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First Love and Other Novellas by Samuel Beckett
I think you either love Beckett, or hate him. Many people see him as being rather bleak and absurd, and that’s all. There is a lot more to Beckett than this. His work can be bleak, absurd, hopeless and perplexing, but it can also be invigorating, eye-opening and humourous. These four stories are rich and deeply moving…if even a bit unsettling. It’s a short book, but takes some time to read as you delve into the words and thoughts of Beckett. I found myself re-reading passages to really savour the imagery Beckett evokes. If you enjoy Beckett, this is a must read.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
A brilliant fantasy read. I’m itching for the next installment from Rothfuss and frustrated that I have to wait so long. Name of the Wind recounts the tale of Kvothe – a young man with various legends and stories surrounding him as the most powerful wizard of all time. Kvothe tells us his story starting with his childhood years as a member of a traveling troupe and how he first became interested, and involved in magic. It is the foundation of an epic tale, and one I am looking forward to reading.

Evermore by Alyson Noel
An enjoyable read overall for a YA dark romance. It didn’t grip me entirely and I’m unsure if I will follow the rest of the series or not. A quick, light read though with the expected teen angst and forbidden love that goes hand in hand with YA dark romance. Ever Bloom (yes, that is the main character’s name) can read minds and see auras, until she meets Damen that is – a mysterious and entirely too handsome new guy at school (sound familiar?). Damen is dangerous, but Ever can’t help be drawn to him, as if she’s known him her whole life…and more. Ahhh…the mystery!

No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong
I’m a huge Kelley Armstrong fan and have read almost all of the Women of the Otherworld series (only two others to still read). In this installment, we follow Jaime Vegas – a necromancer – as she tries to start a TV career and instead, finds a better calling. My favourite aspect of the entire story though, is watching the relationship between Jamie and Jeremy unfold. I’d love for Kelley to write more about these two – especially the quiet, withdrawn and mysterious Jeremy.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
It took me a little while to get into this, but once I was drawn into the world, I was hooked. A lovely story following Ethan and the sudden arrival of a very unusual girl, Lena. It may seem a tad cliched to start, but Garcia and Stohl are able to weave a rather unique story with a sweet romance and two characters that you really want to get behind and see them find a happy ending. I’m looking forward to the next installment and wish it were already out for me to buy today. If you are looking for a sweet YA “dark romance”, this is a wonderful option.

Men of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong
If you’ve read any of the Women of the Otherworld series, you are already familiar with Clay and Jeremy, although how they first met and how Jeremy adopted Clay is quite vague in the series. Here Kelley delves right into the backgrounds of Clay and Jeremy and we get a fantastic insight into where these two strong characters come from. If you are a fan of Kelley’s, you’ll love this.

Mr. Darcy’s Diary by Amanda Grange
I read Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Grange and loved it so I thought I’d read this as well, and who can resist anything to do with Mr. Darcy? This is a diary of Pride and Prejudice from Darcy’s viewpoint. An interesting read, but it didn’t quite meet my, admittedly, high expectations. I enjoyed it as a fun supplement though, but perhaps I’m biased and will enjoy anything, even remotely, connected to Darcy.

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange
Let me say upfront that Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite novels of all time. I am a huge Austen fan. I am, however, not a hardcore Austen purist. I thoroughly enjoyed Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I think Jane would have too. Mr Darcy, Vampyre is a really enjoyable read (I couldn’t put it down and read it in one day). If you are an Austen purist though, this is probably not for you. I’m sure many purists are even offended by the title alone. This is not to be read expecting Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy to be the exact characters from Pride and Prejudice (for one, Darcy is a vampire which changes things), nor should you be expecting Austen-esque literature. This is a fun read following two much beloved characters, but in an entirely new view. Elizabeth and Darcy are married and we follow them on their “wedding tour” in Europe with Darcy hiding his secret (which we know from the title), and Elizabeth adapting to a married life she was not expecting.

Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk
A good read, particularly for any business folks not quite sure what social media is all about or how to use it to progress their business. Gary is obviously a very passionate and invigorated man. He’s also a great success. His advice is very good, and I agree with him on most points, but sometimes his own ideas don’t quite meld with mine. This may have something to do with our polar opposite personalities: he’s loud and rambunctious, I’m quiet and reserved. Different strokes for different folks though, right? So, I’d recommend reading this book for anyone in business, but taking Gary’s own advice and being authentic to who you are. Some approaches he suggests may work for you and your business. Some may not. No doubt many are worth a try. If nothing else, Gary is sure to give you the kick in the butt you need to hustle, hustle, hustle!

The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The entire post-apocalyptic world that McCarthy has created is almost unbearably bleak. And yet, the story itself is a love story – the love of a father for his son. It’s heart-wrenching and beautiful. I picked up this book after reading a little about the upcoming movie starring Viggo Mortensen. I was intrigued and always like to read a book before seeing the movie version. I’m glad I did. I have no doubt that Viggo will be able to take this challenging role and really bring him to life on the big screen without losing his essence from the book. I can’t even imagine any other actor in the role. I’d recommend reading the book first, but either way, be prepared for some gut-wrenching scenes. McCarthy obviously adores his own son and The Road truly speaks to anyone who has a deep love for another person, for anyone who has a love for the (often hard to find) goodness in humanity, and for anyone who strives to keep that goodness alive in the world.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Gaiman has a real talent for creating truly interesting and unique stories. The Graveyard Book is no exception. A really enjoyable read about a little boy who grows up in a graveyard and all it’s supernatural residents. He’s a typical young boy – curious and adventurous – and these characteristics get him into a few mishaps. It’s a lovely story about life and death and finding ones own way in the world.

Ghost Hunter by Michelle Paver.
A great ending to a really wonderful series, Chronicles of Darkness. There were some predictable outcomes, but truth be told, if Paver had tried to surprise me with anything else, I would have been disappointed. There were a few moments where I worried about the direction Paver was taking (because it wasn’t the way I wanted the story to go) but she ended the series in the way it needed to end. It’s been a pleasure following Torak’s adventures with Renn and Wolf and I’d highly recommend this series for any young adult, or adult who isn’t ashamed to read young adult fiction (hopefully you aren’t really out there because you would be missing out on some really great stories!).

If you are on goodreads, drop me a line. I’m always finding new reads through what others are reading and recommending.

Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut. This was my first Vonnegut read, but won’t be my last. Vonnegut tells of his experiences in Dresden and the absurdity of war. In his own words: “there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again.” So it goes.

Oath Breaker by Michelle Paver. If you’ve read any of the other books of Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, you’ll enjoy this one. Again, Paver draws you into her world and keeps you engrossed. This is a light, quick read – targeted to young adults. Paver has a knack for bringing you into her ancient world and attaching you to the characters as they deal with personal demons and outside forces.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. Admittedly, it took me a little while to get into Bradbury’s style. At first it felt a tad disjointed, although beautifully written. Once I got to grips with his style though, I thoroughly enjoyed his story-telling. He’s lyrical and richly descrtiptive. The story of two young boys an a nightmarish traveling carnival was perfectly creepy and brilliantly told. The theme of age and aging is strong and pulls on our own fears, regrets and hopes.

Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie. A compelling, thought-provoking and heartbreaking story. I admit to crying in a few places in the story. Shamsie covers quite an expanse of time from the A-bomb dropping in Nagasaki to post 9/11 New York. In between, the characters experience the Partition of Pakistan and India to the Soviets invasion of Afghanistan. Shamsie does an incredible job of weaving the lives of her characters together and each character’s strengths and weaknesses create an incredible story of love, survival, regret, forgiveness and the flaws of human nature. I did feel the ending a tad rushed though.

Frostbitten. I’m a fan of Kelley Armstrong since reading her first book of the Women of the OtherWorld series, Bitten. In this tenth installment, Elena Michaels and her but lover/mate/husband, Clay Danvers are back and we return to the world of the Pack. For those unfamilair with the series, Elena, Clay and the Pack are werewolves. Elena was the first woman we were introduced to in the series, and is, by far, my favourite. I’d probably suggest reading the full Women of the OtherWorld series before Frostbitten if you are at all interested in a supernatural world and gripping stories. If you’ve read some already and know of Elena and Clay, then you won’t be disappointed with Frostbitten. The story is gripping and fast-paced. We fall in love with the characters of Elena and Clay all over again, and Armstrong leaves a few openings for some new, exciting storylines. Frostbitten is a quick read and will definitely keep you turning the pages.

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted my recent reads, but I thought it was about time to catch up a little with what I read in October (not a busy reading month). If you are on Goodreads, let me know!

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I have some mixed feelings about this one. I found The Historian very interesting, particularly for the historical detail which Kostova does great justice. It is also very well written with great thought and care going into each word and every line. Some lines are particularly lyric. However, I did find it all rather slow-paced and, at times, a little anti-climactic. Unsatisfying. I did enjoy it, but if you aren’t willing to invest some time and energy into this one, it may not be for you. I also yearned for more traditional vampire action. Perhaps I am easily swayed in this direction for my love of all-things vampire, but I felt a little let down in this regard. The prose is beautiful and the history fascinating, but this one does take a little more investment if you don’t like a slower-paced novel. It can start to feel a little long.

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell. I haven’t seen the movie at all and I wanted to read the book before doing so. It was definitely enjoyable, and for any foodie, I can see why they may get into it even more, but I was hoping for a little more Julia Child. Although Powell’s adventure to cook every recipe from the infamous Child tome was enjoyable to follow (along with other antics in her life during that year), I was hoping to read more about Julia Child intermingled with Powell’s life. The details of the recipe were a little much at times and I found myself wanting to skip some of the more extensive descriptions about what went into each butter-filled dish.

i recently read this great post from emira: getting beyond the busy work. such a timely post for me. i’ve found more and more my day is consumed with all the “busy work” that i allow myself to get caught up in rather than the “real work” that needs to get done. if you know what i am talking about, the post is worth a read. if nothing else, at least it helped me feel like i wasn’t the only one. i do need to change some habits – like closing down my email and twitter (shock! horror!) for part of the day so i can really focus. as emira says:

when we’re running around like proverbial chickens, answering phone calls, rushing to meetings and trying our best to stay on top of our inboxes it’s really easy to lose site [sic] of the important in the midst of the urgent, but as the bosses of our own careers and shops it is so very important that we make this distinction.

it’s so easy to get distracted and caught up in being busy that you actually don’t accomplish much at all. when you are running your own business, this is never a good thing. speaking of business, there are all sorts of business books out there for someone starting out on their own, or trying to develop their own business to the next level. who am i kidding? there are about a million books out there, right? and where to start? well, let me help out the other girls out there.

if i had to recommend only one business book out of the thousands (millions might have been stretching it a tad), it would be this one: The Boss of You: Everything A Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Business. if you haven’t picked this up yet, do yourself and your business (whether it is already started or just an idea in your head) a favour and purchase it. i promise i’m not a sales rep for the book or anything like that. i’m just a firm believer in sharing good finds when i find them. i really have found this book to be such an inspiring, informative and enjoyable read. in fact, i often go back to certain topics and chapters to re-read them. business can be tough. starting your own business can be terrifying. running your own business can be stressful. a book like this is a helping hand; a much needed push in the right direction; your own personal cheerleader in book form and your little advice-dispenser when you need it.