I'm reading:
Something from the library.
AUTHOR: Lauren Oliver
PUBLISHER: HarperTeen
PUBLICATION DATE: October 25, 2010
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 544 pages
LENGTH: 544 pages
GENRE: Young Adult, Contemporary
ISBN: 9780061726811With this stunning debut novel, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver emerged as one of today's foremost authors of young adult fiction. Like Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why and Gayle Forman's If I Stay, Before I Fall raises thought-provoking questions about love, death, and how one person's life can affect so many others.
For popular high school senior Samantha Kingston, February 12—"Cupid Day"—should be one big party, a day of valentines and roses and the privileges that come with being at the top of the social pyramid. And it is…until she dies in a terrible accident that night.
However, she still wakes up the next morning. In fact, Sam lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she ever imagined.
Named to numerous state reading lists, this novel was also recognized as a Best Book of the Year by Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, The Daily Beast, NPR, and Publishers Weekly. It has been optioned for film by Fox 2000 Pictures.
Not only am I a first generation Canadian, but immigration is my profession.
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.
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.
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!
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.
PUBLISHER: Scholastic, Inc.
PUBLICATION DATE: June 1, 2005
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 221 pages
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780439739504
Beneath a shadowed moon in a cloud-streaked sky, the sacred orb splits and a hatching is born: It is Nyroc, son of Kludd, fallen leader of the Pure Ones, and his evil mate, Nyra. Born from evil, trained to evil, Nyroc is destined to fulfill his father's terrible plan, the oppression of all owldom under the vicious talons of the Pure Ones.
But doubt grows in Nyroc's heart, fed by strange forbidden legends of a great tree far away where noble owls live in peace. And a light dawns in Nyroc's gizzard, nourished by friendship.
A day is nearing when Nyroc must choose to fulfill his destiny-or defy it.
It will be a day of blood and terror.
Another one from my dusty bookshelf, which my younger daughter is reading aloud to me! She picked it for her home reading.
ILLUSTRATOR: Quentin Blake
PUBLISHER: Puffin Books
PUBLISHER: Puffin Books
PUBLICATION DATE: 1989 (first published October 1, 1998)
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 232 pages
GENRE: Childrens
ISBN: 9780141326221
Matilda is a little girl who is far too good to be true. At age five-and-a-half she's knocking off double-digit multiplication problems and blitz-reading Dickens. Even more remarkably, her classmates love her even though she's a super-nerd and the teacher's pet. But everything is not perfect in Matilda's world. For starters she has two of the most idiotic, self-centered parents who ever lived. Then there's the large, busty nightmare of a school principal, Mrs. ("The") Trunchbull, a former hammer-throwing champion who flings children at will and is approximately as sympathetic as a bulldozer. Fortunately for Matilda, she has the inner resources to deal with such annoyances: astonishing intelligence, saintly patience, and an innate predilection for revenge.
She warms up with some practical jokes aimed at her hapless parents, but the true test comes when she rallies in defense of her teacher, the sweet Miss Honey, against the diabolical Trunchbull. There is never any doubt that Matilda will carry the day. Even so, this wonderful story is far from predictable. Roald Dahl, while keeping the plot moving imaginatively, also has an unerring ear for emotional truth. The reader cares about Matilda because in addition to all her other gifts, she has real feelings.
I'm listening to:
Something from my Audible library.
AUTHOR: Jack London
NARRATOR: Kevin Theis
PUBLISHER: Atlantic Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: January 4, 2017 (first published 1903)
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 3 hrs and 7 mins
GENRE: Classics
Jack London's The Call of the Wild is a griping tale of beast and man. In this beloved classic, Buck struggles to escape his captivity as he is transported from his home life in California to his new home amidst the Gold Rush. Battling frigid cold and utter confusion, Buck becomes aggressive and angry.Eventually, he becomes part of the pack led by John Thornton, and he begins to heal. Buck finally gives into his natural tendencies and learns to hunt and fend for himself, though always a friend to John Thornton. The Call of the Wild is a beautiful examination of nature versus nurture and the will to live despite all odds.
I just finished:
AUTHOR: Lucy Christopher
NARRATORS: Fiona Hardingham and Shaun Grindell
PUBLISHER: Blackstone Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: January 7, 2014 (first published 2013)
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 9 hrs and 25 mins
GENRE: Young Adult, Mystery
ISBN: 9781482967425
Fatal attraction, primal fear, survival in the forest--from the author of the Printz Honor Book Stolen comes the highly anticipated thriller about deadly games played in the dark. Ashlee Parker is dead, and Emily Shepherd's dad is accused of the crime. A former soldier suffering from PTSD, he emerges from the woods carrying the girl's broken body. "Gone," he says, then retreats into silence. What really happened that wild night? Emily knows in her bones that her father is innocent--isn't he? Before he's convicted, she's got to uncover the truth. Does Damon Hilary, Ashlee's charismatic boyfriend, have the answers? Or is he only playing games with her ... the kinds of games that can kill?
TITLE: Ready to Die
PUBLISHER: Zebra
PUBLICATION DATE: July 30, 2013
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 432 pages
LENGTH: 432 pages
GENRE: Romance/Romantic Suspense
ISBN: 9781420118513Nothing
His blood quickens as he stares at the photographs. Six faces, all guilty--and detectives Regan Pescoli and Selena Alvarez are at the top of his list. One by one, he'll stalk them, then he'll squeeze the trigger, savoring the way each lifeless body crumples to the reddening snow. One down already. And then there were five. . .
Can Prepare You
Sheriff Dan Grayson lies near death after a shooting, and the police department of Grizzly Falls, Montana, is in shock. Alvarez, torn between a new relationship and her loyalty to Grayson, works with Pescoli to whittle down the list of suspects. The deeper they go, the more personal and dangerous the case becomes. Then a prominent judge's body is found and the killer sends a sinister warning to the press: "Who's Next?"
To Face A Killer
Pescoli isn't waiting to find out. Headstrong and eager for justice, she'll track the scant clues on her own if she has to. But her search leads her straight to a monster who has had her in his sights all along. And when hunter meets prey, both must be willing to kill--and ready to die. . .
AUTHOR: J.P. Delaney
NARRATORS: Emilia Fox, Finty Williams, and Lise Aagaard Knudsen
PUBLISHER: Books on Tape
PUBLICATION DATE: January 14, 2017
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 9 hrs and 59 mins
GENRE: Thriller, Mystery
ISBN: 9780735286566
A psychological thriller that spins one woman’s seemingly good fortune, and another woman’s mysterious fate, through a kaleidoscope of duplicity, death, and deception—and the hottest title at the 2015 Frankfurt Book Fair.A damaged young woman gets the unique opportunity to rent a one-of-a-kind house. When she falls in love with the sexy, enigmatic architect who designed it, she has no idea she is following in the footsteps of the girl who came before: the house’s former tenant.The eerie parallels in the two girls’ lives lay bare an enthralling story…and make this novel the must-read thriller of the season.
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!
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I've been eyeing The Girl Before, I hope you enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteMy list!
Nice variety of books. I tried Before I Fall but gave up at about 50%. I didn't like the repitition of that one part of her life. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteBefore I Fall has been on my wishlist since the book was first announced. Sigh. My weekly updates
ReplyDeleteI loved Matilda and Call of the Wild when I was a kid. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I do so.like immigrant stories. Each one is so individualistic.
ReplyDelete