The Great Alone looks daunting with well over 400 pages. I, on the other hand love a big book, especially when travelling. My only complaint was I loved it so much I read it too fast. I ended up finishing it 1 hour into my 4 hour flight with nothing left to read.
Leni Allbright is 13 years old and has grown accustomed to always being the new girl in school. Her parents are constantly moving. When her mom and dad sit her down to tell her the next big idea is to move to Alaska and live off the land she's not too surprised.
Leni's dad, Ernt, fought in the Vietnam War. When he came back from war years later he is haunted my nightmares. Leni's mom wishes that she remembered him as the loving man he was before 'Nam. Everyone thinks that Alaska will give Ernt a place to breathe and clear his head.
For a while things are great. They all work together as a team to clean up the house and land that they've been gifted from one of Ernt's old war buddies. The days are long and the sun in Alaska summer never sets. There is lots to learn about living in Alaska and the neighbours are all welcoming and willing to help in any way.
Unfortunately, the winters are long and dark. With dark comes nightmares. Now the Allbrights are living in a small one room house and it becomes impossible for mom to hide Ernt's abusive side.
I loved reading about the beautiful Alaskan scenery. The characters were so easy to get attached to. This is the first book I've read by Kristin Hannah. I definitely plan on checking out more of her books.
I picked up The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian from Indigo because my son will be reading it for his grade 9 English class.
Junior is a 14 year old boy that lives on the Spokane Reserve. Throughout the book he describes the life of living on a Reserve. One day he finds himself in class and notices that his mom's name is written in a text book. This makes him furious to think that they don't have new resources. As a result, Junior makes a major decision to attend white school off the reserve. Risking the hatred of his community, family and best friends Junior sets off each day off the reserve to find out how the other half live,
I was a bit surprised at a few of the pages. I think the author could have shared the truths and reality of life on reserve and still left out a few of the stories/words. My son believes that it will be a story that each student will read a chapter out loud in class and I think that will make a few students uncomfortable if they have to read certain chapters. However; I do think it is age appropriate and an important subject matter.
I have been following Neil Pasricha for many years. A friend introduced me to his 1000 Awesome Things blog years ago and I have been following him ever since. I've even had the chance to hear him speak.
Years ago Neil found himself recently divorced, struggling with a friends suicide and where his path in life was going. This began his 1000 Awesome Things blog which evolved into his first book The Book of Awesome. I really enjoyed reading his picture book Awesome is Everywhere with children at school as well.
I was really excited when I got an advanced copy of You are Awesome. This book was so easy to read because Neil doesn't come across as someone who has life all together. You are Awesome is lessons Neil has learned from his mistakes and life experiences. The message I took away is that you are awesome despite failure or poor choices. Learn from your mistakes, move forward and let it go. I found while I was reading it that there were chapters that I thought I my teenage son should read this and then others where I thought my busy husband should read. I think many people would find different things to take away from this book.
You are Awesome is out today - November 5th, 2019. Check out Neil Pasricha. He has some great books and blogs. Also, if you ever get a chance to hear him speak - go!
I have read a few of Lisa Jewell's books so I was excited when I got the chance to review The Family Upstairs.
The Family Upstairs is a story about Libby Jones. She's living a pretty simple life designing kitchens. Libby was adopted when she was a few months old. On her 25th birthday she inherits her birth parents estate. She has no idea what the inheritance might entail - she is just excited to know more about her birth parents. Libby is very surprised to find out that she is now the owner of a mansion. She's rich!
Many people have been waiting for Libby to turn 25. This mansion holds a whopper of a story and it's tale is not over yet. With the help of a newspaper reporter, Libby begins to unravel the history of the mansion and those who lived there.
The Family Upstairs is filled with tons of twists and turns that kept me intrigued right to the end. This novel comes out on November 5th, 2019. It is available for pre-order from Indigo.
I remember reading Room by Emma Donoghue. It was days away from my youngest son's 4th birthday. That first line stuck with me "Today I am three but tomorrow abracadabra I will be four!" After that I proceeded to cry through the entire book. Even though I was crying, I loved this book.
Then Emma Donoghue other novels that were so different from Room I didn't think I would like them so I didn't try. Something about Akin, maybe the passage of time, made me think maybe I could enjoy one of Donoghue's new books.
Michael is an 11 year old boy that seems alone in the world. Dad has died of a drug overdose. Mom is in jail. Grandma has died. There is no one willing to take care of Michael. Desperate to avoid the foster system his case worker reaches out to Noah - Michael's 79 year old Great Uncle on his dad's side that he has never met.
Noah, who has never had children, has out lived everyone in his life. He spends his days having a conversation in his head wife his dead wife. When his sister passed away she made him promise he would do something fun so he booked a trip to Paris and is leaving in a few days.
When it is proposed that Noah take care of Michael the timing couldn't be worse. Soon Noah and Michael find themselves getting to know each other on a trip to Paris. The two couldn't be more different but there a string of DNA that links the two.
I very much enjoyed Akin and will be seeking out Donoghue's other books that I passed by before.
Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE Chapters Indigo. I love the store, love the brand, love their Plum Points system and most of all love their Love of Reading program where they help local schools. I've seen Chapters do amazing things with the Love of Reading program. It changes schools I promise you. Local - in your community schools.
This Monday to Wednesday (September 23 to 25th) you can receive 500 Plum points for every book you purchase!! That's HUGE!!! Those points really add up. As much as I love shopping at Chapters all the time, there is nothing like shopping at Chapters when you've earned the free $100 in points. That is a good time.
Last week we had meet the teacher for my son's high school. While meeting his English teacher she mentioned what book they would be reading this semester. I visited Indigo on the weekend and picked up a copy for my son. I know he could get a copy from his classroom but this way I told him he could highlight and make notes throughout the book and this would help write his essay and study. I have to say he was pretty shocked to hear me say he could write in the book. I just think this is a great study tool and might just give him an edge. What novel studies are your teens reading in high school? My youngest is reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian.
Visit Chapters/Indigo online and purchase some fun new reads for you and your kiddos. Load up on some points!
Craig Davidson was desperate for a job. He would take any old job at this point. That's why when he found himself interviewing for a school bus driver job he was taking the questions a bit more seriously because he couldn't screw up, he needed this job.
Craig soon found himself the driver of bus # 3077 with a group of great kids. Precious Cargo is Craig's memoir of his days driving the bus. Children can be so open with stories (some real and some made up) and Craig's days were filled with them. Beginning their days and ending their days together every day forming friendships is inevitable. Quickly Craig comes to really care about the children on his bus.
This book really struck a chord with me as I have had the privilege of working at a school with children. Just today I worked as lunch supervisor at a school and the stories you accumulate in just that one hour are plenty.
Precious Cargo was featured on Canada Reads 2019. It is available at Chapters in paperback.
Daisy Jones & the Six is a story unlike anything I've read. Daisy Jones & the Six are a rock and roll band from the 70's. The story sounded so real I had to check Google to make sure Daisy Jones & the Six aren't a real band. Daisy Jones & the Six reads as an interview with the band members. The story begins as just The Six and Daisy is a singer on her own but soon they realize they are better together. Once they come together as Daisy and the Six the story of writing a record, touring, sex, drugs and rock and roll begins.
I really enjoyed this book and I noticed that the author was the same as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo which I also really enjoyed. I noticed that Taylor Jenkins Reid has a few other books that I will be checking out.
Zadie is a pediatric cardiologist. She's married with a bunch of children. She loves her family and loves her life. Emma is her best friend since University who is also happily married with a child. They are bonded by the struggles of medical school and long nights at the hospital.
As doctors they both see more than their share of death. It's hard to imagine saving or losing someone's life all in a day's work. The two friends support each other through deaths where they wondered if they could have done more and those where they wonder if they made a mistake in those split seconds they had to save a life. But when a new doctor joins Emma's practice their past comes rushing back testing their friendship.
Kimmery Martin, the author of Queen of Hearts is an emergency room doctor in North Carolina so she is definitely equipped to write a drama centered around a hospital. I found the book had a little bit too much medical jargon for my liking but the plot was good enough for me to prevail.
Queen of Hearts is available at Chapters in paperback.
This book made me laugh! I don't remember the last time I enjoyed a book that was just fun. It was just what I needed during this busy spring. It also makes me want to go to Maui even more!
Olive is the bridesmaid at her twin sister's wedding. She's squeezed into the ugliest dress ever and she has to talk to the groom's brother, Ethan. Ethan has been a jerk since the first moment they met. The only thing they have in common is they won't be eating off the buffet at the wedding. When a series of events leads to a disaster wedding the bride and groom ask their siblings to take their place in Maui on their honeymoon.
10 days in Maui. Two people that hate each other. What could possibly happen? Also, what are the chances of running into anyone they know?
The Unhoneymooners is a fun, hilarious read. It's also quite sexy!! You can purchase The Unhoneymooners at Chapters in paperback or audio book.
The Daughter's Tale is a story of a Jewish family living in Germany in 1939. Young, in love and beginning to start their family, Amanda and Julius try to ignore the war that is looming around them. Once two daughters are born the war becomes impossible to ignore when Julius is taken away from his family. Even away from his family Julius tries to make plans to save his family. Amanda risks everything for her children's lives. Amanda has a love for books and has only saved one from her beloved bookstore. On this pages she writes to her children to help them someday understand why she makes the decisions she does.
Lina is Amanda and Julius's youngest daughter. Lina lives many lives with many families as she tries to stay alive throughout the war. This is her story.
For years I have said that I don't like historical fiction. That I won't read historical fiction. I don't remember which book started it but I'm finding myself drawn to more historical fiction lately. I find it horrific to read some of these tales and imagine the reality of those times.
The Daughter's Tale can be ordered from Chapters with this link.
I had seen Rachel's books on book lists for a while now. I saw her name pop up online but I hadn't been bothered to check her out. This January I started a weight loss challenge and one night I found myself looking for some inspiration. I can't remember the exact quote I stumbled upon but the jest of it was that what I want right now is not more important than my bigger dream/goal. It's a quote that I have used for months now. I want to stay home and not go to gym - not part of my goal. I want to eat a Timbit - not going to get me to my goal.
Girl, Stop Apologizing is a book that women will find a chapter that they can relate to. Rachel's writing is funny and casual like a conversation. Topics range from weight, religion, friendships, children and more. She's not afraid to get uncomfortable and tackle some tough topics either.
If you are looking for some inspiration or some reassurance to let you know you don't have to regret that last bad choice then pick up Girl, Stop Apologizing at Chapters. Order before April 7th and spend $30 to get 10x the Plum Points.
