Book Review: The Secret Keeper

Having been a fan of Kate Morton for years now, Veronica was super excited to finally get her hands on Morton's newest novel, The Secret Keeper. And she's so glad she did. And even more glad that it wasn't anything like The Distant Hours. 

In 1961, sixteen year old Laurel Nicolson witnesses an event so shocking she suppresses it. Not understanding what happened and being unable to discuss it with anyone, including her mother who knew the truth of it, she moves on. Becomes an actress. In 2011, Laurel is now in her sixties and her mother is dying, returning to her childhood home opens up those old memories and she embarks on unravelling what happened long ago and her dying mother's involvement. 

Morton scored another with The Secret Keeper and brought back so many of the twisting elements that made me love The Forgotten Garden so much. Her writing style is clear and even when she leads you down the rabbit hole, you go willingly and gladly. 

We love it when an author makes you want to wait to read the story on the pages and slowly reveal the truths rather than being able to guess the ending a hundred pages in. 

The modern day weaving with the past is what makes The Secret Keeper so rich and each character is so well written, you can't help but root for a certain one's demise or success. 

If you're a Kate Morton Fan and missed the awesomeness of The Forgotten Garden, pick up The Secret Keeper, you won't be disappointed.

CityGirl Rating: 5 out of 5 glasses of wine

Book Review: The Troop

When Simon and Schuster Canada sent us the anticipated horror book The Troop by Nick Cutter, we knew we were in for a gory treat. The king of horror, Stephen King, even endorsed the book right on the cover! There’s no arguing with that.





VERONICA
The Troop by Nick Cutter has been one of the better thriller novels I've read in years. I expected to be creeped out and I wasn't disappointed!

Sure, The Troop was distinctly lacking any female characters and was essentially a novel of the degeneration of a group of boys without adult supervision. But it was superbly written, especially with the inclusion of articles and background on the cause of the outbreak. 

Cutter was able to expertly write believable characters, envision a lovely and secluded island for the boys and never once did I want to stop reading. While the story is simple, a troop of boys on an island get stranded when an infected stranger arrives. Part Lord of the Flies and part The Ruins, The Troop turns into a psychological thriller interspersed with horrific and graphic deaths. 

The gore was never too much or over the top, it fit in perfectly with each death and character. Even though the boys try to avoid death by worm, the real threat was one of their own. 

All this simply works in The Troop. Cutter blends seamlessly the sometimes intense horror with the psychological drama that makes monsters seem tame when compared to humanity.

ASHLEY
What starts off as a seemingly innocent Boy Scout trip on a lonely island turns into a living nightmare as a stranger with unnatural symptoms crawls ashore with a vicious hunger that leaves Scoutmaster Tim and his five scouts fighting for survival. 

A little bit Lord of the Flies, a little bit Steven King and all kinds of creepy, the Troop forces you out of your comfort zone and leaves you with an icky, anxious feeling that you can’t quite shake.

It’s been some time since I have read anything so graphically detailed that I physically squirmed just reading certain passages. The words paint such a vivid picture that anyone with a slight imagination will be exposed to all the gory visuals as they tip toe through the mess that unravels from chapter to chapter.

Each character is rich with his own issues, all of which, when grouped together, create a smorgasbord of ego, knowledge and fear. There’s an alpha male who is determined to control the group no matter the cost, the over-weight nerd who is possibly the only one with any sense of survival skills, the two childhood friends who play the ying to the other’s angered yang, and of course the odd guy out, the guy with sociopathic tendencies and an apathetic joy of ripping apart animals and playing with his friends’ psyches. 

Surprisingly, a story which could have quickly turned into every boy for himself shows a rare camaraderie as the boys cling to each other for survival, tending to their troubled friends instead of leaving them behind. It offers almost an inspiring, hopeful tone to the story. Too bad they’re all doomed no matter what they do.

I really enjoyed the format as well; news articles and interview transcripts are interlaced between chapters, giving the reader an idea of the unholy demise that lies ahead and adding some background information to the situation. This format works extremely well and adds another level to the narrative. And Cutter is humble enough to admit that this technique was lovingly lifted from King’s Carrie.

The Troop is the kind of book that plants itself deep within you, forcing you to carry it with you wherever you go long after you try to put it down. My skin is still crawling.

City Girls Rating: Four out of Five glasses of wine.

Image from google images

Book Review: With All My Love

When Veronica recieved this from S&S, she was quite excited to read a novel that promised an endearing story about how a seemingly necessary decision could affect the lives of three generations of women. Patricia Scanlan wrote a tale full of drama, hardships and life in a small town. Her ability to seamless weave between the generations kept us turning the pages even if we couldn't necessarily relate to any of the topics.


VERONICA
I have a particular soft spot for chick lit and stories that bounce from the past to the present. 

Patricia Scanlan touched on a topic that many women today don't need to fear anymore - the stigma of being an unwed mother. But for a young woman in the 70s, this can be a harrowing and scary time, especially if you live in a small town. 

Relationships are inherently complicated and ones that involve women are more so. We're just so prone to stubbornness and using that to fuel our misunderstandings. 

Everything that we did in the past will reverberate to what happens in our future. Valerie and Tessa's dislike for each other was instant and lasting. And it wasn't until age and wisdom settled in that they finally met on common ground and resolved something that shouldn't have even mattered in the first place. 

This is my first Patricia Scanlan novel (how have I not heard of her before?) and I'm sure won't be my last. 


ASHLEY
I have to be honest; I didn’t like this book. I have nothing against chick lit and often find comfort in it when I’m in the right mood, and while this had all the makings for such an experience, it just didn't do it for me.

I guess I just had a hard time relating to the characters. Not that I have to have personal experience with something to relate to a situation that they’re going through in order to have any kind of empathy, but I just didn’t agree with the character’s actions and reactions and couldn’t find any kind of compassion for them. Which doesn’t speak to the book or the writing, it was just my own personal reaction to the story.

We received this as an Advanced Readers Copy, so I’m not sure what the final product ended up like, but I also found it very repetitive and in need of some tightening up. Perhaps that did happen, but it was the first time I have read an ARC where the unedited version made an impact on my enjoyment of it.

There were definitely interesting parts, but overall this just wasn’t my thing.

CityGirls Rating: 3 Glasses of Wine out of 5

images courtesy of google

The Ocean at the End of the Lane Review

I'm a huge fan of Neil Gaiman. I've been anticipating the release of his newest book The Ocean at the End of the Lane for ages, couldn't wait to get my hands on it, especially since it's the first book in a while that's been marketed as an adult novel.

That said, The Ocean at the End of the Lane doesn't really read like an adult novel. At least not in the sense I was expecting. It's definitely dark and in no ways childish, but it is much more along the eerie lines of Coraline than, say, American Gods. Unfortunately, I think my predetermined expectations have sort of lead to some disappointment in the book. I wish I had of known this going into it.

In The Ocean at the End of the Lane, a middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

Of course, the brilliance that is Gaiman is still here (I'll put the blame for my misunderstanding on the marketing, not the book itself). It's written beautifully, a very haunting and dark story about sacrifice and boundaries. He masterfully blends the lines of universes in a way only he can do, creating a world filled with his personal touch.

The characters are greatly handcrafted, the Hempstocks especially. You almost wish the book was longer and more background was given on these mysteriously magical women. And the darkness Gaiman describes, the creatures he's created, the fears that lurk in the shadows, some of those passages reach right up off the page and drag their finger nails down your back, giving you shivers. 

In pieces, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a fantastic book. But as a whole, it wasn't quite enough for me, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. But that's kind of my own fault.

City Girl Rating: Three out of Five Glasses of Wine

Neil Gaiman Canadian Tour Dates

Another favourite author of ours is coming to Toronto and we are beyond excited! Supporting the release of his latest book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman will be at the Danforth Music Hall on July 6 for a reading, Q&A and book signing. This tour is Gaiman's last signing tour ever, so catch him while you can.
 

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is now available everywhere. We already have a copy, check back soon for our review of what we expect to be a magical book. Also stay tuned for a review of Gaiman's Toronto appearance.

The Toronto stop isn't his only Canadian date, below are the details for his Canadian tour:

August 6, 2013
Location: Toronto, ON
Tuesday, August 6, 6:30 PM
Presented by Indigo Books & Music

WHERE:
Danforth Music Hall
147 Danforth Avenue
Toronto, ON M4K 1N2

TICKETS: $20 plus tax and service fees
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August 7, 2013
An Evening with Neil Gaiman
Location: Montreal, QC
Wednesday, August 7, 7 PM
Presented by Librairie Drawn & Quarterly Bookstore

WHERE:
Ukrainian Federation Hall
5213 Hutchison Street
Montreal, QC H2X 2H3

TICKETS: Available in store – Librairie Drawn & Quarterly Bookstore, 211 Bernard Ouest - $10 with $5 off  The Ocean at the End of the Lane with ticket purchase.
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August 8, 2013
An Evening with Neil Gaiman
Location: Vancouver, BC
Thursday, August 8, 6:30 PM
Presented by Vancouver Writers Fest
Book sales by Kidsbooks

WHERE:
The Vogue Theatre
918 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1L2

TICKETS: $21 adults $19 students (with ID) and seniors plus service charges. General admission
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EVENT: Jeannette Walls at the Toronto Reference Library

One of our favourite authors, Jeannette Walls, will be in Toronto this Friday, June 14 to speak with CTV'S Marci Ien about her new book The Silver Star.

We've read Jeannette's last two books - The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses - and can't wait to get our hands on The Silver Star. 


Jeannette has a beautiful way of turning her life experiences into a story that resonates deep within you. If The Silver Star is anything like her previous works, and we are confident it will be, then you won't want to miss an opportunity to see Jeannette in person to speak about it. 

The event is free, but you need to reserve your tickets here.

Friday, June 14, 2013

7:30pm (doors at 6:30pm)
Bram and Bluma Appel Salon

Toronto Reference Library
(789 Yonge St.)

Blog Tour - Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews

CityGirlScapes teamed up with Simon & Schuster Canada for a Blog Tour in anticipation of the release of Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews on June 4. 

We recently reviewed the book itself, but we also had the opportunity to chat with author Jason Matthews about his debut novel, specifically the memorable cast of colourful characters scattered throughout. 


From a sadistic dwarf who personally carries out Putin's murderous schemes to a likeable if somewhat battle-weary CIA station chief, to MARBLE the ultimate Russian mole, to dauntless Dominika and of course to Nate himself, Red Sparrow delivers such a memorable cast of characters.

City Girls: How much of you do we see in Nathaniel Nash, are his actions and reactions mirrored from your own first-tour experiences or were you basing Nate’s instincts from your years of knowledge?

Jason Matthews: None of the characters are truly autobiographical, but the tradecraft, gadgets, experiences, attitudes, and work environment are all based on my real-life experiences over 33 years in CIA.  I’ve met Russians over the years, but no one like Dominika Egorova!

CG: Alexi Zyuganov is described as a ‘poisonous dwarf’. Physical limitations must be very conspicuous in such a prominent role in a secret world. What prompted you to take on this unique challenge?

JM: Like some of the other characters in Red Sparrow, Zyuganov is sort of a hybrid taken from real life history.  One of Stalin’s intelligence chiefs named Nikolai Yezhov was five feet tall and was responsible for murderous purges in the 1930s.  Of course in real espionage work, physical limitations would be a real challenge.

CG: When you look at mainstream spy thrillers, particularly something like the Bond franchise, the female “sparrow” seems to be a common component. Is the art of seduction still a viable operational tactic in this modern age or is it generally relied upon as a character in books and movies to balance the sexual aspect?

JM: Some intelligence services, infamously the KGB, regularly used trained Sparrows and sexual entrapment to recruit sources, provided they could be maneuvered into a “honey trap.”  The modern Russian spy service, the SVR, probably still do. Most western services don’t use sex as an operational technique because it is generally thought that a source recruited by coercion will be resentful and prone to fabrication and/or revenge. It makes for great movies though.

CG: With confidentiality being a prime consideration, how close did you come to featuring an actual person as one of your characters? Part of the allure is hoping that at least one of your characters is real.

JM: All the characters are totally fictional.  A few are drawn from historical figures (like Yezhov mentioned above.)  Any similarity to real persons is purely coincidental. 

CG: And last one, just for fun. These City Girls are known for their love of wine, if we were at a cocktail party with Nate, Dominika, MARBLE, Egorov and Forsyth, what would they be drinking?

JM: Fun question.  Nate and Gable probably would be drinking beer--Corona for Nate, something exotic--Singha--for Gable.  Dominika perhaps would reach for French champagne.  MARBLE would have a glass of Brunello.  Uncle Vanya would order Georgian brandy, and Forsyth would go for a dry Chardonnay.   Benford of course would drink something arcane like grappa. 

When it comes to the character of the double agent, it’s hard to believe that someone once so dedicated to their job and to their country could commit such a betrayal and cross to the other side.

It often seems to be the result of mistreatment or a desire for revenge, but as Jason explains in the video below, there are four human motivators that turn a spy into a double agent.

Red Sparrow is released on June 4. For more information visit RedSparrowBook.com. 

A big thanks to Jason Matthews and Simon and Schuster Canada for having us on this Blog Tour!

images from official website.

Red Sparrow Review

We were lucky enough to receive Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews from Simon & Schuster Canada well before the release, along with a lovely note indicating that it was a book that everyone at S&S couldn’t put down. With such encouragement, we jumped right into it.



ASHLEY
A twisting spy thriller, Red Sparrow is a layered story of CIA agent Nathaniel Nash and his first-tour operation to recruit a beautiful Russian “Sparrow” Dominika, a trained seductress in the Russian service. Uncertain whether she is on assignment to work him in return, Nash’s world begins to intertwine with Dominika’s and the two begin an impossible and dangerous relationship that will ultimately change their lives and the security of their countries.

With double agents and high-level traitors, the story is full of thrilling twists and turns that drive you forward, racing to see what is around each corner. It’s no wonder everyone is reading this in one sitting. 

The authenticity of the weaving web is what keeps it all glued together. Matthews, a former CIA officer himself, has the knowledge and experience to write a convincingly shocking story of betrayal, manipulation and forbidden love. 

It’s hard to describe the bulk of the book without giving anything away, but Matthews creates intriguing characters and details their attributes in such a way that you can’t help but wonder how much of his writing is based on real people and events.

The exciting Red Sparrow is an exhilarating read, one that any fan of thrillers and complex plots won’t want to miss out on.

VERONICA
I wasn't sure what to think of or expect from a book that had "sexpionage" in its description, but I was pleasantly surprised.

This isn't your typical Jason Bourne spy thriller; Red Sparrow is an intelligent, descriptive and complex journey through Moscow, Italy and DC. The pulse pounding, non-stop action is replaced by rich characters and a superior telling of a tale full of moles and insider spy tricks.

Matthews drew deeply from his own experiences in the CIA to create this masterpiece of cunning, rich and relatable characters that leaves you turning page after page to unravel the mystery of the mole.

Dominika and Nate's troubled relationship is in of itself enough to keep you reading but when you add in the endearing MARBLE to the mix, you have a cast of characters that will leave you wondering about them well after you've finished this glorious novel.

I know that after reading Red Sparrow, I immediately wanted to eat and learn how to become a spy. I'll skip Sparrow school though.

Red Sparrow is available on June 4th.

City Girl Rating: 4 out of 5 glasses of wine

Matthews’ history within the CIA is a fascinating aspect and we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to ask him a few questions about this book. Check back on June 2 for the interview with Jason Matthews.

images from google images.

Book Review: The Other Typist

The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell has a memorable but somewhat unreliable narrator in Rose Baker. It's 1923, and Rose is a typist with the New York City Police Department, who with a few key strokes can condemn a man forever. Caught between the Victorian standards she was taught in her orphanage and the modern world where women can do all the things men can, prudish Rose is confused, until the other typist arrives in her precinct. Rose is quickly befriended by the glamorous Odalie and soon becomes obsessed with her carefree ways. 

Ashley: 
I borrowed The Other Typist from Veronica, who received the book from Penguin and Goodreads as part of their First-Reads program. 

I must admit, this was something I wasn't initially attracted to and wouldn't have read had it not been encouraged. I just didn't think it was anything I would find overly interesting and I felt like I would have to force myself through it, a daunting task I kept putting off. 

But I was completely wrong about not being drawn in. From the very beginning, Rindell does an incredible job of vaguely seeding the story with hints toward the twisting end. Each narrative interjection from the present situation lures you further and further into the depths and glamour of the roaring 20's, much like Rose is lured deeper and deeper into the glamour of Odalie's care-free lifestyle. 

I often find it hard to believe how enraptured one person can get with another in books, it usually moves too quickly, but Rindell's description of Rose's growing fascination with Odalie is expressed in such detail that you can clearly see how the obsession came to be. It's believable and seems almost natural. Rose also has a distinctive self awareness when describing the events and you can't help but feel sympathetic to her actions that could have been avoided. 

As the manipulated web twists around the two characters, merging their lives closer together, you're left questioning the true reality. Who is manipulating who? Who is really the victim? What is actually going on here? Those are the questions left lingering through the last few pages of the book and even well after you close it. 

It's been quite some time since I've been excited to review and talk about a book, The Other Typist was a great debut novel. 

Veronica: 
I won this from Penguin and Goodreads as part of their First-Reads program. 

The Other Typist was an interesting trip back to the Roaring 20s New York City, deep during the prohibition times. 

Immediately you know you'll keep reading this impressive debut novel by Suzanne Rindell. The entire story is told from the psyche of Rose Baker, a police stenographer, who becomes borderline obsessed with the new typist, Odalie Lazare. 

Rose often rides the fine line between clear obsession with Odalie (think SWF) and as someone who simply craves love and affection, something she didn't have growing up in an orphanage. Picking up the novel, you'd think this was a simple story about friendship, manipulation and love. But it's more than that. It was quite the interesting look into how dependent a person can get on someone that they barely know and how one wrong move can leave your life in shambles. 

Cleverly constructed with a humorous twist at the end, The Other Typist will leave a lasting impression on you well after the last page and have you wondering if what you read was as subtly twisted as you thought.

The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell is available everywhere May 7th 2013. 

CityGirls Rating: 4.5 glasses of wine out of 5 

images from Goodreads.

Book Review: The Firebird by Susana Kearsley

Veronica has been a huge fan of Susanna Kearsley for some time now, so when Good Reads and Simon & Schuster were doing a giveaway for her new book, The Firebird, we crossed all our crossables and hoped we would be one of the lucky few to receive an advance readers copy. Surprisingly enough, Ashley was the big winner this time around (usually Veronica has all the luck) and we were able to check out this new book.


Veronica:
The lovely and generous Ashley lent me her ARC of The Firebird to read cause I love Susanna Kearsley and simply couldn't wait for it to be released. Ashley won this on Goodreads courtesy of Simon & Schuster.

I basically devoured this from cover to cover, not wanting to put it down. My recommendation for anyone unfamiliar with Ms. Kearsley's novels is to actually read The Winter Sea first then dive into The Firebird. Trust me, you'll thank me if you do.

The Firebird is a clever, thoroughly researched and detailed novel about Nicola Marter, a young woman who has an ability to "see" things but struggles with appearing normal and keeps psychometry a secret.

And then we have Rob McMorran (we first met him in The Shadowy Horses, good to read before but not necessary to this storyline), whose psychometry skills are honed. Rob embraces who he is and fully accepts his abilities.

As with all of Ms. Kearsley's novels, she expertly weaves 2 tales into one vastly entertaining read. Nicola and Rob embark on a trip to follow Anna, the girl who owned the the Firebird in hopes of finding it's authenticity. What they found instead was each other.

As always, I find myself drawn more to the past than the current. Ms. Kearsley's prose and skillful ability of weaving actual historical events and shaping them into a wonderful novel makes me wish I'd paid more attention in History class.

Ashley:
It would seem that Susanna Kearsley is quickly climbing up my list of favourite authors. I love how she writes and blends historical non fiction with modern day fiction and weaves it all together into these layered, lovely stories.

I'm so glad that Veronica insisted I read the Winter Sea before this, though. It made the characters that much richer and having loved the Winter Sea as I did, it was exciting to see how those characters stories continued.

As I said, I admire Kersley's ability to break up the historical fiction with a modern day story, this time focusing on Nicola and Rob. That is my only complaint this time, I much preferred the flashback story of Anna and the characters from the Winter Sea than the present day adventure of Nicola and Rob. I didn't care much about their relationship and while their 'gifts' provided the ability to see the story of the past, I thought mixing a supernatural-like component was a bit too much on top of everything else.

That aside, it was certainly a great read and I'll be reaching out to take in the rest of Kersley's work as soon as I can get my hands on them.

City Girl Rating: 4 out of 5 glasses of wine.

The Firebird was released yesterday, April 30, and is available everywhere books are.

Book Review: The Flamethrowers

The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner was a dizzying ride through 1977's New York City during the artist explosion and as seen through Reno, a young woman on the verge.

There are so few authors that can weave such a quick paced narrative storyline, while building the right imagery and creating vivid characters. The flashes back and forth between Reno and Sandro are interspersed with the Valera backstory which shows the flair of penmanship. Never once are you confused with the complex chain of events that leads Sandro and Reno to Italy where a scandal thrusts Reno square in the unrest there. 

What I enjoyed immensely from The Flamethrowers was the narrative. Often I find myself in many lines of thoughts and Reno, in the telling of her story does exactly that. 

If you need a novel that will keep you reading on, even after its over, pick this one up.

images from Goodreads

Book Review: The Light Between Oceans

Released in 2012, we were recently sent a copy of The Light Between Oceans by M. L Stedman in celebration of its paperback release in April. Already receiving a lot of much-deserved buzz, we had nothing but great things to say about it.

Veronica:
From the very first chapter, I knew I would love this book.

The Light Between Oceans is a stunning debut novel by M.L. Stedman. The entire novel and story unravels beautifully with nary a stutter or stumble. 

Tom Sherbourne, a WWI vet is struggling to understand why his life was spared when all his friends have died in the war. Wanting to lead a quiet, lonely life with only his thoughts, he decides to take a post at an out of the way lighthouse. Upon arriving in Point Partageuse he meets and falls in love with Isabel. Someone so unlike himself, full of life, hopes, dreams and laughter, he was unable to resist her pull.

Isabel and Tom's life on Janus Rock is quiet but steady. Tragically, Isabel is unable to bring a baby to term. Fate intervenes and one day a row boat washes onto their shore with a dead man and a live baby. In one decision, their lives are irrevocably changed.

I pretty much read this in two days and didn't want it to ever end. It's so well written that I felt Tom's turmoil over their decision and Isabel's hurt and confusion when she thought Tom had betrayed their family. 

The Light Between Oceans just might be the best book you never read in 2012. And with the release of the paperback novel soon, you should pick this gem up immediately

Ashley:
This brilliant debut tells the heartbreaking story of Isabelle and Tom Sherbourne and how one mistake in a desperate time changes their lives and the lives of many in the sleepy ocean side town of Partageuse.

Beautifully written, Stedman builds an emotional and morally sensitive novel that begs the reader to put themselves in the shoes of our isolated lighthouse keepers and question how far they would go to find happiness in an otherwise lonely situation. 

Each character is beautifully developed, these aren't just characters in a book anymore, they are people you empathize with and people you want to see rise above their hardships and find some beauty in the life they have chosen. 

But even the other side of the coin, the characters who have the power to strip our leads of their happiness, you can't help but empathize with them, too. A questionable line is struck down the middle, who's side are you on? Who will come out with the least amount of damage in the end? 

A journey of rights and wrongs, of betrayals and forgiveness, The Light Between Oceans weaves a complicated, mesmerizing mess that pulls at your heart strings from start to finish. The hopeful humility and powerful loyalty we see between characters, even in the worst of situations, gives us a warm faith in humanity; we are all just trying to live life as best and as full as we can.

City Girl Rating: 5 out of 5 glasses of wine.

If you can’t get enough of this book, like we couldn’t, Simon and Schuster Canada is holding an event at Indigo (55 Bloor St. W, Toronto) on Tuesday, April 2, 2103 at 7pm with author M.L. Stedman to promote the release. Stedman will be doing a talk and a reading. More Info. 

Book Review: Last Class

“What do a gay teenager whose first name is Last, a future sorority queen who calls her horse Pierce Chad Stonington III, a virgin-until-marriage pledge group, a pirate radio station, a wacko fundamentalist Christian terrorist organization, and the National Guard have in common?” 

These are the questions posed by the description of Emkay Scott’s debut novel Last Class, a comedic look at love, sex, rebellion and authority in a small rural town amidst a modern-day sexual revolution. 

Though Last Class is his first, Scott writes like a veteran author with a satirical voice that must stem from something deeply rooted in the comedic experience of culture, society and the written word. 

With a complimentary nod to writers like Tom Robbins, who writes wildly poetic stories with strong social and philosophical undercurrents and bizarre facts, Scott weaves together the complicated relationships of eccentric characters spanning different time periods all working towards one common goal: self expression and sexual freedom.

There is Last Mundy, the shy high school student who launches a protest against narrow-minded teachers by way of an ask column in the school newspaper and a pirate radio station with the help of his best friend turned lover Suresh and editor Muffin Ainsley.

Former herbal supplement dealer Heidi Malone gets the lulled loins of housewives to rise up in support of her sex toy business, which is under authoritative ridicule for public indecency (due to a large hand carved wooden penis on the hood of her car) and violation of the Community Decency Ordinance. With an army of dildo-wielding housewives and Last’s father Arthur behind her, Heidi rises up against the oppressing community standards.

Bringing the two seemingly different situations together is Treasure Stephens. Somewhat of a guardian angel to everyone, Treasure is the idealist, pointing each person in the right direction and providing the all knowing voice of revolution to each personal situation. By creating a fake terrorist group to perform a fake kidnapping, Treasure oversees the coming together of the small town as they stand up to local authorities and the National Guard in a hilarious standoff that you have to read to believe.

Scott pays particular attention to small, unique details, details that build these lucrative creative tangents about larger than life characters that not only make you laugh, but bask in the cleverness of what you are reading.

Judging by the colourful characters and eccentric situations found in Last Class, one can only assume that Scott must be a story within himself, bursting with artistic ideas, which we are bound to see more of in his next book, currently in the works.

Last Class by Emkay Scott is currently only available as an e-book. You can find it on amazon or wherever else e-books are sold.

Book Review: Family Pictures

Veronica won the ARC for Family Pictures by Jane Green on Goodreads as part of the first-reads program. 

This is my first Jane Green novel and I am delighted to have been lucky enough to get to read this before it hits the shelves. The story is compelling, characters so lively that I swore could be my neighbours and were more real than anything manufactured on "reality TV" programming. 

Family Pictures is one that will stay with you through the years. It redefines what family actually is and what you may think is perfect isn't all that it seems. 

Sylvie and Maggie live on opposite coasts but are bound together in the most devastating way. Having both been betrayed, each moves on with their lives, coping the best way they know how. Years later they are brought together again by tragedy. This time, they realize that they're kindred spirits and embrace all that has happened to them was a blessing in disguise; enabling them to be who they were truly meant to be.

Family Pictures hits shelves on March 19 and it should be on yours.

City Girls Rating: 4 glasses of wine out of 5.

Safe Haven – A Movie Review

Last night these CityGirls and their gaggle of girl friends had the opportunity to see a prescreen of Safe Haven before masses of girls drag their unfortunate boyfriends out to see it. Believe it or not but while we waited for our party to arrive, Ashley was caught grooving to the tunes of Justin Bieber!

Safe Haven is yet another adaptation from best seller novelist Nicholas Sparks. If you’ve never read any of his books, they all basically go like this: boy meets girl, they fall in love. One or both are deeply flawed. One may have a hidden, dark past. Once they realize that their love is greater than any obstacle, someone dies. Safe Haven is no different. It’s not new or even refreshing but it is entertaining and worth watching on cable.

Katie (Julianna Hough) is on the run, in search of her safe haven away from her past. She stumbles on Southport and decides to stay. One can hardly blame her for wanting to; it’s on the beach with a tight knit community. Not wanting to get close to anyone or setting down roots, she keeps everyone at arm’s length but she can’t help but notice Alex (Josh Duhamel), a widower with two young children. 

Unfortunately, Katie’s past come roaring back into her life, putting her life and the lives of Alex and his children in danger. The South Carolina coast is simply beautiful and that alone was worth the price of admission.

As with most movies being released these days, they are just too simple. We’d figured out exactly what was going on from within the first few minutes and spent the majority of the film waiting for it to catch up to us. But even so, the romance part of it wasn’t completely nauseating and you won’t need a pint of Ben & Jerry’s and tissue to watch. 

images from google

Beautiful Creatures, more like Beautiful Disaster

As avid readers, if a movie is based off of a book, chances are we’ve already read it and know the story. The rule of thumb with these cases is that the book is always better and we’re okay with that, we’re prepared for that. 

Understandably, not everything will work on screen in a two hour time slot and certain elements have to be changed or left out to make the story work. 

But a great adaptation is able to do this without butchering the existing story. After all, if you’ve bought the rights to a book and are basing your movie off of it and marketing it as such, wouldn’t you want to stay true to the text and characters?

That’s what we don’t understand about the movie Beautiful Creatures, which we saw an advance screening of last night at the Scotiabank theatre. Having read and really enjoyed the book written by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, we were looking forward to seeing how they would bring this refreshing story to life. While it shares similar elements you expect from a supernatural teen book, there were also very unique tones that set it apart from, say, Twilight, or every other book/movie of the same genre and we felt so much could be done with that to make a great, unique movie.

So why, then, did Alcon Entertainment and writer/director Richard LGravenese think it was a great idea to completely change the entire story when adapting it to film? Sure, the characters are the same, the fate of mysterious Lena Duchannes (Alice Englert) is still uncertain and her life is still heavily intertwined with that of Ethan Wate (Alden Ehrenreich) and certain elements still play out as expected, but the events that do stay true to the book happen out of sequence (for no real reason) and the main events in the movie just never happen in the book. They are completely fabricated.

We cannot for the life of us understand why you would secure the rights to a book and then change the story completely. It isn’t just about making it work on screen, the Beautiful Creatures story does work, the story is strong as a whole. In fact, we would argue it might have even worked better. But what we were left with was a replica of every other teen movie, a number of plot holes that didn’t have to be there and a handful of very angry viewers (we were not the only ones).

It would be really nice to sit down with authors Garcia and Stohl and hear their opinion on the film. We can’t imagine that anyone would be comfortable seeing their own creation ripped apart at the seams and sewn back together so jaggedly and carelessly. It would break our hearts to hand over something we had worked so hard on only to see it completely gutted. We genuinely feel bad for them.

Granted, we don’t know much about the movie business or how it works. It’s not hard to imagine that these days Hollywood is so busy chasing the top box office slot that they care little for creative integrity or doing justice for an existing fanbase. And I’m sure buying an existing idea and manipulating it is easier than having to come up with your own work from start to finish. But that shortcut was the first of many in the making of this film and it really shows. If they were hoping for the next Twilight, they’re falling very, very short of that. Even the Twilight train wreck manages to be more credible than this disastrous attempt.

As an original movie, Beautiful Creatures isn’t horrible. There were actually some really cool things about it and some strong scenes. But tying it to a book series (a series that we happen to really, really enjoy) and then completely revamping it, that’s just never going to work for us. And while we’re just two people with little to no influence on a massive machine like the movie industry, our distaste for this won’t do much overall. But we are certainly getting sick and tired of seeing these great ideas completely ruined. Something’s gotta give.

Beautiful Creatures opens in theatres on Valentine’s Day, but don’t ruin yours by going to see it.

Images from Google images

Book Review: The Lion Seeker

The Lion Seeker is a coming of age novel set South Africa during the political unrest leading up to, during and after Hitler's rise to power.

Unbelievably, this is the debut novel for Kenneth Bonert, a South African native who now calls Toronto home.

The Lion Seeker is written in 3 parts, the different phases of Issac's life. Sometimes brutal, often honestly upfront, we follow Issac Helger as he blunders through life facing difficult choices, many of which shape him to be the man he turns out to be.

Gitelle, his mother, is the most important person in his young life and from a young age as instilled in him a sense of familial duty. But every family has it's secrets and Helger's are deep and disturbing.

Often we're faced with decisions, some that we end up regretting and others we learn to live with. Through this epic journey, Bonert's prose and knack of weaving social and political issues all the while keeping the reader enthralled, makes this one of this years must read novels.

Look for The Lion Seeker from Random House in stores February 26th 2013.

City Girls Rating: Five out of five glasses of wine.

images from google

Book Review: The Almond Tree

I was sent a copy of The Almond Tree through Good Reads and I'm ashamed to admit that I kept putting off reading it. It seemed like a book with plenty of heavy content, which I'm not usually deterred by, but this somehow felt different. More real. 

And I know that I am not very knowledgeable about the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, so it was a little intimidating. But I'm so glad I picked it up.

The Almond Tree is definitely full of heavy content, right from the very start. The dangerous conditions and horrible situations are bluntly laid out. But not in a vicious way. It's written so well, almost adding a strange element of beauty to the horrors that are happening. 

You can tell that Cohen Corasanti had a life changing experience that resonated deeply within her. Her novel has that same effect. This is a story that I won't forget, one of those reads that will always haunt your memory and change your perspective on things you may have taken for granted otherwise.

The Almond Tree is available at your favourite bookstore.

City Girls Rating: five out of five glasses of wine