Thursday, 23 January 2025

Book ~ "The Swap" (2020) Robyn Harding

From Goodreads ~ Low Morrison is not your average teen. You could blame her hippie parents or her looming height or her dreary, isolated hometown on an island in the Pacific Northwest. But whatever the reason, Low just doesn’t fit in - and neither does Freya, a once-famous social media influencer who now owns the pottery studio in town.

After signing up for a class, Low quickly falls under Freya’s spell. And Freya, buoyed by Low’s adoration, is compelled to share her darkest secrets and deepest desires. Finally, both feel a sense of belonging ... that is, until Jamie walks through the studio door. Desperate for a baby, she and her husband have moved to the island hoping that the healthy environment will result in a pregnancy. Freya and Jamie become fast friends, as do their husbands, leaving Low alone once again.

Then one night, after a boozy dinner party, Freya suggests swapping partners. It should have been a harmless fling between consenting adults, one night of debauchery that they would put behind them but when one of the women becomes pregnant, Low finds the perfect opportunity to unleash her growing resentment.

Low is a high school senior who will be graduating in a couple months. She is an awkward loner, lives with her polyamorous parents (and their partners) and her siblings on a farm and has no friends. When she sees a sign for pottery lessons, she signs up and becomes friends with Freya, the teacher. Freya and Max, her retired hockey player husband, recently moved to the isolated island after a controversy involving Max. Low is happy to finally have someone who seems to care about her. 

When Freya meets shop owner, Jamie, they become friends and Low is left out which pisses her off. Freya and Max started hanging out with Jamie and Brian, her husband, and one night they are partying and doing mushrooms. Some time during the night, they swap partners and one of the women becomes pregnant, possibly from that encounter. Low knows who the father of the baby is as she'd been watching the couples and uses this knowledge to her advantage.

I thought this story had an interesting premise and it turned out to be a crazy mess. Teenager Low and adult Jamie were lonely and desperate for company and Freya seemed to be the only one wanting to hang out with them ... but not together or at the same time. Freya was mean and rude to both but they still kept coming back for more. Freya didn't treat Max very well either but he felt like he deserved it. None of the characters were likeable. The ending was unbelievable and over the top and I wasn't buying it.

This story is written in third person perspective in Low, Max, Jamie and Brian's voices. As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.

Wednesday, 22 January 2025

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting a pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens to donate.


I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles. The colours are black and aqua.

Wrist
  1. With A, cast on 42 sts
  2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
  3. Purl
  4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern
  1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
  2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
  3. Purl 2 rows with A
  4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
  5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
  6. Purl 2 rows with A
  7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
  8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
  9. Purl 2 rows with A
  10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
  11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
  12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb
  1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten
  1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
  2. Knit 1 row
  3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
  4. Knit 2 rows
  5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
  6. Knit 2 rows
  7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
  8. Knit 2 rows
  9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
  10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
  11. Weave end inside

Thumb
  1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
  2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
  3. Knit to fit length of thumb
  4. Knit 2 together all around
  5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
  6. Weave end inside

Tuesday, 21 January 2025

Book ~ "The Hanged Man's Noose" (2018) Judy Penz Sheluk

From Goodreads ~ Journalist Emily Garland lands a plum assignment as the editor of a niche magazine based in Lount’s Landing, a small town named after a colorful nineteenth century Canadian traitor. As she interviews the local business owners for the magazine, Emily quickly learns that many people are unhappy with real estate mogul Garrett Stonehaven’s plans to convert an old schoolhouse into a mega-box store. At the top of that list is Arabella Carpenter, the outspoken owner of an antiques shop, who will do just about anything to preserve the integrity of the town’s historic Main Street.

But Arabella is not alone in her opposition. Before long, a vocal dissenter at a town hall meeting about the proposed project dies. A few days later, another body is discovered and although both deaths are ruled accidental, Emily’s journalistic suspicions are aroused.

Putting her reporting skills to the ultimate test, Emily teams up with Arabella to discover the truth behind Stonehaven’s latest scheme before the murderer strikes again.


Emily is a freelance journalist in Toronto. When she gets hired to be the editor of a local magazine in a town north of Toronto, it's an offer she can't resist. Wealthy Torontonian Garrett Stonehaven has recently bought a rundown school there. Though many support his idea of turning it into a megastore, others don't. Personally Emily has issues with Garrett because she feels he is the cause of her mother's death. As townspeople start having deaths that are ruled accidents and she learns about Garrett's past, Emily and her new friend, Arabella, suspect something is going on and start investigating.

This is the first in the Glass Dolphin mystery series and I thought it was okay. It's written in third person perspective. I like that the author didn't hide that it was taking place in and not far from Toronto. The storyline and ending was a bit convoluted but I went with it. The "whodunnit" was obvious about halfway through though Emily didn't clue in until the end. The editing could have been tighter as there were some grammatical errors and some history lessons that could have been deleted as they didn't impact the story.

Monday, 20 January 2025

Swanky Burger, Queen’s Cross Food Hall, Eaton Centre, Toronto, ON

I had lunch today at Swanky Burger at Queen’s Cross Food Hall in the Eaton Centre. 


I ordered a Swanky Smash Burger (two 3oz all beef patties, swanky sauce, onion, tomato, lettuce, pickles) combo. I asked for no lettuce or onions but it came with lettuce, which I scraped off. The edges of the burger were crispy and a bit burnt and the middle was moister but not hot. So not a great burger. The fries were basic.

Sunday, 19 January 2025

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting a pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens to donate. It's been a few years since I've made any.


I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles. The colours are black and light grey.

Wrist
  1. With A, cast on 42 sts
  2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
  3. Purl
  4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern
  1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
  2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
  3. Purl 2 rows with A
  4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
  5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
  6. Purl 2 rows with A
  7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
  8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
  9. Purl 2 rows with A
  10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
  11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
  12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb
  1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten
  1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
  2. Knit 1 row
  3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
  4. Knit 2 rows
  5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
  6. Knit 2 rows
  7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
  8. Knit 2 rows
  9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
  10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
  11. Weave end inside

Thumb
  1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
  2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
  3. Knit to fit length of thumb
  4. Knit 2 together all around
  5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
  6. Weave end inside

Saturday, 18 January 2025

Fahmee Bakery, Toronto, ON

After Gord and got groceries at No Frills at Landsdowne/Dundas W this morning, I picked up a large curried chicken, rice and beans, and chickpeas meal next door at  Fahmee Bakery (I got a large before it's enough for two meals.


I've had it before and it was really good today. Yum!

Friday, 17 January 2025

Book ~ "The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife" (2024) Anna Johnston

From Goodreads ~ Frederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he’d return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is there’s nobody left in Fred’s life to borrow from. At eighty-two, he’s desperately lonely, broke and on the brink of homelessness. But Fred’s luck changes when, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, he takes the place of grumpy Bernard Greer at the local nursing home. Now he has warm meals in his belly and a roof over his head - as long as his poker face is in better shape than his prostate and that his look-alike never turns up.

Denise Simms is stuck breathing the same disappointing air again and again. A middle-aged mom and caregiver at Bernard's facility, her crumbling marriage and daughter's health concerns are suffocating her joy for life. Wounded by her two-faced husband, she vows never to let a man deceive her again.

As Fred walks in Bernard’s shoes, he leaves a trail of kindness behind him, fueling Denise's suspicions about his true identity. When unexpected truths are revealed, Fred and Denise rediscover their sense of purpose and learn how to return a broken life to mint condition.


Fred Fife is a widower in his 80s who would do anything for anyone. Over the years, his money had gone to taking care of Dawn, his beloved wife, who eventually passed away from cancer. He's being evicted from his apartment and has nowhere to do. He finds a deceased Bernard in a wheelchair and wants to alert someone ... the next thing he knows, he's being whisked away to a retirement home with everyone thinking he's the Bernard. When he tries to tell everyone he's not Bernard, they attribute it to Bernard's dementia. No one will listen to him, so feeling a bit of guilt, he settles into Bernard's life, appreciating having a place to live, a full belly and newfound friends.  Denise works at the retirement home and suspects something is off as "Bernard" now seems to not be deaf or incontinent or have dementia and is actually friendly, helpful and nice.

I really liked this story. I liked the writing style ... it was humourous and touching at times. As I was reading it, I was thinking it would make a good movie. It's written in third person perspective. I liked the characters, even Denise who was mean to the residents at times but had a lot going on at home. It highlights how sad it can be when the elderly grow older and are alone.

Wednesday, 15 January 2025

Book ~ "I'll Never Tell" (2019) Catherine McKenzie

From Goodreads ~ What happened to Amanda Holmes?

Twenty years ago, she was found bludgeoned in a rowboat at the MacAllister family’s Camp Macaw. No one was ever charged with the crime.

Now, after their parents’ sudden deaths, the MacAllister siblings return to camp to read the will and decide what to do with the prime real estate the camp occupies. Ryan needs to sell. Margaux hasn’t made up her mind. Mary believes in leaving well enough alone. Kate and Liddie - the twins - have opposing views. And Sean Booth, the groundskeeper, just hopes he still has a home when all is said and done.

But it’s more complicated than a simple vote. The will stipulates that until they unravel the mystery of what happened to Amanda, they can’t settle the estate. Any one of them could have done it, and each one is holding a piece of the puzzle. Will they work together to finally discover the truth, or will their secrets finally tear the family apart?


It's the summer of 1998 and the MacAllisters run a summer camp. Margeaux is one of their teenage daughters and works there along with her best friend, Amanda, as camp counsellors. Amanda is found dead in July and no one was ever found guilty of her murder.

Twenty years later, the elder MacAllisters had died that spring in a train accident and their wish was to have their will read at the end of the summer. Ryan, Margeaux, Kiddie, Kate and Mary, their now adult children gather at the camp to attend the reading of the will. They assume they will all inherit the camp and some have plans/hopes to sell it while others don't. It turns out the will is convoluted so it's not as easy as they think. No one can forget about Amanda's death as it factors into the division of the property.

It's been a few years since I've read one of this author's book and I wasn't crazy about it. I found the writing boring and draggy and hard to get through. Alas, by the time I got to the end, I didn't really care "whodunnit" and it was actually a bit of a letdown. It is written in the adult children's voices in third person perspective and Amanda's voice in first person perspective (the chapters are labeled). As a head's up, there is swearing.

Monday, 13 January 2025

Book ~ "The Party" (2017) Robyn Harding

From Goodreads ~ Sweet sixteen. It's a coming of age, a milestone, a rite of passage. Of course Jeff and Kim Sanders will throw a party for their daughter, Hannah. She's a good kid with good grades and nice friends. And it isn't going to be a big indulgent affair. Just four girls coming over for pizza and cake, movies and a sleepover. What could possibly go wrong? 

But things do go wrong, horrifically wrong. After a tragic accident, Jeff and Kim's flawless life in a wealthy San Francisco suburb begins to unravel. The injured girl's mother, Lisa, files a lawsuit that turns friends into enemies, reveals dark secrets in the Sanders' marriage, and exposes the truth about their perfect daughter, Hannah. Lisa's determination to make the Sanders pay stems from a fierce love for her only child and Lisa's own dark and damaged past.

Hannah is turning sixteen and she's having a party with four of her friends ... two are good friends and two (Lauren and Ronni) head up the in-crowd that Hannah wants to be part of. Hannah's strict mother lays out the rules for the party ... no booze, no drugs, no boys and no porn. Hannah wants to appear cool so steals some vodka from her parents and the others sneak in booze and drugs. Plus her dad gives her a celebratory bottle of bubbly. In the middle of the night, Hannah wakes her parents up because there has been a horrific accident with Ronni that is life changing.

The police investigate and clear Jeff and Kim, Hannah's well-to-do parents, of any responsibility, which is all they seem to care about. Lisa, Ronni's mother, feels differently and sues them for $3 million because it happened in their house under their watch. What follows is the breakdown of friendships ... between Hannah and Ronni and Kim and Lisa ... and things get really ugly.

When I finished this book, I wasn't sure if I liked it or not as it was negativity from start to finish. It's not a happy story with sooooo much going on (many side stories could have been excluded) and there was really no one to cheer for. Kim was never a likeable character, even before the accident, and got worse to be point of being unrealistic as time went on. Jeff was pretty bland and it seemed like all he had in his life was exercise. He made a mistake last year (it was an odd thing he did) and Kim hadn't let him forget it. Lisa started out as a chill bohemian mom and her transformation after the accident felt unbelievable. Yes, she was upset and wanted to do what was right for her daughter but Ronni's goal at the party was to get wasted (which she obviously achieved) and should have had some blame. The "cool" teenagers were extreme and I can't believe that Lauren had that much power in the high school to affect students' popularity and status. I wasn't buying the ending after all that had happened.

This story is written in third person perspective in Kim, Jeff and Hannah's voices. As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.

Sunday, 12 January 2025

Book ~ "Known to the Victim" (2024) K.L. Armstrong

From Goodreads ~ How far will you go to protect the only family you have?

When Amy Gibson's mother is brutally murdered by her boyfriend, Amy's world is completely undone. Overcome with grief and heartache, she withdraws from everything around her - college, her friends, her entire life. Until her estranged half-brother, Oliver, saves her, pulling her back into her life and giving her family. Giving her a home.

Eight years later, she's picked herself up and has worked hard to move forward. She’s the host of a popular true crime podcast that focuses on crimes against women committed by their partners and is finding purpose and healing through helping women in ways she couldn't help her mother.

And then Oliver is accused of the unthinkable - something that is so unlike him. Something that horrifies Amy. But desperate to save the only family she has, she sets out to prove her brother's innocence.

But as the days pass and more information about Oliver and his past slowly comes to light, Amy begins realizing that nothing is ever as it seems - especially when it comes to family.

Amy's mother was murdered by her boyfriend when Amy was in university. She falls into a deep hole and Oliver, her half-brother, takes care of her and gets her back on track. Eight years later Amy is a podcaster with a focus on crimes against women by their partners (in honour of her mother). Amy is still close with Oliver so is shocked when he is arrested for the attempted murder of his girlfriend. It doesn't look good for Oliver because it brings up his past ... his university girlfriend had committed suicide and his wife had disappeared and is presumed dead. Suspecting her brother is being framed, Amy works with Dean, his lawyer's investigator, to prove his innocence.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I thought it was okay. I liked the writing style, though I found it a bit draggy at times. It is written in first person perspective in Amy's voice. I liked Amy well enough but considering her podcasts are about women being murdered, she made a couple dumb dangerous mistakes. The storyline became farfetched a couple times but I went with it. I liked that it was set in Ontario/Canada and didn't hide it. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Friday, 10 January 2025

Book ~ "Chronicles of a Midlife Crisis" (2008) Robyn Harding

From Goodreads ~ Lucy had no clue that her husband of sixteen years was about to bolt. Now she's dealing with shock, loneliness and girlfriends who alternately pity her and provoke her. She also - unbelievably - is apparently competing with her own teenage daughter for a new man's attention.

Trent pictured freedom, self-discovery ... and maybe some sex with actual passion. So far, he's mostly watching hockey in a hotel room and wondering what's next. Being middle-aged and married isn't easy. The jury's still out on being middle-aged and single.


Trent and Lucy are in their 40s, have been married for 16 years and have a 15 year old daughter named Samantha. Trent comes home from work one day and says he needs to find himself and is leaving. Lucy is stunned (he's never given her any indication of how he was feeling) and figures he'll be back home shortly.

Trent has had his eye on Annika, a colleague, for about a year and now that he's "single", they get together right away. She starts planning their future and all he wanted was a fling but she's hard to get rid of (she was way to extreme to be believable). In the meantime, Lucy, who works as a props procurer on a TV show, has suddenly attracted the attention of Wynn, a 27 year old who plays a 17 year old character, who's never given her the time of day before (really?!). Against her better judgement, she goes along with it hoping for a revenge fling but Wynn wants more (a young fella with morals?!). In the meantime, Samantha starts rebelling.

I've read a couple books by this author and liked them but I didn't care for this one. I found it too unrealistic and the characters unlikable (especially Samantha who is a super stereotypical spoiled teenager). Trent learned he should have been careful what he wished for ... he got the life he wanted but realized it wasn't all it was cracked up to be so was ready to go home and was shocked that Lucy wouldn't forget/forgive him for "banging" Annika. Lucy learned there are consequences for her actions when she lets things move forward with Wynn (double standard?!).

It's written in first person perspective in Lucy and Trent's voices (the chapters are labeled). It was written in 2008 and is dated as there are references to Richard Dean Anderson and Richard Hatch being relevant at the time. The ending comes quickly and abruptly and I wasn't buying it. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Thursday, 9 January 2025

The Islands Caribbean Cookshop, Toronto, ON (Liberty Village)

I had an appointment in Liberty Village this morning and picked up a boneless chicken roti for lunch at The Islands Caribbean Cookshop.


Though my roti was packed with chicken, it tasted kind of burnt which didn't make it very enjoyable.

Wednesday, 8 January 2025

Book ~ "The Drowning Woman" (2023) Robyn Harding

From Goodreads ~ Lee Gulliver never thought she’d find herself living on the streets - no one ever does - but when her restaurant fails and she falls deeper into debt, she leaves her old life behind with nothing but her clothes and her Toyota Corolla. 

In Seattle, she parks in a secluded spot by the beach to lay low and plan her next move - until early one morning, she sees a sobbing woman throw herself into the ocean. Lee hauls the woman back to the surface but instead of appreciation, she is met with fury. The drowning woman, Hazel, tells her that she wanted to die, that she’s trapped in a toxic, abusive marriage, that she’s a prisoner in her own home. Lee has thwarted her one chance to escape her life.

Out of options, Hazel retreats to her gilded cage and Lee thinks she’s seen the last of her until her unexpected return the next morning. Bonded by disparate but difficult circumstances, the women soon strike up a close and unlikely friendship. And then one day, Hazel makes a shocking request: she wants Lee to help her disappear. It’ll be easy, Hazel assures her but Lee soon learns that nothing is as it seems, and that Hazel may not be the friend Lee thought she was.

Lee had borrowed money from a gangster to open a restaurant in New York City. When the pandemic hit, she lost everything but the gangster still wanted his money so her only option was to run. She ends up in Seattle, working for cash as a waitress and living in her car. She parks at night by the beach in a rich area to sleep. Lee wakes up one morning to find a woman heading into the water committing suicide. She saves the woman and finds out Hazel wanted to kill herself because she is stuck in an abusive marriage.

The two become friends and Hazel asks Lee how to disappear ... she wants to escape to Panama where her husband won't find her. In return, Hazel will get Lee some fake ID so she can move on with her life. In the meantime, Lee meets and falls for Jesse, a customer who comes into the restaurant where she works, and starts to imagine having a real life again.

I enjoyed this story. I liked the writing style and found it to be a quick read. It's written in first person perspective in Lee and Hazel's voices (the sections are labelled). It was interesting to read the same things that had happened but from their different points of view. There are lots of twists and turns and they worked for me. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Tuesday, 7 January 2025

Book ~ "Bluff" (2018) Michael Kardos

From Goodreads ~ At twenty-seven, magician Natalie Webb is already a has-been. A card-trick prodigy, she started touring at seventeen, took first place at the World of Magic competition at eighteen, and never reached such heights again. Shunned by the magic world after a disastrous liaison with an older magician, she now lives alone with her pigeons and a pile of overdue bills in a New Jersey apartment. 

In a desperate ploy to make extra cash, she follows up on an old offer to write a feature magazine article - on the art of cheating at cards. But when she meets the perfect subject for her article, what begins as a journalistic gamble brings into question everything Natalie thinks she knows about her talent and herself. 

Natalie is dazzled by the poker cheat’s sleight of hand and soon finds herself facing a proposition that could radically alter her fortune - to help pull off a $1.5 million magic trick that, if done successfully, no one will ever even suspect happened. 

Natalie is a magician struggling to make ends meet, who doesn't have a lot of ambition, drive or friends. After an unfortunate incident at one of her shows, she needs to make some quick cash so decides to write an article exposing cheating at cards. This leads her to meet Ellen, a card cheat, who becomes her friends and offers her the chance to learn how to cheat at cards, get into a high stakes poker game and walk away with 20% of $1.5 million for participating. How can Natalie say no?

The premise sounded interesting but I wasn't crazy about this story. I found the writing style a slow and draggy ... the flashbacks were more detailed than they had to be. It's written in first person perspective in Natalie's voice. I thought Natalie was boring and not overly likeable so didn't really care what happened to her. Though I find magic interesting, I don't know anything about poker and found the references to both over my head. The ending was ridiculous and farfetched and I wasn't buying it. Just not my kind of book, I guess. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Sunday, 5 January 2025

Book ~ "Our New Normal" (2019) Colleen Faulkner

From GoodreadsLiv Ridgely prides herself on being the responsible wrangler of all things stay at home mom, caretaker of elderly parents, supporter of husband Oscar’s career, savior of her wayward sister. 

Now with her son off to college and her ambitious daughter, Hazel, a year away from following him, it’s Liv’s turn. She’s even established her dream career of bringing beautiful old homes back to life in the most picturesque part of Maine. Until she learns that 16-year-old Hazel is three months pregnant. Hazel insists she will have the baby and raise him with her boyfriend, Tyler, who’s no one’s idea of a model father. 

Clearly, there are going to be some conflicts to iron out. Liv just doesn’t expect them to be with her husband. As it turns out, Liv and Oscar have very different ideas about what to do. Perhaps it’s because Liv, who was adopted, has a unique perspective on this baby’s future. And perhaps it’s because, as a mother, she knows better than anyone how Hazel’s young life will be changed forever. As the family fractures in every direction, past resentments and pain come tumbling out. After years of putting others first, Liv wonders if she can do what’s best for her daughter, her parents, and her marriage - while still being true to herself.

Liv is married and in her 40s. Her son, Sean, will soon be off to university and her daughter, Hazel, is almost finished high school. Finally Liv can focus on herself and start her home redesign business. Then 16-year-old Hazel announces she is pregnant and though she has plans of eventually becoming a doctor, she is adamant about keeping the baby ... having an abortion or putting the baby up for adoption are out of the question. Everyone thinks Liv is selfish and controlling because she thinks Hazel keeping the baby is a bad decision, especially since they know Tyler, Hazel's boyfriend, is a loser. Liv knows a lot of the responsibility will fall on her (she's already taking care of her parents) and she's not willing to take that on at this point in her life.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I hated it. It is written in first person perspective in Liv and Hazel's voices (the chapters are labeled). I didn't care for most of the characters. Liv tried to stand up for herself and be honest about how Hazel's baby would affect their lives and everyone thought she was being controlling and selfish. Liv's parents are ailing and it's up to her to take care of their needs. Her father's mind was failing should have been put in a home but no one thought he was bad enough (huh?! at one point he didn't even recognize himself in a picture!). Beth, Liv's younger sister, who was apparently their mother's favourite, was flakey and left everything for Liv to take care of. Oscar, Liv's husband, was a jerk and gave her no support and expected her to put her life on hold again so she could raise Hazel's baby. Granted Hazel was only 16 and apparently a smart girl but she was a spoiled brat ... she's lucky her family, especially her mother, supported her as much as they did considering how she treated them. If I was Liv, I would have bailed a lot sooner and let them all take care of themselves.

Friday, 3 January 2025

Book ~ "Before He Finds Her" (2015) Michael Kardos

From Goodreads ~ Everyone in the quiet Jersey Shore town of Silver Bay knows the story: on a Sunday evening in September 1991, Ramsey Miller threw a blowout block party, then murdered his beautiful wife and three-year old daughter. 

But everyone is wrong, the daughter got away. Now she is nearly eighteen and tired of living in secrecy. Under the name Melanie Denison, she has spent the last fifteen years in small-town West Virginia as part of the Witness Protection Program. She has never been allowed to travel, go to a school dance or even have internet at home. Precautions must be taken at every turn because Ramsey Miller was never caught and might still be looking for his daughter. 

Yet despite strict house rules, Melanie has entered into a relationship with a young teacher at the local high school and is now ten weeks pregnant. She doesn't want her child to live in hiding as she has had to. Defying her guardians and taking matters into her own hands, Melanie returns to Silver Bay in hopes of doing what the authorities failed to do: find her father before he finds her. 

It's September 1991 and Ramsey is throwing a big blow party and has invited his friends and even his Silver Bay neighbours, who he doesn't really know. The reason he's throwing the party eventually comes out and I thought "seriously?!?!". Anyway, by the end of the night, Allison, Ramsey's wife is dead and Meg, their three-year-old daughter, is missing and presumed to be dead. Ramsey has disappeared and it's assumed that he murdered them and then took off.

Fifteen years later, Meg is now Melanie and has been living under a witness protection program, hiding out in rural West Virginia with Uncle Wayne and Aunt Kendra. To keep her protected in case Ramsey ever comes looking for her, Wayne and Kendra have ensured she's led a very sheltered life ... she was homeschooled until grade 12, they have no Internet and she's not even allowed to have a library card as it will leave a record. As she gets closer to age 18, she's tired of living scared and protected and heads back to Silver Bay to look for clues to find her father so she can live a normal life.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I thought it was okay. The book bounces back and forth in time, mainly to 1991 and 2006 (the chapters are labeled). It is written in third person perspective in various characters' voices including Melanie, Ramsey and Allison. I found Melanie a bit unbelievable ... considering how sheltered and naïve she was, there's no way she could venture off to the big city and get along as well as she did. As the story progresses, we learn what happened on the night of the party and the ramifications. I was okay with the whodunnit but wasn't buying the ending which comes together with a tidy bow. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Local Public Eatery, Toronto, ON

Gord and I had a late lunch today at the Local Public Eatery in Liberty Village.


He had The LOCAL Burger (two grilled patties, melted american cheese, caramelized onions, shredded lettuce and secret house sauce) and a salad.

Wednesday, 1 January 2025

Book ~ "As Close As Sisters" (2014) Colleen Faulkner

From Goodreads ~ Since the age of twelve, McKenzie Arnold has spent every summer at Albany Beach, Delaware, with her best friends Aurora, Janine and Lilly. The seaside house teems with thirty years of memories - some wonderful, others painful - and secrets never divulged beyond its walls. This summer may be the last they spend together, as Janine contemplates selling her family cottage. 

For now, all four enjoy morning beach walks and lazy evenings on the porch, celebrating Lilly's longed-for pregnancy and offering support during McKenzie's greatest crisis. It's a time for laughter and recriminations, a time to forge a new understanding of a long-ago night when Aurora sealed their bond with one devastating act. And as the days gradually shorten, events will unfold in ways that none of them could have predicted, to make this the most momentous summer of all.

Aurora, Janine, Lilly and McKenzie are in their early 40s and have been best friends since they were 12. Aurora is single and a successful but unhappy artist; Janine is a gay police officer; Lilly is married and pregnant with her first child; and McKenzie is divorced, with teenage twin daughters and has terminal cancer. 

Every summer the four spend a month at Janine's family cottage on the beach and this will probably be the last one the four will be there together. Since it's the only time the cottage is used, Janine is thinking about selling it. As the friends enjoy their time together, they deal with tragic events from the past along with coming to terms with having to say good-bye to McKenzie.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I thought it was okay. Because the friends are dealing with McKenzie's cancer, it is a bit of a downer at times (though McKenzie usually deals with her cancer with humour) and some of the backstories were a bit extreme. It is written in first person perspective in each of the friends' voices (the chapters are labeled). I wasn't crazy with the ending and would have liked it to have ended differently for one of the friends. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Happy New Year!


I wish you health ... so you may enjoy each day in comfort.

I wish you the love of friends and family ... and peace within your heart.

I wish you the beauty of nature ... that you may enjoy the work of Mother Nature.

I wish you wisdom to choose priorities ... for those things that really matter in life.

I wish you generosity so you may share ... all good things that come to you.

I wish you happiness and joy ... and blessings for the New Year.

I wish you the best of everything ... that you so well deserve.

Sunday, 29 December 2024

Book ~ "Cher: The Memoir, Part 1" (2024) Cher

From Goodreads ~ THERE IS ONLY ONE CHER …

… and for seven decades she has been showing us why. Cher holds the attention of the world with her voice, her acting, her style, her wit and her unstoppable spirit. Now, for the first time, she tells her story in her own voice - as honest as it is hilarious, as powerful as it is perceptive.

Cher’s childhood was anything but normal. As her mother Georgia -  blessed with movie-star looks and a knockout voice – moved them around the country over and again in the hope of finding fame, her school life wasn’t straightforward. But she always knew she was going to be somebody when she grew up.

Cher’s powerful instinct to keep moving eventually landed her in the arms of Sonny Bono. The duo became famous beyond their wildest dreams, from humble beginnings singing backup in Phil Spector’s studio through to pop stardom as Sonny and Cher, and then on to the television show that made them household names. But as time passed, fame changed the dynamic of their relationship and Cher evolved from a wide-eyed teenager into a woman. She started fighting for herself, breaking away from Sonny’s control - and realising that things were not as they seemed.

Taking risks, making headlines, falling in love, Cher struggled and stumbled while trying to become her own woman. "The Memoir, Part One" brings us to the brink of her next chapter, as she begins to chart her own path, finally claiming her rightful place in the world and becoming CHER.

While I'm not a huge fan of Cher's, I like reading bios/memoirs and thought her story would probably be an interesting one ... and it was.

The book starts long before Cher was born with her maternal grandparents' story, Lynda and Roy, two young poor kids who got together, split up and kept getting back together. Lynda was 13 when Georgia (then Jackie Jean), Cher's mother, was born and not mature enough to be a mother, and Roy was 20 with alcohol and violence issues. Tossed from home to home, Georgia didn't have a stable childhood and that affected her life choices and men. 

When Cher met Sonny when she was 16, she found some stability in having an older and mature best friend, that eventually became more. He saw talent in her and she was a ticket to fame and fortune for him. Without her realizing it, he became controlling until, according to her, she wasn't allowed to do anything with anyone but him. She eventually untangled herself from him and despite how badly he had treated her over the years, she still counted on him when she needed someone ... I wouldn't have been as kind of generous.

I didn't like Georgia and found her selfish. When you have a messed up upbringing, I would hope that you do all you can to ensure your children have a more stable one and she didn't do that. She was married and divorced seven times before she was 50 ... even twice to Cher's father who had deserted them when Cher was a baby and then 20 years later when he came back into their lives after Cher became famous. So it's not a surprise that Cher's childhood wasn't stable either.

I liked the writing style (I'm assuming there was a ghost writer). It's written at a high level with just enough detail for me. It was interesting reading about the people she met and the experiences she had. The book ends just as she's thinking seriously about become an actress ... so after her relationships with David Geffen, Gregg Allman and Gene Simmons (I'd forgotten they'd been an item).  I liked that there were lots of photographs at the end. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Thursday, 26 December 2024

Book ~ "The Haters" (2024) Robyn Harding

From Goodreads ~ Camryn Lane is living her dream. After years of struggle and rejection, her first novel has finally been published. Her editor is happy, her teenage daughter is proud and her boyfriend and friends are all excited for her. She’s on top of the world - until she receives a disturbing message from an unknown sender.

Rattled by the accusations she finds there, Camryn swallows the sick feeling in her stomach and resolves to put the missive out of her mind. But when she checks her ratings on a popular book site, she finds a scathing one-star review. The reviewer is so articulate and convincing that soon, Camryn’s book is flooded with bad reviews. Could the reviewer be the same person who sent the ugly email? And why do they want to ruin her?

As the online harassment creeps into Camryn’s personal life, she vows to find out who’s behind it. Is it really a disgruntled reader? Or could it be someone she knows? The troll’s actions are escalating, and when the abuse turns deadly, it will take everything Camryn has to unmask the enemy so intent on destroying her - and finally learn why she's being targeted.

Camryn is a guidance counsellor at a private school. She is in her late 30s, divorced with a daughter who is graduating from high school, and has a younger boyfriend who she has nothing in common with. She recently fulfilled her dream of writing and publishing her first novel. 

When she receives a nasty email about how it's disgusting she used the stories of her students as material for her, she initially brushes it off. But when she starts getting hundreds one star reviews on a review site, she starts to get concerned, especially when the harassment gets personal. There are lots who might want to sabotage her writing career and she needs to figure out who it is before she loses everything including her friends, her job and her possible publishing opportunities.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I liked it.  I liked the writing style and it moved at a quick pace. It is written in first person perspective in Camryn's voice. Interspersed in the story are chapters from Camryn's book. The ending came quickly and for the most part I was buying it. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Happy Boxing Day!

Tuesday, 24 December 2024

Bar Poet, Toronto, ON

Gord and I had supper this evening at Bar Poet (on Queen Street W at Dovercourt Road) … it’s a former Slavic Pentecostal Church. It's been a while since we've been there ... we've tried to get in a few times but it's always jammed.


We both had a Three Little Pigs pizza (Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Crispy Bacon, ‘Ndu ja Sausage, Pepperoni, Basil, Parmigiano) … mine without parm. We both took home half for lunch tomorrow. They were good pizzas, though the 'Ndu ja Sausage was really salty.

Monday, 23 December 2024

Book ~ "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" (2024) Sophie Cousens

From Goodreads ~ Columnist Anna Appleby has left her love life behind after a painful divorce. Who needs a man when she has two kids, a cat and uncontested control of the TV remote? Besides, she’d rather be single than subject herself to the hell of online dating. But her office rival is vying for her column and no column means no stable source of income. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Anna finds herself pitching a unique angle: seven dates, all found offline, chosen by her children.

From awkward encounters to unexpected connections, Anna gamely begins to put herself out there, asking out waiters, the mailman and even her celebrity crush. But when a romantic connection appears where she least expected it, will she be brave enough to take another chance on love?

Anna is 38, divorced with two kids. She works as a columnist at an online publication which is struggling. In an effort to keep it alive, the owner brings in an investor who wants it rejuvenated. Though a good writer, Anna needs to kick it up a notch if she wants to keep her column (and her income) especially since Will, another columnist, seems to have his eye on her space.

So Anna embarks on a journey to date men who her children choose for her and this will be the content for her columns ... she goes out with a younger waiter, her mailman and even tries speed dating. It's decided that Will will write a similar column but about his online dating experiences. When the book starts, Anna doesn't like Will and finds him arrogant but as they start working together, she gets to know him better and finds that he's not the jerk she thought he was.

I thought this story was okay ... it was light and predictable. It's written in first person perspective in Anna's voice. Not a big surprise that Anna does fall for someone ... it happens very quickly, though, and there's a happy ending for all. As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.