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 I’d love for Kelley to write more about these two – especially the quiet, withdrawn and mysterious Jeremy.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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ticket to Ride is one of those books you need to take your time with. At least I found that. It’s also the sort of book I plan to reread to fully appreciate it. I wrote a short review for our Feb update at All Things Girl. If you like your reads clean, structured and with a happy ending, then skip this. If, however, you like to be a little challenged and prefer a story that leaves you with more questions than answers, then this is for you.


The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I finished this today and bawled. This is a heart-breaking story, but also one that shows the real beauty of humans, along with their brutality. Death narrates the story of Liesel, a 9 year old girl sent to live with foster parents. It’s 1939, Germany. No doubt, you can imagine this is not an entirely happy story. It is however, one about the power of words – for good and for bad, about friendships that endure through the harshest of barriers, and death. Zusak gives you a new perspective on the Holocaust. One that paints it, as it should be, as a grey time. Things are never black and white. The writing itself is…beautiful. Zusak cleverly describes things in a way that makes you stop, reread the description and really absorb it. I highly recommend this book, although be equipped with a box of Kleenex. Granted, I am the type who cries at commercials, so perhaps I’m just a wuss.

well, no more. i realise now (too late to gain back those wasted hours) that there are far too many good books to read and far too little time. if a book isn’t worth the time, i’m not going to waste it. now, i do have a tendency to start a book and if it doesn’t grip me within the first few chapters, i may put it back down for a while until the right mood comes along. i will always come back to it and give it a proper chance, but if, reaching the half-way mark, the book is still a battle rather than an enjoyment, and there is nothing with the writing-style, characters or story that i find appealing, what’s the point?

i have at least 20 books on my bookshelf which i haven’t read yet, and today i went and bought 4 more. i know i will get to all of these eventually, but i also know i have to be in the right frame of mind. the book, and author’s hard work, deserves my full attention and if i’m not in the mood for that type of book/story, they won’t get it. that’s not fair to the author, or to me, as i may miss out on a really good read.

it’s taken me awhile to realise that it is ok to leave a book unfinished. it’s ok to leave some things undone. time is short and it’s important to spend what time you have on things that are worthy of it.

The Outsider by Albert Camus. Camus is most widely associated with existentialism although he apparently did not care for this label. The Outsider is, basically, the story of a man put on trial for murder, but judged by society according to his overall personality and response, or lack of response, to his mother’s earlier death. Very interesting and thought-provoking. The main character can be absurd (in it’s purest sense) in what you as the reader expect, but that is really part of the whole story. Ultimately, it is a story about one man refusing to pretend to be something he is not, and facing the high consequences of this.


Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips. This is a really fun and quick read. Phillips has a great sense of humour and really is able to bring you into this idea of a different, yet familiar world. The Greek gods (Artemis, Apollo, Aphrodite, Ares and others) are living amongst us in the 21st century but they are no longer the powerful Gods of the past. They continue to run the world on their diminished powers, and as expected, in their own selfish games, end up meddling with the lives of mere mortals. Some meddling goes too far though when Apollo is made (by the arrow from Eros) to fall in love with a meek girl, Alice. Things get out of hand and gods and mortal must work together before the end of the world.


Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett is my favourite play. I’ve read this a few times but picked it up yet again this week since we just got our tickets to see a performance of Waiting for Godot with Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in May. I’m thrilled and can’t wait to see these two exceptional actors take on the roles of Vladimir and Estragon. The play itself is about these two characters waiting for a man named Godot. Saying anything more is not really in keeping with the point of the play…or pointlessness perhaps. Worth reading.


Persuasion by Jane Austen is not one of the more widely known novels by Austen, but is is just as good. What else would you expect from her? It is Austen’s last completed novel and a real gem, especially for anyone who has enjoyed her other more popular novels. She continues to tackle the ideas of society expectations and personal desires with wit and humour, strong female characters and of course, love. There also seems to be a bit more of a “bite” in some of the main characters lines. Perhaps a little bitterness that has crept into Austen herself. Beautifully written and at all times, engaging, I couldn’t put Persuasion down.


The End of Faith by Sam Harris. Provocative, insightful and daring this is a book I wish more people would read and consider. I don’t agree with all the viewpoints – especially the more dooming ones – but Harris brings many ideas and ideals to consider and reconsider. It is a powerful read and extremely timely. No doubt many people will hate it as it attacks certain ideals that many hold dear – and in fact hold above life itself – but I feel this is worth reading to, at the very least, gain a different perspective.