Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Posted by Kate Matthews, 16 months ago

Keep an eye out for this novel hitting bookshelves in hardcover on February 1st, 2011.

Description from publisher:

Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It's hard to be patient. It's hard not to be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.

Lauren Oliver astonished readers with her stunning debut, Before I Fall. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called it "raw, emotional, and, at times, beautiful. An end as brave as it is heartbreaking." Her much-awaited second novel fulfills her promise as an exceptionally talented and versatile writer.

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2011's resolution? Read new & exciting novels :)

Posted by Kate Matthews, 16 months ago

Hello book club! Hope that you have had a good 2010 and you're ready to take on a brand new year!

Question for everyone: What was your favourite book that you read in 2010?

Also, what book are you starting 2011 with? Please share!! I'm starting with "Left Neglected" by Lisa Genova. (Her last novel 'Still Alice' was so good that I highly recommend it even if you aren't into the subject matter. I have loaned it to skeptical friends and they all say after how good it was.)

So Left Neglected will be my official pick for our book to read in January. If you're interested pick up a copy and get reading so we can discuss it here!! If you are a Kobo user you will be interested to hear that Left Neglected is now available on kobo for the first time today.

Here are some other novels I will be reading in 2011:
Our Kind of Traitor by John LeCarre
An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin
Light Lifting by Alexander MacLeod
The Reversal by Michael Connelly
Mr. Shakespeare's B*stard by Richard B. Wright

The Indigo book club is now taking votes to choose one of these titles for their January pick. I'm definitely planning on reading all of them! And I will review them all!

Hope that you will keep posting your reviews and comments with each book you read in 2011. Please comment if there's a novel that is on your must-read list for 2011.

Kate :)

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Secret Daughter: A Novel by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

Posted by Kate Matthews, 2 years ago

This international bestseller is very well-reviewed by everyone who reads it and it's a "Heather's Pick".
It's touching and it makes you think, it has a lot to say and it paints vivid images in your mind and it's very well written. What an amazing novel!
In a poor village in India, a woman gives birth to a girl. Because they are poor and because of their culture, they wanted a son and a baby girl is at great risk of being "disposed" of. In fact, that is what happened to the first baby they had, a girl. The mother goes on a difficult journey to ensure that the baby makes it safe and sound to an orphanage but she spends every day for the rest of her life worrying about and loving this daughter that she never got to know. Her Secret Daughter.
The story jumps between this couple and a couple in California- both doctors- who are unable to have children naturally so they decide to adopt and they end up adopting this baby girl. The process of raising an adopted child is difficult and it poses unique challenges to both mother and daughter and these feelings and pressures are explored in this novel.
The baby girl grows up and she is the common thread that links these two stories together- and through both families experiences the reader explores the themes of motherhood, grief, destiny, and love.
In the acknowledgements, the author explains that the seed of this story was planted during a summer in college that she spent as a volunteer at an orphenage in Hyderabad, India. Look at the back of the book for a foreign terms glossary. I didn't notice it was there until I'd already finished the novel.

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I'm reading...

Posted by Kate Matthews, 2 years ago

Hello! Anyone still there? It's been a while....

I'm currently reading Eat Pray Love, The Secret Daughter, The Lucky One, and Half-Broke Horses.

Reviews to come! I have started all of them and they're all very readable so far. If you're reading one of these or have read, please comment. If not, I'd recommend that you pick one of these up! I'll give further reviews once I've finished one of them...

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'Committed' by Elizabeth Gilbert

Posted by Kate Matthews, 2 years ago

I picked up a copy of Committed today at my local Chapters. Looks pretty interesting! I loved Eat, Pray, Love. Anyone read this one yet? I'm starting it tomorrow.

Description from Chapters.ca:

At the end of her bestselling memoir Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert fell in love with Felipe, a Brazilian-born man of Australian citizenship who'd been living in Indonesia when they met. Resettling in America, the couple swore eternal fidelity to each other, but also swore to never, ever, under any circumstances get legally married. (Both were survivors of previous horrific divorces. Enough said.) But providence intervened one day in the form of the United States government, which—after unexpectedly detaining Felipe at an American border crossing—gave the couple a choice: they could either get married, or Felipe would never be allowed to enter the country again. Having been effectively sentenced to wed, Gilbert tackled her fears of marriage by delving into this topic completely, trying with all her might to discover through historical research, interviews, and much personal reflection what this stubbornly enduring old institution actually is. Told with Gilbert's trademark wit, intelligence and compassion, Committed attempts to "turn on all the lights" when it comes to matrimony, frankly examining questions of compatibility, infatuation, fidelity, family tradition, social expectations, divorce risks and humbling responsibilities. Gilbert's memoir is ultimately a clear-eyed celebration of love with all the complexity and consequence that real love, in the real world, actually entails.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elizabeth Gilbert is an award-winning writer of both fiction and non-fiction. Her short story collection Pilgrims was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway award, and her novel Stern Men was a New York Times notable book. In 2002, she published The Last American Man, which was a finalist for both the National Book Award and the National Book Critic's Circle Award. She is best known for her 2006 memoir Eat, Pray, Love, which was published in more than thirty languages.

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'Dear John' by Nicholas Sparks

Posted by Kate Matthews, 2 years ago

Originally, I read this in the early fall of 2007. I recently picked up a paperback copy of it and re-read it and decided that I should definitely add this selection to the bookclub for everyone who hasn't read it yet.

For any Nicholas Sparks fan, this is required reading. A fabulous, well-written, old-fashioned beautiful love story. It made me laugh and it made me cry- though truthfully it mostly made me cry. Truth be told, it's a very realistic tear-jerker. This was a page-turner. I did not want to put it down from the time that I started reading it. Sparks is absolutely amazing and he knows how to make you fall in love with his novels. Very heartwarming, great characters, good plot...and the hint of a sequel to come next- hope so anyway!

There are several surprises to be found here- but I try very hard to avoid spoilers in my reviews so I’ll just leave it at that for now- although please keep in mind that the spoilers I’m avoiding are the sad parts, the parts where not everything works out perfectly at all times. If those kinds of plot-lines depress you, stay away from this one. Personally, I appreciated the dose of reality and that’s what gave the novel substance- and sadness as well.

I recommend it to everyone who loves a romantic page-turner, but doesn’t mind having to keep tissues handy for those tears! Great novel that breaks the mould of other typical Sparks novels and I’d recommend you add it to your collection even if you haven’t liked his last few novels. More than just a typical love story. (but not TOO much more, so liking the genre is somewhat of a prerequisite here.)

I love Nicolas Sparks! Nothing makes me feel better. He is an author that gets me grabbing my softest blanket, brewing a pot of tea, lighting a scented candle, and looking forward all day to settling down with my new novel- his novels are my ultimate guilty pleasure.

I definitely recommend!

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'Stones Into Schools' by Greg Mortenson

Posted by Kate Matthews, 2 years ago

Stones Into Schools is AMAZING and beautifully written. With wonderful additions like beautiful photos, delightful quotes, detailed maps- and 8, yes 8- pages of acknowledgements, the reader is in for a treat. Seriously, buy this book right now- don't walk, run!- and when you finish you're going to want to lend it to everyone you know! Please don't let the serious subject scare you off (although truthfully it's partially what attracted me.) There is humour to be found here. I lauged out loud at times at some of his stories, believe it or not! Although, at times I also felt myself tearing up as well. (Yup, this is your quintessential- "It will make you laugh, it will make you cry!" review.) Please don't miss out on this book- ESPECIALLY if you've read Three Cups of Tea already- although I assure you that you do not need to have read Three Cups of Tea in order to appreciate this book. Having said that, I would recommend that you purchase both of them and start with Three Cups of Tea. This was much better than 'Three Cups of Tea' (and how rare is that- a 'sequel' better than the original?) It is much more interesting and readable so there is hope for you even if you found 'Three Cups' a little yawn-inducing. This is a book that can genuinely be labled as "heartwarming" and for me that makes it take up a very special place on my bookshelf. It's a very educating read, extremely facinating- I was very gripped the entire time that I was reading it. I highly recommend this to everyone and I'm sure it will leave you feeling incredibly inspired, as it did me. This one is a must-read so don't miss out. I can assure you that this book is not about the author, Mortenson. The spotlight is always being projected onto what is most important. If you're sick of the constant negativity in the news about this part of the world and in the mood for a powerful read, this is the one for you! Now, to be fair, there are some sloppy typos to be found- many of them in fact...but that's a small blemish that shouldn't keep you from enjoying this treasure. All I can say is wow- you will love this book!

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