14 Audiobooks to listen to on a Road Trip

Happy Friday, and happy long weekend to my fellow Canadians!!! HAPPY CANADA DAY!!! This is my favourite holiday of the year (probably tied with Christmas though) and I can’t wait to celebrate our beautiful country by camping in a national park in the rain this weekend. LOL. (Cross your fingers for us that it will not rain!)

Today I’m happy to share the second post in a blog collaboration with Gina, Anne, Rachelle, and Kristen!! Here you’ll find 14 audiobook suggestions for a road trip (or for whenever really – I love listening to audiobooks all the time). Guys – you know I am hooked on audiobooks. I loved them as a kid, and I wish I had thought to use them more in university (especially for my Shakespeare course). I rely on them heavily these days to get through my TBR. The first audiobook I got on a free audible trial and listened to and got SUPER HOOKED in the past 5 years was The Martian – I still highly recommend that one but most people I know have read it.

A bunch of these are on Hoopla and if you haven’t tried out that app yet via your library, I can’t recommend it enough (mostly for audiobooks – I don’t love their interface for e-books). You get the book instantly and get it for 3 weeks! I get 5 books a month via my library and usually use up all of those “credits”.

Circe by Madeline Miller

I absolutely loved this book. I am familiar with The Odyssey and studied it briefly but have not read it so I wouldn’t say you need to know any of that to enjoy this. This was so fascinating, so captivating, and so much more likable than I ever could have expected. It could definitely be family friendly with older teenagers too, based on what I remember.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

This book was absolutely gripping and so heart-wrenching. The stories that Paul shares are inspiring. His views on life and death are so interesting and this book really made me think. The epilogue led to tears streaming down my face while driving. It was an incredible read and I would highly, highly recommend it. Just maybe not when driving through the city when you need to be able to see through your tears. 😉

Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge

This audiobook is on hoopla and the narrator is FANTASTIC. I loved it. The two main characters are American and French, and the French parts were so well done (it all was, but that in particular). It’s also pretty short. I hesitate to say much about this book because the ending was spoiled for me and I’d hate for that to happen to others…although there are some trigger warnings, in my opinion.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

I enjoyed the full-cast performance of this audiobook immensely. The story itself was also very good and I liked it a lot. Katsa and Po were great characters, and the whole Graceling realm is very interesting. I would absolutely consider this to be an “approachable” fantasy book if that’s something you’re interested in. It is also on Hoopla and would be family friendly for older kids, I think – it’s YA but there is some romance too.

A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie

I keep meaning to continue this series past the second one because it’s really good on audio and also (again) on Hoopla. This was a mystery that I couldn’t quite figure out. LOVED the characters though and the British setting (always a plus for me in my reading life – give me a book set in Britain and I’ll usually be a bit drawn to it for some reason).

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

I adored every little bit of this book, especially on audio. I do have a slight thought though that maybe this is a good book to listen to in the summer. I sent it to both of my grandmothers after reading it, thinking they would also love it, and one of them did adore it – the other found it too depressing for the winter months when she is living alone. There are some sad aspects to this book, but it is ultimately hopeful, funny, and thought-provoking, in MY opinion. And again, it’s on Hoopla, so what are you waiting for?!

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

This super fun Sherlock retelling with Sherlock as a woman was so fun to listen to, and it’s the first in a series!! It reminds me a little bit of the Veronica Speedwell books, which I adore. It’s on Hoopla too 🙂

Still Life by Louise Penny

It’s pretty much impossible for me not to mention this Canadian gem of a series – one of my most beloved series of all time!! The narrator for the first 11 books of the Chief Inspector Gamache series is quite wonderful. This first book seems to be on hoopla. I really believe this series needs to be read in order but the books get infinitely better around book 4. Most Louise Penny fans would agree with this statement. I have listened to bits and pieces of all of the books via the library but mostly read them in print. Still, I can vouch for the audio and I know a lot of fans who prefer the books this way! Her writing is quite lyrical so it lends itself well to audiobook format. The first in the series (this one) is on Hoopla 🙂

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

This audiobook, narrated by the author, is so well told and beyond interesting. Trevor Noah makes his childhood humorous, and I would highly recommend this book if you are looking to just get a different point of view on what it might have been like to grow up in a country very different from any in the western world.

A few books for the whole family (all ages):

The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson

We listened to a bunch of these books on summer road trips when I was a kid and years later, the narration is still JUST as enjoyable. So funny and fun to listen to, even as an adult.

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

I listened to this as a kid and listened again on a recent road trip with my kids and we all loved it.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

So here’s a little story. I read this as a kid, loved the movie, and then went to read it to my daughter a couple of years ago and found the language REALLY HARD TO READ. It is wacky!!! The audiobook is the way to go with this one. I’ve previewed the Kate Winslet version and that one is on our list for this summer. I expect it to be wonderful and then we will watch the movie as a family 🙂

For the whole family maybe ages 8+

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

This is one of my favourite books of all time and Rachel McAdams’ narration is absolutely fantastic. I absolutely adored this on audio. It is appropriate for any age but the ending (no spoilers) might be a bit hard for anyone younger than about 6-7-8 and the language is that of a classic, so maybe best suited for not the earliest listeners.

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

The concept of this book is wonderful – it is basically about a game that involves geocaching using books. It sounds super fun. The setting and characters in this book are great and although the mystery part of it might be a bit scary for younger readers (I was definitely a little surprised at how intense things got towards the end), it all works out. I intend to continue the series!!

Any audiobooks to add?!? Do you like reading with your ears, or are they just not for you? I just finished listening to Becoming, which is narrated by Michelle Obama, and it was incredible if you’re looking for a HUGE bestseller to try on audio 🙂

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14 Page-Turner books to read this summer!

I’m delighted today to be participating in this mini blog collaboration with Gina, Rachelle, Anne, and Kristen!! Today we’re all sharing some pageturners to read this summer due to the fact that many of us voracious readers get asked for book recommendations around this time of the year. We’ll all have another post up next Friday, so watch for that one too!! Definitely check out their posts linked below for more summer reading recommendations. I’m going to share 14 books for 14 Things Friday 🙂

For me, a pageturner doesn’t have to be a thriller, even though that’s the first genre that comes to mind when I think of that word. I’ve tried to include a mix of genres in my list today and some older books too that might be easy to pick up on sale on Amazon or without waiting too long in the holds line at the library.

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This was my first Taylor Jenkins Reid book and stillllll might maybe be my favourite?! I’m not sure. I listened to this book and I could NOT listen fast enough. The basic premise here is that a woman’s husband is presumed missing, so after a few years, she eventually moves on, but then when she is engaged, her husband re-surfaces. I could not IMAGINE what it would be like to be in this situation. This is a perfect, perfect summer beach read that you should definitely pick up if you haven’t already. Taylor Jenkins Reid can really do no wrong, in my mind, and I’ve found all of her books highly readable.

Lies by T.M. Logan

I’d never read anything by this author but this book was quite an intense “ahhh what the heck is going on here?” type of book that I know many of us like to turn to in the summer. I truly felt for the main character here who was quite naïve but that seemed to suit him well. This was fast-paced and though it wouldn’t be SUPER hard to figure out the ending, I didn’t. Bonus: He has a new book coming out this fall!!

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

For a turn in the complete opposite direction, this is a fairytale retelling of Beauty and the Beast and I devoured this in 3 days despite my real life being insanely busy and this book being 470 pages long. This was highly readable and so interesting – AND it’s the first in a series (but the second one isn’t out yet, so don’t get TOO excited).

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

I loved this book and I still think about it all the time even though I read it 4 years ago!!! I need to re-read it sometime. This is a slow-burn story with some cringe-worthy moments but it has such a unique storyline and it was impossible to put down, in my experience.

Normal People by Sally Rooney

This is one of the only books I’ve ever read that I put down after finishing it and thought, Hmm. Did I love that or hate it?! I couldn’t put my thoughts on it together. Now that it’s been a month or two since I’ve read it, I have thought about it off and on and although I didn’t LOVE the characters here, I did like this book a lot. It was a fast read and I couldn’t put it down, even though I also can’t say that the plot is really fast-paced. It’s hard to describe, but just know that it might hook you in quickly and you might just want to follow the two main characters over the course of several years of ups and downs. You might even be unsure whether you like it or hate it, like me.

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

This is an overly emotional contemporary romance that just came out recently and I had been eagerly anticipating it for months. It did not fall too short of my expectations, I have to say. I couldn’t flip these pages fast enough. This is THE book to read this summer if this is a genre you enjoy. It is not as light-hearted as it might seem, however!!

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks

This was quite the thrilling ride!! I felt for the main character throughout this book and I really felt like the plot moved quickly and there were some twists. I still haven’t picked up their first book, but I will someday!

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

After starting this, I was entirely unable to put it down until I found out what happened. The characters were interesting and I really liked the way it was told in multiple POVs. Highly recommend if you are looking for a YA thriller. I think I maybe preferred her second book, which just came out this year, but might be harder to get at the library 🙂 They are standalone books though!

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms

This book came recommended on a podcast that I love, and then the cover won me over. It was SO good!! There were some VERY funny moments. It was definitely slightly predictable at times but not too much, in my opinion. I couldn’t stop reading it – Amy’s adventures in the city were so fun. I loved all of the side characters like her friends and her children, too. This is my desired type of summer read, not TOO fluffy, but not hard to read either.

The Other Girl by Erica Spindler

This book definitely held my interest and is mostly what I want out of the suspense genre. It was fast-paced and I did not figure it out. 2 years later though, it’s pretty forgettable, unfortuantely… so it might not be my # 1 recommendation although it is on hoopla!

Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center

Anyone who knows me knows that I love this book. At one point I owned 5 copies of it and I gave four of them away to people who I felt needed to read it. I re-read this book just last month and it was every bit as good as I remembered. It takes place in the summertime, so it feels like a perfect summer read. It has undertones of finding yourself, living your best life, rebuilding yourself after your life doesn’t go the way you’d hoped, and there is a lot of friendship, family talk, and a smidge of swoon-worthy romance (though it is not a steamy book). I love it SO much and cannot ever recommend it enough.

The Huntress by Kate Quinn

I listened to this and found it quite captivating and a bit creepy. It was well-done historical fiction and I think I liked it better than The Alice Network, though I did really enjoy that too.

Fatal Affair by Marie Force

Wow, this was a fun start to a very long series. This romantic suspense book reminds me a bit of Julie James’ FBI/US Attorney series or Sandra Brown’s books or maybe even a bit of James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club series. If you like any of those (or if you haven’t read them, I recommend them too!), this would be a good one to pick up! It was definitely suspenseful but not scary and the romance was gooood. This entire series is on hoopla, so very easily accessible.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

I read this book as an ARC with no expectations and I still recommend it at least once a month to someone, somewhere. I have never read a book that gave me the reading experience that this one did. It was incredible and if you haven’t read it yet, PLEASE do!!! It is unlike anything else I’ve read, even by this author. The sequel was also incredible, in my opinion. This is not a light-hearted read either, however, and a friend of mine in real life actually had to put it down because it was too intense. It might not be a beach read, but maybe it’s a beer on a rainy day read? Or something? To each his own, but I wish everyone I know would read this.

Honourable mentions: If you (for some reason) have not yet picked up Big Little Lies or What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty do yourself a favour and read those IMMEDIATELY. I also found The Husband’s Secret particularly unputdownable.

Do you have any good books to add to this list??? I could use a couple of good pageturners to read this summer – couldn’t we all??

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Recent Reads

Linking up today with Steph and Jana to talk about some of the books I’ve read lately. I hit my mid-year Goodreads goal of 100 books on July 2, so I am super excited about that! Half of them have been fluffier easy reads, but I have enjoyed reading so many books this year and having people to chat about them with. I think I might need to dial it back a bit this summer but I don’t mind!!

I am not sharing all the books I read here anymore, but I do post about them on Goodreads 🙂 I read a random assortment of books this month and none of them are over the top recommendations, but you might find something that interests you here 🙂

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I started this once and ended up putting it down because I wasn’t in a YA mood. The second time I picked it up, I loved it. Can’t wait for the movie and now I need to get to the others in the series. It is VERY YA but very sweet and the family dynamics are adorable.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was on the fence about whether I liked this book the entire time I was listening to it. It was SO sad and disheartening in a lot of ways. It was hard to read. It was well written and intense, but it was SO hard to read at times. I can see in some ways how it would be worth the read, and maybe I read it at the wrong time or something but it felt extremely heavy to me. It did make me think a bit about parenting though…

Kiss of the Spindle by Nancy Campbell Allen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Absolutely loved this…I think I possibly loved it more than Beauty and the Clockwork Beast which I also really enjoyed. The characters in this Sleeping Beauty steampunk retelling were SO likable and fun and highly readable. Sleeping Beauty is not my favourite fairytale and I still absolutely adored this retelling. I highly recommend if you like proper romance or steampunk but it is a bit of an acquired taste, maybe. 🙂 Thank you to Edelweiss & Shadow Mountain Publishing for the advanced readers copy of this lovely book.

The Girl in Times Square by Paullina Simons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was on my TBR for AGES because Kristen had rated it 5 stars almost 10 years ago. haha. I was super intrigued by her rating and figured this book would be really good. It was really good and it certainly held my interest throughout. My only complaint was that it was INSANELY long and it felt like I just wanted to figure out what was going on. It didn’t feel long while I was reading it, but I just wanted to get to the end. So I guess it was a bit of a practice in delayed gratification? haha. I guess I want my thrillery-what’s-going-on-here books to be more around 300 pages, but that’s my problem. 🙂 Really enjoyed a few of the characters in this book, despised others, but overall I am really glad I finally had the chance to read it.

Sting by Sandra Brown
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was my first Sandra Brown book (shocking, I know!) but she is very familiar to me because my mom has probably read almost all of her books. I like this genre in the summertime – romantic suspense, I guess? This book was good, but not my favourite. I will definitely pick up a few of her others though. I didn’t see a few of the twists coming.

Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies about Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be by Rachel Hollis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked the format of this book and it is definitely one of the more motivating I’ve read in this genre. Her story is definitely inspiring and I like that she wrote this book from a place of vulnerability. I don’t always have the attention span for these self-help motivational books despite loving the concept behind them, but this one really held my interest (and it was relatively short and to the point, which was a huge bonus).

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is getting a ton of hype this summer for good reason! I really loved this one – super fun characters, great pace, great chemistry – loved Stella and her personality and her interesting job. Michael was great too as the male lead – very different from others I’ve read lately, so that was quite refreshing. I listened to this and I think I would have enjoyed it a bit more in print but I *couldn’t* wait that long to get it from the library!! I will absolutely be buying this sometime.

A few romances I enjoyed this month:

Grin & Beard it and Beard Science by Penny Reid for the Reid-Alongs in anticipation of the next Winston Brothers book coming out in July!
Blush for Me & The Beauty of Us by Kristen Proby
One & Only and It Takes Two by Jenny Holiday (thank you, Netgalley! FUN Canadian author alert!!!)

I need to expand my horizons a bit and I also want to get back into audiobooks – I let that slide a bit this month but I am antsy for a good one!!! Any recommendations? 😉

CURRENTLY READING: All Your Perfects (my first Colleen Hoover book), and I need to start something else today… probably One of us is Lying because it is due back to the library soon!

10 books on my Spring TBR

At the end of 2017, I made a new shelf on Goodreads called TBR-2018. I turn to this shelf any time I’m not sure what to read next, and it also includes books on my shelves that I haven’t read yet (and books on my kindle that I forget about, honestly). I have gotten into a “bad habit” of seeing a review of a book on Instagram or a blog or Goodreads and instantly going to request it from the library right away (and then suspending it so all my holds don’t come in at once). Sometimes I get holds in from the library and I don’t even remember why I thought I wanted to read that book. I’m trying now to just add them to my Goodreads TBR categories and sort those out every once in awhile instead of having all the books come in at once from the library. I’m trying to remind myself that those books will always be there!!! 😉 (Netgalley is just as bad for this).

ANYWAY…I have a few more library books to read and then I am suspending some holds and taking a month or two to read books on my kindle shelf and my shelf at home. Here are a few books on my spring TBR list (linking up with The Artsy Reader Girl today for Top Ten Tuesday):

I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes – a few online bookish friends have RAVED about this book and I borrowed it from my parents probably a year ago and haven’t gotten to it yet. It sounds intense and fast-paced.

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton – My parents bought me this book for Christmas 12 years ago when it came out and I still haven’t read it. I’ve read and enjoyed The Secret Keeper and The Distant Hours by Kate Morton, but her books require a big time commitment so I’ve shied away from them sometimes.

Get Lucky by Katherine Center – I’ve had this on my kindle for over a year and I love her other books so this one should be good too. I think I only have this one and one other to go before I finish her backlist.

A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab Kristen was kind enough to mail me this a SUPER long time ago and again, I just need to commit the time to it because I have heard that the ending to this trilogy is amazing.

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman – I had been stalking Netgalley several times a week to see when this book would be on there and then they e-mailed it to me and it was one of the best days ever. I loved Beartown, and this one sounds excellent too. (Comes out June 5)

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory – waiting for this one to come in at the library before I suspend holds…I have heard mostly wonderful reviews of this new release

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy – I’m planning to listen to the Maggie Gyllenhaal narration of this one on Audible. I have tried to read War and Peace at least 10 times with no success but I have heard this work of Tolstoy’s is a bit more approachable and the audio version feels like the way to go 🙂

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery (re-read) – I haven’t read this in quite a few years and I am going to listen to Rachael McAdam’s narration this time.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (re-read) – I want to listen to the audio version of this before seeing the movie in May – CAN’T WAIT to see the movie fyi 😉 The trailer is here. It looks SO GOOD!!!

You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld – I have this one from Netgalley and though I haven’t read much of her work (only Eligible, which I loved), I look forward to this one.

Have you read any of these? What else should I add? I have a TBR list a mile long so this is just some of the many books I’ll read this spring, I’m sure! 🙂

Show us your Books March 2018

Yay, book chat day!! 🙂 We went without internet ALL weekend after a cable got disconnected during a snowstorm last week so I am rushing to get this posted today. My reading life has been all over the place – I’ve been trying to keep up with Netgalley and Erin’s challenge and books I have anticipated for months, but I also find myself craving some fluffy happily ever after stories on weekends when I’m relaxing. It’s a mix!

I can’t wait to see what everyone has been reading. Linking up today with Steph and Jana, our amazing hostesses 🙂 Here are a few books I read in the past month or so since the last link up:

HIGHLY RECOMMEND:

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This book comes out May 15. I had extremely high expectations for this book because I absolutely adored Happiness for Beginners and though I haven’t read all of Katherine Center’s books yet, I have enjoyed many of the others as well. This book was just as great as I expected it to be. I think it claims my second spot out of her books because I just have such a strong adoration for Happiness for Beginners but this was still so great.

I am not ashamed to admit that I read it in one sitting on a rainy Sunday evening and loved every minute of it. It was more emotional (for me, at least) than Happiness for Beginners because the reality that the main character finds herself in is so devastating and hope seems to falter for quite a bit there.

As with many of her books, I loved the cast of characters. Her writing is so great and I found myself laughing and crying and deeply rooting for the characters. And of course, I was quite happy with the ending and all the feels 🙂

I will absolutely be re-reading this one and adding a paper copy to my bookshelf in addition to this advanced copy provided to me by St. Martins Press and Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book and share my opinions before its May publication – I follow Katherine Center on Instagram and I had been following her progress with this novel and waiting with bated breath to have these words in my life.

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It feels like it’s been awhile since I read a psychological thriller after burning myself out on them a bit last year – but this one deserves all the hype. I spent most of the book not knowing exactly who or what to trust and the ending was particularly surprising to me – and intense too. The short chapters really make this one move quickly. I highly recommend this one if you like this genre – it was kind of a better version of The Girl on The Train (in my opinion) and the writing was very good.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This isn’t a popular opinion but this book was difficult to read. It took me forever because I just never connected with the overall story and the format. However, I did enjoy many of the stories and the writing was wonderful…it just wasn’t enough to hold my interest over other books. I do think this is an important book and I’m glad I read it, but it was difficult to connect with because I would just be getting into a character and then their story was over. (Read for “home in the title” category for Erin’s challenge).

Leaving Everest by Megan Westfield
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After loving Lessons in Gravity last year, I was really excited to see that Megan Westfield had a new book coming out. I was a bit hesitant about this subject matter because Everest is soooo grandiose and the magnitude of the mountain and the survival skills required to summit it freak me out a little bit BUT I needn’t fear because this book made me really appreciate and love the Everest life. Emily and Luke and the supporting characters were so fun to read about and I had read 60% of this book without even realizing it. I happily finished it off the next morning and am now looking forward to revisiting it soon. It was also great to see a slight mention of April and Josh from Lessons in Gravity.

Again, I was reminded that I like the new adult genre quite a bit, especially when it is done well. Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with a copy of this for an honest review.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this audiobook and finished it quite quickly. It was a cute story about a 12 year old girl and her friends and there were elements of time travel, A Wrinkle in Time, learning about friendships and family, and some growing up. It was great.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This audiobook was incredible. Woodson’s storytelling is so riveting and it was a joy to listen to. I was completely invested in it and if anything, I wanted more. I think the format of this really lends itself well to an audiobook too – the poetic nature of the writing was a bit harder for me to read in print although it is still lovely. This had been on my TBR list for way too long (and in my audible queue) so I’m glad I finally made time for it.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow – this audiobook was fantastic. This book will stay with me for a long time. I loved the language, the description of Barcelona, the mysterious story, the sadness, the emotions, and the love of books. This is an incredible story even though it was very dark at times. It reminded me a bit of The Book Thief for some reason (although meant for an adult audience) and it also reminded me a bit of The Count of Monte Cristo though that could be because the audio narration felt similar.

STILL WORTH YOUR TIME:

Force of Nature by Jane Harper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After loving The Dry (like many – it was so popular last year it seemed!), I was anticipating this book and it was another good one. I didn’t love it as much as her first book but I still found her writing to be absolutely captivating and all-consuming, particularly her description of setting. I really had no idea how this book would resolve and the ending was fast-paced and page-turning. I really like Aaron Falk as a character too and hope we see more of him in her future work.

The Phantom’s Apprentice by Heather Webb
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am very familiar with the musical of The Phantom of the Opera but have not read the original book. I’d say this novel did a wonderful job of encompassing the story and adding to it as well. It took me awhile to get into, and made me realize that probably my favourite part of the Phantom of the Opera is the music, because other parts of it are creepy (a ghost?! a stalker crazy ghost in an old building?! ahhh). I did really like this book though and if you are a huge fan of the original story, this would be worth your time to consider. It’s still set in historical times but the story is told a bit more from Christine’s perspective.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sonnet Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel for review. It is now available.

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While I still appreciate and admire Agatha Christie’s writing and I like Poirot as a character, this was not as good as I expected it to be. The cast of characters here was just unlikable to me and I found myself not really caring what happened to anyone. The mystery itself was also predictable. (Read for “setting = transportation” category of Erin’s challenge).

By the Book by Julia Sonneborn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had been anticipating this book for months because I love Persuasion AND I am generally a huge fan of many Austen retellings. While this fell a little flat for me, I still liked it. There were certain parts about it that I decidedly DID NOT like at all, but the ending was good and the characters were good enough and there were some cute parts. I liked the university setting and the supporting characters too.

Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This was really cute. I wouldn’t classify it as a P&P retelling at all but I did enjoy the mention of the book a few times. Way less drama than P&P in my opinion. haha. Passed the time nicely. Very similar to Dating You/Hating You in a lot of ways.

Other books I read and enjoyed but don’t feel the need to discuss in extreme detail:

I went on an R.S. Grey binge towards the end of my Kindle Unlimited free month and read Anything You Can Do, The Foxe and the Hound, The Allure of Julian LeFray, and The Allure of Dean Harper. Anything You Can Do is likely one of my favourites of hers – I love that type of love story and it was well done and funny. The others were all good and as I’ve said before, her books are like sitting down to watch a romantic comedy in book form. Somewhat forgettable after the fact, but so enjoyable in that moment. I also read Living Out Loud and it was 3/5 stars for me – I can’t wait for the second part of this S&S retelling. I read this book in one day and while it wasn’t my favourite, it was still cute. I also read and enjoyed the first in a trilogy by Susannah Nix (contemporary romance) about women who work in scientific fields. It was funny and cute.

What have you been reading lately?

I’m currently reading:

Educated by Tara Westover

Re-reading:

First time reading the illustrated version! This is one of my favourites in the series so I am loving it.

The Best Books I Read in 2017 (SUYB link up!)

I’m here to (belatedly) link up with Steph & Jana to share the best books I read this year.

I read 39,597 pages across 118 books Img bookstack 360

I love all of the best-of lists that come out at this time of the year because I always end up adding tons of books to my TBR list and finding lots of new gems to check out next year.

I plan to post a bit of an analytical post about my reading life in 2017 early in January 2018 but I wanted to link up today with Steph and Jana for a December bonus Show us Your Books post with the best of 2017. I am sharing the best books I read this year whether they were published this year or not.

As usual, I gave a lot of 4 star reviews this year. I think I have gotten a bit stingier with 5 star reviews, but four stars feels like OMG I loved this book and it is highly likable and recommendable.

Here are the books I rated 5 stars and would highly HIGHLY recommend if they sound like something you’d like:

Beartown by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have thought of this book at least once a week since I read it, which is rare for me. I need to read it again sometime to absorb the story again. I am beyond excited that there will be a sequel coming out in mid 2018!!! This isn’t *really* a feel good book, but the writing was incredible, and I know it has been quite well-received this year so I’m sure this is not news to anyone but this book was SO, so good.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book. The audio was especially fantastic – I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed it as much in print. The narrator was wonderful. Loved all of the supporting characters and can definitely appreciate Ove’s views on life: simple and profound at the same time. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. I sent it to both of my grandmothers in the past few months, but I think it is great reading for anyone.

This one was also incredible in a completely different way:

Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There was so much that I wanted to highlight and re-read in this book. I loved all of these whimsical and interesting observations about the world. AKR’s writing is so positive and fun. I can’t wait to read her first memoir now.
Reading this book was quite bittersweet knowing that we will never read her beautiful words again.

Of course, I expected my beloved Louise Penny’s 2017 book Glass Houses to be awesome, and it was all that and more. The icing on the cake for that one was reading it early via Netgalley and then MEETING HER in person and getting my copy signed. ❤

Glass Houses by Louise Penny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Glass Houses was unbelievably good. The style was a bit different as many parts of it were told between two time periods (about 9 months apart so not a major time travel type book). As always, the residents of Three Pines featured prominently in the book, and there were a few newcomers too. Gamache’s character made some very tough decisions and some actions in this book that really caused me to pause and think. I don’t want to say much more about it but I do understand all of why it had to happen. All of the corruption in the past books really led up to the major plot in this particular story. I recommend this series ALL THE TIME, but start with book 1!!! It really hits its stride around book 4.

This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a story that needed to be told. As a mother and a wife, I absolutely loved this book. It was so uniquely told and the writing was fantastic. Favourite quote from the book: “If you give all your worry to one thing, soon you’ll realize that’s way too much and worry about it less and you’ll feel more in control of it for keeping it at the front of your mind and that will help you worry less too.”

Children’s/Middle Grade/YA that I really enjoyed:

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this beautiful book.

Emily of New Moon and A Wrinkle in Time were also two re-reads that I enjoyed profoundly on audio this year.

And here are a few 4-4.5 star books that I also loved:

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So cute. I actually read this book twice this year and bought it. One of my favourite YA reads ever. I also loved her other YA book which was new this year, entitled What to Say Next.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I fully expected this book to be incredible, and scientific, and intense, and it was all of those things and more. It was also a lot more heartfelt and hopeful than I expected. Some of it definitely went over my head, but I didn’t mind and felt like I “understood” it all enough to enjoy it immensely. The hype is real for this book.

A Thousand Letters by Staci Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this in one sitting and loved it. I enjoyed the Persuasion aspects of it, and I will absolutely be seeking out more books in her Austen adaptations series. Parts of this were absolutely heartbreaking and made me teary. Beautiful writing. Thanks Kristen for the recommendation!!!

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an extremely enjoyable reading experience. I read this book in one night because I loved it so much. I also thought about it all the next day. The characters were super fun. Definitely a wonderful addition to the romance genre.

A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell, #1)

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a fun book to read! Loved the characters, was quite invested in the story, and enjoyed the way it unfolded. Looking forward to continuing the series.

The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen Flynn
Born a Crime: Tales from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
The Lost Husband by Katherine Center – I love her books & can’t wait to read a new one in 2018!!
The Darker Shade of Magic series (I still have one more book to read in the trilogy)
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Books that were good and really, really made me think:

The Hate U Give – by Angie Thomas
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Count of Monte Cristo (no kidding – it consumed 4 months of my life/51 hours of audio)
The Casual Vacancy
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
The Crossover
Murder on the Orient Express

I also love that the first book I read this year was The Bookshop on the Corner and the last one I am hoping to finish up is How to Find Love in a Bookshop. 😉

I can’t wait to share more detailed stats in the new year!!! Check out what everyone else is recommending over at the link up (Thanks for hosting, as always, Steph & Jana!!!!)

What’s New – November recap

Time for another recap of the last month!! Linking up with Kristen and Gretch today for What’s New with you?

November flew right by, but we really weren’t “super busy” or anything, and when I went to look back on pictures, we didn’t do a ton of super exciting things. BUT that’s okay. I got a lot of our Christmas shopping done – and got the house prepped for the holidays although we didn’t decorate til this past weekend. I also read a lot of good books, Brian and I started a new show, and we had a date night out 🙂 Here are a few random pictures to share from the month:

We spent a fun weekend overnight at our friends’ house, and the girls loved it. We will probably see them again later this month before or after Christmas.

I read a lot of wonderful books that I can’t wait to talk about next week, including this one (Wishtree):

The girls wrote their letters to Santa and mailed them – they received letters back from Santa last week and they were SO excited. 😉

Brian and I went out for supper and saw Murder on the Orient Express, which I actually liked a lot more than the rest of the world, apparently. I agree that the book was better (isn’t it always though?!) but I still liked it, and I’m not even the world’s hugest Kenneth Branagh fan so that’s saying something too. I thought the visual aspects were quite well done.

We set up our Wii in the living room (it has been sitting in the basement unused for a couple of years) and tried to play Wii bowling with the kids – it didn’t end well but I think they are just a bit too young/too competitive. Lucy created her Mii that looks like this (because it is sunny and cold out, so she says)…haha

On Black Friday, we were driving down our street and someone had a HUGE dollhouse on the curb for garbage day. I was completely baffled but we decided to take it home. It’s in almost perfect shape and the girls are loving it – although they aren’t playing with it quite as much as I expected. It has since been moved from that corner but it is a permanent fixture in our living room now….

Honestly, not much else went on in November! We were able to see some of our friends and we have a few groups of friends going through some hard stuff these days so we’ve been trying to be there for all of them as much as possible. December is flying right by, as it always does, and I can’t wait for a wonderful Christmas season (and some time off work!) with our little family. My brother is coming for a visit for a week (CAN’T WAIT), and we will have lots of other family to visit with too. The girls are already pretty wound up and excited constantly, but that’s a children’s Christmas, right? 🙂 We also got to spend a lot of time with my adorable niece:

I’m also reading a lot of Austen retellings/adaptations this month!! I hope to share more about this next week but I was really just craving these types of stories and I’m happy to be spending her birthday month reading (very loosely adapted) stories 🙂

What’s new with you lately??

What’s New and Exciting over here

Completely unedited sunrise this morning from my back deck 🙂

Since I missed the last link up with Kristen and Gretch, I knew I wanted to be sure to post this month, even if I am a day late linking up!!! August and September are always extremely busy months in our family and this year was no exception. Sometimes I’m just a bit too busy living life to blog about it, haha 😉 Instead of recapping the last couple of months, I’m going to do a general update on some things that are currently new and exciting via some photos.

Fall has arrived in Nova Scotia – last week it was 30°C on Tuesday and 10°C on Wednesday and pouring rain on Thursday. The wind is getting chillier and the humidity is gone. I’m not complaining. I love fall. I feel SO much happier walking/running/playing outside in the fall than in the heat of summer, and I feel like I have a bit more energy or something too. It’s been nice!!

Of course, Molly started back at school this month and also turned 6! Lucy started preschool two mornings a week. She loves it.

We are getting into the routine of working part-time. My three year old is having a LOT of extra mommy time, and she is loving it. She is constantly cuddling with me every single time she sees me and I love her for it – no one else in my family is very cuddly. haha. My 6 year old is feeling a bit left out since she’s at school when I’m home with Lucy, but we are working on making our time together more special too. Last week, I took both of them to a nearby petting zoo and playground and they LOVED it.

I am HIGHLY enjoying taking a French course for work. My professor is enthusiastic, energetic, and quite funny. It’s beginner level, and a review of the exact same course that I took in 2014 but I am enjoying being immersed in this language for 3 hours/week. If you’re looking to spend a bit of time learning a new language, I can’t recommend the app Duolingo enough. It is really fun and doesn’t take long to make progress!!

We have tried tons and tons of new recipes this month because Brian has jumped on the low carb high fat train with me. I am feeling quite a bit more motivated and successful having him change his eating habits too. For him, it has really involved drinking less beer and less treats, so it’s not super deprivation or anything but we have obviously indulged in a treat or two here or there. A few favourite recipes that I hope to share soon include pad thai made with cabbage noodles, spaghetti squash alfredo with chicken, and a delicious fall soup.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading and I can’t wait to chat books next Tuesday. I am working on a new balance because I certainly don’t get tons of reading done on the days I am home with the kids now, but we have been plowing through some audiobooks so I’m content with that new normal. For awhile there, I really felt like I had to listen to a particular genre on audio (i.e. classics, non fiction, etc) and while I still prefer those overall, I am enjoying pretty much anything I can get my hands on on audio now. Also just listened to Deadly Manners this week with Kristen Bell and it is intriguing so far! Definitely check it out if you are looking for a fun murder mystery podcast. It reminds me a bit of Clue.

We went to Antigonish to visit my grandmother last weekend and celebrated my 10 year university homecoming at St. FX. It was great to see a few friends and be around the campus and see family too. This weekend is Canadian thanksgiving, so we have Monday off work and we are spending a lot of time with extended family all weekend. Can’t wait! The leaves are changing colour and the province looks absolutely beautiful at this time of year.

Hope you all have a great weekend!!!

What’s New: July recap

I feel like I say this every month, but July was a BUSY month!! haha. Really though, summer is always a bit busier than winter for us. We have soccer, Brian has baseball, and more friends want to get together. (I love it!!) Linking up with Kristen and Gretch to talk about what’s new lately!!

In July, we were also super fortunate that my brother and his girlfriend came to visit for a week from Calgary to celebrate my mom’s birthday! It was great to see them, and it was the first time Brian and my girls had met my brother’s girlfriend so that was special. We spent lots of time with them despite them staying at my parent’s house 30 minutes away and working a lot of the week. Another great thing that happened this month was that my sister, brother-in-law, and niece moved to the city! They are only about 10 minutes away from us, so it’s been great to see them more often and for my daughters to nurture their bond with their younger cousin.

Here are a few pictures from our month:

We celebrated Canada Day with some friends and it was great! Didn’t end up seeing any fireworks, but our kids are at a not-so-good age for that anyway. The day off work was certainly appreciated too.

My brother arrived a few days later, and we got some family photos taken while he was here, including this one of my little foursome:

Photo credit: Chantal Davie Photography

I had the opportunity to hear my cousin’s celtic string quartet one lunch hour

And got to spend lots of time with my favourite younger bro:

We spent an afternoon babysitting my niece, in which I realized that I am absolutely 100% satisfied with having 2 children:

The weekend after my brother left, we went camping for the first time with the girls and with some friends. It was wonderful, overall. The campground is 100% geared towards families and it has an outdoor pool, a huge playground, and an inflatable air pillow (pretty crazy). We had a campfire, and some drinks, and got dirty. It was also Water War weekend, so we went on a wagon ride and got totally completely soaked ( hoses, rubbermaid containers of water, and crying children)…it was kind of intense?!?! After we dried off, we were much better off. The girls slept pretty well, Brian and I did not, but we survived our first night in a tent as a family!!!

Here’s a view of the campground with the slip n slide set up and the inflatable pillow in the background:

A couple days after camping, Molly lost her first tooth when she spent the day with Brian’s parents!! It was so exciting for her. She actually somehow lost the tooth WHILE my mother in law was reading a book about the tooth fairy. LOL. It was fate. She was a bit freaked out but mostly excited.

My awesome hubby and I got to go on a random Tuesday night date out for sushi and to see The Big Sick (which I cannot recommend enough – I laughed so hard at some parts and cried a bit at others). Definitely go see that movie if you can!! It was worth it, in my opinion.

And on the last weekend of July, we went to see the Tall Ships in Halifax and got to hear Natalie MacMaster playing with Symphony Nova Scotia (this was amazing). It was a great atmosphere down on the waterfront despite being EXTREMELY crowded. Such a great way to end off the month. I was pretty tired the next day though 😉

Also read a bunch of awesome books this month which I will talk about next Tuesday and got to spend a bunch of time with friends and family. All in all, an amazing summer month. Gorgeous weather, wonderful people, and August is going to be amazing too. It’s my birthday month and we are taking a 12 day vacation to Toronto Ontario to visit family and see Coldplay and go to the Toronto ZOO. So excited 🙂

What’s new with you lately?!?!?

What’s New: Summer time :)

It’s time to recap the month of June here on the blog. Linking up today with the lovely Kristen & Gretch for What’s New With You?

{bonfire on the beach}

Things have been a bit quiet here for a bit – life has been busy and we’ve been soaking up the summer!!! I have about 10 posts half drafted that I want to share soon though 🙂

In June, Brian and I enjoyed a wonderful weekend away to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. It was relaxing, quiet, and fun too. I think it was the longest we have both left the kids but they were obviously fine and spent one night with my parents and one night with Brian’s mom at our house. It was perfect. 🙂 We are thinking of doing it once a year because it was really a great chance to reconnect and recharge.

We also celebrated Brian’s birthday and Father’s Day, spent a bunch of time with my family, and work was insane for me. I didn’t get through nearly as many books as I would’ve liked and I am still feeling super overtired, but it is getting better now that things have slowed down.

The girls started soccer (Lucy’s first year playing!!). Molly plays U6 Monday and Wednesday nights and this is her first year in which parent participation isn’t called for – although we do have to be present (obviously). Lucy is in U3 and parent involvement is pretty intense, especially if you are a helicopter parent like Brian thinks I am. Oops. Haha.

Brian had to take a work trip the last week of June, which was exhausting, and he’s away again this week but coming home tonight (thank goodness). Solo parenting is not easy (not that I ever thought it was, haha).

Other than that, we’ve just been spending time outside, organizing the house, and barbecuing!! Loving the summer. July is going to be a great month – my brother is visiting from Calgary with his girlfriend, we’re having a huge party for my mom’s birthday, and we have some fun weekends planned!! Can’t wait.

What’s new with you lately?!