Night Circus

If you are looking for a new page-gripping novel with a touch of the mystique that is as well-written as the cover is pretty, you need to pick up Night Circus. It is written by Erin Morgenstern and the cover is so gorgeous that I picked up a hard cover version so I can lend it out rather than get the electronic one for my Kobo. I'm not a hundred percent sure I bought the ending but overall it lived up to my expectations and thrilled me throughout the whole adventure that it sets up from page 1. It's going to be our book club selection for this fall (as soon as I get back to town and pick a date) and I'm really looking forward to discussing it. Big thumbs up.

Other things that are currently on my Kobo...
1. The sequel to The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
2. The sequel to Matched, Crossed by Ally Condie
3. All of the Games of Thrones books which I just finished and were totally awesome.

To Kobo or not to Kobo

I sold my soul last month. After fiercely debating the moral superiority of actual books to electronic e-readers such as the Kindle and Kobo, I went to the dark side and purchased the new touch Kobo at Chapters. And this is why...

I'm in the middle of reading "The Game of Thrones" series by George R.R. Martin. I was four books in at about 800 pages a piece and twenty bucks a pop when I came to the difficulty that happens every time I fly back home, how do I fit all of these books in my luggage? I realized that I probably should have splurged and bought the Kobo before I made it to book four so that I wouldn't have had to leave the other novels at home for my parents to enjoy but it's better late than never. And this way I was able to fit more jam in my luggage from PEI.

So how does an avid book collector find an e-reader? Well it's got its ups and downs but I have to admit I feel somewhat guilty about how much I do actually like it. For one, the books are cheaper on the online store and it is much smaller and easier to carry around in a purse. It also has wireless access to an online store so if you finish "The Hunger Games" at 10:30pm you don't have to wait for Indigo to open the next day to get your hands on "Catching Fire", you can just download it.

It does make it harder to lend books to people so I think that for the most part I will continue to buy actual novels for my personal favourites. And let's face it, they are much prettier on a shelf.

Sidenote: Game of Thrones is awesome. I've watched the first season on HBO and am loving the novels. Each chapter is told from a different character's perspective and the author likes to kill people off at random. Don't get too attached to anyone. I'm on the fifth book and am desperately seeking suggestions for my next great read.

I read therefore I am

If you're looking for a way to kill some time on this rainy ass long weekend, I have some great new books for you...

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth. A lot of books have claimed to "be the new Hunger Games" but this one actually has promise. The writing is solid, the plot is quick and the characters are well developed. It's set in Chicago at some dystopian point in the future where society is divided into five factions that each focus on one particular character trait. At 16, everyone chooses which faction they want to belong to and our main character, Beatrice picks Dauntless (the Brave). Included is corruption, death and romance. There is apparently a sequel in the works and I for one am looking forward to it.

2. Eon and Eona by Alison Goodman. This is a YA fantasy in a similar vein to Tamora Pierce (who gave both books rave reviews) but is set in an ancient Asian society. It's your standard "girl pretends to be a boy in order to gain power in society" but has a dynamic cast of characters. Solid read if you like anything by Pierce.

3. Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whalen. I'm halfway through this is and LOVING it. The book takes place in a small town in the southern USA and focuses on a Cullen Witter whose cousin dies at the same time a woodpecker, extinct for decades, reappears. The writing is funny but touching and I like all the references to zombies.

Spring break reads

Holy crap. I can't believe how long it's been since I posted anything on here. Suffice to say I've been much busier at work this year but I still have had time to sneak a few good reads in. Here are some of my most recent favs...

1. The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan. This is the third book in a loosely connected series that started with "The Forest of Hands and Teeth." If you like zombies and dystopian lit, you'll enjoy this and I personally think that Ryan is becoming a better writer as she goes.

2. Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness. One word: AMAZING!! This is the final book in the Chaos Walking series which started with "The Knife of Never Letting Go" and was followed by "The Ask and the Answer." The books are set in the future on an alien planet where humans have settled and fought with the native species. For some reason, every thought that a male has can be heard by everyone else but women have an immunity to the condition. Definitely the best YA lit I've read in years. Get it.

3. How to Steal a Car by Pete Hautman. This is a super quick read and is a really fun surprise. The plot follows a suburban teenage girl who develops a penchant for adrenaline rushes. Definitely worth picking up.


Well that's all for now...I guess I'd better crash on the couch and work through some more. I'm currently reading Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman. It looks super cheesy and the cover kind of threw me off it but Tamora Pierce gave it an excellent review.

Procrastination 2.0

Three books you need to read this fall:

1. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. This is the much anticipated (at least by me and my students) finale in the Hungergames triology. I really enjoyed the previous two books and might have stood in line at Chapters the day this came out to pick it up. I'm only about 50 pages from the end and I will not be doing anything productive tonight until its done.

2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett. This was recommended by several friends and is currently being passed around the staffroom at work. Set in the 1960's deep south during the civil rights movement, it looks at the relationships between women, black and white. If you liked To Kill a Mockingbird, you'll love it.

3. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. This author wrote a great YA fantasy series called the Mortal Instruments that started with City of Bones. It's a more mature, Harry Potter-esque series. Clockwork Angel is a prequel to the Mortal Instruments and is set in Victorian England. I think I might have liked it better than City of Bones. I am definitely pumped about the next two books!

I and Love and You

I had a fantastic evening at the Calgary Folk Festival this summer listening to this band play the final act on the Thursday night. If you have the chance to see the Avett Brothers and it's a six hour drive from where you live, do it. You won't be disappointed.

Summer adventures

What's the weirdest thing you have ever seen in your entire life?

For me, it's hands down the picture to the left. I was coming home from a camping trip this summer and drove through Longview, Alberta when I snapped this pic. Apparently there was some kind of celebration going on at the local community hall and Baily Jr. the buffalo had been invited. I particularly like how his owner has sawed off the windshield and installed a feed bucket. I even got to see this car drive down the main road briefly while they searched for a better parking spot. One word, amazing.

Newest guilty pleasures

Category: Books!

My most recent favourite book is "The Eyre Affair" by Jasper Fforde. It took me a little while to get fully hooked but if you like weird British humour along the lines of Douglas Adams and have a slightly unhealthy obsession with the Bronte sisters then this is the book for you. I've just started the second Thursday Next novel (the main character), "Lost in a Good Book."

Category: Music!

What song is currently on repeat on my CBC Radio 3 playlist? That would be "Got to Lose" by Hollerado. It's one heck of a lung buster with an awesome chorus. Listen to it right here!

Category: Food!

Cranberry honey whole grain mustard. I was tipped off by Megan #1. I think that with a creamy cheese it would be heaven. I'm currently eating it with a spoon. Don't judge.

Category: TV!

What I'll say to sound smart and intelligent...Modern Family. What I won't admit to...The Bacherlorette. I blame my roommates, Mark and Jess, for sucking me into this one.

Category: Wine!

Thanks to a great wine class at the Kensington Wine Market I am now in love with a white wine from Patagonia, Argentina. It's called Southernmost. It's cheap and yummy.

That's it for now!