Book Review: Fine Things

Fine Things
by Danielle Steele
1987
398 pages
Synopsis from Goodreads
Smart, likable, Bernie Fine was the wonder boy of  Wolff's, New York's most glamorous department  store. A senior VP moving up, he arrives in San  Fransisco to open a West Coast store. His career is  skyrocketing, but his life is lacking a center.  When he looks into the wide, innocent eyes of  five-year-old Jane O'Reilly, and then into the equally  enchanting eyes of her mother, Liz, Bernie knows  he has found what he has been looking for. Bernie  thought he had found love to last a lifetime, but  when Liz is stricken with cancer shortly after the birth of  their first child, time becomes  painfully short. Alone with two children, Bernie  must face the loss and learn how to move on. New  people, new experiences, a new life alone with two  kids. He meets it with courage and humor, and  learns some of life's hard but precious lessons as he  does.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

My Review:
This book was an alright read, and I really got into it at some spots. But there were other areas where I either felt like the story could have ended, or it just seemed to drag on. I did love the children characters, as well as Bernie's first wife. They were all very genuine. I did end up coming to like Bernie's mom near the end, as her spunk got more active and she was used for comic relief. It was a sad story overall, with a happy ending.

Book Review: The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow

The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow
by Rita Leganski
2013
400 pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Conceived in love and possibility, Bonaventure Arrow didn’t make a peep when he was born, and the doctor nearly took him for dead. No one knows Bonaventure's silence is filled with resonance - a miraculous gift of rarified hearing that encompasses the Universe of Every Single Sound. Growing up in the big house on Christopher Street in Bayou Cymbaline, Bonaventure can hear flowers grow, a thousand shades of blue, and the miniature tempests that rage inside raindrops. He can also hear the gentle voice of his father, William Arrow, shot dead before Bonaventure was born by a mysterious stranger known only as the Wanderer.

Bonaventure's remarkable gift of listening promises salvation to the souls who love him: his beautiful young mother, Dancy, haunted by the death of her husband; his Grand-mere Letice, plagued by grief and long-buried guilt she locks away in a chapel; and his father, William, whose roaming spirit must fix the wreckage of the past. With the help of Trinidad Prefontaine, a Creole housekeeper endowed with her own special gifts, Bonaventure will find the key to long-buried mysteries and soothe a chorus of family secrets clamoring to be healed.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

My Review:
This novel was incredibly well-written and very captivating. I was shocked at the end by how all of the characters' lives were intertwined with one another - in ways I never even thought about! I definitely loved the character of Bonaventure Arrow, because he was such a sweet and innocent boy, who just wanted acceptance and love. I also enjoyed the character of his mother, Dancy, particularly in how she managed to raise her son alone and after facing the tragic loss of her husband. The grandmothers were so different, yet intriguing at the same time. The author used really poetic language, but it wasn't too obscure or flowery that you couldn't follow what she was saying. I definitely recommend this book to others. I picked it for my book club night, and all of the ladies thoroughly enjoyed it!

Book Review: Feel the Heat (Hot in the Kitchen #1)

Feel the Heat
by Kate Meader
2014
416 pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:
IF YOU CAN'T STAND THE HEAT . . .

Photographer Lili DeLuca spends all her time working at her family's Italian restaurant, instead of following her dream of getting an MFA. When famous British chef Jack Kilroy unexpectedly challenges her father to a cook-off, Lili decides she's tired of playing it safe and vows to seduce the tempting Brit. But once a video of her and Jack kissing goes viral and her luscious (if voluptuous) butt starts trending on Twitter, Lili fears she's cooked up a recipe for disaster . . .

Jack Kilroy's celebrity has left him feeling used and used up. While Lili's oh-so-sexy moans when she tastes his delicious creations turn him on, he's even more aroused by how this beautiful, funny woman is unimpressed by his fame. He knows they could be amazing together, if she could only see past his rabid, bitch-fork-wielding fan base. Now as he's about to start a new prime time TV cooking show, can Jack convince Lili to realize her own ambitions-and turn up the heat in his kitchen?

Rating: 2/5 Stars

My Review:
The plot was a bit scattered at the beginning and it took me a while to get into it. But one I hit the middle of it, it picked up and kept my attention until the end. I didn't mind the main character - she was a little more realistic than your usual "female" character, as she proud of her curvier and larger figure. Not many books portray women in that light, so it was refreshing in that sense. I'm not sure if I'll read the rest of the series though. I may change my mind later.

Book Review: Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska
by John Green
2006
221 pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After. Nothing is ever the same.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

My Review
One of my students had recommended this book to me, after she read it and loved it. I believe she is one of John Green's biggest fans! Anyways, I finally got it from the library and I read it in a day and a half. It was quick read and the style of writing was really easy to follow and was quite compelling. I haven't read a young adult novel in quite some time, but it was refreshing to read this one. The plotline was realistic, the characters were believable, and I feel like I could connect with all of them on some level, and understand what they were going through. I definitely will be looking to read his other books in the future!

Recipe: Cocoa Banana Bran Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups All Bran cereal
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking sodar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup oil
• 3 large ripe bananas, mashed (you can also cut 12 thin slices to top the muffins after)
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Steps

1. Combine cereal and milk into a medium bowl, and let soften for about 2 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda.
3. Beat egg, oil and mashed bananas into the cereal mixture.
4. Stir into dry ingredients, until just combined.
5. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Spoon evenly into a lightly oiled 12-cup muffin pan.
7. Optional: Top with extra banana slices.
8. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

© - All-Bran at All-Bran.ca

Recipe: Tortellini Alfredo

Ingredients

• 2 packages (350 g each) of tortellini (we use beef or three cheese)
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups frozen peas

Steps

1. Cook tortellini according to package. Usually it's boil gently for 6-8 minutes and then drain.

2. Mix milk and cheeses together in a saucepan. Heat until fully mixed in.

3. Add sauce to tortellini in pot, as well as the peas.

4. Heat over low-medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Serve with extra parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

- Recipe from Kraft Canada

Book Review: Fifty Shades Freed

Fifty Shades Freed

by E.L. James

2012

579 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads

When unworldly student Anastasia Steele first encountered the driven and dazzling young entrepreneur Christian Grey it sparked a sensual affair that changed both of their lives irrevocably. Shocked, intrigued, and, ultimately, repelled by Christian’s singular erotic tastes, Ana demands a deeper commitment. Determined to keep her, Christian agrees.

Now, Ana and Christian have it all—love, passion, intimacy, wealth, and a world of possibilities for their future. But Ana knows that loving her Fifty Shades will not be easy, and that being together will pose challenges that neither of them would anticipate. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian’s opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own identity. And Christian must overcome his compulsion to control as he wrestles with the demons of a tormented past.

Just when it seems that their strength together will eclipse any obstacle, misfortune, malice, and fate conspire to make Ana’s deepest fears turn to reality.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Review

This finale in the trilogy had the best plot for me. At the end I was literally overcome with emotion, over what Ana and Christian were facing. Maybe it's because I'm pregnant and am feeling extra emotional, but it was nice to actually connect with the characters on some level, and see them as having actual realistic feelings and reactions to what was going on.

Book Review: The Perfume Collector

The Perfume Collector

by Kathleen Tessaro

2013

464 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads

An inheritance from a mysterious stranger . . .

An abandoned perfume shop on the Left Bank of Paris . . .

And three exquisite perfumes that hold a memory . . . and a secret

London, 1955: Grace Monroe is a fortunate young woman. Despite her sheltered upbringing in Oxford, her recent marriage has thrust her into the heart of London's most refined and ambitious social circles. However, playing the role of the sophisticated socialite her husband would like her to be doesn't come easily to her—and perhaps never will.

Then one evening a letter arrives from France that will change everything. Grace has received an inheritance. There's only one problem: she has never heard of her benefactor, the mysterious Eva d'Orsey.

So begins a journey that takes Grace to Paris in search of Eva. There, in a long-abandoned perfume shop on the Left Bank, she discovers the seductive world of perfumers and their muses, and a surprising, complex love story. Told by invoking the three distinctive perfumes she inspired, Eva d'Orsey's story weaves through the decades, from 1920s New York to Monte Carlo, Paris, and London.

But these three perfumes hold secrets. And as Eva's past and Grace's future intersect, Grace realizes she must choose between the life she thinks she should live and the person she is truly meant to be.

Illuminating the lives and challenging times of two fascinating women, The Perfume Collector weaves a haunting, imaginative, and beautifully written tale filled with passion and possibility, heartbreak and hope

Rating: 5/5 Stars

My Review

This was a super well-written novel, and it drew me in right from the beginning. Not too much description, but enough to make me envision the events actually occurring. The characters were realistic and believable - I really connected with the main character, Grace. It made me happy to see her choices at the end, particular with Mr. Tissot (such a wonderful man!) I loved how the stories all intertwined and how the plot had unique twists and turns throughout. I'll definitely be reading more of her novels, especially if they're anything like this one.

Book Review: Requiem

Requiem

by Frances Itani

2011

399 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads

Bin Okuma, a celebrated visual artist, has recently and quite suddenly lost his wife, Lena. He and his son, Greg, are left to deal with the shock. But Greg has returned to his studies on the East Coast, and Bin finds himself alone and pulled into memories he has avoided for much of his life. In 1942, after Pearl Harbor, his Japanese Canadian family was displaced from the West Coast. Now, he sets out to drive across the country: to complete the last works needed for an upcoming exhibition; to revisit the places that have shaped him; to find his biological father, who has been lost to him. It has been years since his father made a fateful decision that almost destroyed the family. Now, Bin must ask himself whether he really wants to find him. With the persuasive voice of his wife in his head, and the echo of their great love in his heart, he embarks on an unforgettable journey that encompasses art and music, love and hope.

A story of great loss, a story of redemption, a story of abiding love, Requiem is a beautifully written and evocative novel about a family torn apart by the past and a man’s present search for solace

Rating: 3/5 Stars

My Review

It was nice to read a book that took place in Canada, and especially in areas that I've been to or lived in. It really helped me connect with the characters in their setting. Overall this novel was very tragic. The family suffered greatly and it was sad to realize how Japanese Canadians were treated in WWII. I had no idea that they faced such harsh realities while living here. The book started off slow, but it definitely picked up when it focussed on the main character's life in those hard times. The book jumped back and forth between present and past, and the past times were definitely more of an interest to read.

Book Review: The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale

by Margaret Atwood

1985

311 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...

Rating: 3/5 Stars

My Review

I've always wanted to read a Margaret Atwood novel, being in love with Canadian Literature, but we never read anything of hers in University. So I was really excited when it was picked for Book Club. I found it a really interesting read, but got confused in many different parts. It's definitely a feminist novel, showing women in a completely different light. Basically if you can't produce children, then you're useless. There was a lot of political things going on as well throughout the novel. When I was reading it, I always thought it was showing something happening in the past, but it was really meant to be a reflection on the future. Overall it was really interesting, and I did enjoy Atwood's style of writing.