Good Books: The Opposite of Loneliness

I've officially completed book number one of my 25-book pledge! Technically I started reading it in 2014 but you know what, I make the rules for my pledge and I say it counts. 

The book first added to my tally is The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan. After having glanced through this book numerous times at work, I received it for Christmas this year and am so happy to have finally read it. Marina Keegan was a recent graduate from Yale University and very successful in the arts - from poet to playwright, to journalism and fiction. Upon graduation she had a career as a writer working for The New Yorker all lined up, however just five days after convocation, she died in a car crash. This book isn't her biography. Aside from the introduction made by professor Anne Fadiman, the collection of essays and short stories are completely Keegan's. I love this book because not only is it a collection of beautifully written stories, opinions and ideas, but it leaves Marina Keegan exactly how she wanted to be thought of - as a writer. It celebrates her talent as completely her own. This is her book. These are the words she left. 

The title comes from one of her most popular essays, The Opposite of Loneliness, published in the Yale Daily News - it is definitely worth reading. 

Good Books: Bird Box

I've never read a horror book before. I love scary movies and haunted houses and all that jazz, but I have always figured that if the Hunger Games gave me nightmares, a horror novel definitely would too. That being said I really enjoyed completing the 9th book of my 25-book pledge, Bird Box by Josh Malerman. The back cover synopsis really leaves a lot to the imagination, and as someone who is afraid of birds, I really don't know why I grabbed this book when it's supposed to be suspenseful and has 'birds' right there in the title. Well I'm here to tell you I survived! Though birds did play a minor role in the novel, I am pleased to say I'm not having nightmares of my face being pecked off. Bird Box follows Malorie and her two children, as they struggle to survive in a world where unknown 'creatures' are driving people to deadly violence. Fear of the outdoors leaves them living in an abandoned house, windows covered and doors bolted, and blindfolded when so much of a crack of light is seeping in. Their journey of survival and escape to a seemingly better place will leave you turning pages on the edge of your seat until the very end. Definitely recommend this read.

Good Books: Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend

I know. You don't have to tell me. I am falling way behind on my 25-book pledge. Maybe 'way behind' is a bit of an exaggeration but I am at least two books behind where I should be for the end of April. I've started quite a few books but I just couldn't get into them. I couldn't even get in so far that I was at the point of no return where you just keep reading because you have been reading. I was at the point of return. Book returned, Joanna left with no book. That being said I am so pleased to say that I recently finished such a fantastic read that it made the returns all worth it. Enter Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks. This is the story about Budo and his friend Max. Budo is Max's imaginary friend and helps him deal with his day to day life. Max's everyday life is a bit different than the average 8-year old since he is on the spectrum for Asperger's, but either way Budo is a good friend to have around. Budo is sent on a quest to help protect Max from one of his teacher's Mrs. Patterson, when she makes a rash decision, thinking she alone can take care of Max. With the help of other imaginary friends Budo must decide what is more important, Max's life or his own existence. 

I loved this book. It reminded me a lot of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon and Room by Emma Donoghue, but is made completely unique with the perspective of the imaginary friend world. Go read it now.

Good Books: The Bear

I've completed book number four for my 25-book-pledge. As a break from the horrors of ghost children and embarrassing romances, I decided to read The Bear by Claire Cameron. The cover is so pleasant looking. The book appears to be a nice story of two children and a bear. How charming. I mean, I'd be lying if I said I never dreamt of having a friend like Baloo to hang around, sing songs, dance, pick prickly pears, and float along down a river with. I was deceived! This was no such bear! Well maybe there is, but this bear was definitely not Baloo.

The Bear is a story about a family camping trip gone wrong. Six year old Anna narrates us through her experience of a bear attacking their family campsite, being cramped into the cooler with her younger brother, and then her mother urging them to get away. The novel follows the journey of a brother and sister as they struggle to survive in Algonquin park. Alex and Anna are waiting for their mother and father to follow and meet, but are left with little knowledge on what to eat, where to sleep and any survival skills (not surprising as they're only 6 and 2 years old) that could help them avoid harm from this dangerous creature. Though I wouldn't list the book as one of my favourites, it definitely grabbed my heart strings and left me feeling comforted by the end. 

Good Books: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Now I know in my last good books update I said I would be coming at you with a 2 in 1 book post for what was my second and meant to be fourth reads of the year. Well, I've had the sequel to this book out on loan for nearly a month now and I just can't seem to get into it. What happens to me is if I keep a book on my shelf too long without reading it, or read it before bed and keep falling asleep the book, starts to feel like homework. It could be the greatest book ever written and I would still struggle along with the task I've assigned to myself. Well that's what happened with this sequel. So for now I have pursued other reads and returned the sequel (Hollow City, if you're wondering), to be completed on a later date.

The second book I read for the 25-book pledge was Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. This book was terrifying. I should have guessed that from the cover really, but as mentioned in this post, it was the cover that drew me in! I was looking for a lighter read after finishing A House in the Sky, so I headed on over to the teen fiction section hoping for a breezy book. Like I said, this book is terrifying. It follows the story of a boy who was left with the mystery of his grandfather's past to explore. He ends up on a journey to a mysterious island full of peculiarities. One day he finds himself in an abandoned home for children and becomes intrigued with their existence - Are they dead or alive? What made them so special? Are their photographs even real? Without giving too much away, this book is a story full of excitement, mystery and adventure. One of the best (and scariest bits) is the pages of photographs. Ransom Riggs gathered a collection of mysterious vintage photographs, that help tell this story and make it perfectly haunting. Give it a read! (and if you read the sequel before I do, no spoilers please!)

Good Books: Never Have I Ever

Never judge a book by it's cover. People are always repeating those words as if to say, 'hey even if they did a terrible job with the font, centring, colouring and those awful pictures slapped in between it all, this is still a good book! high quality literature right here!'. Yea freaking right. I guarantee you that if a book is suggested to me or I read some rave reviews about a new release, and it has an ugly cover, not happening. 

"There are boys for whom the ink of a million glittery gel pens was spilled"

The third book I read in my 25-book pledge this year is Katie Heaney's "Never Have I Ever: My life (so far) without a date." I hadn't read anything about it or heard about Katie before picking it up but I was drawn to the cutesy hearts and the really long but cool-fonted title. Book judged by cover - case and point. This book is such a light hearted, funny and uplifting read. I loved every page of it. Having never (knowingly) read Katie's work before (she writes for Buzzfeed aka procrastination station) I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy reading the diary of a stranger's love life, but it honestly feels like you're chatting with a great and hilarious friend - talking about everything from elementary school crushes, to potential high school sweethearts, to university nightmares, to OkCupid messaging 101. It reminded me a lot of Tina Fey's book (Bossypants) in that she shares plenty of embarrassing and laugh-out-loud moments of her life over the past twenty five years. Though my own love life isn't entirely the same, I am neither a lighthouse nor a bermuda triangle but somewhere in the middle (read book for more details), I think every girl will be able to relate to at least one of Katie's quirky narratives, but if not then they'll at least remind you of one of your own crazy friends. If you're looking for a an easy and fun read with a pretty cover to get you through these cold and dreary months, I highly recommend you give this one a go.

Note: Oh hey my third book for the pledge, what was my second you ask? I'm currently reading the sequel so you'll hear about both of them soon enough! 

Good Books: A House in the Sky

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At the start of last year I stumbled across the 50 book pledge. I made the pledge to read 25 books last year, not a huge goal for some people but it became difficult as I got back into the groove of school. I ended up reading 18 books in total (which personally I am very proud of). I love to read but sometimes life gets the better of me and I get so caught up in other things that I forget and have trouble making time for something I love. With all this being said, I have once again pledged to read 25 books this year - about two books a month. I think it is completely do-able but with my final semester of post grad starting up, I know I'll have some difficulty making the time. I think I can do it though - optimism!

The first book I'm including in this pledge is one that I started reading near the end of December and recently finished, called A House in the Sky. For those of you unaware I work at a bookstore, and while most of my time there is spent shelving and helping customers, some of my favourite moments are when people come up to me so passionate about a book that they end up giving me long lists of recommendations. This was one of those books, and it was right up my alley.

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A House in the Sky, by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett, is the memoir of Amanda Lindhout who at a young age was an avid traveller. Similar to myself, she worked hard at home and then spent her savings on exciting journeys all over the globe. After many years of travelling she decides to make her trips more profitable by becoming a freelance photographer in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and eventually, Somalia. The memoir follows her life as she is held hostage for 460 days with her friend Nigel and recounts the torment and torture they endure. The story continually stung me with the struggles of her captivity but pulls you along with her last traces of hope. As I quickly turned the pages, I had to remind myself over and over again that this was a piece of non-fiction, it read like a novel and pierced my heart with the constant longing for freedom. Despite the heartbreaking story, the book still leaves you feeling inspired and motivated to empower women and children across the globe. The book pledge is off to a good start with this one.

Food Loves: In Defense of Food

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"Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants"

This is the manifesto and introduction for Michael Pollan's book In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. I've always been interested in the research, studies, and declarations of how we should and shouldn't eat - of taking care of ourselves inside and out. Though I've read quite a few things online and in magazines, seen various television shows, and heard opposing views on how we should be treating our bodies over the years, nothing quite stuck until I picked up this book.

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In the early spring a friend of mine recommended I watch a couple food documentaries - Food Matters and Hungry for Change. They give a sort of 'inside scoop' on the food industry, looking at everything from food factories, farming, animal cruelty, and what it's all doing to our bodies. I loved them - both films really clicked something inside my head and got the wheels turning. I began looking into more films on Netflix and watching a few TED Talks and finally looking at the literature available. Michael Pollan, who was featured in another great food documentary, Food Inc., is one of the names I frequently saw floating around.

I decided to pick up his book In Defense of Food to see what he had to say. As a person who tends to shy away from non-fiction - usually with the assumption that the authors of these essay-style books can come off a bit arrogant - I was skeptical about how Pollan's words would come across. The book examines our (Western) relationship with food and nutrition by exploring the history of how we eat, the differences between cultures, and the influence of science on our eating habits. What I love about this book is its severe lack of preachy statements. Pollan offers up some great insight and guidelines on how we should be treating food and our bodies - none of which feel too restrictive or far fetched. It includes and explores simple statements such as "Eat Slowly", "Cook", "Try Not to Eat Alone", and a few others that can all help change how we relate to our food.

If you're interested in reading and learning about the food industry and gaining some helpful tips on eating well, I highly recommend this book. Pollan's writing style makes you feel like you're talking to a friend (who happens to be all knowing of food) and leaves you feeling inspired to make a few changes - like signing up for a CSA share (re: this post). It's a great thought provoking and informative read.

P.S. He also has a new book out, Cooked, that I can't wait to get my hands on.

Food Loves: Relish: My Life in the Kitchen

The cover and reminiscent pages on making croissants.

One of the best parts about working in a bookstore is discovering books I might not have otherwise. While tidying up the graphic novel section I spotted one I'd never seen before - Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley. I loved the colours and illustrations, so I quickly put it on hold for when my shift was finished. This book is glorious. It is the simple story of the author, Lucy, growing up with foodie parents and all the deliciousness it entails. Though I did not come from a foodie upbringing, my appreciation for food grows with every recipe I try, restaurant I go to, friends I eat with, place I visit, - my life is just a growing collection of food stories and memories. Relish had me feeling nostalgic for travel and the excitement it brings in trying new foods. The pages featured a trip to Mexico which reminded me of my own trip at 15 and eating the best tacos I've ever had, a trip to Japan where I was left feeling hungry for some of my favourite Asian cuisines, a trip to Italy reminded me of the best
restaurant I have ever been to - Dino's in Rome - where I had the most authentic, delicious, five course meal of my life. Every story in this book triggered a pleasant memory of my own and left me wanting to travel and discover new tastes. The real treat of this novel however is the recipes that are included. Everything from pesto to mushrooms to sushi to sangria to chocolate chip cookies - the recipes continue with the illustrated theme and yet still leave my tummy grumbling. I can't wait to try out some of these recipes, and I'll definitely be featuring them in this blog at some point.

A few recipe pages - I'm excited to try out the cookies with what else but coconut!

Lucy's trip to Japan left me nostalgic for delicious Asian cuisine.

Overall a fantastic read for anyone who can appreciate a well combined trio of writing, illustration, and recipes. I'm looking forward to reading her book previous to this one, French Milk!