Love Anthony by Lisa Genova

"I'm always hearing about how my brain doesn't work right. . . . But it doesn't feel broken to me.
Olivia Donatelli's dream of a "normal" life shattered when her son, Anthony, was diagnosed with autism at age three. Understanding the world from his perspective felt bewildering, nearly impossible. He didn't speak. He hated to be touched. He almost never made eye contact. And just as Olivia was starting to realize that happiness and autism could coexist, Anthony died.
Now she's alone in a cottage on Nantucket, separated from her husband, desperate to understand the meaning of her son's short life, when a chance encounter with another woman facing her own loss brings Anthony alive again for Olivia in a most unexpected way.
Beth Ellis's entire life changed with a simple note: "I'm sleeping with Jimmy." Fourteen years of marriage. Three beautiful daughters. Yet even before her husband's affair, she had never felt so alone. Heartbroken, she finds the pieces of the vivacious, creative person she used to be packed away in a box in her attic. For the first time in years, she uncaps her pen, takes a deep breath, and begins to write. The young but exuberant voice that emerges onto the page is a balm to the turmoil within her, a new beginning, and an astonishing bridge back to herself.
In a piercing story about motherhood, autism, and love, New York Times bestselling author Lisa Genova offers us two unforgettable women on the verge of change and the irrepressible young boy whose unique wisdom helps them both find the courage to move on." (chapters.ca)

Review:

Lisa Genova, with a PhD. in neuroscience, writes about the most interesting topics. Each of her books focuses on a disease or ailment and she does an amazing job of portraying what it must be like to have that disease/ailment. This story was a little bit different from her other two, but she uses autism to tell the story of two women and their lives. Each has experienced such different obstacles and joys in their life and the way Genova brought them together was very interesting.

I am always in awe after reading one of Genova’s books. I feel as though I understand autism a little better now after reading her book, even if it is a fiction novel, and it makes you realize that things are not always as they seem. We look for certain cues for how someone is feeling, what they feel toward us, etc. and this book makes you realize that not all cues are visible. It is really an incredible story and I urge you to give it a try. Also read her other novels, Still Alice and Left Neglected. I give this book a 4/5.

Happy Reading!

Next Review: Home For a Spell by Madelyn Alt

I have a creative side?

I have been "creating" things for as long as I can remember, but I've never really considered myself as creative or crafty until a year ago, when I created Bramley Designs. A friend of my mom's had started making her own greeting cards using her scrapbooking supplies (we all were into scrapbooking and I have mountains of supplies), so I thought, why not? I can make cards. They're simple, easy, and quick to make. It turns out they are not always simple (or easy), but they sure can be a joy to create! Especially when I am feeling really imaginative! I even impress myself every now and again! haha

Cards turned into PotPeople, which turned into scrapbook template pages. I now create sets of notecards, Christmas ornaments, and I am currently trying out some new things (more to come in the near future, hopefully.) I love taking the items I already have and seeing what else I can make from them. Or taking something unusual and creating something fun from it! It is amazing what you can come up with when you just take a little time to think about it and it does not usually cost very much!

Greeting cards I find especially fun to make. There are so many holidays and occasions throughout the year, you can pretty much make a card for anything and everything! So far I have made cards for:
*Christmas

*Halloween

*Valentine's Day

*Mother's Day

*Father's Day

*New Baby

*Wedding

*Thanksgiving

*Easter

*Birthday

I am going to attempt to make St. Patrick's Day, Canada Day, and New Year's cards as well. Why not, right? They are a lot of fun for me to make, they certainly make me think (especially when I am trying to come up with new designs), and they are fun for those who receive them! How much fun would it be to receive a St. Patrick's Day card? How many of your friends can say they received one?

Notecards I am having a lot of fun with right now. The general design of them is pretty much the same (although I have another design I want to try out, I just need to find one of my tools needed to create it), however it is a lot of fun mixing and matching different patterns of paper! And I get to use my ribbon, which I have numerous different colours of! These cards are perfect for those "just because" times: thinking of you, wanting to say hi, telling someone you miss them, etc. While I am an environmentally conscious person, I feel that with the development of texting, phone calls, and technology the old fashioned way of letting someone know you are thinking of them is going out of style. Personally, I love receiving mail. It is personal, hand-written, and WAY more fun than receiving bills in the mail! It's a dying trend I am hoping to bring back. Care to help me?

Pots are a TON of fun to play with. The ideas with these started with snowmen and soldiers that my aunt made years ago and gave to our family. I did not have any pictures and the actual one she made for our family (a solider) was packed away. I decided to come up with my own. Equipped with an idea in my head, I headed out to get some supplies and just looking for the items I needed led to other ideas and more supplies were necessary. Halloween is one of my absolute favourite holidays and I created an entire Halloween line of PotPeople that a friend of mine purchased. They are so much fun to make and I welcome the challenge in the creation and execution of these PotPeople. Not all of my ideas have come from my head, I have seen pictures of items created by others online or in books and borrowed some ideas, but put a twist on them and made the ideas my own. I really love making the snowman ornaments right now and am hoping to expand on this line of ornaments and try out some others!

I have not made any scrapbook template pages for a while, but these are also fun. I love scrapbooking and have not done much of it since starting to create all of these crafts for Bramley Designs, but I know a lot of people who say they are not creative enough to make pages or wish they could just buy a page and glue on their pictures. And that is exactly what these are for. Not only can they be used to create a scrapbook (and at $3 for 2 matching 12x12" pages they are MUCH cheaper than buying all the supplies to create your own pages), but they can also be framed (12x12" frames can be purchased at Michael's) and displayed on the wall. They make the perfect gift for someone you care about and if you want to remember a special moment shared together.

As I said, I am trying out some new ideas (which I am not going to share at this point) and I am having a lot of fun with that. If you are not familiar with my craft items and would like to see what I have created, please go on Facebook and look for my Bramley Designs page (https://www.facebook.com/BramleyDesigns). You can "like" this page and keep up with the items I am creating and selling! I do ship items if requested (shipping costs have to be paid by you), so please do not let that stop you from ordering something you like! I am not here to convince you to buy my items, I just wanted to let you know how much I have enjoyed creating them over the last year. I certainly hope to sell more of my creations, and I am going to try and participate in some craft shows this year, but regardless, I am having a great time doing it!

Thank you so much for reading this! Whatever your passion may be, whatever you enjoy doing in your spare time, make sure you MAKE time to do it. Our lives should be filled with the things we love and we should have as much fun as we can! I hope you will share with me what your passion/favourite past-time is!

Have a great day!

Written in Stone by Ellery Adams

"When Munin Cooper, known as the Witch of Oyster Bay, warns Olivia Limoges that death is coming, neither of them realize that it is the older woman herself who will soon be found dead. And Olivia’s instincts tell her that something—or someone—more sinister than a mystical force is at play… Olivia has a lot on her plate preparing for the Coastal Carolina Food Festival. When she hears the news of Munin’s untimely death, however, finding the murderer takes priority. The witch left behind a memory jug full of keepsakes that Olivia knows must point to the killer—but she’s got to figure out what they mean. With handsome Police Chief Rawlings by her side, Olivia starts to identify some of the jug’s mysterious contents—and finds its secrets are much darker than she suspected. Now Olivia must enlist the help of the Bayside Book Writers to solve the puzzle behind the piece of pottery and put an end to a vengeful killer before any more damage can be done…" (Goodreads)

Review:

The Books By The Bay mystery series is one of my favourite cozy mysteries! I love the main character, Olivia, so much. She is independent, found her own way, does not care what other people think of her, does what she can for others, and is just an all-around good person. I also love that she talks to her dog like he’s a person!!!!!

This is the fourth book in the series and it did not disappoint. Olivia is a master problem-solver and her friends were right there with her to help solve the problem. This story, and murder, was a bit more personal for Olivia and it was nice to see her vulnerable side. I do not want to give anything away about this series, especially because it is not the first one, but it is just such a great read. I fell into it instantly, I find the characters relatable, I love the town that the series is set in, and I never know what kind of murder the author will come up with next. No one is safe in this series and surprises are always waiting for the reader. I give this book (and series) a 5/5!!!!

Happy Reading!

Next Review: Love Anthony by Lisa Genova

Beta by Rachel Cohn

"Elysia is created in a laboratory, born as a sixteen-year-old girl, an empty vessel with no life experience to draw from. She is a Beta, an experimental model of a teenage clone. She was replicated from another teenage girl, who had to die in order for Elysia to exist.
Elysia's purpose is to serve the inhabitants of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on earth. Everything about Demesne is bioengineered for perfection. Even the air induces a strange, euphoric high, which only the island's workers--soulless clones like Elysia--are immune to.
At first, Elysia's life is idyllic and pampered. But she soon sees that Demesne's human residents, who should want for nothing, yearn. But for what, exactly? She also comes to realize that beneath the island's flawless exterior, there is an under-current of discontent among Demesne's worker clones. She knows she is soulless and cannot feel and should not care--so why are overpowering sensations cloud-ing Elysia's mind?
If anyone discovers that Elysia isn't the unfeeling clone she must pretend to be, she will suffer a fate too terrible to imagine. When her one chance at happi-ness is ripped away with breathtaking cruelty, emotions she's always had but never understood are unleashed. As rage, terror, and desire threaten to overwhelm her, Elysia must find the will to survive.
The first in a dazzlingly original science fiction series from best-selling author Rachel Cohn, "Beta "is a haunting, unforgettable story of courage and love in a cor-rupted world." (Goodreads)

Review:

I have never in my life read a book about clones or cloning. Those of you who have, I’m sure, are probably groaning that the first one I read was...a teen book haha. The cover of this book is actually what caught my eye. It piqued my interest and had me curious enough to pick it up and read it. I am glad I stepped out of my normal realm, and tried something new. This is the first book in a series (or maybe just a trilogy, I’m not sure) and I’m super excited for the next one because HOLY CLIFFHANGER!!!! I am finding it really hard to write this review without giving away anything about the story! I like the main character and I find it very interesting following her story and seeing how things progress. Just when I think I know what the author is going to do next, she throws in a curveball! I LOVE curveballs! There are definitely other characters in this book that I love to hate....and I can’t wait to see what happens to those characters in future stories. I think they may have a thing or two coming their way.

I liked that this story did not seem unbelievable. I know when a lot of people think of science fiction they think of out of this world type storylines, but I believed everything I was reading as I read it. I think it brings up issues we’ve had in the past (and to some extent in the present) such as slavery, and it also brings up ethical issues. I think it’s a really great read overall and I really hope you will check it out! And PLEASE let me know if you do!!! I give this book a 4/5.

Happy Reading!

Next Review: Written in Stone by Ellery Adams

It's the little things...

I find these personal blog posts the most challenging to write. I procrastinate thinking about it, writing it, and find myself scrambling at the last minute to come up with something. I do not usually have anything exciting to write about because my life is average and I’ve been a bit of a homebody for the last little while. Working, not working, having some extra money, having no extra money. This has been a pattern in my life for the last year or so. It is challenging to do the things you want to do when the funds are not there. I am sure I could go on about this, but I won’t, so instead, I will write about a place that has been on my mind for the past 3 months since I first went there: Salsateria.

Salsateria is a Mexican restaurant in Guelph that my cousin told me about. They have absolutely INCREDIBLE food and I am dying to go back. Seriously, I want to take all of you just so I can go again and again and again!!!! I took my friend Jen there for her birthday (albeit a month late) and we had an amazing dinner. I had a pepper quesadilla and she had a taco salad. Both were to die for! I talk about this place every chance I get and I’m sure that seems funny to a lot of people, but Salsateria is so much more than just a restaurant to me.

Yes, Salsateria has amazing food. And I love the massive booths you can sit in. But Salsateria represents so much more to me. It reminds me of a fantastic day with a friend of mine, out celebrating her birthday. It was me taking her somewhere I had heard great things about and I wanted to share that with her. It represents the kind of food I hope to be able to cook someday (I think cooking lessons may be in my future.) It has become a favourite of mine (yes, after only one visit) and it is a place I can’t wait to go back to! When I think about Salsateria, I smile and all kinds of different thoughts float through my head.

I guess the point is that anything can have an impact. This restaurant has impacted me in unexpected ways, some of which I am keeping to myself. It reminded me that cooking is not always a chore (I am the person who stands in front of a full fridge saying there is nothing to eat) and there can be great pleasure in eating and in creating a fantastic meal, whether it is for yourself or for those you care about. It also reminded me that sometimes it is the simple pleasures in life that we take for granted. We live in a society where bigger and newer are better and we tend to forget about all those small things. It is those small things that make up our lives! That show who we are, what we’re about, what we enjoy. My life is not what I expected it to be and I have not accomplished half of the things I would like to. I would, however, take great pleasure in revisiting this little Mexican restaurant and sharing it with someone I care about. And you know what? Right now, that’s good enough for me.

What’s your Salsateria?

Last Christmas by Julia Williams

"It's the most wonderful time of year. Isn't it? Discover the true spirit of Christmas with this seasonal treat for fans of Love, Actually and The Holiday. Discover the true spirit of Christmas...Catherine Tinsall is dreading Christmas. As the 'Happy Homemaker' she is an online sensation, but the reality couldn't be more different. With Catherine's marriage in tatters, her children running wild and her mother increasingly forgetful, seasonal cheer is running low. Husband Noel also hides a secret: he's facing the axe at work. Until he chances upon the village of Hope Christmas, deep in the Shropshire countryside, which could be the second chance he's searching for. If he can save it from the developers! In Hope Christmas itself, schoolteacher Marianne Moore is trying to heal her battered heart. But Christmas is a time for families, and memories of what she's lost haunt her at every turn. Meanwhile, Gabriel North faces a lonely Christmas but hides his sadness for the sake of his son. Will his wife ever come home? Or does love lie elsewhere? All four need a Christmas miracle. And it might just happen - courtesy of a mysterious guardian angel ! Forced to reassess their lives, will Catherine, Noel, Marianne and Gabriel discover what the meaning of Christmas really is? An irresistible gift of a tale that will warm the hearts of Christmas-lovers and Scrooges alike!" (Goodreads)

Review:

Last Christmas was a re-read for me, and is now a Christmas tradition. It was a random find, on the bargain table, and I absolutely love it. It’s a British novel, and I love that the name of the little town is Hope Christmas. It flips back and forth, a bit, between the previous year and the current one and I enjoy that by going back to the previous year, the reader is given a bit of background information on the characters.

I find the characters easy to relate to and I find the different situations they are in to be understandable (it is easy to feel sympathy for their situations.) I feel as though this story brings us back to the basics of the holidays. It’s not about presents or crazy parties or having a lot of money. It’s about family and tradition. I am a HUGE fan of tradition and I love the way it is characterized in this novel. At times during this novel, you can’t help but wonder, is there a supernatural element that is being weaved throughout this story? ;) Read the book and you’ll know what I’m talking about. I give this story a 5/5.

Happy Reading!

Next Review: Beta by Rachel Cohn