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Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson

It has been quite a while since I picked up a WWII novel, maybe even years, so I was unsure how I’d feel about returning to this time in historical fiction.

This one was fantastic, and I’m so glad I listened to it. The narration wasn’t my favourite, some of the accents were distracting, but it did captivate me through my entire drive home from BC yesterday! The story is unique to other WWII novels I’ve read, revolving around a youngItalian Jewish woman who hides in plain sight as a farmer’s new wife. I loved the farmer’s family and the perspective of the main character being forced into this new life.

The story was beautiful, heartbreaking and completely consuming. I highly recommend it.

#ourdarkestnight #reading #bookish #bookreview

House of Salt and Sorrow by Erin A Craig

I have complicated feelings with this one. I think it’s my own fault really, I tend to go into books relatively blind and I definitely made assumptions about this one. It leaned a bit too far into horror for me, and I got frustrated.

It’s the story of a family that seems to be cursed after several of the sisters die. Our main character starts investigating and is caught up in a world of secrets, tricksters and nightmares. Unfortunately I found the confusing is it madness or is it not storyline to be irritating. I did like the characters and there were parts that really captivated me, the setting was fantastic. But ultimately I ended the book still confused and underwhelmed.

I do already own the second book, so I’ll give it a shot since I’m invested now and it doesn’t centre around my favourite character, the youngest sister Verity!

#bookthoughts #booknotes #reading #bookreview #bookish

More Confessions of a Forty Something F**k Up by Alexandra Potter

Picking this book up was like finally having coffee with a best friend you haven’t seen in a while. I immediately fell back into Nell’s life and was eager to find out how her and all her friends were doing.

Book one ended with Nell launching a successful podcast and starting a relationship with her room mate. This book shows us what relationships are like after the first kiss, and how life is still messy and confusing even when it looks like it’s coming together. It was just as hilarious and endearing as the first. I would like a third please!

Honestly what stuck with me the most in this book were the friendships and how amazing of a friend Nell is. Never judgemental, always there, always loyal and meets her friends where they are. As a mom of 4, who had her kids young, there was nothing I appreciated more than the friends who stuck around and just met me in what I was capable of doing at the time (might be joining me at a sports game instead of going out for dinner downtown). This is Nell, so many friends that she prioritizes and is simply accepting of.

Although witty and fun, this book also deals with cancer, grief, and life changing mistakes and decisions. All balanced in a beautiful way.

If you started a podcast what would it be called?

#reading #bookish #alexandrapotter

Rites of the Starling by Devney Perry

This series has completely captivated me. I absolutely loved Shield of Sparrows, and this book, the second in a trilogy, accomplished the incredibly difficult task of matching the first book’s level of excellence.

Not only did it bring in new storylines, and successfully integrated major new characters, but it also developed the story in such a unique, emotional and engaging way. I love the monsters, love the mysteries, and can’t stop thinking about this world even though I finished the book days ago. I really loved the new characters. Caspia was intriguing, and I absolutely loved her backstory. I didn’t trust Andreas throughout, but he really tried to win me over and just about succeeded. I did not see their plot twists coming, and there is something so delicious in being genuinely surprised.

If anything, I wanted more from Ransom and Odessa; I would have loved more from Ransom’s point of view! But their storylines also felt so genuine and strategic to the overall story. Honestly, I can’t rave about these enough. I love everything about them.

What’s the last series that you loved?

#shieldofsparrows #ritesofthestarling #devneyperry #reading #bookish

Our Guncle by Steven Rowley and illustrated by Eda Kaban

I, along with everyone I know, absolutely loved The Guncle. I was so excited to get my hands on this picture book version for my kiddos. It had all the charm and heart of the novel in a kid friendly voice.

Although fun, it also deals with grief and sadness. It follows the kids as their Guncletries to cheer them up, but sometimes, when grief is involved, ice cream or the zoo doesn’t do the trick.

My daughter really loved this one. A well balanced and sweet story for our collection. Thank you to @penguinrandomca and @putnambooks for our copy!

#ourguncle #guncle #stevenrowley #raisingreaders #kidsbookstagrammer

Our Guncle by Steven Rowley and illustrated by Eda Kaban

I, along with everyone I know, absolutely loved The Guncle. I was so excited to get my hands on this picture book version for my kiddos. It had all the charm and heart of the novel in a kid friendly voice.

Although fun, it also deals with grief and sadness. It follows the kids as their Guncletries to cheer them up, but sometimes, when grief is involved, ice cream or the zoo doesn’t do the trick.

My daughter really loved this one. A well balanced and sweet story for our collection. Thank you to @penguinrandomca and @putnambooks for our copy!

#ourguncle #guncle #stevenrowley #raisingreaders #kidsbookstagrammer

Our Guncle by Steven Rowley and illustrated by Eda Kaban

I, along with everyone I know, absolutely loved The Guncle. I was so excited to get my hands on this picture book version for my kiddos. It had all the charm and heart of the novel in a kid friendly voice.

Although fun, it also deals with grief and sadness. It follows the kids as their Guncletries to cheer them up, but sometimes, when grief is involved, ice cream or the zoo doesn’t do the trick.

My daughter really loved this one. A well balanced and sweet story for our collection. Thank you to @penguinrandomca and @putnambooks for our copy!

#ourguncle #guncle #stevenrowley #raisingreaders #kidsbookstagrammer

An amazing afternoon spent at the @calgaryreadsbigbooksale Spread the Words event!

I was so lucky to be able to shop this incredible sale a day before it’s open to the public. It is overwhelming in the best way. Thousands of books and a huge room full of readers making recommendations and searching through the stacks. My idea of a perfect afternoon. The selection this year is incredible! Make a plan to stop by, you will not leave empty handed.

A lot of the adult books are just $4-$6 and most children’s books are only $2. Proceeds support organizations doing the important work of helping children become stronger readers!

Calgary Curling Club
May 8-17 (May 8, 9 & 10 by appointment)

Thank you for having me @calgaryreadsbigbooksale!

What’s the last book you bought? My haul is at the end!

#calgaryreadsbigbooksale
#calgaryreads #yycreads #yycbookstagram
#yycevents

Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Brammer

I truly loved the Collected Regrets of Clover, so was delighted to get early copies of this author’s newest! This one centres around Joy, an 89 year old woman who is at a bit of a crossroads. Tired of always following the rules, people pleasing, and making herself small, she starts to take risks and reflect on both her long life and the life she still wants to live.
The pacing was slow and a bit meandering, still, I was never bored and really enjoyed Joy’s perspective and the way she moved through her experiences. It’s an insightful look at marriage, grief, motherhood and powerful friendships.

Definitely a book that I think I enjoyed more because of the audio. It was a lovely story to listen to, and it really made me connect with the main character. It was like listening to my beloved grandmother tell a story.

Thank you to @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for my early copies!

#reading #audiobooks #listentobooks #macmillanaudio canadianbookstagrammer

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune

Carley Fortune is the queen of a Canadian summer romance, and we all already know this book will be THE book of the summer. I do love her writing and style, the settings play such an important role. I have spent many hours wandering the coast of Vancouver Island, and I really loved the descriptions and the adventures the characters went on. It had me itching to get back to the ocean.

I think this book falls a bit lower in my overall ranking of her books. But I think it’s mainly a me issue. I just don’t love a friends-to-lovers trope. Especially when it’s such a cemented-in-childhood friendship like this one was. I find prolonged pining frustrating, and adult friendships like this unrealistic. Also, some aspects really had my eyes wanting to roll, specifically the tattoos.

Did I still fly through this one this weekend?

Absolutely.

It is bingeable, funny and romantic, just a tad sappy to make it a favourite.

I really liked the supporting plot elements and the side characters. The 2023 wildfires destroyed the town next to where this photo was taken, on the north shore of Shuswap, and I appreciated the spotlight on that disastrous summer.

Thank you to @penguinrandomca and @vikingbooks for my early copy, it’s out tomorrow!

#reading #bookreview #bookish #mybooknotes #canadianbookstagrammer

A Wild Radiance by Maria Ingrande Mora

What a unique YA dystopian! Josephine has just graduated her academy and is ready to work for the progression of society as a generator, a job for those who wield radiance, an electricity like magic. She is sent to a far village where life is not as simple as she would have hoped.

I really enjoyed how this story played out. Nothing was ever as it seemed! Josephine was a fantastic main character, who didn’t fit into any boxes. The other characters surprised and delighted, while grounding the plot and giving Josephine a safe space to land.

I had such a great reading month, so many fantastic books, and this one wrapped up the month perfectly. What was your last book of April?

Thank you to @peachtreeteen for my copy!

#reading #awildradiance #bookish #bookreview #mybooknotes

The Amazing Generation by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price

I saw an interview recently, I believe with Hugh Grant of all people, about how phones and screen time are not only removing the joy from childhood but parenting as well. Isn’t that the truth? The constant battle of keeping up with it, the rules that need to be made and updated, the monitoring, the fights about what other kids get to do. It’s completely exhausting. As a mom of 4, aged 8-18, with anxiety disorders and neurodivergence sprinkled between them, keeping up with it all is overwhelming and deeply concerning.

I believe the best way to win this battle is to have the kids be informed. I try to never say no without a valid reason and explanation. The best arguments are won with evidence and reasoning and this book is the exact tool to help with this.

I made my 12 year old and 10 year old read it entirely (with the help of bribes I’ll be honest). They both got sucked into it quickly and brought up some interesting points that stuck with them. Taya found the point about how the leaders of these tech and social giants don’t let their kids use them to be interesting and the quotes from real kids who regret their time on social media. Finn liked the charts about how your daily screen time amount equals up to months of your year! Also the explanations about how fomo is created from being online, but also literally created from being online vs participating in other activities.

This book has well balanced story telling. It doesn’t come off as preachy. It’s not just yelling at the kids to get off screens, but instead explains all the elements to be wary of in a well researched and easy to understand way.

If you’ve stuck with me this far into the review, I’m curious what kind of screen rules you have in your house? Even if you don’t have kids, how do you limit yourself?

Thank you to @penguinrandomca @rockypondbooks for our copy, it will be referenced often!

#raisingreaders #theamazinggeneration #bookish #reading #screentime

The Amazing Generation by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price

I saw an interview recently, I believe with Hugh Grant of all people, about how phones and screen time are not only removing the joy from childhood but parenting as well. Isn’t that the truth? The constant battle of keeping up with it, the rules that need to be made and updated, the monitoring, the fights about what other kids get to do. It’s completely exhausting. As a mom of 4, aged 8-18, with anxiety disorders and neurodivergence sprinkled between them, keeping up with it all is overwhelming and deeply concerning.

I believe the best way to win this battle is to have the kids be informed. I try to never say no without a valid reason and explanation. The best arguments are won with evidence and reasoning and this book is the exact tool to help with this.

I made my 12 year old and 10 year old read it entirely (with the help of bribes I’ll be honest). They both got sucked into it quickly and brought up some interesting points that stuck with them. Taya found the point about how the leaders of these tech and social giants don’t let their kids use them to be interesting and the quotes from real kids who regret their time on social media. Finn liked the charts about how your daily screen time amount equals up to months of your year! Also the explanations about how fomo is created from being online, but also literally created from being online vs participating in other activities.

This book has well balanced story telling. It doesn’t come off as preachy. It’s not just yelling at the kids to get off screens, but instead explains all the elements to be wary of in a well researched and easy to understand way.

If you’ve stuck with me this far into the review, I’m curious what kind of screen rules you have in your house? Even if you don’t have kids, how do you limit yourself?

Thank you to @penguinrandomca @rockypondbooks for our copy, it will be referenced often!

#raisingreaders #theamazinggeneration #bookish #reading #screentime

The Amazing Generation by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price

I saw an interview recently, I believe with Hugh Grant of all people, about how phones and screen time are not only removing the joy from childhood but parenting as well. Isn’t that the truth? The constant battle of keeping up with it, the rules that need to be made and updated, the monitoring, the fights about what other kids get to do. It’s completely exhausting. As a mom of 4, aged 8-18, with anxiety disorders and neurodivergence sprinkled between them, keeping up with it all is overwhelming and deeply concerning.

I believe the best way to win this battle is to have the kids be informed. I try to never say no without a valid reason and explanation. The best arguments are won with evidence and reasoning and this book is the exact tool to help with this.

I made my 12 year old and 10 year old read it entirely (with the help of bribes I’ll be honest). They both got sucked into it quickly and brought up some interesting points that stuck with them. Taya found the point about how the leaders of these tech and social giants don’t let their kids use them to be interesting and the quotes from real kids who regret their time on social media. Finn liked the charts about how your daily screen time amount equals up to months of your year! Also the explanations about how fomo is created from being online, but also literally created from being online vs participating in other activities.

This book has well balanced story telling. It doesn’t come off as preachy. It’s not just yelling at the kids to get off screens, but instead explains all the elements to be wary of in a well researched and easy to understand way.

If you’ve stuck with me this far into the review, I’m curious what kind of screen rules you have in your house? Even if you don’t have kids, how do you limit yourself?

Thank you to @penguinrandomca @rockypondbooks for our copy, it will be referenced often!

#raisingreaders #theamazinggeneration #bookish #reading #screentime

Arcana Academy by Elise Kova

I spent the last week reading and listening to this book and I am so sad it’s over. Arcana Academy has a unique magic system, cards that each person can wield as weapons or use to assist. Our main character is plucked from prison to attend the academy where she will learn how to ink them, and use them, and uncover her other powers along the way.

I loved this story. The academy was a fantastic setting, the side characters so interesting and engaging and of course the mysterious headmaster stole the show a lot of the time. I loved Clara - her loyalty, fierceness and imperfect character arc kept me hooked the entire way through.

I can not wait for book 2 to come out this summer!

What’s the last book you finished reading?

#bookreview #arcanaacademy #reading #bookish #booknotes

I went on a bit of a holds spree with the @calgarylibrary a couple weeks ago, and a bunch of them have come in all at once. 🫣

First up is Dictionary of Lost Words for the @calgareadsbookclub, but which one should I pick up after that?

#yyc #calgarylibrary #reading #bookish #supportyourlocallibrary