New Releases Today!!! Allegiant and Sycamore Row

Two highly sought after and long awaited novels release today!!

One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?

What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?

What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent. (from Goodreads)

The follow-up to A Time To Kill by John Grisham

John Grisham takes you back to where it all began . . . 

John Grisham's A Time to Kill is one of the most popular novels of our time. Now we return to that famous courthouse in Clanton as Jake Brigance once again finds himself embroiled in a fiercely controversial trial-a trial that will expose old racial tensions and force Ford County to confront its tortured history.

Seth Hubbard is a wealthy man dying of lung cancer. He trusts no one. Before he hangs himself from a sycamore tree, Hubbard leaves a new, handwritten, will. It is an act that drags his adult children, his black maid, and Jake into a conflict as riveting and dramatic as the murder trial that made Brigance one of Ford County's most notorious citizens, just three years earlier.

The second will raises far more questions than it answers. Why would Hubbard leave nearly all of his fortune to his maid? Had chemotherapy and painkillers affected his ability to think clearly? And what does it all have to do with a piece of land once known as Sycamore Row?

In Sycamore Row, John Grisham returns to the setting and the compelling characters that first established him as America's favorite storyteller. Here, in his most assured and thrilling novel yet, is a powerful testament to the fact that Grisham remains the master of the legal thriller, nearly twenty-five years after the publication of A Time to Kill. (from Goodreads)

*** How excited are you?  Did you pre-order either of these books?

Armchair Travellers | Litfest 2013

Armchair Travellers | Litfest 2013

John Grisham. a door to door book salesman

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John Grisham on the Writing Process

This is an interesting interview with John Grisham about the writing process and the inspiration for his first novel, A Time to Kill, which is timely with the upcoming release of Sycamore Row, the follow-up novel to his first novel, A Time to Kill.  Sycamore Row releases October 22/13.  Have you pre-ordered your copy yet?

Review: The Bride Wore Size 12 by Meg Cabot

The Bride Wore Size 12
Author:  Meg Cabot
Published:  September 2013
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Edition:  ARC
Genre:  General fiction, Chick lit
Source:  A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher and TLC Book Tours which in no way influenced this blogger's opinion nor this review.

Heather Wells is used to having her cake and eating it too, but this time her cake just might be cooked. Her wedding cake, that is.

With her upcoming nuptials to PI Cooper Cartwright only weeks away, Heather’s already stressed. And when a pretty junior turns up dead, Heather’s sure things can’t get worse—until every student in the dorm where she works is a possible suspect, and Heather’s long-lost mother shows up.

Heather has no time for a tearful mother and bride reunion. She has a wedding to pull off and a murder to solve. Instead of wedding bells, she might be hearing wedding bullets, but she’s determined to bring the bad guys to justice if it’s the last thing she does . . . and this time, it just might be.

My Thoughts:

It's a mystery.  No, it's chick lit.  Perhaps it's general fiction?   The Bride Wore Size 12 could fall into any of these categories but the best thing is all three categories make up this new novel by Meg Cabot.  This was my introduction to Meg Cabot as a writer and I have to say I will be coming back for more.  Cabot's writing is fluid and beckoning with a good dose of humour and before I knew it I was 2/3 of the way through this 400+ page paperback.

It's my first time meeting Heather Wells and her handsome PI fiancé Cooper Cartwright but Heather's character is so well developed that I felt I really knew her before I had finished the novel.  She is what I call a "dynamo."  She's been through a lot, including betrayal by her agent and her mother, but she has spunk and she's not afraid to follow her instincts, nor to tell someone like it is.  In some ways Heather reminds me of a friend of mine; intelligent, fun, feisty and loyal.  Excellent attributes not only in a friend but in her line of work as a residence assistance manager at a local college they are necessary.  After the previous school term, Heather is determined that no student will die on her watch but she seems to find trouble regardless, as does her fiancé Cooper but in a very different way.  They are quite the matched pair and the sparks fly away from home as well as in.

The Bride Wore Size 12 contains a mystery that turns out to be more of a secret but in revealing it, Heather also discovers a murderer among them, one whose selfish motives killed a fellow student, seriously injured another and became a potential threat to the student body as well as administration.  Heather finds it's not always popular to do the right thing but the underlying messages are good solid advice for anyone and The Bride Wore Size 12 proves that a YA author can write in other genres and do it well.  I'm impressed!

Meet the author:

Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition to her adult contemporary fiction she is the author of the bestselling young adult fiction series, The Princess Diaries. She lives in Key West, FL with her husband.

Find out more about Meg at her website, follow her blog, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Man Booker Prize Winner Announced: Eleanor Catton for Luminaries

http://www.cbc.ca/books/2013/10/five-facts-about-man-booker-prize-winner-eleanor-catton.html

Highlights from Random House Fall Preview

Last Wednesday I  attended the Random House Fall Preview.  The presenters of the evening, Duncan, Jennifer and Carole (my apologies for not being clear on her name) were dynamic, especially Jennifer!  Due to road construction in the area, it was a bit difficult to maneuver the downtown area to get to the Stanley Milner Library and the parkade and having done so, I arrived a bit too late to see who the author was.

But the remainder of the evening (late afternoon, early evening) was spectacular!  This is the first year that I am aware of them presenting all guests with a pre-packed bag with a selection of three books and one chap-book (the sequel to SECRET).  Amidst the presentation, prizes of t-shirts and other miscellaneous items were awarded for answering a few trivia questions.  All that aside though, the best part of the evening was the presentation itself!

The Top 15 highlights as I see them (not necessarily in this order):

1.  How to Feed a Family by Laura Keogh and Ceri Marsh.  This cookbook is based on the blog "Sweet Potato Chronicles" which is a fun and playful approach to feeding your family.  The book runs along the same concept.

2.  The Son of a Certain Woman by Wayne Johnston.  This novel is the story of a boy, with a large birthmark, born to the town's or even the country's most beautiful woman.  It's a laugh out loud read and a good introduction to the author.

3.  The Once and Future World by J.B. Mackinnon.  This novel will see a major media tour and a major exhibit at the Vancouver Museum based on this book about what nature once was and what it may become.

4.  The Circle by Dave Eggers is for the lovers of social media.  Picture a "Silicon Valley" type work place and a new employee who starts a new job with a minute description of her job but who gets the finger wag from the head of HR when she goes away for the weekend for a family emergency, on her own time mind you, but is not to be found anywhere on social media.  "gasp".   She was "unavailable".  Apparently the biggest sin in this company!

5.  Legends, Icons & Rebels by Robbie Robertson, Jim Guerinot, Sebastion Robertson, and Jared Levine is a books of beautiful frame able photography of legends and icons.  There are four pages per artist and 2 CDs of their music.  Terrific gift for the music lovers.

5.  Longbourn by Jo Baker.  Attention Pride and Prejudice fans!  Here's one told from the point of view of the help, not unlike Downton Abbey.  Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice with this perspective.

6.  Eye of Minds by James Dashner.  A new series begins with this novel by the same author of Maze Runner and that series.  Action packed book highly recommended for boys.

7.  Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock.  An October release told in graphic novel form.  You simply must touch this book!

8.  Correspondences by Anne Michaels.  A beautiful gift book that folds out like an accordion featuring the poetry of Anne Michaels and the illustrations of Bernice Einstein.  I put a star by this one as a book I definitely want to add to my collection.

9.  An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by astronaut Chris Hadfield.  This book will see an enormous nation-wide tour, including Edmonton!!  Hadfield got everyone's attention with his recent trip to space and his satellite communications with various classrooms!  Not only for the space enthusiast, future astronauts, but as an encouragement to pursue your dreams.

10.  Perfect by Rachel Joyce.  Yes, the same author who wrote The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry!  This novel is about perception and how one person's perception can change relationships and alter lives.

11.  This Land Was Made For You and Me (But Mostly Me) by Bruce McCall and David Letterman.  Yes, the one and only David Letterman of late-night television!  This cute book features quirky and crazy cottages and is illustrated by Bruce McCall.  Imagine a cottage on skis!  Indeed!

12.  99 by Al Strachan.  This is the only authorized biography of the great Wayne Gretzky.  Al Strachan has the privilege of being the only writer to have the opportunities to interview Gretzky, getting to know him as few do.

13.  Toxic Toxout by Bruce Laurie and Rick Smith.  All the gross stuff you are taking in, all the toxins in the air and in what we eat, and how to get them out of your body.

14.  The Start Here Diet by Tosca Reno and Billie Fitzpatrick.  This is predominately a memoir of a woman whose life was not going in the right direction, who suffered abuse, and who turned her life around. Tosca shares how she did it and includes five easy tips for diet and exercise.

15.  Hollow City by Ransom Riggs.  From the author of the peculiar novel Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, the story continues with this new novel for YA and adults.

Appealing?  Tell me about it.  Really, do tell.  What interests you of the 15 highlighted here?

Giller Prize Shortlist 2013 Announced This Morning!!

The contenders:

Lisa Moore for Caught.  Lisa is from St. John's.

Lynn Coady for Hellgoing (a short story collection).  Lynn is from Edmonton.

Craig Davidson for Cataract City.  Craig is from Toronto.

Dennis Bock for Going Home Again. Dennis is from Toronto.

Dan Vyleta for The Crooked Maid.  Dan is the second author in the shortlist from Edmonton.

'Literary excellence is recognizable. You feel it. Even if you can't say why [or] you can't always persuade someone else. You feel it'- Giller juror and author Jonathan Lethem

The winner will be announced November 5/13 at a televised gala which will air on CBC-TV.

Review: Mind Without a Home by Kristina Morgan

Mind Without A Home

A Memoir of Schizophrenia

Author:  Kristina Morgan

Published:  August 2013

Publisher:  Hazelden

Pages:  260

Contains a DSM-IV Criteria for Schizophrenia

Edition:  ARC

Source:  A complimentary copy was provided by TLC Book Tours and the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.  Receipt thereof bears no influence over my opinion nor this review.

Experience the inner world of a woman with schizophrenia in this brutally honest, lyrical memoir. Kristina Morgan takes us inside her head to experience the chaos of the schizophrenic mind. With the intimacy of private journal-like entries and the language of a poet, she carries us from her childhood to her teen years when hallucinations began to hijack her mind and into adulthood where she began abusing alcohol to temper the punishing voices that only she could here. This is no formulaic tale of tragedy and triumph: We feel Kristina’s hope as she pursues an education, career and builds friendships—and her devastation as the insistent voices convince her to throw it all away. Woven through the pages of her life are stories of recovery from alcoholism and her journey to live a fulfilling life.

My Thoughts:

Mind Without a Home is a memoir that reads like a journal.  Sometimes disjointed and ragged, often emotionally jarring; Morgan opens her heart and pours it all out on the page allowing the reader personal insight into the disturbing elements of a disease that is so often misunderstood.

Imagine hearing voices that aren't there, seeing figures no one else does, feeling so alone and depressed.  To share what Morgan really hears and sees takes years and several attempts at suicide before she finally admits to herself that she is ill, mentally ill, and needs medication to help her.  For years this very thought and the fear of it thwarted any attempts to help her.

"Men are everywhere.  Their ears attach to the walls.  Their eyes to knobs.  Their palms to grass.  I think all this and it makes sense to me.....

I was not happy with the outcome.  I didn't think I needed to be here.  It didn't matter that the other realities were confusing me, or that I was being berated by voices.  There were common occurrences in my life that I was learning to live with.  However, I hadn't slept for days.  The voices were keeping me up, and in my tiredness, I was having a hard time of fighting back." (pgs 172-173 ARC)

It is amazing how she did manage to cope despite the months in hospital, the alcoholism, the catatonic states.  Morgan enrolled in a creative writing program during which her talent for poetry emerged and it is evident in her writing.

Mind Without a Home is not an easy read due to the subject matter and the manner in which it is written.  But the very nature of Morgan's illness becomes so much a parallel to the manner in which this memoir reads.  How better to form an idea of what she must have gone through and what she still battles to this day.  Mind Without a Home is naked, transparent, and disturbing in its blatant reality.  A true eye-opener.

Meet the Author:

Kristina Morgan is a first-time author. She is currently married, working, and managing her co-occurring disorders, schizophrenia and alcoholism with the Twelve Step recovery. She lives in Arizona.

Visit Kristina’s blog at MindWithoutAHome.com.

Visit other reviews in this tour here.

Trailer: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug