The Impossible Fortress - Jason Rekulak

I love finding a book that is completely different from my usual reading fare - quirky, funny, heartwarming and just fun to read. The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak is one of those finds.

I think it was nostalgia that sold me on reading The Impossible Fortress. Set in the late 1980's in New Jersey, we meet a trio of fourteen year olds determined to get their hands on the latest Playboy - featuring Vanna White. That's the premise but there is so much more to the tale.

It's a story of friendship, growing up, first love, dreams, discoveries and yes - disappointments. And who doesn't remember those years - good and bad?

Rekulak's trio - Billy, Alf and Clark - are wonderful characters - they're a misfit bunch, but eminently likeable. As adults, we can easily see that their schemes are likely to fail, but their hopes and enthusiasm are contagious.

Computer programming is in it's infancy in the 1980's. Billy and Mary (yes, there's a girl involved) are fascinated by this new technology. Remember the Commodore 64? There's coding at the beginning of every chapter - take the time to read it - Rekulak cleverly ties the coding to the story.

Engaging, entertaining and oh so eighties. Here's an excerpt of The Impossible Fortress. This is another one of Entertainment Weekly's 'Most Anticipated Novels of 2017."

Check out Jason Rekulak's website and play The Impossible Fortress game. (It's really kind of fun!)

And as an aside - Rekulak is "the publisher of Quirk Books, where he has acquired a dozen New York Times bestsellers. Some of his most notable acquisitions at Quirk include Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and the YA fantasy novel series Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, which has spent five years on the New York Times bestseller list."

The Christmas Surprise - Jenny Colgan

I really enjoy Jenny Colgan's books. They're filled with sweet lead characters, a quirky supporting cast and always a lovely little village setting. Colgan writes a number of series. The Christmas Surprise is part of the Rosie Hopkins series. Note that this was released as Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop in Britain in 2013. This latest edition has a new cover and has been released as an e-book.

I happily settled in for the night with a pot of tea and a warm throw and lost myself in the village of Lipton. (For those not familiar with the series or characters, Colgan provides a lovely prologue, full of descriptions of players, relationships and what's gone on before. She's quite funny!)

Rosie and her fiance Stephen have the best of news - and the worst of news around Christmastime. The Christmas Surprise takes us through a year of life with this village and its inhabitants ending with the next Christmas. And in between, there are hopes, dreams, desires, missteps, miscommunications - and lots and lots of love.

Yes, some of the characters are cliched - but I enjoyed them all. And I would be quite happy, living in Lipton. I wish there were truly communities such as this that cared about each other. I love reading this type of tale - knowing there's a 'happy ever after' at the end. Warm, witty and oh so perfect for this time of the year. Read an excerpt of The Christmas Surprise.

I received this book from Harper Collins for review.

The Boy is Back - Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot is the author of a number of series, but my favourite is the 'Boy' series. The fourth book, The Boy is Back, has just released - and I think it's the one I've enjoyed the most. All can be read as standalones though.

Reed Stewart and Becky Flowers were high school sweethearts - everyone thought they were the perfect couple. Until prom night when something happened - and that was the last night they ever saw or spoke to each other. Fast forward ten years. Reed's elderly parents are in trouble and Reed's brother and sister have asked him to come home to help.

A great set-up all round - with the main thread being will Becky and Reed rekindle their romance? As with any good chick-lit book, there's a whole lot of yes/no/maybe so. (A whole lot of no from Becky's side of the table!) Playing just as big a role in the plot are the family relationships amongst various members of both the Stewart and Flowers families. I found myself laughing out loud many times (Becky's mom's Blessie Sticks quite amused me). And just as often nodding my head at interactions and discussions I think every family has had. The supporting cast was fun, quirky and (mostly) lovable.

What makes this book so much fun to read is the epistolary format Cabot has chosen to use. The entire tale is told in texts, chats, emails, online reviews, journal entries, newspaper stories, cell phone screen shots, photos, flyers, transcripts and more. I feel like I'm eavesdropping a bit, with insider knowledge of what's going on from numerous sources. But it's so easy to get drawn into this style of storytelling, just wondering what's on the next page.

There's not much doubt as to how things will turn out, but I loved the journey to the final pages. If you're looking for an easy, fun read, The Boy is Back is perfect! Read an excerpt of The Boy is Back.

Photo: Ali Smith

"Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition to her award-winning adult contemporary fiction, she is the author of bestselling young adult fiction, including The Princess Diaries and the Mediator series. More than twenty-five million copies of her novels for children and adults have sold worldwide. Meg lives in Key West, Florida, with her husband." Find out more about Meg at her website, follow her blog, and connect with her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter. See what others on the TLC book tour thought - full schedule can be found here.

I received this book for review from HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours.

Esther The Wonder Pig - Review AND Giveaway

Okay, the title caught your eye didn't it? Esther the Wonder Pig: Changing the World One Heart at a Time. And how about that cute little piggy face?

Well, inside the pages of Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter's new book, written with Caprice Crane, you'll find the story of Esther, the mini pig that was, well, a big pig.

Steve and his partner Derek are animal lovers. They were living with a pair of dogs and cats in their home in a large urban area in Ontario when an old high school friend of Steve's contacted him. (After 15 years of no contact...)

" Hey Steve. I know you've always been a huge animal lover. I have a mini pig that is not getting along with my dogs. I've just had a baby and I can't keep the pig."

Uh huh. So combined with that 15 years and the words 'mini pig', alarms should be going off right? Nope - Steve ends up meeting the woman and bringing home the cute little animal. It's the word 'huge' in that email that is quite prophetic. 'Esther' isn't a mini (surprise!) - instead, she ends up being a full blown commercial size pig. Yes, a 650 pound pig in a 1000 sq.ft. home!

I really enjoyed Steve's voice - I suspect he would be a hoot to meet in person. He's passionate, impetuous and downright funny. I found myself laughing out loud many times. Derek seems to be a bit calmer and more practical. But their love for Esther is the same.

Loving a full sized pig does bring some inevitable changes - physically, mentally and lifestyle. How those changes occurred and how they literally affected and inspired hundreds of thousands of people is a wonderful, heartwarming tale. Esther's story will bring a smile to your day, have you taking a second look at where your food comes from, perhaps inspire you to investigate a vegan lifestyle, support rescue operations and more.

Oh, and my book has a nice little blurb from Ricky Gervais: "Funny, moving, and heartwarming. The greatest love story ever told between two men and their pig." Yup, that about sums it up. A fun read that will leave you smiling. Read an excerpt of Esther the Wonder Pig. My only negative is the celebrity comparisons that just felt forced and awkward.

You can keep up with Esther, Steve and Derek and learn more on : ||   Website   || Esther the Wonder Pig's Facebook Page ||  Esther's Community Kitchen Facebook Page  ||  Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary  || Twitter  ||  Instagram  ||  Fan Club ||

So, if you'd like to read Esther's story, enter to win one of two copies being given away using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US and Canada, no PO boxes please. Ends June 4/16.

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Mary Kay Andrews Prize Pack Giveaway!

Summer is just around the corner....and that means it's time to stock the beach bag with some fantabulous summer reading.

And for me - that means Mary Kay Andrews!! I can't wait to read her newest book, Beach Town,  - it releases May 19th.

But, while we're waiting, I have an amazing Mary Kay Andrews giveaway for one lucky reader to win that includes:

A copy of SAVE THE DATE in trade paperback
A copy of SUMMER RENTAL in mass market paperback 

Two different Mary Kay Andrews bookmarks

Set of 3 SAVE THE DATE recipe cards

SAVE THE DATE magnet MKA

Summer Rental sticker

BEACH TOWN lip balm with SPF 15

So, if you're looking to stock your beach bag with some great summer reading, enter to win this great prize pack using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to Continental US only, no PO boxes please. Ends May 30/15

And here's a quick peek at Beach Town...

"Greer Hennessy is a struggling movie location scout. Her last location shoot ended in disaster when a film crew destroyed property on an avocado grove. And Greer ended up with the blame.

Now Greer has been given one more chance-a shot at finding the perfect undiscovered beach town for a big budget movie. She zeroes in on a sleepy Florida panhandle town. There’s one motel, a marina, a long stretch of pristine beach and an old fishing pier with a community casino—which will be perfect for the film’s climax—when the bad guys blow it up in an all-out assault on the townspeople.

Greer slips into town and is ecstatic to find the last unspoilt patch of the Florida gulf coast. She takes a room at the only motel in town, and starts working her charm. However, she finds a formidable obstacle in the town mayor, Eben Thinadeaux. Eben is a born-again environmentalist who’s seen huge damage done to the town by a huge paper company. The bay has only recently been re-born, a fishing industry has sprung up, and Eben has no intention of letting anybody screw with his town again. The only problem is that he finds Greer way too attractive for his own good, and knows that her motivation is in direct conflict with his.

Will true love find a foothold in this small beach town before it’s too late and disaster strikes? Told with Mary Kay Andrews inimitable wit and charm, Beach Town is this year’s summer beach read!" Read an excerpt of Beach Town.

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