Book ~ "Savannah Blues" (2002) Mary Kay Andrews

From Goodreads ~ Landing a catch like Talmadge Evans III got Eloise “Weezie” Foley a jewel of a town house in Savannahs historic district. Divorcing Tal got her exited to the backyard carriage house, where she has launched a spite-fest with Tal’s new fiancée, the elegant Caroline DeSantos. 

An antiques picker, Weezie combs Savannah’s steamy back alleys and garage sales for treasures when she’s not dealing with her loopy relatives or her hunky ex-boyfriend. But an unauthorized sneak preview at a sale lands Weezie smack in the middle of magnolia-scented murder, mayhem ... and more. 

Dirty deals simmer all around her - just as her relationship with the hottest chef in town heats up and she finds out how delicious love can be the second time around.

Weezie had been married to Tal for about ten years.  Then he had an affair with Caroline, broke up with Weezie and is now engaged to Caroline.  During the divorce proceedings, Tal ended up getting their house (and moved Caroline in) and Weezie fought for and got their carriage house, which is in the same yard.  Needless to say, there is a lot of tension.

Weezie is an antiques picker ... she goes to estate sales and thrift shops looking for gems and reselling them to make a profit.  During one estate sale, Weezie discovers a dead body and is suspected of the murder.  Her lawyer is her uncle James, a former priest with a secret of his own.

In the meantime, Daniel, Weezie's boyfriend from high school, arrives back in town, working as the chef in her best friend, BeBe's restaurant, and he pursues her.

This is the third book I've read by this author (it is the first in the Weezie and BeBe Mystery Series) and I liked it.  I liked the writing style.  There is a lot going on but it moves at a good pace.  It is written in first person perspective in Weezie's voice and third person perspective in James' voice.  I found the characters likable.  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

I look forward to reading the next one in this series.

Book ~ "Q is for Quarry" (2002) Sue Grafton

From Goodreads ~ She was a "Jane Doe," an unidentified white female whose decomposed body was discovered near a quarry off California's Highway 1. The case fell to the Santa Teresa County Sheriff's Department but the detectives had little to go on. The woman was young, her hands were bound with a length of wire, there were multiple stab wound, and her throat had been slashed. After months of investigation, the murder remained unsolved.

That was eighteen years ago. Now the two men who found the body, both nearing the end of long careers in law enforcement, want one last shot at the case. Old and ill, they need someone to help with their legwork and they turn to Kinsey Millhone. They will, they tell her, find closure if they can just identify the victim. Kinsey is intrigued and agrees to the job.

But revisiting the past can be a dangerous business, and what begins with the pursuit of Jane Doe's real identity ends in a high-risk hunt for her killer.

It's the late 1980s and Kinsey Millhone is a 37-year-old private detective in Santa Teresa, CA.  She is contacted by Con Dolan, a police officer and friend, to help him and his former partner, Stacey Oliphant, solve a murder from 18 years earlier.  A young girl had been found murdered and they couldn't figure out who this Jane Doe was.  Both men are getting old and aren't in the best of health and would like to have closure on this cold case.

With the few clues they have, they figure out who the girl was (lots of legwork and luck) and then start working on who killed her, which could have been many people in the small town the girl was from.

I thought this story was just okay.  It wasn't overly exciting and I found it hard to keep track of all the characters at times.  It's written in first person perspective in Kinsey's voice.   I found it ended rather quickly and would have liked a bit more of a wrap-up.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

This is the seventeenth in the "alphabet series" featuring Kinsey Millhone.  Though it is part of a series, it works as a stand alone.  I discovered this series in the mid-1990s and have read them all.  I started rereading them last year.  With the author's recent death, Y is for Yesterday will be the end of the series.

Book ~ "2nd Chance" (2002) James Patterson and Andrew Gross

From Goodreads ~ "2nd Chance" reconvenes the Women's Murder Club, four friends (a detective, a reporter, an assistant district attorney, and a medical examiner) who used their networking skills, feminine intuition and professional wiles to solve a baffling series of murders in "1st to Die". 

This time, the murders of two African Americans, a little girl and an old woman, bear all the signs of a serial killer for Lindsay Boxer, newly promoted to lieutenant of San Francisco's homicide squad. But there's an odd detail she finds even more disturbing: both victims were related to city cops. 

A symbol glimpsed at both murder scenes leads to a racist hate group but the taunting killer strikes again and again, leaving deliberate clues and eluding the police ever more cleverly. In the meantime, each of the women has a personal stake at risk - and the killer knows who they are. 

There are four members of the Women's Murder Club ... Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Jill.

After choir practice as the children are leaving, a gunman open fires on them, killing a young black girl and Lindsay investigates.  It seems like a random act until Cindy, Lindsay's friend and another member of the Women's Murder Club, tells Lindsay that the hanging of an older black woman and the killing of the girl may be related.  There is the same symbol at both deaths plus both have a connection to police officers.  Then there are more shootings ... one hits its mark killing the person and other just misses.

As Lindsay continues the investigation, she has to deal to some of the most hardened criminals to get to the bottom of what's going on.  On top of that, she has a surprise visit from someone from her past.

This is the second in the Women's Murder Club series (and the third one I've read).  Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.

I enjoyed the writing style and it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters. The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on everyone else ... but it was easy to figure out.  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

I liked Lindsay, Claire, Jill and Cindy.  They are very supportive of each other both professionally and emotionally.  There were a couple of dumb things that Lindsay did which put her in danger.  As a cop, she should know better.

I liked this one and will continue to get caught up in the series.

Book ~ "A Toronto Album 2: More Glimpses of the City That Was" (2002) Mike Filey

From Goodreads ~ "A Toronto Album 2", companion edition to Mike Filey's immensely popular original album, is a photographic journey through bustling Toronto from the late 1930s to the early 1970s. 

Among the 100-plus photographs is a quartet that shows the remarkable changes to Toronto's skyline over a half-century. Others capture the 1939 royal visit, steam trains in their twilight years, the evolution of the Hospital for Sick Children, a look at Christmas past, and glimpses of a few landmark buildings we weren't smart enough to keep. "A Toronto Album 2" is a keepsake Torontonians will treasure.

Mike Filey had a column in the Toronto Sun for about 30 years and I read it for many years (I like learning about the history of Toronto).  I've read all his books where he compiles some of his columns.  In this book, Filey includes over 100 photographs with a description of what the picture is and what was going on at the time.

He starts by showing Toronto's skyline in 1925, 1932, 1970 and 2002.  Wow!  What a change!  The book also includes pictures and descriptions of:

• Toronto's ladies
• The Toronto Transportation Commission
• Hurricane Hazel
• The Notorious Boyd Gang
• The CNE
• Toronto's sports facilities
• Toronto's contribution to the war effort
• Toronto's motion picture theatres
• Buildings that have been demolished
• Royal visits to Toronto
• Toronto Island
• Toronto's rail lines in days of old
• Traffic problems

Filey mentioned the Avon Theatre.  When I moved to my 'hood in 2001, there was a rent-to-own store with a marquee above the doorway on the NW corner of Dovercourt/Queen Street W.  A few years later, Starbucks took it over.

The building was constructed in 1887. The ground floor contained a fruit market, with apartments above it. It remained a retail outlet until 1915, when Child’s Theatre opened on the premises. This theatre lasted only a year and then it became King’s Hall and King’s Playhouse Theatre, operated by Mr. King Hyman. In 1950, it became the Avon Theatre, a 325 motion picture theatre.  Source:  Historic Toronto

Even though it was published in 2002, it was an interesting book because the pictures of older Toronto were great. If you live in Toronto or are from Toronto, you should check it out.

Book ~ "Secret Toronto: The Unique Guidebook to Toronto's Hidden Sites, Sounds, & Tastes" (2002) Scott Mitchell

From Goodreads ~ This detailed guide leads travelers far from the beaten path to uncover Toronto's best-kept secrets. From obscure museums and overlooked neighborhood treasures to tucked-away green spaces and exotic ethnic cuisine, these little-known destinations yield big rewards for the more adventurous traveler. The soul of this cosmopolitan city is highlighted by hotspots where visitors can learn Latin dancing at night, disco after hours, and rent a private dungeon at an S & M bed-and-breakfast.

Toronto has so much offer and I love checking it out.  This book caught my eye because it sounded like it would talk about the out-of-the-norm things here in Toronto ... and it did.

The "secrets" are listed alphabetically.  It starts off with acoustics and ends with 'zines.  In between you can get bits of info on where to find belly dancing, chocolate, make-up, pool, plane spotting, the walk of fame and a lot more!

Here is the acoustics one ...

In 1987, a little-known Toronto band called Cowboy Junkies married the voice of singer Margo Timmins to the natural acoustics of a little church in downtown Toronto and recorded the groundbreaking Trinity Sessions album. Now overshadowed by the mammoth Eaton Centre and easily overlooked, the lovely Church of the Holy Trinity(Trinity Square, Yonge and Dundas, accessible from the Eaton Centre exit at the south end of Eaton's or from the park at Bay and Dundas West, 416-598-4521) was once the central fixture of a working-class "suburb" of York known as Macaulay Town. Completed in 1847, Holy Trinity had the distinction of being Toronto's first Anglican church where the pews were entirely free, a condition set by an anonymous benefactor (an Englishwoman whose identity was not revealed until 1898). The rectory and garden of Holy Trinity now offer a secluded, peaceful retreat from the frenetic shopping mall. Services are still celebrated in the church, which hosts plays and concerts, including the annual Christmas pageant (a tradition for more than 60 years). 

The version I read was printed in 2002 so a lot of the places aren't around anymore (like the Matador, an after hours bar not far from my 'hood that is now being developed into condos) but it was fun to be reminded of them.  Other places (like Sunnyside and Gilbraltor Lighhouse) are still around and it was interesting to get a brief history.

Because the book is so dated (I couldn't find one more recent), I wouldn't use it as a definitive guide but it did give some interesting places to check out.

Book ~ "Flight" (2002) Jan Burke

From Amazon ~ Flight is really the story of two men, Frank Harriman and Philip Lefebvre. Ten years ago, when businessman Trent Randolph and his daughter were murdered, Lefebvre was the officer in charge of the case. Moody and isolated, he became not only investigator but guardian angel to Randolph's young son, Seth, left clinging to life after the attack. His colleagues and the community were convinced Whitey Dane, a local mobster with grand ambitions, was behind the murders but when Seth was killed in his hospital bed and both Lefebvre and all the evidence against Dane disappeared, the department was left reeling in the wake of crooked-cop iniquity.

But now Lefebvre's apparently sabotaged plane has been discovered in the mountains, along with his bones. Harriman must ease through a maze of anger and recrimination as he pursues the possibility of Lefebvre's innocence. But if this cop was innocent, that means another one wasn't - and that individual will stop at nothing to protect his guilty secret.

This is the eighth book in the series of eleven (as of 2011) ... I'm rereading the series.

The book begins ten years ago with Lefebvre's story ... the murders of Trent Randolph and his daughter, Amanda, and Lefebvre's bonding with Trent's son, Seth, who survives the attack. When Seth is murdered and Lefebvre disappears, everyone assumes he took a payoff fromWhitey Dane to kill Seth.

Jump ahead ten years and Lefebvre's plane is discovered along with this bones in the forest. It's up to Frank to investigate. The other cops get mad at Frank because he digs into the past and doesn't go along with the assumptions about Lefebvre.

I was really enjoying this book but found it got a bit draggy towards the end. I was ready for it to be over. And what I've found with some of Burke's books in the past, there are so many characters that I couldn't keep them all straight.

Usually the Irene Kelly books are written in first person from Irene's pespective. This one was different in that it was written in third person and focused on Irene's husband, Frank. It was a nice change.

Book ~ "Barking!" (2002) Liz Evans

From Amazon ~ Stuart Roberts is a mild-mannered, shy accountant suffering from nightmares in which he remembers committing a violent murder and he wants to know if they really happened. Grace doesn't want to take the case on the grounds that murders tend to mean there's someone who is prepared to kill around and she'd rather pass, thanks very much. However, these are killings with a difference—they took place nearly 30 years before Stuart was born. During his dreams, Stuart becomes "Joe," and has vivid recollections of life as a hop farmer's son, a world Stuart swears he knows absolutely nothing about. Despite her scepticism, Grace has never been able to resist the lure of an unlimited expense account, so she takes the job. And then discovers that her client isn't quite what he appears to be.

I've read five of Evans' books with Grace Smith as the heroine and really enjoyed them. They were mysteries that were funny.

I found this one not funny at all and rather boring. There is some genealogy in it since she is trying to track "Joe" that I found interesting but that was about it.

The reason why it all happened and thus the ending were silly and I wasn't buying them.

I'm glad I never read this book first because I wouldn't have read any of her others.

Book ~ "Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson" (2002) Mitch Albom

From Amazon ~ This true story about the love between a spiritual mentor and his pupil has soared to the bestseller list for many reasons. For starters: it reminds us of the affection and gratitude that many of us still feel for the significant mentors of our past. It also plays out a fantasy many of us have entertained: what would it be like to look those people up again, tell them how much they meant to us, maybe even resume the mentorship? Plus, we meet Morrie Schwartz, a one of a kind professor, whom the author describes as looking like a cross between a biblical prophet and Christmas elf. And finally we are privy to intimate moments of Morrie's final days as he lies dying from a terminal illness. Even on his deathbed, this twinkling-eyed mensch manages to teach us all about living robustly and fully. Kudos to author and acclaimed sports columnist Mitch Albom for telling this universally touching story with such grace and humility.

I read this book years ago and enjoyed it. I have it on my Kobo so thought I'd read it again.

It's a nice reminder to live life as fully as you can. Even as Morrie was dying of ALS and his body was failing him, he never lost his spirit. This book recounts Morrie and Mitch's conversations about acceptance, communication, love, values, openness and happiness.

The book was written to help pay for Morrie's medical bills and you can check out the author's site for the book here.

Book ~ "Little Boy Blues" (2002) Mary Jane Maffini

From Amazon ~ In the third Camilla MacPhee Mystery, Camilla's looking forward to cutting loose at Bluesfest, a huge open-air musical extravaganza, and to seeing the tail end of her annoying office assistant, Alvin, who is finally quitting. Then the news comes from the East Coast. Alvin's developmentally challenged younger brother, Jimmy, has vanished from the midst of a holiday crowd in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Is he dead? Has he been abducted?

Sleuthing irritably about Sydney on Alvin's behalf, the always ruthless Camilla manages to make the usual quota of people froth at the mouth, including Jimmy's frantic family, forlorn friends and puzzled teachers. She doesn't spare the parish priest or even the guy at the chip stand. And naturally the Cape Breton Regional Police won't be sending her any valentines. Before Camilla knows it, all roads lead back to the big city, where a killer with everything to lose waits to create havoc among the tents, guitar-pickers and happy, swaying crowds. If Camilla doesn't sort out this whole mess, how many other people are going to die?

I love mystery novels and it's fun when they are based in Canada and/or written by Canadian authors.

Though this is apparently the third in a series, I didn't have any problem catching up. I enjoyed the writing style and didn't find that it dragged. I read it in a day (today). And I liked it enough to read the books before and after it in the series. I recommend it!

What made this book all that much better was that it was partially based in Sydney, Nova Scotia, where I lived from 1977 to 1983. Plus Camilla lives in Ottawa, which I'm fairly familiar with.

One thing I didn't understand ... Camilla was happy that Alvin, her assistant, has left for another job. Yet when he discovers that his brother is missing, she drives him 1500km from Ottawa to Sydney so he can be with his family. His family is rude to her yet she still sticks around to help. I would have jumped back in the car and said "Frig you!"

Annoyingly there were a fair amount of typos in the book ... hopefully they have been corrected in future reprints.

Book ~ "Sailors, Slackers, and Blind Pigs : Halifax at War" (2002) Stephen Kimber

From Amazon ~ It wasn't until after the Allies' victory in Europe that Halifax, North America's most strategic port during World War II, experienced destruction at the hands of the military. As victory rang out, the city's shops, restaurants, offices, and even the brewery were smashed and looted by thousands of sailors and many civilians in the V-E Day riots. Halifax journalist and author Stephen Kimber illuminates this violent episode--and the previous six years filled with German U-boats, housing shortages, rationing, archaic liquor laws, and line-ups around the block for the local brothel--in a powerful narrative told through the voices of those who actually lived through it. Using historical documents and personal recollections, Kimber's book takes us inside the minds of, among others, the Canadian commander of the Allies' Atlantic fleet, a young English boy sent to Canada by his parents, a young woman who moved from Montreal to "dance every night until dawn," and an enterprising young reporter. Their hopes, experiences, and troubles shed light on Canada's war effort.

I'm from Nova Scotia yet I hadn't heard about the riots of 1945 in Halifax.

This is an excellent book about impact of World War II on Halifax and all that a small city in Eastern Canada contributed to the war.

I liked that it was also written from the perspective of people who were affected by it ... Harold the five-year-old who was sent to Halifax from England to protect him from the war, Dorothy who was one of the first female welders in Canada but lost her job when the men started coming home again, Eric the reporter who covered the war for the newspapers, etc.

BTW, a "blind pig" is an establishment that that illegally sells booze.

Book ~ "Down the Coaltown Road" (2002) Sheldon Currie

From Chapters ~ Set in a small coal mining town in Cape Breton at the beginning of World War II, and against the backdrop of labour unrest in the coal mines, Down the Coaltown Road dramatizes a significant but almost forgotten event in Canadian history. After Mussolini took Italy into the war on the side of Hitler in June 1940, able-bodied Italian men were rounded up and interned in camps, some for as long as three years. Most of them had worked in the coal mines. Their families were left without income, and suffered the usual hostility and abuse that accompanies such episodes. In Coaltown, that drama plays out among a cast of memorable and finely wrought characters.

The police come to take Tomassio. But Tomassio's arms, strengthened by fifteen years of loading coal with a pan shovel, fling off the officer and he bolts. This act has far-reaching consequences for everyone in Coaltown: for his wife, Anna, who learned in Italy at an early age how to get what she needs from a man; for his son Gelo, who suddenly is the man of the family; for his lover Cathy, who had renounced one family for her husband and risked losing another for Tomassio; for his enemy and Cathy's husband Ump, a brash and bigoted man; and for his friend Big Jim McMahon, who stood up for him against an angry mob.

As the social fabric of Coaltown strains and rends, it falls to Father Rod MacDonald - who lost an eye, but not his faith, in the war - to mend the pieces and transform individual acts of contrition into acts of redemption.

Remember when Gord and I saw the play Lauchie, Liza and Rory in August, which was written by a former prof of mine, Sheldon Currie? And Sheldon was in the audience and I said hello?

Shortly after that I got an email from Sheldon ... he must have searched and found the post about the play on my blog. He offered to send me a copy of this book. It arrived on Tuesday.

I enjoyed this book. It was an interesting story and I cared about the characters who are not flawless.

I spent my high school years in Sydney River, not far from where this story takes place so recognized most of the places. And it was fun to read and remember the expressions that only a Cape Breton uses.

So would I recommend this book? Yes!

Book ~ "The Weblog Handbook: Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining Your Blog" - Rebecca Blood (2002)

From Amazon. com ~ Weblogs, frequently updated, independently produced, and curiously addictive, have become some of the most popular sites on the Web today. The Weblog Handbook is the first book to explain how weblogs work and explore their impact on the media landscape. There is no formula for creating a superb weblog but there are lessons to be drawn from maintaining one. In The Weblog Handbook, Rebecca Blood draws on her experience as an early participant in the weblog community to share what she has learned in three years of "living online." She explains how to choose among the available tools, even walking the beginner through the process of creating their first weblog. Along the way, she answers commonly asked questions concerning weblog etiquette, how to attract readers and the qualities that make a weblog stand out, alerting the novice to considerations and pitfalls they didn't know to ask about.

I've been blogging for over a year and I found this book interesting because it talked about how weblogs came to be and various things such as etiquette, etc.

Book ~ "The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference" - Malcolm Gladwell (2002)

From Goodreads ~ The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas.

Gladwell introduces us to the particular personality types who are natural pollinators of new ideas and trends, the people who create the phenomenon of word of mouth. He analyzes fashion trends, smoking, children's television, direct mail, and the early days of the American Revolution for clues about making ideas infectious, and visits a religious commune, a successful high-tech company, and one of the world's greatest salesmen to show how to start and sustain social epidemics.

Interesting analysis and an enjoyable read.

Book ~ "Don't Mess with Mrs In-Between" - Liz Evans (2002)

From Amazon.com ~ What kind of person decides to leave a considerable fortune to total strangers? PI Grace Smith is about to find out when Barbra Delaney retains her services to trace a group of people she photographed at the grocery store. One or more of them may become her beneficiaries. Barbra thinks her grown son may be trying to do her in. In no time, Grace encounters a dead body, a smuggling ring, a gorgeous man in drag and enough tangled family relationships to make celibacy seem viable. In addition, she must contend with an eccentric cast of locals whose agendas are, more often than not, at odds with her own. Once Grace is on the scene things certainly liven up. Whether suffering from food poisoning or the effects of twenty-mile bike rides when her car breaks down, she's always on the case, even if she doesn't have a clue where it will lead.

Usual funny writing style with an interesting ending.

Book ~ "Fish! A remarkable way to boost morale and improve results" (2002) Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul and John Christensen

From Goodreads ~ Imagine a workplace where everyone chooses to bring energy, passion and a positive attitude to the job every day. 

In this engrossing parable, a fictional manager has the responsibility of turning a chronically unenthusiastic and unhelpful department into an effective team. 

Seattle's Pike Place Fish is a world famous market that is wildly successful thanks to its fun, bustling, joyful atmosphere and great customer service. 

By applying ingeniously simple lessons learned from the Pike Place, our manager discovers how to energise and transform her workplace. Addressing today's most pressing work issues with an engaging metaphor and an appealing message, "FISH!" offers wisdom that is easy to grasp, instantly applicable, and profound.

I read this book a couple years ago and it was fun to reread it. I'd seen the video in my Marketing Management course a couple months ago. They looked like they were having so much fun that I wanted to be reminded about the message.

The principles are easy:

1. Choose your attitude
2. Play
3. Be present
4. Make their day

Book ~ "JFK Is Missing!" - Liz Evans (2002)

From Amazon.com ~ Grace’s client, Henry Summerstone, has been blind for years. He has no idea of the name of the girl he’s trying to trace, what she looks like, where she lives and works. In fact, he’s not even sure that she’s missing. But he’s concerned about the whereabouts of the young jogger who talks to him on his solitary early morning walks, and he’s offering cash – an offer Grace finds hard to turn down. Before long, she’s got a lead on the girl – several leads as it turns out – though each time she gets close, Miss X slips away. Grace, however, is a girl who knows how to persevere and persevere she does, becoming entangled with squatters, invisible pigs, a twelve-year-old estate agent and the man of her dreams – who unfortunately seems to be the man of his wife’s dreams too ...

Another in the series of PI Grace Smith. As with the other two I've read, I enjoyed it. Evan's writing is funny and quick.

Book ~ "Who Killed Marilyn Monroe" - Liz Evans (2002)

From Amazon.com ~ The Marilyn Monroe in question is a beach donkey and Grace Smith – too broke to be selective when it's a question of work – is called in by the donkey's owner, Drysdale, to investigate this bizarre crime. While doing so she finds herself inexorably drawn into the mystery surrounding the murder of a young woman, Tina, whose aunt lived in the house backing on to Drysdale's land. As the plot unfolds, it becomes clear that the murders of Marilyn and Tina are connected and that Grace has stumbled on a whole lot more than she bargained for.

I enjoyed Cue the Easter Bunny so wanted to read the rest in the series. As with the first one, it's was enjoyable ... a mystery with humorous writing.

Book ~ "Fishbowl" (2002) Sarah Mlynowski

From Amazon.com ~ Roommates Allie, Jodine, and Emma are about as different as three people can be. Allie is enthusiastic but immature; Jodine is cold and closed-off; Emma is a stylish good-time girl. Despite the fact that they get on each other's nerves, they get along well enough, even after Jodine wakes up one night to discover that their kitchen is on fire. With no insurance, the girls are forced to come up with creative ways to raise money, including throwing big parties at a local bar and offering a seminar for men hoping to meet girls. Meanwhile, each roommate has her own man troubles: Allie pines for her friend, Clint, while the cute repairman flirts with her; Jodine is bored by her loyal boyfriend; and Emma has fallen for a sexy guy she meets at one of their parties, only to discover that she's smitten with Clint.

There are four narrators in this book and I found it hard at first keeping them straight. But once I got to know the characters, it got easier. It's a funny story and I enjoyed it. It was cool to read a book set in Toronto, rather than the States.

Book ~ "Take Me With You : A Round-the-World Journey to Invite a Stranger Home" (2002) Brad Newsham

From Amazon.com ~ After two decades of travels around the world, Brad Newsham decides to pack his bags again to return the gift of magic that travel has brought into his life. His plan is to give a little of that back to someone he meets along the way - to invite a new untraveled friend to visit him, all-expenses paid, in America. Over 100 days, he travels through the Philippines, India, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

This is an excellent book! Brad travelled to many places that I have no plans to go - plus he did it very frugally - so it was interesting to read about his adventures. It sounds like he met a lot of interesting people along the way with the goal of inviting someone to his home for a month.

Book ~ "Must Love Dogs" (2002) Claire Cooke

From Amazon.com ~ Sarah Hurlihy is 40 years old, divorced, and happily teaching preschoolers a multicultural curriculum. But her interfering, overzealous Boston Irish family thinks that she should be dating, and with much love she is pushed into answering a personal ad from a gentleman seeking a lady "who enjoys elegant dining, dancing and the slow bloom of affection"; the clincher is that he's a man who "loves dogs." That man turns out to be the last man on earth any woman would want to date, but Sarah pushes on, slowly falling headlong into the dating game with decidedly mixed results. Meanwhile, Sarah's widowed father has his own dating troubles, brother Michael is deep in marital problems, and sister Carol is having difficulty at home with her temperamental teenage daughter, who turns to her favorite aunt for comfort and body-piercing support. Somehow, they all seem to end up on Sarah's doorstep at the most inopportune moments, keeping the laughs going all the way to the not-quite-storybook-perfect ending.

I saw the movie last month with my sister and thought it was cute. I'm always interested to see how close movies are when they are based on books. The premise of this one and some of the characters are the same ~ but that's about it. It was a quick fun read ~ I read it in a day. Don't expect it to follow much like the movie.