It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.

I'm reading: 

Something from the dusty bookshelf, which is a good pick for the Spring Into Horror Read-a-Thon. This was the first book that I ever added to my Goodreads "To-Read" shelf, so it's been waiting for a LONG time! Time to tackle it!

TITLE: The Lovely Bones

AUTHOR: Alice Sebold

PUBLISHER: Little, Brown and Company

PUBLICATION DATE: September 1, 2006 (first published 2002)

FORMAT: Mass Market Paperback
LENGTH: 328 pages

GENRE: Mystery, Contemporary Fiction

ISBN: 9780316166683

The Lovely Bones is the story of a family devastated by a gruesome murder -- a murder recounted by the teenage victim. Upsetting, you say? Remarkably, first-time novelist Alice Sebold takes this difficult material and delivers a compelling and accomplished exploration of a fractured family's need for peace and closure.

The details of the crime are laid out in the first few pages: from her vantage point in heaven, Susie Salmon describes how she was confronted by the murderer one December afternoon on her way home from school. Lured into an underground hiding place, she was raped and killed. But what the reader knows, her family does not. Anxiously, we keep vigil with Susie, aching for her grieving family, desperate for the killer to be found and punished.

Sebold creates a heaven that's calm and comforting, a place whose residents can have whatever they enjoyed when they were alive -- and then some. But Susie isn't ready to release her hold on life just yet, and she intensely watches her family and friends as they struggle to cope with a reality in which she is no longer a part. To her great credit, Sebold has shaped one of the most loving and sympathetic fathers in contemporary literature.

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: Rising Storm
SERIES: Warriors, Book #4
AUTHOR: Erin Hunter

PUBLISHER: Avon Books

PUBLICATION DATE: February 15, 2005

FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 336 pages

GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy

ISBN: 0060525630

Fireheart's traitorous enemy Tigerclaw has been vanquished and exiled from Thunder Clan -- but Fireheart can't shake the feeling that he's lurking in the forest, waiting for his chance to strike.

That's not the only problem facing the young warrior in these blazing summer months, as he struggles to handle sinister omens, an apprentice with a shocking secret, and a devastated Clan leader who is a shell of her former self.

Meanwhile the forest gets hotter and hotter ... and everyone braces for the coming storm... Ages 10+.

Another one from my dusty bookshelf, which I am reading aloud to my younger daughter.

TITLE: The Capture
SERIES: Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Book #1
AUTHOR: Kathryn Lasky

PUBLISHER: Scholastic, Inc.

PUBLICATION DATE: August 1, 2010 (first published 2003)

FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 222 pages

GENRE: Young Adult

ISBN: 9780545253062

Soren is born in the forest of Tyto, a tranquil kingdom where the Barn Owls dwell. But lurking evil threatens to shatter peace and change the course of his life. Captured for a forbidding canyon orphanage, Soren and his friend Gylfie know that the only way out is up. To escape, they will need to do something they have never done before - fly. With owls Twighlight and Digger, they seek the truth and protect the owl world from unimaginable danger.

I'm listening to:

Something from my Audible library, which is also a good pick for the Spring Into Horror Read-a-Thon!

TITLE: 14

AUTHOR: Peter Clines

NARRATOR: Ray Porter
PUBLISHER: Audible Frontiers

PUBLICATION DATE: June 19, 2012

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 12 hrs and 38 mins

GENRE: Horror, Science Fiction

ASIN: B0089Y7K0M

Padlocked doors. Strange light fixtures. Mutant cockroaches.

There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment. Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much. At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s. Because every room in this old Los Angeles brownstone has a mystery or two. Mysteries that stretch back over a hundred years. Some of them are in plain sight. Some are behind locked doors. And all together these mysteries could mean the end of Nate and his friends. Or the end of everything....

I just finished:

TITLE: Please Remain Calm

SERIES: This is Not a Test, Book #1.5
AUTHOR: Courtney Summers

PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Griffin

PUBLICATION DATE: January 20, 2015

FORMAT: Kindle Edition
LENGTH: 96 pages

GENRE: Young Adult, Horror

ASIN: B00PF8197K

In this gripping sequel to This is Not a Test, Rhys and Sloane are headed for a safe haven when they get separated along the way. Rhys is determined to reunite with Sloane until he discovers people who might need him more--people who offer him the closest he'll get to everything he's lost, if they can just hold on long enough.

Rhys thinks he has what it takes to survive and find the girl he lost, but in a world overrun by the dead, there are no guarantees and the next leg of his journey will test him in unimaginable ways ...

TITLE: Genesis

SERIES: Project Nemesis, Book #2
AUTHOR: Brendan Reichs

NARRATORS: Kirby Heyborne and Emily Rankin
PUBLISHER: Listening Library

PUBLICATION DATE: March 6, 2018

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 15 hrs and 22 mins

GENRE: Young Adult, Science Fiction

ISBN: 9780525532040

"Reichs knows exactly how to mix action, suspense, and characters into a breathless read." --Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of Warcross

The blistering sequel to the instant New York Times bestselling Nemesis by Brendan Reichs.

Noah Livingston knows he is destined to survive.

The 64 members of Fire Lake's sophomore class are trapped in a place where morals have no meaning and zero rules apply. But Noah's deaths have trained him-hardened him-to lead the strongest into the future ... whatever that may be. And at any cost.

Min Wilder knows that survival alone isn't enough.

In a violent world where brute force passes for leadership, it's tempting to lay back and let everyone else battle it out. But Min's instincts rebel against allowing others to decide who lives and who dies. She's ready to fight for what she believes in. And against whomever might stand in her way.

TITLE: I Am Legend

AUTHOR: Richard Matheson

NARRATOR: Robertson Dean
PUBLISHER: Blackstone Audio

PUBLICATION DATE: August 14, 2007 (first published 1954)

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 5 hrs and 19 mins

GENRE: Horror, Science Fiction/Post-Apocalyptic

ASIN: B000V5QJC2

Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth... but he is not alone. Every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire, and they are hungry for Neville's blood.

By day he is the hunter, stalking the undead through the ruins of civilisation. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn.

How long can one man survive like this?

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!