Ecoholic Body: Your Ultimate Earth Friendly Guide to Living Healthy and Looking Good by Adria Vasil from Random House Canada 2012
Love all of the Ecoholic books and this one is no exception. I am always looking for ways to tweak things in my life so that we as a family are encountering fewer man-made products and Adria's books provide the answers I'm looking for. Ecoholic Body is a great book focused mainly on the body, inside and out. Granted it took me a couple of months to read the entire book it will now become a reference and has already provided some information on Sunscreen for my daughter and asthma therapy for my mom.
Admittedly I'm not as "Green" as I would like to be and therefore far from as "Green" as Adria is, this book doesn't necessarily make me feel bad but rather educates. I've always been weary of what I'm giving my daughter but never consciously considered myself. This statement is in keeping with Adria's comment that new parents are more eco conscious then many others.
As I said I loved this book, will be keeping it as a reference and if you are looking for a Canadian Resource for living a more Eco friendly lifestyle then this book is for you.
Thanks Adria!
Showing posts with label random house. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random house. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
#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.
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.
Friday, April 6, 2012
#50BookPledge Book 25 Falling Backwards
Falling Backwards by Jann Arden from Knopf Canada 2011.
This was a very interesting biography by a very interesting woman who is a household name in Canadian music. I enjoyed reading Jann's life story because she wasn't afraid to reveal the sad, the ridiculous or the difficult from her readers and she put her own special brand of comedy into many of the pages in the book. It must have been hard to write this book without hurting feelings or revealing too much about the other folks in the family that didn't want their stories shared the same way. Jann is very thoughtful of her family members wishes, or at least that is my assumption, in that she only shares about her brothers what you need to know and again an assumption, what they are willing to let her share. The Canadianism's scattered throughout Falling Backwards are hilarious reminding me of a time when life was very different even though it was only 30 years ago. Thank you Jann for this honest overview of your life and showing that you never know what is going to happen in your life unless you decide to pursue it wholeheartedly.
This was a very interesting biography by a very interesting woman who is a household name in Canadian music. I enjoyed reading Jann's life story because she wasn't afraid to reveal the sad, the ridiculous or the difficult from her readers and she put her own special brand of comedy into many of the pages in the book. It must have been hard to write this book without hurting feelings or revealing too much about the other folks in the family that didn't want their stories shared the same way. Jann is very thoughtful of her family members wishes, or at least that is my assumption, in that she only shares about her brothers what you need to know and again an assumption, what they are willing to let her share. The Canadianism's scattered throughout Falling Backwards are hilarious reminding me of a time when life was very different even though it was only 30 years ago. Thank you Jann for this honest overview of your life and showing that you never know what is going to happen in your life unless you decide to pursue it wholeheartedly.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
#50BookPledge Book 24 The Taming
Random House Canada Random Reader Challenge Young Adult
So the Challenge this time around was to read one of the following Adult fiction books:
The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
The Taming by Teresa Toten and Eric Walters
Someone Else’s Life by Katie Dale
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
The Fathomless Fire by Thomas Wharton
Flip by Martyn Bedford
For me the decision came down to which book became available first from my local library. The first book to win the battle was The Taming by Teresa Toten and Eric Walters from DoubleDay Canada 2012. It also ended up being my 24th read for the 50 Book Pledge.
The Taming is a book about high school students who meet and become involved while their drama class performs Shakespeare's The Taming of The Shrew. The Taming starts off strong with an introduction to Katie and her friends Travis and Lisa. The second chapter introduces us to Evan who becomes Katie's boyfriend. There is a very distinct clash between different society classes. The novel switches between Katie and Evan's POV every chapter to give a rounded account of the story.
As the book continues there are several parallels to The Taming of The Shrew, however Katie goes from being a person who disappears into the background to a strong confident young woman able to stand
up to and ultimately break up with Evan a very controlling boyfriend. This of course is the reverse of what happens in the play but it deals with a reality many teens face.
I found the turning points in the book to be when Katie's mom's boyfriend Joey tells Katie to be careful and that he suspects what is happening as well as when Katie goes to Lisa for help in "catching" Evan. It was wonderful to see Katie stand up to Evan and I got the impression even though he was making all the promises he didn't really change but was just a smooth operator like his father used to getting women to do whatever he wanted.
The Taming is a relatively easy read that explores the issue of controlling/abusive relationships in a subtle manner. I enjoyed the book and recommend to any young girl in such a circumstance or
a friend who wants to know how to support a friend in such a situation.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
#50BookPledge Book 16 The Winter Palace
I'm still moving forward in the 50 Book Pledge and surprisingly just complete my sixteenth book. Here is my latest bit of feedback about that book.
The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak from DoubleDay Canada, 2012.
While this novel is billed as A Novel of Catherine the Great, but I really didn't see it that way. Instead I found this to be a story of Empress Elizabeth who was a very conniving individual. The Winter Palace is a tale of intrigue, lying, spying and finding the balance between what is best for an individual, a family and ultimately the country. The storyline is filled with tales of friends and lovers who spy on each other for personal reasons that are occasionally revealed but not always. I don't have a lot of experience with Russian History and many of the names in the novel were known in passing, but now I have a much better understanding of their roles in history! The Winter Palace is worth the read if you have an interest in history or mystery. The author interweaves these two genres very well.
The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak from DoubleDay Canada, 2012.
While this novel is billed as A Novel of Catherine the Great, but I really didn't see it that way. Instead I found this to be a story of Empress Elizabeth who was a very conniving individual. The Winter Palace is a tale of intrigue, lying, spying and finding the balance between what is best for an individual, a family and ultimately the country. The storyline is filled with tales of friends and lovers who spy on each other for personal reasons that are occasionally revealed but not always. I don't have a lot of experience with Russian History and many of the names in the novel were known in passing, but now I have a much better understanding of their roles in history! The Winter Palace is worth the read if you have an interest in history or mystery. The author interweaves these two genres very well.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
#50BookPledge Book 3 The Virgin Cure
Yesterday morning I received a copy of The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay from a friend of mine. It was the book of the month for the Yummy Mummy Book Club and I was eager to start reading it so I could actively participate in the discussion. Anyhow in just over 24 hours I have complete book!
I generally enjoy historical fiction because I usually learn something I didn't know before or am able to relate to other books I've read and The Virgin Cure didn't fail me. From the very beginning of the novel Ms. McKay presents a detailed description of the slum conditions in New York City during the late 19th century. With her attention to these details she is able to better draw the reader into the story making you feel as though if not part of the action at least an observer with a front row seat.
In addition to the lead character of Moth, who you can't help but feel how badly she wants to be loved, the secondary characters are well developed making the story that much more authentic. Ms. McKay keeps the reader engaged throughout the story with twist and turns that are meant to move the story forward.
The Virgin Cure is well written complete with side bars that add information about the time period to the reader. Unfortunately, the myth of The Virgin Cure still persist today only instead of curing syphilis it is thought to cure HIV AIDS. Furthermore the idea of children being forced to become adults before their time is something you can find in different parts of the country/world today.
A definite read for anyone interested in historical fiction written by a Canadian author.
I generally enjoy historical fiction because I usually learn something I didn't know before or am able to relate to other books I've read and The Virgin Cure didn't fail me. From the very beginning of the novel Ms. McKay presents a detailed description of the slum conditions in New York City during the late 19th century. With her attention to these details she is able to better draw the reader into the story making you feel as though if not part of the action at least an observer with a front row seat.
In addition to the lead character of Moth, who you can't help but feel how badly she wants to be loved, the secondary characters are well developed making the story that much more authentic. Ms. McKay keeps the reader engaged throughout the story with twist and turns that are meant to move the story forward.
The Virgin Cure is well written complete with side bars that add information about the time period to the reader. Unfortunately, the myth of The Virgin Cure still persist today only instead of curing syphilis it is thought to cure HIV AIDS. Furthermore the idea of children being forced to become adults before their time is something you can find in different parts of the country/world today.
A definite read for anyone interested in historical fiction written by a Canadian author.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
#50BookPledge Book 2 Madame Tussaud
Review of Madame Tussaud by Michelle
Moran from Broadway Paperbacks 2011
This is very extensive history of one
famous woman's life during the extremely turbulent French Revolution.
I found the time line of the French Revolution and list of key
characters at the start of the novel helpful as I moved through the
book. The additional information at the end of the novel starting
with After the Revolution clarified lingering questions and brought
the book full circle.
My initial thoughts was that there were
way to many small chapters, however, upon reading the novel I found
that these divisions corresponded to the major events of the
Revolution. As I read the book I found these smaller chapters
allowed for more detail making it easier to understand what was
happening.
Ms Moran does a wonderful job of
creating tension early. She explores what it is like to have to live
your life in both camps in order to ensure that you don't insult
anyone or lose your station. Marie and her family negotiate the
political atmosphere exceptionally well without forsaking their
principals.
I don't know much about the French
Revolution so this was a nice introduction to an important historical
event. Ms. Moran did a great deal of research and provided lots of
information to help the reader learn while still enjoying the book.
As I was reading I found lots of similarities between the French
Revolution and both the America War of Independence and the Civil War
where families were divided depending on loyalties.
The use of a female lead character as
well as several of the supporting characters being female made for an
interesting perspective on the situation. I was disappointed that the
focus was on the events in Paris and not what happened outside of the
capital.
Overall this was a good book and I am
looking forward to reading more of Michelle Moran's books.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Random Read Historical Fiction Challenge
So I have to read one of these books:
The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak (Available January 3. Check out the video trailer!)
The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich
The Salt Road by Jane Johnson
Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran
Anything in the Outlander or Lord John series by Diana Gabaldon (If you haven’t met Jamie Fraser yet, are you ever in for a treat!)
The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich
The Salt Road by Jane Johnson
Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran
Anything in the Outlander or Lord John series by Diana Gabaldon (If you haven’t met Jamie Fraser yet, are you ever in for a treat!)
I wish I could do the last, but sadly I've read all the Outlander Series and can't seem to get interested in the Lord John Series.
The Virgin Cure is probably the easiest since it is the book for Yummy Mummy Club Book Club this month and I can borrow it from a friend.
Definitely looking forward to the challenge.
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