tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68775801650274756652024-03-08T05:18:25.176-05:00Let's Take A ShelfieTales of my bookish adventures one post at a time.OrieMGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09944176225100134698noreply@blogger.comBlogger235125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-13866409386778648842018-05-12T22:37:00.001-04:002018-05-12T22:37:51.998-04:00When Life Gets in the Way<div style="text-align: center;">
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My blog has gone on hiatus before but none of them have lasted this long.</div>
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I hope to get back to reading...and therefore blogging soon!</div>
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Stay tuned for updates!</div>
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<br />OrieMGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09944176225100134698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-12576309935589697232017-07-02T20:58:00.001-04:002017-07-02T20:58:25.060-04:00Summer Reading Challenge: TBR Wipeout, hosted by Candid Cover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUngXx0fTENI5RSBD3swQEndteWjPxYEmwmkb0qzuWnOTuFZMIqf_-EjK2RlNHWlxxO95fnLAHle8X7zc8C51rX44YCUzrETI4EAjQ5AeERYZSipCYA8GuB9FAvolYcpPV_cbXMGNdRdov/s1600/TBRWipeout.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUngXx0fTENI5RSBD3swQEndteWjPxYEmwmkb0qzuWnOTuFZMIqf_-EjK2RlNHWlxxO95fnLAHle8X7zc8C51rX44YCUzrETI4EAjQ5AeERYZSipCYA8GuB9FAvolYcpPV_cbXMGNdRdov/s400/TBRWipeout.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Last summer, I went on a reading hiatus. I was in the midst of leaving a company where I had spent the the last 12 years and started a new adventure. This summer is just as hectic, but I'm hoping to get through a few recent title that have been piling up on my beside table. My actual TBR that's been growing in my basement will have to continue to wait.<br />
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That said, I know I'm going to need a bit of motivation to get through the pile. Enter <a href="https://candidcover.net/" target="_blank">Candid Cover</a>! On her blog, she'll be hosting her 2nd annual Summer TBR Wipeout. You can learn more and sign up <a href="https://candidcover.net/2017/05/25/sign-ups-2nd-annual-summer-tbr-wipeout/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Here are the books I hope to get through during this challenge:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnkwvN7pAqBUTtyl3XeMK50VKsyTqDE4swMaz_wjLkrjdTzLPqNuT4pkHSDIM28Se8SQ9asonr2gp0dJozspVGcsln4hJTJKjNG6xIlfxFa0NJZlpAZMJWHlVKsgjvU4F1dnbUjH5fcUB/s1600/GirlInSnow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnkwvN7pAqBUTtyl3XeMK50VKsyTqDE4swMaz_wjLkrjdTzLPqNuT4pkHSDIM28Se8SQ9asonr2gp0dJozspVGcsln4hJTJKjNG6xIlfxFa0NJZlpAZMJWHlVKsgjvU4F1dnbUjH5fcUB/s200/GirlInSnow.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rEGJ8enMsUQyB_PwGKr_5BNo7_MiZkMqolba4n9wqc7hmZ9_eMmliL17QucDKyXMpacPE825OKtAZKW8GhhLwxJxDHrvZtRL0Mh0EVerOTv0Y8HxlR1UIYTo7n7x5K-19je98qDgDAne/s1600/manhattan+beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rEGJ8enMsUQyB_PwGKr_5BNo7_MiZkMqolba4n9wqc7hmZ9_eMmliL17QucDKyXMpacPE825OKtAZKW8GhhLwxJxDHrvZtRL0Mh0EVerOTv0Y8HxlR1UIYTo7n7x5K-19je98qDgDAne/s200/manhattan+beach.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvATHQRQnIOzfEcxakVvDut12EwTGoXYbzK36RepinGYRVewqOkpSqbrZqmE2Jvro5OPklxKa952QMBagbVafllz0reFw0SmXbBCEzPt-NCaVvbe2KBfBxdM2v1r2wSmWodo4hTQk0Ihn/s1600/mask+of+shadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvATHQRQnIOzfEcxakVvDut12EwTGoXYbzK36RepinGYRVewqOkpSqbrZqmE2Jvro5OPklxKa952QMBagbVafllz0reFw0SmXbBCEzPt-NCaVvbe2KBfBxdM2v1r2wSmWodo4hTQk0Ihn/s200/mask+of+shadows.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg28JWS9OP9ZQBP6dvqTArE8XA5U-9BtpICaf9Aqv6YfiGMAD-loFB4dSI0iF4fpCgz4HHlhFmRF7RFoeC7ulpIkAHNB0rbe16gxDhmYQc8GXQyyFNhYck3uPHhgiO-lEeK5uEUIsap_Y2/s1600/nearest+exit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg28JWS9OP9ZQBP6dvqTArE8XA5U-9BtpICaf9Aqv6YfiGMAD-loFB4dSI0iF4fpCgz4HHlhFmRF7RFoeC7ulpIkAHNB0rbe16gxDhmYQc8GXQyyFNhYck3uPHhgiO-lEeK5uEUIsap_Y2/s200/nearest+exit.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDYIv27DFEHTllkZxaJeblVx88kZtUmkG8qQJ73c60M59goo3a1-r1Bh_LZfPCi-tyaF2P9-AM9fbc_Hc2lldw5R_z7M7IlhiIkPdy5NYaoOMn3zDWy-1vxjc_RQcUDYNNAqKp7iZyGsk/s1600/scarbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDYIv27DFEHTllkZxaJeblVx88kZtUmkG8qQJ73c60M59goo3a1-r1Bh_LZfPCi-tyaF2P9-AM9fbc_Hc2lldw5R_z7M7IlhiIkPdy5NYaoOMn3zDWy-1vxjc_RQcUDYNNAqKp7iZyGsk/s200/scarbs.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfwBcequk_fPgl8ZmUvavKL81u3nzAeR15bH02al_3c_eahw56ULD-mAmTm1tl_USstbqfQL4U5hguEorabu-inkamrQowAqX71218eR3DNpTgQiraogV8ve8Zgv1NtdKKwa-XeXGK5MU/s1600/tencomedians.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfwBcequk_fPgl8ZmUvavKL81u3nzAeR15bH02al_3c_eahw56ULD-mAmTm1tl_USstbqfQL4U5hguEorabu-inkamrQowAqX71218eR3DNpTgQiraogV8ve8Zgv1NtdKKwa-XeXGK5MU/s200/tencomedians.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEUhyNMEzU_t32XB2SkCQ7PcZKZQI_8nxZRvRmjYTQ1vOkbrQE9rQ0E5Cg3ZrCkx9-RbqV8zLT8-GrVB3DE-ypQAVns_GSNX0BSnItQ3F41FAElcup_L7QIT61fWriYJXOLeZWvnlkyzM/s1600/thechild.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEUhyNMEzU_t32XB2SkCQ7PcZKZQI_8nxZRvRmjYTQ1vOkbrQE9rQ0E5Cg3ZrCkx9-RbqV8zLT8-GrVB3DE-ypQAVns_GSNX0BSnItQ3F41FAElcup_L7QIT61fWriYJXOLeZWvnlkyzM/s200/thechild.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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It's a small list but it's one I'm hoping to get through. Stay tuned for updates on my progress!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05104418125536937485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-57938680491157621812017-06-26T11:00:00.000-04:002017-06-26T17:37:49.452-04:00Turning: A Year in the Water by Jessica J. Lee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwUG882G0sZIfvmLmCBnf4ejKGCom9AV1SSGV7WuLmhoVA_hAB3sJ1Gpe1RIgqO9mxPIT-UJCx9E5nCGojO5nqF_wHQ2d3AvOQcwlN-MTzqAsOFmMgB3_eS8O2MrWMS-qml6hk6EMOsA2/s1600/turning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="269" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwUG882G0sZIfvmLmCBnf4ejKGCom9AV1SSGV7WuLmhoVA_hAB3sJ1Gpe1RIgqO9mxPIT-UJCx9E5nCGojO5nqF_wHQ2d3AvOQcwlN-MTzqAsOFmMgB3_eS8O2MrWMS-qml6hk6EMOsA2/s200/turning.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
Title: <a href="http://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/549182/turning#9780735233263" target="_blank">Turning: A Year in the Water</a><br />
Author: Jessica J. Lee<br />
Format: Trade Paperback<br />
Pages: 304<br />
Source: Publisher<br />
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton<br />
Publishing Date: May 2, 2017<br />
Rating:<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">★★★★</span></span><br />
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Jessica, a native Canadian, moved to Berlin at the age of 28 to complete her thesis. Along with her work, she brought personal troubles that took a toll on her well being and outlook on life.<br />
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<i>"Love was a lot like fear. It swallowed you whole, like water."</i></blockquote>
Turning: A Year in the Water is Jessica's story of how she turned her love of swimming into a source of motivation and healing. The book opens with the list of lakes swum and maps of their locations. What follows is a beautifully written account of Jessica's journey of how she balanced her goal of swimming in these 52 lakes in Berlin while still continuing on with her work.<br />
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Throughout her journey, we get a glimpse into Jessica's past that has driven her to this point in her life. Her parents' divorce and struggles with her mother's mental illness was a start. As she got older, Jessica experimented with drugs, struggled with alcohol abuse and chose to have an abortion while in college. The emotional struggles continued as she finalized her own divorce.<br />
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The paths Jessica took to swim in the lakes contributed to her healing. In her travels she some times went with friends, but mostly traveled to these locations on her own. She allowed herself to be immersed in the culture and people that lived around the lakes. She began to find a new sense of purpose and belonging in Berlin. The new start that she was looking for.<br />
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<i>"I think of what the lakes meant to me then and what they mean to me now. In the middle of the lake, I'm completely present. I'm no longer afraid to be alone. I've conditioned myself to the lake, to the cold, to the pain of it. I can hold it. I've made it mine."</i></blockquote>
Jessica's inspiring story is proof that overcoming obstacles, no matter how painful both physically and emotionally, are possible. Readers who have a love of swimming will enjoy this read. Jessica is very descriptive of her feelings while in the water and the ambiance of the lakes. Turning can also be appealing to those who have experienced or are experiencing the need for a fresh start. But, regardless of the reason for deciding to read this book, know that you will find comfort in her words and finish the book with a sense of empowerment and strength.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: I received a finished copy Turning: A year in the Water by Jessica J. Lee from Penguin Random House Canada for an honest review. All opinions are my own.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05104418125536937485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-6158107911872093852017-06-20T00:50:00.001-04:002017-06-20T00:50:17.633-04:00Into The Water by Paula Hawkins<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI66yuidYB_0oH6foZMqp6ExX_kBElvuF49iqRoyG36s1B6U1ZPxhUhCOT4fPDemRJ84Vs_-yZ-KppPU4cVDtLLB6tjQou9k3vSjFJO71Ih0dgUOdGSvzm8RK4MJeUAj5d0g_DvGe1QNYW/s1600/water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI66yuidYB_0oH6foZMqp6ExX_kBElvuF49iqRoyG36s1B6U1ZPxhUhCOT4fPDemRJ84Vs_-yZ-KppPU4cVDtLLB6tjQou9k3vSjFJO71Ih0dgUOdGSvzm8RK4MJeUAj5d0g_DvGe1QNYW/s200/water.jpg" width="132" /></a>Title: Into the Water<br />
Author: Paula Hawkins<br />
Format: Hardcover<br />
Pages: 388<br />
Source: Publisher<br />
Publisher: Doubleday Canada<br />
Publishing Date: May 2, 2017<br />
Rating:<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">★★★★</span></span><br />
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Synopsis from publisher's <a href="http://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/550662/water#9780385689632" target="_blank">website</a>:<br />
A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged.<br />
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Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl. Parentless and friendless, she now finds herself in the care of her mother's sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from—a place to which she vowed she'd never return.<br />
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With the same propulsive writing and acute understanding of human instincts that captivated millions of readers around the world in her explosive debut thriller, The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins delivers an urgent, twisting, deeply satisfying read that hinges on the deceptiveness of emotion and memory, as well as the devastating ways that the past can reach a long arm into the present.<br />
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Beware a calm surface—you never know what lies beneath.<br />
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Review:<br />
I have been waiting for this book since the beginning of 2015! During a Twitter chat to celebrate the success of Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins revealed that she was already working on her next book. She teased that it was "a dark and twisted tale about a relationship between two sisters".<br />
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From the first page, Into the Water pulls you right in. Set in a tight knit town, where the locals know everything about everyone. We meet a young girl who is grieving the loss of two people who meant the most to her. In the pages that follow, Paula Hawkins takes down a dark winding path through the town's tumultuous history that contributes to the mystery surrounding the recent deaths.<br />
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Paula Hawkins has not lost her touch. Her ability to mesmerize readers with her words continues with Into the Water. What I enjoyed the most was the interconnectivity of each character. I found myself yearning to know more about their secrets and backstories. As expected, some were more shocking than others, but each tidbit built up the suspense and set the stage for the big reveal across the various perspectives.<br />
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I enjoyed this book from cover to cover! I can only hope that readers aren't quick to judge and compare Into the Water with it's predecessor. They are completely different and are brilliant novels in their own right. I'm hoping we'll see more from Paula Hawkins in the near future!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: I received a finished copy of Into the Water by Paula Hawkins from Penguin Random House Canada for an honest review. All opinions are my own.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05104418125536937485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-92024757669015175882017-06-19T23:19:00.000-04:002017-06-20T00:05:07.785-04:00The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen by Hope Nicholson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQP_HMSG5wXSjlH1_m5veSnayH71Cny-i-nZ9bdQ3202UOVITMO3LvXJl7Yj8ief2Ul6oX41Jo5h1bBW-9LJO5L8ujtAAYHU6gSqVug4glMn5Ep1q79hjAC9qAI1_NO1jpku9UvyXEXz0/s1600/sister.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQP_HMSG5wXSjlH1_m5veSnayH71Cny-i-nZ9bdQ3202UOVITMO3LvXJl7Yj8ief2Ul6oX41Jo5h1bBW-9LJO5L8ujtAAYHU6gSqVug4glMn5Ep1q79hjAC9qAI1_NO1jpku9UvyXEXz0/s200/sister.jpg" width="156" /></a>Title: <a href="http://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/547000/spectacular-sisterhood-superwomen#9781594749483" target="_blank">The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen:</a><br />
<a href="http://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/547000/spectacular-sisterhood-superwomen#9781594749483" target="_blank">Awesome Female Characters from Comic Book History</a><br />
Author: Hope Nicholson<br />
Format: Hardcover<br />
Pages: 240<br />
Source: Publisher<br />
Publisher: Quirk Books<br />
Publishing Date: May 2, 2017<br />
Rating:<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">★★★★</span></span><br />
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The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen by Hope Nicholson provides readers with a history lesson of the heroines that have graced comic book pages throughout the decades. Many of the world's favourite icons from Little Lulu to Kamala Khan (a.k.a Ms. Marvel) are included in this book.<br />
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I enjoyed reading about the impacts that the iconic superwomen made in their respective decades. It was also interesting to read about some of more obscure characters like Madame Strange. No relation to Doctor... She, like many other heroines featured in this book, was a reporter and fought crime in a cape and swimsuit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdGF32maxDaUFpUXMFuYpmVoLUb8EUDn-LV6UzII4aTGF60dqQfqtQzUOInbplOd7HqeE_futIUELU8bzbzGXD98nPzJtVjRQl5fLtrY-mKAZRj1NWqyOUakfxY1Ev5x0XdMZsbOsZxLh/s1600/jackcap.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="303" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdGF32maxDaUFpUXMFuYpmVoLUb8EUDn-LV6UzII4aTGF60dqQfqtQzUOInbplOd7HqeE_futIUELU8bzbzGXD98nPzJtVjRQl5fLtrY-mKAZRj1NWqyOUakfxY1Ev5x0XdMZsbOsZxLh/s200/jackcap.png" width="120" /></a>My daughter, who in her own right is a superwoman in the making, loved hearing about all the different heroines as she flipped through the book on her own. I made sure that she skipped over P udge, Girl Blimp. The photo is a bit much for a 5 year old. The one thing she did point out was that a few of her favourite superwomen, mostly X-Men (X-Women?) and Avengers were not included in this collection. Perhaps Hope Nicholson is leaving room for Vol. 2. One can only hope. I believe there are so many more superwomen to explore in the comic book realms.<br />
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The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen would make a great gift for comic book aficionados, coffee table book collectors or even young ones, like this little one to the right, looking for their next role model.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: I received a finished copy of The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen by Hope Nicholson from Penguin Random House Canada for an honest review. All opinions are my own.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05104418125536937485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-89555471927339935192017-06-04T16:38:00.003-04:002017-06-04T16:38:50.033-04:00Crazy Is My Superpower by AJ Mendez Brooks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivYYZTIIvyXUUV5BRuRnfPueGkxACmGLi6dDsRNroDqk7HJ7bpnQ1Bw0_u99njokwl21LbYwcydlFjyg1P-mI9rt_JZlE9LuvgjNjBjRlfVtxnuSZigdFcPb31nkiaBB-y96-oa_0mFkS/s1600/crazy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="195" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivYYZTIIvyXUUV5BRuRnfPueGkxACmGLi6dDsRNroDqk7HJ7bpnQ1Bw0_u99njokwl21LbYwcydlFjyg1P-mI9rt_JZlE9LuvgjNjBjRlfVtxnuSZigdFcPb31nkiaBB-y96-oa_0mFkS/s200/crazy.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
Title: Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules<br />
Author: AJ Mendez Brooks<br />
Format: Paperback ARC<br />
Pages: 271<br />
Source: Publisher<br />
Publisher: Crown Archetype<br />
Publishing Date: April 4, 2017<br />
Rating:<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">★★★★</span></span><br />
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Synopsis from publisher's <a href="http://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/544612/crazy-my-superpower#9780451496669" target="_blank">website</a>:<br />
Recently retired WWE superstar AJ Mendez Brooks is a powerhouse—strong, quirky, and totally confident. But that wasn’t always the case. With humor and tremendous heart, she opens up for the first time about her harrowing struggle to understand her demons and the diagnosis that helped her gain control over her life.<br />
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Everything I was told should be my greatest insecurities and weaknesses, everything that I’ve been labeled—SHORT, NERDY, SKINNY, WEAK, IMPULSIVE, UGLY, TOMBOY, POOR, REBEL, LOUD, FREAK, CRAZY—turned out to be my greatest strengths. I didn’t become successful in spite of them. I became successful because of them.<br />
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Growing up AJ was a quiet girl trying to act “normal” when she felt anything but. As her family struggled with drug addiction, poverty, and mental illness, she found escape through comic books and video games, and was inspired by the tough and unconventional female characters. It wasn’t until she discovered pro wrestling that she learned superheroes could be real.<br />
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Determined to become the superhero she’d always admired, AJ trained and sacrificed for years to achieve her dream of wrestling professionally. Yet she quickly faced industry pressure to play the role of the damsel in distress and to dress more provocatively to cater to male fans. But she fought back and created an ass-kicking alter ego that was a genuine representation of herself: nerdy, enthusiastic, and a little bit crazy.<br />
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With humor and tremendous heart, AJ opens up for the first time about her harrowing struggle to understand her demons and the mental illness diagnosis that helped her gain control over her life. What most people view as a hardship, AJ embraced as inspiration for her superhero persona, shattering the stigma attached to mental illness.<br />
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Charting her journey from a scrappy girl in an unstable home to an empowered wrestling champion, Crazy Is My Superpower is an unflinchingly honest story and brave confessional about her long road to self-acceptance.<br />
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Review:<br />
This book is NOT at all what I expected.<br />
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Like most books that I review, I did not read the full synopsis...for this one, I didn't read it at all. The title was enough to catch my attention. So, when I received the ARC in the mail, to my delight, I found out this book was about a female WWE wrestler and her rise to the top.<br /><br />
I have an on and off relationship with the WWE. Back when AJ Lee was proving herself in the ring and striving for fame, I was likely riding on the UFC bandwagon. The fact that I did not know her prior to reading this book added extra emphasis on what she stood for.<br />
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AJ describes her past so vividly. Born into a family that was constantly down on their luck, moving from one place to another, never really settling on a place to call home. She was the youngest of three children, with parents who were children themselves. In a nutshell, she had a hard life. After striving to get into college, NYU, nonetheless, she was forced to drop out to care for her ailing mother who was diagnosed as bipolar. Even as a child, the one thing that managed to bring her joy was her love of the WWE. As an adult, she made a decision to pursue her dream and entered the WWE training camp. From that point on, AJ was focused on one thing - being the best!<br />
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After reading her book, AJ Lee has become an inspiration to me. She outlined many times in her life where she showed her ability to put family and her own mental health struggles first. She knew that by not caring for herself, there was no way she could care for others and fulfill her own dreams. Once she learned how to manage her illness, AJ put the pedal to the metal and didn't look back.<br />
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She did a lot for women in the WWE. Changing the executives' and fans' perception of what a female wrestler should look like was the first thing. She stepped out of the Diva spotlight and expectation and fought in the ring in street clothes. A t-shirt, jean shorts and knee high Chucks. AJ aimed to capture the love and popularity from not just male fans, but from female fans who hope to one day follow in her footsteps.<br />
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One of the most powerful parts of the book that stood out for me was when she was describing a storyline that was pitched to her that required her to act as "The Crazy Ex-Girlfriend". Given her own experience with mental illness, she confidently refused and readily accepted any repercussions including the potential of ending her career. This was important, because AJ refused to bend. She refused to fuel the fire and stereotype that women are needy and dependent on men when a relationship ends. In the end, standing her ground put her in an even better position with the WWE and furthered her professional and personal life.<br />
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Even if you don't know who AJ Lee is or are not a fan of the WWE, I would still recommend picking up this book. Crazy Is My Superpower is a powerful autobiography that speaks to mental health, standing up for what you believe in and women overcoming barriers in a male dominated profession.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of Crazy Is My Superpower by AJ Mendez Brooks from Penguin Random House Canada for an honest review. All opinions are my own.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05104418125536937485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-18260318505662077182017-06-04T14:58:00.001-04:002017-06-04T14:58:17.305-04:00The Party by Robyn Harding<br />
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Title: The Party</div>
Author: Robyn Harding<br />
Format: Paperback ARC<br />
Pages: 352<br />
Source: Publisher<br />
Publisher: Simon & Schuster<br />
Publishing Date: June 6, 2017<br />
Rating:<span style="font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><br />
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Synopsis from publisher's <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/The-Party/Robyn-Harding/9781501161247" target="_blank">website</a>:<br />
In this stunning and provocative domestic drama about a sweet sixteen birthday party that goes horribly awry, a wealthy family in San Francisco finds their picture-perfect life unraveling, their darkest secrets revealed, and their friends turned to enemies.<br />
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One invitation. A lifetime of regrets.<br />
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Sweet sixteen. It’s an exciting coming of age, a milestone, and a rite of passage. Jeff and Kim Sanders plan on throwing a party for their daughter, Hannah—a sweet girl with good grades and nice friends. Rather than an extravagant, indulgent affair, they invite four girls over for pizza, cake, movies, and a sleepover. What could possibly go wrong?<br />
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But things do go wrong, horrifically so. After a tragic accident occurs, Jeff and Kim’s flawless life in a wealthy San Francisco suburb suddenly begins to come apart. In the ugly aftermath, friends become enemies, dark secrets are revealed in the Sanders’ marriage, and the truth about their perfect daughter, Hannah, is exposed.<br />
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Harkening to Herman Koch’s The Dinner, Christos Tsiolkas’s The Slap, and Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies, The Party takes us behind the façade of the picture-perfect family, exposing the lies, betrayals, and moral lapses that neighbors don’t see—and the secrets that children and parents keep from themselves and each other.<br />
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Review:<br />
The Party drew me in right from the start. Harding does a marvelous job with setting the tone of the novel with Kim waking up from a deep sleep, only to find her daughter's hands covered in blood. If that doesn't keep you wanting more, I don't know what else will!<br />
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Harding is extremely meticulous in her development of the book's characters and the construction of the book's plot. Kim wants nothing more than to continue and maintain the facade of raising the perfect family. Jeff, Kim's husband, conceals secrets of his own that can do noting but damage to his and his family's reputation. We also cannot forget the bond that teenage girls have and their ability to keep even the darkest secrets from themselves and their loved ones.<br />
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The events contained within The Party hold as proof that anyone's life can change from one minute to the next. In some scenarios, it could be for the better and in others, it could be a part of the continued downward spiral that rips families and friendships apart. One guess as to which of these two options Kim & Jeff go through as the events of Hannah's party unravels...<br />
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The Party pulls you in instantly. The pace and unexpected twists and turns keep you locked on the story leading up to Hannah's Sweet Sixteen and the aftermath that is left in its wake. If you're looking for your next unputdownable read, this is it!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of The Party by Robyn harding from Simon & Schuster Canada for an honest review. All opinions are my own.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05104418125536937485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-29565451910945678452017-05-10T17:25:00.001-04:002017-05-10T21:41:59.133-04:00Beartown by Fredrik Backman<br />
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Title: Beartown</div>
Author: Fredrik Backman<br />
Format: Trade Paperback<br />
Pages: 336<br />
Source: Publisher<br />
Publisher: Simon & Schuster<br />
Publishing Date: April 25, 2017<br />
Rating:<span style="font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: arimo; text-align: center;">★</span><br />
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Synopsis from publisher's <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/Beartown/Fredrik-Backman/9781501163104" target="_blank">website</a>:<br />
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove returns with a dazzling, profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true.<br />
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People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.<br />
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Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.<br />
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Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.<br />
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Review:<br />
Beartown was pitched to me by the wonderful team at Simon & Schuster Canada as part of their pre-release activities for the book. The winner of the giveaway and I both received finished copies. Before I started reading it, all I knew about it was what was written in the synopsis above.<br />
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Beartown is a hockey town. The community thrives on the sport and nothing brings them closer together (or tears them apart) more than their passion for the game. A team of 17 year old boys have the weight of their town on their shoulders as they head into the semi- final match. The team has been together for ten years, training for this moment. Everyone from their coach, club president, team sponsors and parents constantly reminds them that winning could secure more funding for their hockey club and put their town back on the map.<br />
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<i>"The only thing the sport gives us are moments. But what the hell is life, Peter, apart from moments?" p109</i></blockquote>
Though hockey takes center stage in this, Beartown also walks readers though the perspectives of various inhabitants of Beartown uncovering layers of additional themes that touch upon classism, substance abuse, violence, ageism, and bullying to name a few.<br />
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<i>"He turns sixteen today, and all his life he has been teased and rejected. About everything. His looks, thoughts, manner of speech, home address. Everywhere. At school, in the locker room, online. That wears a person down in the end. It's not always obvious, because the people around a bullied child assume that he or she must get used to it after a while. Never. You never get used to it. It burns like fire the whole time. It's just that no one knows how long the fuse is, not even you." p327</i></blockquote>
The one central theme that resonated for me was around sexual assault.<br />
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<i>"For the perpetrator, rape lasts just a matter of minutes. For the victim, it never stops." p177</i></blockquote>
The town's unwillingness to talk about it, victim shaming and viewing the perpetrator as the victim. These are all things we have seen happen in our own modern day society and I applaud Fredrik Backman for putting it front and center.<br />
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<i>"Words are not small things." p234</i></blockquote>
Beartown is a masterpiece. Fredrik Backman's writing, from his meticulous character development down to his ability to elicit an abundance of emotions, is like nothing I've ever read. This engaging and captivating novel will hit a chord down to your core. Beartown easily makes it on my all-time favourite book list. The extra star in my rating above is no mistake!<br />
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Backman will not let you down. I will simply leave you all with one of my favourite quotes from the book…<br />
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<i>"There's a thin line between living and surviving, but there's one positive side effect of being both romantic and very competitive: you never give up." p123</i></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of Beartown by Fredrik Backman from Simon & Schuster Canada for an honest review. All opinions are my own.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05104418125536937485noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-76935168360083871862017-05-07T01:38:00.001-04:002017-05-07T01:44:36.047-04:00The Jersey Brothers by Sally Mott Freeman<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCNjnPjrOxKfQJ_kdGnsXDn6Q-J3kAW1yxbSJZfyNAGX3hSih-jrbRMPZAhBci561s0dtVhTYCvsaooDvWO1kXAOUmh_PsFZ_rbpGRcaU_6PI_GuOnpj4-XoI2zPUpiZyUTrDscKynJIft/s1600/JB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCNjnPjrOxKfQJ_kdGnsXDn6Q-J3kAW1yxbSJZfyNAGX3hSih-jrbRMPZAhBci561s0dtVhTYCvsaooDvWO1kXAOUmh_PsFZ_rbpGRcaU_6PI_GuOnpj4-XoI2zPUpiZyUTrDscKynJIft/s200/JB.jpg" width="132" /></a>Title: The Jersey Brothers: A Missing Naval Officer in the Pacific and His Family's Quest to Bring Him Home</div>
Author: Sally Mott Freeman<br />
Format: Paperback ARC<br />
Pages: 608<br />
Source: Publisher<br />
Publisher: Simon & Schuster<br />
Publishing Date: May 9, 2017<br />
Rating:<span style="font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; text-align: center;">★</span><br />
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Synopsis from publisher's <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/The-Jersey-Brothers/Sally-Mott-Freeman/9781501104145" target="_blank">website</a>:<br />
The extraordinary, real-life adventure of three brothers at the center of the most dramatic turning points of World War II and their mad race to change history—and save one of their own.<br />
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They are three brothers, all Navy men, who end up coincidentally and extraordinarily at the epicenter of three of the war’s most crucial moments. Bill is picked by Roosevelt to run his first Map Room in Washington. Benny is the gunnery and anti-aircraft officer on the USS Enterprise, one of the only carriers to escape Pearl Harbor and by the end of 1942 the last one left in the Pacific to defend against the Japanese. Barton, the youngest and least distinguished of the three, is shuffled off to the Navy Supply Corps because his mother wants him out of harm’s way. But this protection plan backfires when Barton is sent to the Philippines and listed as missing-in-action after a Japanese attack. Now it is up to Bill and Benny to find and rescue him.<br />
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Review:<br />
<b>My thoughts...</b><br />
Freeman's novel was clearly a labour of love. She was determined to research and investigate the mystery of her uncle's past, even though she never had the opportunity to meet him.<br />
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This is an indepth telling of her father's and uncles' experiences throughout WWII, specifically around the events of Pearl Harbour and experiences POWs in the Philippines. Her writing drew me in and had me hanging on each page as I immersed myself in her family's history.<br />
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The Jersey Brothers is a memorable and gut wrenching story of one family's unwavering desire to save one of their own.<br />
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<b>Why I connected with it...</b><br />
Where do I even begin? I felt all kinds of connections to Sally Mott Freeman's telling of her family's past. The setting of where it took place and the situation I was in while reading it resulted in me finishing all 600+ pages of the book in just under 5 hours.<br />
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First, the setting. Much of Barton's story takes place in various parts of the Philippines, the birth place of both my parents. I found myself jotting down all of the locations named as Barton was moved from one camp to another. After reading the book, I checked the locations on Google Maps and realized a couple of the prison camps are only a couple hours from where members of my family currently live. I also deeply connected to this book as I read it on a flight from LAX to KOA (Kona, Hawaii). Knowing that my travels later on that week would eventually take me to Pearl Harbor, it fueled my desire to learn more about Freeman's family. However, before even reaching Pearl Harbor, my interactions with our Air BnB host deepened the connection even further. On our third day, I had noticed a card on the fridge that had an image of a former Naval Officer. When I inquired about the man in the phone, our host went on to explain that the image was of her father, a Pearl Harbor survivor. Following this revelation, I told her about the book and the story of The Jersey Brothers and she was just as intrigued as I was.<br />
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<b>Who I'd recommend it to...</b><br />
Readers who have an interest in WWII history may enjoy this novel. Based on where Freeman's family was stationed, readers are able to see the war from three very different perspectives: Bill (a White House advisor in charge of the first Map Room), Benny (an officer on the USS Enterprise) and Barton (a POW).<br />
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The Jersey Brothers will be available on May 9. If you decide to give the book a chance, please stop by again to let me know your thoughts in the comments below.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of The Jersey Brothers by Sally Mott Freeman from Simon & Schuster for an honest review. All opinions are my own.</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05104418125536937485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-63849265175684528852017-04-25T00:00:00.000-04:002017-04-25T00:00:00.406-04:00I Found You by Lisa Jewell<div class="" style="clear: both;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GD_Xb-r5jRQW1n374geM_BLeqWOyywijACrPcnCFF3PGcSNl5Y-iYKN9PAzdhf5RaSGPeCx9iZSNCKBlJrieK5WC2O-aebDjS4yYz5Wk7Eu5E9sBDGTaMy4Be8QyaEcsvEkvHMlBENGf/s1600/i+found+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GD_Xb-r5jRQW1n374geM_BLeqWOyywijACrPcnCFF3PGcSNl5Y-iYKN9PAzdhf5RaSGPeCx9iZSNCKBlJrieK5WC2O-aebDjS4yYz5Wk7Eu5E9sBDGTaMy4Be8QyaEcsvEkvHMlBENGf/s1600/i+found+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GD_Xb-r5jRQW1n374geM_BLeqWOyywijACrPcnCFF3PGcSNl5Y-iYKN9PAzdhf5RaSGPeCx9iZSNCKBlJrieK5WC2O-aebDjS4yYz5Wk7Eu5E9sBDGTaMy4Be8QyaEcsvEkvHMlBENGf/s1600/i+found+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GD_Xb-r5jRQW1n374geM_BLeqWOyywijACrPcnCFF3PGcSNl5Y-iYKN9PAzdhf5RaSGPeCx9iZSNCKBlJrieK5WC2O-aebDjS4yYz5Wk7Eu5E9sBDGTaMy4Be8QyaEcsvEkvHMlBENGf/s1600/i+found+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GD_Xb-r5jRQW1n374geM_BLeqWOyywijACrPcnCFF3PGcSNl5Y-iYKN9PAzdhf5RaSGPeCx9iZSNCKBlJrieK5WC2O-aebDjS4yYz5Wk7Eu5E9sBDGTaMy4Be8QyaEcsvEkvHMlBENGf/s200/i+found+you.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Happy Book Birthday to I Found You by Lisa Jewell! A thrilling mystery that leads you to cling to every page as you seek out the identity of the mystery man on the beach.</i></b></div>
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Title: I Found You</div>
Author: Lisa Jewell<br />
Format: Paperback ARC<br />
Source: Publisher<br />
Publisher: Atria Books<br />
Publishing Date: April 25, 2017<br />
Rating:<span style="font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><br />
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Synopsis from publisher's <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/I-Found-You/Lisa-Jewell/9781501166082" target="_blank">website</a>:<br />
A young bride, a lonely single mother, and an amnesiac man of dubious origin lie at the heart of New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell’s next suspenseful drama that will appeal to fans of Liane Moriarty and Paula Hawkins.<br />
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In a windswept British seaside town, single mom Alice Lake finds a man sitting on the beach outside her house. He has no name, no jacket, and no idea how he got there. Against her better judgment, she invites him inside.<br />
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Meanwhile, in a suburb of London, twenty-one-year-old Lily Monrose has only been married for three weeks. When her new husband fails to come home from work one night she is left stranded in a new country where she knows no one. Then the police tell her that her husband never existed.<br />
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Twenty-three years earlier, Gray and Kirsty are teenagers on a summer holiday with their parents. Their annual trip to the quaint seaside town is passing by uneventfully, until an enigmatic young man starts paying extra attention to Kirsty. Something about him makes Gray uncomfortable—and it’s not just that he’s playing the role of protective older brother.<br />
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Two decades of secrets, a missing husband, and a man with no memory are at the heart of this brilliant new novel, filled with the “beautiful writing, believable characters, pacey narrative, and dark secrets” (London Daily Mail) that make Lisa Jewell so beloved by audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.<br />
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Review:<br />
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I Found You is the second book that I have read by Lisa Jewell. Last year, I reviewed <a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/08/the-girls-in-garden-by-lisa-jewell.html" target="_blank">The Girls in the Garden</a>. Similar to her previous book, Lisa Jewell, puts an emphasis on her characters and relies on their ability to drive the story. Alice, a single mom, with three children from three different partners lives in a remote town by the sea. Her daily routine is interrupted when she comes across a stranger sitting by the water. The man appears to have forgotten who he is and what it is that has brought him to this quaint town. Alice befriends the man and attempts to help him through his amnesia, potentially putting her and he children at risk. As the two dig deeper into the man's life, they slowly unravel a secret that has been buried for almost 22 years.<br />
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I was a bit hesitant to read I Found You because I had a hard time relating to her previous work. I am glad I put my skepticism aside. I read this book cover to cover on a while on a three hour flight. Despite my flight leaving at 6am, I could not put it down! The characters were well developed and easy to relate to. Lisa Jewell takes you on a journey through two different timelines which eventually meet and unfurl the mystery that surrounds the stranger on the beach.<br />
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Fans of mystery/thriller novels will surely enjoy the twists and turns that Lisa Jewell has laid out for her readers. I Found You is a book you'll definitely want to add to your Spring reading list! I'd love to hear from any other readers who have read any of Lisa Jewell's previous novels. Are there any other that you'd recommend? Let me know in the comments!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of I Found You by Lisa Jewell from Simon & Schuster for an honest review. All opinions are my own.</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05104418125536937485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-4309071480352042432017-04-10T12:44:00.001-04:002017-04-10T12:44:36.182-04:00Giveaway: Beartown by Fredrik Backman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEm7zIQ_MKGy4gc_XEU3YUWs8m_PCFFKGtnM8VwMdHnhsqfdCj7WbgUxPDyvlG9Fl_IrECtdQjfgzcZJbeL0awjcOx11_GfAjdyNY-mOWLu-8NidNpDK7MVa3VxdhOij3A5B0F4Iux3w/s1600/beartown-9781501163104_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEm7zIQ_MKGy4gc_XEU3YUWs8m_PCFFKGtnM8VwMdHnhsqfdCj7WbgUxPDyvlG9Fl_IrECtdQjfgzcZJbeL0awjcOx11_GfAjdyNY-mOWLu-8NidNpDK7MVa3VxdhOij3A5B0F4Iux3w/s200/beartown-9781501163104_lg.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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With the Toronto Maple Leafs and other Canadian NHL team's clinching playoff spots this month, hockey fever is definitely in the air! Hockey is one of a few sports that can bring a small town, city and nation together. Beartown by Fredrik Backman is founded on this sense of community. </div>
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<i>Synopsis from <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/Beartown/Fredrik-Backman/9781501163104" target="_blank">Simon & Schuster Canada</a>:</i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">The #1 </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">New York Times</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"> bestselling author of </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">A Man Called Ove</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"> returns with a dazzling, profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true.</span></div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.</span><div style="text-align: left;">
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<b><i>Giveaway time!!</i></b> The lovely team at Simon & Schuster Canada was gracious enough to sponsor a giveaway on my blog. One lucky winner will receive a finished copy of Beartown by Fredrik Backman. Complete one or all of the raffle entries below for a chance to win!</div>
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="f4a2e2262" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f4a2e2262/" id="rcwidget_xiijvw5z" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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OrieMGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09944176225100134698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-67407462598410980142017-04-08T07:26:00.000-04:002017-04-08T07:26:38.703-04:00The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Title: The Perfect Stranger</div>
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Author: Megan Miranda (<a href="https://twitter.com/MeganLMiranda" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meganlmiranda/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4417749.Megan_Miranda" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMeganMiranda/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>)</div>
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Publisher: Simon & Schuster Canada</div>
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Release Date: April 11, 2017</div>
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Source: Paperback ARC from publisher</div>
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Pages: 352</div>
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Rating:<span style="font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: arimo; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: arimo; text-align: center;">★</span></div>
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Synopsis from the <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/The-Perfect-Stranger/Megan-Miranda/9781501166822" target="_blank">publisher</a>:<br />
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In the masterful follow-up to the runaway hit All the Missing Girls—a “fiendishly plotted thriller” (Publishers Weekly)—a journalist sets out to find a missing friend, a friend who may never have existed at all.<br />
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Confronted by a restraining order and the threat of a lawsuit, failed journalist Leah Stevens needs to get out of Boston when she runs into an old friend, Emmy Grey, who has just left a troubled relationship. Emmy proposes they move to rural Pennsylvania, where Leah can get a teaching position and both women can start again. But their new start is threatened when a woman with an eerie resemblance to Leah is assaulted by the lake, and Emmy disappears days later.<br />
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Determined to find Emmy, Leah cooperates with Kyle Donovan, a handsome young police officer on the case. As they investigate her friend’s life for clues, Leah begins to wonder: did she ever really know Emmy at all? With no friends, family, or a digital footprint, the police begin to suspect that there is no Emmy Grey. Soon Leah’s credibility is at stake, and she is forced to revisit her past: the article that ruined her career. To save herself, Leah must uncover the truth about Emmy Grey—and along the way, confront her old demons, find out who she can really trust, and clear her own name.<br />
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Everyone in this rural Pennsylvanian town has something to hide—including Leah herself. How do you uncover the truth when you are busy hiding your own?<br />
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Review:<br />
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The story jumps right into Leah's background prefacing her reason for moving from New York to a rural Pennsylvania town. You get an immediate sense that even though Leah is hiding a dark secret, she is a strong willed woman who will not back down from a fight. Her character is tested throughout the novel, but her loyalty and perseverance to find the truth behind her friend's disappearance never falters. The author takes readers down winding roads as you learn about Leah's past and the source of her passion towards finding the truth behind Emmy's disappearance. Miranda does a fabulous job with developing this character which is a huge reason for why The Perfect Stranger is so engaging.<br />
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It has been a while since I've read a book from cover to cover without coming up for air. The Perfect Stranger has a perfect blend of mystery, twists and dash of predictability (I have to be right sometimes!).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNmreCKrLBqfvVoymxqsfnP6v6A1orO6gUmM9oY2hDYcMgP62-R7HI32tdE4UZ0u6M53K_Sa9sKaN0oXX4XMQFw7UwuLwwMh6V_YjjYBnSyPrBMDce0zgUKhdpJWdS68M_d3WDYcgbQc/s1600/pefst.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNmreCKrLBqfvVoymxqsfnP6v6A1orO6gUmM9oY2hDYcMgP62-R7HI32tdE4UZ0u6M53K_Sa9sKaN0oXX4XMQFw7UwuLwwMh6V_YjjYBnSyPrBMDce0zgUKhdpJWdS68M_d3WDYcgbQc/s200/pefst.jpg" width="200" /></a>This is the first novel I've read by Megan Miranda and surely won't be my last. With the warmer weather on its way, The Perfect Stranger is the perfect book to take to the beach and get lost in the twisted and engrossing story that the author has laid out.<br />
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If you're still unsure about picking up The Perfect Stranger, you can check out an excerpt <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/The-Perfect-Stranger/Megan-Miranda/9781501166822/browse_inside" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda from Simon & Schuster for an honest review. All opinions are my own.</span><br />
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OrieMGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09944176225100134698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-35440261096472721512017-03-06T11:33:00.002-05:002017-03-06T11:35:24.113-05:00BookTube #1: Mini JG reviews Beware the Kakamora<div style="text-align: center;">
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My daughter has been asking for her own YouTube channel for quite some time. Unlike me, she loves being in front of a video camera. She turns 5 in only a few weeks and the amount of confidence this kid exudes is inspiring.</div>
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I have challenged her to come up with her own theme for her channel. Until she figures it out, she has agreed to "practice" by doing BookTube videos. Enjoy and stay tuned for more!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996829550860690429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-86496141474593820432017-02-09T00:01:00.000-05:002017-02-09T00:01:01.500-05:00Blog Tour: Kill The Father by Sandrone Dazieri<div class="x_MsoNoSpacing" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: -24px;">Let's Take a Shelfie is the fourth stop on the Simon & Schuster Blog Tour for Sandrone Dazieri's thriller, Kill the Father.</span></div>
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by Sandrone Dazieri</div>
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Publisher: Simon & Schuster Canada</div>
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Format: ARC from the publisher</div>
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Publishing Date: January 17, 2017</div>
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Rating: <span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arimo"; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">In this fascinatingly complex thriller, two people, each shattered by their past, team up to solve a series of</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">killings and abductions—unspeakable crimes that turn out to be merely the surface of something far </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">more sinister.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: -0.25in;">When a woman is beheaded in a park outside Rome and her six-year-old son goes missing, the police </span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">unit as</span></span><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: -0.25in;">signed to the case arrests the woman’s husband and awaits his confession. But the city’s Chief of </span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: -0.25in;">Major Crimes has his doubts and assigns two of Italy’s top analytical minds to the case: Deputy Captain </span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: -0.25in;">Colomba Caselli, a fierce, warrior-like detective still reeling from a horrific mass killing she survived, and </span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: -0.25in;">Dante Torre, a man who spent his childhood trapped inside a concrete silo. Fed through the gloved hand </span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: -0.25in;">of a masked kidnapper who called himself “the Father,” Dante emerged from his ordeal with crippling </span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: -0.25in;">claustrophobia but, also, with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">All evidence suggests that the Father is back at work and wants a reunion with Dante. But when Colomba </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">and Dante begin unraveling the truth, they find themselves wanted for murder. Now Dante and Colomba </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">must travel down a number of dark tunnels, both literal and figurative, as they confront the question that </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">may solve it all: what lies beneath the water in a remote Italian quarry? And what might that revelation </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">mean for ten children who have recently gone missing?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">An instant breakout novel in Italy, Kill the Father boasts a brilliantly layered plot that offers new and more </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">haunting revelations at every turn. Not since Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs has there been as </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">intriguing a pairing of hard-charging female detective and “damaged” savant, and not since Jo Nesbo has </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">there been a foreign thriller talent as promising.</span></span></div>
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Review:</div>
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First book and first review of 2017 and I sure picked a doozy! </div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">If you were following along in the last </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">couple </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">months of 2016 you would have noticed a trend, I was </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">listening to a ton of audiobooks and reading a bunch of memoirs. Fast forward to the first few weeks of </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">January where I was happily lugging around a 500 paged book everywhere I went. The cover, or maybe </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">just the title, got its share of second glances on public transit.</span></div>
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Where do I begin....</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Kill the Father by Sandrone Dazieri is the first psychological thriller I've read in at least 3-4 months and it's </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">got me hooked back into the genre. </span>It's filled with unpredictable plot twists and clues to help </div>
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the <span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">reader solve the crimes left in "the Father's" wake. Dazieri has built a setting that is almost too </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">real. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">The lead protagonists Dante and Colomba</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> are characters you won't soon forget. They are written with </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">such precision. They are so relatable that you can't help but hold your breath for them during </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">some of the more intense scenes in the book. I could feel my heart racing and body tensing up during </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">some of these moments.</span></div>
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If you pick up Kill the Father, and I recommended that you do, you'll be in for a quite a ride and you won't </div>
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be disappointed. I cannot wait for the second book in the Colomba Caselli series to be translated to </div>
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English. It's either that or I'll have to learn to read Italian.</div>
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Have you read Kill the Father? I'd love to hear your thoughts about the book in the comments. if you'd </div>
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like to learn more about what inspired Sandrone Dazieri to become a writer, check out my Q&A post with </div>
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the author <a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2017/02/QandA-with-SandroneDazieri.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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You can also check out the fantastic reviews on the blogs that are a part of this tour:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lqFmYI-RFokx9UbCz1SqVIZqDAYMTqU_QDFURSBAbqXQLnwN2PL9901VaP_yphBHkTP6tTEunN9zwdgCwFqSKMFP3AWt7VVfW7_28uz1LDi3aWn8jeYq_SOotiWDqUr2y1M4ewcfneU/s1600/BlogTour_KilltheFather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lqFmYI-RFokx9UbCz1SqVIZqDAYMTqU_QDFURSBAbqXQLnwN2PL9901VaP_yphBHkTP6tTEunN9zwdgCwFqSKMFP3AWt7VVfW7_28uz1LDi3aWn8jeYq_SOotiWDqUr2y1M4ewcfneU/s400/BlogTour_KilltheFather.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of Kill the Father by Sandrone Dazieri from Simon & Schuster for review and participation in this blog tour. All opinions are my own.</span></div>
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OrieMGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09944176225100134698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-54356633152051443212017-02-09T00:00:00.000-05:002017-02-09T00:00:05.026-05:00Blog Tour and Q&A with Sandrone Dazieri<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7i45BGPF9Tq7ntBmHPRzWQIndmvfzUJZJus0_irBzcCKKc0IsUKOO59kTYHnymIjfV2r0IUrl9BXBvtDDDYcfo0uvpwdUsgeR6g2Xlit_2DENEh4RdiB_8p-ozmPGvFDNNYpWaqfo74/s1600/BlogTour_KilltheFather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7i45BGPF9Tq7ntBmHPRzWQIndmvfzUJZJus0_irBzcCKKc0IsUKOO59kTYHnymIjfV2r0IUrl9BXBvtDDDYcfo0uvpwdUsgeR6g2Xlit_2DENEh4RdiB_8p-ozmPGvFDNNYpWaqfo74/s640/BlogTour_KilltheFather.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: black;">Q & A with the Author</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Let's Take a Shelfie is the fourth stop on the Kill the Father Blog Tour. As part of the tour, I was given the opportunity to participate in a Q&A with the book's author, Sandrone Dazieri.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black;">1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><b><span style="color: black;">What inspired you to become a writer?</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">In 1990, aged twenty-six years old and at the lowest point in my career, I was working for a pittance as a cook in a restaurant where the owner’s dogs defecated in the kitchen. My flat had no heating and I had the start of pneumonia. In the boredom of being bed-ridden I asked friends and neighbours to bring me things to read, leading me to collect a pile of dog-eared paperbacks.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">One of the books that surfaced from that pile had the picture of a typewriter on it and the name of an author I was not very familiar with: Stephen King. It was <i>Misery</i>.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">As is known, it is the story of the writer Paul Sheldon who, following a car accident, ends up prisoner of a nurse who is in love with his novels: his <i>Number One Fan</i>, as she likes to describe herself. When Annie, the name of his kidnapper, finds out that in his last novel Sheldon “kills” the heroine Misery, she forces him to destroy it and write another in which Misery lives.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I’m not going to disclose the ending, but that novel that I read on a feverish night exposed something I had within but which I could not yet give a name or shape to. I realised I too had some form of Annie inside me and that it was so terrible it had completely crushed me. I wanted to write but I was frightened of doing so because my Annie expected masterpieces and my efforts had never met those expectations. Reading Misery, I realised that I was not alone in that war of words, and a week later I quit my job. It was a long journey before I become a professional writer, but started that day. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black;">2.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><b><span style="color: black;">Kill the Father is a very dark and gruesome story, how do you mentally prepare yourself to write about such topics?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Castle, the fictional writer hero of the eponymous tv series, always tells that there is two kind of folks who think about killing people on daily bases: serial killers and crime writers… More seriously, I always write of what I fear. </span><span lang="EN">So, I can say that it is the writing that helps me survive my nightmares, not the reverse.</span><b><span style="color: black;"></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: black;">3.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><b><span style="color: black;">How does it feel to have your work translated to English and made available for a wider audience?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Well, it’s fantastic. I found a magnificent publishing house, Simon&Schuster (Scribner for USA), and a fantastic international team to help me and my job. And I hope to be invited to Canada and meet Wolverine.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">If you haven't had a chance to check out my review of Kill the Father, check it out <a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2017/02/KillTheFatherReview.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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Simon & Schuster will also be hosting a Twitter Chat with Sandrone on Wednesday, February 22 @ 10AM EST. If you've read the book, join in on the conversation and tell us what you loved! If you haven't read the book, follow along to see what all the hype is about. If the responses to my Q&A are any indication of Sandrone Dazieri's personality, we'll definitely be in for a entertaining conversation!<br />
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OrieMGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09944176225100134698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-73817529621045652042016-11-22T21:45:00.001-05:002016-11-22T21:45:25.162-05:002016: The Year of the MemoirAs I started to put away a few of my 2016 reads, I realized, that over half of the books I read were non fiction. Of those books, a majority of them were memoirs or collections of essays about the author's life. They were all filled with inspiring words, hilarious stories and some very personal sentiments. Here mini reviews of a few of my recent reads:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRHupyogk8Jrp31zAltgWrsdklxqJP8biOysRXALQd1GTMtVfYwrXQtTD-R26NRSFfyCwFLVxP6DsI7M2IBowGVEfEk0f8J7w2ajaBBW2_CFupBnRvugqB6XCqD394BaEyET0ml6SY5A/s1600/mara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRHupyogk8Jrp31zAltgWrsdklxqJP8biOysRXALQd1GTMtVfYwrXQtTD-R26NRSFfyCwFLVxP6DsI7M2IBowGVEfEk0f8J7w2ajaBBW2_CFupBnRvugqB6XCqD394BaEyET0ml6SY5A/s200/mara.jpg" width="132" /></a>Title: Where Am I Now?<br />
Author: Mara Wilson<br />
Publisher: Penguin Books<br />
Format: ARC from the publisher<br />
Publishing Date: September 13, 2016<br />
Rating: <span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: arimo; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: arimo; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: arimo; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: arimo; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><br />
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I have always wondered what happens to child actors/actresses when they grow up. I often click on articles titled "Where are they now?". When I found out that Mara Wilson was writing a book, I knew I just had to read it. I mean, have you read her <a href="https://twitter.com/marawilson" target="_blank">Twitter</a> account? From her tweets alone you can tell she is a free spirited, confident and outspoken woman. Much like the character she plans in one of her movies, Matilda.<br />
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Mara Wilson's book dives deep into the life of a former child actress who, as most of them do, fell out of the "cute" phase and eventually could no longer find work in Hollywood. Her collection of essays is a mash up of stories that at times, can make you laugh uncontrollably and others that make you shed a tear. Mara's book is an easy read that gives you a look into what it's like to grow up as a young child, having all the same problems as most, with the added pressure of being a star. Definitely a recommended book for fans of Mara's movies or those looking for a light read.<br />
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<i style="font-size: small;">Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of Where Am I Now from Penguin Random House Canada for review purposes. Opinions are my own.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfoBpd9cYac74o9ytZ3csvN4jjEwDxJSgALmCipP7eIJP_Jf9L4fQYsR6W1s2ChORM5blteqZuNhmta40UA9I_ZYwSJ1C0U72FVec_1spa8z0cYoRhxDJYLjExkGKLehwP0DhiclT4qpl/s1600/AK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfoBpd9cYac74o9ytZ3csvN4jjEwDxJSgALmCipP7eIJP_Jf9L4fQYsR6W1s2ChORM5blteqZuNhmta40UA9I_ZYwSJ1C0U72FVec_1spa8z0cYoRhxDJYLjExkGKLehwP0DhiclT4qpl/s200/AK.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
Title: Scrappy Little Nobody<br />
Author/Narrator: Anna Kendrick<br />
Publisher: Touchstone<br />
Format: Audiobook<br />
Publishing Date: November 15, 2016<br />
Rating: <span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: arimo; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: arimo; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: arimo; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: arimo; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: arimo; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><br />
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I was first introduced to Anna Kendrick in the film Up in the Air. When I saw Pitch Perfect, I became a fan. Anna Kendrick's collection of essays is her way of "letting the crazy out". We get a behind the scenes look behind her broadway debut, her experiences on the set of the Twilight films and just how quirky, cool and composed she really is.<br />
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For anyone interested in reading this book and hasn't yet purchased it, I highly recommend the Audiobook. I've said this before, but listening to an audiobook that is written and narrated by the author really gives it that extra bit of enjoyment. The changes in their tone and spurts of sarcasm don't stand out as much on paper as they do when it's being read to you. Regardless of the format, fans of Anna Kendrick will definitely enjoy this whimsical series of essays that takes a look into her road to stardom.</div>
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Title: Born A Crime<br />
Author: Trevor Noah<br />
Publisher: Penguin Books<br />
Publishing Date: November 15, 2016<br />
Format: ARC from the publisher<br />
Rating: <span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: arimo; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: arimo; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: arimo; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: arimo; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: arimo; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><br />
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I have to admit, other than knowing that Trevor Noah hosts the Daily Show, I didn't know much else about him. My husband is actually the one who told me I HAD to get this book. When Penguin Random House Canada offered to send a review copy I jumped at the chance and I'm SO glad I did.<br />
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The book begins with some background on the laws of Apartheid and brings light to the author's title choice. During the years of apartheid, sexual relations between a white man and black woman was illegal, making their children a crime.<br />
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Trevor Noah's story is nothing that I've read before. His life journey from being raised by his mother in secret, to overcoming hardships presented by his skin colour was eyeopening. Born A Crime serves two purposes. It's partially a history lesson in what it was like growing up in South Africa during these times and the difficulties it's people endured in the years after apartheid was abolished.<br />
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As expected, this book had more than its share of laugh out loud moments. But, what I appreciated most was his openness to share about his upbringing and how it was affected by blatant racism. What I found most inspiring was how he and his mother approached and endured torment from both black and white people. Both of them had learned how to be a chameleon among them.<br />
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Hands down one of the best books I've read and one that I woudn't hesitate to pick up and read again.<br />
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<i style="font-size: small;">Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of Born A Crime from Penguin Random House Canada for review purposes. Opinions are my own.</i><br />
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<b>My next read...</b><br />
The next memoir I have on my to be read list is <b>The Elephants in My Backyard: A Memoir</b><br />
<b>by Rajiv Surendra</b>. Rajiv is was born and raised in Toronto. Once an actor with a dream, that was never fulfilled. This memoir is filled with joy, heartache and a desire to overcome the pain.<br />
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<b>My past reads...</b><br />
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If you're looking for some other recommendations of memoirs to read, here are a few others that I've reviewed and really enjoyed this year:</div>
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<a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/04/lifefromscratch.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODEbPhNs6n33Wzxi19fFfixJTOPdhUAhJCXdTXSDR5SewRIxBaMi-CXlpd1tFXIJ17gG8mX2GgInewkSxqNtZGtGLKPwY1GA1qapKdair33Sp_6SFa_k4JMBEdtN5MxDuKyehdliB1SwU/s200/LIfeFromScratch.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/10/alone-against-north-expedition-into.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBrVhyphenhyphenC8O_QtD8A3Z_FYLp8J4BocpM7eUem8VGfEaePBfUoX5C10TAdbO2Ku9YPvnWOGiznP9ThRkRCwvP8bIvXHQ6WAPUWBmE71xvdrqzsiiTaNld-g953XxlmIs9l5FP-waosFf6pPC/s200/AlongAgainstTheNorth.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2015/05/my-fight-your-fight-by-ronda-rousey.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVNLjhc9TFw9S4_EJsCl4KKPJms-xCMWflmSYUr3QOnKG8IZ4i8ZXzkH1sjgTiJX2cDwoQqvoWy6y5fwxOZTsvp-acu1c-FcVVhAeFFkaqgDLf3RyHiJ3p3wlpywY68m9lwoQSnwD2gk/s200/ronda.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/10/the-girl-with-lower-back-tattoo-by-amy.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqN3r-g1Zg3Pul5AzuFYj5e67T0TiZankQohSV7_D2txqjyIXDqXh9hOJf0ZcSUvStf6JrEPpT61xwjkbf6LA-1DZuNfj4bXjr9wU4SnV_gs4-F8grYXGJ4aCyhF6bNvRpNWWsK5bT6EQJ/s200/lowerback.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/02/the-reason-you-walk-by-wab-kinew.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZTQbT7uRJ_VTqwVwDV5_amWfWHDMXr2HNS8lMsObhfKvQVdXYSbZ79KJNOs-x4JpfMH0qwwnOYJTM3S9MiOUoF29gJ7RkNlws0dVymyb6_wXOKUuzz0D5zWP_BQJTVXFCAztoCNw4JQ/s200/wab.jpg" width="133" /></a><span id="goog_420253998"></span><span id="goog_420253999"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div>
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Have you read any interesting or inspiring memoirs recently? Leave me your recommendation in the comments below.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996829550860690429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-86879511487663946382016-11-15T07:54:00.000-05:002016-11-15T07:54:48.698-05:00My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0Et1DFqcs-_ruSufGed6qWO4QRLoZs5VgUvm09Tn6vOVSeuvdpJvuY1ujuUCGUq40RP6ePHJn_bFOe38cAVgTseWS9WuffgEHfM64TbJAONmmUJCUXSEpFiQr5ktD3Z9stbgjJhd-Wc/s1600/bfe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0Et1DFqcs-_ruSufGed6qWO4QRLoZs5VgUvm09Tn6vOVSeuvdpJvuY1ujuUCGUq40RP6ePHJn_bFOe38cAVgTseWS9WuffgEHfM64TbJAONmmUJCUXSEpFiQr5ktD3Z9stbgjJhd-Wc/s200/bfe.jpg" width="200" /></a>Title: My Best Friend's Exorcism</div>
Author: Grady Hendrix<br />
Format: Audiobook<br />
Source: Purchased<br />
Narrator: Emily Woo Zeller<br />
Publisher: Blackstone Audio<br />
Publishing Date: May 17, 2016<br />
Book Rating:<span style="font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><br />
Narrator Rating: <span style="font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><br />
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Synopsis from <a href="http://www.downpour.com/catalog/product/view/id/222647/" target="_blank">Downpour</a> :<br />
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A heartwarming story of friendship and demonic possession<br />
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The year is 1988. High school sophomores Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since the fourth grade. But after an evening of skinny dipping goes disastrously wrong, Gretchen begins to act … different. She’s moody. She’s irritable. And bizarre incidents keep happening whenever she’s nearby.<br />
Abby’s investigation leads her to some startling discoveries—and by the time their story reaches its terrifying conclusion, the fate of Abby and Gretchen will be determined by a single question: Is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?<br />
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Like an unholy hybrid of Beaches and The Exorcist, My Best Friend’s Exorcism blends teen angst, adolescent drama, unspeakable horrors, and a mix of 80s pop songs into a pulse-pounding supernatural thriller.<br />
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Review:<br />
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My Best Friend's Exorcism takes readers on a nostalgic trip through the 80's where crimped hair, E.T. and Phil Collins were all the rage. The book incorporates high school drama (a lot of high school drama), bits of horror and one hilarious exorcism into one gory (kind of, not really) package.<br />
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Most of the characters were well written. Each had their own quirks, but nothing too extreme (exorcism aside). I was able to relate to them which made them believable. The only two which really got to me were Gretchen's parents. They really got under my skin. It was hard to believe that both parents would be THAT blind to their child's condition. As for the story, it flowed well and had its fair number of twists and turns. What would have made this a 5 Star would be for a slight change in the ending, it was a bit too predictable for my liking.<br />
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My Best Friend's Exorcism is a great read to get you in the mood for Halloween (yes, I'm 2 weeks late..). For even more fun, I'd recommend downloading the audiobook. Emily Woo Zeller does a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. However, I do think a second narrator, especially during the exorcism, would've added more depth to the scenes and provided some extra scare factor.<br />
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My warning for potential readers: after reading My Best Friend's Exorcism, you'll never be able to listen to the Go-Go's We Got the Beat without thinking of demonic possessions. If you're OK with that, then this book is for you!<br />
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And if you're still not sold... check out an except of the book courtesy of Quirk Books below
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<a href="https://www.scribd.com/doc/304704789/Excerpt-of-My-Best-Friend-s-Exorcism#from_embed" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Excerpt of My Best Friend's Exorcism on Scribd">Excerpt of My Best Friend's Exorcism</a> by <a href="https://www.scribd.com/publisher/19312971/Quirk-Books#from_embed" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Quirk Books's profile on Scribd">Quirk Books</a> on Scribd</div>
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<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.7729220222793488" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="800" id="doc_57110" scrolling="no" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/304704789/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-iSBYvUOSVrfJiYE5922F&show_recommendations=true" width="600"></iframe></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996829550860690429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-71002566557933374972016-11-15T00:00:00.000-05:002016-11-15T00:00:13.582-05:00Top Ten Tuesday #11: My favourite Disney Movies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week's Top Ten Tuesday was a movie freebie. I have always been a huge fan of Disney from their characters to their amusement parks. This week, I wanted to focus on my ten favourite animated Disney movies. Whether it was watching it in the theatre with my parents as a child or watching them with my own kids at home with a bowl of popcorn, these movies are a part of many of my cherished memories.<br />
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#10 Inside Out: The newest movie on my list. I really enjoyed this movie. After watching it a few times (this happens when you have kids), it really made me realized how intelligent the writing is and really gives viewers food for thought. It speaks to mental illness and how people handle their emotions. Pretty deep stuff for a kid's movie.</div>
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#9 Up - This movie makes you laugh, it makes you cry and it makes you stop to appreciate what you've got. Even though he wasn't featured much, Doug the dog was my favourite character.</div>
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#8 Pochahontas - I think it's more the soundtrack than the movie, that puts this in my top ten. Regardless, my kids and I still watch it at least a few times a year.</div>
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#7 Lady & The Tramp: This scene right here... you've all tried it! My parents and I used to snuggle in our living room right before Christmas every year to watch this movie. I always secretly hoped they would one day give me a dog after watch it... It never happened. Lucky for me, I convinced my husband to get a dog a couple decades later.</div>
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#6 Toy Story - Who doesn't love Buzz & Woody? These characters are so memorable and incredibly hilarious. I can watch any movie in this series and be totally content.</div>
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#5 Wreck It Ralph - I was born in the 80's and I love video games. This movie was made for me.</div>
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#4: Finding Nemo - I love aquariums. I can spend hours in one walking around and taking in all the different kinds of marine life. No surprise that finding Nemo found a way to my heart.</div>
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#3: Brave - Merida is my daughter's favourite Princess. She watched this movie everyday for almost 6 months and I did not mind. Merida is a strong character who never plays the damsel in distress. I'm happy that my young one found a role model in her.</div>
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#2: Cinderella - This movie reminds me of Sunday mornings with my mom. Every week we would pop this video in to our VHS player and it would play as <strike>we</strike> my mom did our household chores. </div>
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#1: The Little Mermaid - Maybe it was because Ariel's name so closely resembles my own, or maybe it's because I think I'm part fish, but, the Little Mermaid goes down as my all time favourite Disney movie.</div>
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What are your favourite Disney movies? Did any of your cherished movies make my list? Let me know in the comments below.</div>
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Top Ten Tuesday is an original bookish meme created by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>. For the list of future top ten topics or details on how to participate, click <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/p/top-ten-tuesday-other-features.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05104418125536937485noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-1880560967589378082016-11-13T07:11:00.000-05:002016-11-13T07:11:08.305-05:002016 Penguin Random House Canada Reading Bingo: November Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It has been a while since I've done one of these updates... </div>
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At the beginning of the year, I decided to participate in Penguin Random House Canada's Reading Bingo challenge. I have to admit, I haven't read as many books this year as I would have liked. But, with the books I have read, I've managed to get through a diverse set of genres and authors. </div>
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So far, I've managed to cross of 17 squares, which is already an improvement over last year's 16.</div>
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I'm not quite sure I'll get through many more by the end of the year, but who knows...</div>
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Links to my reviews of the books listed are below. </div>
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If you're participating in this or any other Reading Bingo challenge, feel free to leave the link to your post and I'll be happy to check it out!</div>
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<b>A Book Written by a Female Author</b>: <a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/01/the-life-changing-magic-of-tidying-up.html" target="_blank">The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up</a> by Marie Kondō</div>
<b>A Book Set Outside of Canada</b>: <a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/02/arc-review-widow-by-fiona-barton.html" target="_blank">The Widow</a> by Fiona Barton<br />
<b>A Book With a Blue Spine</b>: <a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/01/the-productivity-project-by-chris-bailey.html" target="_blank">The Productivity Project</a> by Chris Bailey<br />
<b>A Book Set in Canada</b>: <a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/02/the-reason-you-walk-by-wab-kinew.html" target="_blank">The Reason You Walk</a> by Wab Kinew<br />
<b>A Bestseller</b>: <a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/02/year-of-yes-by-shonda-rhimes.html" target="_blank">Year of Yes</a> by Shonda Rhimes<br />
<b>A Book With A Female Protagonist</b>: <a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/02/everything-everything-by-nicola-yoon.html%20Done" target="_blank">Everything Everything</a> by Nicola Yoon<br />
<b>An Award Winning Novel</b> (<i>Quebec Writers' Federation Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize Winners, 2013)</i>: <a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/02/bone-bread-by-saleema-nawaz.html" target="_blank">Bone & Bread</a> by Saleema Nawaz<br />
<b>A Book That Takes Place Before You Were Born: </b><a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/03/the-high-mountains-of-portugal-by-yann.html" target="_blank">The High Mountains of Portugal</a> by Yann Martel<br />
<b>A Book Written by a Person of Colour: </b><a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/02/the-illegal-by-lawrence-hill.html" target="_blank">The Illegal</a> by Lawrence Hill<br />
<b>A Book With an Illustrated Cover: </b><a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/03/birdie-by-tracey-lindberg.html" target="_blank">Birdie</a> by Tracey Lindberg<br />
<b>A Book with a Character Who has a Disability: </b><a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/03/mad-miss-mimic-by-sarah-henstra.html" target="_blank">Mad Miss Mimic</a> by Sarah Henstra<br />
<b>A Book You Find in #WeNeedDiverseBooks: </b><a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/03/the-heros-walk-by-anita-rau-badami.html">The Hero's Walk</a> by Anita Rao Badami<br />
<b>A Book Based on a True Story: </b><a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/11/wenjack-by-joseph-boyden.html">Wenjack</a> by Joseph Boyden<br />
<b>A Graphic Novel or Comic Book: </b>Secret Path by Gord Downie and Jeff Lemire<br />
<b>A Book Recommended by a Family Member: </b>Batman: Earth One By Geoff Johns<br />
<b>A Book in a Genre You've Never Read Before: </b><a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/10/me-before-you-by-jojo-moyes.html">Me Before You</a> by Jojo MoyesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05104418125536937485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-6518553674587194572016-11-11T09:51:00.003-05:002016-11-11T10:01:19.647-05:00Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History by Sam Maggs<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6iwfnt-7Wsh3v2oZZGH_vSywbU-8H5_5KylFMnUqdOFhye4KU77Ko4lBB8aith71cDeZy-iIlNC4aRoBgjKOqUsJHh0v_2mD2jwi159anSNch-eXr_O1v2LKqhzgWGpoUDqyvoDmaLSR/s1600/28503941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6iwfnt-7Wsh3v2oZZGH_vSywbU-8H5_5KylFMnUqdOFhye4KU77Ko4lBB8aith71cDeZy-iIlNC4aRoBgjKOqUsJHh0v_2mD2jwi159anSNch-eXr_O1v2LKqhzgWGpoUDqyvoDmaLSR/s200/28503941.jpg" width="132" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Title: Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Author: Sam Maggs</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Publisher: Quirk Books </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Format: Hardcover</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Source: Netgalley eBook / Purchased Hardcover</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Publishing Date: October 4, 2016</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Number of Pages: 240</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Rating: </span><span style="font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><br />
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Synopsis from the <a href="http://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/539897/wonder-women#9781524735470" target="_blank">publisher</a>:</div>
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A fun and feminist look at forgotten women in science, technology, and beyond, from the bestselling author of THE FANGIRL'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY</div>
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You may think you know women’s history pretty well. But have you ever heard of. . .</div>
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<li>Alice Ball, the chemist who developed an effective treatment for leprosy—only to have the credit taken by a man?</li>
<li>Mary Sherman Morgan, the rocket scientist whose liquid fuel compounds blasted the first U.S. satellite into orbit?</li>
<li>Huang Daopo, the inventor whose weaving technology revolutionized textile production in China—centuries before the cotton gin?</li>
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Smart women have always been able to achieve amazing things, even when the odds were stacked against them. In Wonder Women, author Sam Maggs tells the stories of the brilliant, brainy, and totally rad women in history who broke barriers as scientists, engineers, mathematicians, adventurers, and inventors. Plus, interviews with real-life women in STEM careers, an extensive bibliography, and a guide to women-centric science and technology organizations—all to show the many ways the geeky girls of today can help to build the future.</div>
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Review</div>
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Sam Maggs has been one of my favourite Canadian bookish people since I read her book The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy: A Handbook for Girl Geeks. I fell in love with the book because it talked about all the nerdy things I secretly (and sometimes not so secretly love). You can check out my review for that book <a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2015/02/the-fangirls-guide-to-galaxy-by-sam.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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Wonder Women<span style="font-size: 13.2px;"> gives readers a glimpse into the lives of some really kick-ass women who have each made a huge imprint on the world. I began reading this book slightly embarrassed, of the women mentioned, I had only heard of a couple. I guess, that was Sam's point! The contribution of women in the areas focused on in this book: Science, Technology, Espionage, Medicine, Innovation and Adventure have been down played (or non existent) in the history books taught in schools. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.2px;">Have you ever heard of Wang Zhenyi? She was a Chinese Astronomer, Mathematician, and poet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><i>Though she lived to only twenty-nine years old, she achieved over 300,000% of an average human's scientific accomplishments and left the world a better and smarter place, all whie advancing the position of women in eighteenth-century China" p18</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: 13.2px;">The pages are filled with detailed accounts of women defying their boundaries to make a difference in the world. Each biography provides spurts of inspiration to readers regardless of gender. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.2px;">Sam Maggs also brings light to current day women excelling in their fields through Q&A's at the end of each chapter. Working with in the digital space and being a daily user of Slack, her interview with Erica Baker appealed to me the most. Readers should also take note of the Appendix which lists different websites and organizations which can help inspire readers to becoming Wonder Women.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.2px;">Wonder Women is a MUST read. The names of the women in her book may not sound familiar, but their accomplishments and innovations likely will. We should not let their contributions go unnoticed any longer. </span></div>
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For those who have read it, I'd love to hear about which woman/women inspired you the most.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>I received an advanced digital galley of Wonder Women by Sam Maggs from the publisher. Opinions are my own.</i></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05104418125536937485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-46318906100330775682016-11-09T00:00:00.001-05:002016-11-09T00:00:03.316-05:00Waiting on Wednesday #5: Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmeaky0KB-5l1z9l5P4Y9CG641jyTLANEQPDNzhXlJqrep5fYBqhgrTfTPrAqlqpveec6fD-zMqnGBrCMj773Oh3uq-hHcV9wueULRrhwnFYS1ig-cI3ifmU5_KFY-ZAIg1yXWCIswNctt/s1600/WoW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmeaky0KB-5l1z9l5P4Y9CG641jyTLANEQPDNzhXlJqrep5fYBqhgrTfTPrAqlqpveec6fD-zMqnGBrCMj773Oh3uq-hHcV9wueULRrhwnFYS1ig-cI3ifmU5_KFY-ZAIg1yXWCIswNctt/s1600/WoW.jpg" /></a></div>
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"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a> that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. If you want to join in the fun, g<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">rab the logo, post your own WoW entry on your blog, and join the conversation!</span><br />
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1469410391l/29868610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Scrappy Little Nobody" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1469410391l/29868610.jpg" width="130" /></a>This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is <b>Scrappy Little Nobody</b> by<br />
Anna Kendrick<br />
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Publisher: Touchstone<br />
Pages: 304<br />
Publication Date: November 15, 2016 (Canada)<br />
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Synopsis from <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29868610-scrappy-little-nobody" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>:<br />
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A collection of humorous autobiographical essays by the Academy Award-nominated actress and star of Up in the Air and Pitch Perfect.<br />
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“I’m excited to publish my first book, and because I get uncomfortable when people have high expectations, I'd like to use this opportunity to showcase my ineptitude, pettiness, and the frequency with which I embarrass myself. And while many of my female inspirations who have become authors are incredibly well-educated and accomplished comedy writers, I'm very, very funny on Twitter, according to Buzzfeed and my mom, so I feel like this is a great idea. Quick question: are run-on sentences still frowned upon? Wait, is ending a sentence with a preposition still frowned upon? I mean, upon frowned? Dammit!” —Anna Kendrick<br />
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Anna Kendrick’s autobiographical collection of essays amusingly recounts memorable moments throughout her life, from her middle class upbringing in New England to the blockbuster movies that have made her one of Hollywood’s most popular actresses today. Expanding upon the witty and ironic dispatches for which she is known, Anna Kendrick’s essays offer her one-of-a-kind commentary on the absurdities she’s experienced on her way to and from the heart of pop culture.<br />
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<b>Thoughts:</b><br />
I've been waiting to read this book since I found out about it's release late last year. Anna Kendrick just seems like a really down to earth celebrity. I've been a fan of her movies and have both Pitch Perfect movies on a rotating loop at my house. My audiobook pre-order is already in and I can't wait to dive into this book on November 15.<br />
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What are you waiting on this week?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05104418125536937485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-75025831954947330252016-11-08T23:08:00.001-05:002016-11-08T23:08:11.407-05:00Wenjack by Joseph Boyden<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwT_AGjvR1zAo5XnNMzODK5Qe2kcKbXAuS8Q49SDyYo25PAbs9RRyPBMt9pvVjpJAhHQE9rJ03V258-wtiBTucK6PZBwpJLwaJBJw_rUhnmDzqPd0BJrpIBjLG9Fsule247-bRKQpL3w/s1600/wenjack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwT_AGjvR1zAo5XnNMzODK5Qe2kcKbXAuS8Q49SDyYo25PAbs9RRyPBMt9pvVjpJAhHQE9rJ03V258-wtiBTucK6PZBwpJLwaJBJw_rUhnmDzqPd0BJrpIBjLG9Fsule247-bRKQpL3w/s200/wenjack.jpg" width="140" /></a>Title: Wenjack</div>
Author: Joseph Boyden<br />
Format: Trade Paperback<br />
Source: Purchased<br />
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton<br />
Publishing Date: October 18, 2016<br />
Rating:<span style="font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><br />
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Synopsis from the publisher's <a href="http://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/549816/wenjack#9780735233386" target="_blank">website</a>:<br />
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An Ojibwe boy runs away from a North Ontario Indian School, not realizing just how far away home is. Along the way he's followed by Manitous, spirits of the forest who comment on his plight, cajoling, taunting, and ultimately offering him a type of comfort on his difficult journey back to the place he was so brutally removed from.<br />
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Written by Scotiabank Giller Prize–winning author Joseph Boyden and beautifully illustrated by acclaimed artist Ken Monkman, Wenjack is a powerful and poignant look into the world of a residential school runaway trying to find his way home.<br />
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Review<br />
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Like many Indigenous children, Chanie was plucked from his home and forced into a residential school. These schools had a single objective: influence the children to forget their heritage and assimilate into the dominant culture.<br />
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<i>"I'm learning my English, me. But I won't lose my tongue." </i>p2</div>
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Chanie and two of his friends mustered up the courage to run away from their school to escape the daily abuse and mistreatment. They retreated into the woods. Chanie eventually finds himself stranded and alone. Despite his strong will to see his family again, he was in no way prepared for the harsh Canadian winter.</div>
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Every Canadian should have the opportunity to read Wenjack. Chanie's story is heartbreaking and in no way a happy one, but it is extremely important. Canadians should be cognizant of our country's dark past and better understand years of struggles that our Indigenous people have suffered. Our country must now continue along the path of reconciliation for years of injustice.</div>
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<i>"It will take many more years before the intergenerational trauma left in the wake of the grotesque social experiment begins to abate. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission worked timelessly for many years to uncover the truth - and now the tougher part, the reconciliation, begins." </i>p102</blockquote>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996829550860690429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-61102040008713770132016-11-08T00:00:00.000-05:002016-11-08T00:00:08.740-05:00Top 10 Tuesday #10: Ten Books I've Added To My To-Be-Read List Lately <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34M9PAbI_JzpXJBSJNXTcf3sszSk3CnA-isWe0N_wZFK_afg3WR21Ce9pzEeD_-tjz3vrvmERKGzn2tTY4-MUMhGoOXDzD2UmVBbevM_LCvtnLv6gcY5T13CILDcB3xOGeoefRQqC9aW6/s1600/Share+from+Pixlr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34M9PAbI_JzpXJBSJNXTcf3sszSk3CnA-isWe0N_wZFK_afg3WR21Ce9pzEeD_-tjz3vrvmERKGzn2tTY4-MUMhGoOXDzD2UmVBbevM_LCvtnLv6gcY5T13CILDcB3xOGeoefRQqC9aW6/s320/Share+from+Pixlr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This week's Top Ten Tuesday focuses on books that I've recently added to my TBR list.</div>
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I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and read over the past couple months, which is just another way of saying my TBR list as pretty much doubled since the spring. Here are ten titles that I've recently added to constantly evolving list.</div>
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The first six on the list are the books on the 2016 Giller Prize short list. In previous years, I've read the books in advance of the award night (which happened to be yesterday) and follow along on Twitter for the results. Unfortunately, this year, I didn't get through a single title.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Source: http://www.scotiabankgillerprize.ca/</td></tr>
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#10: 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad</div>
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#9: Yiddish for Pirates by Gary Barwin</div>
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#8: The Wonder by Emma Donoghue</div>
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#7: The Party Wall by Catherine Leroux, Lazer Lederhendler (translator)</div>
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#6: Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeline Thien</div>
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#5: The Bad Kind of People by Zoe Whittall</div>
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<br />Audiobooks are still working well for me. I can multitask and enjoy a good read. Lately, I've been going with memoirs/autobiographies that are narrated by the author themselves. I find them to be more captivating because you can hear their changes in tone as they go from a happy story to a heartbreaking one. Also, it adds a sense of intimacy because it feels as though the author is speaking directly to you. The two audiobooks I have lined up are:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCumtah7O1rzsskly6_GKmV_cmbH2Qqoi39pou5FhODK7he8OLrXdqb2MkP6Way_GDc41XZ6BCj994asowvutbBzIbdvbBlhs2QiA_4VfXKeoiwDzfcNLTtpFSp3-ywRm3acNuJh2UZN8U/s1600/JC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCumtah7O1rzsskly6_GKmV_cmbH2Qqoi39pou5FhODK7he8OLrXdqb2MkP6Way_GDc41XZ6BCj994asowvutbBzIbdvbBlhs2QiA_4VfXKeoiwDzfcNLTtpFSp3-ywRm3acNuJh2UZN8U/s200/JC.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJb8t046IYuIsa78cHFVQ1PJDnm302nCXuFFMh64xi3swVQG6HNAhmh-TQsA4XgVnXCDo_jKzhacHd1GxMbElW1CJp2NvsFYSKp-0njRVvuYulk2dypdVD-JqnYUTm_J0ISZxXGwVB_uFi/s1600/AK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJb8t046IYuIsa78cHFVQ1PJDnm302nCXuFFMh64xi3swVQG6HNAhmh-TQsA4XgVnXCDo_jKzhacHd1GxMbElW1CJp2NvsFYSKp-0njRVvuYulk2dypdVD-JqnYUTm_J0ISZxXGwVB_uFi/s200/AK.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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#4: May I Have Your Attention, Please? by James Corden</div>
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#3: Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick</div>
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Keeping on the memoir theme, the final two books I've added to my list are written by Canadian authors. Funny enough, my earliest memories of both of these men have them dressed in hockey jerseys and were both named Wayne.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSgwe-63VRR2RkSVCTJSHMDcp7UWUWjUFQVIqN5Axb8GKP98y238lyfgniX6w0gTq8xUZTzJeIsK00sM0uSw5BGpYje-IOVwG_gZt3dLU8RGc9OueZyoV-kIUerazNBkpyMc_sIgJMI1Z/s1600/myers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSgwe-63VRR2RkSVCTJSHMDcp7UWUWjUFQVIqN5Axb8GKP98y238lyfgniX6w0gTq8xUZTzJeIsK00sM0uSw5BGpYje-IOVwG_gZt3dLU8RGc9OueZyoV-kIUerazNBkpyMc_sIgJMI1Z/s200/myers.jpg" width="155" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Ho2Pif4sbU2TQKl4g3OdlrCePBXbNzeCJfDIqBev9qE3uPPV72Ry6pHTWk-AHegjJo2DB8KSxCSZid9nRanIkG5SMuTJvG9lGIjNiqxFpdU_aMmrqqOgug4larC4BGvP8ZEnpZRcY8Qo/s1600/wayne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Ho2Pif4sbU2TQKl4g3OdlrCePBXbNzeCJfDIqBev9qE3uPPV72Ry6pHTWk-AHegjJo2DB8KSxCSZid9nRanIkG5SMuTJvG9lGIjNiqxFpdU_aMmrqqOgug4larC4BGvP8ZEnpZRcY8Qo/s200/wayne.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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#2: Canada by Mike Myers</div>
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#1: 99: Stories of the Game by Wayne Gretzky</div>
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Really curious to find out what everyone else has added to their TBR recently. Leave a link to your #TTT below and I'll come check it out!</div>
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Top Ten Tuesday is an original bookish meme created by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>. For the list of future top ten topics or details on how to participate, click <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/p/top-ten-tuesday-other-features.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05104418125536937485noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-31298345337092958502016-10-23T00:00:00.000-04:002016-10-23T00:00:21.224-04:00The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dw8ZjA0LuGcS7AYekaa9vF_NBN6PXN4jZVg41i-XqKVlEQ917Ry2ltHbVGWLu-Gfed9w25JQrVeF4Gh-0pXkej4rlmWEV6DIzLHvrKgSWik8I8AShfju0oVpmEqb65hCAoN_sFGloCwU/s1600/lowerback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dw8ZjA0LuGcS7AYekaa9vF_NBN6PXN4jZVg41i-XqKVlEQ917Ry2ltHbVGWLu-Gfed9w25JQrVeF4Gh-0pXkej4rlmWEV6DIzLHvrKgSWik8I8AShfju0oVpmEqb65hCAoN_sFGloCwU/s200/lowerback.jpg" width="200" /></a>Title: Me Before You</div>
Author: Amy Schumer<br />
Format: Audiobook Download<br />
Source: Purchased<br />
Narrator: Amy Schumer<br />
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio<br />
Publishing Date: August 16, 2016<br />
Book Rating:<span style="font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><br />
Narrator Rating: <span style="font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><br />
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Synopsis from the publisher's <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/The-Girl-with-the-Lower-Back-Tattoo/Amy-Schumer/9781501139888" target="_blank">website</a>:<br />
The Emmy Award-winning comedian, actress, writer, and star of Inside Amy Schumer and the acclaimed film Trainwreck has taken the entertainment world by storm with her winning blend of smart, satirical humor. Now, Amy Schumer has written a refreshingly candid and uproariously funny collection of (extremely) personal and observational essays.<br />
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In The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy mines her past for stories about her teenage years, her family, relationships, and sex and shares the experiences that have shaped who she is—a woman with the courage to bare her soul to stand up for what she believes in, all while making us laugh.<br />
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Ranging from the raucous to the romantic, the heartfelt to the harrowing, this highly entertaining and universally appealing collection is the literary equivalent of a night out with your best friend—an unforgettable and fun adventure that you wish could last forever. Whether she’s experiencing lust-at-first-sight while in the airport security line, sharing her own views on love and marriage, admitting to being an introvert, or discovering her cross-fit instructor’s secret bad habit, Amy Schumer proves to be a bighearted, brave, and thoughtful storyteller that will leave you nodding your head in recognition, laughing out loud, and sobbing uncontrollably—but only because it’s over.<br />
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Review:<br />
I've been on an audiobook binge since the end of July. After listening to Me Before You and After You by Jojo Moyes, I was hoping for a lighter read. It was late Monday evening and I was going through my Twitter feed when I realized Amy Schumer's book was being released at midnight. I purchased the audiobook and downloaded it an hour later. At 3am, I was a few chapters in and hooked on her story.<br />
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I was never an Amy Schumer mega fan. In fact, I didn't know who she was until my husband told me I HAD to watch the movie Trainwreck. I enjoyed the movie and started to dabble in a few of her shows. What I took away from those shows was that Amy was not only hilarious, but she was also very confident and had a few hidden stories. Those hidden stories were aired out in the pages of this book.<br />
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Amy is very transparent in this extremely personal memoir. She reminisces about her rise to fame and tells readers intimate details of her past relationships. Readers/Listeners are also reminded that although Amy is a celebrity and is, now, often in the spotlight, she is an introvert. Someone who enjoys retreating to a quiet place for some alone time.<br />
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<i>"If you’re a true introvert, other people are basically energy vampires. You don’t hate them; you just have to be strategic about when you expose yourself to them—like the sun"</i></blockquote>
Amy's life was not always one filled with glamour. Her upbringing taught her to appreciate what she had and never stopped reminding her that she had to work hard to succeed. Throughout the book she gives her readers boots of confidence.<br />
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<i>"Love yourself! You don’t need a man or a boy or a self-proclaimed love expert to tell you what you’re worth. Your power comes from who you are and what you do! You don't need all that noise, that constant hum in the background telling you whether or not you're good enough. All you need is you, your friends, and your family. And you will find the right person for you, if that's what you want - the one who respects your strength and beauty."</i></blockquote>
I would recommend this book to fans of Amy Schumer and to those who enjoy inspiring memoirs - though this one may be a bit more crude that you're used to. I would also recommend the audiobook over the physical/eBook. This is mostly due to the fact that Amy herself narrates it. It makes the book and its lessons so much more impactful. You can hear the changes in her tone as she recalls the events of her past. So, if you're looking for a new read, or just want to catch up on some celebrity biographies, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer should definitely be your next choice!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05104418125536937485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877580165027475665.post-3443193769584125622016-10-21T00:00:00.001-04:002016-10-21T00:00:19.922-04:00After You by Jojo Moyes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomaCA5mmjs-0cUp6HCCYq4tihEXEhmqOyK74ZMQCrRzdtjqclq3vZlx4InBJtI8JgPEuaRnVSTKHPBF_5Zo5cNPpsFkTfVZRvZRw9VvEHZVUBRBhYKBmOy69GDmVTMMmnb3D1jtd83aPs/s1600/After+you.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomaCA5mmjs-0cUp6HCCYq4tihEXEhmqOyK74ZMQCrRzdtjqclq3vZlx4InBJtI8JgPEuaRnVSTKHPBF_5Zo5cNPpsFkTfVZRvZRw9VvEHZVUBRBhYKBmOy69GDmVTMMmnb3D1jtd83aPs/s200/After+you.jpeg" width="173" /></a></div>
Title: After You<br />
Author: Jojo Moyes<br />
Format: Audiobook Download<br />
Source: Purchased<br />
Narrators: Anna Acton<br />
Publisher:Penguin Audio<br />
Book Rating:<span style="font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><br />
Narrator Rating: <span style="font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; font-family: "arimo"; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">★</span><br />
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Synopsis from publisher's <a href="http://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/315859/after-you#9780698411418" target="_blank">website</a>:<br />
How do you move on after losing the person you loved? How do you build a life worth living?<br />
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Louisa Clark is no longer just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. After the transformative six months spent with Will Traynor, she is struggling without him. When an extraordinary accident forces Lou to return home to her family, she can’t help but feel she’s right back where she started.<br />
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Her body heals, but Lou herself knows that she needs to be kick-started back to life. Which is how she ends up in a church basement with the members of the Moving On support group, who share insights, laughter, frustrations, and terrible cookies. They will also lead her to the strong, capable Sam Fielding—the paramedic, whose business is life and death, and the one man who might be able to understand her. Then a figure from Will’s past appears and hijacks all her plans, propelling her into a very different future. . . .<br />
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For Lou Clark, life after Will Traynor means learning to fall in love again, with all the risks that brings. But here Jojo Moyes gives us two families, as real as our own, whose joys and sorrows will touch you deeply, and where both changes and surprises await.<br />
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Review:<br />
I downloaded After You almost immediately after I finished listening to <a href="http://www.letstakeashelfie.ca/2016/10/me-before-you-by-jojo-moyes.html" target="_blank">Me Before You</a>. I was still on a high from following Will and Lou's gut wrenching story. I probably should have given myself more time to recover...<br />
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In After You, Jojo Moyes takes us back into Lou's world just weeks after losing Will. Here we see a completely different person from the quirky and lively girl we fell in love with in the first book. Lou is shattered (in more ways than one...), floating aimlessly through the days trying to make sense of what had happened. Her world has been turned upside down.<br />
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One of my favourite aspects of Moyes' writing is character development. I absolutely adored Lou's character. Following her on this new journey as she works to come to terms with her loss and attempts to bring back a refreshed version of her old self was so captivating. The writer also brings back a few characters from her past to cheer her on and brings in a few new ones for the ride.<br />
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This sequel is all about healing and the struggle of moving on. It's about learning how to pick up the shattered pieces and trying to make it whole again. It also brings about some new twists and turns you won't want to miss.<br />
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After You is just as engaging as its prequel. It won't leave you as broken the first book but it will still raise up a ton of emotions that you tried to suppress the first go round. All I can say is go grab your tissue box and get ready for another emotional rollercoaster as you re-enter Lou's world.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05104418125536937485noreply@blogger.com0