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. I've been wanting to try this Canadian author for a long time!

TITLE: Half Brother

AUTHOR: Kenneth Oppel

PUBLISHER: Harper Collins

PUBLICATION DATE: 2010

FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 377 pages

GENRE: Young Adult

ISBN: 9781554686117

When Ben Tomlin’s mother brings home his new “baby brother,” an eight-day-old chimpanzee, Ben is far from thrilled. His father, a renowned behavioral scientist, has uprooted the family and moved them halfway across the country, to Victoria, B.C., so he can pursue a high-profile experiment— to determine whether chimpanzees can learn human sign language.

Zan must be raised exactly like a human. He’s dressed in clothes and fed in a high chair and has a room full of toys and books. Ben is soon smitten. Joining the team of students who are helping with the experiment, Ben becomes both researcher and adored older brother.

Within months, Zan learns his first signs and becomes a media sensation. At his new school, Ben’s life seems similarly charmed as he vies for the attentions of the beautiful Jennifer— using his newly acquired scientific observational skills.

But when Project Zan unexpectedly loses its funding, Ben’s father is under huge pressure to either make the experiment succeed or abandon it—and Zan. Unable to convince his father that Zan is now part of the family, Ben must risk everything to save his baby brother from an unimaginable fate.

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! It just gets better and better!

TITLE: A Dangerous Path

SERIES: Warriors, Book #5

AUTHOR: Erin Hunter

PUBLISHER: HarperCollins

PUBLICATION DATE: March 17, 2015 (first published 2004)

FORMAT: Paperback

LENGTH: 368 pages

GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy

ISBN: 9780062367006

Join the legion of fans who have made Erin Hunter's Warriors series a #1 national bestseller--with new editions featuring a striking new look! More thrilling fantasy, fierce warrior cats, and epic adventures await in Warriors #5: A Dangerous Path.

ShadowClan has chosen Tigerclaw as their new leader, and Fireheart fears that this old enemy still harbors dark plans for vengeance on his former Clan. A mysterious threat has invaded the forest, placing every cat's life in peril. And Fireheart's beloved leader has turned her back on their warrior ancestors. Fireheart can't help but wonder if she's right--has StarClan abandoned them forever?

Another one from my dusty bookshelf, which I am reading aloud to my younger daughter. This series is picking up and getting better!

TITLE: The Siege
SERIES: Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Book #4

AUTHOR: Kathryn Lasky

PUBLISHER: Scholastic, Inc.

PUBLICATION DATE: May 1, 2004

FORMAT: Paperback

LENGTH: 203 pages

GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy

ISBN: 9780439405607

Tensions erupt in the owl kingdom when the forces of evil wage war against the protectors of good. Enraged by his clash with Soren and driven by an all-consuming desire for power, Kludd and his group, the Pure Ones, launch an attack upon the Great Ga'Hoole Tree. The noble owls who live there must fight fiercely to protect their resources and defend their honor. Meanwhile, Soren is called upon by the elders of the Great Tree to lead a mission back to the one place he thought he'd never see again-St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls. He and his crew will have to enter St. Aggie's as spies, then leave unnoticed once their work is done. If peace is to be restored, he must do it again.

I'm listening to:

Something from my review pile.

TITLE: Cottage by the Sea

AUTHOR: Debbie Macomber

NARRATOR: Karissa Vacker

PUBLISHER: Random House Audio

PUBLICATION DATE: July 17, 2018

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 10 hrs and 58 mins

GENRE: Contemporary Romance

ISBN: 9780525491774

A seaside town helps one young woman reclaim the light after darkness in a brand-new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

Annie Marlow has been through the worst. Rocked by tragedy, she heads to the one place that makes her happy: Oceanside in the Pacific Northwest, the destination of many family vacations when Annie was a teenager.

Once there, Annie begins to restore her broken spirit, thanks in part to the folks she meets: a local painter, Keaton, whose large frame is equal to his big heart--and who helps Annie fix up her rental cottage by the sea; Mellie, the reclusive, prickly landlord Annie is determined to befriend; and Britt, a teenager with a terrible secret. But it is Keaton to whom Annie feels most drawn. His quiet, peaceful nature offers her both comfort and reprieve from her grief, and the two begin to grow closer.

Then events threaten to undo the idyll Annie has come to enjoy. And when the opportunity of a lifetime lands in her lap, she is torn between the excitement of a new journey toward success and the safe and secure arms of the haven--and the man--she's come to call home.

In this heartwarming tale, Annie finds that the surest way to fix what is damaged within is to help others rise above their pain and find a way to heal.

I just finished:

TITLE: Zero Day

SERIES: The Hatching, Book #3

AUTHOR: Ezekiel Boone

PUBLISHER: Random House Canada

PUBLICATION DATE: February 27, 2018

FORMAT: Paperback

LENGTH: 336 pages

GENRE: Horror

ISBN: 9780345816542

The finale to Ezekiel Boone's near-apocalyptic monster-horror series.

After a long-dormant species of carnivorous spiders hatches and overruns the globe, tens of millions of people have been killed and eaten, or worse...and US president Stephanie Pilgrim has had to order nuclear strikes on major American cities, roads and infrastructure to try to give the survivors a fighting chance. She and her close advisers, along with spider expert Melanie Guyer and her team of scientists, have retreated to a US Navy aircraft carrier off the East Coast to plot their next move when a mutiny breaks out that pits military men looking for a final solution against the president and her allies, who don't think that blowing everything up is the right way to go. Pilgrim and her people escape to the one spider-free zone they're certain of, setting up a White House in Manhattan. But how can they survive with the odds so stacked against them?

Still, they have no choice but to try... rallying the unlikeliest set of spider fighters on whom the fate of humanity rests.

TITLE: Promise Me

AUTHOR: Richard Paul Evans

NARRATOR: Michele Pawk

PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Audio

PUBLICATION DATE: October 5, 2010

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 6 hrs and 11 mins

GENRE: Holiday/Christmas, Contemporary Fiction

ISBN: 9781442335332

A new novel from the bestselling author of The Christmas List, Grace, and The Christmas Box.

The New York Times has called Richard Paul Evans “the king of Christmas fiction.” The bestselling author of The Christmas Box (29 weeks on the New York Times list; 5 at #1; more than 1 million copies netted), Grace (10 weeks on the list), The Gift (13 weeks), Finding Noel (11 weeks), and The Christmas List (10 weeks), Evans is best known for his charming Christmas stories.

Now he returns with a story of hope, love, and faith, in a heartwarming and powerfully written new novel.

TITLE: Starry Night

AUTHOR: Debbie Macomber

PUBLISHER: Ballantine Books

PUBLICATION DATE: October 14, 2014 (first published 2013)

FORMAT: Paperback

LENGTH: 349 pages

GENRE: Holiday/Christmas, Contemporary Romance

ISBN: 9780345528902

New York Times Bestseller • Don’t miss Debbie Macomber’s short story “Lost and Found in Cedar Cove” and a sneak peak of her new novel Mr. Miracle, among other special features, in the back of the book.

’Tis the season for romance, second chances, and Christmas cheer with this new novel from Debbie Macomber.

Carrie Slayton, a big-city society-page columnist, longs to write more serious news stories. So her editor hands her a challenge: She can cover any topic she wants, but only if she first scores the paper an interview with Finn Dalton, the notoriously reclusive author.

Living in the remote Alaskan wilderness, Finn has written a megabestselling memoir about surviving in the wild. But he stubbornly declines to speak to anyone in the press, and no one even knows exactly where he lives.

Digging deep into Finn’s past, Carrie develops a theory on his whereabouts. It is the holidays, but her career is at stake, so she forsakes her family celebrations and flies out to snowy Alaska. When she finally finds Finn, she discovers a man both more charismatic and more stubborn than she even expected. And soon she is torn between pursuing the story of a lifetime and following her heart.

Filled with all the comforts and joys of Christmastime, Starry Night is a delightful novel of finding happiness in the most surprising places.

TITLE: A Man Called Ove

AUTHOR: Fredrik Backman

NARRATOR: George Newbern

PUBLISHER: Dreamscape Media

PUBLICATION DATE: May 8, 2014 (first published 2012)

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 9 hrs and 9 mins

GENRE: Contemporary Fiction

ISBN: 9781629239828

Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon - the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him 'the bitter neighbor from hell.' But behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.

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!