Books You Read in One Sitting | Top 5 Wednesday

Hi everyone! So I'm back with a Top 5 Wednesday post for you all today. The topic is "Books You Read in One Sitting" (or close to). This is a really exciting topic because every so often, I completely DEVOUR a book in one sitting and it just goes to show how much I really enjoyed that read. I am going to pick books that I've reviewed on the blog, so you can read my full review to get more of my thoughts on the book. 

1. The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre

I really enjoyed this book so much! 

It was such a cute and lovely contemporary young adult romance novel! 

Review: Here! 

2. I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Another really great contemporary young adult novel that brings two individuals from different parts together. It tackles the experiences one has with war which really brought another dimension to the YA genre imo. 

Review: Here!

3. Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum

I seriously could not put this book down. It was such an intriguing book and I found myself just devouring it! 

Review: Here!

4.  At The Water's Edge by Sara Gruen

This one wasn't one complete sitting but close enough since I had only read a few chapters and finished the rest of the book one evening. I loved this story so much and it is definitely one of my favorite reads from this year! I highly recommend it. 

Review: Here!

5. We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen

I LOVED this book. This was such an incredibly cute and adorable story. 

It is one that will make you feel all "fuzzy" inside. 

Review: Here!

Well that is all from me for this Top 5 Wednesday Post! Let me know in the comments below which books you were able to read in one sitting, I would love to know! Happy reading! 

Managing Stress and Anxiety: Books That Have Helped.

Hi everyone! I hope that you are all doing well. Today's post will be something a little bit different. Think of it was a semi-book review but also along with personal bookish thoughts. I wanted to talk to you all about managing stress and anxiety with the help of books. Dealing with stress and anxiety is quite a personal topic for me and while I can write blog posts that go on forever about my personal issues, I'd rather share with you all some books that have really helped me. 

Photo from weheartit. 

I've learned that reading just simply "self-help" books about how to remove stress and anxiety from your life were not particular helpful (in my case). Anxiety, more particularly, is an on-going process. There will be days where it seems easier and some days where it is a downright uphill climb. I've found books that help "soothe" the mind in a way have been really helpful. It helps change perspective and offers a more positive outlook. So as opposed to finding one-set-cure that will end all stress and anxiety, I've found books that are helpful in managing stress and anxiety in the moments that they appear and slowly overtime, I've found that the stress panic moments have been a little less frequent and easier to manage. 

One of the first books that I picked up that has been really helpful with shifting perspectives when some days feel quite negative is Barbara Ann Kipfer's 14,000 Things to be Happy About. This book literally lists 14,000 things to be happy about. It is written in a simplistic style of lists of things that make one happy in the moment. I found that going with a highlighter and working on 2-3 pages daily have really been helpful. I started to highlight the things that I know personally make me happy and the ones that are left blank, I will eventually discover. Another book that has been just a treat daily is Demi Lovato's Staying Strong - 365 Days a Year. I'm not a big Demi fan myself, not really knowing much about her music. But a friend of mine had picked this book up and I decided to take a look. It includes daily affirmations and mini little challenges or tips that you can take up. I really enjoy reading each of these each morning before I start my day. It honestly makes a world of a difference. Lastly, with getting into yoga, I've started to get into the practice of mindfulness. I honestly used to think that it was a gimmick and that is mainly because I simply did not understand it at all. Thich Nhat Hanh's The Miracle of Mindfulness has been a great introductory book into understanding mindfulness. 

Another thing that I want to quickly touch on is how the current trend of Adult colouring books has really been helpful. I ended up buying a bunch of adult coloring books because I found it to be incredibly soothing to take some time during stressful moments to just focus on coloring and kind of take your mind away from the situation. I've found that these two colouring books in particular have been super helpful. Lisa Currie's The Scribble Diary is more than a coloring book and is organized as a type of diary that has questions and you can adapt to it daily. You can literally turn to any page of the book and work on it. I've been loving using it. The Mindfulness Coloring book: Anti-Stress Art Therapy for Busy People is just a perfect book with really calming images that you can focus on. I've been working on this one slowly, but the good thing about it is, it is quite small that it can fit in your bag so that you can work on it on the go. I have quite a few more coloring books and I've been thinking about reviewing them more frequently on the blog, so please let me know if you'd like to see that. 

This isn't all the tools that I've been using to help manage stress and anxiety, but this is a small look into what books have been really helping me as of late. I wanted to share this all with you and if you'd like this to become a regular series on the blog, please let me know because I would love to keep talking about and sharing things that have been helpful when it comes to managing stress and anxiety. It is easy enough to turn to a fiction/non-fiction read that will let you escape for a few hours, but I've found that turning to these books in particular have shaped my perspective as of late to be a more positive outlook on things. It is less "escapism" from stress and anxiety, and more so, ways to cope and change. I hope that you will give these books a look next time you are perusing the book store, they might be helpful :) 

Please let me know in the comments what books help you manage stress and anxiety. 

Be well - xx. 

Review: In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

Publishing Date: June 2, 2015
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Pages: 416 pages
Coming of Age/Family Life Fiction

The Premise: The story is based on the true events of a series of plane crashes that occurred in Elizabeth, NJ within a three-month period in 1951-1952. Judy Blume grew up in Elizabeth and these events have been on her mind for a while because they struck fear in the lives of many and the fact that they were all happening was quite “incomprehensible” at the time. Blume utilizes this setting to deliver a story that follows a wide range of characters and how they were affected by the events of the plane crash. The story tackles a wide range of issues such as family, friendships, love relationships while showing perspectives of many generations.

My overall thoughts and review: Growing up, I was a big fan of Judy Blume, I loved Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. I found her writing so easy to follow and the story immediately invites you in. I also remember browsing my high-school library in grade 9 and coming across a beautiful cover with a flower on it and that was my second Blume book ever: Forever. And again, I had the same feelings of what I felt with the first book. These past few weeks, I've had that experience again: falling in love with Judy Blume's writing. I was away on conference so it took me some time to finish this book, but every page is wrapped up in so much detail that it was hard to put down. The story covers a wide range of characters and it is so wonderful the way Blume has set up the chapters with a newspaper piece to preface the chapter and then the book weaves into the many perspectives of different characters. I will have to say that my favorite perspective of all to read from was definitely Miri. I loved Miri so much and just seeing her grow and change as time progressed in the book, it felt like seeing a sister grow up. I also really loved how self-aware she was when it came to relationships with her mother and estranged father. She was an incredibly caring individual and she definitely reminded me of the characters I loved so much in Blume's other books.

I think tackling the subject of these plane crashes was so special because 1) I did not even know that these plane crashes had occurred (this informs those who did not know) and 2) and what Blume does is not memorialize the event, but rather draws attention to it and offers perspectives for those who may or may not have been affected by the events directly. She offers such a wide range in the book when it comes to characters, that it is easy to find someone that you can empathize with. There wasn't any one-dimensional character and every one had so much growth to them and it felt like they all had their voices within the novel and they were so distinct. This book was an easy five stars and I finished the book wanting more of everyone's story. I would highly recommend this for fans of Judy Blume, this is another to add to your favorites shelf. But also, I would highly recommend this to anyone that would like a book, so inviting, that tackles a difficult subject of plane crashes, but ultimately leaves you feeling like you've just met a bunch of good friends.

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

Now available for purchase at:
Chapters/Indigo and Book Depository (Free Worldwide Shipping)

Disclaimer: An advanced reader's copy of this book was sent to me by Random House Canada for consideration/review. All opinions are my own. 

Review: Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella 

Publishing Date: June 9, 2015
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Pages: 304 pages
Young Adult Contemporary

The Premise: The story follows Audrey who has developed an anxiety disorder due to an unfortunate event. Despite the circumstances, Audrey has her family for support. Her brother who is a little-too-addicted to a video game, her eccentric mother and father understand what she is going through. She has been making good progress with her therapist Dr. Sarah. One day, when her brother announces that he is joining a gaming team, he has a friend of his come over (also part of the team), named Linus. Audrey is immediately intrigued by Linus and she finds herself being comfortable with him and opening up. And as the story would have it, the relationship does blossom into a really sweet and charming love story.

My overall thoughts and review: I have been a big fan of Sophie Kinsella for quite some time. I've read most of her books and I remember just loving them at the beginning of my undergrad. I was over-the-moon excited when I heard that Kinsella was coming out with a YA release and the premise sounded amazing. I love reading about characters that are able to find something (or in this case, someone) that helps bring them out of their shell. I really enjoyed the love story between Audrey and Linus. It was nicely paced and I just loved how much Linus supported Audrey through everything. What I enjoyed most was Audrey's interactions with her family. For a part in the story, Dr. Sarah has Audrey video-record her going about her life on a daily-basis and some scenes with her mom catching her brother playing video games instead of doing homework just made me laugh out loud. I especially enjoyed the scene: "Dickens!" haha. It was so much fun seeing that all unravel. I think what I really appreciated from this book was that Kinsella was sure to depict to the reader that there is no one-set cure to anxiety disorders and that they do take time. There are ups and downs that chart the progress of anxiety disorders and although moments in the book, where Audrey felt frustrated at her progress, I was glad to see that characters like Dr. Sarah and her mother were there to reassure her that it is a part of the progress and that it IS progress nonetheless. All in all, this was a wonderful young adult contemporary read that had comedy, romance, family relationships and more which I really enjoyed. I devoured it in one sitting. I would highly recommend this for fans of Sophie Kinsella! I really hope that Kinsella will write more YA in the future because this read was fantastic! :D

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮  (4/5 stars) 

Now available for purchase at:
Chapters/Indigo and Book Depository (Free Worldwide Shipping)

Disclaimer: An advanced reader's copy of this book was sent to me by Random House Canada for consideration/review. All opinions are my own. 

Review: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han 
(Book #2 in the To All The Boys I've Loved Before Series) 

Publishing Date: May 26, 2015
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352 pages
Young Adult Contemporary

** This is a review for the second book in the duology by Jenny Han. If you want to read the review for the FIRST book: To All The Boys I've Loved Before, you can read my full review here ** 

The Premise: The story picks up where the first one left off. Lara Jean did not plan to fall for Peter because they were just pretending, but now she knows her feelings are real and she tries to work things out with Peter again after the events at the end of last book. However, things get more complicated for Lara Jean, when the recipient of the final letter returns from her past. Is it possible to love two people at the same time? The story follows Lara Jean as she figures out her feelings for both boys.

My overall thoughts and review: So as you can tell from my review of the previous book, I loved that book so much. I think it was definitely one of my favorite reads from last year and I was over the moon excited to hear that the book was getting the sequel. I was a bit uncertain about how I was to feel about another boy coming into the picture because I ADORE Peter so much. He made the book for me and I just love how wonderful he was for Lara Jean. What I did not expect was to really love John Ambrose McClaren as well. Seriously, what a PERFECT character. I was constantly torn between him and Peter throughout the second part of the book. Ultimately, when I finished the book, I was more satisfied with how things ended in the first novel and I thought things could've just ended there for me. I feel so ~torn~ when things are really good, and somehow, the author decides to switch gears a little bit to make it a bit complicated. I do see why Han felt a second book was necessary because it demonstrated that Lara Jean needed to get over certain things and had to fully experience certain things to know for sure what her feelings were. I really am happy with how things ended in this book. Spoilers (I won't say who she ends up with.. but I mean you can do the math if you read that I LOVED Peter ;)). It was another really enjoyable read by Han because it focused not only on the relationships which were definitely swoon-worthy, but also the family relationship between Lara Jean and her sisters. It was bittersweet seeing Kitty grow up in this book, but it was also good to see both sisters stick together. Ultimately, it was a good read from Han that takes place after a book I really loved. I have to say, it was not as good as the first one, but it was still really good and I think that if you were a fan of the first book, you will definitely enjoy this one!

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮  (4/5 stars) 

Now available for purchase at:
Chapters/Indigo and Book Depository (Free Worldwide Shipping)

Review: Broken Hearts, Fences and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn

Broken Hearts, Fences and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn
(Broken Hearts & Revenge Book 1)

Publishing Date: May 5, 2015 (Trade Paperback)
Publisher: Square Fish
Pages: 368 pages
Young Adult Contemporary

The Premise: The story follows Gemma, who had her summer all planned out to go away with her boyfriend, until he decides to break up with her one day in Target. This puts her in the Hamptons after being away for five years. She's been away because in the Hamptons, something happened with her former best friend Hallie. She is hoping to make amends for her actions and hopes that Hallie does not hold a grudge against her, but a case of mistaken identity happens and Hallie and her brother, Josh (potential love interest for Gemma) believes that Gemma is someone else to make things even more complicated.

My overall thoughts and review: To begin with, for those of you that don't know who Katie Finn is, she is actually Morgan Matson. If you remember this time last year, I read Morgan Matson's Since You've Been Gone (full review here) and I LOVED it, so I was incredibly excited to read another book by her and I picked up this one. For those of you that know the old cover, there has been a cover change with the release of the trade paperback this year which makes me a bit sad since I really loved the original cover. Anyways, onto the story. I do enjoy some revenge stories every now and then, but I found this plot dragging on quite a lot. It got to the point where I just couldn't believe that Gemma AND Hallie were still going about with this case of "mistaken identity" and I think because Gemma wasn't really Gemma, I didn't feel like the relationship that was blossoming between her and Josh, to be quite genuine at all. It was a decent story and it obviously ends on a cliffhanger to lead into the next book, but I wasn't blown away with it. There was not as much emphasis on friendship, which I really loved in Since You've Been Gone, which is ironic since the story is about Gemma trying to make amends for her actions in a friendship. I felt like she neglected her already current friend Sophie and I was hoping to see more of Sophie and Gemma in this book which would also be a nice way to depict Gemma's growth as a character. All in all, like I said, it was a decent story, but not something I would recommend you rush out to buy. I much prefer her other books to this one. I am reading the sequel to it now, so I will definitely have a review up for that. I hope that the next book focuses more on Gemma and Sophie and less on this revenge-plot with Hallie and Gemma. It would also be nice to get more of Hallie's perspective as well.

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮  (3/5 stars) 

Now available for purchase at:
Chapters/Indigo and Book Depository (Free Worldwide Shipping)

Review: Like It Never Happened By Emily Adrian

Like It Never Happened By Emily Adrian

Publishing Date: June 2, 2015
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Pages: 368 pages
Young Adult Contemporary

The Premise: The story follows Rebecca Rivers, who is recently casted as the lead in her school's play. This new change changes everything for Rebecca socially. Along with her other four castmates, they form the "Essential Five" - all vowing to not date one another because that would ruin things. Things change when Rebecca kisses Charlie on stage and actually begins to have feelings for him. The story takes a turn when a horrible rumor and lie about Rebecca is spread around school that affects the entire group.

My overall thoughts and review: When I was first pitched this book, the description and premise stated that it would be for fans of E. Lockhart, who, as some of you may know, I am a fan of. I was incredibly excited about this book. It was definitely "a whole lot of drama" like the description states. This book definitely reminded me of the TV series Glee, because the school production lifted all of these five individuals out of their shells (somewhat) and also the teacher, Mr. McFadden plays a significant role in the book as well, like the teachers did in the glee series. I really enjoyed Rebecca as a character because she was incredibly self-aware. She often made bad choices and decisions, knowingly, but the fact that she admitted to them and did not try to kind of change how she was being perceived really surprised me. I loved seeing her growth as a character and it really drove me insane at times seeing her plunged into a world of drama. The book also focuses a lot on Rebecca's relationship with her parents and also her sister, Mary. Mary was a side character, but I really enjoyed the scenes when Rebecca was spending time with her sister Mary. All in all, I think that this was quite a good young adult contemporary "scandal/revenge" type read. It deals with all the clique problems of high-school and also demonstrates good character progression which is always a requirement in my books. This is my first time reading something by Emily Adrian and I can't wait to read what she writes next!

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮  (4/5 stars) 

Now available for purchase at:
Chapters/Indigo and Book Depository (Free Worldwide Shipping)

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by Penguin Canada (RazorbillCA) for consideration/review. All opinions are my own.