Trailer: Interview with a Vampire

As mentioned, this month's book club book, is also a movie... here is the trailer to enjoy. It may just entice you to read the book... unlike me!! (Oops)

Book Club Friday

It's Book Club Friday again... last Friday of the month and time for the ladies to, once again, get together to discuss a common book and drink copius amount of wine and eat even MORE copius amounts of food!! Num Num!!

The book of the month for April is Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice


Pages: 352
Published: 1997
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Horror

Summary (from Chapters.ca):

The story is ostensibly a simple one: having suffered a tremendous personal loss, an 18th-century Louisiana plantation owner named Louis Pointe du Lac descends into an alcoholic stupor. At his emotional nadir, he is confronted by Lestat, a charismatic and powerful vampire who chooses Louis to be his fledgling. The two prey on innocents, give their "dark gifts" to a young girl, and seek out others of their kind (notably the ancient vampire Armand) in Paris.

Here are the confessions of a vampire. Hypnotic, shocking, and chillingly erotic, this is a novel of mesmerizing beauty and astonishing force - a story of danger and flight, of love and loss, of suspense and resolution, and of the extraordinary power of the senses.

Review:

Once again, I am sad to say that I did NOT read this book for club this month. I have, however, seen the movie so I feel that justifies my decision!! How could you NOT watch a movie that has young (super young) Brad Pitt and a much younger Tom Cruise... oh, and who could forget, Christian Slater. Yummmmm on all accounts!

Review: Testimony

Testimony by Anita Shreve

Pages: 320
Published: 2008
Genre: Fiction

My Rating: 3/5

Summary (from amazon.ca):

At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices - those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal - that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.

Review:

This is my second read for this author and I have to say, I am underwhelmed... after reading Rescue, I was looking forward to reading more by Anita Shreve but Testimony seemed to miss the mark.

A very enticing topic, I thought this book held a lot of promise. However, I found that the book lacked organization and that would be it's main downfall, in my opinion. It seemed to jump from year-to-year without mention of when it was and while this is normally not an issue, it was hard to figure out and I spend unnecessary time figuring it out. Also, the jumping from character to character, when added to the year-to-year jumping, was very confusing. Having so many characters involved, I almost needed a family tree/chart to keep track of who each person was and what their involvement in the story/crime was... very hard to track.

On a whole, the story was very good. I enjoyed the plot and I liked the twist that comes towards the end, regarding Silas and his family. It was very unexpected and definitely made me read that much harder to get to the bottom of the story.

Overall, I am glad that I have read this book and being at a 50% for the author, I will give her another try.

Mommy Reading: Easter Edition

Most 'little ones' enjoy storytime almost as much as they enjoy chocolate... okay, maybe not, but why not add a little something into this year's Easter egg hunt that has more substance than calories? Most local libraries carry a wide variety of holiday books, including Easter.

Some favourites in our house:

Little Critter by Mercer Mayer




Happy Easter, Little Critter - Join Little Critter and his family on an Easter adventure... including a fun egg hunt and a trip to church!!







It's Easter, Little Critter - Join Little Critter and his family on another Easter morning adventure. This year, Little Critter gets a new addition to the family... a bunny named Egg.





If you enjoy these Little Critter books, you will be happy to know that there is an entire series of Little Critter books that cover just about EVERY holiday and EVERY possible life-event... a definite must-have for those 'little critters' in your house!

Happy Easter!

Review: Secrets of a Shoe Addict

Secrets of a Shoe Addict by Beth Harbison

Pages: 352
Published: 2008
Genre: Fiction, Chick-lit

My Rating: 4/5

Summary (from Chapters.ca):

Tiffany Vanderslice Dreyer never dreamed that she'd find herself up to her eyeballs in credit card debt from one mad moment of a shopping spree. She's an upstanding wife and mother with the perfect marriage... right?

Abbey Walsh never intended anyone to find out about the fact that she's being blackmailed. As a minister's wife, her sordid past was supposed to be a secret.

Loreen Murphy hadn't meant to hire a male prostitute in Las Vegas. It was all just a big, stupid, expensive misunderstanding.

Tiffany, Abbey and Loreen are each in need of thousands of dollars and fast. Tiffany's sister, Sandra, has the perfect idea. It's fast, it's easy, it's legal, and it's the secret that kept her shoe addiction alive. It's the perfect plan...

Review:

It's not very often that I would say a sequel book was better than the first, but this is one exception... I really enjoyed Secrets of a Shoe Addict by Beth Haribson, the follow-up novel to Shoe Addicts Anonymous.

Who could image that one school trip to Las Vegas would result in such a list of 'Oops' events. An evening that starts out so innocent, turns out so wrong... who ever said 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas' sure didn't take these ladies into account.

With the re-introduction of Sandra Vanderslice, from the first book, this book was a big hit and anyone who enjoys a good chick-lit novel will love this one.

Review: Babyville

Babyville by Jane Green

Pages: 464
Published: 2010
Genre: Fiction, Chick-lit

My rating: 4/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

Julia and Mark are stuck in a loveless relationship. Julia thinks a baby will help, but perhaps that isn't the answer to her problems...

Maeve is totally allergic to commitment - she breaks out in a rash whenever she passes a buggy. A one-night stand results in an unwanted pregnancy, but just how unwanted is it?

Samantha is besotted with her baby. But how is Chris, her husband, coping with his suddenly unavailable wife, and is Samantha's obsession as healthy as it seems?

Review:

Everyone loves a good chick-lit book and Babyville by Jane Green does not disappoint. The book opens with Julia, our main character numero-uno, legs in the air, against the bedroom wall having just had sex in an attempt to make a baby... after nine-months of trying, she has begun taking a more creative approach to 'baby-dancing'. Having been there myself, I found this image not only familiar, but hilarious. Oh the steps one will take...

Jane Green seems to have hit the 'nail on the head' when writing about the connections between Julia, Maeve and Sam... our main characters. It was great to travel through the different stages of a woman's life when it comes to baby's... 1) Baby-making, 2) Pregnancy & Labour and 3) Being a new-mom. It was not only entertaining but very true to form. I could really relate to each of the women in this book and the stage in which they were in at any given time... I loved it.

While the book was overly predictable, so much so that I knew the end before getting there, it was enjoyable. I think that for a book that follows this journey, it was refreshing that it was, in fact, predictable. Having an unexpected twist in the plot would have brought the story into a direction that was unnecessary.

Overall, Babyville by Jane Green is a great book for just about anyone who enjoys a good 'chick-lit' story. Someone who has seen themselves on any one of the three journey's told within. You will laugh, cry and rejoice. A fun and fast read...

Trailer: The Time Traveler's Wife

Even though I couldn't make it through the book doesn't mean that it wasn't a good one. In fact, it was so well enjoyed, by so many people, that it was made into a major motion picture of the same name, The Time Traveler's Wife, starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana.



So, for this nay-sayer, I will now make it a point to watch the movie... instead of reading the book... Ugg.

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I can now say that I have seen the movie and did actually enjoy it... that being said, I will not be going back to the book!! A good movie (solid 3.5/5 stars) but left a LOT of questions!!

Review: The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Pages: 536
Published: 2004
Genre: Fiction, Time Travel, Romance

My Rating: -

Summary (from chapters.ca):

The Time Traveler's Wife is the story of Clare, a beautiful art student, and Henry, an adventuresome librarian, who have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six and were married when Clare was twenty-three and Henry thirty-one. Impossible but true, because Henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. His disappearances are spontaneous, his experience unpredictable, alternately harrowing and amusing.

Review:

Um, I don't say this very often but I could NOT finish this book. I originally chose it as my 'April Book of the Month' because I was challenged to read a book that has been sitting on my 'to-read' list for WAY TOO LONG and also one that I had tried to read before but didn't get through. Feeling like I hadn't given this book a fair chance, it seemed like a no-brainer choice. However... it just isn't a book for me. I made it MUCH further than I have in the past (approx. 200 pages) but the fact that I am not 'craving' the read that I normally do, I know that I am done. This book will be entered into the vault, never to be seen again (at least by these eyes).

I'm sad to add a book to the 'couldn't finish' list, but... life is too short to read something I am not enjoying!!

Check It Out: Summer Sisters

In honour of my baby sister's 28th birthday I thought that I would share her favourite book of all time...


Summer Sisters by Judy Blume.

Pages: 399
Published: 1999
Genre: Fiction, Chick-lit, Romance

Summary (from Chapters.ca):

In the summer of 1977, Victoria Leonard's world changed forever when Caitlin Somers chose her as a friend. Dazzling, reckless Caitlin welcomed Vix into the heart of her sprawling, eccentric family, opening doors to a world of unimaginable privilege, sweeping her away to vacations on Martha's Vineyard, a magical, wind-blown island where two friends became summer sisters...

Now, years later, Vix is working in New York City. Caitlin is getting married on the Vineyard. And the early magic of their long, complicated friendship has faded. But Caitlin has begged Vix to come to her wedding, to be her maid of honor. And Vix knows that she will go - for the friend whose casual betrayals she remembers all too well. Because Vix wants to understand what happened during that last shattering summer. And, after all these years, she needs to know why her best friend - her summer sister - still has the power to break her heart...

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A very powerful novel, written by a time-honored author. Perfect for a young adult or even for someone who remembers - all to well - the difficult journey into adulthood.

Review: Now You See Her

Now You See Her by Joy Fielding

Pages: 368
Published: 2011
Genre: Fiction, Mystery

My Rating: 3/5

Summary (from Amazon.ca):

Fifty-year-old Marcy Taggart's life is in shambles. Two years ago, her twenty-one-year-old daughter, Devon, perished in a canoeing accident. Her body was never found in the icy waters of Georgian Bay, and as a result Marcy has never fully accepted her death. She continues to see the young woman's face in crowds and has even stopped strangers on the street, certain she has discovered her long lost daughter.

Now in Ireland, on what was originally intended to be a celebration of her twenty-fifth wedding anniversary - if, that is, her husband had not left her for another woman - Marcy yet again thinks she sees her daughter, casually strolling past her on the sidewalk. So begins Marcy's desperate search to find Devon, to find herself, and to find the disturbing truth that might, in the end, be her only salvation.

Review:

What would you do if your daughter was suspected of committing suicide but her body was never found? Would you believe that she was dead? Would you be able to rest and be at peace? These are all the questions that the book, Now You See Her by Joy Fielding, bring up.

When it came to the turmoil that Marcy was going through, after not only the death of her daughter, but her quarter-of-a-decade marriage ends, Joy Fielding's descriptions were bang on. I felt the pain and the saddness as if it were me. It made me wonder how far I would go to find my lost child.

While it was a book that left me hanging and wanting more at the end of each chapter, I found that it dragged... a lot. I don't think the story spans much more than a week (or at least it feels that way), it felt like I was re-reading the same thing over again each and every day... very reminiscent of the movie Groundhog Day. The relationships that Marcy makes while on her journey seem strange... how you can become so intimately involved with TWO different men so quickly just doesn't seem believable.

The ending of the story, as with all mystery novels, brings the whole story together and I am sad to say that I had figured this one out at the mid-way part of the book. Even though I did waver on the ending a few times, I did indeed have it right.

Overall, Now You See Her is a good, fast read and I would say that if you enjoy a mystery novel with a lot of suspense, this one will not disappoint.

More Mommy Reading

Have you ever picked up a book and knew that you would instantly love it? About 3 years ago, I started my son's first library (yes, I am brainwashing him to be just like Mommy) and joined the Double Day Bookclub. One of the books I chose was based solely on the cover and I knew, the moment I saw it, that I would enjoy it!! That book is called Chester by Melanie Watt.

Chester is a wise-ass cat who is the star of the book. However, he doesn't just want the story to BE about him, he wants to WRITE the story. With his trusty red marker, he adds his own take to each and every page of the book while adding many laughs for the readers. With each turn of the page, Melanie becomes more upset with Chester and Chester story becomes more adventurous.


This visually appealing book is a definite must have for any child's library. Especially those children that enjoy story's that involve fluffy animals with serious attitude. There may not be a great moral to this story - no real life lessons here - but your children with laugh and I guarentee, you will get a good chuckle in too.

Melanie Watt has followed up her first Chester book with two others, Chester's Back and Chester's Masterpiece. Both following the same basic story line as the first and still full of laughs and great drawings with that, now famous, red marker!!

Coming Soon: Neil Pasricha

If you have read The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha then you are just as excited as I am for the upcoming release of the follow-up book... The Book of (Even More) Awesome.



Due Out: April 26, 2011

Summary (from Chapters.ca):

From the author of the #1 International Bestselling "The Book of Awesome" and the award-winning, multimillion-hit website 1000awesomethings.com comes... EVEN MORE of the little things that make us smile every day. Neil Pasricha is back with a collection of hundreds more awesome things that deserve celebration including: Coming back to your own bed after a long trip; Sneaking cheaper candy into the movie theatre; Stepping on dry crunchy leaves on the sidewalk; Letting go of the gas pump perfectly so you end on a round number; When a baby falls asleep on you; Finally peeing after holding it forever; Pulling a weed and getting all the roots with it; Seeing old people holding hands; When your pet notices you're in a bad mood and comes to see you; When your windshield wipers match the beat of the song you're listening to; The smooth feeling of your teeth after you get your braces off; When the hiccups stop; Driving from a rough road to a smooth one; Puppy breath; When the houseguest leaves; When the person you're meeting is even later than you are; Getting the keys to your first apartment. There's even space for you to write your very own Awesome Things in the back. Because, couldn't we all use (even more) AWESOME!?

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This is one book that I am more than HAPPY to pay full price for the hardcover. While I am constantly reading the first book still (just can't get enough) I am looking forward to the new installment. So many stories hit home and conjure up pictures of the past... happy pictures!

Review: The Birth House

The Birth House by Ami McKay

Pages: 408
Published: 2006
Genre: Fiction, Historical Romance

My Rating: 4/5

Summary (from Chapters):

The Birth House is the story of Dora Rare, the first daughter to be born in five generations of Rares. As a child in an isolated village in Nova Scotia, she is drawn to Miss Babineau, an outspoken Acadian midwife with a gift for healing. Dora becomes Miss B.'s apprentice, and together they help the women of Scots Bay through infertility, difficult labours, breech births, unwanted pregnancies and even unfulfilling sex lives.

Review:

As with Water for Elephants, this book sat on my 'to-read' list way too long. After finally picking it up from the library, I almost returned it without reading because it just didn't appeal to me. However, I am so happy that I opted to read rather than return.

I loved how the author, Ami McKay, wrote this story. It amazes me to think that the story actually takes place in the early 1900's and during WWI. Other than when the story actually mentioned the war or the fact that there wasn't electricity, you wouldn't have known that it wasn't a modern day story.

Also, I really enjoyed reading about midwifery. I chose to have a 'modern' birth when I had my son (ie. hospital with doctors) but have heard of so many wonderful stories of the 'midwife experience'. By the end of The Birth House, midwifes were becoming extinct and doctors becoming the way of the world... nowadays, it seems as if things are moving back in the other direction as more and more people chose to use a midwife over a doctor for their birthing experience. If only the people of Scots Bay knew this, it would have saved so much trouble

Overall, The Birth House was a wonderful debut novel by a Canadian author. It is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a story about a mother struggle to choose between what everyone says is right and what she feels is right in her heart

Trailer: Something Borrowed

A true fan of chick-lit, I loved the 'Adventures of Darcy' series, Something Borrowed & Something Blue.


I am very excited to see Something Borrowed, by bestselling author, Emily Giffin, is now being made into a major motion picture of the same name, Something Borrowed. Starring Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin and John Krasinski, this should be a fun, romantic comedy great for those first-dates or a 'girls' night out'!! A definite must-see!!

April Book of the Month

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Read along or stand-by for my review later this month...