Category: book

My First 50! 2023 Reading List…so far

Today, I finished my 50th read of 2023!

I have been hopping all over the place, as far as books go this year. It seems one book leads to another leads to another leads to another. Between hearing about them on Instagram and Twitter, I have also been picking up titles through my reading of non-fiction titles. A lot of books are name-dropped in memoir and non-fiction, apparently. It’s been great to get all of these suggestions while reading.

It would be really difficult to pick a favourite in what I’ve read thus far this year. Last year had a CLEAR FAVOURITE in Nina Simone’s Gum by Warren Ellis.

Nina Simone’s Gum, my clear-cut winner for FAVE read of 2022.

I know I love a book when I immediately start selling it to other readers. I mentioned that book to whoever would listen. I bought a copy for my daughter before I even got to the end. I needed to have someone to talk to about it. So wondrous!

This year, so far, I have so many faves…I can’t narrow it down. A WAITER IN PARIS, APPARENTLY THERE WERE COMPLAINTS, REMEMBERINGS, REACHING NINETY, PURPLE HIBISCUS, SPECIAL DELUXE, MISSING FROM THE VILLAGE, JUST KIDS, TO BE A GAY MAN. I’d recommend all of these titles. It’s been a good year so far!

I can’t wait to see what avenues I wander down next. I have a list of candidates, thanks to the usual sources!

Happy Reading!

It’s #IReadCanadianDay and, HEY, I’m CANADIAN!

Today’s the day! You can read my books today while participating in #IReadCanadianDay. LKF— I’m Canadian! Yes, some of my books are published in USA, but I assure you I am 100% Canadian. Born and raised in and around Toronto, I also spent as much of my childhood summers as was allowed in New Brunswick. Full on Canadian.

So make today the day you pick up one of my books!

Eight titles to choose from! In order of publication, they are, SUMMER ON FIRE, SEBASTIAN’S POET, THE REASONS, BURN BABY BURN BABY, HALF DEAD & FULLY BROKEN, PRIDE MUST BE A PLACE, THE CAMINO CLUB, and most recently, BOOK OF DREAMS.

I will share my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE HERE. But you can purchase a few of these titles wherever books are sold. Easiest to get your hands on are THE CAMINO CLUB and BOOK OF DREAMS, which you can pick up wherever books are sold. I’ll add here that the ebook for THE CAMINO CLUB is currently on sale for just under or just over one dollar, depending on the country you shop from.

Guess what?! Americans can also participate in #IReadCanadian day! Here’s the American AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE. And if you’re in the UK, here’s the UK AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE.

 

Read Canadian today! If not me, another Canadian author out there will also appreciate the read! Learn more about I READ CANADIAN DAY HERE. “I Read Canadian Day is a new nationwide initiative that celebrates the richness, diversity and breadth of Canadian literature. Taking place for the third year on November 2, 2022, this celebration will empower families, schools, libraries, bookstores and organizations to host activities and events by reading Canadian books for just fifteen minutes. For more information, visit ireadcanadian.ca/day and sign up for free to participate. Help get the word out on social media by following @IReadCanadian and using the hashtag #IReadCanadian.”

It Helps with the Blues – A New Book by Bryan Cebulski

Yesterday was the Book Birthday for Bryan Cebulski’s new book, IT HELPS WITH THE BLUES! I read an advance copy of this book and fell in love with Cebulski’s sleek style of storytelling! You really should pick up a copy!

Synopsis:

Jules leaves. Gabriel rages.
Estelle changes. Joshua hides.

In the aftermath of a classmate’s suicide, a boy embroils himself in a community of Midwestern teens, each doing what they can to cope as they stumble—together and apart—toward a life worth living.

I was more than happy to blurb this one. It reminded me of the literary stylings of F. Scott Fitzgerald in a big way. I really enjoyed the epistolary bits throughout, and the narrator’s struggles and self-reflection were palpable. A quick read and a memorable one!

My blurb for IT HELPS WITH THE BLUES:

It Helps with the Blues is a raw look into the tumultuous world of teenage love and loss. This coming of age story is a tour de force of emotions and self-discovery. Navigating what it means to find oneself while losing others along the way, the young narrator takes readers on a complicated journey of introspection they won’t soon forget. With almost reckless abandon, he wanders through the threads of this story teetering on the edge of his own inborn privilege and a need to turn his back on it all in favor of his own ‘humble inadequacy.’ This story burns through and through, and stays with you long after its simmering outcome. – Kevin Craig, author of The Camino Club

Pick up a copy at any of the following places:

AMAZON USA

AMAZON CANADA

Traum Books

Kobo Books

Add IT HELPS WITH THE BLUES on your Goodreads Shelf!

Bryan Cebulski’s Website

Follow Bryan on Twitter

Sip Sip Bang Bang!

Let’s talk about SIP SIP BANG BANG for a moment, shall we! Sip Sip is the new novel coming next week from the wonderful DANIKA STONE, author of INTERNET FAMOUS, ALL THE FEELS, and, SWITCHBACK, to name a few.

I had the absolute pleasure of reading this coffee shop hostage crisis meet-cute romance this past summer. To say I devoured this book like I would a grande double-shot Blonde Vanilla Latte with a twist of lemon would be an understatement of monumental proportions! I absolutely LOVED it and would recommend it to anyone.

Here’s the synopsis for SIP SIP:

College student Haylee Campos is living the New York dream. She’s landed an impressive publishing internship at Folio-Echo, made great friends, and is finally starting to feel at home in the city. At work, Haylee spends her time putting out fires and, of course, making the occasional coffee run to Caffeine, the shop across the street. In spite of her mother’s worries, Haylee’s life is practically a Taylor Swift song. Until she gets caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.Trapped in Caffeine by a group of rogue criminals, Haylee and Carter (the super hot barista whose inability to get her order right is what landed Haylee in this situation in the first place!) must rely on their extensive knowledge of action movies in order to save themselves and the other café customers. But time is running out…

Haylee is a force to be reckoned with in this fast paced new adult thrill-ride…just the hero I was looking for! If you want to pre-order this novel, you’ll have to do so soon…because time is running out!

My Blurb for Sip Sip Bang Bang by Danika Stone…

SIP SIP BANG BANG lands in bookstores (and wherever books are sold) on TUESDAY OCTOBER 5th. Pre-order your copy today!

AMAZON USA

AMAZON CANADA

Put SIP SIP BANG BANG on your Goodreads Shelf!

Give Danika a follow on TWITTER & INSTAGRAM while you’re at it!

SIP SIP BANG BANG is coming atcha Tuesday October 5th! It’s Die Hard at a trendy coffee shop with a sweet romance and a kick-ass heroine who possibly puts John McClane to shame.

sip sip…

bang bang…