The Literary Adventures of an Opinionated Bookworm

"Amira has a no-dating rule..." These are the best six words to draw anyone to a romantic novel, but they are also hard words to live up to. Why does the heroine of The Chai Factor have this rule? Well, she has a project for her Master's degree to finish, a job in industrial engineering to get back to, and a family life to manage...how could she possibly have time to date? The Stubborn Heroine I have an interesting relationship with The Chai Factor  by Farah Heron, as I read it for the first time before I started this blog and did not enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would. (Part of the reason for this was that I had just read The Matchmaker's List  and my expectations were high). A few weeks ago, I was on Goodreads and read some negative reviews regarding this book, and I was shocked...I didn't remember disliking it to the extent of a one-star review. In fact, I thought that some of the reviews were a bit unfair, so I decided to buy a copy and try again...

Kimia Johnson is a 16 year old girl who loves books and Chemistry, who dreams of going to college and becoming a Pharmacist. She lives on Gardendale Street with her loving family, and has one close friend, Abby. Everything seems perfect, but one night changes that forever.  The Choices of Others Kimia's dreams are quickly taken from her when a stranger named Bill makes a decision that will quickly cause her life to unravel. However, it is not just his criminal act but choices made by all the character's in Kimia's life before and after that one night that contribute to how her life unfolds.  Throughout the story, Kimia asks herself, why me? Which is a fair question to ask, but not one she (or anyone else) will receive an answer to.  Yes, these are topics many of us would rather avoid, but unfortunately, for others, these topics are reality. It is tough to read about stories that involve rape, but they are also essential stories that help us to see the world around ...

Have you ever read a book that made you go on an emotional rollercoaster, but was completely relatable?  For me, The Matchmaker's List  by Sonya Lalli was that book. A story about overbearing family, rigid traditions, and embracing who you are, Lalli gave us a glimpse into the life of a South Asian-Canadian community trying to adjust to a modernizing world. After such a great debut novel, I was thrilled when a friend of mine announced that Lalli was releasing a new novel. With memories of laughter, tears and melancholy smiles still fresh in my mind a year after reading her first book, my expectations were set very high when I received Grown-Up Pose  in the mail. Family and Traditions Anu is a 30 year-old Canadian woman who married at the age of 23 after facing pressure from both her mom, and her husband's mom. After seven years of marriage, Anu feels trapped in a life she did not want. Although she loves her daughter her relationship with her husband is not what it...

I find it very hard to read popular books. There's too much pressure to love what was written, and to be completely blown away by the content just because everyone else was. Then (occasionally), halfway through reading a very popular novel, I realize that I don't really like it, but I feel obligated to finish it because EVERYONE LOVES IT!  But what if you get halfway through the book and lose interest? What do you do then? In the case of The Devil Wears Prada  by Lauren Weisberger, I was initially interested but became disenchanted with the novel a third of the way through. However, there is a film starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci and Anne Hathaway, which was added incentive for me to finish the book.  The Devil's Assistant The Devil Wears Prada  is one of the rare exceptions to the rule "the book is always better than the movie;" although the premise of the book (the "heaven-sent job...living in hell") is entertaining, the execu...

Before there was Westeros, there was a land called Pern. Before there was the Mother of Dragons, there was the Weyrwoman, Lessa.  How did I come to travel to this wonderful land of Pern, you may ask. Well, as a direct result of my obsessive and stubborn personality, of course.  You may remember that I recently reread The Queen of the Tearling , a 21st century fantasy fiction novel that I am particularly fond of. Upon rereading this novel, however, I came across a scene that disturbed me: "She scanned the bookshelves, but deep down she knew that she had no real adventure stories with a female hero." (Johansen, 275) Queen Kelsea's book collection did have the works of Tolkien and Rowling, for which I cannot fault her, but this one line left me wondering what sort of fantasy fiction we will treasure in the future. Don't get me wrong, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings  and Harry Potter  are classics in my eyes, and I have reread them several times (of...

In the 1940s, there was no social media to connect people during a time of danger and isolation. Finding ways to connect with other humans was particularly difficult for those on the German Occupied island of Guernsey, which is one of the islands between England and France. However, in a work of fiction by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, those on the island find a unique way to to connect, and find laughter, hope and love during one of the most grim moments in history.  The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society Written as a series of letters, The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society  is perhaps my favourite work of historical fiction, partially because it is the only novel I have read in this format but mostly because it is about books. I read this book for the first time when I was trapped in New Jersey after missing a connecting flight home, and I felt that I needed a book to keep me company. Tired and alone, I found comfort in this story.  ...