Book Review: Chicks with Sticks: It's a Purl Thing

Elizabeth Lenhard's Chicks with Sticks: It's a Purl Thing is YA (young adult) meets chicklit meets knitting. I think that pretty much sums up this book. A quick, easy, angsty read. Enough said.

Friday Fill-Ins April 29, 2011

I haven't done Friday Fill-Ins for a while-my answers are in RED!
And...here we go!

1. I love to feel our baby moving around-most of the time!!

2. Nothing beats a big hug and a smile.

3. It's how you get through the hard times that really matters.

4. Is it a boy or a girl-don't tell me!

5. Well, would you like someone punching you in the ribs all day? (I kind of do)

6. Ummmmm...what are spring peepers.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to moving some of our things into our house, tomorrow my plans include picking up the baby's stroller in Edmonton, and Sunday, I want to relax with my husband!

Book Review: A Discovery of Witches

I just finished reading Deborah Harkness' A Discovery of Witches on my Kindle. I chose this book because it kept coming up on other blogs, bookstore websites (amazon, chapters) AND there was a poster for it on the subway (back when I lived in Toronto...ok so that was like 2 weeks ago). I was really excited for this book based on the title and what I gleaned from a quick glance at the "blurb" -I knew it was a modern day tale that involved witches and vampires.

From the author's website: "When historian Diana Bishop opens a bewitched alchemical manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library it represents an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordinary life. Though descended from a long line of witches, she is determined to remain untouched by her family’s legacy. She banishes the manuscript to the stacks, but Diana finds it impossible to hold the world of magic at bay any longer.
For witches are not the only otherworldly creatures living alongside humans. There are also creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires who become interested in the witch’s discovery. They believe that the manuscript contains important clues about the past and the future, and want to know how Diana Bishop has been able to get her hands on the elusive volume."


It took me longer than expected to read this book, I didn't realize it was so long because I didn't have  a hard copy- and I find that on my kindle the whole percentage of book read and location xx of 11559 doesn't mean much to me but apparently the hard cover book is actually 579 pages! I did enjoy this book but at the same time it felt like I was reading Twilight with adult characters.  There was a bit more of a  romance feel to it than I expected and it became a bot cheesy for me. I think Harkness did a good job with character development with a number of the characters-not just Diana and Matthew (the main characters). I liked the idea of different "creatures" witches, vampires, and daemons, and how they are at odds with each other and humans, and yet how some are trying to work together. The Globe and Mail's review does a pretty good job of summing my opinions too! I didn't realize this was intended to be the first book in a series (All Souls Trilogy), but based on how this novel ended with a lot of unanswered questions-I am happy there is more to come.

As I said I did enjoy A Discovery of Witches, but not sure that I would recommend it for others to read.

What are you reading now?

Booking Through Thursday: Coming to a Theater Near You

Question April 28, 2011: If you could see one book turned into the perfect movie–one that would capture everything you love, the characters, the look, the feel, the story–what book would you choose?

My answer: I would love to see The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society turned into a movie!! I loved this book BOTH times I read it!! See my review here. I loved the characters, the time period (just after World War II), the setting (The Channel Island of Guernsey!), and everything about this book. I would love to see it on the big screen!!  I would also like to see The Hunger Games as a movie. (My review of the book here). This book totally caught me by surprise and I want other people to discover this book for themselves, so I don't want to write anymore about it-but I do think the movie would be quite exciting!

What book would YOU like to see turned into a movie?

Booking Through Thursday: Cover

Question April 21, 2011: CAN you judge a book by its cover?

My answer: Well of course you CAN! Do you, or should you are completely different!!!  I do judge books by their covers, especially if I am browsing at the book store (rather than online). If a cover catches my eye I will pick it up and look at the title and read the back blurb-yes I read the blurbs!! At the same time, if I don't like how a book looks, I may not pick it up.  I think I am more intrigued or dissuaded from books based on their titles than any images. Should I? I may miss many good books this way, but I can't possibly read every single book, or even consider every (or even most) books that I see!

What about you?

Book Review: The Land of Painted Caves

After 30 years, Jean Auel has finally written the final book in her Earth's Children Series: The Land of Painted Caves. I came across this historical fiction series a few years ago on a receommendation from former a patient and I fell in love! According to Goodreads Earth's children is "...a series of historical fiction novels set in prehistoric Europe that explores interactions of Cro-Magnon people with Neanderthals".

I loved every single one of these books, although I will be the first to admit they are not exactly well written. At over 750 pages, The Land of Painted Caves had a lot of repetition-not just to bring you up to speed from the previous novels but within it as well. That gets a bit tedious. Now I really like to read LOOOONG novels, but this was a bit much-too much thrown together-almost like watching a whole season of a TV show you used to love. I'm glad I read it, and would recommend the entire series, but don't expect the most amazing literary experience. I realize that may sound harsh, but it's my blog and I get to say what I want! I should reiterate though- I did enjoy this book-maybe because I had been waiting a few years for this one to come out (not 30 years, but maybe 2-3)-but I did enjoy it! 

(p.s. I read it on my Kindle and thank goodness because 750 pages in hardcover is TOO heavy!!)

Book Review: The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society

I had to interrupt my reading of Jean Auel's newest book to read Beth Pattillo's The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society because I needed to return Pattillo's book to the library. Why didn't I renew you may ask? Because I am moving to Red Deer, Alberta this weekend!!!! Finally!!! I apologize for the lack of posts over the past few weeks-but I have been trying to get organized for moving and so have been reading a bit less, and have had less time to post!!

Ok so now book review time. I checked out the Sweetgum Knit Lit Society because I have been totally into chick lit knitting books the past few months. The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society was a bit of a let down unfortunately. From Pattillo's website "On the third Friday of each month, Eugenie, Ruth, Esther, Merry, and Camille meet at the Sweetgum Christian Church to enjoy the two things that connect them: a love of knitting and a passion for books. Their camaraderie remains unthreatened until Eugenie, the town librarian, introduces an angry teenager into their midst".

I found the cast of characters all unlikeable and couldn't feel any connection to any of them. Not only that, I didn't find any of them likable, and if I had to pick a favourite-I can't. You should always be able to pick a favourite! Oh well, it was a quick, easy read, and I will likely end up reading her second novel The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love.

Back to The Land of Painted Caves!!

Booking Through Thursday: Visual

Booking Through Thursday question for April 7, 2011: So … the books that you own (however many there may be) … do you display them proudly right there in plain sight for all the world to see? (At least the world that comes into your living room.)
Or do you keep them tucked away in your office or bedroom or library or closet or someplace less “public?”

My answer: Our books are in the bookshelf in the bedroom based on space issues more than anything. I am definitely not hiding them. I love my books, and love when somebody sees one they'd like to read and then I get to lend it to them. I wish I could have an actual library, or room  for books-I would spend all my time in there!!

What about you?

Friday Fill-Ins April 1, 2011

And...here we go! (My answers in RED)

1. I can't believe it's already April!

2. Living in a big city isn't for everyone. (But I've loved it!)

3. How can I wait 2 1/2 more months for this baby to come-I'm too excited!!

4. Spaghetti with meat sauce was the last thing I cooked.

5. Six of one half a dozen of the other. (I know that's lame but I can't think of anything else)

6. Fish or seafood:nonono!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing, tomorrow my plans include THE ONE OF A KIND SHOW, and Sunday, I want to SLEEP!!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!