Bear

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Julia Phillips

This is a beautifully written novel about expectations, broken dreams, heartache, and everything else associated with sisters. This is my first foray into Julia Phillips’s works, and I am now a true fan of her craft. In this novel, Phillips weaves myth into reality by merely introducing a bear into the lives of two sisters struggling to find their place in the small, claustrophobic world in which they live.
Honestly, it took me a while to get immersed in this story because I couldn’t seem to attach myself to any one character, but the beauty of the setting kept me intrigued enough by the plot that I continued reading.
This novel will make an effective mentor text in English classrooms to discuss myth in a modern setting, themes of sisterhood, identity, guilt, acceptance, fear, and the majesty and violence of nature. The author’s description of the setting is truly noteworthy.
The ending broke me.


Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the free copy.

The Will of the Many (Hierarchy #1)

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by James Islington

This novel,’ The Will of the Many’ by James Islington, has not only become my favourite book of the decade but also stands out for its unique blend of universal themes, a dynamic and suitably flawed main character, and world-building that is both enthralling and threatening. It’s a fantasy with glimmers of science fiction that will keep you hooked from the first page.
‘The Will of the Many’ is not just a coming-of-age story; it’s a journey that will mesmerise you. It’s a tale of self-discovery, courage, and sacrifice that had me emotionally invested from the moment I opened it.
Its freakingly unique settings (elements of ancient Rome, medieval Europe, and glimmers of modernity) and an intricate and engrossing plot with layers and twists and turns and so, so many questions have left me anxiously awaiting a second novel.
Read it! I need to discuss some of the theories I have surmised after reading.

The Book of Love

~ Lisa Helm ~ 2 Comments

by Kelly Link

This novel is only for some, so if you’re expecting a fast, fluffy read that is merely plot-driven, then it’s not for you, BUT it is precisely the kind of novel I love. It’s weird. It has so many moments of “Wait, what?” I can’t wait for a friend or two to read it because I need to discuss it.
I loved it for several reasons. First, the writing is enchanting. I pride myself on being a “fast” reader but I had to slow down and “sip” Link’s prose. I’ve written down SO many quotes (and have even used a couple of them as mini mentor text in teaching). “Every footfall was a strike on a bell stopped with mud. A clot of blood trembling on a rusted wire” (The Book of Love Kelly Link). How VIVID. The imagery is such that I often found myself re-reading excerpts, but slower so I could savour word choice.
Second, I became so attached to the characters, especially Mo. He made me laugh; he made me cry. He made me wonder what choices I would have made if I were in his shoes.
Third, the plot is intricate, twisty, and filled with suspense, humour, shock, and a plethora of WTF moments.
I loved the elements of allegory, which lent themselves so wonderfully to the revelation of themes. What would I do if I was capable of magic? What would I do if I realized the manifestation of my dream was not real and I had to send it away? What would I do with responsibility beyond my imagination when I had NO life experience?
Loved it. It’s not a fast, fluffy read; I had to take my time and read it carefully to appreciate the author’s story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the Copy.

The Curse of Eelgrass Bog

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by Mary Averling

Kess Pedrock lives with her brother in a fascinating old museum filled with all sorts of natural and unnatural curiosities. With her scientist parents far away on the other side of the world conducting research, Kess has only her neglectful, somewhat abusive brother for company. Kess spends most of her time alone with her only friend being Jim (I don’t want to say who or what Jim is…but he is one of my favourite characters). Kess and Jim spend their time on the periphery of Eelgrass Bog on the hunt for unique artefacts for the museum, hoping to draw enough crowds to keep the museum afloat. One day, a young girl, Lilou, arrives, eager to use her birthday money to see all the exhibits the museum has to offer. Lilou brings with her not only the potential for friendship but also a quest to find the answers to mysteries surrounding not only the museum itself,  but also Kess’s family.

I am so excited about this book for several reasons: First of all, as a reader- what a wonderfully engaging story with a fast-paced and thrilling plot and an engaging, sympathetic young protagonist. Canadian author Mary Averlying’s writing style is beautiful and sophisticated for a middle school book. I mean, “ bats fly hither thither like tiny black comets”…come on, how wonderful is that! Secondly, I’m excited about this book as an educator. This book would make an excellent read-aloud, individual book study and/or class study. It also lends itself as a mentor text for writing! Teachers can use a plethora of paragraphs as small mentor texts to teach literary elements, syntax, and vocabulary. 

Excellent squishy parts, several moments of creepy suspense, a  relatable main character, and strong themes of identity, friendship, family, and courage make this a perfect addition to any middle school classroom.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the free copy.

Fayne

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by Ann Marie MacDonald

Well, I’ve been procrastinating about reviewing this one. Not because I hated it but because I loved it. And it is a long read deserving of engaging discussion and the investment of a reread. (and I hardly EVER reread novels). Ann Marie MacDonald is a force. Her creative brain is astounding. Her writing is filled with facts and philosophy, plot and poetry. She is a perfect mentor author who has written the ideal mentor text limitless in its potential for literary, thematic or personal discussion.

The novel is set in the late 1800’s. Our protagonist is Charlotte, a precocious child who spends days rambling about the family estate. Charlotte, motherless, loves her father immensely. But as Charlotte gets older, her curiosity and aspirations become too large for her father and the social constraints at the time; she is, after all, a girl and, therefore, should be raised to be a proper wife with no fanciful notions of pursuing academia. Aaaand, her curiosity may lead her to discover the unspoken truth behind her mother and her own identity. 

This novel was so good that I didn’t want to put it down, so I also purchased the audio copy, and both listened and read. I was so glad I did. The author herself narrates the novel, and may I say that it is one of the most engaging narrations I’ve ever listened to. I felt as though I was in seventh grade again, and my teacher was reading the Hobbit aloud….mesmerizing. And It made me appreciate the writing even more.

This novel discusses themes of identity, family, friendship, the confinement of social norms, gender issues, and legacy. 

Fayne is definitely a holiday read. Christmas holidays or summer so that you can devote the time to read/listen to it in its entirety. This novel is one of my favourite novels of all time… so far. : )

The First Date

~ Lisa Helm ~ 1 Comment

The sun and warmth of this fall on the coast have made me nostalgic.
I’m taken back…. to a time long ago when I was eighteen and on a first date with a boy who was gasp five years older than me.
One warm Sunday afternoon, he picked me up in his mother’s car, a white sedan with a burgundy interior. The day before, he had told me,
“Wear something you don’t mind getting wet.” he smiled as he lazily leaned against the counter of the “Pic-a-dilly Malt and Donut Shop” where I worked for the summer.
After hours of sorting through my closet the next day, I finally wore jean shorts and a tee shirt over a tank top. The tee shirt was grey.
And off we drove to the river. Where we floated and talked and enjoyed the silence and the sun.
There was only one inner tube, so we had to sit close.
The water was shallow and slow, and the afternoon was filled with hope and promise.
In three weeks, I was leaving home for university. I was nervous and excited to be off on my own and have the entire world open before me.
The future seemed filled with all sorts of possibilities and promises.
I wonder how I can capture this same feeling decades later, when the year is coming to its end when it seems that I must “return” rather than “go forward.”.
But,
I guess,
if I look closely enough, what lies ahead are promises of another kind.

A Season of Monstrous Conceptions

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by Lina Rather

Sarah Davis is an apprentice midwife with a troubled past. It’s 17th-century England, and something darkly strange is happening. Children are born deformed, some with wings, some horns, and even some with tails and several eyes. It seems as though the border between the natural world and the unnatural world is becoming blurred. Not to mention, it was a time when accusations and executions for witchcraft were commonplace. Sarah, as well as being a midwife, has powers that allow her to persuade others to do what she wants…like walking into fire.
When Sarah becomes midwife to the wife of famous architect Christopher Wren, she soon realizes that Wren plans to use his child to serve a darker purpose.
The premise of this novel really intrigued me. It is a really short read, more of a novella, really. I wish the plot was more detailed and the characters more fleshed out. Because it is such a short novel, a few plot elements seemed irrelevant to the storytelling, and other elements that I feel should have been elaborated. On the whole, it is a good quick read.


Thank you to Thor Publishing and Netgalley for the free copy.

Those Crooked Days

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Some days just seem crooked.

When everything is askew.

Walls look slanted.  Stairs are tipped.

You walk as if you’re missing a heel to you shoe.

Conversations seem unfinished or convoluted

and you can’t hold a thought long enough to keep it on any rails to speak of.

You cry when you should be laughing,

(you spell should “shood” when you know better)

and you’re awake when you should be sleeping but yet your alarm wakes you.

It’s snowing when there should be sun.

And it’s not as though you’ve been partaking in any libations,

no, (unfortunately)

it’s just the way the world seems to be this week.

And you wonder if it’s perception or reality.  Or your perception of reality clouded by exhaustion (or overthinking…or both)

And you hope for the curtain to be lifted and things to be clear and aligned so that tasks can be accomplished without befuddlement,

crisp

and clean

and complete.

By Brain is Like a Runaway Train

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Sometimes, my brain is like a runaway train.
Not the little namby-pamby one you see in some theme parks where it pretends to be out of control, and children squeal. No, in that one, you know you’re on a track that will take you safely back from whence you came. Instead, my brain is like an old, rickety locomotive carrying a full, heavy load of worries, fears and thoughts that have no apparent reason for existing and cannot be explained.
This locomotive uncontrollably plummets down the side of the mountain, scooping up wayward cattle in its cowcatcher or busting through landslides that have covered the rails.
Nonstop
on a maniacal mission.
Lurching and bumping and veering around corners at breakneck speed.
Any attempt at slowing down, let alone breaking, is ineffectual and a waste of time.
No distraction works.
As it turns out, the thing to do is to wait it out. To go with the momentum. Follow gravity without fighting. Trying not to get dizzy from the inability to focus on the landscape. Until I get to the bottom of the mountain
where I move from perpendicular to horizontal.
The train loses speed gradually until it comes to a complete stop, and I arrive at a resolution or at least an acceptance of sorts.
And I get off not too bad for wear.

In A Day

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What a difference a day makes. Is this phrase a societal cliché? A lyric from an old song? Or maybe it’s a remnant from an old wives tale? Whatever the case, it seems to manifest itself often throughout life. Ten cases in point:

  1. In a day, you can go from being in love to suffering a broken heart.
  2. In a day, you can move from the whimsy of the summer holiday to the seriousness of work.
  3. In a day, you can go from feeling exhilarating independence to profound loneliness.
  4. In a day, you can be jolted from the complacency of routine to the anxiety of change.
  5. In a day, you can go from an empty page to reams of handwritten prose.
  6. In a day, you can mend fractured friendships.
  7. in a day, you can lose respect for someone you admire.
  8. In a day, you can find yourself halfway around the world.
  9. In a day, you can lose (and gain( the salt bloat caused by consuming a family-sized bag of potato chips.
  10. You can go from feeling insignificant and ineffectual to initiating incredible change just by facing everything that comes your way with grace.
    24 hours can hold a lot of power. Power to cause a myriad of emotions surrounding a hidden lesson. How profoundly human.

The Clinic

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by Cate Quinn

If you’re looking for a psychological thriller that takes place almost entirely in an additional rehab clinic appropriately situated out in the boonies, of course (so that if something goes awry and, believe me, something DOES go awry), this is the book for you. 

Our main character is Meg, an interesting woman with an exciting job and an unhinged backstory. Meg is a professional poker player, and because she can “read” people, she works with law enforcement to combat cheaters and organized crime. Unfortunately, one consequence of her job is an oxycontin addiction. 

When Meg’s famous sister Haley dies at “the clinic”, everyone says it’s suicide; however, Meg knows her sister, and Haley would never kill herself. Instead, Megs believes Haley has been murdered. So, of course, Meg goes undercover to find the truth…and maybe in the battle her own addiction and defeat the demons from her past.

The Clinic is a novel filled with crazy patients and even crazier staff. Chapters alternate from Meg’s point of view to the point of view of Cara, the clinic’s administrator. I think Cara serves as the one character who presents the events of the plot from the most reliable point of view…or does she?

An engaging, intriguing read with twists and turns I didn’t see coming. An excellent, solid suspense story to add to your 2024 TBR list. 

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for the Advanced Copy.

For Grace to Be in All My Steps

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“Grace was in all her steps, Heav’n in her Eye, In every gesture dignity and love.”      John Milton

I’ve never wanted to be introduced as “the life of the party”.    No.  I’d rather be viewed as someone who is graceful and dignified and kind.  With glimmers of sharp wit flashing when you least expect it.   Sometimes graceful and dignified seem to be easy enough to cultivate but not so easy to maintain.  I have a quick temper.  And I can fall into a state of grumpiness that can last for days.

Why is grace sometimes difficult to sustain?  Why is it so easy to let the emotions of anger and pettiness rear their ugly and pitiful heads?  Most often from insecurity I’m sure.  The misconception that everyone is judging you.  And so what if they are?  Ever known people who have gone through friends like a box of tissue?  The ones who have defined themselves so stringently that misinterpret the actions and words as others as a direct attack on their view of themselves?  The people you just want to shake by the shoulders and say “it’s not them!  It’s you!  You are the common denominator.”

I know I don’t want to be one of those people.

I think most of us default to defining who we are by confidently knowing who we don’t want to be.

But back to grace and dignity.

How to make a response to a perceived indignation less visceral.  Stop.  Breathe.  Lower the voice (not menacingly so) but in a controlled manner.  Easier said than done.  Especially the breathing.  Difficult when all you want to do is rip someone’s head off and spit down his/her neck.  Which in itself is not very dignified.

And through it all to be consistent.  To be consistently graceful and dignified and not haphazardly so. Possessive of a calm, unruffled center.  Anchored in security of self.

This is what I’m working towards.

This is what I want to be.

2 New Books for Young People…or Anyone Really : )

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The Otherwoods by Justine Pucella Winans

The Otherwoods is an incredibly engaging novel about a young person, River, who, in addition to trying to navigate the world as non-binary, also sees monsters….and spirits. For most of their life, River has been trying to avoid the portals that would suck him to a place where spirits and monsters rule supreme. Up until now, they have been successful in avoiding being drawn into these portals, steering away from any place that looks weird and definitely doesn’t acknowledge or making eye contact with any spirits or monsters at school or at home, which is almost impossible to do when one of them lives under your bed. When River’s crush gets sucked into a portal and “the Otherwoods”, River has to be brave and enter a world they have been spending their entire life trying to avoid. 

I found this novel almost allegorical, with the Otherwoods representing the real world filled with the “monsters” our LGBTQIA2S+ young people face. The character of River, their fears hurts, and loneliness creates empathy in the reader, and one can’t help but root for River’s defeat of not only the monsters but their insecurities. 

An important addition to any middle school library and classroom. 

Thank you to Bloomsbury Children’s and Netgalley for the free copy.

Tzia: the Book of Galatea by Mister Sanamon

A beautifully written fantasy novel about family, identity and discovery. Fourteen year old Theo boards an airplane to Greece with the hopes of finding her long lost family.  On board the plane, she encounters a strange old women who  tells Theo (through the wonderful use of caterpillar type creatures) about her heritage and about a quest she must take in order to save her world. This book reminded me A LOT of the Chronicles of Narnia. Descriptive language, a young protagonist, and a lion who will determine the fate of not only Theo but her ancestors, descendants and the mythical world of Tzia. 

A wonderful addition to any classroom library, a book club recommendation, read aloud or class study.

Thank you Netgalley and Hilverloo Publishing House for the free copy.