Book Club - Anne of Green Gables A Graphic Novel adapted by Mariah Marsden

Posting the last of the books I read in 2018!

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers!"

"Matthew loved to hear you laugh.  He's away now, but he still likes to know it's there.  

Don't feel bound to your sorrow.

Look home, to the place that you both loved, and open your heart to heal.

It would please him."

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I am so happy to end this year with such a lovely book.  

The Boy picked this one from the library for The Battle of the Books and he liked it so much he read it 3 times before I was able to get my hands on it.

The artwork is stunning and it is just a wonderful book.

My mom had bought me the original Anne books when I was a kid.  We watched the tv movie together when it came out, and somewhere, hopefully, I still have a photo of her dressed as Anne when she and my dad went out East and visited the heritage site.

I'm pretty sure I don't have my books any more which is sad - I will have to look and if not, head to the used book stores to see what we can find.

Book Club - I'm Down by Mishna Wolff

Posting the last of the books I read in 2018!

"At first I was overjoyed to get picked up by Dad and the coolest gang of guys I knew.  But this pride was shattered when, walking toward the car, I noticed all of my classmates staring like they had never seen rust before."

"Your stepmom is right." Dad said nervously.  "You should start contributing to this family."  I didn't want to contribute to this family.  This family needed a lot of work.

I felt myself loving him as he was standing there, and I needed my bad feelings back or I was going to cry and ask him if I could come home.  Instead I let my anger well up at him like nausea.  I thought about the van incident and the business with Yvonne and the shirt.  And I could feel new resentments growing inside me like muscles, making me strong.

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I had read about this book and a few weeks later stumbled across it at the Symphony book sale.  I bought this mid November and to have read it before the end of the year is a big accomplishment for me.

Book Club - The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi

Posting the last of the books I read in 2018!

Shekib wondered what her place in the world was.

I'm sorry, Khala-jan.  I'm sorry I never thanked you for fighting for me, for everything you taught me, for the stories you told me, for the escape you gave me.

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I bought this from Costco, it made me think of my mom.  This was the sort of book she would have read and then passed it on to me and a couple of her friends.  

Book Club - Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding

Posting the last of the books I read in 2018!

".......Frances was finally able to forgive herself."

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Borrowed this from a friend to read some fiction after a long string of non fiction reads.

Book Club - I Might Regret This by Abbi Jacobson

Posting the last of the books I read in 2018!

I downplay the fact that I am the boss in my head, because, to be honest, it sometimes scares me.  But being scared of something doesn't make it untrue.  I am the actual boss.

I hope my life is full of joy, full of adventure, full of love.

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I grabbed this off a new release shelf at the library - I liked it more than I expected.  I hope she writes more books.

Book Club - Audiobooks

Posting the last of the books I read in 2018!

I used to listen to audio books years ago when we lived in Calgary as I had a long commute to and from work, but haven't listened to one in years.  I enjoyed Call the Midwife for the 2018 Summer Reading Challenge and have borrowed a few more from the library since.

Scrappy Little Nobody - I laughed a lot while listening to this one. 

I listened to 3 books in a YA series - I've run out of steam as the third wasn't my cup of tea.

Currently listening to this one - a bit too sexist for me, but some interesting parts so far.

Book Club - Brave Enough by Cheryl Strayed

Posting the last of the books I read in 2018!

Grief is tremendous, but love is bigger.  You are grieving because you loved truly.  The beauty in that is greater than the bitterness of death.  Allowing this into your consciousness will not keep you from suffering but it will help you survive the next day. 

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Wild is a great book, as is Tiny Beautiful Things, so I am searching out the rest of her books.

Just Torch left!

Book Club - Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan

Posting the last of the books I read in 2018!

'I want to scream at them "Shut up, all of you!  My mother died.  Please don't tell me how lucky or fortunate I am that she lived this long.  She has been here on this earth my entire life and now suddenly in the blink of an eye she's gone.  Gone, gone gone." '

'As Nick was led through the lush gardens and on to a wooden walkway that floated on the lake, a think layer of mist hovered over the still waters, adding to the feeling that he had stepped back in time.'

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Finished the trilogy.  Crazy Rich Asians is still my favorite.  I saw the movie recently and I liked it, I can't wait for the next one.

Merry Merry

Book Club - Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

"Of course he loved telling her what to do.  Men do."

"A woman's life is always a compromise."

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Have read a couple of Tracy Chevalier books and enjoyed them.  Liked this one too.

Snapshot - spotted signs

It's a bit hard to read, but it says Enjoy Denial - in the style of Coke ads

Found at a rest stop on Highway 93.

Book Club - More Than This by Patrick Ness

"Are you ready?" his friends ask him.

He thinks, Yes.

He thinks, Go in swinging.

And he says, "I'm ready."

Brownie Crinkle Cookies

I have been doing a fair amount of cooking some delicious things to share, but I have to post about these cookies today, mostly because I don't know how much I'll be around the rest of this month and if you are doing any baking you should DEFINITELY consider these beauties.

I found these via Williams Sonoma on Instagram - Brownie Crinkle Cookies from The Boy Who Bakes.

They are easy to make although I didn't find the batter to be runny as mentioned in the recipe, and I made a few more cookies than instructed.  But they are gorgeous and delicious!  I am making another batch tomorrow for a friends birthday.

Happy December 15, hope you are enjoying what you can out of this last bit of 2018.

 

Adult Summer Reading Club 2018 Recap

A Staff Pick - Half Broke Horses
A Book With A One Word Title - Birdie
An Adventure Story - The Woman in Cabin 10
By A Canadian Author - Vinyl Cafe Unplugged
Picked At Random Off A Library Shelf - The Cook and the Gardener
Originally Published In A Foreign Language - Autumn
Re-Read A Favorite - Laura
A Travel Book About A Place You've Never Been - The Geography of Bliss
An E Book or E Audio Book - Call The Midwife
A Book Published in 2018 The Gunners
A Biography or Memoir - Dreams from My Father
Readers Choice - Things I Wish I Knew Before My Mom Died
Published In The Decade You Were Born - Cujo
Juvenile Or Young Adult - Dumplin'
Adapted Into A Movie China Rich Girlfriend
A Banned Or Challenged Book I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
A Mystery Or Suspense Novel - The Death of Mrs. Westaway
A Book About Sports - Bleachers
A Cookbook - Try A New Recipe - Back in the Day Bakery