Where We Belong: Audio Clip

This post is LONG overdue but I was asked by Macmillan Audio to share an audio clip of Where We Belong, Emily Giffin's latest novel, with all of my lovely readers.

I admit, I'm not a huge audio book fan. This is definitely a personal thing and not anything against the format. I think it's because I don't absorb as much when I'm not reading something myself.

I do, however, think it's awesome that audio books exist. Sometimes it might be the only way people get a chance to "read." I know that if I was going for a ridiculously long road trip on my own I would probably look into buying or borrowing an audio book.

I realllly liked Where We Belong (review is here) so hopefully this post (and the clip) will nudge you procrastinators a little bit. Stop putting off purchasing this book and get to it! :)

Without further ado, you can listen to the clip here.

Recap: Meeting Emily Giffin

That's right my friends. I got to meet Emily Giffin!

I was so excited when I found out she'd be coming to Toronto at the end of August and knew I had to make the trip to see her - no matter what! I'm a couple of hours away so I knew it would require some planning to get there. Luckily, my coworker, who was just as excited about this event as I was, grew up in Toronto and would be able to show my small town self where to go. However...she ended up having to cancel as she had plans for the Labour Day weekend. Hm. Ok, not to worry! I decided to hook up with some of my fellow book bloggers to see if any of them would want to attend. Happy days - two of them wanted to go as well! But THEN...they both ended up having to cancel as well. Seriously?? Is there something wrong with me that no one wants to hang out with me at a super awesome signing?

I'm pretty sure this picture was taken as I was telling Emily that I was there by myself as I got bailed on three times. She felt sorry for me and made sure I got a t-shirt. So, ladies who missed out (who shall remain nameless to protect the not-so-innocent... ;) kidding! love you all!) thank you for making me seem like a huge loser as I got a pretty adorable t-shirt out of it! Also, I babbled like an idiot when I got up to get my books signed. Anyone else experience complete stupideness when faced with someone famous and awesome? Ugh. Mildly embarrassing. Anyway...enough about my pathetic self!

All my goodies - plus a Starbucks treat!

Emily was amazing. Right off the bat she took photos of the crowd which we were to tag ourselves in on Facebook (if you're a fan of her page you can see the pics in her Toronto album). After telling us that she loves coming to Toronto, she spoke for about 20 minutes or so and we got to learn some fun tidbits. The one that stuck out the most for me was that Kirby (the teenager in her latest novel Where We Belong - you can read my review of this one here) has overtaken Darcy from Something Borrowed/Something Blue as her favourite character. She also shared that when her brother-in-law told her that he hated Marian (she's heard that a lot) her sister told him to be quiet. Emily said it was alright as the characters aren't actually real. She also told us that she relates most to Ethan (SOBO/SOBl) and Claudia (Baby Proof). She chatted with us for a bit longer before signing books for the insane number of fans who showed up at Indigo to see her.

My signed books! Could only manage to bring a couple with me :)

Thanks to Twitter, I got to share a wave with Michele from Just a Lil' Lost (check out her recap post here!) and Andrea from Cozy Up with a Good Read as well as a quick chat with Anum from Paper Wings and Ink. Love our book blogging community :)

Even though I went by myself, I'm so glad that I decided to go. Emily's one of my favourite authors and I would have been kicking myself if I didn't go see her while she was in Canada. I'll probably even go see her again the next time she's here so I can get a couple more books signed!

Here I am with the gorgeous Emily Giffin - note how crouched down I am :)
(Yes, the pic's blurry...stupid no flash rule and useless camera)

Just Finished: Where We Belong

If you asked me who my favourite authors were, Emily Giffin would be one of the first to come to mind. It's no surprise that I have been anxiously awaiting her latest novel, Where We Belong. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and I devoured it over a weekend. I. Loved. It.

Here's the synopsis:

Marian Caldwell is a thirty-six year old television producer, living her dream in New York City. With a fulfilling career and satisfying relationship, she has convinced everyone, including herself, that her life is just as she wants it to be. But one night, Marian answers a knock on the door . . . only to find Kirby Rose, an eighteen-year-old girl with a key to a past that Marian thought she had sealed off forever. From the moment Kirby appears on her doorstep, Marian’s perfectly constructed world—and her very identity—will be shaken to its core, resurrecting ghosts and memories of a passionate young love affair that threaten everything that has come to define her. 

For the precocious and determined Kirby, the encounter will spur a process of discovery that ushers her across the threshold of adulthood, forcing her to re-evaluate her family and future in a wise and bittersweet light. As the two women embark on a journey to find the one thing missing in their lives, each will come to recognize that where we belong is often where we least expect to find ourselves—a place that we may have willed ourselves to forget, but that the heart remembers forever.

Have you ever had really high expectations for something and then it just totally lets you down? I was terrified that that was going to happen to me when it came to this novel. That wasn't the case, thank goodness, as I couldn't put this one down. I think I liked that it was a little different than some of Giffin's other works. There wasn't an overt/obvious infidelity storyline that's so prevalent in her other books which was a nice change of pace. Those plots can sometimes be really hard to read (Heart of the Matter anyone? Hoo boy, that was tough).

It was also interesting to read one of her books from the point of view of a teenager. Kirby was the kind of teen that I like reading about because she's smart and mature, even if her parents don't realize it. She's not obsessed with boys and make-up (or sparkling vampires) but she's still a girl and I loved reading her romantic storyline. So sweet! It was really great to see her come into her own and, well, figure out where she belonged.

I was surprised at all the lies that Marian had told throughout her life. I think she was completely justified in the reactions from some people when they found out about Kirby (no - I'm not going to give any of that away!) Also, it almost seemed like she was pretending to be someone else at points. Like she wasn't being true to herself, you know? I don't think she's as cold as you might think and I wonder if her boyfriend had anything to do with the way she was acting or if that's really the way she is. Writing this review I've realized that I couldn't really get a good read on Marian and that could be why Kirby stands out as my favourite character in this book. Hm. Interesting.

I'm desperate for a sequel and I know I'm not alone in that thought. I believe I even read something from Giffin herself saying that she was toying with the idea. Fingers crossed that she lets us know what happens next with Marian and Kirby because the book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger! Even though we are left wondering exactly what's going to happen with all of the characters, I'm happy with how the book ended. I also think I'd like Marian more in the sequel!

Fans of Emily Giffin's other novels will love Where We Belong. I know I'm already waiting for what she comes out with next. And getting super excited to see her on Thursday! That's right - Emily Giffin is coming to Canada (Toronto, to be more specific)! Since I'm not too far from the city, I'm making the trek to see her at Indigo and I am SO EXCITED! I'll share pictures with you all soon :)

Happy reading :)

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the copy to review!