The Bookish Life of Nina Hill – Abbi Waxman

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Penguin Random House Canada
Published: July 2019
Publisher: Berkley
Recommended Age: 14+
Genres & Themes: Adult, Fiction, Romance, Family Drama, Friendship Dynamics, Books about Books

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REVIEW:

This book, to me, was perfection. Beautiful story, astoundingly-relatable and charming characters that I could not get enough of, lovely fairytale-esque atmosphere and elegant writing style. Sometimes authors just mention that a character is a bookworm, hoping that the reader instantly connects, but instead of simply telling us about Nina Hill’s whole life revolving around books, she actually proved it to us, thus making her ten times more real and worth befriending to me.

Women Talking – Miriam Toews

Women Talking by Miriam Toews

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
Published: August 21th, 2018
Publisher: Knopf Canada
Recommended Age: 14+
Pacing: Normal
Genres & Themes: Adult, Patriarchy, Feminism, Based on True Events

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BLURB:

The novel takes place over forty-eight hours, as eight women gather in secret in a neighbour’s barn while the men are in a nearby town posting bail for the attackers. They have come together to debate, on behalf of all the women and children in the community, whether to stay or leave before the men return. Taking minutes is the one man trusted and invited by the women to witness the conversation–a former outcast whose own surprising story is revealed as the women speak.

The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story

The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story by Marie Kondō

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: Diamond Distributors
Published: 2017
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Recommended Age: 12+
Genres & Themes: Manga, Educational, Organization, Lifestyle, Cute

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BLURB:

From the #1 New York Times best-selling author and lifestyle/cleaning guru Marie Kondo, this graphic novelization brings Kondo’s life-changing tidying method to life with the fun, quirky story of a woman who transforms her home, work, and love life using Kondo’s advice and inspiration.

Everlasting Nora – Marie Miranda Cruz

Everlasting Nora by Marie Miranda Cruz

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: Raincoast Books
Published: October 2nd, 2018
Publisher: Starscape Books
Recommended Age: 10+
Pacing: Slow/Normal
Genres & Themes: Middle Grade, Family, Real Life Matters, Poverty

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BLURB:

After a family tragedy results in the loss of both father and home, 12-year-old Nora lives with her mother in Manila’s North Cemetery, which is the largest shanty town of its kind in the Philippines today. When her mother disappears mysteriously one day, Nora is left alone. With help from her best friend Jojo and the support of his kindhearted grandmother, Nora embarks on a journey riddled with danger in order to find her mom. Along the way she also rediscovers the compassion of the human spirit, the resilience of her community, and everlasting hope in the most unexpected places.

Review: The Futures by Anna Pitoniak

The Futures by Anna Pitoniak

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Hachette Book Group Canada
Publication Date: January 17th, 2017
Publisher:Lee Bourdeaux Books
Point of View: 1st Person & Alternative
Recommended Age: 14+
Pacing: Slow
Genres & Themes: Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Coming of Age, Life

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BLURB:

Julia and Evan falls in love as undergraduates at Yale. For Evan, a scholarship student from a Canadian logging town, Yale is a whole new world, and Julia—blonde, beautiful and rich—fits perfectly into the future he’s envisioned for himself. After graduation, and on the eve of the great financial meltdown of 2008, they move together to New York City, where Evan takes a job at a hedge fund. But Julia, who has only known a life of privilege, feels unmoored and increasingly shut out of Evan’s secretive world.

With the market crashing and banks failing, Evan becomes involved in an increasingly high-stakes deal at work—a deal that, despite the assurance of his Machiavellian boss, begins to feel more than slightly suspicious. Meanwhile, Julia reconnects with someone from her past who offers a glimpse of a different kind of life. As Evan and Julia spin apart into their separate orbits, they each find that they are capable of much more—good and bad—that they’d ever dreamed, and that betrayal is easier than they ever imagined.

Review: The Lost Woman by Sara Blaedel

The Lost Woman by Sara Blaedel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Hachette Book Group Canada
Publication Date: February 7th, 2017
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Point of View: 3rd Person & Alternative
Recommended Age: 14+
Pacing: Normal
Genres & Themes: Adult, Fiction, Mystery

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BLURB:

#1 internationally bestselling author Sara Blaedel, Denmark’s “Queen of Crime,” returns with her new thriller featuring Danish police investigator Louise Rick.

Review: The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid

The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Received: NetGalley
Publication Date: November 1st, 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Point of View: 1st Person & Feminine
Recommended Age: 13+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Science Fiction, (Bad) Romance

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BLURB:

A Diabolic is ruthless. A Diabolic is powerful. A Diabolic has a single task: Kill in order to protect the person you’ve been created for.

Nemesis is a Diabolic, a humanoid teenager created to protect a galactic senator’s daughter, Sidonia. The two have grown up side by side, but are in no way sisters. Nemesis is expected to give her life for Sidonia, and she would do so gladly. She would also take as many lives as necessary to keep Sidonia safe.

When the power-mad Emperor learns Sidonia’s father is participating in a rebellion, he summons Sidonia to the Galactic court. She is to serve as a hostage. Now, there is only one way for Nemesis to protect Sidonia. She must become her. Nemesis travels to the court disguised as Sidonia—a killing machine masquerading in a world of corrupt politicians and two-faced senators’ children. It’s a nest of vipers with threats on every side, but Nemesis must keep her true abilities a secret or risk everything.