Books That Feature Travelling | Top 5 Wednesday

Hi everyone! I hope that you are all well. My apologies for missing last week's topic - I was sick AND I don't like writing negative things on my blog to begin with, and last week was most frustrating characters. Anyways, I'm back with this week's topic and it is top 5 books that feature travelling. I am including a variation of "travelling" = road trips, vacations, etc, etc. 

1. Mosquitoland by David Arnold

This one is a must for me. I loved reading about Mim's travel to see her mom and her encounters along the way and how she learns to discover some truths about herself.

Full Review located: here! 

2. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson 

Travelling isn't a huge portion of the book, but it occurs mostly towards the end of the novel. I loved this book so much and I just loved the journey that the characters took and the relationships that came out of it. It is definitely one of my favorite YA novels ever. 

Full Review located: here!

3. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

AHHH! This book follows the protagonist and her boyfriend from New York to Singapore. What a funny and incredibly fun book. I loved this so much and when I finished it, I only wanted to visit Asia even more (I've never been). The sequel for it is coming out soon and I can't wait to start reading that as well! 

Full Review located: here!

4. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Oh this book left me in tears. What a book indeed. This book features some travelling for the main characters Violet and Finch and the places that they visited were not traditional and I just loved following along on their journey. 

Full review located: here!

5. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

I feel like this choice is pretty much self-explanatory. I mean how could I not include this one when it comes to travelling? ;)

Well that's it for this Wednesday's topic. Let me know in the comments below your choices for books that feature travelling. Thanks so much for reading! 

Review: Seven Spoons by Tara O'Brady

Seven Spoons: My Favorite Recipes for Any and Every Day by Tara O'Brady

Publishing Date: April 21, 2015
Publisher: Appetite by Random House
Pages: 296 pages
Food & Drink

The Premise: Seven Spoons comes from Blogger and Food writer Tara O'Brady from the blog Seven Spoons. Comprised of everyday recipes organized by meals and beautiful photography, Tara has created a book full of the beautiful recipes similar to the ones she has put together online and more! In her introduction, Tara talks about how she started cooking and the process and progress of hear learning how to cook. She has definitely encouraged me because I feel like we cook in the same way a little, through "memory, advice, magazines, books, the Internet and television shows" (5). The book also includes amazing tips for stocking the pantry. There is a literally a bit of everything for everyone in this book!

The book is organized into 7 sections:
1) Breads & Breakfasts
2) Lunches
3) Soups, Starters & Snacks
4) Suppers
5) Vegetables & Sides
6) Sweets, Treats and Sips
7) Staples

I actually made a few of the recipes recently on my own and together during a cooking day with my fellow blogger friends:

Some of the recipes that I tried were: 

• Roasted Red Pepper, Almond and Feta Salad (PG. 186)- I made this one for dinner one night as a side to some chicken and it was such an amazing recipe to put together! I left out the parsley because I am not a big of of parsley, but it worked out really well. I loved it and it was an incredibly filling salad. :D 
• Mushrooms and Greens with Toast (PG. 91) - This has got to be my favorite recipe that I've tried so far. It was so delicious and easy to make and we used spinach in our recipe for the greens. I had it with a few other bits but I definitely think that it can work as a main dish or a side dish to steak or chicken. Just delicious! 
• Salad Rolls (PG. 75) - Nikki picked this recipe and it was so much fun putting these rolls together. I volunteered to roll them since I have experience with wrapping rice paper rolls from some vietnamese dishes we often make at home. I loved how simple it was and it incorporated so many vegetables. We made both of the sauces and although, Nikki preferred the Sesame dressing, I definitely preferred the Tamari dipping sauce. Both were great and I loved that Tara included so many options to choose from! 

My overall thoughts and review: I think it is pretty clear from the recipes that I've mentioned and what I thought of them, that I just LOVED everything. This cookbook is definitely going to be a staple in my kitchen because it has a bit of everything for everyone. There are so many meals that can be adapted for many different meals and reasons and a lot of the ingredients were easy to find at my local grocery store, which I really appreciated. Tara is incredibly clear in the beginning of each recipe with tips and tricks on how she thinks the recipe can be cooked and the perfect setting for having them. Tara also has a lot of alternatives for the reader as well and notes which is awesome if you can't find a certain ingredient. I loved this cookbook so much and I think it truly is a good cookbook for any and every day. Be sure to check it out because you definitely will not be disappointed! 

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮✮ (5/5 stars) 

Now available for purchase at:

Chapters/Indigo or Book Depository (Free International Shipping)

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Random House Canada for consideration/review. All opinions are my own. 

Tara O'Brady's "Seven Spoons" Book Launch at Ben McNally Books | April 20, 2015

Good morning everyone! I hope that you are all having a lovely day. Today is a wonderful day for book releases and I just wanted to share with you a book launch that I recently had the pleasure of attending! The book also launches today, so be sure to run out and get your copy of it! ;) A review post will be going up immediately after this post, so be on the look out for that as well! 

I was invited to attend Tara O'Brady's Seven Spoons book launch at Ben McNally Books. My bestfriend, Nikki, who is also a blogger attend as well and you can read her recap for the event here! Another blogger and friend that attended was Shilpa from SukasaReads! It was such a fun evening chatting about recipes with wine, cheese and cookies! I've never been to that bookstore before, but another friend of mine mentioned how lovely it was so I was super excited to attend. 

The cookies were from the cookbook and omg they were AMAZING!

Tara gave a wonderful speech that definitely sparked some tears in the audience. It was so inspiring to hear about her journey as a blogger and now, a writer. I was so incredibly proud of Tara for all of her accomplishments and after attempting some of the recipes from her cookbook, it has truly become a favorite in my kitchen. Tara has produced such a wonderful cookbook, that is easy, accessible and of course, has delicious and fun recipes! 

When Nikki and I went up to meet her, she recognized us from instagram/twitter and our cooking days which was incredibly sweet! She even recognized which sauce Nikki preferred in the salad rolls recipe (so awesome)! 

Tara O'Brady giving her opening speech and signing a copy of Seven Spoons. 

What an incredibly awesome evening! My review for the book will be up shortly, but in the mean time, if you haven't had the chance to pick up a copy of Seven Spoons, it is released today and you can purchase it at: Chapters/Indigo or Book Depository (Free International Shipping)! 

Review: At The Water's Edge by Sara Gruen

At The Water's Edge by Sara Gruen

Publishing Date: March 31, 2015
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Pages: 368 pages
Historical Fiction

The Premise: Maddie Hyde and her husband, Ellis, decide after an embarrassing encounter on New Years to set sail from Philadelphia with Ellis' bestfriend, Hank in search for the Loch Ness monster. Maddie and Ellis have also been cut off financially from Ellis' father, a former war colonel because of Ellis' inability to serve in the war. Ellis is colorblind and Hank is flat-footed, and they both encouraged Maddie to go with them across the pond to Scotland, while the very real monster, Hitler, is waging war. The story follows Maddie as she follows her husband and friend, during wartime into an uncharted territory. Once in Scotland, the story unfolds where Maddie begins to learn about herself, her husband, and a type of awakening occurs within her through the newfound friendships and relationships.

My overall thoughts and review: I know that it is only April and it is probably too early to say, but I have to say that this has got to be my FAVORITE read of 2015 thus far. I've been a big fan of Sara Gruen for a while now and I loved her previous book, Water for Elephants. I was pretty much over the moon happy when I heard about this new book from Gruen. Scotland, WWII, the loch ness monster, what more could you ask for? Having the focus shift to Scotland is definitely something new for me, since I am used to most WWII books being situated in France or England, so this was quite a nice change. I was reading some reviews of the book and one of the criticisms was the pacing of the book and how some found the beginning a bit slow. For me though, it was the complete opposite. I love how Gruen paces the story and really lays the foundation. She gives a little in earlier chapters, and then unfolds and gives the entire picture in later chapters. I LOVED the character of Maddie so much and I loved seeing her journey and her growth as a character. I was so incredibly proud of Maddie by the end of the book for how much she achieved and just how self-aware she was of her circumstances. The story was also woven with another character's story, Angus Grant and I found how that played out to be really sweet. Even the secondary characters were so well-rounded and multi-dimensional. I loved the characters of Meg and Anna so much and at times, I found myself liking Ellis and Hank as well. All in all, this is a wonderful read for those who are fans of historical fiction. I always find it most difficult to comprise a long review for the books I really love, and trying to find more things to say than simply saying, I loved it over and over again. But seriously, I really did love it. It had everything that I would want in a historical fiction book and more so, Gruen's beautiful prose and imaginative storytelling really shined in this one. I have to say, I like it even more than Water for Elephants, and that is saying a lot considering I loved that one!

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮✮ (5/5 stars) 

Now available for purchase at:

Chapters/Indigo and Book Depository (Free International Shipping)

Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book at the RHC Blogger Preview event for consideration/review. All opinions are my own. 

Sabrina Ramnanan's "Nothing Like Love" Book Launch at Rhum Corner | April 14, 2015

Hi everyone! I hope that you are all having a lovely day. If you are in Toronto or the GTA area, I hope you are enjoying the lovely weather we've been having. I've unfortunately have been hit with a wave of sickness. *sigh* But I recently went to a blog event that I can't wait to share with you all about. I was invited to attend the "Nothing Like Love" Launch by Sabrina Ramnanan at Rhum Corner. 

If you've been following me on twitter, you'll know that I've been talking about this book non-stop! In fact, I've recently posted a giveaway on twitter for a chance to win a copy of the book which ends on April 18th, but there is still some time to enter, so be sure to check it out here! 

The event was at Rhum Corner and I've never been there before, but it was such a lovely venue. They provided some really awesome snacks for us before hand such as patties and deep fried plantains. Sabrina gave such a lovely speech that definitely sparked some tears in the audience. I loved the book so much and I was so happy I got to finish it before I met her because listening to her talk about the process of writing it gave me even more appreciation for the text. She gives me hope as an aspiring writer to try my best to keep at my writing no matter what. And to also be brave when it comes to content, because sometimes it just works. 

After the speeches, I got to meet Sabrina for a bit and it made me so happy that she recognized me (from online) and talked about my review. I got to sing my praises to her and she was seriously the sweetest person ever. It makes me so excited just thinking about her future projects! 

What a lovely evening it was! To wrap up, I want to direct you to my full review of Sabrina's Book, which you can read more about here! I definitely encourage you to go pick up a book if you have the chance to because it definitely will not disappoint! :) 

Review: Snow White & The 77 Dwarfs by Davide Cali & Raphaëlle Barbanègre

Snow White & The 77 Dwarfs by Davide Cali & Raphaëlle Barbanègre 

Publishing Date: April 14, 2015
Publisher: Tundra Books
Pages: 32 pages
Picture Book/Storybook

The Premise: This story is a retelling of the classic tale of Snow White and the 7 dwarfs but instead this one Snow White encounters not 7 dwarfs, but 77 dwarfs! She is on the run from the evil Queen like in the original story, but she soon realizes that she has taken on more than she can handle with the 77 dwarfs.

My overall thoughts and review: I believe that this is my first time ever reviewing a picture book on my blog and I really should review more of those because I am a huge fan and I actually have quite the collection. I LOVED this picture book so much. When I was at the RHC blogger event, one of the gals pitched this as similar to the story of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, which I read in my undergrad and loved. They take a classic story and put an interesting twist on it. This one did exactly that. The artwork to begin with, is simply stunning. It was incredibly vibrant and the detail on every page keeps you lingering on for much longer than a typical picture book. I loved how this ended and it was simply hilarious. I think this would be a great and fun read and I think it is definitely one to add to one's library!

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮✮ (5/5 stars) 

Now available for purchase at:

Chapters/Indigo and Book Depository (Free International Shipping)

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by Random House Canada for consideration/review. All opinions are my own. 

Sarah Britton's "My New Roots" Book Launch at Good Egg | April 12, 2015

Hi everyone! I hope that you all had a lovely weekend. Today's weather was absolutely wonderful and I spent the morning/early afternoon downtown Toronto at Kensington Market for Sarah Britton's My New Roots Book Launch at Good Egg. 

Publishing Date: March 31, 2015

Publisher: Appetite by Random House

Pages: 256 pages

Healthy Cooking

Sarah Britton signing copies of My New Roots

Britton's My New Roots is a cookbook comprised of everyday recipes that are plant-based. Britton is a nutritionist and a blogger (yay fellow blogger love) and this book is her first release ever. Britton inspires her readers to make healthy choices everyday and she actually catalogues many recipes on her blog, which you can check out over at http://www.mynewroots.org/ - The recipe book includes 100 seasonal recipes and encourages a diet based on whole foods. All of the recipes include organic fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lentils, nuts and seeds. Each recipe has nutritional and health information so you are aware of the benefits for each recipe! There is something for everyone in this book!

The launch for the book was held at the very lovely bookshop Good Egg right in the heart of Kensington on Augusta. Good Egg primarily features cookbooks and kitchenware stuff, but they also carry a wide range of books. It is such a cute and quirky little shop and I definitely recommend visiting if you are ever in the area! It was a full house with many lining up to buy their book and get it signed.  We literally couldn't move at some point - so that is saying something of how busy the launch was! Sarah even made and brought in some homemade sesame brittle for everyone, which was DELICIOUS! While we were in the bookshop chatting about the book, we saw some familiar faces: Troian Bellisario and Patrick J. Adams, who came out to support their friend Sarah Britton. Michele from JustALilLost and my bestfriend, Nikki from nikkitheknack were able to chat with Troian for a bit and say hi to Patrick which was a cool moment!

Overall it was a lovely Sunday afternoon spent with my bestfriend and fellow bookish bloggers AND the lovely gals at Random House! I can't wait to start cooking some recipes from the book and many congratulations to Sarah for such a wonderful achievement! I will be posting a full review of the book on the blog soon and I will include my attempt at a recipe or two (with photos included). So be sure to keep your eyes peeled for that to go up later this month! 

The book is now available for purchase at Chapters/Indigo and/or Book Depository!