My Summer Reads

I've been a bad blogger this month. I've been reading a lot, but for some reason (maybe the weather) I've been neglecting BBTO.

My last couple of blogs were about the BBTO Chick Lit Challenge and it really proved to be a challenge because I just couldn't get into it. Was anyone able to stick with it?

Here are a few of the books that I've been enjoying:

I read a good novel called Maine which will appeal to most women. It is about the dynamics of a family of three generations of women who are all very different - yet similar in many ways. The family cottage in Maine is the real hub of the novel.  I found it dragged a bit towards the end, but that might have been me -
sort of a restless reader this summer. 

Sister: A Novel was recommended to me by someone who reads BBTO and should really start her own blog because she reads a crazy amount of books - very quickly.  This novel is a psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns. The novel ends very differently than I had expected it to.

I really enjoyed a bundle of books by Kevin O'Brien.
I had never read anything by this mystery/thriller author before and I was surprised in a good way. The character development was great and there were a lot of twists and turns in the plot. I'm usually pretty good at figuring out "who did it" but this author kept me guessing.

I just finished reading Still Missing. It reminded me of the novel Room. It is a novel about a woman who was kidnapped and held captive by a man who raped and tormented her. If anyone has read this book I'd be interested in hearing what you thought of the ending.

And I finally got around to reading Water for Elephants. I enjoyed it but felt slightly let down after all the hype.  The best part for me was the way the novel ended.

What has everyone else been reading? Anything good?

Chick Lit Challenge Update

It has now been a few weeks since Karen in Toronto proposed the BBTO summer chick lit reading challenge and it is proving to be a bit of a "challenge".... at least for me. 

Karen and I both recently finished Something Borrowed and neither one of us really loved it. Karen felt that the level of deceit among the three main characters (two best female frenemies and one two timing male) was ridiculous. I have to agree and say that there was nothing redeeming in this novel and that neither Karen or I are running out to buy Something Blue. The characters in the story violate the strongest type of code between girlfriends and it really left a bad taste.

Next on Karen's list is Jane Eyre. Classic chick lit and a great choice.
  
CityGirl is totally on top of the Chick Lit challenge. Some new reviews and suggestions are now up on her blog.

I recently started reading One Day and recognize that I'm having a bit of reader's block these days and not really enjoying much at all. I heard so many GREAT things about this book and under normal circumstances it would be my kind of novel - but nothing is really hitting the right notes with me this month. 


I confess that I strayed from the chic lit genre and read a couple of mysteries and they didn't do it for me either. A sign that it is time to spend a few days catching up on People, Star and US magazines before attempting to read any new books. This rarely  happens but when it does it is time to take a small break.


There was an interesting article in the Globe and Mail this weekend about chick lit. I liked the article because it mentions the fact that chick lit can mean a wide range of things for female readers. I like the term the literary agent in the article mentions "accessible women's fiction".

How's the chick lit challenge going for everyone else? 

CityGirl's Summer Chick Lit Reading Challenge Lists

CityGirl in Toronto has kindly taken the time to send in her summer chick lit reading list AND her list of recommends for anyone who wants to join in the summer chick lit reading challenge. 

There are lots of books to choose from and a good representation of chick lit authors from all over the world.

A big thank you to CityGirl. I know I will definitely add a few of these to my list. 

CityGirl’s Summer Chick Lit Reading List:

Personally, I blame my Fairy Godmother by Claudia Carroll

If This is Paradise, I Want My Money Back by Claudia Carroll

I Never Fancied Him Anyway by Claudia Carroll

Be Careful What You Wish for by Alexandra Potter

You’re the One that I don’t Want by Alexandra Potter

When in Rome by Gemma Townley

Learning Curves by Gemma Townley

The Booklovers Appreciation Society by Various

Growing up Again by Catriona McCloud

Fashionistas by Lynn Messina

Sushi for Beginners by Marian Keyes (possibly others too) She will get hooked!

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Something Blue by Emily Giffin

The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham

Thin, Rich, Pretty by Beth Harbison

Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella

Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Death by Chick Lit by Lynn Harris

Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell

Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell

With Her boots On by Lisa Dow

The Flirt by Kathleen Tessaro

Tantrums and Tiaras by Linda Francis Lee

And CityGirl’s Recommends:

Do You Want To Know a Secret? by Irish author Claudia Carroll

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella (This is the best Sophie Kinsella book yet - I think it reads like a movie)

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell (Very fun and fluffy - great for the cottage)

Stuck in Downward Dog by Chantel Simmons (One of the few chick-lit books set in Toronto, so I could really picture the story unfolding in the city)

In Her Shoes – Lisa Dow (Also set in Toronto, very funny). With Her Boots On is the sequel.

Who’s that Girl by Alexandra Potter

CityGirl also suggested two books related to writing chick lit for anyone with a secret desire to write chick lit:

1. See Jane Write: A girl’s Guide to Writing Chick Lit by Sarah Mlynowski and Farrin Jacobs

2. Will Write for Shoes: How to Write a Chick Lit Novel by Cathy Yardley

Let the chick lit reading begin! And join in the #chicklitchat discussion on Twitter anytime!

Karen's Summer Chick Lit Challenge

My friend Karen, fellow booklover and talented book publicist in Toronto,  recently proposed a summer reading challenge that promises to be a lot of fun.

 

The goal is to read as many chick lit novels as humanely possible for the entire summer. My favourite chick lit author of all time is Marian Keyes. I don't read a lot of chick lit these days, but I've enjoyed Jane Green and Sophie Kinsella in the past and it looks like there is no shortage of chick lit options. Bring it on I say!

In Karen's words we're looking for titles that are "pure, unadulterated, fluffy chick lit". 

The first book on our list is Something Borrowed. So far it totally fits the bill and I'm starting to think about the next title. 


Would anyone like to join us? You can read at your own pace, and we can share ideas and compare reading lists at different stages during the summer. 


We would love to hear suggestions from you!

Vaclav & Lena: A Sweet Immigrant Coming-Of-Age Love Story

A few weeks ago I received a publicity copy of Vaclav & Lena by Haley Tanner. I was happy to receive an advance reader's copy (my first!) but was worried a bit because I like to blog about books that I love or want to read. I used to be a book publicist and appreciate that the person who sent it to me thought that I would enjoy it. But what if I didn't? 

I am happy to report that I LOVED Vaclav & Lena.  

Vaclav & Lena by Haley Tanner published by Random House Canada

The novel is a charming, sweet story about Vaclav and Lena, five-year-old Russian immigrant children who meet in an ESL class in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.


Vaclav is wise beyond his years and he and Lena who has a troubled childhood spend everyday after school together and  aspire to one day perform a special magic show.


A lot happens as they grow up and part ways, but they have a special bond that can't be broken.

The story is at times funny, sad, sweet and anyone who reads it will be charmed by Vaclav and his love for Lena. 

Vaclav's mother is also an interesting character. She is tough on the outside but her weakness for Lena demonstrates that that she has a big heart. 

There are quite a few surprises and as the secrets and mystery of Lena's past were slowly revealed, it became really hard to put the book down.

I'm surprised that this  is Haley Tanner's first novel, she is definitely a writer to watch.

Two Novels: Two Sex Scandals

I've just finished reading two novels that deal with sex scandals. Reading the paper today, or almost any day really,  it is no surprise that there are a few novels out there that deal with this subject. Both got me thinking and asking questions, always a good sign that I've enjoyed the book.

Faith by Jennifer Haigh is definitely in my top 3 for spring. It is about the McGann's, a Boston family who all deal with the situation in different ways when Art, a popular pastor of a large suburban church is accused of molesting a young boy. His sister, Sheila, seeks to uncover the truth and discovers some family secrets that begin to influence the way she feels about the situation. As she looks for clues to what happened, and begins her own investigation of sorts,  the book becomes harder and harder to put down. It makes you think about important values like trust, faith, guilt and innocence. I highly recommend this novel. 

The second novel, Fly Away Home, by Jennifer Weiner (author of In Her Shoes, one of my favourites) is about Sylvie Serfer Woodruff, a fifty-seven year-old mother of two who is married to Senator Richard Woodruff. The family is torn apart when Richard is exposed as a cheater after a news story breaks that he has had an affair with one of his legislative aids and used his influence to get her a job at a law firm he used to work at.  

The big question in this novel is will Sylvie stay with Richard or dump him and start a new life?

And how can these women who are prominent in their own right stand by their husbands at the post scandal news conferences?

I'm not sure I got any insight into this after reading the novel but maybe that's the point.
There are some great female characters in this novel and I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two sisters. I also liked the witty dialogue which lightened things up when necessary. 

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Back To The Bookstore?

Since I got my Amazon Kindle e-reader in March I have been feeling a little guilty about buying most of my new books online.  

I’ve always been a book person, I worked in publishing for a long time and I feel for the way that electronic book publishing and e-reading is impacting the industry. 

I never thought that I would prefer to read on an actual e-reader, I resisted for months as I thought that I would not be a real “book person” without my hardcover first editions.  But this is not the case anymore.  In two months I’ve downloaded 10 novels online and purchased three books in the bookstore (two of them were reference books). 

This weekend I was browsing in a real bookstore and it got me thinking about the benefits of buying and reading books on my Kindle AND buying and reading books at the bookstore: 
The Bookstore

• There are still a few really great independent bookstores.  Ben McNally Books in Toronto is one example.
• You can ask for help from an experienced bookseller who will help you find a book you will love.
• Nothing beats walking around the bookstore and seeing some of the cool/interesting and eye catching covers.
• While walking around you might stumble across a rare find which is not on any bestseller list, but is the best book you’ve ever read.
• Rochelle mentioned to me that she was interested in reading Shania Twain’s new autobiography, but for now you can only buy it in the bookstore in Canada. Not everything is available right away for downloading on the Kindle. 
• I still prefer to buy reference books that I can keep on my desk from the bookstore.

Downloading books on my Kindle e-reader

• When I read about a book that looks good I can sample a chapter right away and see if I like it before buying it.
•  It is less expensive in general to buy books online.  
• I can take my Kindle with me anywhere and if I’m stuck waiting at an appointment I will always have something to read.
• The cover with the light is one of the best inventions ever. I can read while my husband sleeps and the cover makes the Kindle feel like a book.

Conclusion

If you love to read then chances are you will enjoy reading physical books and books on an e-reader. Sadly I will probably continue to buy more books online than in the bookstore and I keep hearing the same thing from others who’ve been using e-readers. The good news is that people are saying that they are reading more books than ever with their e-readers. Hopefully new opportunities will be created for publishers, writers and booksellers who have always struggled in a competitive market. 

Thankfully, one thing is clear – booklovers will always be around.

What's your preference when it comes to reading?