Jasmine portrayed books as I feel about them- that they are there when you need them, always ready to lend a hand, and that there is a book out there for every person and every unique situation.

This was a quick read for me, and a very enjoyable one at that. I recommend it to anyone who loves women's fiction and books with a little bit of the mystical thrown in there.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Challenges: 2011 100+ Reading Challenge, South Asian Challenge 2011

Thanks to Erin at Penguin I have one copy of Haunting Jasmine to give away. To enter:

1. *Mandatory Entry* Answer this in the comments: Have you ever read a book that you felt you were meant to read? If so, what was it? Please leave me an e-mail or a way to contact you if you win. No e-mail= no entry.

2. *Bonus Entry* Become a follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect and leave me a separate comment to let me know that you now follow. Already a follower? Just leave me a comment and let me know that you already follow to be eligible for the extra entry.

3. *Bonus Entry* Spread the word about this contest in some way. Blog about it, add it to your sidebar, Facebook it or Tweet it. Just leave me a comment to let me know what you did.

This contest is open to US and Canadian residents only and runs until March 8, 2011. The winner will be notified by e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address. Good luck!

Review: "Skipping a Beat" by Sarah Pekkanen

Julia Dunhill has everything that she's ever wanted- on the surface, at least. Married to her high-school sweetheart, Michael, owner of her own successful business and living in a gorgeous home in Washington, D.C., she seems set for life. The fact that her own husband feels like a stranger and her marriage has been falling apart for some time now seems like a small price to pay in exchange for the financial security that she now has, in sharp contrast to the lack of financial security that she experienced as a child.

When her husband stands up from the head of the table in his company's boardroom and promptly collapses onto the floor, little does Julia know that her whole world is about to change. Michael's heart stops beating for 4 minutes and 8 seconds and when he wakes up he seems to have undergone a complete personality transformation. He seems determined to give away all of the money that he has accumulated and he seems equally determined to make his wife fall in love with him all over again. Will Julia be willing to go along with her husband's crazy plans in order to rediscover their marriage, or will it be too much for her and will she choose to walk away?

Skipping a Beat is a thought-provoking look at both marriage and being wealthy. I was captivated from the beginning, and I have to say that I enjoyed it even more than Pekkanen's debut novel The Opposite of Me, which I also loved. What I liked so much about this book is that is raised some interesting questions which I really took the time to think about. Julia, in the story, has never been wealthy. In fact we find out that she was the opposite of wealthy and that an addiction of her father's kept her from having any kind of financial security as a child. She marries her high school sweetheart and they are both astonished when Michael's company hits the big time. Suddenly they are wealthy beyond their wildest imaginings, and don't have to want for anything. The big question raised in Skipping a Beat is this: Does money truly equal happiness? From the perspective of an outsider Julia would appear to have nothing to be unhappy about, yet when we take a closer look at Julia's life we see that there are important things in her life that she has given up in order to achieve wealth and that she is no happier than she was when she didn't have money. Her own husband often feels like a stranger to her, her old friends have abandonded her and she is surrounded by people who are superficial. Does having money make Julia truly happy? No. It raises the question, then, that if any one of us random people suddenly accumulated large quantities of money, would it make us happy? Or would we have to sacrifice pieces of our happiness in exchange for great wealth?

Sarah Pekkanen has written an engaging, interesting novel- one that I thoroughly enjoyed and would not hesitate to recommend. She has created characters that seem to leap off the page, has raised thought-provoking questions, and she writes beautifully. She wraps everything up with a surprise ending that I certainly didn't see coming. Skipping a Beat comes out tomorrow (Feburary 22, 2011) and I urge you to go out and pick up a copy for yourself.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Challenges: 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

Mailbox Monday

Welcome to Mailbox Monday! Each week we share which books we got in the mail the previous week, but be warned: Mailbox Monday can lead to towering TBR piles and out-of-control wish lists. Mailbox Monday is on tour and this month our host is Library of Clean Reads. Thanks Laura!

Last week brought one new print book into my home and two new eBooks. It was a slightly quieter book week than last week, which is giving me the chance to catch up on my own towering TBR pile!

My print book arrival came courtesy of Sourcebooks. The Queen of New Beginnings by Erica James looks like one that I won't be able to put down once I pick it up! (Note: The cover of my ARC is different than this one, but I was unable to find the same one as my cover online).

Fourteen Days Later by Sibel Hodge came courtesy of the author for future review. It has gotten some great reviews on Goodreads and I'm excited to read it.

Spinning by Michael Baron also arrived in my inbox for future review. I've enjoyed Michael Baron's novels in the past and am looking forward to this one as well.

That's it for my mailbox! What was in yours??

Happy 3rd Blogoversary to Me & Giveaway!

It's hard to believe, but today marks my third blogging anniversary! I started blogging because I adore books and I don't have a lot of people in my day-to-day life who enjoy books as much as I do. I wanted to write about what I was reading, and be able to participate in discussions with other like-minded readers. Wow! How things have changed in three short years! Now I work with some fantastic publishers, publicists, and authors, and I have made a ton of blogging friends along the way! One thing that hasn't changed? I still love discussing books with like-minded individuals. Thank-you to everyone who stops by and leaves a comment from time to time- I love hearing what you think and I've enjoyed exploring your blogs as well.

My favourite contests to enter are when I get to enter to win a book of my choice, because there is always something on my wish list, so what better way to celebrate blogging about books for three years than to give away a book of your choice?

To enter:

1. *Mandatory Entry* Leave me a comment to let me know that you would like to win. If you wish, let me know what book you would pick if you won (you can always change your mind, though!). Please leave me an e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win. No way to contact you= no entry!

2. *Bonus Entry* If you are a follower of this blog through GFC let me know in a separate comment and I will give you a bonus entry. New GFC followers are eligible for this bonus entry as well!

3. *Bonus Entry* If you choose to spread the word about this contest by posting in your blog, on Facebook, on Twitter, or on your blog's sidebar please come back and leave me a comment to let me know what you did and I will give you a bonus entry (one bonus entry max for this option).

The rules:

1. This contest is open to anyone anywhere that The Book Depository ships to. Please make sure that they ship to your country before you enter.

2. If you are chosen as the winner the book that you choose must be $25 USD or less.

3. This contest runs until March 11, 2011 at midnight. A winner will be chosen after that time and will receive notification by e-mail. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail.

That's it! Have fun and good luck!

Review: "The Love Market" by Carol Mason

Celine is a professional matchmaker who can't seem to get her own love life together. She was married, although not entirely happily, to Mike when she thinks that she sees Patrick, the one that got away, in London. Celine thinks that it is impossible that the man that she sees actually is Patrick- he's from Canada and is also a reporter who reports on major news around the world. Several years later Celine and Mike are divorcing. It's amicable on the surface but hurt lingers beneath the surface. When Celine receives a mysteriously blank e-mail from Patrick a chain of events begins that even Celine can't predict the outcome of.

Why haven't I heard of Carol Mason before? She writes beautifully, and even though I can usually predict the outcome of most of the books that I read, I couldn't predict this one. I would think that one thing was going to happen and then something else happened that changed things entirely. The Love Market was a very enjoyable read for me.

Celine was an entirely likable character and I appreciated that she was not without her flaws. She seemed to not know what she wanted out of life and out of love, which was understandable since she was freshly divorced. The fact that she seemed so vulnerable allowed some very real emotions to be conveyed through the story. I also enjoyed the stories involving her clients that were woven throughout. They brought something extra to the overall story.

Mason writes beautifully. Her words flow through the pages making The Love Market a thoughtful read, and one that I really enjoyed.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Challenges: 2011 100+ Reading Challenge, 2011 E-Book Challenge, The Canadian Book Challenge 4

Mailbox Monday

Welcome to Mailbox Monday! Each week we share which books came in the mail the previous week, but be warned: Mailbox Monday can lead to towering TBR piles and out-of-control wish lists! Mailbox Monday is on tour and this month our host is Laura of Library of Clean Reads.

My mailbox was a busy one last week, and I certainly won't complain!

First to arrive were two books that were a contest win from Julie at Knitting and Sundries. Julie was kind enough to send sneak an additional book from my wishlist in there so the package from her contained The Transformation of Things by Jillian Cantor and The Distant Hours by Kate Morton. Thanks Julie!

Next to arrive was a package from HarperCollins UK which also contained two books (both for upcoming review). The books were Mum on the Run by Fiona Gibson and A Surprise Party by Sue Welfare. I just love the whimsical UK covers!

Ariella Papa, a new addition to The Girlfriends Book Club, sent me an eCopy of her book Momfriends for future review.

HarperCollins Canada sent me a copy of Homecoming by Cathy Kelly, which comes out in Canada soon.

Finally, St. Martin's Griffin sent me a copy of The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers.

I'm so excited about all of the new books that I have to read! What was in your mailbox last week?

Winner of the $55 CSN Stores Gift Certificate!

My giveaway for the $55 gift certificate to CSNstores.com has ended and the randomly selected winner is:

Bri from Bri and a Boy!

Thank-you to everyone who took the time to enter, and I hope to host even more contests like this in the future! Bri, I have sent you an e-mail which contains your gift certificate code.

Review: "The Hating Game" by Talli Roland

Mattie Johns prides herself on the fact that she doesn't need a man to survive. She has a strict love- 'em- and- leave- 'em personal philosophy that has worked quite well for her in the past. However when her business starts crumbling because an ex-boyfriend has stolen most of her clients and the bills start piling up, Mattie signs up to be on a dating show where she just has to stick it out for two weeks in order to become the winner of 200,000 GBP. What Mattie doesn't count on is the fact that the person behind the dating show has absolutely no qualms about destroying her in order to create good TV. Or that there is a twist behind the show that brings Mattie face-to-face with four of her exes, including "the one that got away". Will Mattie leave with the prize money in hand, or will she come out with something far more valuable?

This is Talli Roland's first book and I certainly hope that we'll be seeing more from her in the future. Roland has created realistic characters that I couldn't help but root for. Mattie was tough-as-nails on the outside, but as the reader gets to know her better we are able to see the vulnerabilities that lay just beneath her surface. The supporting characters were also endearing, especially Kyle (the one that got away) and Nate (the Executive Producer of the reality show with a concience). The plot was fast-paced and entertaining and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next.

My only complaint, and it is a small one, is that the ending felt a bit abrupt. It ended exactly the way that I hoped that it would, but I would have liked it to be a slightly longer conclusion. However, I would like to see the main characters in The Hating Game return in another book (sequel anyone?).

I can readily recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast-paced and fun read with relatable characters and an interesting plot. Talli Roland is a welcome addition to the chick lit genre! My thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Challenges: 2011 100+ Reading Challenge, 2011 E-Book Challenge

Review: "Born Under a Lucky Moon: A Novel" by Dana Precious

Jeannie Thompson is one-seventh of the colourful Thompson family. Disaster seems to follow them, as well as anyone who is lucky enough to marry into the family. Jeannie's all grown up now, living far away from her childhood home in Michigan, and she's working at a fast-paced and demanding job. She's content with the way that her life is, and she would be happy to keep things exactly as they are with her boyfriend, Aidan. When Aidan proposes, Jeannie finds herself unable to say yes. She feels that Aidan just doesn't know what he would be getting himself into if he married into her crazy family. Jeannie starts telling him about one of the times in her childhood when things were all upside down, but will he stick around long enough to hear the end of her story?

Born Under a Lucky Moon tells us about two very different periods of time in Jeannie's life: present day, where she is a successful advertising executive for a film studio, and twenty years prior when she was a teenager living in Michigan. Through the stories we get to know Jeannie and the entire crazy Thompson clan. I had a bit of a hard time relating to Jeannie. I could see that she had been hurt by a man in regards to her family in the past (and indeed we meet and get to know this man in the story), but there were times when I just wanted to take her aside and slap some sense into her! She's terrified to introduce her sweet, patient boyfriend Aidan to her family because she's afraid that he will hate her family like her previous husband did, and she refuses to accept his marriage proposal until he hears everything about them, yet the reader can clearly see that something like that wouldn't bother Aidan. In fact, it would probably endear her to him even more! I really loved that my feelings were conflicted about our main character- it made her story both interesting and colourful!

The supporting characters were wonderful as well. Aidan, Jeannie's three very different sisters, her brother, and her long-suffering mom and dad were portrayed in a way that made me want to invite myself over for family dinner! They all had very distinct personalities and voices that jumped off of the page.

Born Under a Lucky Moon is chock-full of humour. I especially loved the grandmother character- she really said what she meant, no filter required. The whole family was always up to something crazy or embarrassing and that made for some great laugh-out-loud moments.

I can wholeheartedly recommend Born Under a Lucky Moon to anyone looking for a fictional story about families, and why we love them even if they are always getting themselves into sticky situations. There are a lot of funny moments, a few sad ones, and an ending that I couldn't have imagined better myself.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Challenges: 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

Review: "There's Cake in My Future" by Kim Gruenenfelder

Superstitious bride-to-be Nicole (Nic) decides to rig the cake pull at her bridal shower in order to give her friends' futures a boost in the right direction. She rigs it that her friend Melissa (Mel) will get the engagement ring charm so that her unable-to-commit boyfriend Fred will finally pop the question. For Seema, Nic chooses the hot chili pepper charm so that she will engage in a red-hot love affair. For herself, Nic chooses the shovel charm in the hopes that she will find a new job as she's been laid off from her old one which she loved. When the cake is positioned incorrectly all three women, as well as the other women at the bridal shower, receive the wrong charms. Seema gets the shovel, Mel gets the chili pepper, and Nic gets the *gasp* baby carriage charm. Even though Seema and Mel think that the idea of a cake pull and charms is silly, even they can't ignore when the other women that were at the shower start having their cake pull fortunes come true. Suddenly everything has changed for the three friends and they can do nothing about it but hold on for the ride.

I started There's Cake in My Future this week when I was looking for something light and fun to read. My younger son went in for (minor) surgery this morning and I knew that I wouldn't want to be reading anything too heavy while we got ready for that. Cake.... fit the bill perfectly and was a humorous, engaging read. It tells the stories of three of the women, Nic, Seema, and Mel. Nic is busy dealing with her new role of full-time step-parent as well as her lack of paying employment, Mel is coming to terms with the fact that her boyfriend Fred is not who he appears to be, and Seema has an all-out crush on her best male friend. Each chapter is a part of the story from the point of the view of one of the women, and I love that despite the fact that the women were all around the same age, they all had very different stories to tell, and they meshed beautifully.

I appreciated all three of the characters and their personal dilemmas, but I especially related to Nic's story. Recently married, she essentially has her two new step-daughters dumped into her care full-time when their mom accepts a job out-of-state. It's clear that Nic loves the girls and is happy to be their "bonus mom", but she's also having trouble dealing with the instant parenthood aspect of her new marriage. As a mom to three I can agree that parenting is rarely easy and I appreciated her candid reflection of that. Seema's story was my next favourite. She has a huge crush on her best male friend, Scott, and isn't quite sure what to do about it. I found it harder to relate to Mel's story- she's a new addition to the dating scene and is determined to get out there and get her feet wet.

What stuck me the most about their story is that all three of the women seemed real. None of them was too perfect, and each had flaws and insecurities like most of the women I know. Their individual weaknesses skewed each one of their stories enough that they were all unique yet I was able to relate to them in some way.

My only complaint would be that this was a rather short book, and it wrapped up a bit too quickly for me. It seemed like one moment they were dealing with their problems, and the next, WHAM, the problems were solved and all of their story lines were wrapped up neatly. I could have used a little more development in the middle but this didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a light, fun read about dating, love, parenting and friendship. I certainly enjoyed it!

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Challenges: 2011 100+ Reading Challenge, 2011 RYOB Challenge, 2011 E-Book Challenge

Mailbox Monday

Welcome to Mailbox Monday! Each week we share which books we found in our mailboxes, but be warned: Mailbox Monday can lead to towering TBR piles and out-of-control wish lists (as I can personally attest to). Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page and is currently on tour. Our host for February is Library of Clean Reads. Thanks Laura!

Last week brought four new books into my house, and I'm pretty excited about each and every one of them.

First to arrive was A Girl Like You by Gemma Burgess. This one has been on my wish list for a while: if you were to sum up my biggest reading weakness in three words they would be "British Chick Lit". I just can't resist! I'm almost done this one already and I can assure you that it didn't disappoint.

Next to arrive were two motivational books by Richard Fast. 29 Days...to Your Perfect Weight (written with Michele Bertolin) and 29 Days...to Your Life Without Cigarettes. Both include access to the accompanying online program, and I can tell you that just from reading the introduction to the book about weight loss that it will be incredibly helpful. This isn't a program that you embark on when you want to lose weight for a temporary period of time, but rather one that you follow when you want to make lifelong changes for a healthier you, which is exactly what I'm looking for. If you would like to read more about my weight loss journey (I'm at the very beginning of what I hope will be some positive changes in my life), I'll be blogging about it here.

My final arrival last week was a copy of The Liberation of Alice Love by Abby McDonald. I won't be able to resist this story about a woman whose identity is stolen for long!

That's what was in my mailbox last week- what was in yours?

Review & Giveaway: "Dreaming in English" by Laura Fitzgerald

Dreaming in English picks up where Laura Fitzgerald's debut novel Veil of Roses left off. Tamila Soroush came to America from Iran to find a husband. There were no opportunities in Iran and the lure of America, where her sister was living already, was too much for her to ignore. Following a whirlwind courtship and a last-minute marriage to Ike Hanson, Tamila is ready to embrace America with open arms.

Unfortunately, it won't be that easy. Ike's family is shocked at his sudden decision and is less than welcoming to her. Tamila's former American boyfriends keep surfacing, and not all of them wish her well in her new marriage. Ike's ex-girlfriend, and apparently the previous love of his life, has resurfaced and is intent on making Tamila's new marriage miserable. With her immigration interview looming and all of these obstacles in her way, will her luck run out?

Dreaming in English was an incredibly interesting novel. I especially enjoyed Tamila's reflections on freedom and what it meant to her to be able to become an American citizen. We so often take our freedom and privileges for granted, and it was interesting to be presented with an additional perspective. As Tamila attempts to learn English and to immerse herself in the American culture that surrounds her, we as readers can almost feel how much this means to her.

I also appreciated that this was a commentary on marriage. Anyone can walk into a chapel in Vegas and get married, but Dreaming in English reflects on what it means to keep a new marriage together. I've long felt that the strongest marriages are the ones where the couple works through their misunderstandings and differences in order to come to a better understanding of one another and of themselves. This book examines this issue.

My only complaint would be that I found the ending to be a bit overdramatic, but that did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the novel. On the whole I found it to be well-written and enjoyable, filled with characters that I really came to care about.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Challenges: 2011 100+ Reading Challenge, South Asian Challenge 2011


Courtesy of Erin at Penguin I have one copy of Dreaming in English to give away! To enter:

1. *Mandatory Entry* Leave me a comment letting me know that you would like to win this book. Please include your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win. No e-mail= no entry!

2. *Bonus Entry* Become a follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect and leave me a comment to let me know that you now follow. Already a follower? Great! Just leave me a comment to let me know.

3. *Bonus Entry* Spread the word about this contest in some way. Facebook it, Tweet it, blog about it or post it on your sidebar. It doesn't matter how you choose to do it, just leave me a separate comment to let me know what you did.

This contest runs until February 18, 2011 at midnight and is open to Canadian and US mailing addresses only. The winner will be notified by e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond. Good luck!

Review: "Blue" by Lou Aronica

Chris has been lost since his divorce. He misses the hum and routines of his former household, but he mainly misses his daughter, Becky. She's into her teens now and he's finding it increasingly difficult to connect with her, especially since she seems to blame him for the changes in her life since the divorce. Becky has overcome some tremendous challenges in her young life, one of them being a battle with leukemia, and one of the things that comforted her through that time was the fantasy world of Tamarisk that she created with her dad. When Becky discovers that the fantasy world that she and her dad created is real, and is a place that she can reach through meditation, she eagerly embraces the things and places that she created in her childhood. She becomes friends with the queen, Miea, who is astonished that Becky created her world when she was only a child. Both young women are unsure why their paths are crossing only now, and it's up to them to discover the secret to why their worlds have collided.

Blue is one of those fictional novels that has it all- suspense and fantasy, solid characters and a little drama thrown in for good measure. I really enjoyed the story of Becky and her dad, Chris. The character of Becky felt so realistic to me. She was going through so many typically teenage events in her life: dating, longing for acceptance, and periods of extreme moodiness. Yet there was more than that to her- she really came alive as a character when she starts visiting the land that she created when she was a child.

I'll admit that I enjoyed the non-fantastical portions of Blue the best. The portions that occur in Tamarisk were beautifully written, but I didn't enjoy them as much. It's been a long time since I've read a novel with fantastical elements in the plot, and I thought that I would give fantasy novels another try, but I suppose that they're just not for me personally.

On the whole I enjoyed Blue. It was well-written and the characters were easy to relate to, but be warned: read this one with a box of tissues on hand! Recommended to those who enjoy their novels with a healthy dose of fantasy thrown in.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Review: "The Weird Sisters" by Eleanor Brown

Every so often a book comes along that, well, just blows my mind. Occasionally, very occasionally, this book also happens to be a debut author's book. The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown is this book. I devoured it in a matter of days and I guarantee that it will be one of those rare books that I'll re-read many times in the future.

The Weird Sisters tells the story of the three Andreas sisters, Rose (Rosalie), Bean (Bianca), and Cordy (Cordelia). The three women have taken very different paths in their lives but manage to end up living in their childhood home at the same time. Their official reason for moving home is that their mother has breast cancer and is going through radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery, but underneath that official reason are their true reasons for coming home. Rose has never really left home, despite the fact that her gentle and patient fiance is living in England at the moment and wishes that she would join him. She's paralyzed by the uncertainty of living so far from home and from the familiar. Bean has left her job in New York in disgrace. After her boss discovered that she was stealing money from the company he fired her and suggested that she return home to get her life together. Cordy, the youngest child and the one that everyone always looks after, has a secret and suddenly the gypsy life that she's led up until this point in her life doesn't seem so appealing.

Rose, Bean, and Cordy are each going to have to face their demons, but they won't be facing them alone. They'll have their distant yet loving mother, their father with his obsession with Shakespeare, and the members of the small community that they once all called home to help them along.

There are so many reasons that I loved this book. I loved that the sisters loved each other but didn't necessarily like each other. Their relationship with each other felt realistic instead of idyllic, and somehow they managed to make their unique dynamics work. The lines of Shakespeare scattered throughout the book added this great literary element to the plot, yet those who aren't up to date on their Bard will still easily be able to understand what the point of the interjected phrases are. The supporting characters were lively and lovable, and I appreciated the fact that although their mother had cancer, that wasn't the focus of the entire book, but rather the common thread that bound them all together. I loved that Rose, Bean, and Cordy's parents were still in love with each other. That love and dedication shone through.

And the words, oh the beautiful words. I wanted to say them aloud, just to feel them on my tongue. I wanted to roll them around my mouth. Just when I thought that I had found a favourite phrase, I turned the page and found another one to love. I originally wanted to cite examples of my favourites in this post, but there are just too many to choose from.

The Weird Sisters is a reflection of the relationship between a trio of sisters, all unsure about each other and about themselves. It has it all: humour, touching moments, a compelling plot, beautifully assembled phrases, and the most unique narrative voice that I've read in a long time. I urge you to pick up a copy to experience it for yourselves.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Challenges: 2011 100+ Reading Challenge, 2011 RYOB Challenge

Review: "The Right Fit" by Sinead Moriarty

Emma Hamilton is back! Our plucky, desperate-to-be-a-mother heroine from The Baby Trail (my review) has returned after unsuccessful attempts to become pregnant naturally, and this time she's desperate to adopt. She and James have been informed that there is nothing amiss with their *ahem* plumbing, but since month after month they find that they are not yet pregnant, they have decided to adopt a child that needs them. The waiting lists to adopt an Irish baby are ridiculous (and going that route they would probably not become parents until they were old enough to become grandparents), so they've decided to adopt a Russian child. The Right Fit follows their journey through the various adoption channels, including a not very supportive support group, a cold-as-ice social worker, and a not very successful attempt to learn the Russian language, all in the hopes of one day holding a child in their arms that will be theirs.

I have to say that I enjoyed The Right Fit so much more knowing that I have the third (and final) book on hand to read as well. I enjoyed The Baby Trail right up until the end, when I discovered that there were sequels and that I didn't have them. Am I the only one who thinks that this is something that should be on the cover somewhere? The Right Fit ends with a cliff-hanger, but I was prepared for that this time and I'm excited to read the final book in the series.

The book itself was a fun one to read. Emma is still desperate to become a parent, regardless of the path that she needs to take to get there. Her husband, handsome rugby coach James, isn't convinced that adoption is the way to go at first but he loves his wife and is happy to go along with anything that will make her happy. Emma rushes into this head first, and is determined to learn the Russian language and learn how to cook Russian food. She'll even wear the silly hats if she has to.

There were two things that made me love this book even more than the first one. One of those things is that her quirky family and friends are more of a focus in this book. Her best friends Jess and Lucy are feautured more, as well as Emma's brother Sean. The book was about Emma and James, yes, but there was a lot more to it than just their adoption journey. I also loved that Moriarty has taken yet another sensitive topic, foreign adoption, and has managed to make the book fun yet sensistive to the process. The book spans a time period of almost two years, and even though at times that was annoying (ie. turning the page and finding that six months have passed), it made sense. Moriarty doesn't make light of the fact that adoption can be a long and arduous process, lending a sense of reality to the book.

I raced through The Right Fit, curious to find out whether or not Emma and James will be permitted to adopt (I won't spoil it for you!), and I'm glad that I have the third and final book on hand so that I can read how everything ultimately turns out.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Challenges: 2011 100+ Reading Challenge, 2011 RYOB Challenge