Funeral Songs for Dying Girls - Cherie Dimaline

I was thrilled to see that Cherie Dimaline had two books coming out in 2023. The second is the newly released Funeral Songs for Dying Girls. It's labeled as YA fiction. 

Winifriend lives with her widowed father on the grounds of a cemetery. She’s awkward and has few friends, except for Jack. But as they grow older, Jack is moving on and leaving Winnie behind. And then Phil arrives. Is she a figment of Winifred’s imagination? Or could she be real? Or...

Dimaline’s prose are simply wonderful. I stopped more than once to savour Winnie’s words before carrying on. Her descriptions and inner dialogue conjure up vivid mental images and thought provoking ideas.

The setting is just as well drawn - the mossy paths, the headstones, the mausoleums and more. I've always found cemeteries to be peaceful and calming. And so did Winifred - until now. 

The supporting characters are just right. My faves were Floyd, the cemetery's handy man and Auntie Roberta - everyone needs an Auntie like this. And all of us probably have an annoying relative like Penny. 

There are many themes - life, loss, love, coming of age, friendship, family and identity. Dimaline addresses them all with a fresh, unique and thoughtful eye.

I really like Dimaline's writing, messages and storytelling. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Funeral Songs for Dying Girls.

Now is Not the Time to Panic - Kevin Wilson

Now is Not the Time to Panic is Kevin Wilson's latest book. And it's one of the most unique, offbeat, complex, additive, perfect books I've read in a long time.

Frankie is sixteen and lives in the small town of Coalfield, Tennessee. She's a loner by choice. When Zeke moves to town, she finds a kindred soul. Frankie writes and Zeke is an artist. They decide to collaborate on a project - a poster that they'll anonymously post around town. Frankie's words are oddly powerful and unsettling. Zeke's illustrations are also compelling and disconcerting. But soon the project grows in dangerous leaps and bounds...

"The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us."(Say it a few times - it is addictive and intriguing, isn't it?)

That small town summer is seen through Frankie's thoughts, actions and experiences. The poster is important, but its not all of the story. The book is also a coming of age tale, an exploration of family, young love, self, friendship, and yes, art. Bookending that summer is the grown up Frankie's voice, twenty years on. 

I was immediately drawn to Frankie. Zeke was harder to get to know. I'm sure that Wilson's depiction of teenage angst will spark memories for many readers. But the supporting players are just as interesting and offbeat. Frankie's mom appealed to the adult in me. 

I think Wilson has written a wonderful story, remarkable in so many ways. His insight captured me. As for how it ends - not what I expected, but suits what has gone before. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Now is Not the Time to Panic.

The Lucky List - Rachael Lippincott

Rachael Lippincott is the co-author of Five Feet Apart, which I really enjoyed. She's just released her solo novel, The Lucky List.

Emily and her mother were really close. Were, because three years ago her mom died - and nothing has felt right since. As Emily and her dad begin to pack up things for an imminent move, Emily finds a bucket list her mother made back in her high school days. And suddenly she knows - she has to do the same list....

Lippincott takes the reader back to the final days of high school. And all the angst, drama, friendships, relationships and the question of what's next. But Lippincott puts more on Emily's plate - unresolved grief over her mother's death and questioning her sexuality. 

Emily is a great protagonist and I thought she was well drawn. Her actions, reactions, internal turmoil and more, are realistic and believable. Blake seems a little too perfect at first, but she seems to know herself more and has confidence in who she is. Lippincott has written the burgeoning relationship in a measured, thoughtful manner. I was a bit skeptical of the relationship Emily had with her dad. He makes a decision without consulting Emily that I thought was a bit of a reach. But, we all grieve in out own way. The supporting cast is filled in with old family friends and high school friends, each with roles to play.

Well done. I chose to listen to The Lucky List. The reader was Rebekkah Ross. I've listened to other books she's narrated and I really like her voice. Its pleasant to listen to, clear, and easy to understand. Her voice is believable as a teenage girl. Her narration is very expressive and has movement, easily capturing the emotion of the book. Hear for yourself - listen to an excerpt of The Lucky List.

This is How We Fly - Anna Meriano

My latest teen read is This is How We Fly by Anna Meriano. Young adult reads have changed a great deal over the years. While marketed as teen reads, there is much to be learned for all ages from this genre. That's definitely the case with This is How We Fly. 

This is the last summer before Ellen heads off to college. She and her two besties aren't headed to the same places, so she is looking forward to spending the summer with them. But, the best laid plans....

Instead, one friend wants to cut the ties now and Ellen herself is grounded - for the entire summer. Thanks to her stepmother Connie, Ellen will be doing a list of chores every day. And her dad backs Connie up. (A little bit of Cinderella there...) 

I loved Ellen and her passion for her own beliefs, whether it's feminism, veganism or climate control, she is determined to make the world a better place. Connie and Dad really irked me. Connie is well, mean, and her dialogue had me fuming. We get to know bestie Melissa much more than Xiumiao, but both are well drawn with their own issues instead of just being a foil for Ellen.

When Melissa joins a Quidditch team (yup, you read that right - the Harry Potter game), Ellen gets reluctant permission to join as well. The team, the players and the game are a big focus of the plot. I thought it was a unique premise and a great vehicle to introduce so many topics, themes and situations. Friendship, gender identity, romantic relationships, sex, belonging, blended families, coming of age and acceptance can all be found in these pages. There are so many personalities introduced though the team and tournaments. I thought they were really well done and inclusive.

I've of course read all the Potter books and had a pretty good mental image of a Quidditch match. But I had no idea of how this would be played in our reality. Meriano provides great descriptions. And the title of the book is from that question...." If it's Quidditch....how do you fly?" 

I thought the writing was great and I enjoyed This is How We Fly very much. I did think the 'resolution' at the end of the book was a bit quick, but it's the right ending. Read an excerpt of This is How We Fly.

Giveaway - The Martin Chronicles

Let's start off 2019 with a great giveaway! The Martin Chronicles by John Fried releases January 8/19 and I have a copy to give away to one lucky reader!

From Grand Central Publishing:

"A powerful and heartfelt coming-of-age novel that follows Martin Kelso as he grows up in 1980's New York and faces the magic of first experiences, as well as the heartbreak of hard-won life lessons.

Martin Kelso’s comfortable world starts to change at the age of eleven. Girls get under his skin in ways he never noticed before. His cousin Evie, who used to be Marty’s closest confidante–the one who taught him the right way to eat a pizza and how to catch tadpoles - has grown up into a stranger, mysterious and unpredictable. Marty and his best friends once inhabited fantasy worlds of their own making, full of cowboys and cops and robbers, where the heroes always won the day. But now, as neighborhood kids are attacked on their walk to school, they find themselves wanting to play a new game that better prepares them for real life.

As life changes quickly and Marty feels less secure with himself, the difference between games and reality, friend and foe, and right from wrong becomes much more difficult to distinguish. At the same time, this new world offers possibilities as exciting as they are frightening.

This poignant debut perfectly captures the intense emotion, humor, and earnestness of young adulthood as Marty, age eleven to seventeen, navigates a series of life-changing firsts: first kiss, first enemy, first loss, and, ultimately, his first awareness that the world is not as simple a place as he had once imagined." Read an excerpt of The Martin Chronicles. And you have to listen The Martin Chronicles playlist - classic rock!

"John Fried teaches creative writing at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. He received his MFA from Warren Wilson College’s Program for Writers. His short fiction has appeared in numerous journals, including The Gettysburg Review, North American Review, and Columbia: A Journal of Arts and Literature. Prior to teaching, he was a magazine writer and editor in New York, and his work appeared in various publications, including The New Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, New York, Time, and Real Simple." You can connect with John on his website and follow him on Twitter.

If you would like to read The Martin Chronicles, enter for a chance to win a copy using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US and Canada. Ends January 12/19.

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The Saturday Night Ghost Club - Craig Davidson

I picked up Craig Davidson's new novel, The Saturday Night Ghost Club on a lazy Sunday morning and literally couldn't put it down until the last page was turned. Yup, that addicting.

Our protagonist is Jake Baker - we meet him as the adult neurosurgeon he is today and the young boy he was, living in Cataract City (aka Niagara Falls, Canada. In Latin, cataracta means waterfall), circa 1980. Jake is that odd kid out - overweight, shy with no real friends. He hangs out with his Uncle Cal, who owns the Occultorium on the tourist lined streets of the Falls. Cal believes in the otherworld, ghosts, conspiracy theories and more. When Billy Yellowbird moves into town, Jake has finally found a friend. And Cal has two members for his proposed Saturday Night Ghost Club.

"This city is haunted by ghosts. Uncle C used to say this, though not to scare me. He'd say it with a cocked eyebrow and an inscrutable smile, a merry jester beckoning me to embark on a grand adventure."

I could vividly picture the setting, having visited the Falls many times. The busy, congested, neon party that is Clifton Hill sprang to life. Davidson takes us behind those streets to the lives of the permanent residents of Cataract City. I appreciated the cultural references woven throughout the book....."We did what Canadian kids do on unbearably hot summer days: watched reruns of The Beachcombers and Danger Bay on the CBC..."

Initially there's a 'Stranger Things' feel to The Saturday Night Ghost Club - exploring the haunted landmarks and sites of the Falls. That's the setting, but the story is much more than that. Friendship, love, family, coming of age - and memory. "The brain is the seat of memory, and memory is a tricky thing."

Davidson is a one heck of a storyteller. His prose flow so easily and draw the reader into the world he's created. His characters leap to life and will break your heart. Those last fifty pages? So very, very good. And once you've turned that last page, head back to that first chapter again. You'll look at it with different eyes. An absolutely wonderful read. Here's an excerpt of The Saturday Night Ghost Club.

The Wolves of Winter - Tyrell Johnson

Ahh, Tyrell Johnson, you had me at post apocalyptic. Johnson's debut novel is The Wolves of Winter - and it's one you're going to want to read.

Nuclear war and disease have decimated society and the world as we know it. Seven years on, Lynn McBride and her family are still surviving. They fled to an isolated area of the Yukon. and Lynn's hunting and survival skills are now finely honed. When a stranger named Jax stumbles into their part of the forest, Lynn is curious and does what she shouldn't - she approaches him and takes him back to the homestead. But Jax has brought trouble with him - and now it's on the McBride doorstep.....

Johnson has created a great lead character in Lynn - she's tough physically and mentally. But, on the flip side, she's lonely and isolated - and her world is about to change - again.

Johnson's post apocalyptic world building is believable and perhaps not that far away. The cold of the Yukon seeps into the reader's fingers with Johnson's detailed descriptions. But the beauty as well.

The Wolves of Winter is action packed - the tension increases with each new chapter and plot development. There's a great cat and mouse game played out and an epic battle scene. Johnson takes his plotting in an inventive direction that I didn't see coming, but was just right.

Comparisons have been made by the publisher to The Hunger Games. And I agree, it's in the same vein, but puts it's own stamp on world building, a strong female lead, supporting male characters, danger, survival, intrigue and yes, romance.

The Wolves of Winter ends on a satisfying note. But, I wonder Tyrell......could there be there be more to Lynn's story? Pretty please?

Read an excerpt of The Wolves of Winter. An excellent debut, and I look forward to Johnson's next book. You can connect with Tyrell Johnson on his website, like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

The Last True Love Story - Brendan Kiely

I love 'road trip' novels. Anything could happen on the way 'there'. Where is 'there'? Why is the trip being made? As one character often says in Brendan Kiely's new novel, The Last True Love Story - 'You have to respect the road trip."

Hendrix's beloved Gpa is slipping away from him - Alzheimer's is stealing his memories. Hendrix has been writing down the stories of Gpa and Gma (loved these inserted tales), but when Gpa says he wants to go 'home', Hendrix impulsively decides to sign him out of the retirement home and drive from LA to Ithaca, New York. Problem is he doesn't have a license. He's got a car - his mom is out of the country and won't notice that her 'bug' (or Gpa) are missing for at least a few days.

Corrina is seventeen as well, but does have her license. Both Hendrix and Corrina are lonely and out of step with the rest of their peer groups, but sense something in each other - kindred spirits? And so the road trip is on with each character having their own reasons to head out.

I loved all three main characters. Corrina's smart mouth and 'acting out' hide an insecure young woman trying to find her place in her family and society. But when the mask comes off, she's a kind, intuitive person. Hendrix too, is struggling with unresolved family questions. His father is dead and no one really talks about him. There may be answers about 'Dead Dad' in Ithaca as well. Gpa affected me the most. Alzheimer's has touched my family as well. The glimpses into Gpa's life and his love for his deceased wife make for some touching and poignant scenes. And the times he forgets are well (and sadly) depicted.

The relationship between Hendrix and his Gpa is a joy to read. The budding relationship between Hendrix and Corrina is sweet and believable. Family dynamics are also explored from many viewpoints. These three are not just navigating the road, but life as well.

Music is such a big part of any road trip. I ended up jotting down many of Corrina's play lists - rock and roll classics with a healthy dose of new stuff.

Great opening prologue.....

"I'd feel like this is all coming to the end, except I can't. Because it can't be. It can't be the end, not for Gpa, not for Corrina, and not for me, because it is out here on the road in the middle of nowhere that I have finally come to understand what my grandfather means when he says that the point of living is learning how to love."

.....and some great endings too - lines, songs and stories - that I'll let you discover. And yes, I can absolutely see The Last True Love Story as a movie. Read an excerpt of The Last True Love Story.  You can follow Brendan Kiely on Twitter.

Film on Friday #40 - Little Glory - Review AND Giveaway

I love indie films - they don't cater to the masses and you just never know what gems you'll find.

My latest indie watch is Little Glory starring Cameron Bright (Twilight Saga), Hannah Murray (Game of Thrones) and young Isabella Blake-Thomas.

Bright (Shawn) and Blake-Thomas (Julie) play siblings living with a widowed, abusive, alcoholic father. When he suddenly dies, Shawn is sure he can raise Julie on her own, counting on his father's life insurance policy. Their Aunt Monica is just as sure that Shawn can't raise Julie and sues for custody.

Of course, the viewer wants Shawn to step up and take charge. But despite his proclamations that he can do it, he falls short over and over again. And the viewer despairs - and begins to despise Shawn for his selfishness and the hurt that he causes to Julie. And he does some pretty crappy stuff. Bright plays the part well - he's absolutely believable as a swaggering young punk. (There's a wee bit of an Elvis-like smolder in the eyes, don't you think?) Blake-Thomas was really good as Julie - she gives a strong performance as a kid used to navigating the moods of her male relatives, but needing and craving more from life. The one role I had trouble embracing was that of Jessica, Shawn's girlfriend. I found their initial meeting oddly awkward and unconvincing. Her attempts to be enigmatic just seemed stilted and somewhat foolish. I never really bought into their relationship. The supporting cast of Shawn's friends were perfectly played - vulgar, rude, arrogant and one of them is downright dangerous.

Balancing the ugly out are some poignant moments as both siblings grieve for their mother. And there are bright spots as Shawn does step out of his immature, self-absorbed state and interacts positively with Julie -  and you hope that it sticks......

Little Glory is another take on 'coming of age' from writers John Engel and François Verjans and Director Vincent Lannoo.  I had thought things would play out as I expected, but a nice little twist was thrown in at the end.

The movie is set in a worn out working class neighborhood and is shot in somewhat sepia tones in the beginning, echoing the tiredness of it all. The soundtrack was quite good. Take note that this film is unrated - there are a few disturbing scenes.

Have a sneak peek at the trailer below. And if you think you'd like to watch Little Glory, I have a copy to giveaway courtesy of Lightyear Entertainment. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US, Canada and International. Ends Sept. 26/15.

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The Theory of Opposites - Allison Winn Scotch- Review AND Giveaway

Allison Winn Scotch is an author whose name I was familiar with - I've read many, many positive reviews of her book. But, her latest (5th) book, The Theory of Opposites, is the first one I've read. And I wish I'd picked up one of her books sooner - she really is a delight to read.

Willa and Shawn are that couple - you know  - the ones who do everything together, don't fight and seem to have it all. You know - Shilla.

Because Willa believes it all - we don't control our fate. Our lives are pre - determined. Her father's best selling book "Is It Really Your Choice? Why Your Entire Live May Be Out Of Your Control", has been the defining force in her life....."No one has a choice. We all lead the lives we were meant to live."

Until....Willa finds a wine bar receipt for the night Shawn said he was out playing pick up basketball. Until....Willa's advertising presentation tanks and she's summarily fired. Until....the pink line on the pink line on the EPT test keeps coming up negative. Until....Shawn says he wants time apart and takes a job for the summer in another city..

Until her best friend Vanessa challenges her to take a chance, change her life and live her life exactly opposite to her father's theory....

It takes a bit to make me laugh, but I have to tell you that I was chuckling out loud in the lunch room reading the first few chapters of The Theory of Opposites. Winn Scotch has created absolutely wonderful characters - I was rooting for Willa every step of the way. Her doubts, her insecurities, her thoughts, her dialogue were realistic. The eventual outcome was so satisfying. (Willa and Vanessa would be great friends to have!) The supporting cast was no less endearing. Willa's family had me in stitches, as did the emails sent amongst the family. Scotch is a clever, clever wordsmith.

So, yes there's a huge, fun, chick lit element to the book. But it goes much deeper than that. Willa has to decide if she has the desire, the want and the need to change and be the master of her own fate. So, yes, this is a coming of age story - albeit a little later in life. And it's not just Willa - all of the characters are searching for something. I have to say, Winn Scotch made me stop and think about my own life. Truly is it ever too late to try something new, make changes and just grab life with both hands?

What an excellent introduction to a talented writer. This may have been my first book by Winn Scotch, but definitely won't be my last. Read an excerpt of The Theory of Opposites.

"Allison Winn Scotch is the bestselling author of four novels, including Time of My Life, The Song Remains the Same, The One That I Want, and The Department of Lost and Found. Her fifth novel, The Theory of Opposites, will be released on November 12, 2013. In addition to fiction, she pens celebrity profiles for a variety of magazines, which justifies her pop culture obsession and occasionally lends to awesome Facebook status updates. She lives in Los Angeles with her family." You can keep up with Allison Winn Scotch on Facebook and on Twitter.

Sound like a book you'd like to read?! I've got a copy to giveaway to one lucky reader. Open to US only. Simply leave a comment to be entered. Closes November 30/13.

Sihpromatum - I Grew My Boobs in China - Savannah Grace

Sihpromatum: A blessing that initially appears to be a curse.

Vancouver, Canada: Fourteen year old Savannah thought it was the end of the world when her newly divorced mother (Maggie 45 yrs.) decided that she would pull her two daughters (Breanna 17 yrs.) out of school and travel for a year. Accompanying them would be already seasoned traveller - older brother Ammon, 25 yrs.

"We were going to pack up everything, we were going to travel around the world, and we were going to live out of backpacks - for a whole year!"

May 05/05. The Watkins load up their backpacks and head to Hong Kong, China and on to Mongolia. (That's just the first three months covered in this first book.)

Sihpromatum is told from 14 year old Savannah Grace's viewpoint. The first chapters deal with typical teenage angst - leaving at a time when cliques, boys, parties and mall shopping take priority in an adolescent's life. And I had to stop and remind myself of that when I read of her reluctance to go on this adventure. I was reading with older eyes and could only see this as an amazing opportunity and adventure.

There is a chapter in the beginning written from Maggie's view, which led me to think we might hear from the rest of the family throughout the book, but that was not the case. Although you can read  entries written by all the family members on their blog - Escape the Good Life.

What we do get is a realistic recounting from a young pair of eyes, seeing the world - literally
- for the first time. New food, uncomfortable toileting situations, cultural shock, travel conditions that aren't cushy and more. But slowly but surely, cracks start appearing in her self absorption...."In my half-asleep state, something within me awakened, and I felt the most calming form of peace imaginable. For just an instant, I let go and peered curiously though that doorway of exciting possibilities, but it was one I was not yet ready to step through."

But she does step through and starts embracing the potential and opportunities that this adventure offers. Descriptions of the sights seen are intriguing, but it is the experiences with the people they met that proved to be the most interesting for me. Family dynamics and interactions also play a large part in this travel/coming of age memoir.

By the time the family hits Mongolia (and the Gobi Desert!) Savannah ..."finally pushed through that barrier of stubbornness I'd always carried to see a new reality, one where I was unbelievably blessed by all the wonderful, positive things in my life. I knew that despite my age, my inexperience, and the minimal impact I had made on the world thus far, I would no longer be able to resist or ignore this new comprehension of my place in it." And the title and cover blurb "How an unwanted journey forced me to see the world with open eyes" fall into place.

You can view a fantastic slide show here  of this leg of their journey. It really brings home what  an absolutely amazing odyssey this family  undertook, both as individuals and as a unit. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. I'm in awe - and of Maggie especially. Read an excerpt of Sihpromatum - I Grew My Boobs in China.

Last we see them, they're on a train headed to Russia. This is just book one - the family's one year adventure stretched to four years. At the writing of this review, Savannah has visited 99 countries on 5 continents.... You can keep up with Savannah on Twitter.

The Silver Star - Jeannette Walls

Oh, I have to say right up front that I loved Jeanette Walls's latest book The Silver Star. Walls is a consummate raconteur, as evidenced by her best selling memoirs The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses.

Although The Silver Star is fiction, I could see pieces that may have been gleaned from Walls' past as well.

1970. California. Twelve year old Bean Holladay and her fifteen year old sister Liz are used to their mother Charlotte leaving them on them on their own for a few days. She always stocks up on chicken pot pies - enough to last them 'til she returns. But this time is different - she leaves them with money to last a month - or two if they're careful. When the money runs out and she still hasn't returned, the girls decide to make their way to their mother's hometown - to a place they don't know and to relatives they've never met.

I fell in love with Bean right from the get go. Her curiosity, her forthrightness, her loyalty to those she loves, her devotion to her sister Liz and her resilience  all endeared her to me. To Kill a Mockingbird is referenced in the book and Scout was brought to mind when I thought of Bean. Liz is just as well drawn, but on a quieter scale. She's the one who ensures they go to school, that they have meals together, that protects Bean from realizing their plight is more desperate than she lets on.

I had been racing through the book, I was so caught up in the girls' story. But, their arrival in Virginia had me putting the book down and stepping away. I just knew 'something' was going to happen and I wasn't sure if I wanted to know what that was yet, although I had a pretty good idea.

I waited a few days and picked up the book again, when I knew I had time to read right through to the end. (Although I must admit - I had to sneak a peek a few chapters ahead, then go back) And yes, something does happen and it shapes and redefines Liz and Bean's lives as well as those of their new found family. Childhood is left behind in this coming of age story. But much is gained as well....

There isn't a problem distinguishing who is 'bad' and who is 'good' in this book. The extended family that Liz and Bean find are wonderfully warm and eccentric. While I was thinking good and bad, I sat and thought about Charlotte. I'm not sure she can be defined as one or the other. My opinion on her sits firmly in the middle. I'm curious as to what others thought about her.

Walls touches on many familiar issues and themes in The Silver Star - mental illness, dysfunctional relationships, racial integration, bullying, poverty and so much more. And has woven them into yet another riveting read.

Read an excerpt of The Silver Star. A reading group guide is also available for book clubs.