Kenta and The Big Wave by Ruth Ohi

Kenta and the Big Wave is the story of a boy in Japan that is playing soccer when he hears the alarm that he needs to run for higher ground.  He loses his ball in the commotion.  When he gets to the school he finds his mom and dad.  Soon after though he discovers that his home is gone.  Meanwhile, his ball makes it's way across the ocean where another boy finds the ball and sends it back to Kenta.

First off, I quite like Ruth Ohi.  I had the chance to meet her this past winter.  I thought she was quite sweet as she sat signing autographs and personalizing them all with special little drawings.

However, I would have preferred to see this book with a bit more detail.  The story was quite short.  I think the story could have been a bit more developed and it would have made a fantastic nominee for the Silver Birch Express category in the Forest of Reading.

I think that would be one of my biggest complaints about the Blue Spruce/Forest of Reading.  There are ten books in each category that we librarians work quite hard at promoting to the students.  But I feel those ten books should be something that I could recommend to everyone in the targeted age group.  With Kenta and the Big Wave I really hesitated to read this to my Kindergarten to Grade 3 classes.  It felt like too deep of a topic to tackle in a short library period.  In the end, I did read it but only because there was another title that I felt I didn't want to tackle with the kids.  I know the kids will call me out for skipping one and I would never get away with skipping two.  This book just felt too serious for that age group but yet too simple for older grades.

And the Birds Rained Down by Jocelyne Saucier

Today I did some thing that I haven't done in about 15 years.  I read a book in a day.  Now it is only 160 pages but still it felt good.  I used to read a book a day all the time back in my teens and early 20's but these days there's no way that can happen.  But today the house was clean and the kids were busy.  So I sat and read.  A guilty pleasure.  I also had 3 cups of tea throughout.

And the Birds Rained Down was a Canada Reads 2015 nominee.  I've only had find time to watch the first days so far.  I have to say based on the discussions I wasn't overly interested in this book.  I thought it was all drugs and sex and old people.  And the Birds Rained Down certainly does have all those things but it also has so much more.  There's more than one beautiful love story throughout.  There's also Ontario scenery.  Art.

I really enjoyed it.  I'm not positive that it's the book that all Canada should read.  I do think the book would appeal to wide audience.  An enjoyable read for sure.

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

I don't know how to talk about Luckiest Girl Alive without giving anything away.  There's so much that happens.  So many twists and turns.  The book starts out with the main character Ani FaNelli completing her bridal registry with her fiance Luke.  Love story right?  Except Ani is thinking she'd like to stab him in the stomach.  And so it begins.  Each chapter seemed more shocking then the next.

I really can't say much more without giving too much away.  Already many of the early reviews are comparing it to Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl.  I suspect this book will do well.  I really enjoyed the fast suspenseful pace of it.

Jessica Knoll has been a senior editor for Cosmopolitan magazine.  Luckiest Girl Alive is scheduled to be published in May 2015.