Review: We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo

Purchase Price: $12.99 on Amazon.ca
We Need New Names [Kindle Edition]

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Authors of Color, Women's Fiction, Fictional Memoir, Cultural Experiences

Book Description: Darling is only 10 years old, and yet she must navigate a fragile and violent world. In Zimbabwe, Darling and her friends steal guavas, try to get the baby out of young Chipo's belly, and grasp at memories of Before. Before their homes were destroyed by paramilitary policemen, before the school closed, before the fathers left for dangerous jobs abroad. But Darling has a chance to escape: she has an aunt in America.

She travels to this new land in search of America's famous abundance only to find that her options as an immigrant are perilously few. NoViolet Bulawayo's debut calls to mind the great storytellers of displacement and arrival who have come before her--from Zadie Smith to Monica Ali to J.M. Coetzee--while she tells a vivid, raw story all her own.

Review:
We Need New Names was nothing that I could have anticipated, and it was everything one could wish for when reading contemporary non-fiction. NoViolet Bulawayo intrigues with a unique writing style that alternates from the honest observations of her main protagonist, 10 year old Darling, and then spliced in sections that pertain more to the group experience of living in a country where there is political decay, civil war, and poverty to the extreme. She takes both these styles and weaves the tale of Darling, as she lives in a Zimbabwean shanty town called 'Paradise', and later as she comes to America to live with her Aunt, and her Auntie's family.

Although it takes you a while to adjust to her writing style, lack of punctuation, and stream of consciousness mode of expression, NoViolet Bulawayo quickly draws you in with her honest and innocent portrayal of young Darling as she navigates the dangerous terrain of the Shanty Town, it's broken people, and the constant hunger that plagues her and all her friends. The innocence of a child combined with the real desperation of a people suffering from political upheaval and civil breakdown, give you such a clear view of exactly who Darling is. While she and her friends wander the streets and steal guavas from the local gated community populated by affluent foreigners, there is so much that breaks your heart for these children. They are roaming un-monitored since schools have been closed down, and they try to think about games to play as they make observations about the world around them, and speak about what they will be when they are grown.

Meanwhile, Darling finally makes it to America and lives with her aunt and 'uncle', and her cousin who was born in the States. Her adjustment to this new and strange country is described with the true culture shock one might only imagine, but observed through Darling's eyes, it is somehow more real, more sad, more heartbreaking. She is bullied at school, has to adjust to using English - and at the same time adopt the slang and accent of her peers so as to fit in. A huge task for anyone, but particularly a young girl, coming of age, torn from a country she loves and the people and culture she knows. It is amazing just how many aspects of her life she is forced to alter, yet on the inside, she stays the same observant and honest soul.

This book verges on poetry more often than not. No sugar coating, there is so much pain expressed about the immigrant experience that I had never really considered. As a nurse, I have treated patients from all over the world, many of them refugees to Canada, who have very little experience with the language. Yet these new-comers are expected to communicate clearly even during the most stressful of situations, and it is hard to find translators in an emergency. I never really took all these items into account, but now I see that the children they deliver on my obstetrics unit represent so much more than a new baby, it gives them a tie to their new home. This book will forever change the way I interact with these patients.

At many points in the novel, I found myself wanting to cover my eyes and scream, "Please no, please no, please no!"; which makes no sense until you read about the horrors and the violence NoViolet describes with such startling clarity. I won't spoil these parts by describing them, but placed next to the innocent and inquiring nature of Darling, they are than much more shocking. This book picks up speed as it rages on, and you will have difficulty putting it down.

Fired Up Rating: 5/5 Flames

Bottom Line: I recommend this novel to anyone who works with new immigrants to America, or any other country that takes in refugees and students visa's into it's embrace. My eyes were thrown wide open to issues I had never considered, and I had a pretty solid idea of how difficult the transitions can be to begin with, working in the area of nursing I do, Obstetrics. It is more than a story about a girl's journey to America, it is a story about loss, true sorrow, fractured families, and the cruelty of the "Promise" of the American Dream. There is good and bad in both the before and the after parts of Darling's journey, but it is her unflinching honesty and manner of observing the world that makes this book such a winner. NoViolet Bulawayo is one to watch, a "must read" for me.

** This Review is based on an ARC obtained through Goodreads First Reads Giveaways. The opinions expressed are my own and are in no way influences by Goodreads, The Author, or the Publisher of this material. **

Review: A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family Story by Qais Akbar Omar

 

Purchase Price: $14.99 on Amazon.ca
A Fort Of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family Story [Kindle Edition]

Genre: Memoirs, Biographies, Non-Fiction

Book Description: The surprising, stunning book that took the publishing world by storm; a coming-of-age memoir of unimaginable perils and unexpected joys, steeped in the rhythms of folk tales and poetry, that is as unforgettable as it is rare - treasure for readers.
 
Qais Akbar Omar was born in Kabul in a time of relative peace. Until he was 7, he lived with his father, a high school physics teacher, and mother, a bank manager, in the spacious, garden-filled compound his grandfather had built. Noisy with the laughter of his cousins (with whom they lived in the typical Afghan style), fragrant with the scent of roses and apple blossoms, and rich in shady, tucked-away spots where Qais and his grandfather sat and read, home was the idyllic centre of their quiet, comfortable life.

But in the wake of the Russian withdrawal and the bloody civil conflict that erupted, his family was forced to flee and take refuge in the legendary Fort of Nine Towers, a centuries-old palace in the hills on the far side of Kabul. On a perilous trip home, Omar and his father were kidnapped, narrowly escaping, and the family fled again, his parents leading their 6 children on a remarkable, sometimes wondrous journey. Hiding inside the famous giant Bamiyan Buddhas sculpture, and among Kurchi herders, Omar cobbles together an education, learning the beautiful art of carpet-weaving from a deaf mute girl, which will become the family's means of support. Against a backdrop of uncertainty, violence and absurdity, young Qais Omar weaves together a story -and a self - that is complex, colourful, and profound.

Review: 
A Fort of Nine Towers is Qais Akbar Omar's heartbreaking and inspiring true revelations about the turmoil and trauma he, and his family, experienced over the course of 12 or so years of great upheaval in his homeland of Afghanistan. This novel is truly eye opening, life changing, and searing to the heart, but is told with no embellishment, no tools to create unnecessary drama, the stark and honest tone of Qais's story is rending to the heart and spirit. At many points, the reader has to wonder how Qais survived all he did, and how he came out of it with such a strong connection to his homeland, his family, and his own sense of right and wrong.  This story is one that will show you a glimpse of life in a country, Afghanistan, that many have misconceptions about, and reminds us all that people are people no matter where they are born, what they believe, and underneath it all, most just want to be free to live a life of peace and freedom from violence and war. An exceptional story by an exceptional writer, who just happens to be an exceptional human being.

**WARNING, THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS**

Qais Akbar Omar begins his true-life tale as a child in a very large and tight-knit family living in a large compound in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan at the time the Russian forces are finally leaving the country in 1989. Afghanistan, after years of Socialist influence, is in political turmoil, but Qais and his family are optimistic that the change will bring with it positive changes in his country.

Qais lives in his Grandfather's home, a compound of rooms that house his large extended family, many uncles and their wives and children. He looks up to his father, a well respected former boxer and a physics teacher, who also sells and trades precious antique hand-knotted rugs. He is very close to his Grandfather, and looks up to him with great respect, as does the community he lives in. His Grandfather is well respected, and often advises people on business matters as well as works to ensure that the community provides support for members in need. It is clear that Qais has a good life, his family is well established and relatively wealthy, but they are richer for their close relationships between siblings and cousins. Their days consist of learning, sharing meals, flying kites, and enjoying the beautiful gardens of the city of Kabul.

The first signs of change occur when the shouts of the Mujahedin, or Holy Warriors, can be heard in the streets in 1991. From this point on, nothing and no one is safe. Snipers hide in the nearby hills, rockets pound the beautiful city of Kabul and the city once known for it's gardens and tree lined streets becomes the center of civil war that rages for years to come.

Qais Akbar Omar relates his tale of escaping the city and leaving behind his beloved home, while his entire family tries to find a way to safety. Food is scarce, danger is everywhere, and it seems that no matter how hard Qais father tries to find a way out of the country, their attempts to flee are thwarted at every turn. With no money and no connections, the family moves from place to place with only the guidance of the BBC World News radio reports. Many times I felt dread as Qais tells his story, the violence he is exposed to is frightening, and one wonders how anyone survived the civil war that lasted so long between warring factions of the Mujahedin. Family losses are heavy, and weigh heavily on young Qais's developing sense of self.

When the Mujehedin is ousted by the Taliban, things go from bad to worse. Now the dangers are not bombs and sniper bullets, but a twisted take on the Islamic religion that means no one is safe from judgement, and following ever tightening rules becomes almost an impossibility. This unique inside view of how the Taliban seemed to come out of no-where and gain a strangle hold on the entire country is frightening. Qais describes something that only an insider, a survivor, could share. The wild swings of fortune, and more often, misfortune are visceral and pulsating with dread.

If you have ever wondered what it was like to live under Taliban rule, you must read this book. If you have ever wondered what living in a war-zone, where infighting between different factions of a Holy War literally decimate a population and a country, you must read this book. If you have wondered about the people of Afghanistan, the people just trying to live day to day, then this book will give you a glimpse that is fascinating. Most of all, this book is an amazing personal memoir of survival, and a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the connections of family and culture.

Fired Up Rating: 5/5 Flames

 

Bottom Line: I highly recommend A Fort of Nine Towers by Qais Akbar Omar, it is so many wonderful things all in one gripping and riveting novel. It will change your view of a people, a country, and the amazing strength of one boy growing up in the most unsettled of times for this one country, Afghanistan, in all of it's history. Simply remarkable.

** Note, this review is based on a copy that was obtained as part of the Goodreads, First Reads giveaways. The opinions expressed are my own and are in no way influenced by the Publisher, Author, or Goodreads.com **

Review: Mother: A Novel by Angel Gelique

Purchase Price: $2.99 on Amazon.ca
Mother: A Novel [Kindle Edition]

Genre: Literature & Fiction, Family Life

Book Description: When her husband abandons them for another woman, Jane Winston is left to raise their teen-aged daughter as a single mother. She loves Emma more than anything in the world and would do anything for her—no matter how high the cost. Emma, on the other hand, hates her mother and goes out of her way to make her life miserable. What will it take to restore the loving relationship they once had and can it be mended before it’s too late?

This story will take you on a tearful journey as you explore a volatile mother-daughter relationship. Sometimes things aren’t better left unsaid…sometimes love doesn’t conquer all…and sometimes you don’t get a second chance at a happy ending….

Review:
I wanted to like this book, I really did, but I had a lot of trouble liking and developing a connection to the characters and some of the story points, although I do appreciate what the author was trying to do here. <b>Mother</b> is the story of an adult parent, Jane, and her soon to be 16 year-old daughter Emma. After the break-up of Jane's marriage due to infidelity on the part of the now absent Gregory, her self-esteem takes a beating and her relationship with her daughter becomes at first contentious, and then outright combative on the part of Emma. As the relationship between the two fractures further, we see both Jane and Emma fall apart in their own respects, and the wear and tear of the emotional climate takes it's toll on both.

First, let's look at Jane, the around-forty-ish mother of Emma, an only child. Sometime during the marriage, Jane discovers her husband in bed with another woman, in her own bed no less. For some reason, Jane decides immediately that her marriage is over, and while agreeing to co-habitate with Gregory for the sake of their daughter, does not pursue any counselling (for herself or as a couple), and does not pursue a divorce, nor do they share any of their difficulties with their daughter. When Gregory eventually leaves, no explanation is forthcoming from him as to his reasons for leaving, and Emma is not given any information by her mother. This is my first real issue with the story. A child of 14 is old enough to understand divorce and separation without having to hear explicit details about infidelity. In any case, Jane doesn't offer any explanations, and in the void, Emma comes to the belief that it is her mother's weight problem that has driven her father from the home. Despite several allusions to this belief, Jane makes no attempt to clear up the misconception, and receives a great deal of verbal abuse from her daughter alluding to her being 'fat' and 'gross'.

This is where my biggest issue with the character of Jane. She is an adult, and while we all suffer from low self esteem, the way Jane deals with this is entirely puzzling. She accepts the abuse in increasing frequency, from her daughter, and there is no rational thinking at any point. She cries, she feels bad, she still caters to her daughters every whim, she never indicates that she does not wish to be spoken to in this manner, and she becomes a victim. I found her whole person to be oriented to very little introspection, and entirely in the mode of rationalization of her behaviour and her daughter's. She really seemed to be another teenager in a relationship with her own teenage daughter. She sets no boundaries, no restrictions, and no consequences. We also are given frequent allusions to Jane's health status, her fainting and feeling frequent pain, yet she at no time seeks medical attention for herself. Lack of self-care is common in 'battered-woman's syndrome', so on one level, I can see this as a possibility. However, as the sole caretaker for her daughter, financially and physically, I would have thought her health was of more importance than to be rationalized away as indigestion over and over and over despite failure to respond to antacids.

While we watch Jane flounder about, reeling from her daughter's abuse, we also find Emma in her own turmoil. She is one angry girl, and she is clearly suffering from a body-dismorphic disorder, particularly anorexia. She internalizes the belief that her father has abandoned the family as a result of her 'fat gross mother', and has adopted a pattern of starving herself in an attempt to prevent herself from getting fat.  She takes out her anger on her mother, physically, and by destroying her mother's property, and by heaping verbal abuse on her mother in full view of others. She is never disciplined for this, never meant to face any consequences. Rather Jane seems to think she is a good mother by simply patiently awaiting her daughter's outgrowing of this stage, and stands by ready to cater to her daughter's needs - be it chauffeuring her about, making meals for her, buying her special gifts, planning elaborate surprise parties, etc. - this desire on Jane's part to be a "Good Mother" seems to miss the point entirely. She notices her daughter is getting dangerously thin, yet never actually addresses the issue with Emma, or even speaks to a doctor until it may be too late.

I hate to say that the most mature character in the entire novel, the only one who seems to see the problem, is on of Emma's teenage friends, Sarah. She is the only character who has any grasp on reality, on a normal mother-daughter relationship, and that her friend is in trouble. By the time I reached the point of the novel where I could no longer tolerate the unreal relationship between Jane and Emma, and on the sidelines, Emma's father Gregory, I decided to just push through to the end to see if there was any redemption coming for any of the adults, or anyone clued in enough to reach Emma before it was too late. I just found myself rolling my eyes again and again, I was so glad to be done with the story.

I am not a mother, but I am a 40 year-old woman who has a mother who is far from perfect but has always loved me. My parents were separated when I was 16 years old, and though I was angry at both of them at various times, I did not get a free pass to treat them badly. I still had rules to follow, I still had a curfew, and I still respected my parents enough to call them, even when I was breaking the rules, just to let them know where I was, and that I was safe. I find the relationship dynamics between the mother-daughter pair to be absolutely broken, that does not happen overnight, somewhere along the line Emma was given the impression that her vote was equal in the running of her life, and that she drove the boat, so to speak. While parents going through divorce are almost certain to make mistakes, to err on the side of wanting to be liked, of reducing conflict with their children, they do not take leave of their senses. If we are to believe that Jane was a college educated woman who works and supports herself and her daughter, there is no explanation for this altogether juvenile view of the parenting role, unless there is some back-story that might indicate that.

As a nurse, I can say that at best, this novel works wonderfully as a psychological case study for a dysfunctional family dynamic, but that is about all I can say to it's credit. I hate to provide any negative reviews, particularly to a first novel, but I really found that there was so much more that could have been done with this story. Most of the writing is solid, it is just the character flaws that are hard to get around as believable in any way. There were a few editing issues, mispelled words and such, that were missed, this is a pet-peeve of mine, but perhaps my novel was a preview copy and that can be remedied.


Fired Up Rating: 2/5 Flames

 

Bottom Line: I cannot in good faith recommend this novel, based on a thorough reading, for the reasons stated above.

** Note: This novel was provided as a review copy through a Goodreads, First Reads giveaway. The opinions expressed are my own, and have been in no way influenced by Goodreads, the publisher of the novel, or it's author. **

Review: Apocalypsis: Book 4 (Haven) by Elle Casey

Purchase Price: $4.96 CDN on Amazon.ca
Apocalypsis: Book 4 (Haven) [Kindle Edition]

Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Fiction, Young Adult, Action Adventure, Series

Book Description: My name's Bryn Mathis. I'm seventeen years old, and I'm alive at a critical time in our world's history, unlike all the adults and babies who didn't survive the virus that almost wiped out the human race. Alliances are building, enemies are gathering, and everything's about to reach the boiling point. I'm in a race against time to get Haven ready for the final showdown, a confrontation that could very possibly destroy everything my friends and I have worked so hard to create. People I trusted have betrayed me. People who I thought were my enemies are not. Nothing is as it seems, and nothing will ever be the same for me, now that I've embarked on this one last adventure that could be the undoing of everything that is me. [From Amazon.ca]

Review:
This last book in the Apocalypsis Series, Haven was so much more than I could have expected, which is exactly what I have come to expect to the fabulous Elle Casey.

Picking up precisely where were left in the third book in the series, this final novel brings us in with no gentle embrace, we find Bryn, Peter, Bodo, and the rest of the 'survivors' finding shelter behind the chain-link and razor wire fences at the Florida prison they have come to call 'Haven'. With a steady influx of starving and wounded children, and work to be done, the group begins the unpleasant and often horrific work of 'cleaning' out the leftovers from the previous inhabitants of the prison. One scene in particular was so gruesome and shocking that I found myself feeling ill. I was really surprised to find myself reacting thusly, as I am a nurse and in no way unfamiliar with all manner of body exudates and have seen and handled many deceased in my time on the job. This was supremely gross, and I am impressed by Casey's ability to craft horror into a story that has been largely shocking, but not necessarily creepy and scary.

Bryn and friends realize that with the arrival of news that the kids in the Glades have been besieged by the hideously evil 'Canners', they must leave their sanctuary and go to try to get as many as they can to safety. As a small group heads out on the road to reach the Kahayatle, meeting trouble almost the entire way. There are some new friends, and new connections that serve to be monumentally important for the survival of the 'peace-minded'. But there are also cruel twists, malevolent individuals that have turned to such a dark place they are beyond reach.

Throughout the story, we are met with the conflict brewing between Bryn and her boyfriend Bodo. While Bryn decides to 'come clean' with Bodo about her small romantic indiscretion when he was lost to the group and likely dead, he refuses to forgive her, and piles on additional problems by refusing to speak to her and then becoming more secretive about his past. The tension is palpable, and it is finally a real teenage relationship. Of course, the communication troubles are compounded by the stress of attempting a rescue of friends where trust is essential.

When the Bryn and Bodo eventually reach the swamps, the signs are ominous. The boats are gone, and they must get into 'gator infested waters to get deeper into the area. There is a lot of loss in this novel, perhaps more than in all the other "Apocalypsis" series books combined. It is filled with violent struggles, society's breakdown now beyond repair as far as the "Canners" go, and people are fighting for land, food, resources, and just to stay alive. The consequences of a system breakdown on this societal level has left things like medication and other necessities of life scarce and disappearing rapidly. Casey has clearly thought about this deeply, and it is presented with the drama and dark humour one would expect, but also the sadness that cuts through it all.

Though there seems to be a challenge erupting the moment they adjust to the previous trauma's tremors, the group is tight knit and seem to be so well equipped to work together to create the world they want to live in, the kind of world that Bryn's father would have wanted for his daughter, and the one Bryn so richly deserves. While there is always trouble on the horizon, and room for new stories to be spun from all over the continent, by all the teens who are facing the horror and joys to be found in the 'new world', this book is immensely satisfying.

As others have hinted, the ending is not one most expected, not one that I saw coming, but it is precisely why Elle Casey is such an exceptional writer. You care about her characters, you root for the under-dog, you are horrified - thrilled- overwhelmed - and overjoyed as they all move through their individual journeys. Not everyone has a happy ending, not everyone makes it through the struggle, others are beyond hope, but they are all remarkably real, and you can understand on some level how they became the way they have after the tragedy that has befallen human-kind.

The scenes are fleshed out with the kind of detail that makes them so visually accessible, almost immediately, without being weighed down with too much flowery or filler words. The words have purpose, they move the story along, but there is also so much there to flesh out the story and make it feel real. It falls precisely into that perfect wedge of balance few authors get right. Elle Casey got it right in this novel, and in all the other works I have read from her. You shall not be disappointed.

Fired Up Rating: 5/5 Flames

 

Bottom Line: Highly Recommended. Read the whole series, you will absorb these novels into your soul, and they are fast reads - and they will stay with you. You will wonder what the characters are up to, even when you know that their world is not our world, it is just too real to ignore. Amazing read!

Review: WOOL by Hugh Howley

Purchase Price: $3.99 CDN on Amazon.ca
Wool [Kindle Edition]

Genre: Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic Fiction, Mystery

Book Description: This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside.

Review:
WOOL is a meticulously crafted world that will wrap you up and carry you along, sometimes against your will, to the dark places in human history yet to come.

Hugh Howley's WOOL is a magnificent piece of writing, steeped in mystery and hidden corners, the depths of the human psyche and the desire we all have to understand the world we find ourselves in, to look for meaning where we find it lacking. Written in a series of five novellas, now united in a heavy tome, both literally and figuratively, Howley's New York Times Bestselling Novel is now available in paperback format.

We start off with with the end of Holston's story, and the beginning of the mystery of the Silo in which he lives and works with a thousand other souls. We are given to understand this Silo is underground, and a carefully constructed environment, self-sustaining, after an unexplained 'uprising' that forced these last surviving humans underground, away from the toxic air above. Holston's wife was sent out to 'Clean' the Silo's sensors nearly three year's earlier after seemingly going mad, with talk about something that doesn't make sense, a mystery that is driving her in dizzy circles. After years without her, Holston himself makes a decision to join her outside the Silo, to become a Cleaner himself, leaving his position as Sheriff of the Silo now open to another applicant.

While we consider the mystery of Holston's choice, we find ourselves on a trek down into the depths of the Silo, as part two of WOOL looks for the individual to fill shoes. We meet the Mayor and the Deputy of the Silo, as they make the long trek down through the levels of the Silo, floors upon floors below, to meet with the candidate they have selected to become the next Sherrif. Juliette, or Jules as she is known, a worker in the Mechanical section of the 'Down Deep' is the pegged applicant of choice, but she is an individual that becomes the catalyst to a number of events and discoveries that change everything for the people of her Silo.

The mysteries begin to weave together, thick and tangled, as the momentum of WOOL picks up and carries you to a most shocking ending. Nothing ends as you would have hoped in this stark and unforgiving world crafting with masterful skill by Hugh Howley. How could it, when everything is a lie, and the truth is more dangerous than anyone could have expected. Somehow, the ending is even more satisfying than one could imagine, and yet leaves so many unanswered questions. There is so much to offer in this carefully crafted world, and even more left to the imagination. You can see the story winding and weaving in so many possible directions, and yet it doesn't leave you unsatisfied in the end, just wanted more, as all good books should.

This is a novel that is worth the time to tuck in to, and will make you think about issues affecting all of us, in our own lives, right now. It is not preachy, nor blaming, but provocative and engaging, and it will have you winding up and down the stairwells of arguments in your mind, over and over. Is this a bleak prediction of a post-apocalyptic future? Is this a warning about the things that separate us from our neighbors, and prevents us from engaging with those we could gain so much from? Is it a exercise in studying human nature, and our tendency to seek out sanity from chaos? It is all of these things and so much more.

While I make this novel sound like some grand study of the human mind, make no mistake. WOOL is meant to be read by fans of science fiction, or post-apocalyptic genre fiction, in it's purest form. It is an enjoyable and fascinating read, but if you wish to go deeper, and if your mind tends to that kind of analysis, you won't be disappointed on either count.

Fired Up Rating: 5/5 Flames

 

Bottom Line: I highly recommend this novel to those who love a good mystery, a thoroughly new science-fiction world, or a post-apocalyptic adventure. There is drama, action, true horror, and at times the most gentle of loving gestures when you might least expect them. There is something wonderful about WOOL that will make is last longer than it's 500+ pages, it will hit you somewhere deep in your sense of being human and fragile, and as human, ultimately capable of both wonderful of terrible things. It is an experience not to be missed.

**This review of WOOL by Hugh Howley is based upon a copy received through Goodreads First Reads. Although the book was received as a review copy, the opinions expressed are my own and are in no way influenced by either Goodreads, the publisher, or the author of the novel.**

Review: Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala

Purchase Price: $13.99 CDN on Amazon.ca
Wave [Kindle Edition]

Genre: Personal Memoir, Natural Disasters, Biography, Auto-Biography, Loss, Grief, Trauma, Contemporary Non-Fiction

Book Description: On the morning of December 26, 2004, on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, Sonali Deraniyagala lost her parents, her husband, and her two young sons in the tsunami she miraculously survived.

**This Review May Contain Some Spoilers**

There is nothing more human than the ability to empathize with another human being. There is nothing more frightening than the unknown. And there is no singular fear that is as universal as the fear of losing control. Wave is a memoir of one woman's utter decimation by a singular moment of what was previously unknown, and at the same time, utterly beyond her control. Sonali Deraniyagala opens up her soul and shares something so raw, so real, so heartrendingly personal, you will never forget it.

How many people had ever even heard of a Tsunami of the magnitude that struck on Boxing Day in 2004. For someone to be battered and tossed about like a rag-doll in the churning waves, to have family ripped from your hands and never be seen again, to have so many people all as lost and broken as you are, all at the same time, it is like hundreds of 9/11s happening all at once, and no one is to blame. There is no face to that kind of destruction, no terrorists, no country, who do you blame?

Sonali Deraniyagala's story is raw and painful and tragic, and I am quite certain that is the case for everyone who experienced the Tsunami of Boxing Day 2004. How do you wrap your brain around something that has destroyed your entire world in just mere minutes of a freak happening, something no one could have imagined or prepared for, something that had previously no widely understood context in the modern world. I was not even half way in to Sonali's story and at that point I could never begin to imagine how she survived that day, let alone the months and years that followed.

If you have read stories of personal loss and tragedy before, if you feel that you know pain, I can only say that this is unlike anything I have read or experienced myself. There is a true discernible difference to this kind of tragic loss, this kind of previously unknown trauma. We grow up learning about the dangers in the world around us, we learn about car accidents, water safety, stranger danger, and fires. Before Boxing Day 2004, no one truly knew the dangers of a Wave, not on this scale. Drowning was a singular experience, or maybe something that happened in a boating accident, not something that happened on a mass scale of natural violence and immense unfathomable loss.

There are many stories of earth-shattering loss available in the form of memoirs or historical accounts, but we have heard relatively little in the way of first-hand accounts from the December 2004 Tsunami, and I think that speaks to the sheer horror experienced by the survivors, their inability or unwillingness to relive those desperate moments, hours, days, weeks... we have heard stories from some of the travelers and vacationers caught up in the Wave, but compile that with the number of locals in Sri Lanka,Thailand, and other affected areas. Many who could tell of the horrors of that day may not be literate, they may have never recovered, or may not even consider this something to be spoken of, how do you put into words something that changed everything you thought you knew or understood in one horrific and violent freak happening. You will cry, you will question, you will be beaten raw by the pain in this one woman's account of her personal hell.

Fired Up Rating: 4.5/5 Flames

Bottom Line:  This book is very different, and it is not in a sensational way, it is in the absolute totality of Sonali's loss, and how unreal the entire event must have seemed, even to those who survived it. How does one put it into words? Somehow, Sonali found her way to the place where she could, and I think that her sharing a glimpse into the hell her world became can only make us feel more human, more fragile, more connected, and more alone all at once. A must-read for students of life, loss, and those seeking an understanding of the multiple ways in which the brain processes grief.

** This review is based on a preview copy of Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala, received through Goodreads First Reads. The opinions expressed in this review are mine alone and have not been influenced in any way by the publisher or author.**

Review: New World Order by Elle Casey

Purchase Price: $4.96 CDN on Amazon.ca
War of the Fae: Book 4 (New World Order) [Kindle Edition]

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Fiction, Fantasy, Series, Epic, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Teen, Action Adventure

**This Review Contains Some Spoilers** 

In this fourth, and I believe final, book in the War of the Fae series, we are reunited with all of our favorite friends from the previous three novels in this epic story. Picking up where things left off in Darkness & Light, Elle Casey gives us more of this wonderfully crafted fantasy. Don't despair that the story is about to come to an end, however, there is plenty more of Jayne Sparks Blackthorn and her friends in the Clash of the Otherworlds saga, which immediately picks up where the War of the Fae series leaves off. But before we get there, we are taken on yet another amazing ride courtesy of Casey.

We begin with beloved character Jayne's attempt to recover from a shocking battle with the the Dark Fae, who launched an attack on the Light Fae compound. Jayne's inability to control her elemental powers of Earth and Water has left her in the dark, quite literally, and she must depend upon her friends to help her find her way. Her friend Becky, a Water Sprite, is missing. Her protector Chase is still seemingly aligned with the enemy, and now there is evidence that things back in the human world are not well.

Jayne and her best friend Tony, who is now a changeling as well, find some disturbing messages coming from home, and must decide how to deal with this threat to their families back home in Florida.  With war on the horizon, there is risk in any decision, and Jayne can sense that there is something very wrong with these calls to return home.

Jayne also is battling with her own heart, finally realizing that she has very strong feelings for one person in particular, and the one person she might have no chance at a future with. We finally see the softer side of Jayne, the tough facade eroded to reveal a girl very much trying to find her place in the world and someone to love.

There is just too much greatness in this novel for me to spoil with hints in this post. If you have been following my previous reviews, you will know that there is so much going on, I couldn't possibly give away all of it. But this time, I want you to discover it all on your own. This fourth and final novel in the War of the Fae series is endlessly satisfying, but will leave you with the most shocking turn of events imaginable. It is heartrendingly good reading, and you will find yourself teary eyed when all is said and done.

While I have always felt these books are most appropriate for Young Adults and Adult readers, I want to stress that they are as much accessible to male readers and to female readers.  These are not even remotely like some Paranormal Young Adult novels with a female protagonist that seem to revolve around love and heart break, these books are about action, war, friendship, and finding out who you are truly meant to be. There is cussing, and some romance, but it is all very PG and not at all the center of the story, so don't hesitate to grab up this series as the perfect gift for your Teen or Young Adult readers.

Fired Up Rating: 5/5 Flames

Bottom Line:  If you have been reading the previous books in the War of the Fae series, or plan too, you can be confident that this novel is as good if not better than its predecessors. Elle Casey's writing is almost impossible to put down, and satisfies the reader endlessly. You will be happy to know that this story, while culminating in this fourth novel in the War of the Fae series, is thankfully continued in the next series of books by Elle Casey, Clash of the Otherworlds.

Review: Darkness & Light by Elle Casey

Purchase Price: $4.96 CDN on Amazon.ca
War of the Fae: Book 3 (Darkness & Light) [Kindle Edition]

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Fiction, Fantasy, Series, Epic, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Teen, Action Adventure

**This Review Contains Some Spoilers** 

The one thing I can always count on from author Elle Casey, is her uncanny ability to hook a reader into a story or series, and tie them relentlessly into the journey of not only the main protagonist, but also all supporting characters, both good and not so nice. The War of the Fae series is perhaps one of the best examples of this magical connection with her readers. Casey has created a whole world of characters that you very quickly care very much about.

The third book in the War of the Fae series, Darkness & Light, answers many of the questions left hanging by it's predecessor, Call To Arms, and kicks the story into high gear with a lot more action and drama than you can see coming.

We again find main protagonist, Jayne Sparks Blackthorn, adjusting to her life as a "Changeling", learning to move from the human world to her new Fae world. The power she is capable of calling up to her manipulation, known as "The Green", or Earth, is now linked to another element that she can wield, Water.

But all that power is not always an easy thing to manage. Jayne again finds herself stumbling in the dark with no guide as to how she can control these huge elemental forces of Earth and Water. But being in the possession of great power also leaves Jayne vulnerable to those who would wish to use her as a means to accomplish dark and mysterious ends. Jayne's natural streak of rebellion and independence puts her in harms way too often.

Now re-connected with her dearest friend Tony, Jayne finally feels as if things will begin to settle down. She could not have been more mistaken.  The impending war between the Light Fae and the Dark Fae means that no-one can rest, and no one is safe.

Jayne's mischievous friend Tim the Pixie accidentally doses her personal body guard and Daemon protector, Chase, with his pixie dust, and Chase turns into a bubbly giggling mess. In an attempt to get help for Chase, and hide her mistakes, Jayne finds herself turning him over to the care of the Dark Fae. When Jayne goes looking for an update on poor Chase's condition, she herself gets taken hostage.

This third book in the War of the Fae series was by far the most action packed and surprising thus far. Jayne is one of the most compelling characters in modern fiction, equal parts rebellious teenager, warmhearted friend, and accident prone klutz.  I also must add the one thing that makes her absolutely hysterical to read about, her almost constant use of the F-word, with almost Tourette Syndrome like ejaculations of cuss words at the most unbelievable moments.

As with the two previous novels in the War of the Fae series, I found the writing to be nearly flawless. Casey's ability to describe some very unusual and unique circumstances in a way that makes them immediately accessible to the reader is nothing short of brilliant. The level of sexuality in these novels is very tame, hugs and kisses thrown in here and there, but nothing that any parent would have reason to be concerned about. The language, while colorful, especially where Jayne is concerned, only adds to her charm, and is not beyond a level that most teens would be exposed to in the presence of their peers.

Fired Up Rating: 5/5 Flames

Bottom Line:  You will not be disappointed for a moment by continuing to read on in the War of the Fae series, and both Young Adults and Adults alike will be chomping at the bit for more of this fantastic story. It really helps if you have read the first two books in the series, as it definitely helps to set up the world paradigm that Elle Casey has constructed for her characters to inhabit. This is a series you can be assured is worth reading over and over again, there is just so much to love about it.

Review: Nalah and the Pink Tiger by Anne Sawyer-Aitch

Purchase Price: $11.86 USD on amazon.com
Nalah and the Pink Tiger [Paperback]
Not Yet Released On amazon.ca

Note: I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. This is not a paid review, my comments and opinions are mine alone, they are honest impressions, and have not been influenced by the Author or Publisher.

Genre: Children's Books, Children's Literature, Children's Fiction, Illustrated Children's Books

**This Review Contains Some Spoilers** 

Nalah and the Pink Tiger is a lovely first published story book from the very talented Anne Sawyer-Aitch. The story introduces us to the fabulously imaginative young Nalah, who lives in a world of her imagination, where brightly coloured and precocious animals inhabit the rooms of her family home. She has grouchy Mouse living in her sock drawer, a poetic Pig in her bathroom sink, and an Emu that lives in the dining room chandelier.

All these animals are quite silly, and Nalah interacts with them as if they are really with her. On a special visit to the Zoo, Nalah meets a Pink Tiger and her imagination once again goes into overdrive and the Tiger's silly antics follow her home.

I think that for a first Children's book, Nalah and the Pink Tiger is very special indeed. The most charming thing about the book are the illustration, also done by Sawyer-Aitch. I love that the process of creating these magical illustrations is explained in the back of the book. As an artsy crafty person myself, I can appreciate the immense amount of work that each colour filled page must have required.

While reading the book with my nephew, who is seven years old, he was a little confused at the order of the lines in the story. They do appear in different spots around the page, some being plot points, other parts being side dialogue between Nalah and her animals. But he was able to read the book with a fair pace for a Second Grader who only speaks English half of the day at school. Some words were new to him, like "puce", and we had fun looking that up in the dictionary together. He considers himself an artist, as his mother is a graphic artist and I dabble in all media, including Papier-mâché and Acrylic Painting, and he has been doing his own 'Art' since he was a wee bitty fellow. He really liked looking at all the details and the special effects in the images on every page, and that was a nice thing to start a discussion about making books, and how the process might work.

Fired Up Rating: 4/5 Flames

Bottom Line (By My 7 Year Old Nephew): "I think this is a nice book for girls, and also kids that may like animals."

Bottom Line: My feeling is that this book is very special, it is obviously a labor of love by the author, you can see it on every page. Every child should be encouraged to use their imagination. I think that the only issue is what my nephew, and I admit, I myself, found tricky, which is the changing font sizes and the scattered layout of the text bubbles. That is something that can be easily overlooked, and I would recommend this book as a lovely gift for imaginative and artsy children and their parents to share together.

Review: Call To Arms by Elle Casey

Purchase Price: $4.99 CDN on Amazon.ca
War of the Fae: Book 2 (Call To Arms) [Kindle Edition]

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Fiction, Fantasy, Series, Epic, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Teen, Action Adventure

**This Review Contains Some Spoilers** 

I anxiously dove into this second book in the War of The Fae series, Call To Arms had a lot of 'splaining' to do after all of the cliff-hanging questions left in place after reading the first book in series by Elle Casey. Where The Changelings left off, Call To Arms picks up and runs with at a fantastic pace. We again find our protagonist Jayne, now adjusting to the world of the Light Fae, with more questions than answers, and as we know, Jayne is not the sort of girl to let that situation sit for very long.

Jayne is reunited with her new friends from The Changelings, now all trying to adjust to their new Fae realities. Chase seems to be taking it all in stride as Jayne's Daemon protector, he is the strong silent type after all. Becky, the ever perky, is now a Water Sprite. Finn is a natural Green Elf, a protector of the forest, and good with a bow and arrow. Spike, Jayne's perma-crush, would of course be a Incubus, with a smoldering passion at all times.  As they all learn what their new changeling identities entail, there are a lot of laughs and a lot of funny moments.

Jayne manages to make new friends as well, including some that most of the adult Fae in the compound can't even believe. Jayne has a really magnetic personality, and is so easy to love through all her faults. Yes she still cusses up a wee storm in this novel, but not as much as in the first. It is just part of who Jayne is, and her crass and straight from the hip honesty is what makes her so awesome as a lead character.

Jayne also manages to whammy a few of the other Fae with her growing powers, and still has very little idea what she is and will be capable of, she is such a rare Fae species. The times when Jayne uses her powers are really fascinating, as she begins to understand how dangerous she can be, and how seductive her connection with 'The Green' is.

But throughout the chapters, we see Jayne's biggest struggle is her fractured connection to her best friend from back home, Tony. When Tony chose to go home and not become Fae, Jayne was distraught but understanding, his life at home wasn't that bad, he liked what he had. The more she tries to reach out to Tony, the farther away he seems to get, and the sudden appearance of a new 'friend' that is changing everything about Tony is even more of concern. Tony is pulling away from Jayne, and praising this new friend just a little to much for comfort. Jayne's natural suspicion kicks into overdrive.

What happens next pushes Jayne into action. Jayne must act to save her friend Tony from being a pawn in a much bigger game. Can Jayne get through to Tony or is it too late?

The War of the Fae series just keeps getting better and better, the characters are more developed and Jayne is really coming into her power, literally and figuratively. Young adults will love this series, but so will anyone who loves fantasy books, and even though there is some swearing, there is no overt sexuality, so it is more than appropriate for teens of all ages.

Fired Up Rating: 5/5 Flames

Bottom Line: Another amazing story crafted by the very talented Elle Casey. If you have read the first in the series, "The Changelings", you will be equally delighted with this follow-up. It answers many of the questions asked in the first book, but poses many more. I have to say, I haven't found a book by Elle Casey that I didn't love, and this is one for your permanent library of favorites.

Review: The Changelings by Elle Casey

Purchase Price: $0.99 CDN on Amazon.ca
War of the Fae: Book 1 (The Changelings)[Kindle Edition]

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Fiction, Fantasy, Series, Epic, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Teen, Action Adventure

**This Review Contains Some Small Spoilers** 

I had very high expectations when I started to read The Changelings by Elle Casey, and I am very happy to say that they were more then met, they were exceeded. In this first book in Elle Casey's War of the Fae Series, we meet some fantastic characters and watch as they embark on a fantastic and frightening journey.

Jayne Sparks is not like most people, at all, in the best possible way. She is bored with school, she is a social outcast, and she has a running dialogue with herself that borders on hysterical. Her colorful language [yes, there is lots of cussing in this book] is not merely added to make the character seem hip or cool, it is precisely what you would expect to hear from this feisty and unique teen. Jayne is a bit pushy, and has even commandeered a best friend in the form of sweet but socially inept Tony. Though she makes sure she isn't bullying him or making him feel bad, she gets her hooks into him, pronouncing him her best friend, and they eventually find that exact relationship.

Jayne comes from a rather fractured family, as so many kids do these days. Her parents are divorced, she is an only child living with her mother and her mother's latest boyfriend, and that is where the problem starts. Her mother's boyfriend places Jayne into the worst possible situation, and Tony, meek and geeky as he may be, tells Jayne she cannot go home, he will not let her. The two run away, with no clear destination, and no money, and that is the start of a a wild and twisting series of events that come to define Jayne's true destiny.

Fresh off the bus, quite literally, Jayne and Tony are taken in by a boy called Jared. Living in an abandoned warehouse with a group of other runaways, Jayne and Tony soon find themselves in need of money. When an opportunity to participate in a 'study' presents itself, along with a chance at a $500.00 paycheck, all the runaways decide to see if they can qualify as participants. But things are somehow never as easy as they seem. Jayne, suspicious by nature, is hyper-aware of the strange circumstances around her, and things quickly go from bad to worse for the group.

Jayne must use her keen intuition, her judgement of character, and her sense of right and wrong to guide her through an action packed journey that seems to get stranger by the second.

I found Jayne to be a really wonderful and funny protagonist, and so strong, even in the face of danger. Her loyalty to others makes her so much more than her tough exterior would indicate. You can't help but love this girl. I was literally laughing out loud at a lot of the dialogue, Elle Casey seems so in tune with exactly what teenagers are thinking and saying, they absolutely come to life off the pages. Typical to any Elle Casey novel, this one ends with a giant cliff hanger, so you had best have your next book in the series ready at hand, you will not be able to rest until you know what happens next.

This book is perfect for Young Adults, and in fact any Adult who enjoys some good, fast moving, and hilarious paranormal fiction - with a side of romantic crushes for good measure. The language may be more then some parents might approve of, Jayne freely admits that the F-word is her favorite, but it works with the character and the story, and I don't think that any child who has heard the language before will suddenly be corrupted just by reading it in this context, it is more humorous than offensive. I wouldn't hesitate to give this book to my 15 year old niece in a heartbeat, and she is not a potty mouthed kid, she just understands the difference between swearing for the sake of shock value, and swearing when you are in a crazy situation where you think you might not survive, there is a difference in my mind.

Fired Up Rating: 5/5 Flames

Bottom Line: Put this on your MUST READ list, and trust me when I say that you will fall in love with Jayne, her friends, this series of books, and especially with the writing of the very talented Elle Casey. She never fails to wow me with her wit, her rich characters, and her ability to find a way to leave you begging for more at the end of each chapter.

Review: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Purchase Price - $32.59 CDN on Amazon.ca
Uglies: Uglies; Pretties; Specials; Extras; [4 Paperback Box Set]


Genre: Young Adult, Post-Apocalyptic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Action Adventure

**This Review Contains Some Spoilers**

I was drawn to this title, and in fact the whole series, by several reviews I had read online, but also because I have been on a bit of a Post-Apocalyptic bent of late. I am always on the lookout for good Young Adult titles that I can share with my 15 year old niece. I was intrigues by the tag line;

"A world where everyone's ugly. And then they're not."

So instead of buying the individual titles, this four volume set was actually less expensive, and more suitable for sharing with my young friends, I decided to get all four novels in one snap. I started off with no preconceived notions of the novel, and dove in eagerly.

The first thing I noted was that there is a lot of 'slang' in this novel, terminology that is unique to the time and place it is set in, and rather difficult to tease out the full meanings of at first. We are introduced to almost 16 year-old Tally Youngblood, our main protagonist, who is left behind in 'Uglyville' while all her friends have turned 16, and have moved across the river to 'New Pretty Town', where they have undergone extensive surgical procedures to be what is known as Pretty.  These include what those familiar with genetics will recognize as the hallmarks of beauty through evolution of man, starting with facial symmetry, and including the traits that make other humans want to take care of them, including many of the features of newborns, such as large eyes, full lips, rounded cheeks, and a sort of childlike innocence. I did happily note that there is a definite emphasis not just on facial beauty, but also healthy body weight as being the ideal, no one is allowed to be too skinny, as stories of old warned of crazy people who starved themselves until they were sick.

The entire society that Tally lives within is geared towards these Pretties, they are indulged in a life of idleness, allowed to party endlessly and drink to excess, participate in 'safe' monitored risk taking, and allowed to customize their wardrobes and even facial and body traits over and over again like living dolls.  This is prized as the ultimate ideal outcome for any 'Littlie', or child, and all the schooling they receive is geared towards seeing past human societies as wasteful, dangerous, and violent. It seems being Pretty is the solution to all the problems of mankind's past.

Tally is anxious to become Pretty, but is lonely and isolated without her former friends. This is where she meets 'Shay' another almost 16 year-old, who in fact shares her same birthday, and is similarly the last of her group awaiting the surgery. A friendship quickly evolves, and the girls spend their final weeks playing what are known as 'Tricks', basically finding ways to break the rules, play practical jokes, and leave the secure confines of Uglyville in search of adventures.  As their birthdays near, Shay suddenly drops a bomb in Tally, telling her she is not going to become Pretty, she will instead run away and look for a group of people living outside this well crafted futuristic society. Shay doesn't think being Pretty is what it is cracked up to be, and so she disappears, leaving scant directions to her new home with the bewildered and shocked Tally.

Tally is ready for her surgery, making it all the way to the hospital waiting room, when suddenly the tables are turned. A group of sharp featured and slick Pretties, known as 'Special Circumstances' or 'Specials', tell her she must lead them to her friend 'Shay' who is in danger.  If Tally refuses, she will be an Ugly forever. Tally is left having to decide between a life of social isolation, or going after her friend and trying to save them both.

I think the concept of the book is brilliant, and actually have to give Westerfeld proper credit, he has gone to the extreme with what we are seeing happening all too often, the pursuit of physical beauty over intellectual acumen or even kindness. Westerfeld has placed the reader in a future world that has managed to control the expectations of an entire society by using a single turning point, a surgery, to mark their acceptance into a larger community. I think that there are ample hints in the book that also point to the destruction of the environment, war, and bioengineering as certain evils that have brought about an almost total decimation of the human population, and the need to control those who are left by instituting new technology, new rules, and a system of protections.

On the other hand, the book is difficult to get into at first, as all the new made-up slang and technological terminology of this future world make reading it rather like climbing a steep cliff in the dark. There is no lexicon, no list of terminology, that could help us navigate, and often terms have more than one meaning, adding yet another layer to the confusion. There is also a fair bit of cultural frame of reference when looking at the basic language as well, Scott Westerfeld originates from the US, but also spends a lot of time in Australia, and there is a set of slang terminology that might be difficult to access for teens in the Canada in particular. I had never really heard the term 'SpagBol' before, but later discovered it is a common abbreviated term for Spaghetti Bolognese, used often in the UK as well.

While I myself found a number of good topics for discussion in the novel, my niece informed me that she just couldn't get into this book. Though I find Tally to be a strong lead character, who develops nicely over the arc of the book, she is at first is rather difficult to warm to.  I did enjoy the story, and looking back I can say that I am glad I persevered, but the payoff comes towards the end of the novel, The pace of the book varies greatly from beginning to end, and almost seems to stop short by the final pages, which of course makes it perfect for a 4 book series, although somewhat frustrating on it's own.

There is no sexually explicit content or language, and no cussing in this novel, so I would say it is suitable for younger teens, but you need to know your reader. As I have said, the unique slang in the novel makes it somewhat difficult to immerse oneself in satisfactorily.

Fired Up Rating: 2.5 / 5 Flames

Bottom Line: While this book is a satisfying start to the series, it is not a book that stands alone entirely well. I would not generally recommend this book for very young adults, it might lead to more frustration at first and they might not wish to continue with it, which would be a shame.  As it is a full priced stand-alone novel, it is a rather expensive gamble in my humble opinion.

Note: Future Review of Box Set Planned.

When Reading Is Your Favorite Escape

When I was a little girl, I was very lucky indeed to have a mother that was not only an excellent primary school teacher, but an excellent story teller. When my mother would read to us, as she did each and every night as far back as I can remember, she would weave magic with her voice, giving it character, clearly bringing wonderful images into my mind of new places, new faces, and wonderful adventures by the dozens. My mother had a talent for story telling, and I think each of us, her four children (now all adults), have inherited the same gift.

But it isn't just the way my mother read to us, or even the books she read that made the experience so special. What my mother really did, through reading to us, was inspire a lifelong love of books. I have often given her full credit for my success as a student. I went on from high-school to college (first studying Culinary Arts, and then Nursing), and then went further, getting my Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing, and then finding my way to a Master's Degree Program.

I don't consider myself a particularly fast reader, I am not someone who can flip pages at warp speeds and pull in words with only the merest flick of a glance, but I am a very comprehensive reader.  What I mean by that is that my reading comprehension is absolutely crystalline, I read something once, and not only do I understand exactly what I have read, but I see it in images in my mind.  Beyond that, I have a gift for memory of things read, I rarely forget something I have read, and even though I may read it again for the pleasure of it, often gleaning even more depth and meaning from the words on a second glance, I remember reading it, I can recall my initial impression of the information, and it comes fully to mind once again.

So as far back as I can remember, I have been reading to myself. What started with my three siblings and myself piled on a bed, hovering around my mother, trying to see the pages, has turned into a lifelong skill and passion.  Each night my mother would rotate "rooms", we each had our turn, on our own bed. With my siblings in tow, we would have our turn to select the one or two books to be read that night. We owned a lot of books, and got many more from the local library, many were read till they were almost threadbare, or the literary equivalent, and we all had our favorites.  We were all four of us born within a 5 year period, so the closeness in our ages meant even books intended for younger children were still wonderful to have read to us.  But as I got older, and my mother would move room to room, tucking us all in with a kiss goodnight, I started to bring my own pile of books back to my bedside table and begin to read to myself once all my siblings were in bed. I loved my Little Golden Books, award winning classic stories like Stone Soup, or culturally diverse classics like Strega Nona and Piggy Bank Gonzales [still a huge hit with everyone].

The first 'big girl' books I remember falling in love with included such classics as The Velveteen Rabbit and Charlotte's Web. There was a brilliant series called "The Value Of", which included the true life tales of some of the most famous people in history, such as Helen Keller, Harriet Tubman, and Louis Pasteur; with their stories of perseverance, curiosity, and kindness so inspiring. Classics like those by Roald Dahl and The Wind In The Willows were always stacked on my bedside table, ready to go. Once I felt I was too old to be read to, I graduated to reading the entire Judy Blume library, a series of rather silly teenage romance-type books, and then on to some Stephen King classics and Science Fiction greats. I read The Hobbit, The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, and moved on to find a love of Fantasy like the books of Anne McCaffrey.

The point of this revelation is to say that parents have perhaps the most important and most enduring effect on their children's perception of books and reading. A parent can actually impart a very important legacy of not only a love of reading, but the doors that reading can open up in a child's life in terms of education and future career prospects.  It isn't just a matter of entertaining your child, or settling them down to sleep at night, it is teaching them to think, to create images and whole worlds in their minds, to allow them to access anything that they are interested in, and to know the joy of understanding and belonging to a broader community of readers. Reading is a pleasure, it is a skill that never leaves you, and it can be something that you can share with others and connect to people through.

So why blog about books? Because I read, a lot, and I wanted to share my fabulous book finds with others, as well as help parents decide on the kinds of book they want to introduce to their children, their 'tweens and young adults, and the books that are going to change the way you can dialogue with your children or the children in your life.  For my part, I have 3 nieces and one nephew, aged from 7 years to 15 years old, and I want to make sure that they are exposed to reading and to good quality books that we can share and discuss together. I know that when I share my thoughts about many of the Young Adult books I have read with my eldest niece, we have really meaningful discussions about life issues that would never come up without the shared experience of reading books. I feel I know who she is better than I would have otherwise, and that we together have developed a new understanding of each other beyond just an aunt and niece relationship. We are kindred spirits, and we have our own little private book club where no answer is wrong, no observation is laughed at, and no question is forbidden. It is a glorious thing.

My blog will largely focus on eBooks, since my Kindle is my new best friend and constant companion, but will also focus on some hard copy books and any review copies I receive.  The best thing about the eBook boom, something I will be talking about in future posts, is that it has provided many Indie (Independent) Authors a near equal footing in the marketplace, alongside well publicized and widely published authors.  It is really exciting to see what is coming from the Indie scene, and it takes a bit of experience to know where quality Indie books can be found and how to select these books.  Books available on eReaders are also reviving many Classics, novels that have survived the years necessary to be available at a relatively minimal cost, and take up no room on your shelves. Going back to the classic books that have stood the test of time is a wonderful way to familiarize yourself with your e-reader and build a library of titles to read quickly. No matter what type of eReader you use, the books are common to almost all of them, and therefore the reviews and commentary here will be relevant to all forms.

Welcome to My Favorite Escape.