"As long as there is life, there is hope"

All year I've been looking for that book that would light a spark in me and completely knock my socks off.  Ladies and gents, I think I have found that book.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir has been on my radar for awhile.  Not only had it been getting a lot of fantastic buzz from other bloggers, but it just sounded so very cool.  Gladiator meets The Game of Thrones??  Heck yes.  It was with some trepidation that I picked this one up since, as with many of you I'm sure, I've been burned before by books that are beloved by many and yet, for one reason or another, just don't float my boat.  From the opening few chapters of this one, however, my worries vanished; I was hooked.  I started reading it on my lunch break (and almost came back late because I didn't want to put it down) and was up way past my bedtime because I was just so captivated by the world that Tahir has created.

I don't think I've encounter a YA novel that was so thrilling, so blood thirsty, and so compelling since quite possibly The Hunger Games (ya, I said it).  If you were a fan of Suzanne Collins trilogy, you will enjoy this book.  I would also recommend this for fans of Marie Rutkoski's amazing (and still ongoing) Winner's trilogy.

The world building is well done and inspired by Ancient Rome (and there are maps!  I've said it before and i'll say it again; I love me a book with maps).  The characters are outstanding.  These are hardened individuals that are forced to take risks to survive and yet still contain an almost heartbreaking humanity.  There is romance, but not so much that it overshadows other elements of the book. Oh, and the brutality!  As with The Hunger Games, there is violence here that almost shocks the reader but at the same time is integral in depicting this world.

There is a sequel coming and may I say, THANK GOD, because what an ending.

Looking for an action packed read that has heart?  Read this!

* Many thanks to Penguin Random House for the Reading Copy!

An Ode to Elly Griffiths

One of the best authors/ series finds I've had in the last few years is the wonderful British mystery novelist, Elly Griffiths.  I picked up the first book, The Crossing Places, on a recommendation and my god, I was hooked fast and hard.  At the time my obsession began, there were 5 books out.  I read all of them over a weekend, taking time off only to eat and sleep.  I was lucky enough that a coworker of mine got hooked at the same time so we can happily discuss the books and the characters to our hearts content, secretly hoping that the characters were real people and alway wishing for the next book to arrive.

The series is about forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway.  When she's not digging up bones or other ancient objects, Ruth lives happily alone in a remote area called Saltmarsh near Norfolk.  In book one, The Crossing Places, Ruth  is called in to assist on a case by Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson.  A child's bones are found on a desolate beach and Nelson thinks they may be the remains of a little girl who went missing over a decade ago.  Despite her discovery that the bones are actually two thousand years old, Ruth is drawn into the disappearance of Lucy Downey.  Then another child goes missing and the hunt is on to find her and her kidnapper.

Ruth Galloway is one of my favourite mystery solving ladies.  She is relatable, clever, and funny.  While the mysteries are entertaining, it is the characters that keep you coming back for more.  Looking for a new series?  Look no further.

Ruth Galloway Series
1. The Crossing Places
2. The Janus Stone
3. The House at Sea's End
4. A Room Full of Bones
4.5. Ruth's First Christmas Tree (e-novella)
5. A Dying Fall
6. The Outcast Dead
7. The Ghost Fields

Back in the Saddle Again

Well....I feel like I've said it before...but I'm back!

A new computer has motivated me to get the old blog up and kicking again so, to quote Whitesnake, here we go again!

It has been over A YEAR since I last posted! A year! Many wonderful books were read and clearly not discussed here.  If you want to check out what was going on in my literary world last year, you are always welcome to check out my Goodreads page.  Every book I read gets posted there, with a tiny review / general thoughts, so please come visit and say hi!

Since it would take forever to recap all the books I read last year, here were my Top 5 reads for 2014.

1. The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

Alice Hoffman writes good books.  Really good books.  I was such a fan of her novel The Dovekeepers that I was really excited to read this one and it did not disappoint.

2. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

After finishing this, I actually wanted to go back to the beginning and read it again.  One of the best fantasy novels I've read in a long time and definitely one of the best bad ass heroines I've ever read.

3. Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Such a beautiful book and my favourite teen novel of the year.  Considering this was Dellaira's debut novel, I'm pretty darn excited to see where she goes next.

4. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

I was so blown away by this.  It deserved all the acclaim it got.

5. Us by David Nicholls

I have talked to several people who thought that this was just ok, but for one reason or another, this just spoke to me.  One Day was a DNF for me so I was really surprised I liked this one as much as I did.

So, there it is, 2014 in a nutshell.

And here we are now almost halfway through 2015!  Book wise, the year is off to a good start. I've read many books that I've really enjoyed, however,  I am still waiting to find that book that really knocks my socks off.

Here are the Top 3 things I have to report for 2015 so far:

1.  My best discovery has been the novels of the absolutely dynamite Australian novelist, Liane Moriarty.  Seriously, go pick up either The Husband's Secret or Big Little Lies, and get ready for a day of addictive reading.  You're welcome.

2. Teen novels everywhere!  Best so far have been Jennifer Niven's All the Bright Places, everything Rosamund Hodge writes (Cruel Beauty, Crimson Bound, Gilded Ashes), and The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski (man, this series just keeps getting better!).  I've got a lovely stack of current and upcoming teen books to get through so I'm pretty excited to read those.

3. I'm making an effort to read more non-fiction since it is something that I don't read all that often and really should.  So far I have I've read Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gay, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling, and Without You There is No Us by Suki Kim.  All have been enjoyable and not felt like school (which is always my fear with non-fiction, despite the fact that it is rarely true...)

Well this has been long and rambling!  I'm glad to be back :)




Cheers,
Sam

What I've Been Reading This Year

I'm back!  It's been a long time since I posted anything which means that you have missed out on all the wonderful things i've read so far this year!    I've been posting mini reviews of all the books I've been reading on Goodreads and would love to connect with people there and hear what they think about the book's I've read!  Please visit me there if you would like to read my thoughts on the following titles!

Here's what I've read so far this year:

TEEN FICTION

Cress by Marissa Meyer (Book 3 in the Lunar Chronicles)

Every Day by David Levithan

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Panic by Lauren Oliver

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

AUDIO BOOKS

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

FICTION

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra

Annabel by Kathleen Winter 

The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness

Come to the Edge by Joanna Kavenna

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

Shovel Ready by Adam Sternbergh

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

9-12 FICTION

The School of Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

Operation Bunny by Sally Gardner

NON-FICTION

Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin

Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon

Moranthology by Caitlin Moran

CLASSICS

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

COZY MYSTERIES

Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure by Diane Kelly

Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams

Peach Pies and Alibis by Ellery Adams

Pecan Pies and Homicides by Ellery Adams

Pearls and Poison by Duffy Brown

Teen Books Everywhere!

I recently had a period where it seems I was reading nothing but teen books...wonderful, wonderful teen books...I dove into several series and oh what fun I've been having!

Cinder & Scarlet
by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles

What a fun series!  Meyer does a great job retelling classic fairy tales in an interesting and unique way.  Cinderella as a cyborg mechanic?  Yes please!  The stories are fresh, the characters are intriguing and this is a relevant series in a time when dystopian teen lit is the in thing to be reading.  Book 1, Cinder, focus on the Cinderella story, while Book 2, Scarlet, takes the Little Red Riding Hood mythology to new heights. Book 3, Cress, is due in stores early next year and will be taking on the story of Rapunzel.  Definitely on my to read list!

The Raven Boys & The Dream Thieves
by Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven Cycle

When I knew I was going to be seeing Maggie Stiefvater at the Vancouver Writers Fest, I knew that I wanted to read something of hers before hand but the question was, where to start?  I decided to have a go at her latest series, The Raven Cycle.  Teen bloggers had been showing the first two books in the cycle lots of love and that alone made me want to read these books.  I was not disappointed.  Stiefvater has some of the most beautiful writing I've seen in quite awhile.  Her stories were full of magic, yet still stayed grounded in a contemporary setting.  The characters felt real, and, something I often find frustrating with teen novels, actually like teenagers.  I was up late into the night reading the first two installments and I eagerly await the next book.  I definitely want to check out more books by Stiefvater! I currently have The Scorpio Races and Shiver on my bookshelf.

Just One Day & Just One Year
by Gayle Forman

I blogged earlier this year about my immense love of Just One Day (review here) and I was so very excited to read its sequel / companion novel Just One Year.  While Just One Day was Allyson's story, Just One Year is Willem's story.  After having read both, I have to say that I think that the first installment was the stronger of the pair, but I couldn't imagine not having both sides to this story.  I think that you needed Willem's point of view to flesh out the story and I enjoyed the development of his character.  One of the best set of love stories / coming of age tales I've read in sometime.

Eleanor & Park
by Rainbow Rowell

By now you have probably figured out that I'm somewhat obsessed with Rainbow Rowell.  Both Fangirl and Attachments were amazing and I had been saving the critically acclaimed Eleanor & Park like a small child saves Halloween candy to make it last.  Oh my goodness...this one broke my heart.  When I finished the book, I was quite literally surrounded by dozens of tear stained tissues, with mascara running down my cheeks and my perplexed husband asking why I felt the need to read whatever sad thing I was reading right before bed.  Chock full of fun 1980's reference (especially music), this is a love story that pulls every heart string.  You NEED to read this book.  But don't take just my advice, John Green agrees with me too.  Read his NYT review here.

Elementary, My Dear Stoker: Colleen Gleason's THE CLOCKWORK SCARAB

I got a copy of The Clockwork Scarab at the recent Raincoast Teen Reads Winter Preview.  It is one that I had been eyeing out for awhile now so I was really excited to get a copy.  I just loved the premise of the story:

Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you’re the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood. And when two society girls go missing, there’s no one more qualified to investigate.

Now fierce Evaline and logical Mina must resolve their rivalry, navigate the advances of not just one but three mysterious gentlemen, and solve murder with only one clue: a strange Egyptian scarab. The stakes are high. If Stoker and Holmes don’t unravel why the belles of London society are in such danger, they’ll become the next victims

First of all, I loved Dracula and I've enjoyed every Arthur Conan Doyle story that I've read so you can see why this book really peaked my interest. Author Colleen Gleason did a great job in capturing the essence of the works of Bram Stoker and Doyle; you really felt that the characters and situations she created could have appeared in either one of their works.  I also really loved what strong and interesting characters Evaline and Mina were!  This is being called the first in the Stoker & Holmes series so I really hope that there will be more novels capturing the adventures of these two!  Lots of fun, full of mystery, adventure, and romance, this is a great read for teen fiction fans!

Talking Books With Simi Sara!

I've had the privilege to appear on the Simi Sara Show several times in the last year to talk books with Simi and my lovely fellow booksellers Trish and Mary-Ann.  Our last appearance was on Monday October 14th (Thanksgiving!) We talked about a wonderful assortment of books (including one of my favourites at the moment, Fangirl!)  Have a listen!  I would love to hear any of your comments or thoughts about the books we talked about!

The Simi Sara Show on Oct 14th

If you listen to the Simi Sara Show then you know that she is a HUGE reader!  She recently started her own Book Club and Book Blog  which is full of reviews, recommendations, and is sponsored by Black Bond Book /Book Warehouse!  I really recommend you check it out!

October Literary Events in Vancouver (aka Sam Gets to Meet Famous Book People)

This month has been a very literary one for me!  I've had several wonderful opportunities to meet and hear a handful of amazing authors and illustrators speak from all different genre!  Here's the lineup:

Julie Flett, Richard Van Camp, & Julie Morstad 

@ The Vancouver Children Literature Roundtables Annual Illustrators Breakfast

What a fun morning!  Illustrators Julie Flett and Julie Morstad talked all about their process and showed us many images from their various works, while writer Richard Van Camp was full of energy and hilarious talking about his various works for both young children and teenagers.  I have to say, I was partial to Julie Morstad because I find her illustrations to be so beautiful and charming.  I purchased two of her books, When I Was Small, which is a one in a trilogy of picture books, and Milk Teeth, which is a collection of her art.  I've included a few of her images; aren't they incredible?  If you want to see more of Julie Morstad's work, please visit her website!

Grant Lawrence Book Launch 

@ The BC Sports Hall of Fame

Grant Lawrence latest book, The Lonely End of the Rink: Confessions of a Reluctant Goalie, is a the story of Lawrence growing up in Canada and his relationship with the game of hockey.  The book launch took place at the perfect venue, the BC Sports Hall of Fame, and included a book reading, an opportunity to take a shot of Lawrence in net, a live performance by one of his team mates musical group, and free beer!  I haven't yet read this book, nor Lawrence's previous, award winning book, Adventures in Solitude, but they are both now on my to-read pile!

Fantasy @ 6 with Maggie Stiefvater & Maureen Johnson

Vancouver International Writers Festival on Granville Island

Oh my god, I want to BE these two!  Or at the very least, be bff with them.  What an amazingly fun evening with two wonderful teen writers.  I've been a fan of Maureen Johnson since I read the first two books in her Shades of London Series (The Name of the Star, The Madness Underneath) so when I heard she was coming to Vancouver I knew I had to see her speak. I'm new to Maggie Stiefvater's work but after having read The Raven Boys and am halfway through The Dream Thieves I feel it is safe to call me a fan.  This event, moderated by the amazing Shannon Ozirny, was one of the best author events I've ever been to.  It was so casual, so hilarious, and so real that it was impossible not to have a great time; laugher was contagious.  If you ever get the opportunity to see these two in action I highly recommend it!

Lunch with Maria Semple

Corner Stories with Maria Semple, Wayne Johnson, Saleema Nawaz, & Anthony De Sa

Vancouver Writers Festival on Granville Island

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple is one of my favourite books this year so when I heard she was coming for the Writers Fest I was so excited!  As the event grew closer I got an even bigger surprise, I was going to have the opportunity to have lunch with Maria with one of my fellow booksellers, Caitlin (another uber Bernadette fan)!  Maria Semple is one of the funniest, most down to earth authors I have ever met.  She generally wants to talk to you about books (not just hers!) and to swap stories.  One of her most memorable stories?  When she was having dinner in New York and at the next table was Daniel Craig, Mike Nichols, and Oprah!  Amazing!  She also managed to give me several book recommendations that I'm really excited to read.

The next day Caitlin and I headed to the Writers Fest and saw Maria on panel with several other big name authors all discussing the importance of place in their novels. She was a rock star and, in my opinion, dominated the panel with her honesty and observations.  If you've read Bernadette, you know that it takes place in Seattle and is just bang on with regards to the culture there.  If you haven't read Bernadette yet, you really really must.

“In new situations, all the trickiest rules are the ones nobody bothers to explain to you. (And the ones you can't Google.)”

I have just finished Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, and yes, it is as perfect and wonderful as everyone has been saying it is!

This is the second book I've read by Rowell, my first being her debut novel (and her only novel that has been marketed as specifically an 'adult' novel) Attachments.  I loved Attachments so much; I want to be bff with Attachments and call it up on the phone just to say hi and see how her day has been.  If you want to read something smart, funny, and wonderfully romantic (Lincoln O'Neill is very literary crush-worthy), then you must read Attachments.  I haven't yet picked up Eleanor and Park, which has been taking the YA book world by storm and I'm sure I'm going to shake myself upon reading and ask "Why has it taken me so long to read this?!"

So, Fangirl.  Well it's just perfect really.  This book gets everything right; be it falling in love for the first time, becoming your own person, college...the list goes on and on.  One of my favourite things about this book is how Rowell perfectly captures what it is like to really be in love with a book and its story.  I have fell in love with so many wonderful stories and their characters over the years and Fangirl perfectly expresses how it feels to feel this way.  Cath and her love of all things Simon Snow reminds me of myself and how I have fallen under the spell of different characters, worlds, and stories over the years.  When you fall in love with a book, you fall hard and forever.  Some books that I read last month I can barely remember what happened in them;  books I read ten years ago and loved I could quote you entire paragraphs of them.

Fangirl has made me, well, even more of fangirl of Rowell's writing (and now I REALLY need to go pick up Eleanor and Park!) and is a story I'm going to be sharing (and possibly forcing into the hands of unsuspecting book shoppers) with friends.  I eagerly await whatever Rainbow Rowell will next bestow upon us.

**Thank you to Raincoast for my copy of Fangirl!**

“The idea of waiting for something makes it more exciting” (Andy Warhol)

It's been awhile since I did a post about upcoming books and since there are so many amazing reads on the near (and far) horizon, it felt like time!  Here's some books to get excited about in 2013 / 2014!

October 2013

Just One Year

by Gayle Forman

Just One Day is one of my favourite books from this year! It is such a beautiful book :)  So excited to read this second installment.

Allegiant (Divergent #3)

by Veronica Roth

The book that all teen dystopian fiction fans have been waiting for!  Only a month away!

December 2013

These Broken Stars

by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

This has been getting amazing amazing reviews for months now.  Not only does it take place in space on a luxury spaceliner, but have you seen this cover?? Gorgeous.

March 2014

The Ghost Train to New Orleans

by Mur Lafferty

Have you discovered the wondrous Mur Lafferty yet? If not then RUN, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore and pick up her excellent novel The Shambling Guide to New York City.  You can thank me later.

Written in My Own Heart's Blood

by Diana Gabaldon

When they bumped this publication date back to March (it was originally scheduled for late 2013), I'm sure I was not alone in my infinite sadness.  But March is just around the corner and now I have lots of time to reread all the Outlander novels in order to get uber pumped up for this book.

April 2014

Raging Star (Dust Lands #3)

by  Moira Young

I loved the first book in this wild west dystopian series (Blood Red Road)  and felt that the sequel fell short of my expectations (Rebel Hearts).  I'm really interested to see how this trilogy wraps up!

Rebel Belle

by Rachel Hawkins

All I know is that I've loved everything this lady has written and therefore MUST read her newest novel.  That is all.

Lair of Dreams (Diviners #2)

by Libba Bray

Libba Bray is awesome in all that she does so it was no surprise that The Diviners was wonderful.  If you like 1920's New York paranormal mysteries then this is the series for you! 

The Crane Wife

by Patrick Ness

I have had this described to me as 2014's The Night Circus.  As one who enjoyed The Night Circus, I am intrigued.  Plus it's by Patrick Ness which means it will probably be wonderful.

Dreams of Gods & Monsters

by Laini Taylor

The final installment in Taylors Daughter of Smoke & Bone series, this promises to be a good one!  And again, beautiful cover alert!

May 2014

Isla and the Happily Ever After

by Stephanie Perkins

Stephanie Perkins is aces when it comes to writing contemporary teen fiction.  Anna and the French Kiss made me yearn for Paris, while Lola and the Boy Next Door drew the reader to San Francisco.  Both are wonderful stories of first love and I can't wait to read Perkins latest.

June 2014

Ruin and Rising (The Grisha Book 3)

by Leigh Bardugo

This series got better and better as it progressed and is probably my favourite teen series out there right now.  Book 1 is Shadow and Bone, Book 2 is Seige and Storm; these are must reads for YA fans!  I'm so excited for this book! :)

Unknown Month 2014

The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy)

by Deborah Harkness

No exact date yet but still worth letting the masses know that it's coming! Who's not excited for this one?!  Harkness has woven a wonderful story of time travel and love and vampires and witches and gosh darned I want to know how it ends!

The Shadow Cabinet

by Maureen Johnson

Maureen Johnson's Shades of London series has been one of my most triumphant finds this year!  I devoured the first two books (The Name of the Star and The Madness Underneath) and am now eagerly, and slightly impatiently, awaiting the final book.  So many cliffhangers! I need to know things!

Teen Book Excitment!

I was very fortunate to attend a wonderful event this morning with the ladies at Raincoast, plus a number of awesome YA Bloggers, to hear about all the exciting books coming out this in the near future!  Let me tell you, there are some gems coming our way this winter!  Raincoast very generously provided me with a number of ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) that I'm rubbing my hands together in anticipation to read!   Would you like to see some of the newest additions to my bookshelf?

I'm sooo excited to read these (especially FanGirl which I've been longing to read for months and months!)  Plus, check out my sweet book bag which will be helpful in carrying all these goodies around town!  A big thank you to Raincoast!  I will be posting reviews once I've read them!