Curled Up With a Good Book and a Cup of Tea

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine , for book bloggers to share which upcoming releases they are eagerly anticipating. Here is my pick this week: Alone in the Classroom by Elizabeth Hay Release Date: 26 April 2011 In 1930, a school principal in Saskatchewan is suspected of abusing a student. Seven years later, on the other side of the country, a girl picking wild cherries meets a violent end. These are only two of the mysteries in the life of the narrator's charismatic aunt, Connie Flood. As the narrator Anne pieces together her aunt's lifelong attachment to her former student Michael Graves, and her obsession with Parley Burns, the inscrutable principal implicated in the assault of Michael's younger sister. Her own story becomes connected with that of the past, and the triangle of principal, teacher, student opens out into other emotional triangles - aunt, niece, love, mother, daughter, granddaughter - until a sudden, capsizing love ch...

Tim Gunn is well known in the fashion world for his no-nonsense mentorship to young designers on Project Runway as well as his honest and spot on fashion advice in many arenas. Now he is dishing out advice on everything life in his book Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons For Making It Work . In addition to advice like "the world owes you…nothing," "never underestimate karma," and "be a good guest or stay home," Gunn dishes on the designers of Project Runway , shares stories of his personal life and calls out the behaviour of some of fashions biggest divas! I am a big fan of Tim Gunn's. I'm big on manners and I enjoy seeing people handle themselves with poise and class, qualities I often feel are missing these days (and I do admit to my own slip-ups from time to time!) I definitely did not need the audiobook for this one because the entire time I was reading the book, I heard it in Gunn's voice in my head. This is a qu...

It's Monday, What Are you Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey . I love this meme because it always gets me organized for the week ahead! What I Read Last Week Gunn's Golden Rules by Tim Gunn Doing Dangerously Well - Carole Enahoro Personally I Blame My Fairy Godmother - Claudia Carroll What I'm Reading Now Apocalypse for Beginners by Nicolas Dickner What I Plan To Read Next A Tiny Bit Marvellous by Dawn French This Cake Is For The Party by Sarah Selecky How is your reading going?

Sisters Charity Evans and Lynzee Lavender bring new meaning to the term "sibling rivalry." Lynzee is a New York Times best-selling science fiction author, earning top dollar and enjoying all the benefits that come with success. Younger sister Charity Evans is a published author as well, but she hasn't enjoyed the success that Lynzee has, and Lynzee takes pleasure in that. When Charity tries to get her latest novel published she is met with silence by the publishing industry. As she struggles to pay her bills and faces losing her house and marriage Charity begins to wonder if Lynzee has had her blacklisted. Then Lynzee drops a bomb on her. 34 years ago, Lynzee gave up a child for adoption and Charity's husband Jett is the father. Not only that, but Charity has to be the one to tell Jett. As her life unravels, Charity comes up with the perfect way to get back at Lynzee and find success in the publishing industry. Will these two sisters ever be able to mend...

Welcome to my stop on the Book Blogger Hop! If you haven't checked it out before it's a weekly meme hosted by Crazy For Books where book bloggers come together to party! This weeks question is: If you could physically put yourself into a book or series...which one would it be and why? My answer is The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. I love this series! It just presents a way of life that is so different from mine. It sounds so laid-back and that is something I would love! Plus, the idea of being a detective sounds really cool, especially with the mysteries that Mma Ramotswe is solving!

One morning, Jane Z. opens the newspaper to see a face staring back at her that she hasn't seen in 20 years. She learns that her university housemate Sonia has been released from prison after serving her sentence for a terrorist attack. Seeing Sonia's face returns Jane to 1983 when she rents a room in a house with Sonia and two others and is thrust into their world, one in which paranoia and fear of nuclear war lead them to form a non-violent anti-nuclear group called NAG. As Jane and her roommates try stop the end of the world, while also completing their studies, a teenage runaway shows up at their home, and the group finds themselves propelled into taking the most daring action of their lives. When one of their own bombs unintentionally goes off they are forced to come face to face with reality. The Sky is Falling is an incredible novel. I was drawn into this book right away and couldn't get my mind off of it. The book easily slips back and forth between the p...

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Breaking the Spine . It's a way for book bloggers to share which upcoming releases they are eagerly anticipating. My choice this week comes from an incredible Canadian writer. Irma Voth by Miriam Toews Release Date: 5 April 2011 Miriam Toews new novel brings us to a Mennonite community in the Mexican desert. The stifling, reclusive Mennonite life of nineteen-year-old Irma Voth - newly married and newly deserted - is irrevocably changed when a film crew moves in to make a movie about the community. She embraces the absurdity, creative passion and warmth of their world but her intractable and domineering father is determined to keep her from it at all costs. The confrontation between them sets her on an irrevocable path towards something that feels like freedom as she and her young sister Aggie, wise beyond her teenage years, flee to the city, upheld only by their love for each other and their smart wit, even as they begin to unders...

Jules Jackson is leading a hectic life, but she's got it all under control. She's holding down two busy public relations jobs, a group of crazy but loyal friends, and a very difficult mother. It's little wonder she doesn't need to be dealing with the stress a man in her life could bring. Then Germaine Williams walks into her life and turns it upside down. He owns his own business, goes to church, and is extremely handsome. Of course Jules falls for him hard. But Jules soon learns that not everything is as it seems and Germaine is keeping a very big secret from her. One that is too big for Jules to look the other way. Will she run from her feelings and go back to handling things for herself? Or will she finally learn to trust God and let His will be done in her life? Man Enough For Me is Rhonda Bowen's debut novel and I have to say straight away that I can't believe this is her first novel. It has the polish, the sizzle, and the faith that you fin...

It's Monday! March Break is over so my husband and daughter are back to school and the time to relax is over! It's Monday What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. What I Read Last Week: The Sky is Falling - Caroline Adderson Man Enough For Me - Rhonda Bowen We Ain't the Brontes - Rosalyn McMillan What I'm Reading Now: Doing Dangerously Well - Carole Enahoro (had to put this one aside last week to read some books that needed reviewing. Still loving it!) Gunn's Golden Rules - Tim Gunn What I'm Reading Next: Apocalypse for Beginners - Nicolas Dickner Personally I Blame my Fairy Godmother - Claudia Carroll What are you reading this week?

We have all had it happen to us. We see a book with a pretty cover, pick it up and flip it over to read the blurb. It sounds great, just the book we want to read. But when we bring the book home and begin to read we find it's nothing like the cover or blurb led us to believe it would be. Read This Next by Sandra Newman and Howard Mittelmark will prevent this from ever happening to you again (provided you follow their recommendations!) In this book are what they say are 500 of the best books you will ever read, arranged into thematic lists. The book covers every genre you can think of and ones you may not have known even existed. Each recommendation comes with discussions for book clubs that will make you laugh and think. This book takes reading seriously but does so in smart and funny way. This is the ultimate book for readers. It includes classics, recent releases and some little-known books. It is pretty much a guarantee that everyone will come away from this book...

Happy belated birthday to the Book Blogger Hop! For the past year, over 200 book bloggers have been joining in the fun at Crazy For Books . If you haven't participated before, do check it out! This weeks question is: Do you read only one book at a time or do you have several going at once? I generally only read one book at a time, but on occasion I have do have more than one going. I can have one fiction and one non-fiction book going at a time, but anything more than that, the storylines get all muddled up for me! How about you?

About the Book Twenty-something public relations gem Jules Jackson has everything in her life under control, and that's exactly the way she likes it. She's got no problem handling two jobs, her crazy friends, and her difficult mother. But she's just about given up on men - until she meets fine Germaine Williams... Straight-up catch Germaine is eager to prove his worth to Jules, and she falls hard. But it’s soon clear Germaine’s keeping at least one big secret. And the deeper Jules digs, the more her balancing act, and her romance, begins to crumble. Now Jules can either turn to her faith and open her heart to love—or risk getting it broken… About the Author Rhonda Bowen is a writer and event planner living in Toronto. When not stressing over her job, she can be found at church stressing over the kids she teaches in youth class. She enjoys spending time with her family, trying on shoes she can’t afford, and enjoying life’s unexpected twists and turns. Visit her...

A mentally ill woman who spends a day off of her medication. A young grocery store cashier who happens to be a vegetarian and struggles to scan a package of meat. A 30 year old woman on a second date who eagerly anticipates a third date with the man, something that rarely happens to her. A worn out mother on vacation with her family who is swept out in the ocean and faces her life head on. A young retail worker who is deep in debt and alone at the cash register. And a pelican in a crowded London park who has decided to eat a pigeon. These are all subjects of the tales in Katrina Best's debut book of short stories, Bird Eat Bird . Quirky and humorous, Best's book brings together an eclectic group of characters in a collection of social commentaries. Bird Eat Bird captures daily life from a unique angle. The stories are dark but funny and full of off-beat but realistic characters. I've never been much of a fan of short stories. I'm not sure why but it'...

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme at Breaking the Spine . It's where book bloggers share the upcoming releases they are eagerly anticipating. My selection this week is: Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell Release Date: 26 April 2011 Summer is a magical time in New York City and Carrie is in love with all of the crazy characters in her neighbourhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties, and the glamourous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she's finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream. This sequel to The Carrie Diaries brings surprising revelations as Carrie learns to navigate her way around the Big Apple, going from being a country "sparrow" as Samantha Jones dubs her to the person she always wanted to be. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile her past with her future, Carrie realizes that making it in New York is much more complicated than she ever imagined. With her...

On September 15, 1963 a bomb planted by the Ku Klux Klan at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama exploded, killing four young girls. Only minutes earlier 15 year old Carolyn Maull had said spoken to those four girls and then walked away. For decades, Carolyn tried to put that day and the troubling days that followed behind her. But she no longer feels that she can stay silent about the tragedy and injustice she witnessed as a young girl growing up in the civil rights era. While The World Watched is Carolyn Maull McKinstry's eye-witness account of what life was like for Black residents of Birmingham, Alabama when Jim Crow laws ruled the South. It is a moving description of how far Americans have come in terms of race relations, and how far they still need to go. This is an incredible book that brings to life the civil rights movement of 1960's America. This book has a unique place in the writings of civil rights history as it comes straight from ...

After a couple weeks off, I'm happy to be participating again in It's Monday, What Are You Reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey . I haven't participated in the past few weeks because my answers would have been blank! I just didn't have good reading weeks for a while there. But now I'm back into the swing of things, and it's March Break this week so hopefully I'll be able to get a lot of reading done, even though everyone is home. What I Read Last Week: While the World Watched by Carolyn Maull McKinstry Bird Eat Bird by Katrina Best What I'm Reading Now: Doing Dangerously Well by Carole Enahoro (Loving it!) What I Plan to Read Next: Apocalypse for Beginners by Nicolas Dickner The Sky is Falling by Caroline Adderson Definitely a lot of Canadian reading for me lately! How is your week looking?

Happy Friday! It's been a bit of a rough week here, with lots of rainy weather and one child getting sick. But today is the start of March Break so things are definitely looking up! It will be nice to have the whole family home for the week. The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy For Books . It's a weekly gathering of over 200 book bloggers and a great way to find new books and blogs to read. This week's question is: If I gave you $80 and sent you into a bookshop right now, what would be in your basket when you finally stagger to the till? Ok, so first, what an awesome question. There are definitely a lot of books sitting in my online cart right now waiting for me to get enough money! Global Soccer Mom by Shayne Moore Songs of Deliverance by Marilynn Griffith The Cause Within You by Matthew Barnett Little Princes by Conor Grennan A Tiny Bit Marvellous by Dawn French Celebrity Shopper and New York Valentine by Carmen Reid A very eclectic choice and I...

As he nears the end of his life, Napoleon Haskell has left his trailer in Fargo, North Dakota and moved to a small Ontario town. There he lives with Henry, the father of a fallen Vietnam comrade, on the shore of a manmade lake, under which is the wreckage of the town Henry was raised in. Once there, Napoleon hopes to leave behind the memories of the Vietnam War that he has kept secret for years. When Napoleon's daughter arrives, she finds that her father is at that moment in life where memory becomes fragile. Out of love and curiosity she begins to ask her father about his life and though disjointed at times, the truth of his past begins to emerge. The Sentimentalists is Johanna Skibsrud's first novel (she has previously published poetry) and it took many by surprise when it won the 2010 Giller Prize, Canada's most prestigious literary prize. Based on her own father's time in Vietnam, the novel explores our memories, their unreliability and their fragility. While ...

Today is my stop on the We Ain't The Brontes blog tour, the new book from best-selling author Rosalyn McMillan. Unfortunately, thanks to the Post, I haven't received my book yet. So check back very soon for my review of the book! About the Book The relationship between Charity Evans and her sister Lynzee Lavender brings new meaning to the term “sibling rivalry.” Lynzee writes science fiction, and her New York Times bestseller status gets her into A-list parties and fattens her bank account. She can’t stand the fact that Charity is a published author too, though she swears that Charity is nowhere near as good. It seems like the publishing industry might agree, because Charity is having trouble getting her contract renewed. Is it possible that Lynzee has had her blacklisted? With her savings dwindling, Charity struggles to pay her bills, and the pressure is putting incredible strain on her marriage. Things only get worse when Lynzee drops a bomb: she reveals that Charity’s...

Katie McKenna has a billion reasons why she should marry her current boyfriend Dexter. He's stable, a Christian and will make a good father. He is everything she has wanted in a husband. But a blast from the past is about to put those feelings in jeopardy. After being apart for eight years, her ex-boyfriend Luc DeForges has walked back into her life. Not only is he ready to commit to Katie, but he's not backing down. Will Katie be able to put their past, which includes a humiliating public breakup, behind her where it belongs? Or will she allow Luc to sweep her off her feet? Is God's desire for Katie a safe and predictable marriage or a heart full of life that only Luc can offer her? A Billion Reasons Why by Kristin Billerbeck is inspirational chick lit at its finest. Ms. Billerbeck has done it again. The main characters love of the 1940's and the beautiful locale of New Orleans give the book a few fresh twists. The characters are all endearing and have "...

I had two entries for the giveaway for this book and since I have two copies of the book, I've decided to send a copy to each of the entrants. Congrats Jen and Yo, I hope you enjoy the book!

Happy Friday! After a very busy weekend last week I am definitely looking forward to a relaxing weekend. The problem is, every time I expect a relaxing weekend it ends up being the complete opposite! But this weekend I'm determined to just relax and read. Last week was too busy and there was very little time for reading. The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy For Books . It's a great place for book bloggers to come together, network, and share great reads. This weeks question is: Who is your all-time favourite book villain? Wow, I really have to think about this. I hate to not give an answer but I honestly cannot think of any book I've read that I've actually liked the villain. Maybe it's that I don't read a lot of books with that have strong villain characters, maybe it's just too early in the morning for me. Sorry! What villains do you like? Recommend some books for me so that I can have an answer to this question! Have a great weeke...

As the wife of comedian Chris Rock, Malaak Compton-Rock leads a life full of wealth, travel and fame. And while she enjoys the life that her husbands fame is bringing, her heart remains in the public service sector where she finds life's most meaningful rewards. In If It Takes a Village, Build One she shares her personal journey starting with a childhood permeated by giving back, to working as in public relations for UNICEF and on to starting her own non-profit Journey For Change: Empowering Youth Through Global Service, an organization that takes at-risk kids to South Africa for volunteer service. This book is a wonderful read for anyone who is interested in getting involved in charitable work. Compton-Rock shares the impact her own volunteer experience and charitable career has made in her life and the lives of others. She also provides readers with a guide to getting involved, whether it is donating money, finding somewhere to volunteer or starting your own non-profit. Ther...