Review: Shopaholic to the Stars

Everyone's favourite shopaholic is back! Yes, Sophie Kinsella has written a new Becky Bloomwood novel. Shopaholic to the Stars was released yesterday, October 21st. It's been a long few years since Kinsella's last Shopaholic book and I found myself wondering if I would still like these books after all of this time. Verdict? Wellllll...I didn't love this one. But I didn't hate it either.

Here's the synopsis:

Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) has stars in her eyes. She and her daughter, Minnie, have joined husband Luke in LA—city of herbal smoothies, multimillion-dollar yoga retreats, and the lure of celebrity. Luke is there to help manage the career of famous actress Sage Seymour—and Becky is convinced she is destined to be Sage’s personal stylist, and go from there to every A-list celebrity in Hollywood! But things become complicated when Becky joins the team of Sage’s archrival. How will charming and supportive Luke deal with this conflict? Is it possible that what Becky wants most will end up hurting those she loves most? Shopaholic fans old and new will devour Sophie Kinsella’s newest adventure!

I know it seems wrong for a self-professed chick lit lover to say that she didn't love a book by one of the great chick lit authors. But, there it is. My problem is Becky. She does the same (stupid) things over and over again and never seems to learn from her mistakes. I can handle Kinsella's standalone novels, where the characters are usually doing that same thing, because it's not a series. How has Becky not figured out that she shouldn't spend a ton of money on useless things in SEVEN books?!? I was worried with the last book, Mini Shopaholic, as I was getting more annoyed than usual with Becky and it seems that carried over to this book. Sigh. 

The other thing that bothered me about this book was the ending. I won't give any specific spoilers but be warned that this book ends with a cliffhanger. A CLIFFHANGER. In a chick lit book! I don't think I've ever really encountered that. The whole reason I put up with Becky's silliness is because, in the end, she figures out her mistakes and all is well. She does have that epiphany in this book but there's a secondary plot line that isn't concluded at the end. And, I admit, that frustrated the hell out of me. This could very well be a very personal thing but I think it's something readers need to be aware of.

Those who adore the Shopaholic series will still like this one. It is a fun book. I especially liked that Suze and her family went to LA to stay with Becky, Luke, and Minnie. I always enjoy reading about best friends and Becky and Suze are great chick lit besties. I also quite liked the storyline surrounding Sage and her archrival (I don't want to give a name because I don't want to give it away!). It was fun and dramatic (without being series) - and involved fashion! Always a good component of a Shopaholic book.

So, overall, I was kind of bummed with Shopaholic to the Stars. I wanted to love Sophie Kinsella's latest novel. I really did. I'm just not feeling the series anymore and I wonder why it really needs to continue. I'll probably keep reading Kinsella's standalone novels but I don't know if I'll really want to revisit Becky's world. Tell me...what do you think of the Shopaholic series? Will you read Becky's latest adventure?

*An ARC was provided by the publisher, Random House of Canada, in exchange for review consideration.*

Event Recap: S.E.C.R.E.T Shared Lunch

I was so excited to be invited to the Random House of Canada lunch to celebrate L. Marie Adeline's new novel S.E.C.R.E.T. Shared (it was released on the 15th and my review is here). I liked S.E.C.R.E.T. and was looking forward to the second book so of course I wanted to attend the event! I got an early copy and read the book the weekend before the event. I ended up really liking it so I was doubly glad I had decided to go to this event!

The table set up with swag bags * Lunch menu * Tasty dessert

It was a small group but that made the lunch so much better. We were able to chat with everyone with ease. Along with the author, Lisa Gabriele, there was the crew from Random House (Cass and Lindsey from the Online Marketing department, publicist Adria, and editor Nita) and eight bloggers (including myself). It was so great to be surrounded by intelligent and entertaining women. We had quite the conversation that ranged from the books we were reading (of course) to Miley Cyrus (who else?) to social media (we're all a little addicted).

If you follow Lisa/L. Marie Adeline on social media, you have probably seen that there was a woman selling her own S.E.C.R.E.T. inspired bracelets on Etsy (this is her shop link as she's sold out of the bracelets). Lisa passed hers around and also had one to give away! Wanda was the lucky winner. Isn't the bracelet pretty?

We had some delicious food to go along with the excellent conversation. They wanted to give us something New Orleans inspired so we had jumbalaya, following soup or salad and followed by an incredibly tasty cake (see the pic above!). 

I'm so glad I made the trip into the city (for the second time in one week! Madness!) because the lunch was so much fun. It was great to see the ladies from Random House again and to see and meet fellow bloggers. And, of course, it was amazing to be able to meet and chat with author Lisa Gabriele. She's awesome! 

Have you read S.E.C.R.E.T. or S.E.C.R.E.T. Shared yet? If you haven't and want a new erotica series to read, check them out! I cannot wait for the third book!

Reading Bingo: The Night Circus

I'm slowly but surely moving along on my Reading Bingo card. I've been meaning to read The Night Circus for forever. I had no excuses, really. I knew it was great. I had even won a signed copy and it was sitting on my shelf, just waiting for me to make time for it. It seemed like everyone but me had already read Erin Morgenstern's novel and I decided I would finally set aside some time to read it. Boy, am I glad I did. This is such a terrific book.

Here's the synopsis:

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead. 

As soon as I started reading this I could see why everyone was raving about it when it was released a few years ago. It was fantastically magical, deliciously twisted, and so odd in a completely understandable way. When I was reading it I knew that it was made up but I still thought, "Of course these illusions could be real. Why wouldn't they be?" Like all fantasy books you have to allow yourself to believe that these things could actually be happening and once you do that you can really enjoy the book.

I really liked how the story was told. There was present day where you, the reader, are visiting the circus yourself. Then there's what I was calling the past-past which starts at the beginning of the challenge (roughly) and moves forward from there. Finally, there was the past that starts with Bailey's story. As the novel went on I was really looking forward to what would happen when the two pasts converged because I knew that would be when I would get most (if not all) of the answers I desperately needed.

I definitely recommend reading this book in one sitting if you can manage it. If not, reserve it for a weekend. I needed to read a book that was a little different after reading two very similar books back to back. This book won for the "little different" aspect and I read the majority of it on my commute to my internship. This, I learned, was a mistake. The Night Circus needs to be savoured and thoroughly enjoyed and that needs to be done on the couch with a mug of tea, not on a packed commuter train!

Overall, I loved The Night Circus. Erin Morgenstern's debut novel is fabulous and I highly recommend it. You need to like those books that are a little different, a little fantastical, to really enjoy this so if that's your thing, make sure you read this one. You won't be disappointed!

I'm now all caught up on my Bingo reviews but I have a couple already set for other squares (Canadian and would have read as a teenager are two of them) so stay tuned for more reviews in the next month or so!

Reading Bingo: Life After Life

My goodness. What can I say about Kate Atkinson's latest book, Life After Life? Well, it was excellent. It was also a bit confusing. In a good way. I finished this a week ago and I'm still not entirely sure what happened. And that's kind of awesome.

Here's what this book is about:

What if you had the chance to live your life again and again, until you finally got it right?During a snowstorm in England in 1910, a baby is born and dies before she can take her first breath.
During a snowstorm in England in 1910, the same baby is born and lives to tell the tale.
What if there were second chances? And third chances? In fact an infinite number of chances to live your life? Would you eventually be able to save the world from its own inevitable destiny? And would you even want to?
Life After Life follows Ursula Todd as she lives through the turbulent events of the last century again and again. With wit and compassion, she finds warmth even in life's bleakest moments, and shows an extraordinary ability to evoke the past.

Can you kind of see how it is possible to get confused? Living a life over and over again? I did like that each life was in a different section. For example, every time it went back to the beginning of Ursula's life, the day she was born, the chapter was titled "Snow" and during November 1918, the titles were "Armistice." I probably would have been even more confused had the chapter titles not been used.

I've heard a few people say that they found this book a little difficult to get into and I was no different. In fact, I started it on a Sunday, read a chapter or two and then decided it was a good time for a nap. (This didn't really have a lot to do with the book, I've been extremely sleep deprived lately.) I wasn't intrigued enough to keep with it but once I picked it up again a few days later...oh man. I didn't want to put it down. If you're one of the ones who aren't thrilled with the start of the novel, my advice is: STICK WITH IT. You won't be disappointed. I think what makes it a little slow to start is that she keeps going back to the beginning. It's not until a little later in the book that she really builds up a life (or two, or three). At that point, there were times where I wanted darkness to fall (that's the phrase used when Ursula dies) so we could move on to the next life. It took some getting used to but the reincarnations eventually, sort of, make sense. I think.

Can we just talk about the cover for a moment? I am absolutely in love with the Canadian cover (above.) So much so that I refuse to lend my book to anyone - even though I could easily take the jacket off. And, yes, I kind of want to put it in a place of honour somewhere. Which I do not find weird at all... Not only do I enjoy the Canadian cover more than the American and UK versions, but I just think it makes more sense with the story. The fox is present because the house Ursula grew up in is called Fox Corners. And, even though you can't see it, there's a rabbit on the back which fits in with the rabbits Ursula and her sister have when they're younger.

Left: Cover from the US.           Right: Cover from the UK

Isn't the lovely snow covered scene featuring a fox so much prettier that the above covers? There's only one possible explanation that I could come up with for the roses on the American cover, and it's not really integral to the story. I mean, it's not a bad cover but after seeing the pretty white one, it's hard to love it. Now. The UK cover. Blergh. I think this one's a little too obvious - there's the snow (that I've already mentioned the importance of); the brick wall that, I would guess, represents the bombings in London in WWII; the Roman numerals that, I suppose, represents the repetition of time; and the little girl, who is likely Ursula. Anyway. I'm totally biased since the one with the fox is what I'm used to but it's still my favourite. What do you think?

Even without the various reincarnations of Ursula, this would be an interesting story.You wouldn't get the full impact of what certain things, like WWII, were like without a few of her different lives, but the historical aspect of the novel makes it so much better. This story makes you really think, what if history could have been changed?

I want to note that this isn't really a pretty story, either. There are murders, there are deaths (two World Wars happen throughout the novel), there is abuse. There's one death in particular that I hated reading about as it came up again and again.

If you're looking for a new read that's a little bit different, pick up Life After Life. It's so enjoyable and Kate Atkinson has woven an interesting and thought-provoking novel. If you're a fan of The Time Traveler's Wife, check this one out. I think readers of all genres can find something to like about this novel and I highly recommend it.

As you can see from the title of this post, this was another box marked off for the Random House Reading Bingo. I've read and marked off a few more squares, I just haven't gotten around to writing the reviews yet! If you're taking part in the bingo, how are you doing?

My Life as an Intern

A lot of you knew that I had been doing an internship for the past twelve weeks. This came about because of the publishing courses I'm taking online through a university in Toronto. I had been thinking for awhile that I wanted to see what the publishing world was all about and I finally decided that it was now or never, applied for a few internships, got hired at Random House (more freaking out about that to come), quit my job, and prepared for the most ridiculous commute ever. 

I had my last day last Friday and, as I write this on Monday night, it still hasn't really sunk in that I'm done. For the last twelve weeks I was working at Random House of Canada. RANDOM HOUSE, PEOPLE! This is a publishing house that even non-obsessive readers recognize. They're a big deal. And I got to work there for twelve weeks. Amazing. 

The RHC imprint sign in the lobby

I had a lot to think about before deciding to do an internship. It wasn't just a matter of quitting my job and working for a ridiculously small amount of money. No, it was quitting my job to work for a small amount of money while spending more than that small amount of money to travel two hours to the internship. I had to drive 45 minutes to catch the train, spend 50 minutes on the train, and then walk 10 minutes to the office. I'm sure I was known around the office as the Insane Intern. Oh, and to get to work on time I had to make sure I was up at 5:30 am. Thank goodness for the Gilmore Girls reruns airing at 5 am. No surprise, I was absolutely exhausted at the end of my internship. Just completely wiped out. But I'm glad I did it. Even if I don't remember what it's like to be fully rested.

So what did my internship involve? A lot of mailing. The bulk of my days were spent sending books to professional reviewers (newspapers, magazines, radio stations). Sometimes they were ARCs, sometimes they were finished books. They could also be cerlox bound manuscripts that my fellow intern and I had to bind. We actually didn't mind binding the odd manuscript because it was oddly relaxing. Except for the 900+ page manuscript the new intern and I had to bind during my last week. I'm pretty sure I'll start twitching when I see that finished book in store!

I also got to help out at a few launches. I admit, I didn't jump at the chance to do as many because I lived so flipping far away. Luckily, the two publicity assistants we were receiving direction from were more than understanding. My first launch was for The Lion Seeker by Kenneth Bonert. I actually got to go to some Indigo stores the day of the launch with the author and one of the assistants so he could sign stock. Very cool. Both that launch and the launch for The Juggler's Children by Carolyn Abraham were held at Ben McNally Books - an awesome indie bookstore in Toronto. These launches consisted of greeting people, pouring wine, and making sure crackers and cheese were always at hand. The third launch I helped out at was for I Am So the Boss of You by Kathy Buckworth and was held at Loblaw's in the old Maple Leaf Gardens. We wore super unattractive uniforms and were on guest list check. BUT I'll always have a soft spot for this night as it was the night I had my first celebrity sighting - David Sutcliffe (aka Christopher from Gilmore Girls) was in the store that night. Very cool.

Stacks of books I had to send to various reviewers

Time to talk about the bookish awesomeness of this internship. I was surrounded by books. Sometimes quite literally (see the above photo)! I felt totally behind sometimes because I was only just learning about some of the spring 2013 books and people were already talking about fall 2013 books. Speaking of talking about books, this was the place to go if you wanted to chat about a book you had read. I did a quick count the other day and I think I took home between 25 and 30 books during my internship. This is not a large number as there was a previous intern who apparently had six boxes of books to cart home when she was done. Of course, I'm not sure where I'm going to put all those books or when I'm going to read them all, but I have them!

The books I was able to take out of the book room on my last day

I mention the book room in the caption in the above picture. That was probably one of the most glorious places in the whole building (though some people had shelves full of books that I would probably hurt someone to get.) Almost all the new releases were kept in the room, organized by publicist. So, if Publicist A  asked me to mail a book to Reviewer B, I would go to A's shelf in the room and pull a book from there.

So, now that I'm all done my internship the big question is...was it worth it? Yes, I think it was. The long days just about killed me and I don't know how my boyfriend was able to put up with me near the end (thank you thank you thank you). But I got to meet SO many people and I really did learn a lot. I think I've discovered that I'm a bit of a passive learner - I learn by watching and doing what I'm asked and I don't always think to ask questions. Note to self: work on asking questions. I definitely didn't want to leave. The people were great and it'll be weird not seeing them every day. Of course, they're used to it. Interns come and go constantly and in all departments, so it was sometimes hard to feel like I totally mattered, you know? At the end of it though, I'm so glad I took a chance. If nothing else, I can now say that I worked at Random House of Canada for 12 weeks. Not many other people can say that.

Last week, a post went up on Retreat by Random House that my fellow intern, Caitie, and I wrote. We each came up with five things we learned as publicity interns. Some of the things I mentioned here are in that article as well, but I hope you'll check out the other points.

Now, you're probably wondering "what's she going to do next?" right? OK, if you weren't, just play along. I was searching for jobs and starting to get a little stressed but as of Monday I am the new intern for Project Bookmark Canada. It's an awesome bookish nonprofit that is putting Canadian literature on the map, literally. They put plaques (bookmarks) in the exact locations where literary scenes take place. Pretty cool, eh? I'm starting with some research this week and then I'll dive right in next week. I'm really excited and can't wait to share what I've learned there. Stay tuned!

Reading Bingo: Winter Wonderland

I picked Winter Wonderland by Belinda Jones for a Reading Bingo square for a very particular reason: its cover. Isn't it lovely?? I won this one from the lovely ladies over at Chick Lit Central (thank you thank you thank you!) and I pretty much only entered because of the pretty cover. Of course, I was interested in the story as well! Happily, the inside of this novel matched the outside. I loved it!

Here’s the synopsis:

Imagine waking up in a snow globe...
That’s how travel journalist Krista feels when she arrives in magical Quebec to report on Canada's glittering Winter Carnival.
Over ten sub-zero days Krista's formerly frozen heart begins to melt as she discovers an enchanting world of ice palaces, husky dog-sledding and maple-syrup treats galore. And then she meets Jacques, a man as handsome and rugged as he is mysterious…
The two share a secret that could bond them forever, but can they find a way to break through the protective layers around their hearts to warm up this winter wonderland?
…let the snow-spangled adventure begin.

One of the other reasons I entered to win a copy of this book (other than the cover) was because it takes place at the Quebec winter carnival. Sometimes it seems like there aren’t any chick lit books set in Canada and I don’t think I've ever read one that takes place somewhere other than…well, Toronto, really. I loved reading about Krista experiencing some very Canadian activities. Some of the things she does had me smiling because they’re just so Canadian that I wouldn't think twice about the fact that someone wouldn't know about them. Some examples: ice skating (I doubt you’d find many adult Canadians who haven’t skated before), learning about Bonhomme (most elementary school kids in the country could tell you who that is), and eating poutine. That was probably the best out of everything she tried. I admit, poutine does sound a little weird – French fries smothered in gravy and cheese curds. But, boy oh boy, is it ever delicious. I was practically yelling at her to try it because I knew she would love it! (Spoiler: she does!)

This book had me laughing out loud right from the beginning. It was actually one of those books that I was almost afraid to read in public because I couldn't contain my giggles. I'm sure my fellow train passengers were wondering what on earth I found so hilarious. I started keeping track of the funny bits but there were just too many!

I'm also a fan of any novel featuring a travel writer. I'm not sure why but I am drawn to those characters and I love reading about them and their travels!

There were so many fabulous characters in this novel. I really liked Krista, of course, but there were some awesome secondary characters as well. Annique, the beautiful tour guide, seems lovely and provided a good girlfriend for Krista while she was in another country. Speaking of girlfriends, Krista's BFF Laurie will be the heroine in an upcoming book, The Traveling Tea Shop, and I'm looking forward to that! Jacques was a great romantic interest - a little mysterious and damaged, but a kind soul is evident. Even with all the characters (there are many more that I did not mention here), it was not confusing and the story flowed well.

I loved Winter Wonderland by Belinda Jones - so much so that I've managed to convince two others to pick this one up, too! This book was just so enjoyable and I can't recommend it enough. This is a particular must read for fellow Canadian chick lit lovers. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to plan my trip to the Winter Carnival for next year since 2013's carnival ended yesterday!

Happy reading :)

Reading Bingo: Room

A few weeks ago I posted about the fun challenge Random House of Canada came up with for this year - reading bingo! (If you missed it, you can check out my post here) I'm going to try to fill in as many boxes as possible before the end of 2013 and I'm happy that I've already marked off one of the boxes this month - a book that is out of my comfort zone. Room by Emma Donoghue was definitely a book that I wouldn't normally pick up. I've heard fabulous things about it and know many people really enjoyed it but I just never planned on reading it because it wasn't something I was drawn to. So why did I read it? Because it was a book club pick. I'm interested to see what the other ladies have to say about it when we meet tonight because I certainly did not have a good time while reading it.

Here's the synopsis:

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.
Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.
Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

I don't think I've ever been so disturbed by a novel before. I finished this book about ten days ago and I still shudder when I think about it. I suppose I can see why it is an award winning novel. It still has me thinking about it and I really felt like I was there with Ma and Jack. But that doesn't mean it was enjoyable for me. Others may like it but it was so not my thing.

I was pretty conflicted about writing a review about this book since I didn't like it. I think I wanted to put my thoughts out there in hopes that others might offer their thoughts in response. This subject matter was just so...horrifying, really. These things actually happen. There are predators out there like Old Nick. It was hard to separate that knowledge from the fiction I was reading and it was very uncomfortable for me.

I just have to bring up how it was written. The whole novel is told from the perspective of Jack. He's quite a bright little guy but reading the story in his words makes it clear how hard it could be to raise a child in such conditions. Ma (so weird that we don't actually know her name) was a real heroine. Thinking about what she had to go through to keep both of them alive and trying to stay with it enough for her son...unbelievable.

In a way I'm glad I got to read Room. I've been hearing about Emma Donoghue's novel for awhile now (it was a huge deal when it was published in 2010) so now I know what all the hype is about. Like I said, I'm sure others may like it and may be able to handle the disturbing plot. I just have no idea who I would be able to recommend it to. Has anyone else read this one? I'd love to know what you thought of this novel.

Here's hoping for a more cheerful pick for the next reading bingo book!

Happy reading :)

This will be filled in by the end of 2013!

Reading Bingo

While scrolling through my Facebook feed this week, I came across a completely fun and awesome reading activity for the new year.

Reading bingo!

Retreat by Random House posted a board that will help you branch out a bit and have (even more) fun while reading. I couldn't help but share this fun idea with all of you. Do you think you'll play along? Check out their post to print out the board.

Thanks for the awesome idea Random House Canada!

I've already started thinking of books that will help me fill the board:

A book that's been on your shelf for more than 5 years
Mansfield Park - Jane Austen or the Narnia series
A book by a Canadian author
Hidden - Catherine McKenzie (released in June!)
A book you (should have) read in high school
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte (I'm surprised that I haven't read this one yet!)
A young adult novel
The Moon and More - Sarah Dessen (pretty much the only YA author I read...released in May!)
A book written by a celebrity
Life - Keith Richards (I recently read Mick Jagger so I want to see what Keith thought about things)
A book "everyone" but you has read
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern (it's been on my shelf for ages and I haven't read it. Shame!)

Do you have any other recommendations for me?

Happy reading...and bingo playing! :)

Recap: Bookstravaganza

This past Tuesday I attended the first ever Bookstravaganza! This excellent bookish event was hosted by Random House of Canada and Chatelaine and was held at the Ritz Carlton in Toronto.

I haven't been able to attend many events like these because I've always been just a little bit too far from Toronto to justify it - about two hours away no matter where I've moved to (and I've lived in a few towns and cities). Since I've decided to start making more of an effort networking-wise with my blog, I decided this would be a really fun event to go to. And I was right!

Me, on the left, and Lindsay

I made plans to meet up with Lindsay (from Turning the Pages) at Union after we both got off our respective GO trains and we made the quick walk over to the Ritz. I had been worrying all day that it was going to pour but the rain held off and we stayed dry, yay!

Admittedly, Lindsay and I were like little kids when we got off the elevator. We were trying to take everything in and we got pretty excited by the sight of the swag bags. Hey, don't try to tell me you don't love free stuff ;) We checked in, got our raffle ticket (I swear the jar was rigged as each of the tickets called weren't even close to ours. Where were the 700-and something tickets?), and said hello to Lindsey from Random House. Being able to meet people, like Lindsey and Lindsay, that I've only interacted with online was definitely one of the highlights of the night.

We made our way further into the lobby and discovered that ladies from Bourjois were there armed with samples of lip gloss. Um, yes please! And this wasn't just any lip gloss. Oh, no. It was lip gloss that adjusts to the wearer's lip colour for a personalised pink!

Crummy quality, sorry. Darn phone. 

Once we were made up, I made sure we made a pit stop at the bar. I could see that there was a special drink made just for this evening called Ms. Chatelaine - and it was delicious! There was also a candy bar which was equally delicious.

We weren't really sure what the event itself would hold so we waited expectantly for the presentation portion of the event to get under way! Various editors for Random House imprints as well as editors for Chatelaine made presentations about new fall books that they've enjoyed. I have to admit, my favourite revelation was learning that Gerry Dee's new book, Teaching: It's Harder Than It Looks, has a chalkboard on the inside covers. A CHALKBOARD!!! Bet you haven't heard of that before.

Random House also debuted six (well done) videos that showcased their new fall books - fiction, mystery, non-fiction, memoir, TV/movie, and lifestyle/food. You can watch all of them on their YouTube channel if you're interested. Authors Annabel Lyon and Shauna Singh Baldwin were present to talk about their new books, The Sweet Girl and The Selector of Souls respectively. I always love hearing authors talk about their work and this evening was no different. There were happy gasps and squeals when we were told that we would all get a copy of each book and would be able to get them signed at the end of the night!

More signed books! 

Alas, the evening had to come to an end at some point. The swag bags were handed out, final goodbyes were said (including a quick hello and goodbye to Michele from Just a Lil' Lost and Brenna from Esther's Ever After), and Lindsay and I made our way back to Union. Another rushed goodbye as I had to run off to catch my train. As I made the trek back home I made the decision to try to and get back to Toronto more often for these kinds of events. We'll see if my wallet approves of that decision... :)

Goodies from the fab swag bag

Olympic Readathon Wrap Up

One of my favourite shots of the London 2012 Closing Ceremonies

Another Olympic Games has come to an end. Sigh.

I admit that I didn't think I was going to become that obsessed with London 2012. I wrote in my initial Readathon post that I wasn't as into the Summer Games as the Winter Olympics - in part because Canada is much better with winter sports. I apparently proved myself wrong as I was in front of my TV every night as soon as I got home from work until 11pm when the primetime coverage ended on CTV. And when I wasn't watching I was constantly on Twitter or the CTV Olympics site so I could be up to the minute when we won a medal. If I was away from all of that, for some reason, one of my closest friends was even more obsessed than I was so she would always let me know if we won something. So, I shouldn't be surprised that I'm feeling a little lost now that the Games are over.

Overall, Canada did alright. I don't think we quite made our goal but we still did ok. As in Beijing, we got 18 medals. This time our athletes won one gold, five silver, and twelve bronze. We may not be at the top of the medal standings but we're still so proud of our athletes. Bear with me as I chat a bit about them...

This is Rosie MacLennan - our golden girl. She won our sole gold medal of the Games for trampoline. Who knew we had stellar trampolinists? (Is that even what they're called?) Our other Canadian competitor, Karen Cockburn, is a veteran and finished just shy of the podium at fourth.

Speaking of fourth place finishes, we had a few of those, too. There were also quite a few fifth place finishes, including a notable fifth in the men's decathalon. Obviously we've got some awesome athletes, they just couldn't quite make it to the podium.

We had a few heartbreaks as well. There were some questionable reffing calls in the women's soccer match against the US and Canada ended up losing. Happily, they came through and beat France to win the bronze medal but it was still hard to watch the women lose a game that they had put their heart and soul into. A few medal favourites failed to make it to the podium. Simon Whitfield, who was our flag bearer in the opening ceremonies, crashed spectacularly in the men's triathlon. Paula Findlay finished last in the women's triathlon with tears streaming down her face and mouthing "I'm sorry." Man, I'm starting to tear up just thinking about it.

My very favourite reaction to winning a medal?

That's a shot of Mark Oldershaw just after he realized he won bronze in the canoe sprint. He's the fifth Oldershaw to compete in the Olympics and the first to win a medal. Doesn't that just warm your heart a little bit?

I could go on and on and on about our medal winners but I'll spare you any more details :) Let's just say that we are all so incredibly proud of our athletes.

Now. To the point of this post! Random House of Canada came up with the brilliant idea to have a readathon during the Games. We were to set a page goal for ourselves and try to get to it by the end of the Olympics. My goal was 1,300 pages and I met that goal by the 7th. It's a good thing too, since I didn't get any reading done over this past weekend (I was playing tourist and visiting friends in Ottawa!). By the end of the Readathon I had read 1,464 pages. Yay! I wanted to try and break 1,500 but sightseeing won out over reading. I had a lot of fun with this and was glad to have the extra motivation to get as much reading done as possible, since I'm so incredibly busy with reviews right now!

To close, I want to congratulate all the athletes on a fantastic showing at these Summer Games. London 2012 was fantastic and I'm so glad I got to take part in a small way (watching constantly on TV counts as participation, right?). Now I will anxiously await Sochi 2014 - but not the time difference...8 hours! - and Rio 2016.

Happy reading everyone!

Olympic Readathon

Random House Canada has decided to hold an epic readathon during the upcoming Olympics. You may have noticed a bit of a lag in reviews lately. That's because I've been reading like a mad fiend preparing for the craziness that's about to hit Books Etc.! I'm looking forward to this readathon because it's going to give me an extra nudge to get all sorts of reading done.

I have to admit that I'm not as excited about these Olympics as I could be. Part of it is because Canada hosted the last Olympics in Vancouver in 2010 so we had great coverage and amazing patriotic awesomeness happening. We lived and breathed the Olympics. Also...let's be real here...Canadians are much better at the sports that involve snow so there aren't as many proud medal moments in the summer Olympics. But...the argument could be made that it's even better when we do win a medal in the summer games because it's so rare. Hmm...bit of research...Wikipedia is telling me that we were 19th in gold medals (3 total) in Beijing and 14th in total medals (we got 18 total). Hey, that's actually not too bad. *checks top medal winning countries* Hm. China won 100 medals (51 gold) and the US won 110 (36 gold). Ahem. Right. Woo, 18 medals! The good news is that we did better in 2008 than in 2004 so fingers crossed this trend continues! Just for comparison, we were number one in 2010 when we hosted the winter games with 14 gold medals and a total of 26 medals. See? We excel in the snow :)

Anyway.

I have a ridiculous amount of books to get through in the next little while so I'm glad to have this extra motivation. I decided on a goal of 1,300 pages during the two weeks. Why 1,300? Everyone else seemed to be settling on 1,000, 1,500, or 2,000 so I went for something a little different. Though, I suppose if I wanted to be really different I could have set a goal of 1,372 pages. Maybe that will be my new goal :) I'm sure I'm going to hit 1,300 easily so it'll be interesting to see what happens. Want to join in? You can sign up here or just follow the fun on Twitter (@RandomHouseCA and #OlympicReadathon...PS I'm @KaleyS23).

Fellow blogger Lindsay at Turning the Pages did an intro post to the readathon the other day (read it here). I liked that she included a list of books she's hoping to finish over the two weeks so I have included a list myself!

- Ripple the Twine - Jenn Flynn-Shon
- A Place in the Country - Elizabeth Adler
- Rum Punch Regrets - Anne Kemp
- Living in Glass Houses - Zoe McKnight

And just because I can, here's a picture of me with John Morris who was on the gold medal men's curling team in 2010. Yes, I am holding a gold medal. They're heavy!

In closing I will say Happy Reading and GO CANADA! :)