Sunday 21 June 2015

This made me Furiously Happy


I am a very lucky lady and managed to get my hands on an ARC of the upcoming Jenny Lawson book!

Do you see the sparkle on the cover?  The amazing, somewhat crazed looking, racoon?  Best. Cover. Ever.

Have you read Jenny Lawson before?  If not then I highly recommend you go out and pick up her first book, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, and then eagerly await the release of Furiously Happy this September!

So, Furiously Happy is a collection of essays on a whole range of topics, but the main theme is Lawson's ongoing battle with depression and mental illness.  And man, does she hit the nail on the head.  It's honest, relatable, and as expected, very funny.  If you are a fan of Allie Brosh's Hyperbole and a Half then this is defiantly for you.

*Many thanks to RAI for the ARC!  Furiously Happy hits bookstores September 2015!




Saturday 13 June 2015

Best Books of the Year (so far!)

Can you believe we are already well into June?  I can't quite either!

At my bookstore, we started a tradition last year around this time of each staffer picking their Best Book of the Year (so far).  Last year, that book was Alice Hoffman's The Museum of Extraordinary Things, which actually went on to be my Best Book of the Year period.  While I read that in February, nothing went on to top it for the rest of the year, despite having read a number of wonderful books in 2014.

So 2015.  Well, again I've read some pretty great books so far this year!  But, if it comes down to picking just one, it would have to be....drumroll...


In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume.

For me, this book just captured a feeling I almost can't describe; It just felt so special.  

Since I've already shared my love of this book in a previous post (found here), I won't go into it again.  Instead, here are 5 other books that I have also loved so far this year!

1. The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
The Queen of the Tearling was one of my favourite books last year so it's no surprise that its sequel made my list this year.  Just WOW! Now this is how you do a sequel!  Queen Kelsea is one of the best bad add heroines out there.  If you haven't check out this series, run, don't walk to your local indie bookstore and let the obsession begin.

2. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Another book I've already raved about on the blog (found here)!  

3.  The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
Liane Moriarty is the best author find I've had this year and this is the book that did it for me.  It's smart, funny, tugged at the heartstrings, and had explosive twists and turns.  This is a beach read at its best here people!

4. Vicious by V.E. Schwab
I didn't want this book to end and I still miss the characters.  A story of revenge, redemption, loyalty, and the exploration of self.  Plus, tons of FUN to read!

5. Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon
Book 8 in my all time favourite series, Outlander.  Diana Gabaldon, you brought your A game with this one.  Twists and turns all over the place, I was laughing, crying, and savouring every page.


Sunday 7 June 2015

Who Run the World?

I just wanted to share this great article I read in The Guardian a couple months back.  Feeding the Hunger: How Female Writers are Storming the Male Citadels of Sci-Fi is chock full of fantastic recommendation of book that are already out, and forthcoming, by kick ass ladies writing kick ass worlds and characters.  I know this gave me several titles to add to my to-read list!

After having read this article, I went and finally picked up my copy of The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon and yes, while I found it had ups and downs, this is the beginning of an exciting new world and series (there are 7 books planned in this series).  I can also give two very enthusiastic thumbs up to Erika Johansen's The Queen of the Tearling, which was not only one of my favourite books from last year, but also probably the best fantasy novel I've read in a long time.  I was lucky enough to get an ARC of the upcoming sequel, The Invasion of the Tearling, and I suspect it's going to blow me away as well.

Well, what are you waiting for?  Time to get your Sci-Fi on!

Saturday 6 June 2015

Judy Blume: Childhood Hero and Literary Rockstar

Judy Blume is one of those authors that defines childhood for me; I grew up reading and rereading her books.

I devoured her Fudge series, delighting in the hijinks of Peter Hatcher, Fudge, and the great Sheila-the-Great.  As an only child, I loved stories of siblings, even when they were getting into trouble.

I can still remember reading Just as Long as We're Together and Here's To You, Rachel Robinson and finding them extremely timely.  When I was in the fourth grade, our family moved to a new area and that meant a new school.  I can still remember having a conversation with a girl, who I ended up becoming very good friends with, asking if we were best friends.  I was somewhat horrified because I already had a best friend so that position was already filled.  It didn't occur to me that you could have more than one.  Looking back, I can only smile because as I have learned over the years, as Rachel Robinson and friends did, yes, you can indeed have two best friend.

Are You There God?  It's Me, Margaret is still to this day one of the most profound books I've ever read.  And yes, as with many girls, I totally tried to make my boobs bigger while chanting "I must, I must, I must increase my bust!"

I somehow missed reading Deenie as a teenager.  HOW DID THIS HAPPEN??  I mean, I have scoliosis!  I had to wear a back brace for a year in high school!  How did I miss that the one and only Judy Blume had written a book about this very subject?!  I remedied this last year and all I can say is, man, 15 year old me would have really appreciated that book.

But, I digress.

So, as you may have heard, Judy Blume had a bit of a comeback this year.  It's been over a decade since she published her last book, (Double Fudge in 2002) and that was written for young adults.  Her new book, In the Unlikely Event is most definitely a book for adults, and as hoped for (and secretly expecting) it was just wonderful.  It is somewhat autobiographical since it is set against a backdrop of actual events that Blume experience in the early 1950's growing up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where over the course of several months, three airplanes fell from the sky, leaving the community reeling in the face of tragedy.  But, it wouldn't be a Judy Blume book if we left it just at that.  This is a story about growing up, about falling in love (be it for the first time or not), about friendships and family, and about how life will always go on.

I love this book; I couldn't put it down.  I laughed and I cried.  It made me think and feel.  This is a story about real people, and as I read it, they were real to me.  After I had read the last page, I sighed and hugged the book to me.  You know that feeling you have when you haven't seen an old friend in a long time?  That excitement at reconnecting after so many years apart?  That right there.  That's how I'm feeling right now.  It was so good to see you again Judy.

*Many thanks to Penguin Random House for the ARC!


“Most of the time, there is no truth, only various levels of interpretation. Fact is a construct we provide to the public.”

The Ashford Affair  by Lauren Willig I really enjoyed Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series and thought I would give one of her stan...