Category: Fiction

Title: The Note
Author: Zoe Folbigg
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Aria
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: October 1, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis:

Based on Zoë Folbigg’s true story comes an unforgettable romance about how a little note can change everything…

One very ordinary day, Maya Flowers sees a new commuter board her train to London, and suddenly the day isn’t ordinary at all. Maya knows immediately and irrevocably, that he is The One.

But the beautiful man on the train always has his head in a book and never seems to notice Maya sitting just down the carriage from him every day. Eventually, though, inspired by a very wise friend, Maya plucks up the courage to give the stranger a note asking him out for a drink. Afterall, what’s the worst that can happen?

And so begins a story of sliding doors, missed opportunities and finding happiness where you least expect it.

The Note is an uplifting, life-affirming reminder that taking a chance can change everything…

Review:

This is a light romance with some drama thrown in. 

Maya is a quirky character who works for a fashion website. I liked all the clothes that she was wearing. They sounded super cute. I also liked her friend Nena. She was an interesting character who I wish was in the story more. 

I liked that many different types of relationships were present in the story. There were couples who had been together for years, and new affairs just beginning. 

I felt like there were too many characters to keep track of. There were multiple couples who took turns being the focus of the story, as well as all of Maya’s colleagues. The story was also a little long. 

If you’re looking for a romantic story with some depth, this one is for you. 

About the Author:

Zoë Folbigg is a magazine journalist and digital editor, starting at Cosmopolitan in 2001 and since freelancing for titles including Glamour, Fabulous, Daily Mail, Healthy, LOOK, Top Santé, Mother & Baby, ELLE, Sunday Times Style, and Style.com. In 2008 she had a weekly column in Fabulous magazine documenting her year-long round-the-world trip with ‘Train Man’ – a man she had met on her daily commute. She has since married Train Man and lives in Hertfordshire with him and their two young sons. This is her debut novel.

Follow Zoe

Website: http://www.zoefolbigg.com/
Twitter: @zolington
Facebook: @zoefolbiggauthor

Available on NetGalley: http://bit.ly/2xk8jzq

Buy links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ho8FLj
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2xXnW0p
iBooks: http://apple.co/2yi6WxU
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2hkpXwt

Follow Aria

Website: www.ariafiction.com
Twitter: @aria_fiction
Facebook: @ariafiction
Instagram: @ariafiction

Title: Bellevue Square
Author: Michael Redhill
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Source: Purchased
Release Date: September 19, 2017
Rating: ★★★★‪★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Jean Mason has a doppelganger. At least, that’s what people tell her. Apparently it hangs out in Kensington Market, where it sometimes buys churros and shops for hats. Jean doesn’t rattle easy, not like she used to. She’s a grown woman with a husband and two kids, as well as a thriving business, and Toronto is a fresh start for the whole family. She certainly doesn’t want to get involved in anything dubious, but still . . . why would two different strangers swear up and down they’d just seen her–with shorter hair furthermore?

Jean’s curiosity quickly gets the better of her, and she visits the market, but sees no one who looks like her. The next day, she goes back to look again. And the day after that. Before she knows it, she’s spending an hour here, an afternoon there, watching, taking notes, obsessing and getting scared. With the aid of a small army of locals who hang around in the market’s only park, she expands her surveillance, making it known she’ll pay for information or sightings. A peculiar collection of drug addicts, scam artists, philanthropists, philosophers and vagrants–the regulars of Bellevue Square–are eager to contribute to Jean’s investigation. But when some of them start disappearing, it becomes apparent that her alleged double has a sinister agenda. Unless Jean stops her, she and everyone she cares about will face a fate stranger than death.

Review:

This book was just nominated for the Giller Prize and I’m so happy it was!

On the surface, it seems like an innocent story about a woman who sees her doppelgänger. But it’s so much more than that.

Jean is an unreliable narrator. I noticed right away that her story didn’t add up with what she told her husband. It made me suspicious of her. There are also things that get mixed up, but she acts like it’s normal, such as people not remembering people they should know. These conflicting reports are woven in such a way that draws you right into the story.

About halfway through, I thought I was figuring it out, but then I was thrown right back into the mix again. It’s disorienting but fascinating at the same time. There are so many layers to the story that it’s hard to tell which way is up sometimes, but in a good way. 

I highly recommend this book for an exciting read!

Title: The Trick
Author: Emanuel Bergmann
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Atria Books
Source: Goodreads Giveaway
Release Date: September 19, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sweeping between Prague during World War II and modern day Los Angeles, this deeply moving debut follows a young Jewish man in 1934 who falls in love and joins the circus as the country descends into war. Decades later, a young boy seeks out the now cynical, elderly magician in the hopes that his spells might keep his family together.

Prague, 1934: The fifteen-year-old rabbi s son Moshe Goldenhirsch marvels at the legendary circus magician known as the Half-Moon Man. Unexpectedly, he falls madly in love with the magician’s delightful assistant, spurring him to run away from home to join the circus, which is slowly making its way to Germany as war looms on the horizon. Soon, he becomes a world-renowned magician known as the Great Zabbatini, even sought after by Adolf Hitler. But when Moshe is discovered to be a Jew, only his special talent can save him from perishing in a concentration camp.

Los Angeles, 2007: Ten-year-old Max Cohn is convinced that magic can bring his estranged parents back together before they divorce. So one night he climbs out of his bedroom window in search of the Great Zabbatini, certain this powerful magician has the power to reunite his family.

Review:

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It isn’t something that I would typically read but I loved it. 

This story was so easy to read. It had good pacing throughout. The chapters alternated between Moshe in the 1930s onward, and Max in 2007. By the end of each chapter, I wanted more, so I had to keep reading. 

There were many surprising twists through the story, in both time periods. They were both dramatic and funny. 

I loved the way that the two stories came together at the end. They are connected in a beautiful way. I won’t give it away, you’ll have to read it for yourself!

I recommend this story if you’re looking for a heartwarming read! 

Title: New Boy
Author: Tracy Chevalier
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: May 11, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Arriving at his fifth school in as many years, a diplomat’s son, Osei Kokote, knows he needs an ally if he is to survive his first day so he’s lucky to hit it off with Dee, the most popular girl in school. But one student can’t stand to witness this budding relationship: Ian decides to destroy the friendship between the black boy and the golden girl. By the end of the day, the school and its key players – teachers and pupils alike – will never be the same again.

The tragedy of Othello is transposed to a 1970’s suburban Washington schoolyard, where kids fall in and out of love with each other before lunchtime, and practice a casual racism picked up from their parents and teachers. Peeking over the shoulders of four 11 year olds Osei, Dee, Ian, and his reluctant girlfriend Mimi, Tracy Chevalier’s powerful drama of friends torn apart by jealousy, bullying and betrayal will leave you reeling.

Review:

This is a very clever retelling of Shakespeare’s classic play, Othello. 

What I love most about this story is that it can stand alone. It is not just an adaptation of Othello. If I didn’t know that this was a retelling before I read it, I would have thought it was a unique story. 

It is a realistic portrayal of schoolyard drama. The whole story takes place during one school day. A lot can change within a day for children, with relationships being made and broken, so I can see these things happening in real life. 

I also liked that the story gave different perspectives of the events. We get to see what Dee, Osei, Mimi, and Ian do and what they think. I love the way that Shakespeare’s characters have been translated into children. The dramatic characters have great personalities for emotional kids. 

I loved this story. I just wish I had read it sooner! It is one of my favourite Shakespeare retellings!

Title: One Day in December
Author: Shari Low
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Aria
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: September 1, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

One morning in December…

Caro set off on a quest to find out if her relationship with her father had been based on a lifetime of lies.

Lila decided today would be the day that she told her lover’s wife of their secret affair.

Cammy was on the way to pick up the ring for the surprise proposal to the woman he loved.

And Bernadette vowed that this was the day she would walk away from her controlling husband of 30 years and never look back.

One day, four lives on a collision course with destiny…

Review:

I enjoyed this story. 

It was equal parts romance and thriller. I was actually surprised at how much drama there was. There were many parts where I held my breath, anticipating what would happen next. The last third of the book was especially thrilling, when everything unraveled. 

I was sympathetic with Caro, Cammy, and Bernadette. They faced hardships that were unavoidable. Lila was definitely an unlikeable character, but I found her realistic too. Her life was broadcast over social media, like so many people these days. But what she posted wasn’t necessarily true. 

Sometimes I got the older characters mixed up. Bernadette and Kenneth, and Lila’s parents led similar lives. But by the end, their lives head in separate directions. 

I really liked this book. I’m going to keep my eyes open for more Shari Low novels!

This is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Words, where you give the first few lines of a book to hook your readers before introducing the book.

Here are my first lines:

“I shouldn’t have come to this party.
I’m not even sure I belong at this party. That’s not some bougie shit, either. There are just some places where it’s not enough to be me. Either version of me. Big D’s spring break party is one of those places.”

Do you recognize these first lines?

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And the book is… The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.

Here’s the Goodreads synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

I haven’t read this one yet, but I will be soon! Have you read it?