Book Review: Kay's Lucky Coin Variety by Ann Y.K. Choi

When Simon and Schuster Canada asked if I’d like to read and review an advance copy of Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. When they mentioned that it was about a girl growing up in the 80’s, I was interested right away and I knew I’d like this book. (I just dated myself a little there, didn’t I?). 

Here’s the description from the Publisher:

A bittersweet coming-of-age debut novel set in the Korean community in Toronto in the 1980s. 

This haunting coming-of-age story, told through the eyes of a rebellious young girl, vividly captures the struggles of families caught between two cultures in the 1980s. Family secrets, a lost sister, forbidden loves, domestic assaults—Mary discovers as she grows up that life is much more complicated than she had ever imagined. Her secret passion for her English teacher is filled with problems and with the arrival of a promising Korean suitor, Joon-Ho, events escalate in ways that she could never have imagined, catching the entire family in a web of deceit and violence. 

A unique and imaginative debut novel, Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety evocatively portrays the life of a young Korean Canadian girl who will not give up on her dreams or her family. 

Joon-Ho’s perspective on who she wanted to be and how she wanted to be regarded was not something I had ever considered before. She wants so desperately to be thought of as Canadian and “normal” but struggles with her Korean traditions and family expectations. It was difficult enough as a “regular Canadian" teenager trying to navigate life and figure out who I was, but adding this extra layer of inner conflict was very eye-opening to me. So many times in my adult life I have considered what other friends may have been going through when we were teens (family struggles, divorce, ethnic differences), but I was oblivious to it all. This story really shed some light on this topic. 

I also was drawn to all the 80’s references in the book - Cyndi Lauper, Tiger Beat magazine, the fashion - it was so nostalgic and I loved it. I was brought back to those days when I thought life was so complicated and my biggest dilemma was how much hairspray would hold my bangs up for the entire day…. 

Although I did find it to be a fast read, the subject matter is not light in any way. Family conflict, teen mental health issues, forbidden romance and sudden death are all party of the story line and are addressed with honesty and frankness.  

Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety would be enjoyed by anyone that enjoys Young Adult (YA) or general fiction novels, and especially by those who grew up in the 80’s like I did.  

Book Review and Giveaway: The Perfect Summer Read: The Blue by Lucy Clarke

~The Giveaway is now closed~

Back in 2013 I was introduced to Lucy Clarke and her first novel, Swimming at Night, by the Bookalicious Book Club. Since then, I've been her biggest fan. Well, at the very least, her biggest Canadian fan. Not only is Clarke's writing impeccable, but from the chat the book club had with her, her replies to readers and posts on social media, she just seems so down to earth and lovely! I hope she doesn't think I'm nuts because I do follow her closely on social media and often comment. Altough, after I read Lucy's literary love letter to author, Maggie O'Farrell, I felt much better about my own author crush ;).

I've been thinking a lot about what I love so much about Lucy Clarke's books (three in total, all from publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada – Swimming at Night, A Single Breath, and now, The Blue) and I've narrowed it down to a few things.

First, her characters are very real. They are people you might know or encounter in your own life. They are “normal”, likable and I become attached to them as I read. With each of her novels, I haven't wanted the stories to end because I want – no, NEED – to know what happens next in their lives. That's how real the characters become to me.

The second aspect of Lucy Clarke's writing that draws me in is how her stories are so raw with emotion. I truly feel what the characters are going through; I am in the moment with them. All of her books have taken me on an emotional ride, but in a good way. I became invested in each of the novels and went through myriad emotions as the stories unfolded.

Last, but most certainly not least, I love how Clarke is able to transport you to exotic locales through her words. She paints vivid pictures of the surroundings her characters find themselves in and the settings come alive on the pages. As I read, I can picture the beaches, feel the sand between my toes, see the bright colour of the water, taste the salt air, and feel the breeze blowing against my skin. Reading her novels is like taking a trip around the world as Clarke has clearly done her research and writes about places she's been and knows.

All of the above encapsulates what I loved about The Blue – the characters, the emotion, the setting - a feast for the senses. The Blue is about best friends, Lana and Kitty, both of whom decide to leave home for different reasons, in search of freedom and adventure. While traveling in the Philippines, they meet the crew of a yacht, all of whom have a story or secret. Lana and Kitty are invited to join the crew and the tale unfolds from there.

Here's part of the description from publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada:

Lana and her best friend Kitty leave home looking for freedom—and that’s exactly what they find when they are invited onto The Blue, a fifty-foot yacht making its way from the Philippines to New Zealand. The crew is made up of a group of young travellers bitten by wanderlust, and it doesn’t take long for Lana and Kitty’s dream of sea-bound romance to turn into reality.

Both women fall under the hypnotic spell of The Blue, spending their days exploring remote islands and their rum-filled nights relaxing on deck beneath the stars. But when one of their friends disappears overboard after an argument with another crewmember, the dark secrets that brought each of them aboard start to unravel.

This novel is a well-balanced dose of adventure, romance, betrayal and mystery. It kept me guessing and I actually said, 'WHAT?” and “Ohmygod!”, aloud a few times as the mysteries were revealed. I read this book while at a cottage and it was the perfect beach and summer read. Although, The Blue, and all of Lucy Clarke's books, make the perfect anytime read.

Do these books sound like something you'd like to read? You're in luck! Simon & Schuster Canada is going to give one of my readers a copy of each of Lucy Clarke's books! That's right, ALL THREE of her fabulous books! All you have to do is tell me in a comment which book you are most anxious to read – Swimming at Night, A Single Breath or The Blue. Remember to include your email address so that I can contact you if you win!  GOOD LUCK!

--- THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED! ---

Contest closes at midnight on Friday, August 14^th. The draw will be made on Saturday, August 15th using Random.org and the winner will be notified by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email to claim the prize or another winner will be drawn. The odds of winning depend on the number of entries. The winner will be required to answer a skill-testing question to claim their prize. This contest is open to residents of Canada only.

Book Review: Miss Emily by Nuala O'Connor - A Delightful Work of Historical Fiction

Not that long ago, I shied away from reading historical fiction. The genre just didn't appeal to me and I often said that I only like to read books set in the present. This all changed after I devoured two absolutely wonderful novels by Canadian author, Jennifer Robson. My love for the genre was born and I was very happy when Penguin Random House Canada offered me a review copy of Miss Emily. Add in that it was written by an Irish author and one of the main characters is a young Irish girl, new to America, I knew that I would love this book.

Miss Emily is an imagined account of the young adult life of famous American poet, Emily Dickinson. The Dickinson family, a somewhat eclectic bunch, hire 18-year-old Ada Concannon to work in their house as a cook and maid. The novel is told from both Emily's and Ada's perspectives, alternating voices with each chapter. The voice of Emily is prim and proper as you would expect from a young woman who loves words and is born into a highly-esteemed family, while Ada's voice is a bit more down-to-earth and playful. I love novels written this way.

Despite their class differences, Emily and Ada develop a lovely friendship that is so endearing. They share a love of baking and also discover that they share a birthday. The development of this friendship is so delightful that I wanted to read more and I didn't want their story to end.

When crisis falls upon Ada, Emily, who has become a recluse, must face her own fears to help her dear friend. Their friendship is tested and Emily comes to her friend's aid, against her family's wishes. The subject matter of the crisis may be difficult for some, but I felt it was put forth in a respectful and mature manner and was not dwelled upon.

For anyone who loves historical fiction, I recommend picking up Miss Emily for a great summer read. For those new to the genre, this book would be a great introduction. It is not too long, moves at a good pace and has well-developed characters. Having said that, the only fault I could find with this book was that it was not long enough! I look forward to reading more of Nuala O'Connor's books soon.  

Children’s Book Review: Spic-and-Span! Lillian Gilbreth’s Wonder Kitchen by Monica Kulling

Spic-and-Span! Lillian Gilbreth's Wonder Kitchen from Tundra Books 

About the book:
Born into a life of privilege in 1878, Lillian Moller Gilbreth decided she did not want to live a pampered life, and went to university to pursue adventure and challenge.  Later, she and her husband, Frank, became efficiency experts by studying the actions of factory workers. When Frank suddenly died, Lillian was left to raise their eleven children alone. Eventually, she was hired by the Brooklyn Borough Gas Company to improve kitchen design, which was only the beginning.  Lillian Gilbreth was the first woman elected to the National Academy of Engineering, and the first female psychologist to have a U.S. postage stamp issued in her honor. A leading efficiency expert, she was also an industrial engineer, a psychologist, an author, a professor, and an inventor.
 
How I have never heard of this amazing woman is beyond me, because she was absolutely incredible! I know that I, personally, benefit daily from some of her discoveries and inventions!  She was the first to study ergonomics, is the reason kitchens are designed the way they are today and even invented such things as the foot-pedal operated garbage can!  Reading about Lillian and all that she accomplished as a widow with eleven children was truly remarkable, especially given the time that she was alive.

I read this book to my 3 year old son and while he sat and listened to the story, I do believe the target audience is quite a bit older. Having said that, I’m sure it was the detailed and beautiful illustrations (by David Parkins) that held my son’s interest so well.  I will definitely hang on to this gem and read it to him again when he’s older, or save for when he can read it himself.  I am now also very interested in picking up more of the Great Ideas Series as they are a great way to teach valuable history lessons in a beautiful, colourful and interesting way.

Would I recommend this book?  Absolutely!  Pick it up for your 6-10 year old. I believe this, and the others in the Great Ideas Series by Kulling, will spark interest in learning more about the remarkable people they tell the stories of.

Thank you, Tundra Books, for sending me a review copy and teaching me something new!

 

 

Blog Tour Book Review: The Woman Who Stole My Life by Marian Keyes

I’m sure many of you are familiar with uber-popular Irish women’s fiction author, Marian Keyes, so I know you will appreciate that when Penguin Random House Canada asked if I’d like to receive an Advance Reading Copy of her new book, The Woman Who Stole My Life, I was thrilled!  I have read other books by Keyes and have thoroughly enjoyed the quick pace, conversational tone and witty characters she dreams up.

First, here’s a synopsis from the publisher:

One day, sitting in traffic, married Dublin mum Stella Sweeney attempts a good deed. The resulting car crash changes her life. For she meets a man who wants her telephone number (for the insurance, it turns out). That's okay. She doesn't really like him much anyway (his Range Rover totally banjaxed her car). But in this meeting is born the seed of something which will take Stella thousands of miles from her old life, turning an ordinary woman into a superstar, and, along the way, wrenching her whole family apart. Is this all because of one ill-advised act of goodwill? Was meeting Mr Range Rover destiny or karma? Should she be grateful or hopping mad? For the first time real, honest-to-goodness happiness is just within her reach. But is Stella Sweeney, Dublin housewife, ready to grasp it? 

Now, my thoughts...

I had a real love-hate relationship with this book. The conversational tone and quick pace mentioned above were both present in true Keyes’ fashion.  Despite being 500+ pages, I found it to be a quick read and the story moved quickly.  The book shifts back and forth between past and present which wasn’t hard to follow, until closer to the end (what’s with the HIM, HER and ME headings?  They made no sense to me.).  I did think that the time shifting was a great way to unravel the story and I like books that are written in this manner.

One important piece of the story that the publisher's synopsis doesn’t share is that Stella falls victim to a rare disease called Guillain-Barre syndrome that leaves her paralyzed and on death’s door. This is the issue mentioned above that wrenches her family apart.  Completely paralyzed, Stella’s only means of communication is blinking her eyes and over time she develops a way of speaking to her doctor this way.  I found these parts of the book very thought-provoking. I could genuinely feel Stella’s frustration with not being able to speak or move. Her struggle was palpable as she watched her family unravel before her eyes, yet she was powerless to do anything about it.  Well done, Marian Keyes!

Unfortunately, the characters really fell short for me.  I had a hard time even liking Stella, the main character, right from the get-go.  As the mother of a teenage boy who may not fit the “average” teen mold (i.e., into sports, “tough”, etc.), I found Stella’s opinion and judgment of her son appalling.  Shouldn’t a parent embrace and foster a child’s uniqueness?  I also found her to be a push-over and sadly, just not all that interesting.  Her sister, Karen, also made me angry most of the time.  She was arrogant, condescending and just downright mean!  Who talks to their sister like that?  Maybe it’s because I have such a close relationship with my sister, who is the one person in the world who will be my cheerleader no matter what, that I found Karen’s treatment of Stella absolutely terrible.  And don’t even get me started on Ryan, her husband-turned-ex-husband.  His character was annoying, un-relatable and just plain odd.  Then there’s Mannix, Stella’s neurologist, who started out as a nerdy, quirky, soft character who suddenly morphed into a stallion.  I didn’t buy it for one second.  Also, he’s too young to a) be a neurologist and b) be into Stella, who is 41.

There were other things in the story that I found confusing and unbelievable as well.  Would a neurologist quit his job for TWO YEARS to become a literary agent?  I doubt it.  And speaking of literary agents, Stella’s agent (before Mannix took over) was a horrid character.  Is that really what authors deal with?  I certainly hope not.  I also felt that the title of the book was puzzling and misrepresentative of the story.  At one point it seems that Stella is the woman who stole Ryan’s life, but then it seems that it was Gilda that was stealing Stella’s life (insert confusion here. See how I didn’t even mention Gilda before?).  Gilda’s character wasn’t developed enough early on in the book to make me really believe the closeness of her relationship with Stella and what was happening in the last 100 pages (I will say no more so as not to spoil for those who will read it). 

If you loved Marian Keyes’ other books, I think you’ll be disappointed in this one.  I’m sorry Marian, but you just didn’t hit the mark for me with The Woman Who Stole My Life.