TOP PICKS UP AND RUNNING!

Looking for you next great read?  Trying to find a quick recommendation list all in one place?  I have now compiled all of the books I have reviewed thus far under the tab TOP PICKS in order of their rating.  I have also included my suggestions for Book Club Picks!

Hope you enjoy the new feature! 

SUNDAY SALON

Today has a great Sunday "feel".  My husband is away until Tuesday, my oldest daughter is away at camp till this afternoon, it's gloomy out but warm inside, and my 2 year old and I are still in our pj's.  Serenity.  And once she goes down for her nap I plan on curling up on my couch with "Echo" and getting some solid uninterrupted reading time in!

This morning I was reading my absolute favourite section of the paper which only comes out on Sundays, Books and Arts, and I came across a review for a book.  Now what piqued my interest for the review was not the title, or the cover, but the authors last name:  STOKER.  It seems that Bram Stoker's great-grand nephew, Dacre Stoker,  has written a sequel to the infamous "Dracula" novel.  It's called, "The Undead".  This review was not as lambasting as some of the ones I found online.  I may or may not read it, as I have not read the original, although I have read a version of it that was re-written for children, and I loved it.  For those of you that know me, you will know my utter uncontrollable squeamishness about anything vampire.  The only exception being "Twilight" as there was not a lot of blood sucking descriptions happening in that book.  If any of you out there end up reading this sequel, let me know your thoughts, I am very curious! 

This past week has not been as stellar of a reading week as the one previous.  A week ago I ploughed through 3 books from my to-be-reviewed pile and boy, did that feel great!  I love having a book blog, but I do feel the sometimes heavy obligation hanging over me to read the growing pile of review and ARC copies that keep landing on my doorstep.  I'm not complaining!  I love having a blog and sharing in the community and I consider it an honour and a priviledge that authors and publishers send me books to review.  But I DO consider it a "job" of sorts in that way.  They are sending me books in return for my honest opinion and to help get the word out about thier novel.  And for that I am profoundly grateful. 

Tonight we are having our first official meeting for our Family Book Club (and hopefully come up with a "name") to discuss "Three Day Road" by Joseph Boyden.  I am sooo looking forward to my mom, sisters and neice coming over!  We will be having tea and THIS:

Which I will be baking this afternoon.  I have made this pie a few times before and I can say that without a doubt that it is DEADLY.  You can find the recipe for it here:  The Pioneer Woman Scrumptious Pie

You can also read more Sunday Salons here.

REVIEW: THREE DAY ROAD by JOSEPH BOYDEN

Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden

This book is the current selection for our family book club, which consists of my Mom, my two sisters and my neice.  We are scheduled to meet on October 18th, but due to having too many books on the go, and several to read and review, I needed to read ahead and finish it.

Three Day Road is a very heavy read.  It is about two Cree Soldiers in the Canadian military during World War I, the descent into madness by one, and the power of love from an Auntie who saves the other. 

This is Boyden's debut novel and is a compelling read that successfully weaves the past, present and the storylines of Xavier with Elijah during the war, and with Xavier and Niska, his Aunt, in the "present."  I found I needed to be in the right frame of mind to read it, and I definately did not read it at night before sleeping!  The scenes of war are brutal in their realism, and Elijah's behaviour will likely turn your stomach.  But what is fascinating is how the author so masterfully and seamlessly tells the story from varying perspectives and time frames.

The story opens with Niska at the train station waiting for her nephew Elijah as she has been told that her other nephew, Xavier, has died in the war.  But the gaunt and injured soldier that departs the train is not Elijah, but a morphine addicted and severely damaged Xavier who Niska then takes to her canoe for the long slow river ride back home.  And on that journey we learn of all of the horrifac things Xavier has seen, done and lived through.  The flashbacks to war where Elijah, although a dispicable man, becomes a hero, and Xavier his silent witness to his friend's plummet to hell.  During the slow river ride Xavier  is unable to eat due to his addiction, but Niska "feeds" him with many stories from her childhood and his.  She nourishes him with stories of his culture, his people, and his family.

This book, though well written, was a tough read for me.  It was upsetting on many levels, but I can say I'm  glad I read it.  During the last few weeks my family and I have been having some email discussions of our feelings about it at various points of the read, and at the very least we will be able to have some very good discussions at our Book Club Dinner in a couple of weeks. 

I am now going to start reading a book about a very very cute adorable fluffy kitten named DEWEY.

Have a great day!

WHAT ARE YOU READING ON MONDAYS

"What are you reading on Mondays" is a weekly meme hosted by J. Kaye's Bookblog where we post about what books we plan on reading this week, and the books that we finished the previous week.

This week I started and finished "The White Queen" by Philippa Gregory.  Although not my favourite of hers, I love reading anything from that time period.

 I  picked up the paperback version of "A Breath of Snow and Ashes" by Diana Gabaldon for my re-read as the hard cover gave me migraines when I read it last time years ago - it was so heavy, as in weight!  So, I plan on reading about 1/3 of that this week if not more. 

Last but not least our family book club is starting tomorrow, WOOT!!  We will be reading "Three Day Road" by Joseph Boyden.  We have a pretty strict reading schedule, but not a totally unreasonable one.  We need to be finished by November 28th which gives me lots of time to get it done, given all the other reading that I want and need to do! 

How about you?  What are you reading on Monday?