Review: Fairest - The Lunar Chronicles: Levana's Story by Marissa Meyer

Fairest - The Lunar Chronicles: Levana's Story by Marissa Meyer
(#0.5 in The Lunar Chronicles)

Publishing Date: January 27, 2015
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 272 pages
Young Adult

The Premise: Fans of the Lunar Chronicles will know Queen Levana as the antagonist of the series who has been fighting Cinder, Scarlet and Cress at every turn. Before she was Queen though, she was simply Levana. This short story is told from the perspective of Levana and offers up more background to her story and who she really is without the glamour.

My overall thoughts and review: Being a huge fan of the Lunar Chronicles series, I was incredibly excited when I first heard about this becoming a book. I am not a fan of Levana at all in the series, but one thing that kind of bugged me was, I did not really understand her reasons, so I was curious to learn more. I am always intrigued to see if an author can make you kind of side with "both" sides of the story (i.e. Philippa Gregory's The White Queen and The Red Queen does this nicely). In the beginning, I really empathized with Levana so much and her upbringing reminded me of other narratives. I enjoyed learning about her family and her "first-love" so to speak. What I did not anticipate was how "twisted" she was to become. I was really rooting for her, so in the end, when I really did not "feel" for her at all, I did not feel conflicted that Meyer did not show that she was good underneath it all, I was quite happy because Meyer reaffirmed why Levana is such a strong villain for me. All in all, this was a nice companion piece to the Lunar Chronicles. I would definitely say to read this in order of publication date because there are spoilers in the text for somethings that are mentioned in Cress. Finishing this has also made me want the final book even more. This was a nice addition (beautiful artwork on the front and back of the book) - and I would definitely say it is a must read for those who are reading the series! 

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

Now available for purchase at:
Chapters/Indigo

#RHCBloggerPreview - Most Anticipated 2015 Releases!

Hi all! I hope that you are all doing well. I have a super exciting post for you all today. Yesterday I was invited by the lovely ladies over at Random House of Canada (Aliya, Lindsey and Jess) to add the #RHCBloggerPreview. It was a great time with pizza, candy, books and meeting fellow book bloggers. We got some sneak peaks for some upcoming releases this year and I wanted to share with you all my most anticipated releases from the selection we were shown!

1. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

On Sale: March 3, 2015

Ishiguro is seriously one of my favorite authors. His works Never Let Me Go and The Remains of the Day seriously make my heart swell. He is also making a visit to Toronto soon so I really hope I get the chance to meet him. The girls at RHC said that this one was vastly different from his previous works, but like his previous ones, his books are truly a gift that fully immerse the reader into the world that he creates. It follows an older couple that searches for their son. 

2. Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

On Sale: June 9, 2015

Kinsella is also another author who I really love. You might recognize her from the ever-so-popular Shopaholic series. This is Kinsella's newest and first debut in the world of YA. It follows a girl named Audrey who has an anxiety disorder but she finds that she is able to connect with her brother's gaming friend, Linus. It is a bit of a YA romance, but the girls at RHC said that what Kinsella does to the YA genre is really quite different. This sounds amazing! 

3. Boo by Neil Smith

On Sale: May 12, 2015

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this a while back and I have yet to read it, but after hearing about it yesterday.. I am starting it immediately. The girls at RHC said that this book was really "Lord of the Flies" meets "The Lovely Bones" - I love both books so that well, just sells it for me right off the bat. It follows the character of Boo who is murdered in highschool, but he was murdered from behind so he doesn't see who did it. Boo is in heaven and he is attempting to unravel the mystery behind his murder. While he is there, another student murdered at the same school, Johnny ends up heaven and together they both form a friendship and as they try to find "their place." This definitely has YA feel to it, but it sounds just amazing. 

4. Snow White and the 77 Dwarfs by Davide Cali; illustrated by Raphaelle Barbanegre

On Sale: April 14, 2015

I love how Tundra is releasing such gorgeous picture books. I've always been a fan and I have acquired quite the collection over the years. When Jess first introduced this book to us, she said it was similar to the story of The TRUE story of the Three Little Pigs. If any of you have read that one, you will know it is a complete hoot. I studied it in my undergrad at university and I loved how it took a new spin on the original story. This new book follows that same process, where they take a new spin on the original snow white story - the other side of it. It focuses on how one would feel overwhelmed in a situation with not 7 dwarfs, but 77 dwarfs! It sounds so wonderful and I can't wait to add it to my collection. 

5. We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen

On Sale: May 12, 2015

Karen from OnePageBlog actually spoke about this a while back, so I was already intrigued by it because I find we have very similar reading interests. It is a YA novel from Nielsen and it deals with an awkward boy and a not-so-sweet girl. The girls at RHC said it deals with the "bully chatter" and how their worlds collide when their parents end up in a relationship together. And not colliding in the Brady Bunch sense at all. I am so excited for this! 

6. A Robot in the Garden by Deborah Install

On Sale: August 4, 2015

I was actually able to snag an ARC of this last night, so I will be reading it soon. I am so excited to read this. When they first described it, a blogger said that it was as if "Up" met "Wall-e" = UHM YES. Sign me up please. It follows an unemployed 34 year old named Ben and he meets a robot Tang, who is like a toddler and they form this very charming, quirky and heartwarming friendship. They also mentioned that it has a very "Rosie Project" feel to it, which I haven't read myself, but I keep hearing good things about it. I can't wait to read this, it sounds so fun and I really think it will give you the warm, fuzzy feelings that you would get from Wall-E. :D 

7. Better Than Before: Mastering The Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin

On Sale: March 17, 2015

I was also able to snag an ARC of this last night and it is being released next month. So you can bet I will have a review post for it up soon. Rubin is the author of the famous book, The Happiness Project and the new book really takes on that perspective again and how we have these habits of our everyday life that we should examine. Rubin encourages the reader to examine what kind of person you are and hinges on components such as exercising, eating, reading, etc - things that affect your lifestyle. I also hear that there will be a possible stationary bit with Indigo coming out with the book.. so perhaps highlighters?! Anything that has stationary with it, sign me up please! 

8. Free Days with George - Learning Life's Little Lessons From One Very Big Dog by Colin Campbell

On Sale: May 12, 2015

This book is about a rescue dog George, who has helped Campbell through his life events such as divorce. It is a quirky book about George and it has been called by the girls at RHC, "eat, pray, love" meets "Marley & Me" - This just sounds so emotional and I can't wait to read it. Also fun fact, George can surf! Like seriously. He is a part of a dog surfing championship. How awesome is that? 

9. China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan

On Sale: June 16, 2015

The lovely Lynne over at WordsofMystery raved so much about the first book Crazy Rich Asians that I picked it up recently. I am halfway through and I already love this world that Kwan has framed his narrative around. It is so much fun and really reminds me of the Shopaholic series and the Devil Wears Prada. This new release can be a stand alone if you want to read it as so, but it follows Nick and Rachel again. I am loving the first book so far, so I can't wait to dig into this! 

10. The Wild Oats Project by Robin Rinaldi

On Sale: March 17, 2015

So this book is basically a memoir about a woman in her 40's. Her husband doesn't want children, so before "settling down" they decide on an open marriage, where she has days spent with him and other days, where she spends on her own. The girls at RHC said that it has a very Sex and the City meets Girls kind of feel, and since I love both, I can't wait to read this. 

11. In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

On Sale: June 2, 2015

Okay how can you not be excited about this one?! It is by JUDY BLUME. There is also news that she is coming to Toronto later this year, so I am over the moon at that. I've loved her books growing up and so I am incredibly excited for a new release from her. It is based on the true events in Judy's life as a teenager and it is surrounded around these plane crashes. I don't really need to know more than that, because with Blume, I just know she will spin a narrative that will tug at my heart strings. I can't wait! 

The lovely ladies at RHC also shared some upcoming Fall 2015 releases as well, which I am so excited for: 

1. Bream Gives Me Hiccups by Jesse Eisenberg 

(yes THE Jesse Eisenberg) 

2. The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood

3. Butter Celebrates by Rosie Daykin

4. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

(a YA debut)

5. The Readers of the Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

(a book for book lovers) 

To conclude, how awesome do some of these books sound?? If you haven't already started, I suggest adding some of these as Pre-Orders to your carts ;) I can't wait to read all of these and I will be for sure featuring them on my blog. 

Please let me know in the comments below which ones you are most excited to read, I would love to hear your thoughts on it! 

Happy Reading.. or in this case, Happy Shopping! ;) 

A Book by a Female Author | 2015 Reading Challenge

Hi everyone! So I have another book to add to the list for this year's reading challenge and that is A Book by a Female Author! I could've chosen any since I read a lot of books by female authors, but I really enjoyed this book, so I wanted to include it on my list for this year.

A Book by a Female Author goes to:

I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios 

Review: here! 

Have you finished any challenges for the #2015ReadingChallenge? Let me know in the comments below!

Author Reception for Connie Gault, Jane Urquhart and Alix Hawley

Hi everyone! I hope that you are all doing well. Last week, the lovely staff at Random House Canada invited me to an Author Reception for Connie Gault, Jane Urquhart and Alix Hawley. I was so incredibly excited to attend because they are authors I have heard of, but never read anything from before. I have only heard praises when speaking about these authors and I also learned that they had some upcoming releases which they spoke at length about. 

The three new releases: All True Not A Lie In It, A Beauty & The Night Stages

Pictured above is the lovely set-up at the boardroom at RHC and the three authors pictured.

So let's talk about their books shall we? 

Alix Hawley's All True Not A Lie In It 

Hawley's book follows the story of Daniel Boone, an important figure of the Revolutionary War. Hawley told the audience that the story may be essentially about Boone, but she attempts to weave many narratives throughout the story, beginning with the pivotal moment of Boone dealing with the death (murder) of his son. Hawley also mentions that within this narrative, she looks at Boone's relationship with his wife and at the heart of it all, really tries to answer the question of Who was Daniel Boone? Alix actually has a lovely blog section on her website which I would recommend reading to catch up with her during her blog tour, which you can read more of here! 

Connie Gault's A Beauty

Gault's story follows the main character Elena. Gault started her speech by quoting the lovely Henry James and stated "all life belongs to you" and she said that it really resonated with her when putting the story together. The setting of Southern Saskatchewan has always been a place of myth for Gault, so she wanted to explore it further. The novel is set in the depression era and specifically in the summertime and focuses on two girls who were deserted by their father. The notion of how people wait in vain for what they want is what Gault really wanted to explore further. The main character of Elena crosses paths with another character Ruth and from there the story really unravels. Gault also mentioned a small tidbit that her family actually originated from that area so that is a part of the reason why she wanted to write the novel: to in a way, bring life to that area again. 

Jane Urquhart's The Night Stages

Before Urquhart spoke to the audience, the lovely editor introduced the story to us and mentioned that the content was quite dark and faced a lot of psychological components. It was accessible, but it was also quite tough with the subject matter and that was what she admired most about it. That it wasn't pretty and in fact, it was quite human. It takes place in a remote village in the 1940s in Ireland and it follows two brothers who are in conflict with one another and the woman that centres them. The editor stated that "you won't have a dry eye" when reading it and this really intrigued me because although it can be tough, I really enjoy emotionally charged subject matter. Jane went on to say that she found it quite difficult to kind of summarize this piece entirely for us and instead spoke about her inspirations for it. She stated that she found herself obsessed by an Irish bicycle race and the notion of things disappearing and loss and the idea of how to make them live again and to share them. For Jane, she wanted to explore a world that is disappearing and in a way bring it back to life - to reconstruct the house, the landscape, the cultural components. For her, she wanted to emphasize that the setting plays a significant role in the text. 

In conclusion, when looking at these three authors together, it was quite fitting that RHC decided to have a reception with all of them together. They take what is in a sense "lost" and bring new life to it and completely bring about a new "translation", so to speak. I am quite excited to explore more Canadian literature because all of these sound just wonderful. The authors were incredibly lovely as well, who took some time to meet me and other fellow bloggers. Lastly, many thanks again to RHC for hosting a lovely author reception! 

I cannot wait to dig into these books. You can expect a full review on the blog for these!

Let me know below in the comments if you've read anything from any of these authors and what did you think? 

Review: I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios 

Publishing Date: February 3, 2015
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, LLC, Books for Young Readers - An imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
Pages: 400 pages
Young Adult Contemporary Fiction

The premise: The story follows Skylar Evans and Josh Mitchell, two individuals from Creek View, that are basically aquaintances and co-workers at a quirky motel, "Paradise". Skylar, who is dealing with her mother and the loss of her father, dreams of a life away from Creek View where she can explore museums and collage. Josh on the other hand, has an experience that changes his life completely. He travels to Afghanistan as a Marine and returns home without one of his legs. Reunited upon Josh's return, the two find themselves getting to know each other and becoming friends.

My overall thoughts and review: When I first heard about this book, I thought to myself that it was going to be a typical YA love story, but it is actually so much more than that. I really enjoyed this book so much. It captures not only the struggles one would feel deciding one's future, being in their last year of highschool, worrying about what college/university will bring to them. But it also captures those that don't choose to go that route like Josh. Furthermore, it depicts the inner workings of these characters so well. We get to know Skylar and Josh's family and what we learn only makes us feel for them even more. I really enjoyed that everything wasn't quickly paced and it dealt with things in a really honest and raw way. I appreciated that it didn't "sugar coat" certain things. Demetrios goes to great lengths to capture Josh after his experience in the war and the anxieties that he felt coping with regular everyday once he returned. I don't want to say much without spoiling it, but I just really enjoyed how "real" it felt to me. Demetrios is also such a wonderful writer. I loved how she really captured the atmosphere the characters were in and I loved how diverse the text was. Certain passages really resonated with me such as this one:

"Why is it that some people in the world get to wake up in beautiful houses with fairly normal parents and enough food in the fridge while the rest of us have to get by on the scraps the universe throws us? And we gobble them up, so grateful. What the hell are we grateful for?" (160). 

I loved seeing such strength in both protagonists. Although the majority of the book takes place from Skylar's point of view, there are miniature chapters in between it all from Josh's perspective. I am a huge fan of the dual-POVs because it just builds the story so much. All in all, this was a lovely read. I was grinning like a mad woman by the end of it. If you are looking for a good YA contemporary romance, then I'll Meet You There is definitely the one you should check out!

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

Now available for purchase at: 
Chapters/Indigo

Also for my US readers, right now Heather Demetrios is offering a sweet promo on her blog if you PRE-ORDER the book which you can read more about here!

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by Raincoast Books for consideration/review. All opinions are my own. 

Favorite Anti-Heroes | Top 5 Wednesday

Hi everyone! So for today's topic.. it is Favorite Anti-Heroes. I will admit I was blanking a bit, and so I ended up googling it. Some of my choices are ones I didn't consider as anti-heroes before, and perhaps that speaks volumes about me since I view them more as heroes. But yes, onto the choices.

1. Severus Snape from the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

How could you not pick Snape? There is so much depth to his character. 

2. Haymitch Abernathy from the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

I am not sure if everyone would agree here, but he is not traditional in a sense that he isn't the protagonist, but definitely has anti-hero qualities. I mean, the drinking does not help! 

3. Caleb Prior from the Divergent series by Veronica Roth

Oh, Caleb. I will just leave it at that. 

4. Jay Gatsby from F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby 

Thinking about Jay Gatsby makes my heart hurt so much. 

5. Jamie Lannister from A Song of Ice & Fire series by George R.R. Martin 

Oh what a flawed character. I was so adamant about my dislike for him when I first began the series, but he really grew on me and he is now one of my favorite characters. There is just so many layers to him. 

That's it from me for today folks! Who are your Top 5 Favorite Anti-Heroes? Let me know in the comments below! 

Review: If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie & GIVEAWAY!

If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie

Publishing Date: January 20, 2014
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Pages: 323 pages
Family Life/Coming of Age Fiction

The Premise: The story follows a young boy named Will Cardiel, who has known the Inside for most of his life. His mom, Diane, is agoraphobic has been able to build a haven for Will within their home, where places are named after cities (Paris and Toronto for example), where it is safe. One day, Will gets the urge to venture Outside. He completely embraces the Outside, despite his mother's fear for it and what he finds out in the wild is friendship and a mystery of a missing boy.

My overall thoughts and review: To begin with, when I first read the premise of the book, I was instantly intrigued by this coming of age story. I watch this television show that features a mother that is agoraphobic and so I thought of that show as soon as I read the premise. It takes place in Thunder Bay, which I haven't visited myself, but it just made me incredibly happy to be reading a book that takes place not too far away from where I am.

I actually was able to attend the book launch this week at Type Books and meet the very lovely Michael Christie! I was able to speak to him for a few moments and sing my praise for the book and the parts I've read. He told me and fellow bloggers that the writing process of the book took quite some time and he had read many memoirs to help shape the narrative. We also were greeted with a small reading from Michael - from one of my favorite parts of the book: Will's first day at school.

There was actually this lovely illustration of the Thunder Bay of the book at the event and I just loved it! 

Back to the review of course! Where can I start with this book? I was instantly smiling within the first few pages of the book and as I closed it, I was grinning like a mad woman. I just really enjoyed this so much. To begin with, in between all the chapters that take follow Will, there are the Relaxation Time chapters which follow his mother Diane. I really appreciated those chapters because it built a type of skeleton for the rest of the story. There was background information that came through in those chapters and it wasn't just Diane's struggle as an agoraphobic, but Diane's struggle as a mother as well. 

The chapters that followed Will felt as if I was growing up with him as I turned each page. I loved how his voice was so strong and Christie was able to represent that age in such charming passages: "I'm going to be okay. I may not be a genius, but I'm getting stronger Outside. Nothing can realy hurt me" (103). The childlike wonder really comes across in the first few chapters from Will and Christie mentioned at the event that some of it comes from his own child, who says things that just really blow him away. I really loved the dynamic between Will and Diane in the book. At times, it was the typical mother and son relationship, but other moments, Will was much older than he actually was and I was so impressed how Christie was able to put this together stylistically. One particular passage that comes to mind that I really enjoyed was when Will saw how him being Outside had affected his mom, and how he didn't want to hurt his mom: "To be her guardian, he would need to protect his body and his heart. As much as it pained him, he would have to leave all the tantalizing mysteries of the Outside unsolved" (105). 

All in all, I really loved this book. When I turned the last page, I wish there was more of Will's story. His interactions with his mom really resonated with me, but also his friendship with Jonah and Angela also made my heart swell. It was such a lovely story about the process of growing up and bravery. I cannot say enough good things about this book. If you are looking for a book that will make you smile, but also have you on the edge of your seat, literally worrying, like Diane worried for Will and how Will worried for Diane, then yes, this book is for you. 

"Because falling is a part of it. We don't want to lie and make it look like we don't fall. Because we do. All the time."

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

Now available for purchase at:

Chapters/Indigo

And now, for an exciting giveaway!! Random House Canada has been kind enough to snag a signed copy of the book for me to give away to one of my lovely readers! All you have to do is follow the instructions on the rafflecopter giveaway and wait!

Rules:

1) Follow the blog via Google Friend Connector or Bloglovin'

2) Follow me on twitter -> @padfootslibrary

3) Follow Random House on twitter -> @randomhouseCA

4) Follow the lovely Michael Christie on twitter -> @mrmikechristie 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks so much for entering & good luck!!

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by Random House Canada for consideration/review. The giveaway copy of the book was kindly offered to me by Random House Canada as well. All opinions are my own.