The Blue by Lucy Clarke

A few years ago I read a book by Lucy Clarke titled Swimming at Night and I loved it!  So when I was asked to review The Blue, also by Lucy Clarke, I jumped at the chance.

Lana has just received some devastating news.  Lana runs to her dearest friend, Kitty, who also has her own share of problems she's coping with.  Together the two friends make a plan to leave their worries behind.  With a spin of the globe their destination is decided and London, England is behind them and their future is forward.

The girls meet up with a group of free spirits that are enjoying life at sea.  The group seem to be living the dream and the girls are excited when they are invited to join the crew.  Life couldn't get better than this.

But everyone in the group has their share of problems that they are trying to escape and they've all got secrets that they are trying to keep.  Will the truth drive them apart or force them together?

Lucy Clarke describes the ocean life with such detail.  I enjoyed most of the book from the comfort of my hammock.  Between Clarke's words and the gently sway I was easily swept away.  A perfect summer read.

The Stranger by Harlan Coben

I don't typically read thriller books but The Stranger by Harlan Coben was our book club choice for this month.  It is a story about a stranger who goes around the country revealing peoples deepest, darkest secrets.  This story had lots of twists and turns that I didn't see coming at all.  It was a fast paced book with so much going on in it.  I found it a nice change from some of my regular reads.  There was only one line in the book that made me grimace because it was gory.

Do you normally just read the same type of books or do you try and read a bit of everything?  

How does your book club choose it's books?  My book club is quite small and we rotate who gets to pick the book and the restaurant.

Like It Never Happened by Emily Adrian

Like it Never Happened is a story about Rebecca Rivers.  She's a high school student who loves being on stage.  She's in with a group of friends who all do theatre group as well.  But Rebecca's drama doesn't just end on the stage.  She's got drama in her group of friends and lots of drama at home as well.  Nothing seems to be going well and when it is it just seems to good to be true.

I felt like this book had so much negativity in it.  Poor Rebecca has so many bad relationships.  There's so much going on in her life too.  I might have liked it more if the sister had been removed from the book.  Not that I didn't like her.  She just didn't seem necessary to the story.  Maybe I'm just too old for this book.  I'd love to hear a younger person's perspective.  I'd mark this for grade 9 and up.

The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel

Kenneth Oppel is an extremely talented Canadian author.  I was fortunate to hear him speak this past year at Word on the Street Toronto.  His first book was published when he was 13 years old.  Kenneth Oppel is a gifted storyteller.

The Boundless begins with the building of the Canadian railway.  I loved the way Oppel included many real life people and facts about how the railway was built.  The main character is Will.  His father is working to build the railway.  Will feels that everything always happens to everyone else and he never has his own adventures.  When he's invited to hitch a ride and see the last stake nailed in he decides to take a chance.  This is the beginning of Will's adventure.  The Boundless is filled with Sasquatches, circus acts, villains and more.

I began this book as a read aloud to a grade 7 class.  Sadly we ran out of time and never finished the book but I was so impressed with how engaged the class was with the story.  They loved it!  I hope that some of them pick up the book this summer to find out the ending as I did today.

Another popular title at my school is Half-Brother by Kenneth Oppel so I hope to check that one out soon and I see that he has a new book coming out soon titled The Nest.  I have no doubt it will be excellent.

Audrey by Dan Bar-El

Earlier this year I had been browsing for writing contests for the writing club that I was running for the students at school.  I came across a fun writing contest on Dan Bar-El's Audrey blog .  Shortly after my youngest son and I were chatting and I suggested he give it a shot.  The contest was quite fun to write since the requirements were very silly.  You had to pick an animal and have it escape from somewhere using different items.  My son laughed so hard writing his story and fortunately Dan Bar-El must have too because he won!!  He was awarded with an autographed copy of Audrey for himself and one to donate to his school.  He was so excited and proud.  It was a huge boost to his confidence to think that an author had picked his story.

Audrey (Cow) is the story of a cow, obviously, named Audrey.  Audrey has many great friends on the farm.  She very much enjoys her days at Bittersweet Farm.  But there's been talk her days are numbered and that a truck might be coming to take her away.  A plan is hatched and everyone chips in to aid Audrey's escape.  Once she leaves the farm she finds new creatures she's never seen before, some kind and others not so kind.  All the while she's trying to enjoy her new found freedom there's two-leggers always on the prowl for her.

My son (age 9) and I really enjoyed Audrey (Cow) as a read aloud.  The voices came easy.  This book would be a perfect read aloud or a good chapter book for grades 3 or 4.  

Dan Bar-El is a very talented children's author living in British Columbia.  He has some fantastic picture books as well.

How to Start a Fire by Lisa Lutz

How to Start a Fire by Lisa Lutz is the story of three best friends; Anna, Kate and George.  The girls meet in college and their lives are forever entwined.  They are the type of friends that can go six months without talking but pickup the phone and ask for help and their friend is on the next plane to lend a hand.  Each girl is quirky in her own little way and they’ve each got a wild side and a love for adventure that often gets them into trouble.  And the women each have their own vices.  Anna describes them as Kate’s cocktail is TV, men are George’s cocktail and Anna’s own cocktail is a cocktail itself.

Each chapter of How to Start a Fire takes the reader to a different point in time of the women’s lives.  The chapters are titled with the current year and place but at times it can be difficult to follow the timeline and if it was before or after certain events.  Some readers might prefer a more linear storyline but then Lutz wouldn’t have been able to create the same intrigue.  It’s easy to get absorbed into the lives of the three friends and trying to predict and understand why the women behave as they do.

Lisa Lutz is also the author of The Spellman Books; a six book series about Isabel Spellman, a quick witted Private Investigator.  Fans of the Spellman series will certainly enjoy Lutz newest novel.

Miss Emily by Nuala O'Connor

I've always said I will read anything except historical fiction.  I don't like historical fiction.  But then a while back I won a huge Pride and Prejudice gift package and I thought I'd give Longbourn by Jo Baker a try.  Well, it was the strangest thing, I loved it!

Recently I was offered a review copy of Miss Emily by Nuala O'Connor.  My first reaction was, I don't think so, I don't read historical fiction.  But then I saw in the description that it was compared to Longbourn and I really loved Longbourn.  So I gave it a try.  It seems maybe I really do like historical fiction or at least some of it.

Miss Emily is the famous real life poet Emily Dickinson.  The book is a story of Miss Emily and a fictional Irish maid, Ada.  Ada has left Ireland to live with her aunt and uncle in Massachusetts and she finds work with the Dickinson family.  Ada and Miss Emily quickly become fond of each other and they bond over baking gingerbread and Irish soda bread.  Ada finds love and trouble in Massachusetts.  It's a good thing she's got Miss Emily looking out for her

I really enjoyed Miss Emily.  I  was left wanting more.  More of the characters and gingerbread cookies!