Category: Uncategorized

An Upcoming Local Authors Event

Posted on by Cindy

This morning I got a pleasant surprise from a local author, Karen Avivi, she emailed me to tell me about her upcoming book signing along with another local author Alexa Nazzaro.

 
The book signing is taking place Saturday November 2nd from 12 noon to 4pm at the Chapters bookstore here in Pointe-Claire.
 
I love discovering new authors especially when they are local so you can count on me being there. What about you?
 
I have to say I have never heard of these books but after reading what they were about I have to say I am very curious. They are both debut authors.  

 If you asked Kye Penton what his greatest accomplishment is, he’d probably say surviving years of bullying with nothing but his only friend Anthony and movies like The Godfather and anything by Quentin Tarantino to get by. Sure, there are scars, like the social phobia he can’t seem to shake off despite the self-help books he stashes in his bedroom, but at fifteen, things are finally looking up. By some miracle, Claudia in English likes him, and Julian is both his new friend and a super cool guy in general. It looks like Kye’s days of being an outcast are ancient history – until Annie Cooper shows up: pregnant and claiming the baby is his. Kye’s life quickly unravels as he’s pulled into a nightmare bigger than any bullying he has ever survived. A young adult contemporary novel that tackles teen pregnancy, bullying and social anxiety head-on, The Pool Theory is an honest depiction of what it means to live out the so-called best years of your life when all you want to do is disappear off the face of the earth.
 
A contemporary young adult novel

Drop into the world of rule-breaking, gravity-defying girls who shred riding freestyle BMX
“I would have preferred handlebars in the gut.
At least when that happened I definitely saw it coming.”

Shredded by Karen Avivi is more than a girls’ sports book or a BMX biking book. The motivating push-your-limits story takes on feminism, friendship, sexism, and sibling rivalry.

Josie Peters thinks she’ll do anything to ride in the Ultimate BMX freestyle event the summer before her senior year. To hit the qualifying events in the Midwest, Josie and her friends take off on a summer road trip where late-night parties, an intimidating mega ramp, and the lure of sponsorships spark friction between the girls. When Josie’s best chance for success depends on her relationship with flashy rider R.T. Torres, she has to decide what she’s trying to win and how much she’ll sacrifice.

Even readers unfamiliar with BMX or extreme sports will be caught up in the adrenaline rush of Josie’s tricks, wipeouts, and wins. Hints of romance provide extra conflict without overtaking the main plot. Ideal for fans of realistic young adult fiction, Shredded features a strong female lead character who goes after what she wants by taking action.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Bath and Body Works Fall Preview

Posted on by Cindy

 
One of my favorite season’s is autumn. The leaves are changing, apple picking, warm sweaters, the Starbucks drinks (Pumpkin Spice Latte, Mocha Salted Carmel) and the fall scents.
 
Which leads me right into this post. I was lucky enough to be able to snag a Fall 2013 Sneak Peek V.I.P tote bag. The bag became available in late July and I was super excited that I was able to get this. I missed out on it last year.
 
 
This is what was inside the tote bag. 
 
Hand Sanitizer in Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. A mouthwatering blend of fresh pumpkin, brown sugar and ground cinnamon. This retails for $5.50 (US) and its got 225ml. Its got a nice scent and its something I would use.
 
Shower Gel Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. A cozy blend of New England pumpkin, crisp apple and ginger kissed with spiced vanilla and a hint of rum. This retails for $11.00 (US) for 295ml. This was something I bought last year and I did like it.
 
Body Lotion Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. A cozy blend of New England pumpkin, crisp apple and ginger kissed with spiced vanilla and a hint of rum. This retails for $11.00 (US) for 236ml. I normally don’t buy alot of lotion just because I have so much so this is a new to me item. Its got a nice smell and goes into the skin really nice with no greasy feeling.
 
Anti-Bacterial deep cleansing hand soap in Creamy Pumpkin. A comforting blend of gingered pumpkin, honey blossom, whipped vanilla and brown sugar. This retails for $5.50 (US) for 236ml. I love the smell of this and I would actually consider buying it in a foam soap. When I think of fall smells this is one of the scents I think of.
 
Candle in the scent Leaves. A  rich blend of golden nectar, red apple and spiced berries. Retails for $10.00 (US) for 4 oz. I don’t think this would have been a candle I would have bought myself but after burning it this afternoon I actually grew to like the smell. Not sure if I would repurchase it since I love the pumpkin and apple candles in the fall.
 
Finally the last full size item that was in the bag was this sponge. It sales for $3.50. Its a nice sponge. fluffy and soft and you can never have too many sponges hanging around in the shower.
 
Included was two small sized items. The first one is Forever Red perfume in 7ml. A passionate blend of pomegranate & red osmanthus with a sexy surprise of vanilla rum. A full size is $22.00 (US) for 236ml. This is another scent that I was surprised I liked. I think this is the perfect fall scent.
 
The second sample size is the True Blue Mini Shea Cashmere hand cream. An addictive blend of sweet Tahitian vanilla, whipped shea and golden amber. I have never tried this line but the hand cream is really nice. I love the smell and texture. It blends into the skin really well with no greasy feeling. I got a sample of 28g. The full size is 70g for $12.50 (US). I would eventually repurchase this when I am currently out of my hand creams.
 
Over all I am impressed with my first VIP tote bag and I would consider buying it again. The only thing that I didn’t really like was that it had products that were available last year. I guess I was under the impression when I first heard about the bag that it would be new items.
 
Did you purchase this? What is your favorite thing about the fall? Are you a fan of Bath and Body Works?
 
 
copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Review/ The Snatchabook

Posted on by Cindy

Title: The Snatchabook
Author: Helen Docherty
Illustrator: Thomas Docherty
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Pub Date: October 1, 2013
Pages: 32

Source: I received an advance readers copy when I attend BEA 2013 from Sourcebooks.

About The Book:


Where have all the bedtime stories gone?
 
One dark, dark night in Burrow Down, a rabbit named Eliza Brown found a book and settled down…when a Snatchabook flew into town.
 
It’s bedtime in the woods of Burrow Down, and all the animals are ready for their bedtime story. But books are mysteriously disappearing. Eliza Brown decides to stay awake and catch the book thief. It turns out to be a little creature called the Snatchabook who has no one to read him a bedtime story. All turns out well when the books are returned and the animals take turns reading bedtime stories to the Snatchabook.
 
 

 
When I heard about this book at BEA earlier this year I made it a point to stop by the Sourcebooks booth to pick it up. That night I read it in my hotel room and instantly fell in love with it. It had a fantastic story and fantastic illustrations.
 
When I came home I was pleasantly surprised that Michael (who is 10 years old and still loves a good picture book) picked it up and took it to read.
 
I asked him what he thought of it and what he got out of it and he said it a great story about reading books and about the friendships that grow because of it. I was blown away he got what I thought he would get from it. He knew what the meaning was.

Eliza the cute main character is an adorable bunny who is a huge reader. One night she is all set to go to bed to read but quickly realizes her books are missing as well as others in Burrow Down. Where are the books going? Who is taking them?

 
Eliza is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and find out who the book thief is. What will she do when she discovers the thief? Will she get the books back to the animals of Burrow Down?
 
This is the cutest little book told in rhyme.
 
I highly recommend this book. The illustrations are beautiful and the story line is great. As a book lover  who loves to read and instill that into Michael we happily added this book to our collection at home.
 
 
copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Book Club What do you think?

Posted on by Cindy

I was recently approached by my awesome next door neighbor (M) and a terrific library volunteer (W) at my son’s school to join my local library book club. I have to say I have always been a little hestiate to join and it was for no real reason apart from what books we would have to read.

I have been thinking about it for some time now and I can offically say that I took the plunge and joined today. I was at the library to return some over due books and just decided to sign up. I am signed up until December.

The time is sort of perfect for me as its once a month on a Wednesday afternoon.

Not sure if I will go to the first one (which is actually next week) because I have to take my mother to an appointment and it always tends to run over time and I am not sure how I will do with the first book.

The first book is:

 

About the book:

An instant national bestseller, this stunningly evocative, beautifully rendered story told in the voice of Ernest Hemingway”s first wife, Hadley, has the same power and historical richness that made Loving Frank a bestseller.

No twentieth-century American writer has captured the popular imagination as much as Ernest Hemingway. This novel tells his story from a unique point of view – that of his first wife, Hadley. Through her eyes and voice, we experience Paris of the Lost Generation and meet fascinating characters such as Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and Gerald and Sara Murphy. The city and its inhabitants provide a vivid backdrop to this engrossing and wrenching story of love and betrayal that is made all the more poignant knowing that, in the end, Hemingway would write of his first wife, “I wish I had died before I loved anyone but her.”

Has anyone read the book? What do you think?

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Happy Belated 5th Anniversary

Posted on by Cindy

Oh my gosh, how could I have let this happen? I totally forgot about August 26th being my 5th Year Blogiversary.
 
I was thinking about this in June and wanted to do something totally awesome and was working on a few things but then IRL (in real life) things have come up that were a little more important then my blog as you probably already now.
 
I am hoping with September things will get back on track and I will get back into a normal routine again.
 
Over the next few days I am going to come up with an awesome give away so check back for that but until then Happy 5 year Anniversary Cindy’s Love of Books.
copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

First Day back to school

Posted on by Cindy

I am late in posting this (even though its showing up on the right day because I back posted this) but I thought I would share with you this cute picture.

Today (Thursday August 29th), Michael went back to school and is starting grade 5. We are super thrilled and excited with the teacher he has for english but a little sad because he will have a new french teacher.

 
I really can’t believe that my little guy is growing up and will soon be starting high school (2016)
 
This year is an important year because the high schools start looking at the grade 5 marks for admittance. We will start to go to open houses to check the high schools out but as of right now we are looking at two. One is literally down the street from us (a mere few minute walk) and the other one is behind our house.
 
Wishing all my mom readers with kids going back to school a very happy school year.
 
copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.