It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.

I'm reading: 

Something from my dusty bookshelf.

TITLE: The Bat

SERIES: Harry Hole, Book #1
AUTHOR: Jo Nesbo

PUBLISHER: Random House Canada

PUBLICATION DATE: October 9, 2012 (first published 1997)

FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 369 pages

GENRE: Mystery

ISBN: 9780307361011

Inspector Harry Hole of the Oslo Crime Squad is dispatched to Sydney to observe a murder case. Harry is free to offer assistance, but he has firm instructions to stay out of trouble. The victim is a twenty-three year old Norwegian woman who is a minor celebrity back home. Never one to sit on the sidelines, Harry befriends one of the lead detectives, and one of the witnesses, as he is drawn deeper into the case. Together, they discover that this is only the latest in a string of unsolved murders, and the pattern points toward a psychopath working his way across the country. As they circle closer and closer to the killer, Harry begins to fear that no one is safe, least of all those investigating the case.

Not only am I a first generation Canadian, but immigration is my profession. 

TITLE: Wherever I Find Myself: Stories by Canadian Immigrant Women

AUTHOR: Miriam Matejova (editor)

PUBLISHER: Caitlin Press

PUBLICATION DATE: February 7, 2017

FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 216 pages
GENRE: Nonfiction

ISBN: 9781987915341

Edited by Miriam Matejova, Wherever I Find Myself is a diverse collection of stories about the joys and struggles of immigrant women living in Canada. Often bringing with them the shadow of war and the guilt of leaving, the women in this new anthology expose their emotional pain but also their gratitude for being able to call Canada home. Their stories paint touching and charming portraits of cultural and linguistic misunderstandings, bureaucratic hurdles, attempts to navigate unfamiliar landscapes, and a desire to be accepted despite differences in accent, skin colour, or taste in food. Together they form a mosaic of emotions and world-views that underline the immigrant condition for women.

A yellow dress with ruffles, a kind Grade 1 teacher with a surname that’s difficult to spell, cockroaches in the bathroom, the contempt of strangers, and Whitney Houston on the radio–a Filipino woman recalls her experience as a six-year-old immigrant in a ghetto in Mississauga in the 80s. Browsing through a Polish fashion magazine at a European deli, a woman sees herself in an alternative universe of what her life might have been had she never immigrated to Canada. A same-sex couple moves from Minnesota to Ontario to find refuge for their love, but first they must drive a seventeen-foot truck through a blizzard and make it through the frustrating net of Canadian bureaucracy. In search of her origins, a Jewish woman travels to her birthplace in Passau, Germany. There, among rows of European picturesque houses and foreign tombstones of a Jewish cemetery, she finds no memories, only the shadow of Hitler and the ghosts of her parents.

Through these stories of courage, aloneness, and hope, new and established writers reach out to both immigrants and those whose families long ago ceased to identify with the immigrant label. Through their struggles and, at times, endearingly critical looks at Canada, they remind us that many of our perceived divisions are nothing but artificial creations of mind and that all of us are past, current, or potential immigrants.

I completed a nine-week course with a group of people, which featured DVD Study sessions and a Participant Guide with study questions (homework!) for discussion each week. The book is a lot to digest, and I'm still reading it in chunks.

TITLE: Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life

AUTHORS: Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

PUBLISHER: Zondervan

PUBLICATION DATE: November 2, 1992

FORMAT: Hardcover
LENGTH: 314 pages

GENRE: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self-Help

ISBN: 9780310585909

Having clear boundaries is essential to a healthy, balanced lifestyle. A boundary is a personal property line that marks those things for which we are responsible. In other words, boundaries define who we are and who we are not. Boundaries impact all areas of our lives: Physical boundaries help us determine who may touch us and under what circumstances -- Mental boundaries give us the freedom to have our own thoughts and opinions -- Emotional boundaries help us to deal with our own emotions and disengage from the harmful, manipulative emotions of others -- Spiritual boundaries help us to distinguish God's will from our own and give us renewed awe for our Creator -- Often, Christians focus so much on being loving and unselfish that they forget their own limits and limitations. When confronted with their lack of boundaries, they ask: - Can I set limits and still be a loving person? - What are legitimate boundaries? - What if someone is upset or hurt by my boundaries? - How do I answer someone who wants my time, love, energy, or money? - Aren't boundaries selfish? - Why do I feel guilty or afraid when I consider setting boundaries? Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend offer biblically-based answers to these and other tough questions, showing us how to set healthy boundaries with our parents, spouses, children, friends, co-workers, and even ourselves.

Something from the library. I really enjoy this author, and I find him to be very inspirational!

TITLE: Blessed in the Darkness: How All Things Are Working for Your Good

AUTHOR: Joel Osteen

PUBLISHER: FaithWords

PUBLICATION DATE: October 24, 2017

FORMAT: Hardcover
LENGTH: 304 pages

GENRE: Nonfiction

ISBN: 9781455534326

The same God that leads you through green pastures guides you through the valleys. #1 New York Times bestselling author Joel Osteen shares how God uses the darkness in life for good.

All of us at some time encounter dark places that we don't understand: a loss, a sickness, a divorce, a child who breaks our heart. It's easy to get discouraged, give up on our dreams, and just settle there. We may not realize it, but when we feel buried in dark places, we are being blessed. God is using those experiences to help us grow, because we cannot reach our highest potential if we're standing in the light all the time. With Blessed in the Darkness, you will learn how to draw closer to God and trust Him when life doesn't make sense.

If we will go through the valley trusting, believing, and knowing that God is still in control, then we will come to the table that is already prepared for us, where our cup runs over.

Another one from my dusty bookshelf, which I am reading aloud to my younger daughter. We are loving this series!

TITLE: Forest of Secrets

SERIES: Warriors, Book #3
AUTHOR: Erin Hunter

PUBLISHER: Avon Books

PUBLICATION DATE: October 5, 2004 (first published 2003)

FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 312 pages

GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy

ISBN: 9780060525613

Allegiances are shifting among the Clans of warrior cats that roam the forest. With tensions so delicately balanced, former friends can become enemies overnight, and some cats are willing to kill to get what they want.

Fireheart is determined to find out the truth about the mysterious death of brave ThunderClan warrior Redtail. But as he searches for answers, he uncovers secrets that some believe would be better left hidden.

Something from the library, which I am reading aloud to my younger daughter. Her teacher was reading it to the class, and we started reading it at home as well so that we can enjoy the movie together afterwards!

TITLE: Wonder

SERIES: Wonder, Book #1
AUTHOR: R.J. Palacio

PUBLISHER: Oxford Childrens

PUBLICATION DATE: April 1, 2013 (first published 2012)

FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 400 pages

GENRE: Young Adult, Contemporary

ISBN: 9780198391012

Educational edition of this warm and moving novel about an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face

Features:

An extremely moving and engaging novel that is sure to become a classroom favourite

Told from multiple perspectives, with opportunities to explore narrative, perspective, timeline and precepts

Themes of friendship, bullying, self-image and social responsibility

Supported by extensive teacher resources online and student-focused Reading Guides

Durable, soft cover your students will want to pick up

I'm listening to:

Something from my review pile.

TITLE: The Liar's Girl

AUTHOR: Catherine Ryan Howard

NARRATORS: Alana Kerr Collins, Alan Smyth, Gary Furlong
PUBLISHER: Blackstone Audio

PUBLICATION DATE: February 27, 2018

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 10 hrs and 25 mins

GENRE: Mystery

ISBN: 9781504782487

Will Hurley was an attractive, charming, and impressive student at Dublin's elite St. John's College -- and Ireland's most prolific serial killer. Having stalked his five young victims, he drowned them in the muddy waters of the Grand Canal. Sentenced to life imprisonment when he was just nineteen, Will is locked away in the city's Central Psychiatric Hospital.

Freshman Alison Smith moved to the Big Smoke to enroll in St. John's and soon fell hard for Will Hurley. Her world bloomed...and then imploded when Liz, her best friend, became the latest victim of the Canal Killer -- and the Canal Killer turned out to be the boy who'd been sleeping in her bed. Alison fled to the Netherlands and, in ten years, has never once looked back.

When a young woman's body is found in the Grand Canal, Garda detectives visit Will to see if he can assist them in solving what looks like a copycat killing. Instead, Will tells them he has something new to confess -- but there's only one person he's prepared to confess it to.

The last thing Alison wants is to be pulled back into the past she's worked so hard to leave behind. Reluctantly, she returns to the city she hasn't set foot in for more than a decade to face the man who murdered the woman she was supposed to become.

Only to discover that, until now, Will has left out the worst part of all...

I just finished:

TITLE: Burn Bright

SERIES: Alpha & Omega, Book #5

AUTHOR: Patricia Briggs

NARRATOR: Holter Graham

PUBLISHER: Penguin Random House Audio

PUBLICATION DATE: March 6, 2018

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 9 hrs and 47 mins

GENRE: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

ISBN: 9781524756727

The latest thrilling and emotional Alpha and Omega novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson series.

Charles Cornick is the son of the leader of the North American werewolves--and his father's enforcer. Anna Latham, a rare Omega wolf with a calming presence, is his mate. They go where they are needed, handling problems in werewolf packs throughout the country. But this time, the danger is closer to home, as an enemy armed with witchcraft threatens Charles and Anna's own pack.

What are you reading? Have you read any of these books and, if so, what did you think? Please let me know in the comments and, if you are also participating in this meme, leave me a link to your blog post so that I can stop by!