Review: Read Between the Lines

You’ve Got Mail is one of my favourite classic rom coms. A lot of that has to do with how bookish it is but also because Nora Ephron was a genius. When I heard Read Between the Lines was a kind of sort of retelling of the movie, I had to read it. And, happily, Rachel Lacey’s novel gave me all the same feels that the movie did.

Here’s the book’s description:

Books are Rosie Taft’s life. And ever since she took over her mother’s beloved Manhattan bookstore, they’ve become her home too. The only thing missing is her own real-life romance like the ones she loves to read about, and Rosie has an idea of who she might like to sweep her off her feet. She’s struck up a flirty online friendship with lesbian romance author Brie, and what could be more romantic than falling in love with her favorite author?
Jane Breslin works hard to keep her professional and personal lives neatly separated. By day, she works for the family property development business. By night, she puts her steamier side on paper under her pen name: Brie. Jane hasn’t had much luck with her own love life, but her online connection with a loyal reader makes Jane wonder if she could be the one.
When Rosie learns that her bookstore’s lease has been terminated by Jane’s family’s business, romance moves to the back burner. Even though they’re at odds, there’s no denying the sparks that fly every time they’re together. When their online identities are revealed, will Jane be able to write her way to a happy ending, or is Rosie’s heart a closed book?

This book was a winner for me because of the homage it paid to You’ve Got Mail. Simple as that. Well – maybe not quite that simple. I enjoyed Lacey’s storytelling as well and definitely think the story could have suffered if a less talented author had tried to tackle it. There were small changes to the novel that I really liked. Instead of an online chatroom, the women “met” on Twitter. And Jane isn’t the owner of a big box bookstore but she is involved in the book world because she’s an author. And – get this – Rosie’s dog’s name was Brinkley! Too. Good.

I do have to say that I absolutely hated the third act break up. I knew it was coming and I was just so annoyed that it had to happen. I could tell the women had a lot of stuff they had to work out before they could really commit to a relationship together, but I think I would have appreciated them actually taking the time to work on it instead of creating more unnecessary drama. Given this is a romance novel, I didn’t dock my rating, but it irked me enough that I felt I should mention it. It’s something to keep in mind for mood readers like me who might not be into a cliched break up and Happily Ever After right at the end of a story.

Jane and Rosie had their differences, but they worked so very well together as a couple. They clearly cared about each other – even as their professional lives were at major odds – and, as a reader, you couldn’t help but be drawn to them, just as they were drawn to each other.

And I, like Jane, was also totally drawn to Rosie’s group of friends. Which is a good thing because there’s another book out in this series that features Lia and Grace, Rosie’s two best friends. No Rings Attached sounds absolutely delightful.

Read Between the Lines was such a fun rom com. Rachel Lacey will be an author I keep an eye on and I’ll have to read some of her backlist, too!

*A copy of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, Thomas Allen & Son, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: Hana Khan Carries On

It should come as no surprise that I was incredibly excited for Uzma Jalaluddin's sophomore novel, Hana Khan Carries On. I absolutely adored her debut, Ayesha at Last. Her second novel was as entertaining and engaging as her first (if not more so) and I fell head over heels in love with it.

Here's the synopsis:

Sales are slow at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighbourhood. Hana waitresses there part time, but what she really wants is to tell stories on the radio. If she can just outshine her fellow intern at the city radio station, she may have a chance at landing a job. In the meantime, Hana pours her thoughts and dreams into a podcast, where she forms a lively relationship with one of her listeners. But soon she’ll need all the support she can get: a new competing restaurant, a more upscale halal place, is about to open in the Golden Crescent, threatening Three Sisters.
When her mysterious aunt and her teenage cousin arrive from India for a surprise visit, they draw Hana into a long-buried family secret. A hate-motivated attack on their neighbourhood complicates the situation further, as does Hana’s growing attraction for Aydin, the young owner of the rival restaurant—who might not be a complete stranger after all.
As life on the Golden Crescent unravels, Hana must learn to use her voice, draw on the strength of her community and decide what her future should be.

Just as Ayesha at Last put a Muslim spin on Pride and Prejudice, Jalaluddin took another beloved romance story as inspiration: Hana Khan Carries On pays homage to You've Got Mail, one of my (and many, many others) favourite rom com movies. When I first heard that, I was even more excited to read this novel. The story is not an exact remake of the famous Nora Ephron movie. Jalaluddin has taken the movie's plot and created a novel that is both familiar and wholly unique - which I absolutely adored. Because of the comparison, I had an idea of how the romance in the novel would play out but that's OK. If you're a You've Got Mail fan too, rest assured you will be left with the same fuzzy feelings when you finish this novel as you have when you rewatch the movie. It's that good.

I appreciated that the story was told just from Hana's perspective (though sometimes I wish I could have gotten Aydin-as-Tom-Hanks type scenes) as I think I find I like rom coms more when it's just from the one character's perspective. Aydin was important to the story and I liked him (and disliked him) right alongside Hana. But I didn't need his POV. I was happy Jalaluddin focused on Hana and her career and relationships with her family. Those elements of the story were so strong and made the novel so much richer and better than it would have been had there been a trade off of perspectives.

Canadian readers will appreciate that this novel is set firmly in Canada. More specifically, Toronto. Even more specifically, Scarborough. I'm not far from Toronto (I can wave to the skyline from the other side of Lake Ontario) but I don't venture there often. I was delighted, however, when Hana, Aydin, and her cousin, Rashid (oh what a delight he was) went downtown for some sightseeing and to catch a Blue Jays game. I'd like to know exactly where they were sitting in the dome though as Hana said she was comfortable and I would never call those blue plastic seats comfortable (then again, I'm 10" taller than Hana so that could have something to do with it). I digress. I also delighted in the mention of Kawartha Lakes ice cream and the spelling of words with Us. Little things like that can make a reading experience so much more enjoyable to us Canadians.

Which leads me to this...I, a Canadian just like Hana, appreciated seeing my home country represented in mainstream media. I am privileged that this is my biggest issue. I consume so many books and TV shows and movies that are set in New York City or Anywhere, USA instead of Canada because it's assumed the market isn't ready for Canadian content. But...I am white. I see my skin colour on screens and read it in books All. The. Time. If I'm that happy to see my country in a published book, imagine how those feel who never read about characters who look like them. Who don't have the opportunity to say, hey - she has a leopard print hijab just like me! I'm simplifying this, I know, and I don't want to make light as I think the impact that stories like Jalauddin's have is so large. Jalaluddin didn't write her novels to teach white people like me more about her culture but that is a side effect I'm so thankful for. 

There were moments during the novel where Hana encounters racism and a hate crime. As I was reading the book, North America was reeling from the murder of eight women, six of  whom were Asian women. It was a racially motivated killing spree in Atlanta and one that shouldn't go unnoticed. What Hana, her cousin, and Aydin experience didn't result in a death, but it doesn't mean it's any less serious. It felt serious to me - maybe because of the recent news. And yes, my friends, this does happen in Canada. We have a boatload of issues with racially motivated hate and oppression that we really need to work on. And part of that work is making sure novels like Hana Khan Carries On are published and, for my fellow white people, embracing the discomfort you might feel as you read and realize you have a lot more work to do with your anti-racist behaviour. 

I know that was a super heavy take on a novel that has a fun and gorgeous cover and is marketed as a rom com. But I think rom com readers these days are looking for these kinds of stories. I know I am. I want stories about women who are real and focus on their lives, all of it, not just their Happily Ever After. I want substance and a love story. I want more stories like Hana Khan Carries On. 

The characters in this novel will burrow their way into your hearts (except for Aydin's father who you will absolutely despise even as he got a bit too cartoon villain-y). You will feel like you're a part of the Golden Crescent neighbourhood right alongside Hana and her friends and family. The feeling of community Jalaluddin is able to capture is wonderful. 

Hana Khan Carries On will be a favourite of 2021. Uzma Jalaluddin's latest novel will delight readers who want a story that will make them laugh, swoon, and reflect. Read this book. You won't be disappointed.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Remembering Nora Ephron

“Reading is everything. Reading makes me feel like I've accomplished something, learned something, become a better person. Reading makes me smarter. Reading gives me something to talk about later on. Reading is the unbelievably healthy way my attention deficit disorder medicates itself. Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it's a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it's a way of making contact with someone else's imagination after a day that's all too real. Reading is grist. Reading is bliss.”  

- Nora Ephron I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being a Woman

The movie world lost a great woman this week. Nora Ephron passed away Tuesday night after battling leukaemia. You may not recognize the name but you'll recognize some of the amazing movies she was a part of - When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, Julie & Julia, Bewitched, and more. She was a writer, a producer, and a director.

I had made plans to watch as many chick flicks as I could this week (my boyfriend was away on vacation and I decided to claim the TV for my own). Once I heard that Nora Ephron was gravely ill my Tuesday night movie choice was made for me - You've Got Mail. Sadly, the news of Ms. Ephron passing came through before the final credits rolled. I then decided every other movie I watched this week would be some of Ephron's finest.

You've Got Mail is my favourite Nora Ephron movie. I think it has to do with the bookishness of it :) I've worked for a chain bookstore before and I didn't think it was evil but there's just something about the "shops around the corner" that really appeal to my bookish nature. 

Wednesday was all about When Harry Met Sally. Who doesn't love that movie? I live in a townhouse and we all have sliding glass doors and depending on the volume of the television we can hear what our neighbours are watching. Imagine my slight embarrassment after I thought about this after the famous diner scene! Ah well. The neighbours can think what they want! hehe. There's something about this movie that's just so awesome. Maybe it's the idea that things will always work out in the end. That the love of your life could be staring you in the face for years but you both need time to get to the same place. Who knows. What makes you love this movie?

I'll have what she's having.

Thursday night led me to my last Ephron film (that I own) -  Julie and Julia. While it's not one of my favourite movies, I adore Meryl Streep. I love the idea of the movie and how it combined two different stories in a wonderful way. And can I just ask - when am I going to get my book deal from this blog? :) But seriously, the screenplay is great.

I must admit that I haven't read any of her books - and she has many! I plan to change this soon as I have heard lovely things about them and her writing. I'm not sure where I'll start. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Which Nora Ephron movie is your favourite? How will you remember this amazing woman?

Rest in peace Nora. We will miss you.