Event Recap: Simon & Schuster Canada Spring Fiction Lunch 2017

Hi everyone! I haven't done an event recap in what feels like decades, but I attended a really special event yesterday and I feel like it definitely warrants a recap post. The lovely folks over at Simon and Schuster Canada invited me to the 2nd Annual Spring Fiction Lunch. I was lucky enough to attend the previous year, so when Adria emailed me again, I was over the moon excited. The event took place at Biff's Bistro and I've been there a few times now. I just love the aesthetic of the place and also the amazing service. Oh, and of course, the food is amazing. 

I got the Organic Greens, Beef Bourguignon, and the Classic Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee. All were simply divine.  

They brought in three lovely authors to talk about their upcoming books (yay for all female authors)! There was Lisa See, author of The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane; Roz Nay, author of Our Little Secret; and S.K. Ali, author of Saints and Misfits. They spoke a bit about their book and the synopsis and the writing process and also were incredibly humble when speaking about the book industry. We had musical chairs at lunch and I got to speak with all of them for quite a bit which was nice. Roz shared a nice tidbit that in the beginning, it was a different victim and a different crime :O and that changed in the editing process. I find learning about that just fascinating and it's amazing how much work goes into the editing process before release date. 

Going clockwise: Lisa See, Roz Nay, and S.K. Ali talking about their books. 

So about the books... I've already read 2/3 of the books mentioned and every book will be getting their own full review, so be on the lookout for that, but I wanted to share quick synopses: 

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa Sea

Release Date: March 21, 2017

Pages: 384 

Asian American Literary Fiction

Premise: "Li-yan and her family align their lives around the seasons and the farming of tea. There is ritual and routine, and it has been ever thus for generations. Then one day a jeep appears at the village gate—the first automobile any of them have seen—and a stranger arrives. In this remote Yunnan village, the stranger finds the rare tea he has been seeking and a reticent Akha people. In her biggest seller, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, See introduced the Yao people to her readers. Here she shares the customs of another Chinese ethnic minority, the Akha, whose world will soon change. Li-yan, one of the few educated girls on her mountain, translates for the stranger and is among the first to reject the rules that have shaped her existence. When she has a baby outside of wedlock, rather than stand by tradition, she wraps her daughter in a blanket, with a tea cake hidden in her swaddling, and abandons her in the nearest city. After mother and daughter have gone their separate ways, Li-yan slowly emerges from the security and insularity of her village to encounter modern life while Haley grows up a privileged and well-loved California girl. Despite Haley’s happy home life, she wonders about her origins; and Li-yan longs for her lost daughter. They both search for and find answers in the tea that has shaped their family’s destiny for generations" (Scribner). 

Available for Purchase: Chapters/Indigo, Kobo, Amazon, Book Depository 

Our Little Secret by Roz Nay

Release Date: June 6, 2017 

Pages: 256

Psychological Thriller/Mystery

Premise: "The detective wants to know what happened to Saskia, as if I could just skip to the ending and all would be well. But stories begin at the beginning and some secrets have to be earned. Angela is being held in a police interrogation room. Her ex’s wife has gone missing and Detective Novak is sure Angela knows something, despite her claim that she’s not involved. At Novak’s prodding, Angela tells a story going back ten years, explaining how she met and fell in love with her high school friend HP. But as her past unfolds, she reveals a disconcerting love triangle and a dark, tangled web of betrayals. Is Angela a scorned ex-lover with criminal intent? Or a pawn in someone else’s revenge scheme? Who is she protecting? And why?" (SS). 

Full Review: HERE!
Available for Pre-Order: Chapters/Indigo, Kobo, Amazon, Book Depository

Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali 

Release Date: June 13, 2017 

Pages: 336

Young Adult Contemporary 

Premise: "There are three kinds of people in my world: 1. Saints, those special people moving the world forward. Sometimes you glaze over them. Or, at least, I do. They’re in your face so much, you can’t see them, like how you can’t see your nose. 2. Misfits, people who don’t belong. Like me—the way I don’t fit into Dad’s brand-new family or in the leftover one composed of Mom and my older brother, Mama’s-Boy-Muhammad. Also, there’s Jeremy and me. Misfits. Because although, alliteratively speaking, Janna and Jeremy sound good together, we don’t go together. Same planet, different worlds. But sometimes worlds collide and beautiful things happen, right? 3. Monsters. Well, monsters wearing saint masks, like in Flannery O’Connor’s stories. Like the monster at my mosque. People think he’s holy, untouchable, but nobody has seen under the mask. Except me" (Salaam Reads). 

Full Review: HERE!
Available for Pre-Order: Chapters/Indigo, Kobo, Amazon, Book Depository

Again, be on the lookout for my reviews. Spoilers: I loved what I've read so far. I'm seriously blown away by the releases Simon and Schuster have been pushing out. Top-notch stuff here. Thanks again to the lovely folks at Simon and Schuster for having me for a lovely Monday afternoon treat. I had a fantastic time chatting with fellow book lovers and the authors! 

Disclaimer: I was not asked to write a post about the event I was invited to. I had such a fantastic time and I decided to write an event recap to share my love for the books. All opinions are my own.