#50BookPledge Book 36 Vaclav and Lena

Before I start on this post let me first say that it is easier to write reviews immediately after reading a book rather than waiting until you have time.

Vaclav and Lena by Haley Tanner from Vintage Canada 2012

Vaclav and Lena is a very interesting book on so many levels.  When one first starts reading it you might expect it to be a young adult/coming of age book but it is so much more and requires a lot of attention to the story.  There are so many layers of to the story and to the characters covering everything from immigration to adoption to fitting in to abuse to growing up.  I greatly appreciate Ms Tanner's ability to stay true to her characters by writing them in English as a Second Language text especially in the early chapters.  While I found the ESL dialogue difficult at times it really does help to establish the characters.  On top of that Vaclav and Lena both lose their Russian accent as they grow into what Rasia deems "American Teenagers."

Vaclav, the male lead in this book seems like a very normal individual with a strong relationship with his mother Rasia.  He also shows that love at first site happens and doesn't disappear just because that person is no longer in your life.  I commend Vaclav on his desire to help/protect Lena while finding out the truth about her past without requiring her to face the history directly.

I really felt for Lena, the female lead, because even though it isn't explicitly stated until near the end of the book, you know that something bad is happening to her.  Lena turns out, or so it seems, to be a very well adjusted young lady until her secret is revealed to her and those around her.  Lucky for her she has people around to help her including Emily who she calls her Real Mom, Rasia - Vaclav's mom and even though it doesn't initially seem that way her Aunt Ekaterina who tries to shelter her from the seedy world that she was a part of thanks to her method of immigration.

Vaclav and Lena is a book that will take you time to read and make you think about what you are reading, but it is worth reading because you will grow as a result.

#50BookPledge Book 35 French Kids Eat Everything

French Kids Eat Everything (and yours can too) by Karen Le Billon from Harper Collins 2012

I'm always looking for ways to get Miss R to eat better, even though most of my friends and the family doctor don't think she's picky.  By reading Karen's book I've discovered that Miss R maybe isn't much different then most of her peers, but that doesn't mean things can't change. 

French Kids Eat Everything presents things in such a way that it is easy to see where the two cultures, North American and French, are different when it comes to approaches to food.  I read the book and started to implement some of the suggestions immediately.  It was a huge surprise to mean just how well using fixed times for snacks works. 

The thing that really got my attention in this book was Chapter 9 when the family returns to Vancouver from France only to find out that the French method of eating may not work in all situations and adaption will be required to fit into your unique circumstances. 

I have marked the last chapter of for my husband to read because it summarizes the rules and hope to try some of the recipes very soon.  I also plan on posting my version of the rules somewhere near my kitchen to remind me what I'm trying to accomplish for the entire family.

Hopefully Karen's book is read by the right people to make changes in our school systems so our children don't continue to rush through their lunches just so they can be hungry a couple hours later.

Thank you Karen for showing me that I can get my child to eat better/more without driving myself crazy.

#50BookPledge Book 34 The Naughty Bucket List

The Naughty Bucket List by Kourtney Jason from Amorata Press 2011

For someone considered conservative, old fashioned and unadventurous this book was a real stretch for me.  The book offers 369 suggestions to make your love life much spicier.  Some of the suggestions had merit and I'm certain I'll try them if I haven't already.  There were several that weren't for me though and went against my morals like the suggestion of having a one night stand.  There are several that are yeah maybe and an equal number of probably not.  Regardless of your view thought The Naughty Bucket List will provide some useful suggestions for your love life.  The book is an easy read and the suggests are just ideas, not a how to.  Even though not everything works for everyone,it is worth at minimum a quick skim.

#50BookPledge Book 33 The Beggar's Opera

The Beggar's Opera by Peggy Blair from Penguin Canada 2012

I was completely drawn into this book, a phenomenal piece of Canadian fiction.  Mrs Blair does a fantastic job of developing the setting both in Havana Cuba and the secondary location of Ottawa.  As you read the description you can visualize all aspects of Old Havana and almost taste the Christmas dinner at Inspector Ramirez home. 

Mrs. Blair doesn't stop with the setting, but develops all of her characters whether major or minor.  I was able to picture Celia Jones and Michael Ellis.  It was easy to keep the characters straight, feel the pain of the characters, understand how Detective Rodriguez turned into the person he became, and even relate to the uniqueness of Maria.

The Beggar's Opera was a book I didn't want to put down but I didn't rush through either as I was afraid of missing a key piece of the story.  Definitely worth your time to read and I am looking forward to more books from this author.