read-a-long

The good thing about being in a book club is that it encourages me to read more.
Less t.v. more books.
Though I have to say that I am still really enjoying this and this.

Come Thou Tortoise by Jessica Grant was our last book and I must admit, I didn't finish it.
definitely not what I would describe as a gripping novel.
It moved as fast as a tortoise that's for sure.

Before that I read Notes From An Exhibition by Patrick Gale.
It wasn't a book club pick but I really enjoyed it.
It's the story of an artist, her children, her mental illness and her creative genius.
Gale moves seamlessly between different characters, and from past to present...An excellent summer read.

Six Months In Sudan by Dr. James Maskalyk was our book choice for the month of May and once again I didn't finish it.
It received rave reviews from everyone in our book club, so I may go back and give it another go.
But I guess I wasn't really in the right head space for the subject matter.
Lulu happen to have a mystery fever for five days while I was trying to read it and I just couldn't think about severe illness and dying children.
But like I said, I do think I will pick it up where I left off.

I just finished The Heretics Daughter by Kathleen Kent.
The Heretics Daughter is a novel that starts out strong, lost my interest a bit, and then picked up again at the end.
I enjoyed it overall, but in the end I was glad I managed to finished the book.
Not that it was a heavy read but somewhere in the middle of the book I just got a little bored.
I felt that it was a well researched novel though and very descriptive of that particular time period.
I find the Salem Witch trials quite fascinating and so incredibly insane.
I really loved the cover, which was what attracted me to it in the first place (what can I say I' a sucker for beautiful book covers) the haunted look on this girl's face, and her dark features drew me right in.
Then again, a good lesson is that you can't always judge a book by it's cover.
Overall I would describe this book as okay.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave was another book club pick.
I really enjoyed this book and again, I doubt it would have been one I would have picked up at the book store.
That's the good thing about book clubs, it really does get you reading books you might not normally be drawn to.
It's the story of a 16-year-old Nigerian orphan-"Little Bee" and a upper middle class British couple- two journalists trying to repair their strained marriage with a free holiday-who maybe should have stayed behind their resort walls.
Then again if they had- there wouldn't be a story to tell.
The story is told in two voices- Little Bee and Sarah a 30 something British magazine editor.
Their lives couldn't be more opposite and the contrast between the two is what I enjoyed the most.
Interesting that it's a male author who writes as two entirely different women.
I think he did a convincing job- though a few others in our book club disagreed.
Another great part of being part of a book club- fun to hear different opinions.
Either way I would definitely recommend this book.

It Sucked and Then I Cried by Heather Armstrong was a book sent to me by Canadian family Magazine to review.
I've been following Heather's blog since the beginning, so I was totally open to reading her book.
Again, not necessarily a book I would have gone and purchased but I have to admit it was really humorous and in some ways much more entertaining than her blog.
She is a very honest and funny writer and I could identify with so many things that she writes about.
I think it's so great that there are "mommy bloggers" out there that are not only making a good living from their blogs but are able to get book deals and support their families as a result.
Hey and even get to appear on Oprah to boot! way to go Heather!
Blogging has come a long way that's for sure.

So that's what's been on my bedside table (books that is...)- what about you?
what are you reading these days?