Blog Tour: Spun

It's no secret that I adore Catherine McKenzie's novels. So when I heard that she was writing a sequel to her first novel I was super excited. It's been awhile since I've read Spin but I remember enjoying it and I was looking forward to seeing what It Girl Amber was up to now. In the novella Spun, we get an update on Amber's life post-rehab, just as things are getting really out of control. I really enjoyed this one!

Here's the synopsis:

In this funny and touching novella, bestselling author Catherine McKenzie returns to the story of Amber Sheppard, It Girl and celebrity train wreck from her reader-favourite novel Spin. Life has been rough for starlet Amber since leaving rehab. She’s been two years sober, but no one seems to believe her – not the gossip media, not casting agents, and most certainly not her spotlight-loving parents. With her friendships ruined by betrayal and her career at a standstill, Amber’s just trying to get her life back on track. It doesn’t help that her former love, movie star Connor Parks, keeps trying to draw Amber back in, not just to their relationship but to his hard partying ways. One fateful night, Amber breaks down and agrees to join him on board his private jet as it readies for takeoff – a decision that will change her life forever and expose her to a whole new level of scrutiny and heartbreak.

The only negative thing I have to say doesn't even have anything to do with the book itself. It's been over three years since I've read Spin so I couldn't remember every detail of Amber's story. I don't think that actually really matters, I was just frustrated at myself for not remembering everything. I wish I had had the time to reread Spin before I dove into Spun. You don't really even have to have read the first book to understand this one but I think it increases the enjoyment of it. If you've read Spin and are lookin forward to reading Spun, I'd suggest rereading the novel before tackling the novella. It'll be worth it!

Spun is really short - it has just 142 pages - so it's a really quick read. Part of me wishes it had been longer (because who wouldn't want an enjoyable book to be longer?) but I can also appreciate that Amber's story was best told in a novella format. I was a little worried at first because I wasn't sure how all of Amber's problems would be dealt with and resolved by the end. And, truthfully, not everything is wrapped up in a neat little bow. I like how McKenzie ended things...you're happy with the resolution but it's not perfect because how could things be perfect after what happened? (Nope, not going to tell you what happens.)

I liked how Spun was written. I think it had a bit of a different feel than McKenzie's other books...maybe because Amber is the youngest heroine she's ever written. She's 25 in this book (er, I think?) and because McKenzie's last few main characters have been older, it's a bit of a change in the way the story is told and how it feels. It's not a bad thing, don't get me wrong, it was just different. If I had to try to explain how the story is told I think I'd say that it's sort of like a stream of consciousness. The story bops around but not in a confusing way. It's realistic - the way you would be telling a story to a friend. That's the best way I can describe it!

I also liked more of an insight into Amber's life and what it might be like to be famous. For her, at least, it's no fun. The paparazzi are vultures and it's hard to get your life back on track when your every move is being analyzed. And, for me at least, you can't help but root for Amber. I really loved her in this book and was happy with how she was doing and where she was going by the end of the story.

I don't know if I did Spun justice. I almost always feel like that when I review Catherine McKenzie's books. I just love her and her novels so much that all I want to do is say READ THIS :) But, since I can't do that, I will say: McKenzie has written another fabulous novel (honestly, guys, her writing is just amazing) and Spun has a great balance of serious and funny and I couldn't get enough. I'm ready for her next novel already! If you'd like to read what others thought of Spun, check out The Savvy Reader site. And, if you haven't read Spin (tsk tsk tsk), enter this giveaway! a Rafflecopter giveaway

*A copy of this novel was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.*

Awesome Contest Announcement!

Hi friends!

If you've been reading my blog for awhile you know that I LOVE Catherine McKenzie's novels. No idea what books I'm talking about? Read my reviews of Spin, Arranged, and Forgotten to catch up.

Forgotten is going to be released in the US coming up on October 16th so in honour of that, Catherine's publishers William Morrow and HarperCollins Canada have dropped the price of the ebook for Arranged and are also holding a fabulous giveaway.

All of the info can be found on the note that is on Catherine's author page. Click here to be taken to it and to comment and share the note (they count as entries!).

Here are the ways you can win:

• Comment on the note on her Facebook page (see above) – 1 entry
• Update your Facebook status (e.g. 'Arranged is $1.99 for a week. Awesome!') – 2 entries
• Share this note on Facebook - 2 entries
• Tweet about it – 2 entries
• Grab the tile ad (the image in this note) and put it on your website  – 3 entries
• Write a blog post about the price drop and contest – 5 entries
• NB -- add a comment on this post with a link to your shares to get those extra entries!
• AND FINALLY: Email proof of purchase of the e-book of ARRANGED to catherinemckenzieauthor@gmail.com - 10 entries

What can you win?: One of FIVE signed copies of FORGOTTEN

What else can you win?: If ARRANGED breaks the top 100 on Kindle or Nook or Kobo you can win a signed set of all three books + a $50 giftcard to the bookseller of your choice. And if we break the top 10, there may be more awesome prizes.

Not bad, right?

I strongly encourage you to go buy Spin, Arranged, and Forgotten (for those of you in Canada). My favourite is Arranged. My copy is currently with my mom to read on her upcoming cruise!

Where can you buy these wonderful books? Good question.

US Buy Links:
Amazon
Nook
iBookstore
Kobo 

Canadian Buy Links:
Amazon
Kobo (only $2.99!!)
iBookstore

(PS If for some reason those links decide to be stupid and not work, hop on over to Catherine's note and copy and paste the links from there)

I hope all of this has convinced you to give at least one of her books a try. Have you already read Catherine's novels? I'd love to hear what you think of them!

For now, I wish you all luck (but not too much luck since I want to win too ;) hehe) and happy reading!

Just Finished: Forgotten

Catherine McKenzie is one of my favourite authors - she gets bonus points for being Canadian - so I was very excited when I learned she would be publishing a new book this spring. Forgotten (published May 1) is McKenzie's third novel (I've reviewed her first two on this blog, Spin is here and Arranged is here and both made it on my top books I read in 2011) and I was lucky enough to snag a review copy from NetGalley.

Here's the synopsis for her new release:

When everyone thinks you’re dead, how do you start your life over again?
Emma Tupper, a young lawyer with a bright future, sets out on a journey after her mother’s death: to Africa, a place her mother always wanted to visit. But her mother’s dying gift has unexpected consequences. Emma falls ill during the trip and is just recovering when a massive earthquake hits, turning her one-month vacation into a six-month ordeal.
When Emma returns home, she’s shocked to find that her friends and colleagues believed she was dead, that her apartment has been rented to a stranger and that her life has gone on without her. Can Emma pick up where she left off? Should she? As Emma struggles to recreate her old life, everyone around her thinks she should change – her job, her relationships, and even herself. But does she really want to sacrifice everything she’s working so hard to gain?

It's quite the interesting premise, isn't it? I can't know exactly what Emma was feeling during this insane/tumultuous/stressful time but because of the way McKenzie writes I was better able to imagine it. I did think that Emma was crazy because she assumed she could just plop herself back into her old life without any issues whatsoever but I didn't think she needed to change something about her life, as many others believed she should. If you like your life, why should you bother changing things just because you've gone through a traumatic event? Makes sense to me. It was tough to read when Emma realized that things were not going to be as easy as she hoped. It's a brutal situation but she handles it well and I was so happy with the way things turned out for her.

Even though this book deals with some pretty serious issues there are still some light and humorous moments. For example, there is a scene that involves Emma wishing she could use the Marauder's Map incantation from Harry Potter. This would be most hilarious to Harry Potter lovers but even those who don't know which spell I mean can appreciate the humour in an adult female lawyer wishing she was able to use the same magic as teenage boy wizard.

I don't want to give anything away (and, ok, I didn't make specific notes) but I just want to say - I love love love the New Year's Eve scene. It's sweet, fun, and a little heartbreaking all at once.

I adored Emma's best friend Stephanie. The two were childhood best friends who continued to grow closer as they got older. Stephanie has been with Emma through it all and is able to provide a family-type link when Emma is left alone after her mother's death. She knows just when to push Emma and when to leave her on her own, and is always there for her. In short, she's an amazing best friend - and a well written character. In fact, I would love to learn more about Stephanie and find out what she's up to now. At the end of Forgotten she's launching a new business that I think would be quite entertaining. What do you think, Catherine - care to write a sequel that focuses on Stephanie? :)

I could probably continue gushing about this novel but I won't. Instead I will say: I cannot recommend Catherine McKenzie's books enough. If you want to check them out and wonder what order you should read them in, I would personally suggest starting with Spin, moving on to Forgotten, and finishing up with Arranged. By then, I would hope that you'll be just like me - already eagerly awaiting her next novel.

Happy reading :)

September Chick Lit Review: Arranged

Ever read a book that you almost didn't want to finish because you didn't want it to be over but you desperately needed to find out what happened to the characters? Arranged by Catherine McKenzie was one of those books for me. I did not want to put it down! As much as I wanted to know what happened at the end of the story, I also didn't want it to be over because I wanted to stay engrossed Anne's life.

Want to know what this amazing book is about? Well, no need to wait any longer - here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Anne Blythe has a great life: a good job, good friends, and a potential book deal for her first novel. When it comes to finding someone to share it with, however, she just can't seem to get it right.

After yet another relationship ends, Anne comes across a business card for what she thinks is a dating service, and she pockets it just in case. When her best friend, Sarah, announces she's engaged, Anne can't help feeling envious. On an impulse, she decides to give the service a try because maybe she could use a little assistance in finding the right man. But Anne soon discovers the company isn't a dating service; it's an exclusive, and pricey, arranged marriage service. She initially rejects the idea, but the more she thinks about it-and the company's success rate-the more it appeals to her. After all, arranged marriages are the norm for millions of women around the world, so why wouldn't it work for her?

A few months later, Anne is travelling to a Mexican resort, where in one short weekend she will meet and marry Jack. And against all odds, it seems to be working out-until Anne learns that Jack, and the company that arranged their marriage, are not what they seem at all.

 Wondering why the name Catherine McKenzie sounds familiar? Regular readers of my blog (and I love you guys!) will know that I read her first novel Spin awhile back (read my review here!) and absolutely loved it. I had actually picked up Arranged while I was in Chapters before I read Spin but didn't buy it. Once I got Spin from the library and devoured it I went right out and purchased Arranged. I'm so glad that I did.



Oh, Anne with an E. I love you.

 First of all, I LOVE that the main character's name was Anne Shirley Blythe. Yes. Named for that Anne Shirley. Anne of Green Gables was one of my favourites growing up and I know I'm not alone. Many Canadian girls grew up reading about this innocent red headed orphan. Highly recommended! Anyway, it was a little extra something in the novel that I just couldn't not mention. :)

Staying with Anne - I loved her. I think she was an amazing character and McKenzie made sure that the reader really got a sense of what Anne was like. She's a much more "with it" character than Katie in Spin but she still had some, shall we say, flaws that she had to work on throughout the course of the novel.

Anne also had a great cast of supporting characters - her best friend Sarah, boss/editor/friend William, brother Gilbert (yes, Gilbert Blythe), and sister-in-law Cathy. The only thing I'd say is that there were perhaps too many secondary characters and I didn't get a real sense of any of them. However, they were all there for Anne and that's quite important.

The story itself seems a little crazy but it really isn't. You just don't hear about arranged marriages very often anymore. I'm actually very curious as to how McKenzie came up with this idea. It's just such an interesting topic that I found myself wondering how many people have arranged marriages these days.

As for Jack? Loved him too. He really does seem like a perfect match for Anne but a good story can't be, well, good without some twists and turns. McKenzie delivers and makes you wonder how everything's going to turn out. The chemistry between Jack and Anne is just sexy enough and pretty realistic. Granted, I don't know what it would be like to jet off to Mexico to marry a man without ever meeting him before, but, hey, anything can happen on "vacation" :)

Finally, one other tidbit about this book that I loved - after a catastrophic revelation Anne is watching a marathon of Gilmore Girls on tv. As it turns out, Anne and I have the same favourite Gilmore Girls episode! It's the episode when Luke and Lorelai finally kiss for the first time (though the episode before that, Liz's wedding, is also a fave episode). I just thought it was pretty neat that we loved the same episode. Kinda geeky, I know. But I'm ok with that!
Exciting side note: While checking out Catherine's website I discovered that she has a third novel, Forgotten, coming out sometime...well, sometime. SO EXCITED! :) You can bet that I'll be reading it as soon as I can get my hot little hands on it.

Any readers from the States concerned that they can't get a copy of this easily? Not to worry! You can buy Arranged for Kindle (ok, it won't let me link which is SUPER annoying but go to Amazon.com, search for the book and it's there. Unless it's lying to me. I'm sorry if that's the case) AND Spin, Arranged, and the forthcoming Forgotten will all be published by HarperCollins in the US next year. Canadian friends, on the other hand, have no excuses. Buy Arranged and Spin right now. Read and enjoy. You won't be disappointed!

Happy reading :)

Just Finished: "Spin"

Good evening on this snowy March day! Yes. Snow in March. Welcome to Canada! This particular morning was pretty brutal as it took almost 20 extra minutes to get to work, no fun. So, I am now relaxing and watching Morning Glory.

I also have to tell you all about this book I just finished the other night. If you follow me on Twitter (@KaleyS23 if you don't!) you'll know that I stayed up MUCH too late the other night finishing a book...Spin was that book. The book came out in December of 2009 and it was one of those books I would always see on the shelves and think about getting. I was at the library last weekend and happened upon it when wandering through the stacks, so I thought...why not?

Here's the synopsis from Chapters:

Katie Sandford has just gotten an interview at her favourite music magazine, The Line. It's the chance of a lifetime. So what does she do? Goes out to celebrate -- and shows up still drunk at the interview. No surprise, she doesn't get the job, but the folks at The Line think she might be perfect for another assignment for their sister gossip rag. All Katie has to do is follow It Girl Amber Sheppard into rehab. If she can get the inside scoop (and complete the 30-day program without getting kicked out), they'll reconsider her for the job at The Line.
Katie takes the job. But things get complicated when real friendships develop, a cute celebrity handler named Henry gets involved, and Katie begins to realize she may be in rehab for a reason. Katie has to make a decision -- is publishing the article worth everything she has to lose?

To be honest, I didn't have high hopes for this book. A 30 year old boozer who clearly doesn't realize how much her drinking is completely and utterly screwing up her life? It could have gone so wrong...however, I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, it was annoying that she didn't realize that she was quickly becoming an alcoholic but she had one of those fantastic literary "journeys" while following Amber into rehab.

As I mentioned, this book was written by a Canadian author. That was one of the things that I really loved. What kind of surprised me, though, was the fact that there wasn't any mention of any Canadian cities or icons or anything. The major city Katie lived in was called The City. And the little town where she went to rehab wasn't mentioned either. The fun thing is that I think I kind of figured out where the novel took place. How? you ask? Well, let me explain. Even though the author is from Montreal I thought that the novel likely took place in Ontario (it's the province I live in so I feel like I can say this...it's where everything seems to be set in Canadian literature, movies, and television shows. It's probably all Americans think there is in our country!) There was also something else that tipped me off. When Katie goes off to rehab she mentions that it is in a teeny tiny town near where she grew up. She says that her hometown is near a Santa's Village and my first thought was Bracebridge! Of course rehab would be in Muskoka. Wouldn't you want to get cleaned up while looking at a view like this:

That's what I thought.

To summarize the above ramblings...I loved that the author is Canadian but wish the novel had had more Canadian aspects to it. Maybe that's unreasonable, but I think that we, as Canadians, need to celebrate our culture and not make our stories so ambiguous that they could be taking place in the US. Thoughts?

Overall, I definitely recommend this book. The characters are great, the writing is well done, and the story has just enough little twists and turns to make it interesting without being a rehab roller coaster. Not only all of that, but this was a debut novel! Fantastic. I am going to have to look into finding Arranged, McKenzie's second novel. I actually almost bought it a few weeks ago when it was on sale and am now wishing I did. I'll find it and let you all know how it is!

Well, the movie is over and I'm not sure how much I absorbed...what does that say about the movie? Or me? Not sure, but I do know that it is time for bed. Night all!